Drones: not Necessarily Just for Perverts

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SteveHGraham
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Drones: not Necessarily Just for Perverts

Post by SteveHGraham »

My recent Sawzall thread got hijacked and turned into a discussion of the merits of cordless tools. I had no interest in that topic, but threads go where they will, and I ended up learning about lithium batteries. That took me to the topic of RC toys, because you need an RC charger to convert an old NiCd charger to Li-ion.

Unfortunately, while I was reading up, I discovered drones. I had assumed that all drones were expensive, and that the only hobbyists who used them were perverts and people who enjoyed tormenting their neighbors. I may be correct on the last two points, but I was wrong on the first: it appears that small drones are very cheap indeed. I could not resist picking one up. I am wondering if anyone else here plays with these things.

For 13 bucks, you can have a quadcopter that will fly for over 5 minutes, if you have the skill to keep it in the air that long. That's the from-China price. If you buy from within the US, it's more like 15 bucks. I did not know about the super-cheap drones, so I paid $30 for one locally.

This thing is amazing. It's smaller than a computer mouse, but you can fly it 200 feet in any direction (up included) without losing the signal, and it really moves. I am still working on indoor flight. I tried it outside and flew it onto the roof within ten minutes (affording me an opportunity to climb on the roof and notice that bees were infesting my soffit again; there goes $150).

I ordered a couple of the $13 ones, plus a tiny copter with six blades. I am assembling my own air force for $90. I figure that if I have at least 3 of these things, I will have enough battery capacity to get in a meaningful amount of daily practice without 30-minute charging pauses.

Technology is destroying our liberty and privacy, which is really bad, but it's certainly entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIesP135GcA

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spro
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Re: Drones: not Necessarily Just for Perverts

Post by spro »

I read and watched the video. Something occurs to me since those bees are invading again and a drone is a drone. See where I'm going? That mini drone sounds much like a large bee and wouldn't it be interesting ( when you have the skill as the video) to make a visit/hover to that bee colony and see what happens. Please have a camera :)
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Drones: not Necessarily Just for Perverts

Post by SteveHGraham »

Don't think I didn't wish I could do that. I'd like to arm a drone with a laser and send it up there to clean house.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
spro
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Re: Drones: not Necessarily Just for Perverts

Post by spro »

The micro can't carry anything but who's to know the reason it crashed there. One or more bees attacked it ? This is interesting stuff.
spro
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Re: Drones: not Necessarily Just for Perverts

Post by spro »

Since this conversation, I've been educated about newer drone abilities. There is one named Drone Volt Spray Hornet. (type all lc for search) It carries a can of wasp/bee killer right up to the nest and sprays it.
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steamin10
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Re: Drones: not Necessarily Just for Perverts

Post by steamin10 »

I have one of the copter type toys, and it flies remarkably well, considering my ham handed control.

John, who has appeared in my thread bought me this, and works at a hobby store. He gets to change out various parts after severe crashes, and is up to date on a lot of new products for cash customers. The mini toys are indeed very cheep, and can serve to train your visual skills for flying a larger( read expensive) drone copter with camera and other abilities.

last year, I stopped a couple a guys who were wandering the property, and they claimed to be looking for a quad copter tht flew out of control range, and headed North over the tree lines and woods. $800 job, with mini cam. Too bad for your luck, but I chuckled at self destructive toys. Way back when, I used to be a circle jerker pilot, and all the crash and glue that entailed. It was fun, but girls won out eventually, and I was not a good pilot there either. I quit flying when I went to work after high school, finding Honda 750 cc more exciting and usefull.

After a couple of hours use, the 'Air Hog' style chopper is gathering dust. I had to stop flying it as the cats made extreme leaps to capture the bird, and I feared for their eyes being damaged by the blades. Drove them crazy to take it down.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Drones: not Necessarily Just for Perverts

Post by SteveHGraham »

When I see these things hovering over the coffee table with their little lights glowing, I feel like I went to sleep and woke up in a Star Wars movie. I never thought I'd see this kind of stuff in my own house. Especially not for twelve dollars.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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