The TEAL 2 is a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) designed for various applications, complemented by the TEAL AIR CONTROL (TAC) Ground Station. This comprehensive system offers advanced flight capabilities, robust control, and integrated imaging solutions.
Function Description:
The TEAL 2 sUAS is a high-performance drone designed for autonomous and manual flight operations. It integrates a dual-axis gimballed FLIR Hadron EO/IR camera module for capturing high-resolution still images and video in both electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) formats. The drone is controlled via the TEAL AIR CONTROL (TAC) Ground Station, a tablet-based system running Android, which provides a user-friendly interface for mission planning, flight control, and real-time data monitoring. The TAC allows for pre-flight checklists, mission execution, drone arming/disarming, takeoff/landing, return to launch (RTL), and switching between map and video views. It also displays critical flight information such as telemetry data, battery status, and GPS signal strength. The system emphasizes safety with features like emergency disarm, failsafe triggers for low battery and lost RC/data link, and geofencing capabilities.
Important Technical Specifications:
TEAL 2 sUAS:
- Flight Time: Up to 25 minutes (22 minutes at hover to 0% full battery discharge).
- Top Horizontal Speed: 32.8 ft/s (10 m/s).
- Maximum Vertical Speed: 8.2 ft/s (2.5 m/s).
- Maximum Servicing Ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,048 m) MSL.
- Signal Range:
- 1800 MHz line of sight: up to 2.17 miles (3.5 km).
- 2400 MHz MIMO line of sight: up to 1.86 miles (3 km).
- Maximum Auxiliary Payload: 75 grams.
- Operating Frequencies: 1800 MHz, 2400 MHz.
- Encryption: AES 256.
- Protocol: MAVLink.
- EO Recording: 4,000 x 3,000 @ 15 FPS.
- Video Format: H.264 Transport Stream and MP4.
- Gimbal Range: Pitch: -120° to +120°, Roll: -35° to +35°.
- IR Sensor: FLIR Boson, 640 x 512 Pixels.
- IR Video Recording: 640 x 512 @ 30 FPS.
- Operating Temperature Range: -32 °F to 110 °F (-35.6 °C to 43.3 °C).
- Operating Humidity Range: 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing.
- Weight: Not specified, but includes foldable and replaceable rotor arms.
- Micro SD Card Slot: Supports 128 GB Micro SD card (included in Field Repair Kit).
- Time of Flight Sensor: Infrared ground-distance sensor for landing assistance, effective from 12-15 meters high.
TEAL AIR CONTROL (TAC) Ground Station:
- Tablet Display Resolution: WUXGA (1920 x 1200).
- Tablet Display Brightness: 550 nits (outdoor conditions only).
- Tablet Interaction: Glove Mode.
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G+5GHz, VHT80.
- GPS: GLONASS.
- Security: Knox, Fingerprint Reader, and PIN.
- Operating Frequencies: 1800 MHz, 2400 MHz.
- Operating Temperature Range: -32 °F to 110 °F (-35.6 °C to 43.3 °C).
- Operating Humidity Range: 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing.
- Battery Pack: Teal Performance Battery Pack.
- Charger Dimensions: 3.65" L x 3.52" W x 1.80" H (92.7 mm L x 89.4 mm W x 45.7 mm H).
- Charger Weight: 0.35 lbs (158 g).
- Charger Power Supply: 100-240 VAC input, 25.2 V output, 5.0 A (±5%) current, 120 W output power.
Usage Features:
- Kit Contents: The TEAL 2 sUAS kit includes the drone, tactical drone case, propellers (CW and CCW), gimballed FLIR Hadron EO/IR camera, gimbal/camera protective cover, and a quick start guide. The Field Repair Kit contains a 128 GB Micro SD card, Torx T8 screwdriver, Torx arm attachment screws, rotor arms (CW and CCW), propeller assemblies (CW and CCW), and a quick reference checklist. Separately packaged are two Teal Performance Battery Packs, a battery charger power supply with AC power cord, and a battery charge adapter. The TAC kit includes the TAC & internal radio, USB3 data cable, TAC 4-point harness kit, and harness instruction card, with additional battery packs and charger components.
- Battery Charging: Battery packs fully charge in 65 minutes (10-80% in 35 minutes). Pre-heating is required for low-temperature exposure. The charger power supply operates from 100-240 VAC.
- Drone Preparation: Unfold and lock all four arms. Attach propellers by aligning bent legs into slots, pushing down, rotating a quarter turn, and allowing the spring to lock. CW props have black rivets and motors have black rings, locking CCW. CCW props have silver rivets and motors have silver rings, locking CW. Remove gimbal protective cover. Insert a fully charged battery pack into the drone's bottom compartment, ensuring latches are engaged. Insert optional SD card with gold pads up.
- TAC Preparation: Attach antenna(s) by screwing clockwise onto TNC connector(s). Insert a fully charged battery pack into the TAC battery compartment, ensuring latches are engaged. Optionally, attach the 4-point harness for operator comfort and stability.
- Power Up: Press and hold the TAC battery pack power button for 4 seconds, then release. Verify center LED is lit. Press and hold the TAC tablet power button for 2 seconds. Swipe up to start Teal QGroundControl (Teal QGC) app. Press and hold the drone battery power button for 4 seconds, then release. Verify center LED is lit, exhaust fan starts, and side panel lights turn on (approx. 15 seconds). Verify gimbal start-up.
- Accessing Apps: The TAC runs Android. Swipe down from the top edge to reveal a vertical gray sidebar menu. Slide it left to show recently used apps. Touch the 9-dot icon to see all available apps.
- Pairing: Most GE/TAC kits are pre-paired. If not, ensure the Active Network is set to DRONE in Teal TAC Settings. Press and hold the drone's multi-function button for 5 seconds. In the TAC, open Vehicle Pairing (shield icon), select the drone, and tap "Pair."
- Flight Modes:
- Position Mode: Safest manual mode for new pilots. Controls attitude, altitude, heading, and horizontal position. Requires GPS. Drone actively brakes, levels, and locks position in 3D space when joysticks are released.
- Altitude Mode: Safest non-GPS manual mode. Controls attitude, altitude, and heading. Drone drifts with wind if uncorrected. Levels and locks altitude when joysticks are released. RTL not available.
- Mission Mode: Executes predefined autonomous flight plans. Requires GPS. Any TAC stick movement changes mode to Position Mode.
- Manual Mode: Most difficult. Only attitude and heading are stabilized. Drone does not stop rotating or stabilize when joysticks are released. Not pre-assigned by default.
- Default Controls: Left joystick controls Throttle Up/Down and Yaw CCW/CW. Right joystick controls Pitch Forward/Back and Roll Left/Right. Left top button arms the drone. Right top button disarms/E-Stop. Left 4-Pos Switch (user programmable) defaults to None/Mission/None. Right 4-Pos Switch controls Gain Exposure Up/Down and Zoom In/Out. Rear panel buttons control Gimbal Up/Down, Toggle Camera EO/IR, Toggle Video/Still, and Battery Pack (status).
- Pre-Flight Checklist: Automated checklist in FLY TOOLS ensures proper configuration. Includes operations checklist (airspace, authorizations, weather, maps, battery, mission plans, field repair kit, pairing, user preferences, wind, temperature, sunlight, launch point), physical inspection (arms, propellers, motors, gimbal, protective cover, battery packs, antenna, SD card), system power/pairing (Teal 2, TAC, Teal QGC app, comms link, GPS, calibration, channel/frequency), and system checks (button assignments, safety parameters, RTL height, compass, attitude, gimbal, camera video streams, SD card, picture settings, RSSI, announcements, status lights, accessory lights, offline maps, mission plans, flight mode, arm/disarm/E-Stop).
- Mission Planning: Plan autonomous missions, set waypoints, rally points, geofences, and survey patterns. Upload maps, create missions, define safety parameters.
- Photo/Video Management: Enable photo functions in GENERAL SETTINGS to store media locally on TAC (reduces bandwidth) or on SD card. Transfer photos/videos from TAC to USB-C device or PC. Transfer from SD card (drone) to PC.
- Software Updates: Teal TAC Settings, Teal Documentation, and Teal Updater apps manage software and firmware updates. Requires wireless network, paired system, and fully charged battery packs.
Maintenance Features:
- Field Replaceable Parts: Teal 2 is modular, allowing for easy replacement of payloads, propulsion, and battery systems. Field Repair Kit includes tools and parts for immediate repairs.
- Maintenance Schedule:
- After 10 Flight Hours or As Needed: Clear and format SD card, clean all sensors and vehicle, fully discharge and charge all batteries, verify gimbal and camera connectors, update Teal 2 and TAC software, delete and re-download offline maps, clear flight logs.
- After 150 Flights or As Needed: Replace propellers every 30 hours of flight, replace arm, retire battery pack after 150 charge/discharge cycles.
- Rotor Arm Replacement: Replace entire arm if damaged. Arms are prewired with motor. Remove single T8 Torx screw, pull arm out, insert new arm, tighten screw. Test motor.
- Camera & Gimbal Payload Replacement: Both FLIR Hadron EO/IR camera and gimbal are field replaceable. Place drone on back, remove rubber grommets, disconnect motor cable connector, remove M1.6 x 0.35mm screws, pull Hadron camera away. Reverse steps to install new camera. System checkout includes manually moving gimbal, checking wires, and powering on to confirm function.
- Propeller Replacement: Push down and rotate to remove. Align bent legs into motor slots, push down, rotate, and allow spring to lock.
- Calibration: Calibrate drone sensors (compass, accelerometer, gyroscope) when traveling over 50 miles, experiencing flight instability, or prompted by the system. Follow on-screen instructions for rotation and positioning.
- Troubleshooting Guide: Provides solutions for common issues like pairing/connection problems, camera not holding steady, battery pack shutting off, drone not arming, unresponsive buttons/joysticks, photo snap errors, uncommanded flight ("toilet bowling"), and compass indicator instability.
- Post-Incident Report Procedures: Detailed steps for documenting incidents, including checking safety, inspecting drone for damage, verifying power/connectivity, removing battery, checking arms, motors, gimbal/camera, and airframe. Collect loose parts. Download flight logs and send to Teal Drones Customer Support.
- Warnings: Disarming in flight causes free-fall, potential injury/damage. Improperly stored lithium-ion batteries can become unstable, overheat, damage cells, or catch fire. Store batteries between -4 °F to 113 °F. Do not keep in hot vehicles. Do not stack heavy objects on battery packs. Intentional aerobatics void warranties. Exposed PCB is ESD sensitive.
- Cautions: Remove fully charged battery packs from charger to prevent damage from prolonged heating. Charge within 32 °F to 113 °F, avoid direct sunlight. Unplug charger when not in use. Power down Teal 2 and TAC before removing/replacing battery packs. Verify altitude when adjusting ground resolution settings. Any TAC stick movement changes Mission Mode to Position Mode. Teal 2 does not support battery pack hot-swap. Only one Teal 2 can be connected to TAC at a time. Power off inactive drones to avoid RF interference.
- Flight Restrictions & Regulations: Comply with FAA, federal, and local regulations. Never fly over people/vehicles, beyond visual line of sight, or above 400 ft AGL. Be aware of controlled airspaces.
- Best Practices: Exercise sound judgment. Inspect drone before each flight. Follow maintenance schedules. Never alter Teal 2 or TAC. Select clear flight locations. Avoid hazardous areas.
- In-Flight Emergency Procedures: Use E-Stop for complete loss of control, but be aware of potential damage to drone, data, property, or injury/death.
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