Drones

[gurroz]

I bought an inexpensive drone under $150 to see what it was all about. It is now an artificial reef at the bottom of a lake. My drone itch has been scratched.

[tumbleweed55]

I fly my Mavic pro when camping where allowed, trying to avoid doing anything to annoy people.
Drones are a great way to get your bearings in remote areas.

[DesertRatt]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

Why do people need to take pictures of their food and post them on Facebook?

I never understood that either.

[Morich]

People with drones take pictures for the same reason anybody takes a picture! With a drone one doesn't get that great definition but they can get that weird angle on things without falling off the cliff or going out in a boat. Why do people look out the windows of airplanes when they are at thirty thousand feet? You sure can ID the people on the ground, so snooping is not very likely but it does give a different perspective.
Sometimes it is only to get a better look at a sunset than one can get when down behind the hills and trees.
The bigger question might be why so many want to control what others are doing just because they don't want to do it themselves.
If we all go that way the list gets way too long pretty quick, doesn't it?
We can start with drones and then add motorcycles, dogs, guns, airplanes, boats, lawnmowers, kids, neighbors..................... etc. till the sun goes down!
The world is full of narrow minded grumps! But I'm fine with thinking I should not have to put up with a bunch of other RV's moving into the national forest since I got there first!
We should all be more careful of what we bitch about?

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

Shotgun range.




For me it's not the privacy, but the noise. So my serious answer to defining "near" would be ear range and I can't hear that well, especially high frequencies.

I purchased the quieter blades, and also fly high enough and away from people, nobody hears mine. Small aircraft, now that, is annoying...

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by Wyatt

I purchased the quieter blades, and also fly high enough and away from people, nobody hears mine. Small aircraft, now that, is annoying...

I mentioned this somewhere recently, but the military uses the Cascade mountains for fighter pilot low altitude flying practice. I've been hiking in a wilderness area and have them fly right overhead, and also while camping at a campground (Bumping Lake). I didn't find it annoying, but it is a sudden jolt of civilization!

[DesertRatt]

Originally Posted by DesertRatt

I don't have any drones. I would be very annoyed to have a drone flying near my campsite.

I would be just as well annoyed by someone circling my campsite on foot taking movies or pictures of us with a camera. Let me start with simply, "It's rude and inconsiderate."

It's rude in exactly the same was as those campers who think they have the "right" to play very loud music over their outdoor stereos at 2am, or have drunken beer-fests around the bonfire all night long, or those who turn loose a handful of screaming kids to run wild and unsupervised though the campground all day like it was their back yard.

An RV campground is not a free-for-all on public land, where everyone can exercise all their imagine "rights" unimpeded. It's not "Burning Man." And, I'm thankful for that. It's an environment that requires cooperation in order for everyone to have some opportunity to enjoy what they came for. There are usually a long list of rules, and I am sure that drives all the "free spirits" crazy because they can't exercise all their "rights". "Hey, I want to set up a shooting range on my campsite! I have a RIGHT!" Hey, we want to practice family nudism at our site! We have a RIGHT!" Hey, I want to hold band practice at my site! We have a RIGHT!"

I've no doubt there are endless places where all of that, and flying drones too, is perfectly acceptable and accessible to those looking for the opportunity. An RV campground, where different people with all sorts of different reasons for being there, have to pack in close together seems to be the worst choice for it.

[Morich]

That was the point I was trying to make. We all have our favorite things we want to do and everything from generators that one guy will want to the camera another wants to use can irritate somebody, somewhere at some time, so we need to loosen up on what we complain about and tighten up on what we put on others.
Who the hell every thought a motorcycle should be in a campground? They used to have mufflers and they sure make lots more noise than drones! TV's and entertainment centers on the outside are a definite invitation for abuse.
Any old farmer can tell you what happens when you put too many animals in one small space, but nobody is even really beginning to start a conversation of what we are doing with humans.
Looking down the road 50-100 years, who really feels good about what we are putting out for our grandkids to live in?

[Class-C-Guy]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

I think it's more just that they're annoying when you're out trying to relax, sort of like generators and jet skis, but not nearly as bad.

On the other hand I was once out hiking in a Cascades wilderness area and had some Air Force fighters go overhead practicing their low altitude maneuvers. That was shockingly extreme, but not really annoying. Saw the same camping at Bumping Lake.

Yeah that 8AM fly-over at Bumping is annoying but at least they've moving along and it's over with quickly. You get up and get some coffee going, listening to the sounds of nature and the dead trees popping as the sun comes up and warms the top of them, you hear some woodpeckers and other birds . . . then this massive tearing roar of jet fighter planes so low you can almost make out the lettering on them. The joys of Bumping and Rock Camp.




.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by Class-C-Guy

Yeah that 8AM fly-over at Bumping is annoying .

For me it was afternoon or evening.

That same day though I started hearing something and asking my camping buddy what he thought it was. It sounded like they had suddenly built a freeway on the other side of the lake.

It ended up being a wind storm. When it arrived a couple of minues later it not only blew our tent away, but it also caused our firewood to burn up very quickly. I think it was out in about 5-10 minutes if I recall correctly, not that it mattered since you could not sit around a fire in that heavy of wind.

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by DesertRatt

.... An RV campground, where different people with all sorts of different reasons for being there, have to pack in close together seems to be the worst choice for it.

Agreed.

On a side note, for those who do not own drones, (we use one in our business), this is a link to a practice video I did across the street from our home in an open space—Crystal Springs Reservoir, south of San Francisco.

You can see how unobtrusive responsible flying can be.

At 4:43 in the video some walkers enter the frame. One can barely make them out.

At 5:43 in the filming, I looked down at the display screen, and when I looked back up, I couldn’t see the drone—I lost visual contact, so I called it home to where it took off from. Lesson learned. Now, I have a spotter.

Hey, it’s a first run, so not a great video, but it might help put what a drone sees in perspective, for some...

https://vimeo.com/user37682685/revie...169/e6a728a05a

[SmilingSimon]

I do but not for cg but for something actually interesting !
once around the cg at 300' may be a nice log of where you are and been but...


a drone can fly out over whales going north/south, over a desert and see coyotes/etc and such and get awesome pics you can NOT get any other way, even in a boat - unless you can fly.


camera drones are for photography, reaching and going place not easily done via ground, they can also reach high and can get lovely shots and video.


coronavirus shows us how so many ppl are very irrational and poor thinking, 'you can not make me wear a mask' when it could be life/death for their very self/family - most of us are very self important and selfish and foolish, the same about drones.


quad/hex drones are nothing but flying cameras and surely can catch ppl breaking law or doing ungodly shameful acts.


i once was taking a pic on ground of a wild rabbit near an rv, owner came out and was furious, i told them i dont give a flying F%%K about your rv, was taking pic of rabbit - morons !?



drones are like pets, only as 'nice' as their owners make/train them and reactions are the same as we see in all other life scenarios.


who the F$%K wants to see campground folks from air anyhow, me not ????


NOPE, drones are about getting a vid/pic of something your human clown A$$ can not get and from a perspective you have no ability to get to.


i almost never 'fly' my drone, i make a route for it to fly and then just tell it to GO it flys the route via its gps coordinates, height, cam position/angle !


it flys the route with cam oriented toward whatever i told it, usually a focal point of interest, and no not that flabby skin geezer sunbathing !!


YEP, ppl are so so so self centered and self important - explains much in this odd/awful at times 'murcan' culture !!


ps: and no i will not leave, you leave !

Originally Posted by Wyatt

Well, people use drones, and fly them where they should not (over people, over campgrounds, etc).

That said, there’s a drone phobia out there as well.

While we’re staying at this RV park, a guy flew his drone out over the ocean, and then landed it near us.

So what did the drone “see” that this guy couldn’t...hint, the drone is that small white thing out over the ocean...look carefully, and you can see it...

Originally Posted by JDHarrin

How many folks fly drones after setting up camp? Trying to get a feel for how popular this is...


JD

[SmilingSimon]

Originally Posted by DesertRatt

I never understood that either.

BRAINless facebook foodies !?

life in city can be so boring that all they have is their restaurant pleasure, all the while street ppl can be very interesting subjects.

most pics of food do NOT make me want that food, some food not nearly as good looking as is its smell and taste.

fb has all sorts of non sense, foodies is just one of them.

to this day i do not understand why ppl get news info from fb, there are REAL sources of info out there that are reliable - figure them out and stop being misled by russians or QANON, left wing right wing on fb - dont you be !

[Topsail]

Recently we had a family member with her boyfriend visit us and he brought his new camera drone. It wasn't long before he was flying around our house taking videos and pictures. I guess I was a little reserved with these gadgets and sharing my space due to some weird stories, but I'm glad to now have some neat photos for our album.

I can see where folks may not appreciate seeing these around their homes due to prankster punks, or worse yet potential breaking/entering. But, after watching the drone and learning a little about their capabilities I actually may get one in the future. I could care less about spying on people much less taking pictures of anybody except family.

The nature walk stuff is appealing and this can cover some territory I'd never be able to traverse anymore. DW and I are looking at purchasing some acreage in the near future and what better way to check on the back forty. Haha

These things are fun and those aerial shots can be great. Yeah, there needs to be some restrictions, but good luck figuring those out.

[SmilingSimon]

yes drones are used by many to survey and area, looking for lost ppl or wanting to see where they can not go/reach, some have surveying software and will fly a grid covering a whole area precisely.


if you do not know but some of the more expensive drones (maybe some cheap ones too) have many modes - one is to 'follow me' at a given height another is to 'zoom up and out' and take pics or vid, great for a picnic scene/etc, as well as other modes - make sure you get one with good object avoidance, them props seems to hit anything and down comes the drone !!


DJI is #1 drone maker, chinese of course, but some mo expensive drones made in USA - cheaper mo refined and capable chinese drones drove out most USA drone makers - but with scare of security by current wh, and the FACT that DJI did/does send location info back to china, and supposedly ONLY that - due to wanting to know where drone is and the NO FLY zones nearby - legitimate reason - others are not of course.


China brags about having the worlds largest database of personal info (not true, NSA has that - we know thanks to snowden) about ppl's cell phone info and movement etc, DJI swears they are not collecting anything more than location ?


also get a small very portable drone, some you can hold in hand, some have controller some use cell phone - mine is a hexacopter, 6 engines, can fly still if loses an engine, NO quadcopter can, called spiral of death !!


my controller has a video feed back so can see exactly what camera is seeing and can easily see to fly too, unless in my case, i can spin the camera 360 degrees while moving or hovering so must be careful flying as most drones.


GL, have fun !

Originally Posted by Topsail

Recently we had a family member with her boyfriend visit us and he brought his new camera drone. It wasn't long before he was flying around our house taking videos and pictures. I guess I was a little reserved with these gadgets and sharing my space due to some weird stories, but I'm glad to now have some neat photos for our album.

I can see where folks may not appreciate seeing these around their homes due to prankster punks, or worse yet potential breaking/entering. But, after watching the drone and learning a little about their capabilities I actually may get one in the future. I could care less about spying on people much less taking pictures of anybody except family.

The nature walk stuff is appealing and this can cover some territory I'd never be able to traverse anymore. DW and I are looking at purchasing some acreage in the near future and what better way to check on the back forty. Haha

These things are fun and those aerial shots can be great. Yeah, there needs to be some restrictions, but good luck figuring those out.

[Topsail]

Veeeery interesting stuff SmilingSimon and thanks for the knowledge. When our friend was flying his micro the dragon flys were extremely curious and a few birds were as well. I wondered if it would get knocked down. 6 rotors makes better sense and the China info gathering is something to consider too. If I manage to get one I wouldn't fly in any CG. I wouldn't really care if somebody did as long as they don't give me a haircut.

[backtrack15]

I've often thought a drone autonomously flying at 100-150 feet directly above the hitch could provide one heck of a "surround view" perspective while navigating tight campgrounds and backing large truck/trailer combos.

Launching the drone would be a hassle and tree cover would obviously be a problem... so it's a specialty application for sure. My guess is it would be most useful for folks that travel alone.

[SmilingSimon]

Not many trees at 150 ft but essentially none at 200'.

But that is where you use brain to determine all the factors - many drones will either stop or rise to a given altitude to avoid an obstacle.

one drone uses AI to avoid things and it was incredible to watch in a vid, you could fly it at 30' safely thru any cg or park or street or.....

as are many things, ignorance of a thing clouds ppls opinion or does not allow opening of their mind to all the possibilities, that is why most ppl can not invent unless some obvious thing.

same for what can be done w/ a drone (if capable), by a RESPONSIBLE non idiot non invasive user.

with experience and knowledge opinions can change.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by backtrack15

I've often thought a drone autonomously flying at 100-150 feet directly above the hitch could provide one heck of a "surround view" perspective while navigating tight campgrounds and backing large truck/trailer combos.

Launching the drone would be a hassle and tree cover would obviously be a problem... so it's a specialty application for sure. My guess is it would be most useful for folks that travel alone.

You could do that with cameras on the vehicle--stitching together different angles. Many new cars have such systems. It's really sort of eerie, making you wonder how they do it. I haven't seen an RV system, but I suspect they exist.

It might not cover overhead objects though.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by SmilingSimon

Not many trees at 150 ft but essentially none at 200'.

I know some Blue Angel pilots would would disagree with you.

I used to live in Seattle and the Blues would use a series of three trees to line up one of their runs. My fir tree was the middle tree. Either my tree was much taller than I thought or the Blues were not adhering to their minimum flight height rules. They were low enough I could clearly see the pilot (they would fly semi-inverted).