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Posted: 9/8/2020 1:52:10 AM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Patrolling? No way. Checking out hotspots and recon info high ground before you make the hike up? Absolutely. I like the idea of sending up a balloon. I would make the recommendation of hanging an insta360 instead of a mavic or GoPro. Insta360 no shit gives you a view in every single direction simultaneously, and is ultra rugged/water resistant out of the box. Cool thing...? You can do it with a drone now too. A guy I chat with about designs came up with a small drone that is hidden entirely in the blind spot of any of the decent Insta360 or GoPro 360 cameras. Just swipe while he gives you a tour of warehouse |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 1:54:00 AM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not if you want ready out of the box... But my 7in fpv drone has hit 23minutes flying at a constant 40mph and has none of the nannies that come with a DJI. The issue is that you have to build it yourself and it isnt a flying tripod. You actually fly the thing. You can use other firmware like INAV to have waypoints and a position hold but it isnt as locked in as a DJI flying tripod, something DJI does VERY well. Which is where my interest in drone is at this point. As an aerial camera platform for shooting video and still pics. I'll probably build an fpv drone at some point, but right now I'm trying to make some money with drone footage for real estate. The Freefly Alta could be an interesting offering once it's available as it's supposed to be all US built. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 1:57:07 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Which is where my interest in drone is at this point. As an aerial camera platform for shooting video and still pics. I'll probably build an fpv drone at some point, but right now I'm trying to make some money with drone footage for real estate. The Freefly Alta could be an interesting offering once it's available as it's supposed to be all US built. @Grendel-OK Then you may want to check the link I posted just above. FPV virtual tours are gonna be a thing. Another example StanFPV's CineBird has a version with slim prop gaurds as well for flying indoors or close to people. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 1:58:47 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Cool thing...? You can do it with a drone now too. A guy I chat with about designs came up with a small drone that is hidden entirely in the blind spot of any of the decent Insta360 or GoPro 360 cameras. Just swipe while he gives you a tour of warehouse Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Patrolling? No way. Checking out hotspots and recon info high ground before you make the hike up? Absolutely. I like the idea of sending up a balloon. I would make the recommendation of hanging an insta360 instead of a mavic or GoPro. Insta360 no shit gives you a view in every single direction simultaneously, and is ultra rugged/water resistant out of the box. Cool thing...? You can do it with a drone now too. A guy I chat with about designs came up with a small drone that is hidden entirely in the blind spot of any of the decent Insta360 or GoPro 360 cameras. Just swipe while he gives you a tour of warehouse Yeah, but the drone battery life is the issue. With a balloon and umbilical it’s not. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 2:10:08 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yeah, but the drone battery life is the issue. With a balloon and umbilical it’s not. Sure but the area you can cover can be quite remarkable. I can get 1.5+ miles out and back relatively quickly as well... was doing 80mph with the wind on the way back from 1.5 miles out a few months ago. That build made 2 14-15 minute flights on two batteries. Still did 40mph into the wind only to come back 4-6 feet off the deck at 80mph. Here is an example of me just playing around and having some fun. Video not sped up or altered other than to throw in some music. Roughly half mile out at farthest point Not to mention I have flown several miles from the passenger seat of a car while chasing the car. Imagine being able to scout ridge lines to the left or right as you enter an area before ever getting out of the car.... just maintain LOS for the radio link while communicating with the driver. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 2:25:33 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: FPV virtual tours are gonna be a thing. Another example StanFPV's CineBird has a version with slim prop gaurds as well for flying indoors or close to people. It's a cool video. But none of that is anything that I couldn't do with my Mavic Air 2. And I can switch it into FPV mode so that the camera shifts with the roll of the drone giving that FPV look, rather than keeping it level to the horizon. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 2:29:38 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It's a cool video. But none of that is anything that I couldn't do with my Mavic Air 2. And I can switch it into FPV mode so that the camera shifts with the roll of the drone giving that FPV look, rather than keeping it level to the horizon. Did you swipe the screen at all? If you viewed it on your computer you may have missed it. Try it on your phone where you can pan/tilt the phone or swipe to change the viewing angle. The virtual tour/goggle pan/tilt video is something that you cannot do with current crop of DJI stuff. The ability to upload an entire tour where the viewer can pause the video and scroll around as if they were actually there. Insta360 has an Aerial version coming out for the Mavic but it is not cheap and it also will block the GPS if I recall reading correctly. Not to mention foot print is fairly large for the mavic where the StanFPV rig is based on a 3.5-4inch prop and is pretty small. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 2:37:25 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Did you swipe the screen at all? If you viewed it on your computer you may have missed it. Try it on your phone where you can pan/tilt the phone or swipe to change the viewing angle. The virtual tour/goggle pan/tilt video is something that you cannot do with current crop of DJI stuff. The ability to upload an entire tour where the viewer can pause the video and scroll around as if they were actually there. Insta360 has an Aerial version coming out for the Mavic but it is not cheap and it also will block the GPS if I recall reading correctly. Not to mention foot print is fairly large for the mavic where the StanFPV rig is based on a 3.5-4inch prop and is pretty small. Ok, admittedly that's cool and I didn't realize it the first time I watched it. But that's a function of the camera rather than the drone. And there are ways to mount 360 cameras to various drones. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 2:39:05 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The issue is that you have to build it yourself and it isnt a flying tripod. You actually fly the thing. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 2:49:09 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Ok, admittedly that's cool and I didn't realize it the first time I watched it. But that's a function of the camera rather than the drone. And there are ways to mount 360 cameras to various drones. There are not many "invisible" options out there. The split 360 One R Aerial version being the only consumer option currently intended for the Mavic. I have been watching for just the split cams as a modular One R kit so I can piece my own together so I can hide my 10in and 13in duration builds in the blind spot for long range aerial cinematic flights. But the option has not come along yet. But StanFPV has the first frame to truly hide the entire drone within the blind spot of existing 360 cameras. Every other option to mount a 360 cam will have a drone in view if you mount it to a stick/monopod. His design is quite brilliant in that it is truly a flying orb with any of the existing 360 cams while being terribly compact. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 2:50:53 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I think there is a lot to be said for the psychological deterrent value of drone flybys. I wouldn’t count on having a drone up at all times without a huge investment. Having a drone ready to launch and perform a quick recon/harassment/deterrent flyby? Now your talking   Attached File |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 2:50:57 AM EDT
[#12]
Which one is that? And how much does it cost?
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Posted: 9/8/2020 3:01:20 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Which one is that? And how much does it cost? Pic of One R Aerial Edition and how it mounts to Mavic. Like 550 for the drone version if I recall correctly.  Versus StanFPV Cinebird to show size/compactness. But being FPV you gotta build it, drone itself probably can be built for about 300-350(assuming you have the other gear)then add your 360 camera which he has mounts for 3 brands of 360 camera.   He has a 5-6in version as well now which is more powerful for harder flying. But the little 3-4in bugger can manage some tight spaces. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 3:06:54 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well, they are sold as photography tools, so ... Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: The issue is that you have to build it yourself and it isnt a flying tripod. You actually fly the thing. And? My words were picked/phrased that way for a reason. So that somebody unfamiliar with drones might actually get the point that not all drones are the same. If the ability for somebody to have a stable fixed position is a high priority then that "flying tripod" description was what I used to drive the point home. DJI is one of the best at position hold. But I hate the company. They were in bed with the FAA for increasing regulations when they thought it would give them a monopoly if their proprietary tech was mandated. But when the FAA started going full homeland security retarded and DJI figured out it would gut the usefulness of drones only then did they start to cry about the FAA. DJI has the best HD digital link for FPV out there but I wont touch it because I hate DJI. I also build things with multiple cameras and analog switching is far easier while allowing multiple channels to be used if I want to have more than one drone active at a time. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 8:50:45 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have the Mavic Air 2. It's a solid drone. I usually get about 25 minutes of flight time. I could push that a few minutes longer but it would be perilously close to an empty battery when landing. I like to land at about 15%. The nice thing about the MA2 is that the last software update added zoom capability and now at 1080p you get a 4x zoom which still looks pretty good. In a SHTF situation, where are you going to get the electricity to charge the batteries from? I was going to make two separate 200 watt/84 amp hour charging stations for my walkie talkies but will probably consolidate it to one system for 400 watts/168 amp hours....i also just ordered a new 154 amp hour battery to have some spare juice.  Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 9:01:25 AM EDT
[#16]
I have an Air 2 and its the absolute shit. It would be great for keeping in your backpack to do quick pop up recon of your surroundings.
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Posted: 9/8/2020 9:07:13 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Ethernet cable to a 360 hi def cam attached to a weather ballon. Like your own Keyhole satellite How would you account for unintended rotation or horizontal skew? Do you think you could hang a small PTZ camera? |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 9:21:43 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I don’t think two guys with a few drones will be able to sustain continuous ops. Things will break. Like someone posted earlier, a fixed wing with a programmed orbit would have better loiter time. http://store.appliedaeronautics.com/albatross-uav/ (edit: do not buy from this site, not HTTPS secure and poor English; listed only to show example of kit prices) https://uavfactory.com/ https://www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com/category/supplier-directory/platforms/fixed-wing-uav/] Just like with Night Vision which you should already own, forego your next few bangstick purchases (how many do you really need?) and get ready for 4th gen warfare |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:07:27 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: And? My words were picked/phrased that way for a reason. So that somebody unfamiliar with drones might actually get the point that not all drones are the same. If the ability for somebody to have a stable fixed position is a high priority then that "flying tripod" description was what I used to drive the point home. DJI is one of the best at position hold. But I hate the company. They were in bed with the FAA for increasing regulations when they thought it would give them a monopoly if their proprietary tech was mandated. But when the FAA started going full homeland security retarded and DJI figured out it would gut the usefulness of drones only then did they start to cry about the FAA. DJI has the best HD digital link for FPV out there but I wont touch it because I hate DJI. I also build things with multiple cameras and analog switching is far easier while allowing multiple channels to be used if I want to have more than one drone active at a time. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: The issue is that you have to build it yourself and it isnt a flying tripod. You actually fly the thing. And? My words were picked/phrased that way for a reason. So that somebody unfamiliar with drones might actually get the point that not all drones are the same. If the ability for somebody to have a stable fixed position is a high priority then that "flying tripod" description was what I used to drive the point home. DJI is one of the best at position hold. But I hate the company. They were in bed with the FAA for increasing regulations when they thought it would give them a monopoly if their proprietary tech was mandated. But when the FAA started going full homeland security retarded and DJI figured out it would gut the usefulness of drones only then did they start to cry about the FAA. DJI has the best HD digital link for FPV out there but I wont touch it because I hate DJI. I also build things with multiple cameras and analog switching is far easier while allowing multiple channels to be used if I want to have more than one drone active at a time. You approach this thing from the aspect of the means. And your means are probably way more complicated than what most people are looking for. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't want to be burdened with full axis control and management, because I've got a longer list of things to worry about than I have the physical ability to accomplish. The regulatory aspects have pretty much killed my initial love and enthusiasm for the possibilities photo quads could offer. It's a shame, but here we are. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:08:17 AM EDT
[#20]
Get a heavy-lift drone like a Tarot T-18... something like this probably pulls in the neighborhood of 750 watts in flight (20,000mAh @ 22.2v for 25min flight time).
Next get a 24v 1000w DC rectifier, 10:1 1000w stepdown transformer (240v-24v, 60hz single phase). This will be about the size/weight of a doorbell transformer... maybe slightly larger. Finally get a DC-DC regulator to trim output to 22.2v. Two 12AWG aluminum conductors could carry 4A@240v over 400 feet in altitude and would weigh less than 6LBS. The transformer and rectifying electronics are probably a couple pounds. A Tarot-T18 can carry almost 18LBS. Congratulations... you’ve just made your drone operate on ground power (ie: unlimited flight time) you can see a lot from 400ft with a decent camera. This is the same principal that the tethered war blimps use... they send a couple kV up a lightweight high tension wire at only a few amps and then step it down to usable voltages with a transformer up at the blimp. Run the DC input and battery in parallel for uninterrupted power and you could add in a cutaway mechanism to break away and roam free is needed. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:15:34 AM EDT
[#21]
Umm. Its not a drone its an AWACs
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:18:08 AM EDT
[#22]
FPNI. You realistically get 15-20 minutes tops before the thing is ready to fly home automatically. With 3 minutes left the thing is demanding to land right where it is.
Drones would only be useful in a “pop up” method if you suspect something is actively going on outside |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:18:21 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The multi-battery charger from DJI only charges one battery at a time, at least for the Mini. Fstop labs makes a charger that charges 4 batteries in parallel. The one time I had a battery too hot to charge, I pointed a small desktop fan at it for something like 5 minutes, and that cooled it plenty. Keeping a small fan blowing over the myriad of batteries in chargers that OP is talking about would be a good idea, keeping batteries cooler during charging helps longevity. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I should probably get more chargers and am also thinking about the smart controller. The multi-battery charger from DJI only charges one battery at a time, at least for the Mini. Fstop labs makes a charger that charges 4 batteries in parallel. Quoted: The Mavic Air batteries need to drop below some threshold temperature before they will charge. The one time I had a battery too hot to charge, I pointed a small desktop fan at it for something like 5 minutes, and that cooled it plenty. Keeping a small fan blowing over the myriad of batteries in chargers that OP is talking about would be a good idea, keeping batteries cooler during charging helps longevity. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:28:33 AM EDT
[#24]
It would be very realistic. I have the Mavic 1. Its awesome. No cool down between flights so long as you have batteries. Its light as hell so you could take it on foot as well. Sunday I hauled mine up a mountain on a hike with zero issues. Then flew it in about 40mph gusting wind. Actually used it to find a crashed cargo plane near the trail. The things are tanks. But if you wanna have 24/7 capabilities, you want the Mavic Enterprise edition. The camera comes with FLIR capabilities. And still comparatively cheap.
As to battery power, flight times advertise 25ish minutes, but Id plan to bring them back about every 20. The "Fly More" pack comes with 3 batteries, so you can get about an hours worth of flying. Some of the non-DJI software gives you the ability to pre program waypoints into it, so you can set up a patrol for it and just watch/control the camera. With 8-9 batteries you could fly pretty consistently in the time it takes for the other to recharge |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:47:26 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You could do it with enough batteries and chargers but you would spend a LOT of time taking off, landing and changing batteries, to keep one in the air for 24 hours. It would be doable with multiple people. Taking OPs description, it sounded like this would be implemented into a neighborhood watch. In that case 4-6 people with drones and about 8 batteries each could do it in shifts pretty simply. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:51:32 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yep. That said, An Autel Evo is on my short list of things to buy. I just want one for fun. https://auteldrones.com/products/evo https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0236/4759/products/EVO_1024x1024_1_2048x.png?v=1582122040 I have one of these, and use it commercially. It's a great drone, with good air time. It has a great range too, without the geo fencing of the djis. I heard the gen 2s have problems though. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:52:44 AM EDT
[#27]
How about an arena blimp?
http://www.blimpguys.com/arenaBlimps.htm |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 11:36:54 AM EDT
[#28]
Better than no air recon for sure. And you can turn them into flying claymores if the need arises.
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Posted: 9/8/2020 11:41:30 AM EDT
[#29]
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Posted: 9/8/2020 11:55:16 AM EDT
[#30]
I own 2 DJI drones, the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic Mini, and the Autel Evo 1.
The Autel does not have geofencing, which is a big plus. Add the Live Deck, and you can stream to any HDMI or Ethernet port. I get around 25 minutes of flight time with Evo 1, and 27 with the Mavic 2 Pro. Autel batteries are cheaper, around $85 a piece vs $140ish for the DJI Mavic 2. The Mini will not be a good choice. Winds will make the drone drift away. The picture quality is best on the Mavic, but the Evo is no slouch. I've used all 3 professionally. DJI M2P image:  Autel Evo 1 image:  DJI Mavic Mini: 
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Posted: 9/8/2020 12:22:55 PM EDT
[#31]
I have a DJI Mavic Air 2 and it’s pretty amazing, with one caveat. There’s currently quite a few users that are experiencing shitty range disconnections and the drone auto returning to home. DJI advertises 10km range on the Air 2, and some are getting 500 meters before disconnect. I get about 1k meters on mine before I lose it. It’s annoying as fuck. Everything else about the drone is amazing.
Problem is, DJI hasn’t acknowledge the issue, and they’re simply saying “point the remote at the drone, go higher, update firmware, yadda yadda.” People have sent their drones back in for replacement and still have the same issue. https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=215964&extra=&page=12 So you may or may not get a dud, just be aware of this. Hopefully they figure out what’s going on and make it right. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 12:24:36 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Consider that most drones have a flight time no more than 30 minutes and do the math. Drones have their uses. We have used them in woods fires and search and rescue. However, I think continuous perimeter surveillance is out of the question from a logistical point of view. This |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 12:27:47 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted: An aerostat is just a tethered balloon. The gimbal rig from a Mavic and a tank of helium would give you effectively unlimited “fly” time... Any wind would be a huge issue wouldn't it? |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 1:00:40 PM EDT
[#34]
You must have read my mind. I was just talking about this subject yesterday. Tagged for interest.
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Posted: 9/8/2020 1:11:07 PM EDT
[#35]
I've used my phantom 4 pro for this purpose.
Batteries are advertised as 25ish minutes but you need reserves and time to get to the target. You get 15-20min loiter time over the target per battery. Return and landing process is about 5 minutes for me. Battery cool down is 20ish minutes depending on how hard you fly it (aggressive maneuvering draws more current/generates more heat). Recharge and take up to an hour post cooling. You can see how you'd need a petty serious set of batteries and chargers to stay in the air almost constantly. My rough rough guess is at least 6 batteries and 3 chargers. Batteries are almost 200 bucks each. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 1:11:59 PM EDT
[#36]
You’d be better served by having one on “ready 5” status for immediate patrol and another on standby for battery swaps.
Sitting in your yard flying a drone around the hood all day is going to get boring quick. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 1:34:41 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You’d be better served by having one on “ready 5” status for immediate patrol and another on standby for battery swaps. Sitting in your yard flying a drone around the hood all day is going to get boring quick. And remember consumer SUAS are not rated for constant flying. If you try it you'll eventually find the mean time between failure of the motors and radios. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 3:53:50 PM EDT
[#38]
Is it possible to disable the geofencing on the DJI drones, and is it likely that (like with phone jailbreaking) that they could "fix" the mechanism permitting disabling in future firmware updates?
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Posted: 9/8/2020 5:29:19 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: And remember consumer SUAS are not rated for constant flying. If you try it you'll eventually find the mean time between failure of the motors and radios. Hmmm. I just sent PeterSripol a message about that. Building a duration tethered drone seems like it would be right up his alley. The parts I use for FPV are pretty damn durable. Especially considering I accidently left my LR radio powered on and in an insulated backpack without the whip antenna attached for close to 2 hours one day after I was done flying. The brushless motors are pretty damn reliable. ESCs should be okay if operating within their intended voltage range. Plugging in on drone and having it's failsafe set for position hold would mean you would not really even need a radio. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 5:43:35 PM EDT
[#40]
Lots of build-it-yourself quadcopter kits available for purchase. If you're trying to avoid all the fancy smart features (and privacy/security liabilities) on the DJIs and similar, those might be a better option. Much less expensive, too.
If you want long-duration, you probably want a fixed wing platform rather than a bunch of quadcopters and battery rechargers working in shifts. You can also buy build-it-yourself fixed wing kits, too. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 5:58:13 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Ethernet cable to a 360 hi def cam attached to a weather ballon. Like your own Keyhole satellite interesting idea. I am sure some master tinkerer could cobble something like that together. Not Ethernet. WIFI maybe. Perhaps attach the drone to a balloon? Also, many of the cool drone functions require GPS, which may or may not be available depending on your scenario. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 6:02:36 PM EDT
[#42]
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Posted: 9/8/2020 7:54:46 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: interesting idea. I am sure some master tinkerer could cobble something like that together. Not Ethernet. WIFI maybe. Perhaps attach the drone to a balloon? Also, many of the cool drone functions require GPS, which may or may not be available depending on your scenario. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Ethernet cable to a 360 hi def cam attached to a weather ballon. Like your own Keyhole satellite interesting idea. I am sure some master tinkerer could cobble something like that together. Not Ethernet. WIFI maybe. Perhaps attach the drone to a balloon? Also, many of the cool drone functions require GPS, which may or may not be available depending on your scenario. Optics and sensors are going to limit you. From 700' through the downlink your going to be disappointed. Most consumer drones (in the price ARFCOM is willing to pay) don't have telephoto lenses. Why? Because the stability and gimbal requirements to support stable telephoto imagery are complex and expensive. So that limits you to a decent but still significantly limited quality downlink image. You aren't getting that 4k picture on downlink its getting saved to the memory card. So at 700' during the day you can tell that a car is entering the hood vs a truck possibly the color and that's about it. At night probably can't even tell the difference between a car and truck. Will it alert you to activity? Yes but its not going to deliver the predator grade image product you might be thinking of. You can increase resolution by reducing field of view aka flying lower but that increases probability of detection and countermeasures. ETA to complete the thought process think fiber integrated into cabled balloon/blimp. With the systems not requiring powered propulsion or radio a nice lipo battery will run a camera system for a long time. Fiber negates need for downlink video, enables full resolution real time video and eliminates RF spectrum footprint and vulnerability to electronic attack. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 8:46:46 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted: interesting idea. I am sure some master tinkerer could cobble something like that together. Not Ethernet. WIFI maybe. Perhaps attach the drone to a balloon? Also, many of the cool drone functions require GPS, which may or may not be available depending on your scenario. GLONASS redundancy my friend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLONASS |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 8:48:11 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Optics and sensors are going to limit you. From 700' through the downlink your going to be disappointed. Most consumer drones (in the price ARFCOM is willing to pay) don't have telephoto lenses. Why? Because the stability and gimbal requirements to support stable telephoto imagery are complex and expensive. So that limits you to a decent but still significantly limited quality downlink image. You aren't getting that 4k picture on downlink its getting saved to the memory card. So at 700' during the day you can tell that a car is entering the hood vs a truck possibly the color and that's about it. At night probably can't even tell the difference between a car and truck. Will it alert you to activity? Yes but its not going to deliver the predator grade image product you might be thinking of. You can increase resolution by reducing field of view aka flying lower but that increases probability of detection and countermeasures. ETA to complete the thought process think fiber integrated into cabled balloon/blimp. With the systems not requiring powered propulsion or radio a nice lipo battery will run a camera system for a long time. Fiber negates need for downlink video, enables full resolution real time video and eliminates RF spectrum footprint and vulnerability to electronic attack. Fiber is a great idea. Won't something like a blimp have greatest utility in a more dense urban/suburban area, however, which means that the umbilical will be terribly visible /obvious when compared to UAV? |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 9:54:27 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Because the stability and gimbal requirements to support stable telephoto imagery are complex and expensive. That is in store for one of my builds. A 6-8x secondary camera with fixed focal length zoom. Want to zoom in? You flip a switch and you activate a different CCD or CMOS camera which will be able to spot items of interest. So that limits you to a decent but still significantly limited quality downlink image. You aren't getting that 4k picture on downlink its getting saved to . The new DJI HD fpv system is pretty impressive. 4k? No but every bit 1080 and then it starts to pixelate the edges as bit rate drops. Really impressive 5.8ghz system. Blows my analog out of the water. Image quality wise. Major downside to my analog systems is anyone with the right video RX can see what I am transmitting. So at 700' during the day you can tell that a car is entering the hood vs a truck possibly the color and that's about it. most do not understand just how high up that really is. In 5 years of flying I have been above 400 feet only a few times. In the past year I may have been up to 400 feet 2 or 3 times if that. Once you get above around 100 feet everything flattens out a ton due to the wide angle lenses of most of the cameras on these. At night probably can't even tell the difference between a car and truck. Will it alert you to activity? Yes but its not going to deliver the predator grade image product you might be thinking of. Wish I could share the video of my palm sized sub 250g 2.5in drone flying at night. Really not something I share often, as in 2 years the video has 25 views. It was shot on 4th of July and the light from fireworks really demonstrates what is missing in the shadows when you are 100-150feet up. And once it is more than 30 feet off the ground it is essentially invisible unless you activate the beacon. You can increase resolution by reducing field of view aka flying lower but that increases probability of detection and countermeasures. Bigger issue is losing signal LOS. Trees do a great job of blocking out 2.4ghz and 5.8ghz systems due to all the water. Lower you go the sooner that signal is gonna be compromised. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:14:27 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That is in store for one of my builds. A 6-8x secondary camera with fixed focal length zoom. Want to zoom in? You flip a switch and you activate a different CCD or CMOS camera which will be able to spot items of interest. The new DJI HD fpv system is pretty impressive. 4k? No but every bit 1080 and then it starts to pixelate the edges as bit rate drops. Really impressive 5.8ghz system. Blows my analog out of the water. Image quality wise. Major downside to my analog systems is anyone with the right video RX can see what I am transmitting. most do not understand just how high up that really is. In 5 years of flying I have been above 400 feet only a few times. In the past year I may have been up to 400 feet 2 or 3 times if that. Once you get above around 100 feet everything flattens out a ton due to the wide angle lenses of most of the cameras on these. Wish I could share the video of my palm sized sub 250g 2.5in drone flying at night. Really not something I share often, as in 2 years the video has 25 views. It was shot on 4th of July and the light from fireworks really demonstrates what is missing in the shadows when you are 100-150feet up. And once it is more than 30 feet off the ground it is essentially invisible unless you activate the beacon. Bigger issue is losing signal LOS. Trees do a great job of blocking out 2.4ghz and 5.8ghz systems due to all the water. Lower you go the sooner that signal is gonna be compromised. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Because the stability and gimbal requirements to support stable telephoto imagery are complex and expensive. That is in store for one of my builds. A 6-8x secondary camera with fixed focal length zoom. Want to zoom in? You flip a switch and you activate a different CCD or CMOS camera which will be able to spot items of interest. So that limits you to a decent but still significantly limited quality downlink image. You aren't getting that 4k picture on downlink its getting saved to . The new DJI HD fpv system is pretty impressive. 4k? No but every bit 1080 and then it starts to pixelate the edges as bit rate drops. Really impressive 5.8ghz system. Blows my analog out of the water. Image quality wise. Major downside to my analog systems is anyone with the right video RX can see what I am transmitting. So at 700' during the day you can tell that a car is entering the hood vs a truck possibly the color and that's about it. most do not understand just how high up that really is. In 5 years of flying I have been above 400 feet only a few times. In the past year I may have been up to 400 feet 2 or 3 times if that. Once you get above around 100 feet everything flattens out a ton due to the wide angle lenses of most of the cameras on these. At night probably can't even tell the difference between a car and truck. Will it alert you to activity? Yes but its not going to deliver the predator grade image product you might be thinking of. Wish I could share the video of my palm sized sub 250g 2.5in drone flying at night. Really not something I share often, as in 2 years the video has 25 views. It was shot on 4th of July and the light from fireworks really demonstrates what is missing in the shadows when you are 100-150feet up. And once it is more than 30 feet off the ground it is essentially invisible unless you activate the beacon. You can increase resolution by reducing field of view aka flying lower but that increases probability of detection and countermeasures. Bigger issue is losing signal LOS. Trees do a great job of blocking out 2.4ghz and 5.8ghz systems due to all the water. Lower you go the sooner that signal is gonna be compromised. I think dji has a gimbal that can stabilize smaller telephoto lenses now but I'm not 100% on that yet. (Clarification im talking about the consumer series not their commercial line) I can get an HD image from my P4P down link and its really nice but its definitely not enough pixels to resolve details like is he "carrying a weapon" or "what's in that truck bed" if I wanted to resolve those details in my downlink feed I'd have to be lower than a couple hundred feet honestly. If I was looking at stills AFTER I landed well that's different. But we are talking about real time images here not what's saved on the SD card. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:26:18 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Show me an $800 drone that can fly up to 42mph, for 25 minutes, shoots 4k video at 60fps and 1080 up to The sad fact is that there are no USA made drones under $5,000 that can do those things. Even Skydio, which is twice the cost of the MA2 uses a host of Chinese built components. Plus the DJI drone DO use some USA built component from Texas Instruments. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Aren't DJI products still well known for having to "phone home" to check if they're allowed to take off at a given location? I've seen where you can "unlock" a certain area to allow the drone to take off but supposedly only after registering with DJI's service and it allowing you to do so. In SHTF, when they could just turn off the manual override system, would it even allow you to take off? Every drone related SHTF or security thread seems to always include a "if you value freedom / privacy, don't buy a DJI" warning similar to not using Windows 10 or your cellphone for anything "sensitive". Show me an $800 drone that can fly up to 42mph, for 25 minutes, shoots 4k video at 60fps and 1080 up to The sad fact is that there are no USA made drones under $5,000 that can do those things. Even Skydio, which is twice the cost of the MA2 uses a host of Chinese built components. Plus the DJI drone DO use some USA built component from Texas Instruments. I think people are more worried about DJI/the Feds ability to just shut them down remotely. Likely useless in SHTF. |
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Posted: 9/8/2020 10:26:54 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I think dji has a gimbal that can stabilize smaller telephoto lenses now but I'm not 100% on that yet. (Clarification im talking about the consumer series not their commercial line) I can get an HD image from my P4P down link and its really nice but its definitely not enough pixels to resolve details like is he "carrying a weapon" or "what's in that truck bed" if I wanted to resolve those details in my downlink feed I'd have to be lower than a couple hundred feet honestly. If I was looking at stills AFTER I landed well that's different. But we are talking about real time images here not what's saved on the SD card. I think a system with a pilot and observer would be way to go. Control dude gets something suitable for flying. Observer dude gets the HD link while comunicating with control dude. Pair of control RX onboard so observer dude has his own gimbal controls. You could swap the HD lens out for a magnified fixed power lens and put it on a servo gimbal and likely be pretty good. The drones are so buttery smooth now that 6x magnification might not be that bad. The 1.5m frame I have if I put the motors/props on it I want it will generate 60-80 pounds of thrust. Would be possible to load whatever the hell I want onboard. |
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Posted: 9/9/2020 3:32:25 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Any wind would be a huge issue wouldn't it? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: An aerostat is just a tethered balloon. The gimbal rig from a Mavic and a tank of helium would give you effectively unlimited “fly” time... Any wind would be a huge issue wouldn't it? Multiple tethers should help with that, or a single prop and a rudder to keep up with the wind. Since you’re tethered, run a power cable so you’re not limited in terms on “time on station”. |
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