Ever Had A Drone Or Knew Someone Who Did?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Cody Fousnaugh, Sep 3, 2021.

  1. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    #1
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2021
  2. Mary Stetler

    Mary Stetler Veteran Member
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    Since the topic came up here, I have been thinking of getting one for hubby for Christmas. My handyman has one. I should have him bring it down sometime to show it off. He is very technically knowlegeable whereas I still don't know how to get the vcr to stop blinking 12:00.
     
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  3. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I've been looking at these as well, and decided I need to visit one of those clubs that helps newbees like me. I've yet to figure out what their maximum range is. Is it limited by communication distance with the control unit, or can I set GPS coordinates for 5 miles away, have it guide itself there taking pics, then return home?

    The whole thing makes my eyes glaze over.
     
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  4. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Well, I'm the "techy" type, when it comes to electronic stuff (computer, digital camera, HD tv, etc. , but I'm not to sure about operating this really advanced Drone. Would hate to send it up, like over a lake, and not be able to get it back to where we launched it.

    Sometimes things look fun to have, but our age/knowledge can make it difficult to almost impossible to learn/operate.
     
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  5. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I've seen that most of them have a function where they automatically "return home" if they get out of range of the controller, have low batteries, etc.

    I did a little reading last night and discovered that Virginia has an "Always In Sight" law, so I don't know if I can effectively scan the entirety of my property, or if I'd need to be out of sight due to the trees (and be in violation, even if communication could still occur in that scenario.) I would also assume that if the thing is within range of the controller that it could still send back Live Photos, which is what I would want more than taking pics.

    I looked at the one you linked and I looked at one that was over $1,200 and the both have a 30 minute battery life, which I find interesting. I would have thought that More $$=More Flight Time.
     
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  6. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Even though we are now in September of 2021, the one I show on this thread states that it's the best one for 2021. A person can choose the battery power. I guess the battery power is also known as "flight time".

    Yes, with a top-quality battery, with 30 minute time frame, this Drone cost around $139, which is quite a bit cheaper than $1,200.

    But, another question wife and I would have to ask each other, "just how much would we use it?" Pary of the advertising for it shows that it can be taken on a boat, put on the water and the camera shows what's under the water. Of course that depends on how clean the water is.
     
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  7. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I did not notice options regarding battery power/flight time. I saw the underwater shots on that video. I imagine conditions would have to be perfect: water clarity and perfect calmness. And I agree regarding how much real use it would get. I'd hate to "go cheap" and wish I had "bought better," as I've done in the past. But I'd hate to drop money just to have another dust-collector sit on the shelf. That last point makes me think I'll go on Craigslist and see what kind of deals there may be...maybe someone wants to unload their dust collector. Or maybe they traded up.
     
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  8. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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  9. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Well, the one I'm showing is brand new, with a warranty/guarantee and is $149.99. With that price, it comes with 4 batteries. Like I've already stated, I really don't like buying anything from Craigslist anymore. Last thing we bought, that was listed on Craigslist, was our 1992 boat. We bought that in 2009. Today, just too many horror stories that have happened to either buyers or sellers. Robbery, mainly.

    The one that I'm showing would be very interesting to use, but, use enough to pay for the cost? Don't know. Still thinking about it.
     
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  10. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I just joined a facebook group about airships (like the Hindenburg) and one of the videos was a person flying around a drone that looks like a pirate ship. I took this screenshot from the video, and wanted to share it here.
    This is definitely my idea of creative thinking and building this drone, and it was fascinating, watching it actually flying around. If I were to have a drone, I want a pirate ship one like this !


    IMG_6324.jpeg
     
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  11. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Actually, due to requiring an FAA License/Testing, we decided against buy a drone. This is for both a recreational and commercially flown drones.
     
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  12. Mary Stetler

    Mary Stetler Veteran Member
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    I got hubby and itty bitty one for Christmas but he has yet to try it out. Maybe in the spring he will venture out to the farm. His house is in the woods and it might get lost.
     
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  13. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Some years back, I had a very small R/C military helicopter that could shoot two plastic missiles. I got really good at taking off, flying it around in our living room and landing it. But, finally got bored with it and gave it to some kid that lived in the apt. complex we lived in at the time.
     
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  14. Tony Nathanson

    Tony Nathanson Very Well-Known Member
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    Whenever I think of a drone, I think about those guys who used an expensive drone to videotape a 16-year-old girl sunbathing in her back yard.
    Her father used his shotgun to shoot it down, destroying it. A judge ruled he had the right to, since it was being used to invade privacy.
    https://www.cnet.com/culture/judge-rules-man-had-right-to-shoot-down-drone-over-his-house/
    It was a case that gripped the nation. Or at least Kentucky.

    Should it have temporarily escaped your pressured memory, William Merideth in July said he saw a drone flying above his property in Hillview, Kentucky.

    He believed it was spying on his 16-year-old daughter who was sunbathing in the garden. So he took out his shotgun and blasted the drone out of the sky. He was arrested for wanton endangerment and criminal mischief.
    Now a Kentucky court has declared Merideth an innocent man. Bullitt County District Court Judge Rebecca Ward on Monday dismissed all charges against Merideth, reported local TV station WDRB-TV.

    The drone's owner, David Boggs, had produced flight data that insisted his machine had been flying higher than Merideth had claimed.


    The judge, however, seems not a fan of big data. She's a woman of the people. She declared that two human witnesses saw the drone below the tree line. This evidence was, to her, conclusive. To her, this was an invasion of Merideth's privacy.

    In another case, some young people were flying a drone over someone's house & he also shot it down. When the drone's owners came to confront the homeowner, he said to them, "If you trespass here, there will be another shooting."
     
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  15. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Don't go anyplace to go I'd use a drone, and around here somebody would shoot it out of the sky first time it flew over their property, but I have thought about one.
     
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