Personal Drone

I think the problem with some of the drones is the battery life. The Airdog is 10-20 mins (based on flight speed - wonder what it is in real life). The Phantom is 'up to 25 mins' - which seems a bit more reasonable (but what is 'real world').
 
My wife bought me this one for Xmas:

http://www.amazon.com/UDI-U817A-2-4...d=1419898769&sr=8-1&keywords=u817a+quadcopter

She paid $60 - obv it went up in price. But, it's pretty awesome - at least for getting a feel for flying and trying it out. It has a camera (OK vid - not high def). And I bought two spare batteries for $8.99 each - so I can get about 25 mins flying time. And the thing is durable - already got it hung up in a tree and had to knock it loose. This is my 'starter' - I will upgrade prob in early summer to something more 'professional'. Happy to post a video if anyone is interested.
 
This could be a good option to get used to flying. You mention it has a camera. Did it come with it and how do you view what you are recording?
 
Yes - I am thinking same. Learn how to fly this basic model and then when I get a 'real one' I will have already worked through the crashes. It came with a Micro SD card - it is inserted in the side of the camera. You control the filming from the controller (on/off) and then after the fact load/watch the video on your PC. For $60 - I was happy it even had a camera!
 
quote:
Originally posted by wiltok

Here is a vid I shot on Xmas day. Although it looks shakey - the thing is very stable because of the gyro. It's the pilot who is all over the place. It ends with a not so graceful crash into house - no damage done though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4J0uhMXIuc

Click to expand...

That looks pretty cool. Can you see on your controller what you are filming or it is basically a crap shoot? I have to say, for under $100, that's a real good value.
 
Thanks on the gutters - that is actually my father-in-laws house. :). I am going to use it to inspect my roof though - it's difficult to see and dangerous to access via ladder.

You cannot see what you are filming - you view it after the fact on a PC. For $60 it's a bargain.
 
Wil,
I think for under $100.00, nice toy and a cheap way to get your feet wet.

Sal,
The pictures on the Drone you posted are amazing.

Two things,
As far as battery life, spare batteries that are charged is a must. Fight time is important otherwise it's only 10 minutes of fun.
Spare blades I think is also a must, at least till you get proficient flying it.

Love the expensive models, think I would play with a cheap model before I splurged for the more expensive models. I also think that having a "built in" camera would be better than having a go-pro attached. I say that because of the weight of the camera and gimbel.
 
Went to best buy for something else but was hoping to find a couple hundred dollar model to experiment with but they had nothing but crap. Still interested in The Mariner but need to know what gimbal and camera works best. Hard to find a reliable recommendation.
 
Check out Hobbyking dot com and do a search for the Quanum Nova. (Mode 2) This is a GPS enabled quad with auto land capabilities. There is also a nice $100 brushless gimbal listed under the Acc. tab for the GoPro that works great.

This would be a nice starter setup for you.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XerfgowlnO0 We were talking and he got evevything from amazon the camera is on like suspension so it would not vibrate. It was pretty cool he was using his phone to run it he can take still shots too while running the video. When he landed it came right next to him.
 
great tool for checking out dangerous to reach places, like steep roofs. when you get good at it, fly it near the gutters to blow them out. :)
 
Just ordered a UDI drone with video for $100 so I can get a little practice before getting a more expensive one. It was rated the number one drone in its class.
 
It seems that drones are becoming so popular Amazon now has a dedicated informational drone page with buying and video links.
http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_424344382_4?ie=UTF8&node=9699105011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=0BQQWR6AEQ8C5XB99FXB&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=1913732402&pf_rd_i=B00D3IN11Q

I haven't seen any drones out at my favorite boating destinations yet but I hope we are not going to have them buzzing around our quite anchorages all day long...they are pretty loud. Kinda has me rethinking getting one.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Audrey II

That looks like quite the deal!

http://www.amazon.com/UDI-U818A-2-4GHz-RC-Quadcopter/dp/B00D3IN11Q

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's a great deal. Bought an extra battery and props for 10 bucks as I'm sure I will need them. Not that $100 is anything to sneeze at but if I lose this one, it's not going to hurt. Still very interested in the mariner for boating season and Adru, you are correct. I will be respectful of other boats during use.
 
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