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Micro Drone 2.0


linus6948

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In an effort to keep my sanity during these frozen months I`ve started playing with some aerial photography using a micro quadcopter and an 808 keychain camera. This was one of the first not so perfect flights over "Ice Station Zebra", I can see why some contractors are using these for roof and chimney inspections.

 

Edited by linus6948
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When I was a kid in the mid 50's I had one of those Cox engine powered airplanes  controlled by a handle and two strings to control elevation. It would fly until it ran out of gas or I got so dizzy from going around in circles I would fall down and the plane would crash land.

 

Fast forward until the mid 80's. I bought such a plane and attempted to teach my sons how to fly it. I got it cranked up and adjusted the needle valve for maximum RPM's. I had the handle and one son carried the plane to the take off point with the elevation control strings taught, then released the plane. I watched with excitement as the plane took off and made a sharp left turn and flew prop first into my leg. Those plastic props can sure draw a lot of blood before they break.  

 

So next I bought the boys a Cox powered helicopter. Per the instructions I started it and adjusted the needle valve to run fast. On the box it said the helicopter would elevate and hover until it ran out of gas. I was in the middle of a huge field when I released it. It went straight up and out of sight never to be seen again. So ending my model flying days.

 

The grandkids came along and I went rubber band power with the plane I bought them.

 

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Yes the ability to take decent aerial footage was what gave me the RC flying bug again. I just got another larger quad equipped with a 2 mega pixel camera that I am "breaking-in" but the weather here has not been conducive to flying these things lately. I tried a little flying this afternoon but the gusting wind was too much and I quit while I was ahead.

 

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Edited by linus6948
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Took some aerial shots during today`s wind driven snowfall

 

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Edited by linus6948
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The larger quad that took the still photos is a $50 model with a 2 megapixel camera which can take a still picture with a button push on the transmitter,also you can start and stop video. Unfortunately there is no zoom feature available at this price point but I would not be surprised if it becomes available in the near future. The lake I live on is not owned by any one person it is "community-property" and any home owner in my development can use it.

My collage grad nephew got a Phantom 2 with a GoPro Hero4 camera as a graduation present and brought it here last month and took some aerial video and I was hooked. I started dusting off some of my RC planes and single rotor copters and then got the 1st of two micro quads and then the larger one. These are basically "toy" quads but adults seem to be buying them.

They are still working out the FAA regulations surrounding their usage, but I think they are here to stay and it will be interesting to see how it pans out. There is a slight buying mania starting to brew the more that they talk about regulating them. I too want to get a "real" one before they become too regulated. The one I am waiting for is the Hubsan X4 H109S that comes out in late March.

But I will spend a lot more time honing my flying skills on "toy" quads before I take the plunge into the big leagues. This quad has already been monopolized by Hobbico in the US and they have more than doubled the price that one can purchase it for by buying from china directly as I have been with the toy quads.

The potential for good these things have is huge, bridge,smoke-stack and structure inspections, fire and rescue uses and agriculture just to name a few. They are popular for filming outdoor weddings and other outdoor venues. The problem is when idiots get them and do countless stupid things with them. Like the drunk guy that crashed his on the White House lawn, much more of that and these will get regulated to death.

 

 

Edited by linus6948
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Here is the micro drone with the 808 keychain HD "spy-camera" attached, looks just like a car fob and records audio and video. The larger is a JJRC H8C that came equipped with it`s own camera.

 

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Here I get a little carried away and fly the quad too far from the transmitter and it gets out of range so I have no control over it and lose the quad to the high wind, it flys off the lake and over the treetops on the far side of the lake and into the snow blanketed forest. I was less than happy and I immediately struck out in the direction I had my last visual on it before it flew out of sight. The search was a miserable one as I was breaking thru foot high crusty snow with every step, very slow going, I thought about going to borrow some snow-shoes from a neighbor but the batteries in these quads don`t last long and I was counting on that battery to find the quad.

When I got where I thought I was close I rebound the transmitter to the copter and briefly goosed the throttle and I heard a faint motor noise in the distance. I repeated the process as I hiked towards the noise and eventually spotted the quads running lights.Miraculously it had made it`s way thru the large treetops it had dropped down into and was laying on the snow,

Bale out of the video at 1.40 minutes as there is nothing to see after that but snow in front of the camera.

 

Edited by linus6948
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The Nephew came for an overnight stay to go skiing and brought his Phantom 2 so I took some pics of it next to the one I`ve been flying.

 

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Now I decided to move up from the toy class and sent for one of these. It is a knockoff clone of the Phantom and there are a lot of mods people have come up with for them.

Poor Mans GPS Drone, it is already on sale and with 6% off coupon 15BGSF which is good to Feb 21 it comes to $257 delivered, http://www.banggood.com/Cheerson-CX20-Opensource-Version-Au…

 

http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/successful-test-of-the-cheerson-cx-20-apm-arducoper-firmware?id=705844%3ABlogPost%3A1673948&page=2

Edited by linus6948
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  • 1 month later...

Well I have outfitted that chinese quad into a pretty decent camera platform and I equipped it with live video and GPS telemetry to an android tablet

 

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One of the first videos taken during a test of the quads return to launch point feature, where it fly`s itself home on auto-pilot.

 

Edited by linus6948
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Thanks for posting. Although I've heard of drones ,I was not aware of the sophisticated examples available to the general public.I enjoyed watching your videos. Personally, I have enough interests and projects on hand and purchasing a drone will not be on my list at this time. The comment you made regarding regulation as to their availability and also restrictions regarding their use  will no doubt come about....Generally I keep up to current events, but I seldom watch television news - my wife mentioned the other day she saw on the TV news there was a concern drones might be illegally used to drop off  "care" packages for those behind prison walls? :huh:

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