Anybody tried a "Tile Sticker" to aid in recovery?

[gemniii]

I've yet to lose my MM drone (knock on wood) but my environment is heavily wooded and I'm apprehensive about losing it in a tree and not being able to see it.
I'm already in the Tile system and it's helped me.
Has anyone tried a Tile Sticker link on their MM? It's only 5 grams.
/edit - or about the weight of a drone skin
Summary
As of 0430 CDT 10/16/20
Responses - 15, no one has tried it,

 

[Thomas B]

Pictures?

 

[gemniii]

Pictures?

pictures of what?

 

[Thomas B]

pictures of what?

Your drone with the sticker

 

[mr.bill]

I've yet to lose my MM drone (knock on wood) but my environment is heavily wooded and I'm apprehensive about losing it in a tree and not being able to see it.
I'm already in the Tile system and it's helped me.
Has anyone tried a Tile Sticker link on their MM? It's only 5 grams.

Tile is only as good as the user-base nearby. If you're flying in a remote/rural area, Tile might not be very helpful. Anything Bluetooth LE won't be.

I use this which is dependent on nothing but the signal sent from the device.

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www.amazon.com

 

[Camino Ken]

You beat me. I was going to mention that Bluetooth range is around 30ft or so. It would help if you were directly below a short tree in which it was lodged.

 

[zocalo]

You beat me. I was going to mention that Bluetooth range is around 30ft or so. It would help if you were directly below a short tree in which it was lodged.

Tile is doing quite a high power transmission over Bluetooth and they claim ranges of up to 120m for their higher end "Tile Pro" devices, and 45m for the "Tile Sticker" (can't vouch for accurate those figures are though). That might be a little more useful if you know the general area in which your drone went down and can then walk a search grid to pin it down. Being able to get to the area and actually walk the grid may not be possible of course, depending on the location.

I don't think it's something I would rely on to give guaranteed results, but at 5g and $20 per Sticker it's still infinitely better than nothing and might just save you having to get a new drone, so maybe worth a shot.

 

[Camino Ken]

Tile is doing quite a high power transmission over Bluetooth and they claim ranges of up to 120m for their higher end "Tile Pro" devices, and 45m for the "Tile Sticker" (can't vouch for accurate those figures are though). That might be a little more useful if you know the general area in which your drone went down and can then walk a search grid to pin it down. Being able to get to the area and actually walk the grid may not be possible of course, depending on the location.

I don't think it's something I would rely on to give guaranteed results, but at 5g and $20 per Sticker it's still infinitely better than nothing and might just save you having to get a new drone, so maybe worth a shot.

Thanks, good to know. I guess my info was a bit dated. Looks like they have made great strides in this technology. Do you know if it still follows the Bluetooth standard?

 

[anotherlab]

Thanks, good to know. I guess my info was a bit dated. Looks like they have made great strides in this technology. Do you know if it still follows the Bluetooth standard?

The Tile Pro 2020 models are using chipsets based on Bluetooth 5 Low Energy (BLE) technology from Nordic Semiconductor. BLE has a much greater range than standard Bluetooth. But they are following the standards otherwise, the phones wouldn't be able to communicate with them.

 

[zocalo]

The Tile Pro 2020 models are using chipsets based on Bluetooth 5 Low Energy (BLE) technology from Nordic Semiconductor. BLE has a much greater range than standard Bluetooth. But they are following the standards otherwise, the phones wouldn't be able to communicate with them.

Yeah, I think that's the crux that's the problem. You're going to need to bring your phone/tablet/whatever within *its* range of the Tile to re-establish contact, e.g. walk the search grid in the location the aircraft went down I mentioned. I'm also not sure if the Tile sends out a periodic "I'm here" ping which would only need to be unidirectional to let you know you are at within its extended range and can then tighten your search grid a bit, which would make things a LOT easier. If it only works across the range of the receiver device, and assuming that only supports more typical Bluetooth ranges, then you're going to need a much tighter search grid. Walking ~200m tracks in a grid is a LOT less effort, not to mention more viable in irregular terrain, than ~30m ones (you can just under double the range of the comms link to get within the radius of the signal).

Basically, I think what you'd need to do it put the Tile down somewhere typical for where you might fly in terms of terrain and obstructions, etc., then walk away from it and try to establish what range you can hear the Tile's locator alarm (assuming the model you are using has one) and at what kinds of range your phone can establish a fix. Ideally you'd also want to do this a number of times in different locations/scenarios to get a better idea of what you are more likely to see in practice. I deeply suspect after all that effort you're not going to see the kinds of results you'd be hoping for though.

Worst case, you're going to need to get within your device's range, establish a comms link to the Tile, and *then* be able to hear the Tile's locator alarm to actually find it. Outside, on a modestly breezy day, with an irregular and obstructed terrain, I suspect the distance at which that will be practical is going to be very, very, short.

 

[THE CYBORG]

I use this which is dependent on nothing but the signal sent from the device.

Amazon.com: Marco Polo Ultralight Drone/UAV/Model Rocket Location and Recovery System – No GPS or Cell Service Required – No Monthly Fees – Never Lose your Drone Again - Starter System for 1 Aircraft: Sports & Outdoors

Buy Marco Polo Ultralight Drone/UAV/Model Rocket Location and Recovery System – No GPS or Cell Service Required – No Monthly Fees – Never Lose your Drone Again - Starter System for 1 Aircraft: GPS Trackers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

The link takes me to Women’s Marc O’Polo jacket ?

 

[KB4MTO]

Keep in mind that only 5 grams is 5 grams too much. Adding 1 gram to the Mini will require that you register it. Now, will you get caught if you don't? Most likely not. But if you do, the fines are stiff and if you are a 107, you could, jeopardize your certification.

I'm currently not using location finding on my Mini, but I would like to find a reasonable solution. On my FPV drone, I'm using an extremely loud beeper that is trigger in a crash and/or by my transmitter. It has a built-in battery for long duration and puts out a 105 dB tone.

I do fly with my beacon LED, even in the day. That way if the Mini goes down, it might help in locating it.

 

[TreeHugger]

I never considered short range options - was more worried about a fly-away, since it occurred once. If you have a hundred backs to spare, and your bird can bare ~30 grams without discomfort - GPS is the way to go

 

[gemniii]

OP here -
My concern is that I'll lose it in a tree. And from reading on here (which I understand may be useless) the "find my drone" feature should narrow down the location as long as the battery lasts. But it still could be hidden from site. The areas I fly in are forests owned by ME (I've got about 400 acres). So if I wanted to get it down I could cut down a tree if need be

/edit now where can I get a Japanese (lower weight) battery

 

[TreeHugger]

So if I wanted to get it down I could cut down a tree if need be

Nooooo -
Love me some tree's
This is how I get em down
Retrieval

Edit: Yes - Find My Drone" is quite helpful.

 

[DanaMc]

Pictures?

Click on the hyperlink word “link” in the text above.

 

[Tommy85]

Got this off amazon question & answer section.
======================================

Question:
What is the range on the signal? If my drone went nuts and landed 2 miles away will I be able to find it?
Answer:
Yes, if you were in an open field. If there are trees or buildings in your path then you will have to walk or drive in the general direction of the drone's last position or waypoint. This is an excellent drone tracker and enabled me to find my lost drone over a mile away, expensive but worth it!
By D. P. Wildman on February 12, 2017

Yes. You must drive or walk in a search pattern in the direction you saw the drone go down until you see the signal appear on the device. Typically, drone range is far shorter than the range of the tracker signal.

By Gordon on February 12, 2017
It says it has a 2 mile range. I tested it at a mile and it worked flawlessly.
By Amazon Customer on February 14, 2017

 

[Inspirephil]

Marco Polo and Dronekeeper Mini 2 work great for my drones.

 

[jwp721]

I am a big fan of Tile. Have one on my key chain and one in my suitcase (so I can check to see if my checked luggage is moved to new plane when I travel and have a connecting flight). Hadn’t thought of getting one for my Mini until now. Thanks!!

 

[macfawlty]

If you fly in wooded areas, there's always a risk of crashing. Retrieval is key. Take a before/during/after approach.

#1 buy insurance for the drone; #2, prior to flight, address any error messages, firmware updates, etc; #3, assess tree height and set RTH accordingly; #4, do a quick reconnaissance flight to assess flight plan and obstacle clearances. Consider retrieval difficulty/accessibility in the area (deep woods, cliffs, water, trail access); #5, when flying laterally or POI, ensure adequate altitude; #6, record the entire flight, preferably in <5 min. increments and make sure you have enough cache available. Viewing the proxy video can provide reference to location. If it's still running after crash, take a pic of the camera view.

To aid retrieval; #1, a high-visibility skin or PhantomRain RainSuit; #2, ARC Light XL from Firehouse Technologies, a strobe light with audible signal; #3, the Tile Pro seems like a good secondary backup. 400' range? #4 Marco Polo, if it's worth $200 to get it back. I haven't bought the Marco Polo, but after a few crash & retrievals, I'm looking hard at it.