Drone Recovery / Retrieval devices

[itsneedtokno]

Not sure if this belongs here or in the "FlyAway" thread. Anyway...


I just pre-ordered the MA2 and am super stoked for its arrival. I purchased an MA1 about 15 months ago and lost it over water not too long afterwards.

So for this drone, I will be taking 0 (zero) chances.

I was wondering if anybody here has used

https://drone-retriever.com/%22water-rescue%22

Or something like it.

I know about the getterback, plan to use two at a time for redundancy, but was seeing what else was out there.

I will be purchasing Arris Raptor floats as soon as they're developed.

 

[PhantomFandom]

Hi,

I have never used any of these devices but I have looked into both of them. A few comments:

• How did yourMA end up in the water? It is extremely rare for a total failure, so it shouldn't be something that happens often. I fly over water a lot! I have been fortunate to never have an equipment failure. It's always a bit of a risk, but so is flying over land without a parachute. If the equipment fails, it will be a loss whether flying over water or land. A failure over land only makes it easier to retrieve the pieces.
• Are you flying mostly over fresh water or salt water? If a drone goes down in salt water then it's a lost cause no matter how quickly you get it out of there. If you have DJI Care Refresh then I see the advantage of getting it back no matter what kind of water it falls into.
• The drone retriever seems kind of big and heavy for a MA2. I could easily see that being useful on an I2 as it wouldn't cause any weight issues, but on a MA2 it is a considerable load. The MA2 weighs 570 grams and this device weighs 135g. That's 24% of the drone's weight! It is also big and I think overall it would severely affect the MA2 handling and flight characteristics.
• If you can fit the Getterback on the MA2 without interfering with the props or the sensors then it may be the best option. It is smaller and lighter than the other device. However, it you want to put two of them on one drone, you may have trouble finding enough area on the drone to do so.

Let us know how you make out, perhaps with pictures too!

 

[itsneedtokno]

What happened to my drone? Still under water.

Over water failure. So upset. Waiting on DJI. Flying circles around a boat, dropped altitude, still flying circles doing just fine, then... gone. Last error message was that the "drone has rolled, check for damage" I don't want to have to go fishing, but I will if necessary. EDIT: it's...

mavicpilots.com

I was thinking a Getterback on the each of the front two arms.

I was thinking weight would be an issue...

I had (and will have again) DJI Refresh but as you stated, I need a Hull for replacement. My Mavic Air is now a reef I'm sure.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

As above comment, the Getterback is a great recovery tool, mostly in conjunction with Care Refresh.

A few things to consider . . .
- The float, it's quite small, hard to spot unless close and flat water, very hard to find in sea where there are likely waves of some sort, forget about seeing it with white caps showing.
- And, you have to be able to get to it ! Swim ? Kayak / canoe at hand ?
- 100' of cord, only 30m, ok for inshore, not so good over a deep lake etc.

The Drone Retriever is interesting, that would be far more effective than a Getterback, bringing the drone right to the surface, plus the large orange inflatable, but yeah weight is up there . . . again, maybe if you have Care Refresh for up to the 2 years, and just fit one for those risky over sea / lake flights ?
Still need to get to the location safely.

I would avoid pontoons / floats like the plague !
They have attributes that would likely contribute to a crash (or wind loss) when flying with them, and they serve no real purpose in saving a drone, it's 99% not going to land upright on them, better without and use a Getterback if so inclined.

Consider a strobe for a land based recovery aid (increased VLOS is a bonus !), the bright ones are easy to spot in vegetation etc, and if you got the FHT ARC XL, it has the 90db alarm that activates if the drone is still for more than 4 minutes.

Enjoy the new MA2, sounds like you know how to protect it this time and at least be able to make a Care Refresh claim.

 

[itsneedtokno]

So a strobe sounds brilliant!

Maybe this? (EDIT: DEFINITELY NOT THIS specific product, it's known to leak)

That and two getterbacks should do the trick. Like I said before, I learned a very expensive lesson, and want to be certain to get my Hull back if anything goes south.

 

[PhantomFandom]

- And, you have to be able to get to it ! Swim ? Kayak / canoe at hand ?

Aye, there's the rub. That is something I always thought about when even considering something like this. I have flown from a beach on the Atlantic coast many times and I guess a swim might be possible, although improbable. Most of my over water flights are either over the Delaware River or Schuylkill river in and around Philadelphia (like the shot in my avatar picture over to the left there). Anyone who knows the are knows that those are not places for a swim. By the time I could wrangle up a boat, canoe, kayak, etc, the drone would be long gone.

 

[itsneedtokno]

I plan to fly over the ICW about 15 miles north of KSC. "Turner Flats" area. Just north of the NFZ from Canaveral National Seashore.

I plan to fly over shallow channels filled with dotted islands. Its possible to get in and swim where I need to, but a beacon would help tremendously in locating it in brackish water (if need be). If I had one on my original MA, I would have the bird today.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

So a strobe sounds brilliant!

Was thinking of this one (mainly for land use, it's not waterproof either) . . .

FHT ARC XL dual white kit so you have a spare.

Just noticed in the description "Its features a new IP67 rated case that provides protection from dust and light rain" . . .

So not going to give much time if in water, but on land it'd be extremely good in vegetation etc with strobe and alarm.

 

[jmorales71]

What happened to my drone? Still under water.

Over water failure. So upset. Waiting on DJI. Flying circles around a boat, dropped altitude, still flying circles doing just fine, then... gone. Last error message was that the "drone has rolled, check for damage" I don't want to have to go fishing, but I will if necessary. EDIT: it's...

mavicpilots.com

I was thinking a Getterback on the each of the front two arms.

I was thinking weight would be an issue...

I had (and will have again) DJI Refresh but as you stated, I need a Hull for replacement. My Mavic Air is now a reef I'm sure.

Get insurance from state farm you $70 a year and don’t need the hull for the reimbursement they send a check for the amount you paid for the drone , really convenient

 

[Made2Phly]

Aye, there's the rub. That is something I always thought about when even considering something like this. I have flown from a beach on the Atlantic coast many times and I guess a swim might be possible, although improbable. Most of my over water flights are either over the Delaware River or Schuylkill river in and around Philadelphia (like the shot in my avatar picture over to the left there). Anyone who knows the are knows that those are not places for a swim. By the time I could wrangle up a boat, canoe, kayak, etc, the drone would be long gone.

I got an inflatable kayak from Amazon for just this purpose. Made by Intex. Less than a $100.

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

Please excuse my ignorance, but care refresh, only covers a drone that you physically have to return, am I correct?
So if it sinks, you would not be covered?

 

[PhantomFandom]

Please excuse my ignorance, but care refresh, only covers a drone that you physically have to return, am I correct?
So if it sinks, you would not be covered?

Yes that is correct.

You would still be covered if you can recover it from the water after it sinks and get it to DJI.

 

[jmorales71]

Please excuse my ignorance, but care refresh, only covers a drone that you physically have to return, am I correct?
So if it sinks, you would not be covered?

That’s correct

 

[Drone-Retriever]

Someone in previous comments stated that the MA2 cannot lift much weight.
Check out this article
DJI Mavic Air 2 can lift a lot more than its body weight - DroneDJ
It appears that its light weight and high powered motors/props allows it to lift quite a bit.