Can't start long timelapse with Hero11

[Ohmyadas]

Hi, newbie with labs here, so please be patient :) Read many threads, but couldn't find the answer.

Installed labs firmware on my Hero11 (v2.01.70), but when I scan different long timelapse qr codes no images are recorded, with a few exeptions. For example, I've tried this https://gopro.github.io/labs/control/longtimelapse/ and this https://gopro.github.io/labs/control/construction/ - camera scans the code, check appears, turns off promissing to shoot, then turns on and turns off, no images recorded. I've tried selecting different capture times and the only time images were recorded was when I chose 1 (or 2) hours of capturing. Why this can happen?

Several lines from qrlog.txt (first tried to do construction timelapse from 15:20 to 15:30 and then tried to do regular timelapse of 7 hours:

[2023-03-02 15:19:16] wake reason:POWER_BUTTON
[2023-03-02 15:19:18] Labs:Main Start
[2023-03-02 15:19:19] Labs:Initialize
[2023-03-02 15:19:24] Read QR:mPdP>15:19<15:30!30SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:19:25] true 15:19 > 15:19:>15:19<15:30!30SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:19:26] true 15:19 < 15:30:<15:30!30SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:19:29] Shutdown and Sleep:25 seconds
[2023-03-02 15:19:59] wake reason:RTC_ALARM
[2023-03-02 15:19:59] Labs:Main Start
[2023-03-02 15:20:00] Labs:Initialize
[2023-03-02 15:20:00] Woke with Alarm:[15:19m01]!SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:01] Woke with Command:[15:19m01]!SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:01] Start Now:Past by 61 seconds
[2023-03-02 15:20:01] Timer wake command:!SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:03] skip_command:!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:04] else skipped, process from:!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:08] true 15:20 > 15:19:>15:19<15:30!30SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:08] true 15:20 < 15:30:<15:30!30SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:11] Shutdown and Sleep:25 seconds
[2023-03-02 15:20:39] wake reason:RTC_ALARM
[2023-03-02 15:20:39] Labs:Main Start
[2023-03-02 15:20:40] Labs:Initialize
[2023-03-02 15:20:40] Woke with Alarm:[15:20m01]!SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:41] Woke with Command:[15:20m01]!SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:20:41] Start Now:Past by 41 seconds
[2023-03-02 15:20:41] Timer wake command:!SQ~!15:20S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:32:53] wake reason:POWER_BUTTON
[2023-03-02 15:32:56] Labs:Main Start
[2023-03-02 15:32:56] Labs:Initialize
[2023-03-02 15:36:44] wake reason:POWER_ON_FROM_SCRATCH
[2023-03-02 15:36:47] Labs:Main Start
[2023-03-02 15:36:47] Labs:Initialize
[2023-03-02 15:36:51] Read QR:!12NQmPN!S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:36:54] Shutdown and Sleep:7 seconds
[2023-03-02 15:37:05] wake reason:RTC_ALARM
[2023-03-02 15:37:05] Labs:Main Start
[2023-03-02 15:37:06] Labs:Initialize
[2023-03-02 15:37:06] Woke with Alarm:[15:37m01]!NQmPN!S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:37:07] Woke with Command:[15:37m01]!NQmPN!S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:37:07] Start Now:Past by 7 seconds
[2023-03-02 15:37:07] Timer wake command:!NQmPN!S!1R
[2023-03-02 15:38:44] wake reason:POWER_BUTTON
[2023-03-02 15:38:46] Labs:Main Start
[2023-03-02 15:38:47] Labs:Initialize

[dnewman-gpsw]

This is known. There is a bug in the last HERO11 Labs firmware that will be addressed in the next release. In the meantime the previous firmware supports this type timelapse https://github.com/gopro/labs/blob/master/docs/firmware/bin/LABS_HERO11_01_20_70.zip

[Ohmyadas]

David, thanks for a prompt answer! I'll try to update the firmware and test those functions. Now trying my new 50.000mah powerbank how long it will work without that "Always on" feature. Any ideas?

[dnewman-gpsw]

The capture will likely randomly stop before the power drains. As all the shutdown and capture a single photo scripts where developed using the internal battery alone, and are good for approximately 300 images. Weirdly this tends not to improve much with external power. This issue is a random failure to wake on the alarm timer (we all do that occasionally.) Far more reliable, but slightly less power efficient, is to use a new script like https://gopro.github.io/labs/control/dailytl/ (the upload part is optional). In this script it will sleep in the hours you down want to timelapse, but stay on in the timelapse hours, using the camera's default timelapse features. This hybrid approach is 50-100X more reliable.

Your battery will not work without an always on feature, as the camera draws so little power when in shutdown, the battery power-bank turns off, camera needs that tiny amount of power. For these batteries you need a USB keep alive device like this https://www.tindie.com/products/overz/smart-power-bank-keep-alive/

[Ohmyadas]

Do I need a "keep alive" device even if I'm using standard video timelapse function which does not shutdown/wake the camera?

And regarding this new script which wakes only during selected hours - why it is more reliable? Because it only wakes and sleeps 2 times a day?

[0dan0]

If the camera is on, it draws sufficient power, only when the camera is off will the "smart" power-banks turn off, causing the problem.

Yes, reliability is corelated to restarts per day.