Harry's GPS Suite Forum

I just bought a GoPro Hero4 wanting to use MultiCam with it on my Grand Prix Edition, but I can't get video. It works on my wife's phone thought. Here are my exact steps:

Motorola Moto X (1st gen), Android 4.4.4 (latest)
GoPro Hero4, version HD4.02.03.00.00 (latest)

GoPro wifi enabled
Start GoPro app to connect to GoPro - no problem here, exit app and remove it from app list
Go into Android Wifi settings and connect to my GoPro wifi (says "Connected")
Start Harry's LapTimer Grand Prix Edition V19.0.27 (latest)
Settings: Discovery MultiCams "yes", MultiCam Present "Master", External Cam "GoPro HERO4"
Go into Sensor List. See under Other Sensors, "MultiCam Video", but it shows for about two seconds, then disappears for eight seconds, then reappears, etc. Doesn't look good.
Sometimes the camera doesn't show at all for a long time.
When going into Race->Timer->Video, I don't get the GoPro video window, so it's not working.

I turned off my nearby wifi router thinking it might be interfering, but no change.
I tried same experiment on my wife's Google Nexus 6, repeating above steps, and everything works fine. Sensor List shows MultiCam solid. I can see the MultiCam video. I can record, download, and Overlay it on her phone.

I have used my MotoX to record video from my android camera and OBD data in the past, so it's just the GoPro functionality that is having problems.

Any help? Thanks.

Stefan

My guess would be the problem is not related to the device but to some configuration issue. The whole external cam control is using standard WiFi communication - something that will hardly depend on device or Android version. Please make sure the GoPro app is killed / not in memory while using LapTimer. Two apps accessing an exclusive resource like the H4 will fail.

- Harry

I made sure that GoPro is no longer running by clicking on the Recent Apps icon on my screen (bottom-right, the one with the two overlapped rectangles), then swipping GoPro away (finger-swipe to the right). It now says, "No recent apps". If that is not the right way, is there another way to kill the old app?

I was very meticulous to make sure both my Moto X and the Nexus 6 are using the same configuration. Anything else I can try to see what could be causing it?

Sincerely.

Stefan

Besides MultiCam settings, please recheck both devices are in the GoPro WiFi. Smartphones tend to switch between WiFis they know, so the net may change. Make sure both apps are GP editions (or upgraded to GP).

Harry

I reconfirmed that wifi is on. It is connected to my GoPro. Also checked that both my devices have the GP edition (I bought it twice, so my wife and myself each have the license).

I did a third test using my Nvidia Shield Tablet. Like the Nexus 6, it works fine. The Moto X still does not work though. The key symptom I see is that the GoPro camera shows in the sensor list for a few seconds, then drops out for a few seconds, then comes back in. It looks like it's not able to detect it reliably. My wifi connection is on the GoPro though every time I check it.

Stefan

You may generate a trace log with external cam communication and send it to me:

1) How-to: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1933
2) Select MultiCam / MultiCam Connection / External Cam as trace classes (all other off please!)
3) Start tracing, got Sensor List, wait until you have seen the connect / disconnect patter at least once, stop tracing

- Harry

Hi Harry.

I sent you the log file via email.

Initially it would not detect my GoPro in the sensor list at all, so I went to the Timer->Video screen where I did not see the GoPro video either (as expected). Then I went back to the sensor list. I went back and forth a few times. Sometimes the camera was detected, but I still did not see the GoPro video in the Timer->Video screen. At one point I noticed my wifi had switched back to my home wifi, which I had never seen before. I set it back to the GoPro wifi. Towards the end, I saw the GoPro detected in the sensor list for about 3 seconds, then disappear for about 7 seconds, then reappear for around 3 seconds, and so on. So if you are looking at the log for errors related to this on/off/on pattern, look at the last 30 to 60 seconds of the capture.

Stefan