Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Who flies a drone ?

thinkin I sold him a JM Marlin once........

Another post from earlier this year about drones ... appears like several other members have them, too. https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...e/Search/true/re-dji-drones#Post15996252

You ned to know the rules . Where you can fly ? How high? Lots of regs for them.

That would be cool but flying back in the day a 105 down Thud Ridge or an F4 with Robin Olds is my choice.

How do you drop the baits? How much weight is your drone capable of lifting while taking line from freespool?

Seems like a great idea. 👍

It's like a army chithook ....my kids is rigged to one of the controls on the craft and it releases a string...beers are what we have delivered ..lol

Sweet!….that seems like an excellent use of a drone. 👍

If only grenades were readily available….I’d go to war with the sea lions. 😁

It has a remote release, is waterproof, can take off from the water. think about ten lbs but I'd have to ask him to be sure. they are really popular with the shark fishermen down here. sure beats trying to get out in a kayak in rough surf.

From time to time I do.

Christmas 2019, my kids got together and bought me a Mavic 2 Pro



I immediately acquired the “Flymore Combo” subsequent to receiving their gift. Another item that really helps in bright sun when recording video is a set of neutral density filters.

Should you end up purchasing a DJI drone, I highly recommend investing in the Flymore Combo for the DJI model you purchase.

At the time my drone was new prices were running +/- $2K for the Mavic 2 pro with the Flymore Combo.

Evidently current prices are similar.

I’m fortunate that I have a great relationship with my three children and speak with or see them almost daily. Usually in my old age, it’s needing help or info from them rather than the other way around.

I had had conversations with my youngest son who is very wired in to technology. I had mentioned that I was thinking about purchasing the Mavic 2 Pro vs. the Mavic Zoom. The Hasselblad lens on the “2 Pro” tripped my trigger.


Since you asked, If I knew then what I know now, I’d have probably asked my kids to take it back and get either optics, camera equipment or a firearm. But then again, maybe not.


So here goes, and this caveat. I’ve not owned any other drone rather than my DJI Mavic 2 Pro. One of my hunting bud’s son and my youngest son have the Mavic “Mini” which they thoroughly enjoy, and are a snap to fly as they do not have to comply with the FAA and the controller/flying is much more simple and easy.

It takes them about two minutes to get their Mini’s in the air. It may take me 10 minutes to get my Mavic 2 Pro aloft and check ISO and aperture settings.

Spend a bit of time deciding what to purchase. Unless regulations have changed,( and I’ve not been keeping up near as much lately) any drone that weighs over 250 Grams is subject to FAA regulations. Drones such as the Mavic Mini weigh under 250 Grams are not subject to these regulations.

https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/small-unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-regulations-part-107

So, if you have a drone that weighs over 250 Grams, it has to be registered with the FAA. Once you’ve registered you will need to re-register every three years.

You are required to keep a copy of your registration certificate in your wallet and a copy inside your drone. Also, the registration number must be visible on the outside of the drone.

Last time I checked it was illegal to fly a drone in National, State, County and City Parks. I called a number of entities to check and they said, no drones. Most resorts and time share properties do not allow drones. If one flies on private land he is required to get the permission of the land owner.

You have to understand the different classes of Air Space.

If you live close to an airport, whether the tower is manned or unmanned, depending on your location, the DJI Go Fly software will not let you take off.

It is illegal to fly over groups of people, sporting events and many other types of facilities.

I’ve read of folks being fined $250K for violation of FAA regulations. That’s above my pay-grade.

Before I could fly, the software required that I pass a test in regarding FAA regulations. Only after passing this could I fly.

There is a steep learning curve, no matter how many videos you watch. I probably had 30 man hours invested before I made my first flight.

I found it very frustrating at the time that I could not figure out how to turn the controller and drone on. I finally discovered that one must press the power button, immediately release it and then press and hold to get the controller and drone to power up and connect.

Most of the time where I fly my drone, I do not have access to the internet via wi-fi. Consequently, I always check for updates to the software and the drone before I arrive at a place where there is no cellular signal. IIRC, if that is not done and an update is required, you don’t fly.

Now if that has not totally put you off, the Mavic Pro 2 is an amazing “toy”with which to play!


Currently, I do not use my drone for scouting, but it does give one a completely different perspective of the surrounding terrain.



BTW,

I do not claim to be a videographer, and if I can do it, then I figure anyone can if they have the desire.

A few short clips......




I've been perforating hoglets at this location for close to 16 years. Usually let it cool off for a month before I go back.




South Texas brush country




One of the features of the Mavic Pro is there are several patterns programmed, such as a circle or an ellipse, focused on an object. In this case, the canopies.


Try one! It will add a whole new dimension to your photography.

Ya!


GWB

Don't know if you are being humble, or serious.
But you are selling yourself way short.
We have seen some your camera work!

Skip all of that and go for the Air 2s with fly more package. I’ve seen your photos - yes, you need one.

However, first you should download Aloft and explore areas you might like to fly in. You’ll be shocked when you see how much controlled air space is out there. I’d recommend getting your 107. Not that difficult and it’ll give you some appreciation for rules and regs.

PM me any time. Don’t know a lot, but there are a few nuggets I could share.

I have a DJI Mavic Mini 2. I think it's the biggest one you can fly without an FAA license. It can't carry any weight so it's strictly for photography. The camera on the Mini 2 is a big improvement over the original Mini. Flight time is greatly affected by altitude. They say it will get 30 min. from a battery. I'm at 4000' and the maximum I can get is 22 min. If you have a clear line of sight, range is controlled by battery life, not so much by reception. I've had it out to a bit over 2 miles with a clear line of site. It made it back on the last 5% of battery and the low battery warning screaming. I barely got it back before it landed itself...somewhere.
To determine maximum battery life, I launched it in the yard, took it up to 3', and let it hover until it landed itself. That took 22 min. It takes more power to fly at high altitudes. I've used it at 9000' and battery life was down to about 15 min. Cold weather and wind will greatly shorten battery life, too. When it's cold, keep the batteries in an inside pocket.

WARNING: I had a Mini before but I lost it. It was my own fault for not paying attention to settings. When it loses reception, it will stop in place and wait about 10 seconds trying to regain a signal. Then in will do an RTH, or return to home. It will go straight up to whatever altitude you've pre-set, then come home. That's where I made my mistake. I was flying it up a narrow canyon and lost reception around a bend in the canyon. Then it did an RTH. When it does the climb, it's so many feet up from the launch site altitude. If you're in a low spot, you must estimate how high it has to go to clear any surrounding objects. That's where I screwed up. I underestimated the depth of the canyon and it crashed somewhere in the rocks. I never found it.

DJI probably makes the most real drones, ones that will really do something. Most of the cheaper ones will have a range of only a few hundred yards. The Mini 2 has a practical range of 1 to 1.5 miles. If you want to do something like wildlife photography where you need to look over the next mountain or something, you need a bigger one with longer range and the price goes up in a hurry.

Hunting: Idaho has them listed under aircraft, both manned and unmanned. You can use an aircraft to spot game but if you locate an animal, you can't hunt it until the next day. That's a good compromise between wholesale use and an outright ban.

CELL PHONES:
Some of DJI's drones, including the Mini 2, use your smart phone connected to the controller. You have to download an app from Goggle Play. Not all phones are compatible. Go to Play and search for 'DJI FLY' or whatever app is required by the drone you're considering. If it will download to your phone and you can start it, it will work. They have a very limited list of compatible phones on their website.

You can use an old phone that has no cell service as long as it will connect to the internet from WIFI. You don't need mobile data service. Download the FLY app at home with the WIF and you're good to go. If you need a compatible phone, you can select one from their list and search Ebay or Amazon for a refurbished one at a low price. You don't need to connect it to service so just keep it for flying. In this case, the bigger the screen the better for seeing the ground better as it flies. There are phones that are compatible that aren't on their list. I had a Motorola G7 Power that worked and isn't on the list. It doesn't use much battery power to run it so you can do a lot of flying without recharging.

A lot of that controlled air space can be used but it's limited to about 400' in altitude. Most drone flying will be under that. I live in one of those zones and have no problems flying under 400'.

Last year, we were camped about 5 miles from an active forest fire. They had flight restrictions in affect. Apparently, the restrictions went well away from the fire because even at 5 miles, the drone wouldn't even start, let alone fly. The software connects with the FAA or something to control where you use it.

I've had a 3 or 4 cheap ones - sub $100 thinking I would learn to fly them and then move up to the better ones with cameras and whatever, but it was always a frustrating experience. (The new pup at the time chewed up the first 2)

What price point do you have to get to for one to essentially fly itself - stable, level, hovering in one spot without having to constantly work the controls? I would enjoy it if it had the ability to be very precise - it goes up when I select up and when I stop it hovers in place, goes left and when I stop it hovers, down and hovers , you get the idea

I see these guys out camping or whatever on youtube with these shots of them driving their car down a road. Its a drone shot and it seems like they are alone while they are doing this.I'd like one on par to doing something like that but I wouldn't want to spend crazy money on something I'd use 15 times and put it away.

When we were kids a friend of mine got one of those cox airplanes for Xmas, the kind with string controls for the flaps, He tells me to meet him at the local parking lot. I'm holding the strings and he fires it up, doesn't even make its first loop before I crash it into the ground and it breaks into 20 pieces. He just gathers its all up and goes home, blaming me for ruining his Xmas.

That memory haunts me thinking about buying a $500 drone

The DJI Mini is probably the lowest price you'll pay for a decent one that will take good photos, hover by itself, etc. It costs about $500. The Mini 2 has a better camera with a zoom and is worth the extra $100 if you plan to take many photos or video. The price goes up dramatically with more capabilities. The Minis won't dodge trees or buildings and won't 'follow me'. You have to do that yourself. More expensive ones will. It's going to cost a lot to get one that will deliver a 6 pack of beer to your tree stand. The Minis have very good hand controls, though, and are easy to fly. They just don't have some of the automatic settings like the more expensive ones.
I flew my 1st one through a woven wire fence but it didn't hurt it. You need to learn how to release the controls NOW whenever you lose track of where it is. It'll stop in place immediately.

from an ease of flying standpoint, would the mavic mini be just as easy as the mavic 2?

Rock Chuck giving some good advice. Get the fly more combo on one of the DJI’s.
I went opposite of most people—I bought the Mavic Air combo fo $1700 Canadian—then I bought the Mini ( No 1)—$750 Canadian. I fly the mini most often but the Air is easier to fly and takes better pics.
Couple of years prior to buying someone gave me a Holystone HS-100– cheap $100 drone that I crashed first 3 times I flew it and it really didn’t help me learn how to fly.
I’m not that into photography but it’s great for searching out new hunting and fishing spots. It also impresses young people. I overheard one young fellow remark to his friend that he just had to get one cause if that old fart can fly one anybody can.

I fly both my drones with an IPad— easier to see than a cell phone for these old eyes.

https://www.amazon.com/SwellPro-Fis...amp;hvtargid=pla-1459276850102&psc=1

SwellPro Fisherman



Payload Release

If you get a badazzed one you can troll top water plugs with it.