Drones

[robin]

Anybody have knowledge of them and what would be a good beginner one?

[Serk]

What are your goals with it, what are you wanting to do with it, and what's your budget?

I've got a Syma X8G, around $120 on Amazon including the camera and everything... It's a good one to learn the basics on and still get some decent results, but no autonomy or self navigation or obstacle avoidance or any of that fancy stuff but...

Something good to try out for under $150...

Here's some video I shot with it at this spring's Gathering of the Fools BBQ at Hotglue's place:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOJekLB0dDA

[Jess Tolbirt]

What are your goals with it, what are you wanting to do with it, and what's your budget?

I've got a Syma X8G, around $120 on Amazon including the camera and everything... It's a good one to learn the basics on and still get some decent results, but no autonomy or self navigation or obstacle avoidance or any of that fancy stuff but...

Something good to try out for under $150...

Here's some video I shot with it at this spring's Gathering of the Fools BBQ at Hotglue's place:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOJekLB0dDA

enjoyed the video

[Serk]

Little more of what can be done with a cheap "toy" class drone... I rigged up the camera mount to point straight down instead of forward and flew it around my house, added some appropriate theme music and came up with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-89NvcAJRVo

[robin]

Don't want to do anything fancy right now Serk just want to get started flying

[Serk]

Don't want to do anything fancy right now Serk just want to get started flying

If you don't care about a camera at all, take a look at the Syma X8C. It's the exact same quad as the X8G I was using it just comes with a wimpier camera, and can be had for $73.99 on Amazon right now.

(I've actually got one of each, the X8C and the X8G. I got the X8C initially and had so much fun with it added an X8G for the better camera, and now I've got an entire spare drone with all parts interchangeable with each other for spares.)

[The emperor has no clothes]

Little more of what can be done with a cheap "toy" class drone... I rigged up the camera mount to point straight down instead of forward and flew it around my house, added some appropriate theme music and came up with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-89NvcAJRVo

Appropriate theme music ?  i thought Ali Babba was going to come jumping out of your Yellow Cab any minute. 

[Jess from VA]

Good way to check your roof without actually climbing up and around on it.

I'd like to catch the asswipe who has been throwing his McDonald's trash in the street beside my house twice a week for the last two years.  Whats the run time (pure hover) on one of those?  And the camera memory time?

[dreamaker]

Just FYI, this was just emailed to me from the FAA.

FAA logo

KEEP YOUR DRONE AWAY FROM WILDFIRES

There are lots of great places to fly your drones, but over or near a wildfire isn’t one of them. In fact, drone operators who interfere with wildfire suppression efforts are subject to civil penalties of up to $27,500 and possible criminal prosecution.

Here’s why it’s important: Aerial firefighting aircraft, such as airtankers and helicopters, fly at very low altitudes, just a couple hundred feet above the ground and in the same airspace as hobby and recreational drones. This creates the potential for a mid-air collision that could seriously injure or kill wildland firefighters in the air or on the ground.

As a result of unlawful drone operations near fires this year, fire managers have temporarily grounded all aerial firefighting aircraft on several occasions for safety reasons. Shutting down firefighting operations could cause wildfires to become larger and can threaten lives, property, and valuable natural and cultural resources.

The bottom line is “If You Fly, We Can’t."

Please fly responsibly – keep your drone away from wildfires.

[sandy]

Good way to check your roof without actually climbing up and around on it.

I'd like to catch the asswipe who has been throwing his McDonald's trash in the street beside my house twice a week for the last two years.  Whats the run time (pure hover) on one of those?  And the camera memory time?

Collect the McD trash for months. Christmas morning he should find a pile in his yard.

[Jess from VA]

Good way to check your roof without actually climbing up and around on it.

I'd like to catch the asswipe who has been throwing his McDonald's trash in the street beside my house twice a week for the last two years.  Whats the run time (pure hover) on one of those?  And the camera memory time?

Collect the McD trash for months. Christmas morning he should find a pile in his yard.

You are reading my mind Sandy.  That (and worse) is exactly my plan.  But I cannot ID the perp/driver.  For the first time, about a month ago, with cool air and my bedroom window open, I heard the trash hit the street.  I looked out the window, but with trees, foliage and distance, all I got was a small/medium size blue car.  But I did see which of three streets he pulled down.  So I walked over and down that street.  

The problem was, there were about 6 cars that fit the bill.  I started feeling hoods for heat, even walked up two drives to feel the hood.  That didn't work as the sun had been beating down on all of them.  I have a suspicion, and talked with a neighbor over there.  I think is is a young teenage driver of a family car, who is not supposed to be eating McD's in lieu of mom's healthy dinners.  He gets the car once in a while, violates, then dumps the evidence before arriving home.  Probably on a short leash with the car timewise.  But I cannot act until I am certain of the offender.



I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

[north-aurora]

I use drones at work. We currently use the Phantom DJI 4, but it's around $1,400... If you can spend a little bit, go with the DJI 3 Standard. It's got everything you need, a 2.7k camera, drone live video view on your phone, GPS and ability to fly autonomously via waypoints, automatic "go home" if low on battery or losing connection to it, and it can fly 45mph with a flight time of 25 minutes. You can check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/DJI-Phantom-Standard-Quadcopter-Camera/dp/B013U0F6EQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467253811&sr=8-1&keywords=dji+3

I see it frequently on sale for $399. If you are interested, check techbargains.com every other day and it will show up for that price within a week or two.

[BobB]

I just had an inspiration.  I have a gutter on the house that is clogged up.  Unfortunately, the down spout is almost 30 feet above ground level and I, at 72, am not going to get up there on that 8/12 pitched roof.  Perhaps a drone could do the job...