Apple Airtags To Track A Drone

[stpatrick]

Apple Airtags To Track A Drone, can this new apple device be used to find a lost drone ?

 

[vindibona1]

The method they describe is kind of cryptic. The description says that it relies on others in your network to be by your lost stuff. I don't know. As I said, cryptic. Definitely not clear. But if the technology is anything like a "Tile" that uses other tile owners who are nearby your missing item it's a waste of money. My family had Tiles and even in the house half the time it wouldn't ring and there were other issues. Perhaps Apple has perfected what Tile could not? If so, perhaps it's worthwhile. Isn't "Find my Drone" more effective?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Pretty sure you need to be in bluetooth range with the new apple device, another post was placed on here the other day . . . .

New tracker for iphone users

Apple introduces AirTag Track Anything using your phone. Small tags to find anything Anywhere! $29 or 4 for $99. Cheap but now I need the phone. Not cheap but worth upgrading.

mavicpilots.com

 

[stpatrick]

The method they describe is kind of cryptic. The description says that it relies on others in your network to be by your lost stuff. I don't know. As I said, cryptic. Definitely not clear. But if the technology is anything like a "Tile" that uses other tile owners who are nearby your missing item it's a waste of money. My family had Tiles and even in the house half the time it wouldn't ring and there were other issues. Perhaps Apple has perfected what Tile could not? If so, perhaps it's worthwhile. Isn't "Find my Drone" more effective?

In cases where the drone battery is ejected or drone battery drained completely before it can be found

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Find my drone can get you within bluetooth range most likely, at least in some cases of an aircraft loss.

In other cases as mentioned above, only something like M arco P olo (Edit, spaced to remove link someone placed there ?) will be of use, or perhaps the FHT ARC XL with audible alarm would help if not TOO far away and you can find your way to get with earshot.

For most of us, I guess flying roughly in VLOS or at least knowing about where their drone is to landforms, may help.
A lot depends on terrain, vegetation, or in worst case scenarios the good old ocean or river etc below, which probably makes recovery a moot point.

 

[vindibona1]

Upon second thought I would think that the Apple Tag might be useful to get it to beep after using your map of find my drone to get in vicinity. But if it works like a Tile, you have to rely on others to be nearby to pick up the signal. But again, I'm not sure of the similarities between Apple Tag and Tile. We pretty much found the Tile useless and stopped using them.

 

[msinger]

But if it works like a Tile, you have to rely on others to be nearby to pick up the signal

You got it. As described here:

"Your AirTag sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud — then you can go to the Find My app and see it on a map."

 

[vindibona1]

You got it. As described here:

"Your AirTag sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud — then you can go to the Find My app and see it on a map."

That’s pretty much the way the tile works except Apple tag would rely on “my network”. Tile works with others who are nearby you have the tile app. I can’t speak for the Apple tag at the tile was a waste of money. Half the time it wouldn’t ring when I have miss placed the keys in my own house.

 

[Drbobk]

I agree - I found Tile to be a waste of money. It relies on other Tile users having the app running all the time, and I'm not sure they ever hit critical mass there. But Apple seems to suggest that the Tags can be "seen" by any Apple device running Bluetooth (see my ***note further on) while keeping the users anonymous.

***Tracking seems to work only with iPhone 11 and 12 and their variants (Pro, etc). So I'm not sure if it can work with MacBooks, older iPhones, etc. It may be that an older iPhone or MacBook or iPad using BT can still find your device and report it if it's listed as missing, but you may not be able to track it closeup on your screen on an older iPhone. As soon as I upgrade my phone I'll be buying a pack, and I'll let you know. For now, I will keep using my Marco Polo.

 

[brett8883]

The big difference between Tile and Apple is that Apple’s network is unfathomably larger. Most people don’t realize this but Apple devices use a combination of Wi-Fi and GPS for location services but also use location data from other nearby Apple devices through Bluetooth.

Your device communicates with other Apple devices to increase the accuracy of the location data. So your lost laptop that isn’t connected to wi-fi can still be tracked because if there is another Apple device nearby that does have GPS or wi-fi it can piggyback off the location data from that device.

This wouldn’t necessarily help with finding a lost drone out in the boonies other than if you get near to it will pick up the location data but even if somebody else is near to it the location will be picked up. You have a much greater chance of finding it with the Apple tag than with tile.

 

[011111110]

The Apple tag will use any iOS device within bluetooth range to send its location to Apple's servers. It doesn't need to be your device, it just needs someone with an iPhone to walk by within 30 feet or so. Once the server has the tag's location, you can use the Find My Device app to locate it on a map, and make a sound when you get close. The battery lasts a year.

So it won't help you if your drone is lost in the boonies, but could be useful if you crash it somewhere in a park or other area where people might walk by.

It could also help you if you used the Find My Drone feature and got near it but still couldn't find it. Even after the drone battery dies, if you got close enough to it and had your phone with you, its location would be sent to the server, and you could come back days or even weeks later and make it beep.

 

[Capt KO]

So far I've been lucky enough to get a phone call after drone found by the ph# marked on the side. The battery had popped out so a tag would have been very useful. I had the general idea of last location but couldn't find it. To me it's worth $100 to put Airtags on my multiple drones. It's upgrading to an iPhone that hurts $ Lol

 

[011111110]

To me it's worth $100 to put Airtags on my multiple drones. It's upgrading to an iPhone that hurts $ Lol

I don't think you need to have an iPhone. Just an Apple account. You can register the device to your Apple ID, then go to iCloud to locate it

 

[msinger]

That’s pretty much the way the tile works except Apple tag would rely on “my network”. Tile works with others who are nearby you have the tile app.

Actually, the AirTag relies on the Find My network (a bit different than your personal network). Per this article:

"...Apple’s Find My network, which comprises hundreds of millions of Apple devices."

 

[Jim Flannery K0UNX]

I have 4 on order. I'm hoping that it has a "LAST SPOTTED AT" feature, and not "Only In Real Time." So if it is in a place where it gets passed by by someone with an iDevice, it should at least get you into the vicinity. Then you just take a walk until your phone contacts it. At that point, switch to Precision Locate. At least that's what I'm hoping.

The PRECISION LOCATE feature is specific to iPhone 11 or later, but basic tracking doesn't require it.

 

[roadkilt]

If its like the Tile it will not work well on the ground, too many signal blockers, but if you get stuck in a tree or roof then good chance for that signal to travel. Choose where you lose your drone!

 

[LA 2020]

Apple Airtags To Track A Drone, can this new apple device be used to find a lost drone ?

The only device that I've found that doesn't rely on satellite, cell towers, wifi, or other (apple or Android) users is the Marco Polo. It is self contained so useable anywhere. I velcro the transmitter to my M2Pro anytime I am in an area where I'm concerned about loss. A little expensive but way less than my drone

 

[msinger]

I'm hoping that it has a "LAST SPOTTED AT" feature, and not "Only In Real Time."

You can access a history of the locations where it was spotted. See more details here.

 

[vindibona1]

The only device that I've found that doesn't rely on satellite, cell towers, wifi, or other (apple or Android) users is the Marco Polo. It is self contained so useable anywhere. I velcro the transmitter to my M2Pro anytime I am in an area where I'm concerned about loss. A little expensive but way less than my drone

Can you post a link to this device? Perhaps Apple tags are better than Tiles, but I want to hear someone rave about them first.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Can you post a link to this device? Perhaps Apple tags are better than Tiles, but I want to hear someone rave about them first.

Just saw an airtag on my sons car keys, he explained they are different to tile as they use the ‘find my’ network.
If someone with an Apple device passes nearby and picks up the tag signal, it’s relayed to your ‘find my’ list !
Neat.
Also, if someone finds your drone and holds the tag near the back of their device, it brings up a custom m message, eg lost (item), please call #, reward if you like etc.