Have I got the bottle?

[Mel 08]

If the weather plays ball this weekend I'm going to a local disused Quarry. It has some concrete sand and gravel hoppers. Also some dark and dingy very thick walled concrete (stone cutting) sheds. I'll take my mavic mini and try flying blind in and out of these structures. I'll let you know how I get on as the RC signal is not as good as the Air2 on that.

New item by Mel Wakes

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[Mel 08]

New item by Mel Wakes

photos.app.goo.gl

Was all over this place last week.
900mtr long 125 mtr deep.
No signal issues

 

[Ramjam61]

TBH the Air 2 is rock steady in turbulence. I tried to push mine very hard sideways with a broom handle and was surprised by the amount of force the drone applied back to maintain it's position. Probably why you don't see them being downed by strong rotor at cliff top sites.

 

[Mel 08]

Was all over this place last week.
900mtr long 125 mtr deep.
No signal issues

I really like the pano mode

 

[Ramjam61]

I've not tried that yet but are looking forward to visiting the Mull of Galloway in Scotland soon in the Camper for some coastal panoramic shots.

 

[Mel 08]

I've not tried that yet but are looking forward to visiting the Mull of Galloway in Scotland soon in the Camper for some coastal panoramic shots.

Press on the picture I put above and scroll it around

 

[Ramjam61]

Wow.

 

[ven]

Awesome mel, nice job there

 

[BadWolf1]

Willington ? I photographed that from ground level a few years ago and it's begging for a drone's eye view.

My hunches would be
1. If you get more than 10 m inside before losing the signal I'd be very surprised. The lip of the tower will be between you and the drone before it gets inside so you might not make it inside at all. I don't know the height for Willington but Didcot near me had Towers 114M tall and 50 across at the top.
2. What happens when you lose signal ? I've stood in those tower and at ground level they were amazingly still and quiet. I've no idea what a wind blowing over the top of them would do but think any air disturbance would start above the lip of the tower, if things look iffy don't go in. Worst case, I think is there is a down draft which catches the drone just inside and it hits the wall where it slopes in.
Assuming that doesn't happen you have two cases either it tries to return (so needs RTH as high as possible) - pops out like a cork and flies for where it thinks home is, and maybe needs a moment to get its bearings. Or it stays inside and lands when the battery runs down. I've been in the tower nearest the road and a drone could happily land in there and it's easy to get in and recover it.

Personally I'd go for it.

 

[BadWolf1]

You’re being brave today Mel. I’ve been inside a cooling tower at Radcliffe-on-Soar and it’s an intimidating place.

It will contain a lot of iron, which will surround your AC so unsure how the compass will react and you’ll quickly lose GPS. It’s not unusual to get a strong updraft within the structure too as it is open at the base.

Are you able to fly in at ground level first to see the effect it has on your AC?

When Didcot A was still open I did a visitor day and they took inside a tower. As you say quite intimidating. The if the OP is talking about the place I think it is there were 6 towers, when I went in 2013 (so the pictures say. I feels like it was a a summer or two ago). I have shots inside one showing all the odd bits inside and the one below which is completely empty with crushed concrete on the floor It's hardly fenced off, sitting next to a farmer's field with a very broken down fence.



This shot has wierd perspective because you really don't get the height. It would be possible to fly in at the bottom but if the you lose signal not very far in, trying to RTH the drown will hit the wall because the diameter shrinks until about 2/3 of the way up. I think I know how I'd fly it ...

.

 

[SkyeHigh]

When Didcot A was still open I did a visitor day and they took inside a tower. As you say quite intimidating. The if the OP is talking about the place I think it is there were 6 towers, when I went in (so the pictures say. I feels like it was a a summer or two ago). I have shots inside one showing all the odd bits inside and the one below which is completely empty with crushed concrete on the floor It's hardly fenced off, sitting next to a farmer's field with a very broken down fence.

.

Despite the concrete being so thin it’s still impressive that such a delicate looking support structure can handle the weight.

 

[evo400]

the GPS is line of sight so Im not sure how would the drone lose GPS signal if the sky isnt obstructed and unlike in the big citys, there would be little signal refraction? Granted it might lose the signal reception as he enters the chimney but thats all I reckon. I flew my drone in all sorts of locations, under the bridges, canals, etc and never had I major problem.

 

[old man mavic]

so how many sats do you think will be in a perfect position to be locked on to in such a small opening in the top of a cooling tower
answers on a postcard please

 

[Ramjam61]

I'll go for----- quite possibly none but if you are lucky, maybe two. In my South facing living room it ranges from zero to five (five near the window).

 

[Meta4]

Having taken some photos over the tops of some dormant cooling towers I was thinking of trying to fly inside one of them.
They are 300ft tall and obviously made of concrete.
How far down do you think I can get before I loose signal?

Only one respondent has answered correctly.
You would lose control signal when you lose the line of sight and drop below the rim of the tower.
That's it.
All the other speculation about compass and GPS is irrelevant.

the GPS is line of sight so Im not sure how would the drone lose GPS signal if the sky isnt obstructed

If the sky isn't obstructed?
You cannot descend into a tall, hollow reinforced concrete tower without obstruction the GPS antenna's view of most of the sky (and most of the satellites).
Imagine descending into a deep well.

so how many sats do you think will be in a perfect position to be locked on to in such a small opening in the top of a cooling tower

Very few but it doesn't matter, because as well as having enough satellites, you also need a suitable spread of satellites.

 

[Windy Heap]

go for it, don't be a wuzzy

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

Where do we send the flowers?

 

[Tony McDrone]

I’ve not seen the obvious question yet...after reading this thread twice. Can you retrieve your drone in the event of a failure? All of the responses seem to imply that you won’t.

 

[Air_Deo]

New item by Mel Wakes

photos.app.goo.gl

Wow that is nice, that is the plain pano mode on the MA2? It's a complete 360 shot.

 

[bp328i]

There is a YouTube video of a FPV drone flying through one of these with no issue. FPV drones don't use GPS and I'm not sure where they're flying from but he maintained signal flying inside and out of the tower.