Attaching physical ID to your drone

[plextech]

Even though I have a polyester label inside the battery compartment displaying my CASA ARN (Aviation Reference Number), it occurred to me that if it ever goes walkabout, whoever finds it might not think of removing the battery to see if there's any ID inside. I know people put labels on the outside of the craft, but on the Mavic 2, real estate is at a bit of a premium, and the labels might peel off. I had some spare NFC tags in my desk draw, and decided to use one instead. They're weatherproof, and the adhesive on the good quality ones doesn't fall apart.

I've simply created a text record that reads:
CASA NNNNNNN
Call XXXXXXXXXX if found
[email protected]

Being placed right on top of the craft, it should be obvious. And of course you can put any information it, and change it anytime you like.

Just an idea.

 

[The Editor]

So

Even though I have a polyester label inside the battery compartment displaying my CASA ARN (Aviation Reference Number), it occurred to me that if it ever goes walkabout, whoever finds it might not think of removing the battery to see if there's any ID inside. I know people put labels on the outside of the craft, but on the Mavic 2, real estate is at a bit of a premium, and the labels might peel off. I had some spare NFC tags in my desk draw, and decided to use one instead. They're weatherproof, and the adhesive on the good quality ones doesn't fall apart.

I've simply created a text record that reads:
CASA NNNNNNN
Call XXXXXXXXXX if found
[email protected]

Being placed right on top of the craft, it should be obvious. And of course you can put any information it, and change it anytime you like.

Just an idea.

View attachment 77346

So......why not just put your id number where you have stuck your NFC label instead?

 

[plextech]

So

So......why not just put your id number where you have stuck your NFC label instead?

Simple: I can put more information on there than just my ARN, and I might want to expand or modify the other information later.

 

[Olav van Gerven]

For Germany, this tag would be requier to be be fireproof and contain the pilots information in plain text. I have a small tag at one of the back legs of my mavic air, costed less then €5 and fullfills the requierements.

 

[plextech]

Fireproof? Hopefully it'll never come to that

 

[The Editor]

For Germany, this tag would be requier to be be fireproof and contain the pilots information in plain text. I have a small tag at one of the back legs of my mavic air, costed less then €5 and fullfills the requierements.

Do you have a link to a suitable label that will withstand the temperature of a lithium polymer thermal runaway combustion?

 

[PhantomFandom]

Even though I have a polyester label inside the battery compartment displaying my CASA ARN (Aviation Reference Number), it occurred to me that if it ever goes walkabout, whoever finds it might not think of removing the battery to see if there's any ID inside. I know people put labels on the outside of the craft, but on the Mavic 2, real estate is at a bit of a premium, and the labels might peel off. I had some spare NFC tags in my desk draw, and decided to use one instead. They're weatherproof, and the adhesive on the good quality ones doesn't fall apart.

I've simply created a text record that reads:
CASA NNNNNNN
Call XXXXXXXXXX if found
[email protected]

Being placed right on top of the craft, it should be obvious. And of course you can put any information it, and change it anytime you like.

Just an idea.

Just personal opinion here but I want to make the information as simple as possible for someone to see and use if it comes to it. Luckily it never happened to me but if I were to lose my drone, I would want to make it as easy as possible for the person that finds it to contact me. That's why my FAA ID and my phone number are prominently displayed on the outside of all my drones. The NFC tag is cool and I'm a tech guy so I love the idea, but it adds one level of complexity or one more step in order for someone to find me. They may just say "screw it, I'm not going to bother with this".

On the legal side of things here in the USA, FAA regulations say that the actual FAA ID number must be visible on the outside of the drone.

 

[globetrotterdrone]

In Austria, you are also obliged to put your official tag by the airspace provider on your drone, which contains a print abstract of your ID and address in plaintext.
Furthermore, as it would be easy for the agency to handle lost drones but they don't feel responsible, I've put a seld-adhesive print of my phone number just in case someone might ever find it - if needed.

You need to think that it is way easier for the average finder to call a number than to read out NFC and hassle with that (especially regarding older people). There's no need for extra information other than to easily contact you for 3rd parties if they are honest. Abroad, I give you that, an additional mail address might be handy due to costs of calling, but that would still fit next to the phone number.

 

[Olav van Gerven]

a lithium polymer thermal runaway combustion?

No idea what you are talking about.

The requierment for Germany is, that the ID-Tag has to be fireproof. I assume that there is a DIN standard which defines what is fireproof and not and that labels marked as such do fullfill the standards set in the DIN. That is all I have to look after to stay within the law.

 

[Greg Webb]

Try putting your "If found REWARD information on your MicroSD card

 

[GGehret]

I found a very cool and good looking way to put my registration number on my drone and that is to use the letters and numbers that stick on--the ones a person can buy in a craft store that you use to make scrap books. I chose a nice gold lettering and it looks really nice on the back arm of my M2P.

 

[Mr. Salty]

I had some spare NFC tags in my desk draw, and decided to use one instead. They're weatherproof, and the adhesive on the good quality ones doesn't fall apart.

Interesting idea, but the majority of people don't know what NFC is much less how to read it. If the goal is to get a lost drone back, this probably isn't the best solution.

 

[plextech]

Interesting idea, but the majority of people don't know what NFC is much less how to read it. If the goal is to get a lost drone back, this probably isn't the best solution.

Like I said, it's just an idea. YMMV.

 

[GGehret]

Interesting idea, but the majority of people don't know what NFC is much less how to read it. If the goal is to get a lost drone back, this probably isn't the best solution.

Here in the US we are required to have the number showing on the outside of the drone--at least those that weight more than the mini, like my MP2.

 

[Fat Pappy]

Do you have a link to a suitable label that will withstand the temperature of a lithium polymer thermal runaway combustion?

I suspect the German authorities want to be able to ID the drone owner if the drone were to immolate itself while in flight and land in a populated area then subsequently emulates Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.