Heads up on drone/photography winter gloves!

[marcomcarneiro]

Hey gang,
Wanted to share my experience with you.
Since last winter I have been thinking I should get a photography/drone winter glove, like PGYtech's, or this cheaper model I've found at Amazon, for the upcoming and inevitable winter:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07N4K364T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yesterday I went out to try and capture a heart shaped lake close to me. New region to me and a good hour and a half drive from home, so the first thing after turning it on was to calibrate the drone (M2Z). I'm in Canada, and we've had an early winter start: -8C (17.6F in freedom units), so I figured I'd try the new gloves.

First time I try, calibration was ok, flew for a couple of minutes, but some interference so I thought better to drive a few meters down the road for a better spot. I get to the place and there was just no way I could calibrate the drone. It kept failing every single time. I thought it could be the car but I was far enough from it, I thought there could be an iron mine nearby, but I couldn't figure what was causing the calibration to fail. I tried to just take off from my hands as there was too much snow on the ground, and the motors would engage but not take off.

I gave up and drove away, figuring the drone could be faulty, the snow or the region could be interfering with the GPS signal, or even the cold could be the culprit.

After lunch we hit another spot where I see a mountain that I wanted to photograph, so I figure I should try it again, and still it wouldn't work. Then I realize that the first time I calibrated it, I HAD NO GLOVES ON. I take them out and lo and behold, calibration was perfect, flew with no issues.

As it happens, those gloves have a magnet to hold the thumb and finger tips back after removed. Those magnets are apparently strong enough to disturb the drone sensors.
They are probably still usable (although I feel like the controller battery lasted less than usual. To be confirmed), as long as one calibrates/takes off before wearing them, but I would NOT recommend those for drone usage. Sorry for the long story/drama, but I felt so stupid I thought it was worth sharing so others will learn from my mistake.
Cheers

 

[old man mavic]

thanks for sharing it doesnt take much of a magnet to upset the compass i use wool fingerless gloves to fly in winter they leave about a half inch of finger exposed and really do make a difference to your hands plus they dont interfere with anything when setting up or flying the drone

 

[THE CYBORG]

I get This site can’t be reached.

I assume they are the same or similar to the gloves used by my son for his photography.
I thought about getting some but as old man mavic points out they have magnets that could interfere with things so I didn’t bother.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Hey gang,
Wanted to share my experience with you.
Since last winter I have been thinking I should get a photography/drone winter glove, like PGYtech's, or this cheaper model I've found at Amazon, for the upcoming and inevitable winter:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07N4K364T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yesterday I went out to try and capture a heart shaped lake close to me. New region to me and a good hour and a half drive from home, so the first thing after turning it on was to calibrate the drone (M2Z). I'm in Canada, and we've had an early winter start: -8C (17.6F in freedom units), so I figured I'd try the new gloves.

First time I try, calibration was ok, flew for a couple of minutes, but some interference so I thought better to drive a few meters down the road for a better spot. I get to the place and there was just no way I could calibrate the drone. It kept failing every single time. I thought it could be the car but I was far enough from it, I thought there could be an iron mine nearby, but I couldn't figure what was causing the calibration to fail. I tried to just take off from my hands as there was too much snow on the ground, and the motors would engage but not take off.

I gave up and drove away, figuring the drone could be faulty, the snow or the region could be interfering with the GPS signal, or even the cold could be the culprit.

After lunch we hit another spot where I see a mountain that I wanted to photograph, so I figure I should try it again, and still it wouldn't work. Then I realize that the first time I calibrated it, I HAD NO GLOVES ON. I take them out and lo and behold, calibration was perfect, flew with no issues.

As it happens, those gloves have a magnet to hold the thumb and finger tips back after removed. Those magnets are apparently strong enough to disturb the drone sensors.
They are probably still usable (although I feel like the controller battery lasted less than usual. To be confirmed), as long as one calibrates/takes off before wearing them, but I would NOT recommend those for drone usage. Sorry for the long story/drama, but I felt so stupid I thought it was worth sharing so others will learn from my mistake.
Cheers

Most excellent share regarding magnets. Thank you.

My "hand warming bag". Very crude looking, but it's lined and keeps my hands and the RC warm in Michigan winters. I've flown when it was only 10 deg. F. (of course the rest of me is in full winter gear!) ? Gotta keep your eye on the battery, and the put the charged ones in my pocket to stay warm.

 

[Bigbird48]

I just cut the index finger off an old pair of gloves works for me when in New England

 

[tmtwomey]

like PGYtech's

I bought the PGYTech photography gloves and I really like them. They use a snap to hold the tips back. Works really well. They are not as warm as my heavy winter gloves, but they let me fly for a couple hours without freezing hands.

 

[johnbirt]

I have the PGYTECH gloves which I haven't used much as they are a bit clumsy IMO. I have a keep your hands warm bag which I haven't had chance to try out as yet. Remains to be seen how well it works with an iPad Mini or CrystalSky. Should be OK with Smart Controller but Anafi controller with an iPad attached may be quite awkward if indeed feasible.

The same issue of magnetic interference can and does occur if you are wearing say an Apple watch which has a magnetic charging facility. I can guarantee that I will be asked to calibrate my Air because of magnetic interference if wearing the watch and it will definitely fail. Without watch no problem and not usually asked to calibrate.

The Air seems particularly sensitive compared to M2Pro, Anafi and my cheap VisuoXS812 trainer where I don't recall having any problem with calibration.

I know some folk who take off all metal objects including belt buckles and the like. Not sure I would go that far. My outdoor coat is festooned with metal press studs and my boots have an array of metal bits for threading laces around but no issues discovered so far.

Unfortunately a major penalty of the ageing process is feeling the cold. I have a pair of "mobile" gloves which have pretend "flesh" tips on index fingers and thumbs. Not exactly reliable used with an iPad or SmartController or CrystalSky. Hands get cold fairly quickly as well and that is in the UK at temperatures nowhere near those experienced in Canada and other cold winter climates. The search for a "warm" solution continues.

 

[old man mavic]

i can attest to age and cold, i have found that the fingerless ones work the best for me,still have full control of the sticks and the touch screen is not affected when setting things up

 

[John235]

Try replacing the magnets with stick-on-fabric Velcro.

 

[marcomcarneiro]

Try replacing the magnets with stick-on-fabric Velcro.

That's an excellent idea! If the wife doesn't take them for camera, I'll do exactly that. Thank you!

 

[johnbirt]

Just checked my gloves and there don't appear to be any magnets. 2 fingers and thumbs on each glove have a press stud which seems to be plastic and which enables the finger tip to be folded back and secured if needed.

I think my initial reaction of being a bit bulky and inflexible is probably down to not breaking them in enough. So actually they are like
old man mavic's gloves with optional finger tip coverage when not flying. I'll give them another go and test them with the Air but I don't think there are any magnets or significant metal involved so may be the answer. All I need now is less wind!

 

[old man mavic]

Just checked my gloves and there don't appear to be any magnets. 2 fingers and thumbs on each glove have a press stud which seems to be plastic and which enables the finger tip to be folded back and secured if needed.

I think my initial reaction of being a bit bulky and inflexible is probably down to not breaking them in enough. So actually they are like
old man mavic's gloves with optional finger tip coverage when not flying. I'll give them another go and test them with the Air but I don't think there are any magnets or significant metal involved so may be the answer. All I need now is less wind!

your right there less wind would be good ,another thing we have to put up with when we get old

 

[johnbirt]

Just checked my gloves and there don't appear to be any magnets. 2 fingers and thumbs on each glove have a press stud which seems to be plastic and which enables the finger tip to be folded back and secured if needed.

I think my initial reaction of being a bit bulky and inflexible is probably down to not breaking them in enough. So actually they are like
old man mavic's gloves with optional finger tip coverage when not flying. I'll give them another go and test them with the Air but I don't think there are any magnets or significant metal involved so may be the answer. All I need now is less wind!

Link here PGYTECH WINTER GLOVES confirms no magnets involved with PGYTECH gloves.

Looks like marcomcarneiro wasn't using the PGYTECH ones as I mistakenly took at first and his had magnetic fixings.

 

[marcomcarneiro]

Link here PGYTECH WINTER GLOVES confirms no magnets involved with PGYTECH gloves.

Looks like marcomcarneiro wasn't using the PGYTECH ones as I mistakenly took at first and his had magnetic fixings.

You're absolutely correct @johnbirt. Not only price, but delivery was way faster (next day vs a month) for the generic ones, so I thought they were worth the try. PGYtech ones have a pressure button - easily seen on their pictures. The ones I bought clearly state that there are magnets, I was the silly one not to notice and act on it. Thankfully no harm done, I just felt like an idiot for the afternoon

 

[Rchawks]

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[marcomcarneiro]

Here's a glove I bought back in the day for shooting AP in the winter, my wife sewed all the fur on the inside by hand. The name of it is RC Glove.

Those look very warm, but I don't think I would feel confident without being able to see the controller... I know it's silly and I probably don't look at it at all, but still

 

[Rchawks]

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[Rchawks]

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[marcomcarneiro]

The reason I chose this method was because I wanted to feel the controls without gloves, this provided that for me.

Fair enough, I didn't notice that. I'll look for something similar in the market!

 

[Rchawks]

Sorry guys I don't know what happened to my text. I apologize.