Anyone have experience with a Grappling hook on MA?

[BenF]

I was flying my inexpensive drone at lunch, with its GPS mode off so it would go fast. It was windy and when the battery gets low, it tends to wander off.
When it did start to wander, I didn't ditch it right away, so it bounced on a high roof and a prop guard come off which stayed on the roof.
So, later this week, I'm going to try and use my MA in rescue mode to pick up the small prop guard from the roof. The roof is too high for a ladder, its probably 40 feet high.
First attempt is going to use a 2 foot L shaped stiff wire (solid copper 8ga) mounted to the chassis of the MA
Second attempt is: 5" Standard Mantis Claw Drone Recovery Hook Grabber System G10 Fiberglass Kit 650415922079 | eBay which should come in next week.
The grappling hook might come in handy just to get some practice grabbing stuff.

The stiff wire tied to the frame is going to be swinging around when the MA is compensating for the wind, so its going to be a challenge.
The grappling hook will be on a string, so I'm guessing it will not be swinging around as much.

Oh well, tonight I will practice in the back yard with the wire setup and one of the other prop guards.

(I know it would be cheaper just to buy new prop guards, but that wouldn't be as much fun)

 

[Starz]

Treble hook will give you a better shot. For what you’re doing, building one out of a coat hanger will save you some money.
The other way to think about this is how much will it cost to replace
A. Prop guard
B. Mavic Air.

 

[msinger]

I have one of those Mantis Claws. They are a pain to put together, but the device works well.

I've never attached it to something lightweight like my Mavic Air, but my Inspire 1 can handle it just fine. It can be tough to pick objects up since it swings around a lot. Anything you attach via a string is going to swing around though.

 

[Possums]

First attempt is going to use a 2 foot L shaped stiff wire (solid copper 8ga) mounted to the chassis of the MA
Second attempt is: 5" Standard Mantis Claw Drone Recovery Hook Grabber System G10 Fiberglass Kit 650415922079 | eBay which should come in next week.
The grappling hook might come in handy just to get some practice grabbing stuff.

The stiff wire tied to the frame is going to be swinging around when the MA is compensating for the wind, so its going to be a challenge.
The grappling hook will be on a string, so I'm guessing it will not be swinging around as much.

Oh well, tonight I will practice in the back yard with the wire setup and one of the other prop guards.

(I know it would be cheaper just to buy new prop guards, but that wouldn't be as much fun)

Here's what not to do. Maybe need a longer hook?

 

[BenF]

Good thing I tried it at home first.




First hook was 23g. When taking off in my hand, I'm guessing CG too low and it started oscillating, so I didn't let it fly.

So, I shortened the wire to 18g. After I hooked the prop guard, it went un-stable since it's CG changed when MA started to lift.

Third attempt was a light hook attached to long picture hanging wire.

 

[Starz]

Video in post 4 is a perfect example of
Can’t fix stuped.
( and yes, it’s spelled that way on purpose)

 

[BenF]

Success! Hooked at 6:20, you're welcome.

 

[carlos31820]

Good job!

 

[Starz]

BenF is now aka Captain Hook!

 

[Mossiback]

Yea for you! I am glad it worked out. For others wanting to try I suggest adding a "break-away link", something like a cloths pin holding the line, in case the hook sticks into something solid.

 

[msinger]

Nice work! It doesn't look like the Mantis Claw would have been a good choice for this rescue. It works best on flat surfaces (since it spreads out when opening).

 

[Richlizard]

Just out of interest, did you use Tripod mode to keep things nice and steady?

 

[BenF]

No. It was in "regular" mode. It didn't respond as well as I thought it would to every minute command. The camera gimbal made it appear steadier than the chassis. The wind wasn't really that bad, it's just newbie pilot syndrome.