1. Flytrex Core and the Flytrex Service

Flytrex Core is the world's first multi-rotor black-box that records your flight parameters with each of your flights.

Combined with the complimentary Flytrex service on our site: www.flytrex.com, pilots can log and manage each of their flight details, analyze their piloting skills and improvement over time, track personal records, earn badges for different achievements, find other nearby pilots, manage multi-rotor fleet and much more.

Flytrex is designed for newbie and proficient multi-rotor enthusiasts flying LOS and FPV.

2. What's Included

3. What's Required

To get started you will need the Flytrex Core 2 system, flight controller with GPS from the list of supported flight controllers and the matching Flytrex Core 2 installation cable for your flight controller.

4. Supported Flight Controllers

Flytrex Core 2 supports the following flight controllers: DJI Phantom 1, DJI Phantom 1 with upgrade kit, DJI Phantom 2, DJI Phantom 2 Vision, DJI Phantom 2 Vision+, DJI Phantom FC40, DJI Naza-M v1, DJI Naza-M v2, Blade 350 QX, Blade 350 QX2, Blade 350 QX3, Yuneec Q500, Pixhawk, Iris+ and APM 2.6.

The Flytrex Core 2 system can be used with all of these flight controllers. The only difference is the installation cable. Make sure to order the installation cable matching your flight controller and setup.

5. 30 Seconds Installation

We love simple things, so we worked hard to design the simplest installation possible. Flytrex Core 2 installation connects seamlessly with your flight system, no soldering is required, just plug&play.

1. Disconnect your GPS from your flight controller.
2. Connect the GPS to the Flytrex Cable female socket - the only one available in the cable.
3. Connect the male socket on the same side of the cable to your flight controller GPS slot.
4. Connect the other side of the Flytrex Cable to the Flytrex Core slot.

Visit our installation manuals on the left side bar for detailed, step-by-step, guides on how to install Flytrex Core 2 with the flight controller of your choice.

6. Flytrex Core Mounting

Although Flytrex Core 2 can be mounted anywhere on the aircraft, for optimal altitude and temperature reading we suggest paying attention to the placement of the barometer component.

The barometer component can be located easily - it is placed on the other side of the microSD and it is the only component with a small hole in it. Check out the included picture with marking the barometer, just to be sure.

This small barometer hole needs to be mounted in such a way that prevent direct sun-light from entering it, yet remain open to air flow. This can be very little air and just shouldn't be completely sealed.

Our suggested mounting is to place double-sided 3M or velcro on the other side from the microSD, where the barometer is placed, but without covering the barometer itself. Then, attach it to the multirotor frame so that the barometer is pointing the frame, yet there is a small gap due to the thickness of the 3M/velcro.

Having the barometer pointing to the frame will prevent direct sunlight from entering it, yet the small 3M/velcro gap will allow good air flow to enter. Such mounting will yield optimal altitude and temperature reading

7. Flytrex Core Micro SD

Flytrex Core records your flight details to a micro SD (card not provided with package). You can use any micro SD between 256mb to 32GB formatted with 16FAT or 32FAT - so most micro SD cards will work right from the box. 1GB gives you approx 40,000 minutes of flight recording. Card must use basic microSD technology (micro SDHC and similar technologies are not supported).

8. Flying Without microSD

The Core 2 adds a new internal memory chip that records your flight data at all times, whether a microSD is currently plugged or not. Using the new internal memory the Core 2 introduces new mode of operation without a microSD. This ensures that your flight data is always available - even if you forgot your microSD, or, during extreme flying when the microSD recording isn't always optional.

To copy flights from Flytrex memory:

1. Using your PC, add an empty text file named "backup.txt" to the microSD root folder.
2. Plug the microSD to Flytrex and powerup your multirotor so that Flytrex will receive power.
3. When the Core 2 recognizes this file it starts-up in Backup Mode. In Backup Mode it copies all missions from the memory to the microSD. During this process the LED will flash. This can take up to 2-3 minutes, depending how many new missions are stored on the memory.
4. When done, the LED will stop flashing completely.

Once done, you will find all mission files that were loaded from the memory waiting on the microSD. Unlike regular mission files, those loaded from the internal memory start with the letter 'B'.

Notice that when starting Flytrex in Backup Mode the system won't record the current mission at all - not to the microSD nor to the memory. You will need to pull out the microSD and remove the 'backup.txt' file to start recording new flights on next power-up cycle, or, power-cycle Flytrex without a microSD to start recording to the internal memory again.

9. Flytrex File Naming Convention

Flytrex Core files use the extension FPV. The Core 2 uses an absolute auto-increased counter for file names. For example, your third mission file name will be '00000003.FPV'.

If your first filght counter starts at 2 this is OK and means your Core device was tested at our labs before it was shipped to you.

Unlike the previous Core version, the auto-increased counter is now absolute and won't reset. Every flight you perform will receive a new file name with an increased counter value. Based on the file name counter you can easily sort missions and identify your most recent missions.

Mission file names that were copied from the Flytrex memory use the same file naming convention, however, they start with the letter 'B'. For example, your third mission file name stored during flight will be '00000003.FPV'. The same flight file copied from internal memory will be 'B0000003.FPV'

10. Firmware Upgrades

From time to time we might release new firmware upgrades for your Flytrex Core adding new features and including any required fixes. We love keeping things simple so upgrading your Flytrex Core firmware is as simple as copying a file to your microSD and powering up your Flytrex Core.

To check if a new firmware version is available visit the Flytrex Core Downloads page and see the latest firmware downloads. Identifying the current Flytrex Core firmware version is done according to the LED sequence flashing when you first power the Flytrex Core. Please see the Flytrex Core LED Reference for details how to determine your current firmware version.

Following these steps to update your Flytrex Core firmware version:

1. Visit the Flytrex Core Downloads page and download the firmware version file you wish to install.
2. Copy the firmware version to the root folder of your microSD. The file must be names ft.bin - all lower case.
3. Place the microSD in the Flytrex Core and power it. You will see the LED is flashing quickly for about 15 seconds during start up, this indicates the new firmware is being loaded.
4. After the fast flashing stops the Core will continue in its default initialization sequence. At this stage you're already running using the newly loaded firmware file.
5. To prevent the Core from reloading the new firmware on every power up, place the microSD in your PC again and delete the firmware file, ft.bin, from your microSD root folder.

That's it, your Flytrex Core has been upgraded successfully. Following these steps you can load any firmware file to your Flytrex Core, either upgrade to a newer firmware version or even downgrade to a previous one.

11. Using Flytrex Core and Flytrex.com Service

1. Install and mount Flytrex Core as described in the installation guide matching the flight controller of your choise. Insert a micro SD card.
2. Fly safely and have fun! Just like you normally do.
3. Head back home, remove the micro SD from Flytrex Core and connect it to your PC or Mac. You'll see that new "FPV" mission files were created for each of your flights in the micro SD root directory.
4. Login to your account at Flytrex.com and use the Upload Mission button to upload each of the new FPV mission files.

After uploading, Flytrex then analyzes each of your flight files and creates new mission page for each mission you upload, letting you analyze your flight achievements, identify nearby pilots flying in your area and much more!

12. Flytrex.com Service

We've created Flytrex while trying to share the awesomeness of multi-rotor with our friends, find better ways to track our skills and measure our improvement. Covering the awesomeness of the Flytrex.com service is beyond the scope of this manual. However, to give you a taste, here are just some of the cool features you'll find with your Flytrex account:

1. Missions Manager and Analyzer - Each mission you upload is stored and gets a dedicate web-page with full flight details that lets you share the fun and experience with the world! Including flight map, stats for speed, distance, altitude, ascent, time and more, newly earned badges, your aircraft details, user comments, social share buttons and more.
2. Badges - Unlock badges as you upload new missions and reach new achievements. Different badges are available for different achievement categories, including distance, altitude, ascent, speed, traveling the world, diving and more. We keep adding awesome new badges and missions all the time and we'd love to get your ideas!
3. Challenges - Join a challenge, compete with other pilots worldwide and climb the leaderboards as you improve. There are always new challenges for you to conquer, and we're open to suggestions - so let us know what you'd like to see!
4. Personal Records - Flytrex tracks each of your missions and stores your personal records at all times. Challenge yourself with each flight and try to improve your personal records.
5. Aircraft Management - Manage multiple multi-rotor aircraft, assign gear parts to each aircraft, see stats for each aircraft, assign images and more. To get stats recorded for each aircraft you'd need a separate Flytrex Core installed on each aircraft, or, move the Flytrex Core between your different multi-rotors. Multiple Flytrex Core can be used and managed with a single account on our site.
6. Explore and Search - Explore missions by other Flytrex members, find and search other pilots flying nearby and connect with them, comment and like other's awesome missions and achievements.

You'll find many more great features with Flytrex. Creating an account is free but only Flytrex Core owners can upload missions.

Sign in to Flytrex today using your Facebook, Twitter or Google account and join the fastest growing UAV pilots network today!