Robert Prior
Well-Known Member
Between 275 and 300 grams.How much do you think this loaded Mini weighs all these accessories mounted on it?
Between 275 and 300 grams.How much do you think this loaded Mini weighs all these accessories mounted on it?
300 grams.Between 275 and 300 grams.
Sadly you can't make this up.300 grams.
My point is that what the FAA and other aviation organizations should have done was exempted 50 extra grams for safety equipment such as prop guards and strobe lights. The light weight prop guards I have, while not a "cage" blocks exposure to the propellers from the top, bottom, sides, front and rear. They are flexible, so not only do they offer protection from laceration, but spread the area of potential impact and act as shock absorbers. Strobe lights not only help us see our drones but make them more visible to others.
I could compile a list of silly rules and laws that have allowed the rule makers to pat themselves on the back, but have negative unintended consequences that eclipse the good that these regulators think they have accomplished. Nothing happens in isolation or in a vacuum.
As I think about this stuff truth in comedy once again reveals itself from quotes out of "Ghostbusters"...
"You've never been out of college! You don't know what it's like out there! I've WORKED in the private sector. They expect *results*."
"You don't act like a scientist. You're more like a gameshow host."
“Ray, when someone asks you if you’re a God, you say yes!”
Well now. If the FAA had used 300 grams instead of 250 grams, there would be a similar complaint that the figure should have been 350 grams.
Yes... but no.Well now. If the FAA had used 300 grams instead of 250 grams, there would be a similar complaint that the figure should have been 350 grams.
Well the kinetic energy requirements only come into play at Cat2. I think someone came up with the notion that an acorn falling from a tree would do pretty much nothing, and a mini drone, has less probability of hurting someone with the props.Correct me if I am wrong but aren't the mass limits based on likely impact energies and perhaps impulse calculations .i.e. 1/2mv^2 and all that?
If correct then yes I can see that deformable prop guards can dissipate energy in collisions in suitable situtations (just as in car crumple zones) but if a drone was travelling in the wrong direction surely they simply add to mass, the energy transfer and or the impulse.
Strobes, whatever their use, simply add to the mass and impact energy.
Oh yeah.... I Mini's prop will hurt, but a Mavic 2 prop could take your finger off. The Mavic 2 prop is bigger, thicker, stiffer and more mass.Ok but just a point, Mini prop rpms are around twice that of Mavic 2 props, I think I have seen around 16,000 rpm from a Mini, random choices from my logs. I can vouch for the fact that strike from mini props do less damage to hand skin = ouch, than strikes from Mavic 2 Pro props = OUCH and Phantom 3 props = oh deary deary me THAT HURTS, I think a P3 strike blackened a nail.
Initially I only registered one of my Mini-2s, to make sure I could add basic stuff to it without worrying about the 250 gram limit.So near, but yet so far. I understand the calculations that some mathematician made to determine the 250g drone weight limit cutoff that so many countries have adopted. With just a little more weight leeway there would be SO much more flexibility without (IMO) sacrificing an immeasurable percent of safety. I feel fortunate that in the US all I have to do is spend $5 and 10 minutes of time and this becomes a non-issue. But not 100% of the time. I bring this up in light of the new US rules about some circumstances of flying over people that requires a drone to be under 250 grams with features that would prevent lacerations.
It's going to sleet here in a few minutes and so with not much to do between the holidays I thought I'd measure the weight of a reasonable abount of gear loaded on my Mini 2. In the photo below, the Mini 2 has 1) prop guards, 2) leg extensions, 3) lens hood, 4) female velcro on top bottom and rear to accept strobe lights.
How much do you think this loaded Mini weighs all these accessories mounted on it?
View attachment 140832
What's the payoff to not registering?
I don't recall if you're part 107, but if you're not only one registration number is required for as many drones as you own ( I think under 55 pounds). If you hold a 107 cert, then yes each drone must be registered.Initially I only registered one of my Mini-2s, to make sure I could add basic stuff to it without worrying about the 250 gram limit.
I held back registering the other two, not for any particular reason, but just because I didn't realize what was involved in the registration process, and I was wondering about what the "catch" was.
After watching the discussion for a while, I decided there was no catch, and I registered the other two. The 5 bucks is irrelevant, and I just couldn't see any payoff to *NOT* registering them.
Is there one? I'm a Libertarian, so I suppose if someone was really paranoid about the government knowing that they were droning, that might be a reason, but it would be a weird one.
The government knows I have cars and motorcycles, because I register them. They know I have guns because I have a CCW. They know I fly drones because I got my 107.
What's the payoff to not registering?
Thx,
TCS
I’m under impression you register once and that number is good for all your drones, not just the one you put in initiallyInitially I only registered one of my Mini-2s, to make sure I could add basic stuff to it without worrying about the 250 gram limit.
I held back registering the other two, not for any particular reason, but just because I didn't realize what was involved in the registration process, and I was wondering about what the "catch" was.
After watching the discussion for a while, I decided there was no catch, and I registered the other two. The 5 bucks is irrelevant, and I just couldn't see any payoff to *NOT* registering them.
Is there one? I'm a Libertarian, so I suppose if someone was really paranoid about the government knowing that they were droning, that might be a reason, but it would be a weird one.
The government knows I have cars and motorcycles, because I register them. They know I have guns because I have a CCW. They know I fly drones because I got my 107.
What's the payoff to not registering?
Thx,
TCS
That's for drones flying under the recreational exemption (i.e., under a TRUST cert). If you're flying Part 107, each drone gets an individual registration number.I’m under impression you register once and that number is good for all your drones, not just the one you put in initially
If we translate all of that to real work outcomes there are other factors involved. 1) The density and stiffness of the Mini2 props don't need to be and are clearly not as stiff as other drone props. They don't need to be as they are lifting less mass. In the Pilot Institute's example, attempting to cause lacerations on various skin-like improvisational material, I think they, without saying, found it futile in most of their attempts to create serious lacerations (or any at all). What they did not attempt to illustrate were any attempts to create lacerations with even the most minimal prop guard attached. Adding a 40gram prop guard will undoubtedly create some protection from lacerations, I would generously speculate in 80%+ of incidental contact. But not only that, again, the added protection from pressure distribution over a larger area, if struck by a "dead" drone falling from the sky would most certainly see the benefits outweigh the disadvantages of being slightly over a 250 gram arbitrary limit. I say arbitrary because the calculation used did not take in most, if any, real world scenarios- as I would be not be available to.Ok but just a point, Mini prop rpms are around twice that of Mavic 2 props, I think I have seen around 16,000 rpm from a Mini, the attachments below are random choices from my logs.
I can vouch for the fact that strike from mini props do less damage to hand skin = ouch, than strikes from Mavic 2 Pro props = OUCH and Phantom 3 props = oh deary deary me THAT HURTS, I think a P3 strike blackened a nail.