Anyone using Drones from the Mac

[Mac26Mpaul]

If that extender is really getting people 2km, then that is all you need I'd reckon. That flight I posted of the range test is the one and only time I have been more than 2km away. I have done a few others about 2km away, but generally I'm only wanting to film stuff within half a mile.

The long distance flights are of course illegal and could get you in a lot of trouble if something went wrong, but I have to say, they sure are a buzz! With litchi, you can set it to FPV mode and buy a cheap pair of FPV glasses for about $20 which you put your phone in, and put the glasses on your head, and you then become the pilot of the drone - moving your head up and down moves the camera up and down – I haven't tried that yet, but it sure does look fun!

As to privacy, it’s the same here, I have been hassled twice at the boat ramp, once by a guy asking me to not fly the thing over his property (I only skirted the edge of his acreage and nowhere near his house) and another old fella who rushed up and took my photo and seemed to think I worked for the council and was taking photos of his house, even though I wasn’t near his house.

Laws are a little different here, and people don’t generally fly them over suburbia, highways, cities etc like seems to be legal in the US (if youtube is any indication!) Thankfully there is no law here against flying them in national parks here. The 400 foot thing is law here where as I believe its only a recommendation in the US. Of course you still have to be very careful where you fly because choppers etc can be well below that.

I havn't had any issues with GPS over water and done lots of flights. The sonar (Phantom Adanced and above) does not work above water but I hav'nt noticed any difference in flight characteristics so thats not a concern.

[Russ]

Dang..you are temping me to upgrade to at least the FPV.

I enjoy good aerial footage. People should learn these things can't see into their bathrooms and offer a great view of the landscape. We don't want to see their ugly butts taking a poo.

[kadet]

Paul, here is guy who got over 8700 feet more than 2.6k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O83bvaFcyY

[kadet]

Loos like as of 29 September 2016 I won't need the extender this is the new law for drones by CASA (our equivalent of the FAA). RPA is CASA term for a drone under 2kg.

Standard RPA operating conditions means that the RPA must be operated:

within visual line of sight
below 400 ft AGL
during the day
more than 30 m away from anyone who is not directly associated with the operation (people being filmed are not considered to be directly associated with the RPA’s operation)

It may NOT be operated:
over a populous area
within 3 nautical miles of the movement area of a controlled aerodrome
in a prohibited area
in a restricted area that is classified as RA3
in a restricted area that is classified as RA2 or RA1 otherwise than in accordance with regulation 101.065
over an area where a fire, police or other public safety or emergency operation is being conducted without the approval of a person in charge of the operation

[Mac26Mpaul]

Yep, thems the laws Kadet,, and you can be fined for breaking them.

FPV is illegal but lots of guys are messing with it.

Basically lots of people are not quite following these rules.

I have flown out of line of sight a number of times..... However I do not fly over suburbia, people, or busy roads etc, I am pretty safe in the way I fly. But I will keep flying the way I am, to get the shots I want, over water even if it means flying a km away

I am still not sure if we in Australia are on FCC or CE certification. Guys in the US seem to get over 5km with lightbridge equipped phantoms, but I only got 3.25km so possibly we are on CE cert. If that is the case, I imagine the range will be considerably less with that extender.

[kadet]

All export models of the Phantom are CE the FCC model is only sold in the USA. But you can always get a grey one one fleabay

Mind you just read CASA website think me has found a loophole RC model airplanes are not covered think a Hubsan H301s might be the new long range FPV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCgKKU0_Xug

[Mac26Mpaul]

I have seen some pretty awesome range videos from China. Check this one from Taiwan. 7.5km stock apparently!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyBVXB8LBiA

I got my Phantom straight from China, Chinese manuals and all, but I only got 3.25km, mind you, I could have flown into some sort of interference. I may just do one more range test over water and see what happens.

By the way, you don't always get great range, there is one spot near my old mums house in Southport where I lose signal at 100 meters straight up! One place in Nerang I only got 300 meters, range is deffinately much better away from suburbia and wifi dense areas.

I used to fly RC electric gliders and planes years ago. In fact, I was sticky taping cameras onto models long before all this drone stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDqSvlO4mw4

Forget trying to land an FPV glider on a boat

[kadet]

Forget trying to land an FPV glider on a boat

Glide? Glide? That things got a motor so just crash it into the mainsail for an aircraft carrier recovery

BTW luv your old youtube vid tailgunner

[beene]

If I end up with a Standard this will be my range extender for about $80

Sweet

Here's my testing with it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVqKlu_GNxs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6_1DI ... faQKd5oV-7

G

[beene]

I have an Advanced and a Standard

I have been out to just over 5km with my Advanced in FCC mode, and about 2km with my Standard using the ARGTek mod

Sailing video using my Advanced https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVjy8kWaU6Y

My Litchi app testing videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... LeNbyoiSbO

Over water videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 4cyd3LI9kT

I love flying my Phantoms

Cheers

G

[Mac26Mpaul]

Yeah, I have watched your vids G. Some good stuff there.

I have experienced my first instance of anchorage drone rage In the latest video I posted, about 10 minutes in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcAGZCSOv3Q
there is a sequence where I am hovering above the boat. Right about then, I heard this For Fs sake, get that F-ing thing out of here bla bla off in the distance through the bush.

Now I must confess that I am the first person to complain (generally quietly to my missus) about people wrecking the peace of a good anchorage, but the Jet Skier campers from where the comment came, had been a) doing donuts in the anchorage in the dark the night before, b) had a campfire - actually bonfire, with flames roughly 6 feet high in a 15 knot breeze blowing onto the bush behind them and c) without exaggeration, 50% of the words I had heard coming out of their campsite started with F, C, or S, and had 4 letters (I suspect they may not know too many others)! Thankfully they were a fair way away so it was only faint.

Now I dont give a toss about annoying them, but yeah, I can see that when these things are buzzing all over anchorages, especially when totally irresponsible tossers like them have them, they are going to be a right royal pain in the ass Still, I'v been putting up with annoying behavior in anchorages for years (like Jet Skiers constantly speeding through or attempting to show off with donuts), so I'm not going to miss the shots I want, but I reckon I will be very careful to stay far enough away from others not to be a nuisance, and will learn to put it up, get the shots I want, and get it down fast without buzzing around for too long...

[Phil M]

Yeah, I have watched your vids G. Some good stuff there.

I have experienced my first instance of anchorage drone rage In the latest video I posted, about 10 minutes in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcAGZCSOv3Q
there is a sequence where I am hovering above the boat.
...

It is quite impressive as to how stable the camera is when hovering. You got some lovely shots of the scenery around the Gold Coast. And in the dead of winter you actually have to wear a light jacket. There's no sailing in Canada during the winter.

[Mac26Mpaul]

It was meant to be 29 that day (about 84f) which if it was, would be the hottest midwinter record around here. Generally mid winter days are around 22c (71f) which is good for sailing. There is no non sailing season in this part of Oz but there is a month or two in summer when the heat can be a bit much, and you can cook eggs on your racoon stripes

[Phil M]

It was a blistering 25C today here in the middle of summer while I was putzing around on my MacGregor, sweating buckets.

[yukonbob]

There's no sailing in Canada during the winter.

Sure there is, BC for sure and if you're crazy enough the east coast as well.