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Aircraft mode (transmitter)

In aircraft mode, the OWTS device measures the aircraft’s indicated airspeed (IAS) and transmits it to the winch receiver over the radio link.

Proof of concept – not for operational use

OWTS is currently a proof of concept. It is not recommended for operational use at this stage.

  • Radio compliance and certification requirements depend on the country and intended use.
  • Aircraft sensor installations (including pitot/static integration) may be regulated and require approvals depending on local rules and aircraft category.

Goals in aircraft mode

  • Provide a stable, low-latency IAS signal to the winch station.
  • Keep operation simple: one device in the aircraft, configured once, then used repeatedly.

Getting started

Initial connection (SoftAP), default password, and URL/mDNS notes live in Setup. Shared UI pages (About/Config/Logs) are documented in Web UI.

Configure aircraft profile

Use the UI to configure the aircraft device. The settings are persisted on the device.

Config → Radio (SX1262 builds): SRD profile, frequency/power, rolling duty readout, and optional lab duty override — see Web UI → Radio.

Aircraft settings page (editable)

OWTS frontend – Aircraft settings

Identity

  • Registration: aircraft registration (shown on the winch receiver and in history).
  • Type: short aircraft type string (shown on the winch receiver and in history).

Change either field and press Save to persist it.

Registration changes may trigger a restart

In the current firmware/frontend behavior, changing identity fields can cause the device to reboot shortly after saving (the UI will reload).

Speed zone

The speed zone defines the target band the winch side will display:

  • v_min: minimum winch launch speed (lower limit)
  • v_opt: optimal winch launch speed (target)
  • v_max: maximum winch launch speed (upper limit)

These values are stored as integers in the selected speed unit (see below).

Telemetry transmit policy

  • v_en: telemetry start speed
    The transmitter starts sending when IAS is at/above this speed.
  • Telemetry transmit time (s) (t_send): how long the device keeps transmitting after a launch is detected.
  • Landing hold (s) (landing_hold_s): IAS must stay below v_en for this long before a new launch can be armed (helps avoid repeated triggers).

Units

  • Speed unit: km/h or kts
  • Height unit: m or ft (used for display/metadata in current builds)

After changes, press Save.

What the winch sees

In aircraft mode, the transmitter typically provides:

  • Current IAS (in the configured unit)
  • Aircraft identification (registration/type)
  • Basic status information (if supported by the current firmware build)