Being new to this forum I previously posted a request for some help finding water recovery device recommendations for my new Mini 4 Pro drone flying with PLUS batteries.
Several folks pointed me to basically 4 products. Getterback – Phantom Rain – Ubouy – sub-250.com.
I decided to do a web evaluation and then a physical evaluation.
Web Evaluation:
Phantom Rain:
Found the site lacking is details like weight. It appeases, way too big for me, specially to carry around. Additionally, I have no interest in landing on water. Expensive > $75.00 +$15.00 shipping
Actual Evaluation
GETTERBACK – 14.2 grams added to drone does not activate unless it is 10 feet or greater under water but they now say 8 ft. The visibility of the small float device would be difficult to visually locate unless you were looking down at the water surface and about 10-20 feet away. I purchased one of these for my Mavic years ago and did a swimming pool test. It sat at 10’ depth about a day and a half before we found it floating on the surface. Cost today $40.00
UBOUY
Purchased this unit from Amazon and did a test with 250g weight. It sank to the bottom like a rock. Buyer beware. I became skeptical of the design as their site shows a drone in water with the large center float device section above the water line, in effect providing no buoyancy effect on flotation. Side floats completely block the side vents. Cost $20.00
SUB250G.com DR300 [My Choice]
Purchased this unit which is basically a solid pool noodle. The manufacturer provides complete Do It Yourself instructions with the option to purchase it. I initially decided to go down the DIY rabbit hole and found that it was cheaper and much easier to just purchase it.
Received my float device. It is small and light weight. I like the bright yellow color. I have pool noodles around the house but this device is larger diameter than the typical hollow pool noodle.
Flew in mild wind, with no negative effects except it used a little more battery power to fight the wind. The drone without the unit also used more power to fight the wind…. I would say negligible amount more with this float. No wind…. No difference.
I tried mounting below the drone, This method is now my preferred mounting method as it provides an excellent handle for hand launching and hand retrieval.
Additionally, I like the fact that it is soft, small and easily fits in my drone bag, so keeping it handy is nice. Mounting and removing from the drone with the provided zip tie is simple and easy. Weighs only 7.4 grams.
Did the same water test with 300g weight. The float device had 1/3 its diameter above the water line, making the design very visible from a distance.
Cost $8.75 with $3.75 shipping for a total of $12.50
Prior to making this post, I checked with their website and was surprised to see that they are adding an option which is a LED strobe that attaches to the top of the float to provide additional visibility for dusk and night positioning.
Cost for LED strobe is $2.50 extra. Kind of wish I waited.
Conclusion/My opinion, this company appears to make professional drone recovery devices. The 250 gram drone arena does not appear to be their core business. Based on the low cost and simplicity they appear to be using their expertise to provide a simple low-cost recovery solution to small drone recreational and semi-pro drone pilots. I cannot see how this device is making them money, which is good for us.
Thanks again for those who posted responses to my initial request for help.
Several folks pointed me to basically 4 products. Getterback – Phantom Rain – Ubouy – sub-250.com.
I decided to do a web evaluation and then a physical evaluation.
Web Evaluation:
Phantom Rain:
Found the site lacking is details like weight. It appeases, way too big for me, specially to carry around. Additionally, I have no interest in landing on water. Expensive > $75.00 +$15.00 shipping
Actual Evaluation
GETTERBACK – 14.2 grams added to drone does not activate unless it is 10 feet or greater under water but they now say 8 ft. The visibility of the small float device would be difficult to visually locate unless you were looking down at the water surface and about 10-20 feet away. I purchased one of these for my Mavic years ago and did a swimming pool test. It sat at 10’ depth about a day and a half before we found it floating on the surface. Cost today $40.00
UBOUY
Purchased this unit from Amazon and did a test with 250g weight. It sank to the bottom like a rock. Buyer beware. I became skeptical of the design as their site shows a drone in water with the large center float device section above the water line, in effect providing no buoyancy effect on flotation. Side floats completely block the side vents. Cost $20.00
SUB250G.com DR300 [My Choice]
Purchased this unit which is basically a solid pool noodle. The manufacturer provides complete Do It Yourself instructions with the option to purchase it. I initially decided to go down the DIY rabbit hole and found that it was cheaper and much easier to just purchase it.
Received my float device. It is small and light weight. I like the bright yellow color. I have pool noodles around the house but this device is larger diameter than the typical hollow pool noodle.
Flew in mild wind, with no negative effects except it used a little more battery power to fight the wind. The drone without the unit also used more power to fight the wind…. I would say negligible amount more with this float. No wind…. No difference.
I tried mounting below the drone, This method is now my preferred mounting method as it provides an excellent handle for hand launching and hand retrieval.
Additionally, I like the fact that it is soft, small and easily fits in my drone bag, so keeping it handy is nice. Mounting and removing from the drone with the provided zip tie is simple and easy. Weighs only 7.4 grams.
Did the same water test with 300g weight. The float device had 1/3 its diameter above the water line, making the design very visible from a distance.
Cost $8.75 with $3.75 shipping for a total of $12.50
Prior to making this post, I checked with their website and was surprised to see that they are adding an option which is a LED strobe that attaches to the top of the float to provide additional visibility for dusk and night positioning.
Cost for LED strobe is $2.50 extra. Kind of wish I waited.
Conclusion/My opinion, this company appears to make professional drone recovery devices. The 250 gram drone arena does not appear to be their core business. Based on the low cost and simplicity they appear to be using their expertise to provide a simple low-cost recovery solution to small drone recreational and semi-pro drone pilots. I cannot see how this device is making them money, which is good for us.
Thanks again for those who posted responses to my initial request for help.
