Passage with a Quadcopter

[Harpsden]

Last week I moved our ST34 Freya from Lymington to Plymouth in advance of spending a week down there visiting some of the South Devon locations I keep reading about in posts and the magazines. The crewmate who helped with making the passage has a DJI Phantom quadcopter so that was used at various locations to take lots of images. It is an amazing piece of equipment to fly and take images with.

The weather for the passages wasn't too wonderful so we flew the Phantom when the wind speed permitted, typically at start or end of day.

Here are just a few of the images we took on the way down giving a slightly different view from the normal ones.

Portland Marina

The River Dart

My ST34 coming under the bridges over the Tamar

Hope they are of some interest.

 

[andy59]

Exellent photos . Watched some lads with one at Yarmouth last weekend and was amazed at how far away they would send it , confident that it would come back . Was your pal launching / landing from the boat ? .

 

[Winchy51]

Thank you for sharing the photos just amazing

 

[rustybarge]

Certainly gives you a fantastic perspective of your boat.

 

[U4]

Wow, amazing pictures!! Do you know which version of the Phantom your friend has?

 

[Nick_H]

Those pictures are great, thanks

There are a couple of companies operating helicopters out of St Tropez taking running shots of passing boats and posting them on the internet for owners to buy. I think they need to adapt to new technology, as this must be loads cheaper than keeping choppers in the air.

 

[sap_2000]

My Phantom 2 Vision+ always comes along when we go out for the weekend.
Great fun

 

[elton]

The weather for the passages wasn't too wonderful so we flew the Phantom when the wind speed permitted, typically at start or end of day.

Helium baloons are cheaper, and kites work when it's windy.

 

[Harpsden]

Wow, amazing pictures!! Do you know which version of the Phantom your friend has?

I'm told it is a DJI Phantom 2 Vision.

 

[U4]

Cheers

 

[gag]

Re how far away they go , and come back - the latest ones have a GPS so that if it loses the control signal from the operator, it flies itself back to the launch point and lands itself !!

 

[Alpha22]

Re how far away they go , and come back - the latest ones have a GPS so that if it loses the control signal from the operator, it flies itself back to the launch point and lands itself !!

Assuming no trees or buildings in the way!!!!

I had a play with a mates at the weekend too, amazingly simple to fly..... out little river club...

 

[pks1702]

Great images :encouragement:

 

[Harpsden]

My Phantom 2 Vision+ always comes along when we go out for the weekend.
Great fun

What a beautiful location. Couldn't quite work out what model the trawler yacht in the pictures is?

 

[sap_2000]

What a beautiful location. Couldn't quite work out what model the trawler yacht in the pictures is?

Thanks. This is just a few nm outside Oslo, but you feel as you are far away from the city stress.

That would be my boat.
It is a 2009/10 Integrity 346 ES Trawler (now sold as 380 in Europe). Engine is a Cummins QSB 5,9 230 HD
The Euro agents web site here: http://www.integritytrawlers.nl/?language=uk

 

[gjgm]

Re how far away they go , and come back - the latest ones have a GPS so that if it loses the control signal from the operator, it flies itself back to the launch point and lands itself !!

Well they have been having a little problem, in that they also take command of themselves and fly away ! I think it is down the the GPS not being settled in the flight board before taking off, but didn't look that much into it.

 

[Truro Ex Pat]

Guys looking at Phanom qaud do you know where they got it from?Awsome to take shots at sea.

 

[gjgm]

Just try Google, but quadcopters.co.uk as an example.
There were two versions.. one where you add a gopro and gimbal, but they also made one with the camera built in. Enjoy discussions as to which is better... You can be looking at £750, and while some find these very easy to fly, I think some also smash up £750 fairly fast. There are some good tips on youtube about how to start slow and play safe. Others say the best route is to buy a £50 "toy",such as a Husban, and learn how to fly on that.
Bear in mind, this is a kilo of whirling blades, so you had better be in control of it (or somewhere very remote)!
The Phantoms are the Apple class products.. expensive but work well, but you can build a quad from scratch for £100-150 (no camera etc).

 

[Harpsden]

With the DJI Phantom we used on the trip there was a process to go through at each distinct location (Portland, Dartmouth, Plymouth) to recalibrate the compass. Then allow the system to acquire six or so satellites on the GPS. It then tells you it is ready to fly. After that if you lose contact it is programmed to return to the point of origin for the flight. I've seen the return demonstrated by turning the remote control set off and just leaving it to return which it did to within a few inches of it's take off point. The return to origin is of course no use at sea!

Not my piece of kit but it really is awesome and seems really well built and solid.

 

[thommothebear]

return to start point might be a bit dodgy if the boat the quad has taken off from is underway! A friend of mine who is also a professional commercial photographer has just acquired a phantom so I'm rather hoping he will bring it with him when he crews for me during the summer.