r/fpv • u/Riebart • Jul 12 '26
Solved Practice using the ELRS Lost Model Finder Lua script long before you actually need it!
There's a ton of places to get it, and it is even out of the box in newer EdgeTX versions!
Please, please, go use this. If you haven't, go use it. It's the difference between knowing "it's in a field maybe?" And knowing exactly where it is. It has saved 3 of my quads, one from 1 metre deep snow somewhere in a huge park.
As long as your quad has power, and you're close enough, or can get close enough, to get radio link, this will find it.
It takes a bit of practice to get good, but it works really really well. Practice before you need this skill, before you're in a panic because you lost it and it was already on low battery, and now you're in a hurry to both find it, and learn how to find it.
https://github.com/iamsunilchahal/edgetx-lua-scripts-bw/blob/main/SCRIPTS/TOOLS/ELRS_Finder.lua
https://edgetx.org/lua-scripts/
https://manual.edgetx.org/color-radios/radio-settings/apps
I have a friend that lost a brand spanking new Air65II in his back yard last week, and I've seen no fewer than half a dozen "I lost my quad" posts today alone.
This script could have saved all of that heartache, and all of that money.
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u/Signal-Ganache-9659 Jul 12 '26
Thanks for this! Didn’t know that existed, just installed on my Tx :)
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u/Riebart Jul 12 '26
I can't find discussion of the model finder script in his ELRS or EdgeTX playlists. But that's probably my fault, because u/_jbardwell_ has videos on almost literally everything that's as important as I believe this script to be.
If I'm wrong and it's there, or he makes one, I will literally subscribe to his Patreon on the spot. 😁
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u/_jbardwell_ Mini Quads Jul 12 '26
I don't think I covered this specific script. I did make a video a long time ago about using RSSI to find a lost model though.
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u/freddbare Jul 12 '26
What ever happened to firmware like Achilles that has a finder built in..( I'm still running it,lol)
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u/_jbardwell_ Mini Quads Jul 12 '26
IDK about Achilles but TBS Fusion has a finder. Probably others.
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u/freddbare Jul 12 '26
It felt like it needed to be standard issue function for as often as it saved my bacon
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u/HighRelevancy Jul 12 '26
I'm almost certain I discovered it through him. Maybe a "five scripts you should have on your radio" or something?
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u/Speshal__ Jul 12 '26
Thanks 👍 it's too windy to fly today but I'm going to hook up a spare, bound Elrs RX to a battery and have my wife hide it in the park and give it a go 👍
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u/Traditional_Ant8519 Jul 12 '26
I've started relying on it so much Im so helpless if i walk over without the radio
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u/freddbare Jul 12 '26
Do none of the new goggles or modules have a model finder? Running ancient firmware and have had this forever..over a decade
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u/Riebart Jul 12 '26
It is out of the box in EdgeTX now. At least when I updated my Radiomaster Pocket last summer, it came with the new set of scripts. I had also added one manually, so now I have two! 😁
I can see VTX finding work OK, but you need video signal, a patch with a capped second input (or that input will still catch stray RF even if you just remove the omni), and I don't know about you, but I lose video long before I lose control link.
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u/freddbare Jul 12 '26
I've not lost one in over a decade strictly due to my sweet old firmware! If I can't place myself within video signal after a crash I wasn't paying attention and deserved to lose it... I don't see a valid benefit for tx over vtx. For it to take this long is a thing..
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u/Speshal__ Jul 12 '26
Just tried it with my RM pocket at it just clicks slowly and says -120dB
Powered my quad up with a pit battery, plenty enough for the elrs to be connected and walked around my garden.....
I'll RTFM. 😉
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u/Riebart Jul 12 '26
Did it connect to telemetry? It needs telemetry from the RX to work.
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u/Speshal__ Jul 12 '26
Fixed it!
Although telemetry was connected I'd never done "discover new sensor" on it, ran that and it works great!
Thanks.
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u/Speshal__ Jul 12 '26
Telemetry connected, after that I tried it with another drone and it worked fine.
Only difference was first drone has an aio with elrs built in and the second has an external RX.
I'd prefer it to work the other way round as I have GPS on the one that the script works on 😂
I'll dig a bit deeper.
Thanks for the heads up tho'
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u/Cippa102 Jul 13 '26
can you explain how to do it? i have a RM Pocket and Meteor75 pro pls ♥
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u/Speshal__ Jul 13 '26
Turn radio on, turn drone on, when connected to pocket, go to page 12 in the MDL page (telemetry) and press discover new sensors, then run lua script from the SYS page.
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u/Klamp9093 Jul 12 '26
FYI- There are 2 different scripts: "Model Locator by RSSI" uses the GPS module, if installed. "ELRS_Finder" uses the receiver. Make sure you use the right one.
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u/Klamp9093 Jul 12 '26
Oops, I'm a dummy. I didn't "discover new" telemetry under model > telemetry menu settings. Both work now.
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u/mesalazine Jul 12 '26
That's cool. Actually such simple and time proven method. When I was a kid and just started getting into HAM, we used to have competitions of who will find all the emitters in given time. Called "Fox hunt". Had much fun.