MYNT Tracker vs Beacon

[fwacone]

I have a few weeks experience using the Pieps TX600 ( PIEPS TX600 | Pieps.com ), which is a dog/equipment avalanche beacon. I velcro it with Scotch heavy duty fastener onto the battery and the drone flies great with it on. The reason I chose this is to hone in on the drone if it goes down into the snow or hangs up in a tree. I'm fairly confident I will be able to walk the flight paths or do a grid search to pick up the signal. I realize it may jettison on impact, but I'm just trying to add another method to hopefully find the drone instead of moving tons (literally) of snow or waiting until the snow melt in the spring.

The problem is the beacon is spendy and then you also need a beacon to search for it too. I was wondering if anyone has experience with a bluetooth locator like the small, lightweight, and economical MYNT tracker? Those would be a little more versatile for accomplishing a similar concept, I'm just not sure if the functionality would allow for me to zero in on the device/drone in snow or a tree. Any thoughts? I'm also familiar with the other treads on RF trackers and cell-network based services, but I'm looking for something more specific to the backcountry that is lightweight and precise.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

I'm looking for something more specific to the backcountry that is lightweight and precise.

If you're flying somewhere in backcountry where it's unlikely someone will stumble upon your lost Mavic and you didn't find it during the day, covering it in reflective tape is a supercheap alternative, along with a powerful flashlight. I'm cheap and fly in desert, so I bought Tenacious Reflective tape at Walmart for $4.86, it's superbright in flashlight, and almost matches Mavic's gray.

 

[msinger]

I was wondering if anyone has experience with a bluetooth locator like the small, lightweight, and economical MYNT tracker?

The MYNT tracker might be a good option if you can guarantee you'll always be able to get within 150 feet of your lost Mavic. The Loc8tor tracker might be a better choice since it has a max range of 400 feet.

 

[fwacone]

Thanks for both of those suggestions. The Loc8tor is closer to a beacon price but worth consideration. Also, I like the reflective tape idea and I had that same thought a few days ago, to help find it in a tree or somewhere in the brush. I'll probably do that too, but it won't help if it goes down and disappears in soft snow.