Love your drone? Get a tracking device!

[Gonerafting]

Has anyone opted for the advanced system ? I realize the receiver weight twice as much as the lighter version, but it would be nice to have a waterproof receiver and one that is only rated for light rain? Will it make that much difference in flight time or flight performance? Overkill?

 

[Arcadias]

What would be a compelling reason to fork over an additional $100+ on a tracking device when DJI has their own "Find My Drone" feature?

 

[Prmath]

If you love your drone, the agony and trauma of never seeing it again could be devastating. These are not toys, they are a big investment, and if you go down somewhere, a tracking device is a small price to pay to be able to find your baby again.

I like Trackimos because everywhere I fly, there is cell phone coverage. Marco Polo also makes a nice package. There are pros and cons for each camp, but you cant go wrong with either one. They are both time tested and they work. Plus they are fun to see where youve flown over time. The Trackimo that I have updates its location every minute. If I crash, and the Trackimo stayed with the drone, I will be able to find it. Most of the time, tracking devices stay where you mount them even after a crash, or within 5-10 feet of the drone. Batteries last for days, but it's still better to try and find it the same day.

Short version, get a tracking device, make it an integral part of your preflight checklist, and dont take off without it.

.......... and PLEASE CONSIDER reflective tape strips wrapped around the arms. Makes the craft soooo easy to spot at night from another drone with lights........ I’ve done been there.

 

[msinger]

What would be a compelling reason to fork over an additional $100+ on a tracking device when DJI has their own "Find My Drone" feature?

The Find My Drone feature is only able to show the last location recorded in the flight log on your mobile device. If the remote controller disconnects from the drone before it lands/crashes, it's most likely not going to be at that location.

 

[Aussie Oldtimer]

If you love your drone, the agony and trauma of never seeing it again could be devastating. These are not toys, they are a big investment, and if you go down somewhere, a tracking device is a small price to pay to be able to find your baby again.

I like Trackimos because everywhere I fly, there is cell phone coverage. Marco Polo also makes a nice package. There are pros and cons for each camp, but you cant go wrong with either one. They are both time tested and they work. Plus they are fun to see where youve flown over time. The Trackimo that I have updates its location every minute. If I crash, and the Trackimo stayed with the drone, I will be able to find it. Most of the time, tracking devices stay where you mount them even after a crash, or within 5-10 feet of the drone. Batteries last for days, but it's still better to try and find it the same day.

Short version, get a tracking device, make it an integral part of your preflight checklist, and dont take off without it.

I realised just how bad our Phone coverage is in Australia when i saw a cattle herder in the middle of africa on his ph. go 30 kms from a town and nothing

 

[Former Member]

I realised just how bad our Phone coverage is in Australia when i saw a cattle herder in the middle of africa on his ph. go 30 kms from a town and nothing

The cell companies usually focus on providing the most coverage to densely populated areas, so they have to build fewer towers.

 

[decca]

I use tBeacon. It works brilliantly, but requires a handheld radio. Total costs are still low however. Mine has the onboard GPS receiver. I never fly without it, knowing that whatever happens I can prompt it to give me the exact latitude and longitude of its location.

Welcome | tBeacon

 

[av8torgwc]

Be aware that some of these devices can cause issues with the Mavic compass(es). I had installed a Marco Polo and Drone Keeper on my Mavic Pro, velcroed low on sides of the body, so not too close to the compass locations. I started noticing that my Mavic wasn't flying a straight line when shooting videos. It would drift slowly to the right, with no sideways input on the sticks, while flying forward to a point in the distance. I calibrated the controller sticks and compass(es) on the Mavic, but that didn't fix the problem. Started looking into compass degaussing equipment etc. Read somewhere that the Drone Keeper radiated some magnetic fields. So tested it myself, by putting the app on the compass screen and moving the Drone Keeper (turned on) closer to the Mavic compass(es). Sure enough the compass(es) were affected, and the scale would go red if held close enough. I am not using the Drone Keeper any more, maybe an installation farther away from the compass(es), like on one of the arms, may solve the issue?? Recommend any device be tested for adverse affects before using it on your drone, and flying off into the wild blue yonder. Ironically, these devices we use to locate lost drones may actually increase the risk of losing them.

 

[bliksem]

What happens if im in a area where no Cellphone reception??

Drone sniffing dog maybe?

 

[dhdh]

If you love your drone, the agony and trauma of never seeing it again could be devastating. These are not toys, they are a big investment, and if you go down somewhere, a tracking device is a small price to pay to be able to find your baby again.

I like Trackimos because everywhere I fly, there is cell phone coverage. Marco Polo also makes a nice package. There are pros and cons for each camp, but you cant go wrong with either one. They are both time tested and they work. Plus they are fun to see where youve flown over time. The Trackimo that I have updates its location every minute. If I crash, and the Trackimo stayed with the drone, I will be able to find it. Most of the time, tracking devices stay where you mount them even after a crash, or within 5-10 feet of the drone. Batteries last for days, but it's still better to try and find it the same day.

Short version, get a tracking device, make it an integral part of your preflight checklist, and dont take off without it.

I have used Marco Polo for years. Saved my bacon twice. Once in deep tall trees. They also have an attachment for dog collar.

 

[Thomas B]

I like the Eureka drone tracker (aka Marco Polo). I fly in remote areas and wanted max range from a device made specifically for the drone. It’s on sale now. More expensive than most, but 2 mile range and a 30 day battery in the tagging device.
Advanced Three Drone Recovery System | Marco Polo | Tracking and Recovery Solutions

 

[Montana John]

Drone sniffing dog maybe?

Get the Marco Polo, like us wilderness dwellers

 

[Former Member]

Get the Marco Polo, like us wilderness dwellers

The best solution is whatever works for the person based on their location. While the Marco Polo is a great tracker and will lead you to exactly where the drone is, you really need to know which direction the drone was flying in and what its approximate position was before it lost contact. This will not only let you find your drone faster, but it will allow you to find the drone in the first place. The Marco Polo is like a bloodhound, but it needs a scent to pick up.

 

[msinger]

I use tBeacon. It works brilliantly, but requires a handheld radio.

What kind of radio are you using for tracking it?

 

[decca]

What kind of radio are you using for tracking it?

A Baofeng UV-5R

 

[HVYMTL]

I want a Marco Polo, but after spending $3k on an M2ED the wife will not be happy on me spending another couple of hundred. Drones are a financial Black Hole. Marco is gonna have to wait ...

Just think how upset she would be if you came home one day and told her you lost your drone, and for just a couple hundred bucks you could have located it within hours..

 

[BearMan54]

Well I got to figuring and Marco Polo cost about 1/6th of what I got in my drone, so it was a no brainer...... And it's already paid for itself after finding the drone when it went down one time.... BTW it didn't take but about 20 mins. to find it with the Marco Polo....

 

[gasa]

RCdancer - I'm right there with you... trying to figure out when I can slip it in unnoticed


I think I've also decided to go the Marco Polo route due to concerns of cell coverage in some places.... and then add to it a DroneKeeper audible beeper that goes off after a certain amount of time of no movement). I'd rather not rely on cell coverage and additional monthly cost - and I'd hope that the "Find My Drone" feature would get me a close enough starting point to begin tracking it with the Marco Polo.


One thing I have wondered - has any one encountered a fly-away or other where you had to use a tracking device, and found that the drone was somewhere on private property? Any issues in gaining access to said property to try and recover it?

Mine came down in a field that had crops in and it was waist high. I was very sceptical of the “find my drone” but i located it after a brief search. However I’m sure the farmer would not have been too happy with my wandering in his field of corn. I also have a trackimo but haven’t used it since the one free year subscription ended.

 

[Montana John]

Mine came down in a field that had crops in and it was waist high. I was very sceptical of the “find my drone” but i located it after a brief search. However I’m sure the farmer would not have been too happy with my wandering in his field of corn. I also have a trackimo but haven’t used it since the one free year subscription ended.

Of course, after not getting permission to trespass first, you found the farmer and reimbursed him for the minor damage to his crop, thus maintaining goodwill for the drone community?

 

[drakkor]

they recently changed there case/battery design and there have been several reports of a non functioning loc8tor because of loss of battery contact. The case seems to be too soft to provide a reliable battery contact.

For me, I use “ Loc8tor “, I am happy with it.

Be careful with Loc8tor though. They recently changed there case/battery design and there have been several reports of a non functioning loc8tor because of loss of battery contact. The case seems to be too soft to provide a reliable battery contact.