Marco Polo Tracking System...your thoughts with it?

[Skymax]

Shipping is only $30 USD to Australia if you purchase the Marco Polo here on eBay.

thanks best US Dollar rate yet but with our poor exchange rate for the Australian Peso that is $40USD plus a 10% GST on the Tracker AND the freight $USD348.50.
The chinese will start making clones so i will wait for something affordable.

 

[tictag]

Could I ask a numpty question? Am I right to say that people believe they have a need for this kind of product because of lost drones due to disconnections and then, presumably, fly-a-ways?

The reason I ask is because, even in the event of a crash, you'd always have the exact crash position in your flight log. On the face of it, seems to me like an expensive bit of kit to prepare for a very unlikely scenario ... and insurance would be significantly cheaper even in that scenario.

I appreciate that I might be missing something here, hence the 'numpty' question.

 

[Skymax]

Could I ask a numpty question? Am I right to say that people believe they have a need for this kind of product because of lost drones due to disconnections and then, presumably, fly-a-ways?

The reason I ask is because, even in the event of a crash, you'd always have the exact crash position in your flight log. On the face of it, seems to me like an expensive bit of kit to prepare for a very unlikely scenario ... and insurance would be significantly cheaper even in that scenario.

I appreciate that I might be missing something here, hence the 'numpty' question.

Well yes you are right, let me explain how I came here.
I saw a product talked about on the Webs and everyone seemed to think it was a good product.
so i investigated the accessory and was duly shocked by the enormous price and freight cost.
It was then that I decided I didnt need it at that kind of money because i have Insurance, I always fly over clear accessible terrain and in almost all cases except one I have read here the bird has been found using the aforesaid DJI Map software.
Maybe if you were a professional area mapper or something and you unavoidably had to fly over that filthy swamp, (as one guy here did and is too scared to go wading amongst the moccasins), then you may have a need for it, plus its a business expense so deductible

 

[shire]

I have it (waterproof model). Works perfectly. I’d buy it again. Tested it at nearly a mile. Got me within a few feet.

 

[BIGLUG24]

I have two one on my Mavic Pro and one on my Phantom 4 Pro And have tested each and they work fine. Hope
i never have to use them but it's a good peace of mine to have them on if needed

 

[Dizzy1971]

I think that we buy it for the added security. I know many people have been helped here in the forum by the great folks here who understand better than most of us the math involved with wind etc. and that’s awesome sauce! BUT in the event you are flying somewhere,make a mistake,lose your mp.... the Marco just might help you get it back without the added steps and stress off going home,getting on your tablet and asking for help here. Which is one less thing

 

[Rnl]

The ping tracker is out now, I'm going to give it a shot.

 

[Borntofly]

The ping tracker is out now, I'm going to give it a shot.

Ping tracker? App or handheld?

 

[msinger]

Ping tracker? App or handheld?

Ping GPS

 

[Borntofly]

Ping GPS

Nice! Thank you

 

[Dizzy1971]

Appears to use your cellular data. Maybe not a big deal in the US but in Canada,cell data use is expensive. It’s a neat tool though I don’t think I’d ever use it. I like the Marco,it’s free to use,and it works.

 

[Rnl]

Only when to track it.

 

[Rnl]

Take a screen shot hardly any data used. Not like it is going to be moving around.

 

[Dizzy1971]

Take a screen shot hardly any data used. Not like it is going to be moving around.

True that. I was more referring to the 39 dollars it seems it costs per year after the initial free period. Not saying it’s not worth the cost,it very well may be, just that the Marco is a one time cost. Let us know how it works though,if you do get one. I’m sure quite a few people will be interested,especially since it’s such a small unit.

 

[halifax]

The Ping looks interesting and inexpensive. However, I work where cell coverage is frequently spotty to non-existent and thus use the Communications Specialists 222MHz beacon tracker system. Requires a ham license. It's an amazingly precise tool.

RC PLANE, Communications Specialists Inc., RC Plane, Model Airplane Tracking, Model Rocketry Tracking, ELT

 

[Mavhawk]

I bought mine at the Robot Shop in Canada. It lists now for about $219. at that site. Here's the website "if it works for you"-https://www.robotshop.com/en/catalogsearch/result/index/?q=Marco%20Polo%20RC%20Model%20Recovery%20Syste. I did a lot of research before I bought it, and at the Eureka website you can watch videos on real recoverys of drones. That's what convinced me to buy it. RC Model Tracking and Recovery - Tracking and Recovery Made Easy | Marco Polo the Tracking and Recovery System. My main concern was if it would interrupt anything on the drone while flying, electronics wise, or transmission wise, but apparently not, according to some of these posts. It's on a totally different frequency than the drone and I don't think it's transmitting until you look for it with the receiver unit. The owners manual says it has a 2 mile range, but if that's so, it would have to be in perfect conditions, but.......... in my opinion and my own testing, it found the little transmitter inside my house from about a quarter mile away. I know some of you might be saying "well whoopee", but if you think about it. In the worst scenereo you could actually grid out a search pattern or in most cases, if your flight records show approximately where the drone landed, go ahead and start there. I've found it's really accurate, and the real plus to me would be if the drone landed in a really bushy or rocky area where you could hardly get close to it without working your way through the bushes, this could help you zero it in, even if it's up in a tree. The pointer is supposed to point up, if it's above you and you hold the receiver correctly. I think it's great insurance, and I'm happy to have it. Marc Trainor. P.S. I have it now attached to the top of my Mavic Pro in the front part with the antenna sticking straight up. Flew it last week and no problems with the reception so far. One thing I wanted to just mention, is that a number of people are concerned about lugging the receiver part around. My thinking is you don't have to. Leave that in your car. Just put the "tag" or transmitter on the drone and if you need to use the finder, go back to your car and get it. Just a thought. Marc.

 

[halifax]

Again, I use Communications Specialists 222MHz beacon, but as to the reason for use - I am almost exclusively flying over rough terrain, heavy forest, tall meadow, wetlands, etc.

 

[Rnl]

Ping did me no good last week when I lost my bird, works good in the air but in high grass it could not locate it. Weak signal I guess.

 

[ryanolivas]

Ping did me no good last week when I lost my bird, works good in the air but in high grass it could not locate it. Weak signal I guess.

Try using Trackimo. Been using this for years on my car and now for my drone. Saved my *** a lot already.

 

[twistedsocal]

I have one of these units, I don't fly a mavic so my use case is slightly different but since getting my Marco Polo basic and destroying it I ended up needing to purchase the advanced version of the tracking tag. what can I say besides the thing just works. the normal one worked well too but wasn't nearly as protected and so was snapped in half to the best of my knowledge since I was never able to get it to even start to track. the money having this thing has saved me in the few lost quads I have found with it has paid for itself multiple times over. real world dense urban enviornment I still manage to get about half mile range, when I am out away from all the homes and towers and power lines the range is way further than I would bother to fly my freestyle quad since battery life is only 5 min on a best case situation and video tx range is more like 500 meters unless I want to run at a power that eats more battery which I just don't. still for those of you who have spent upwards if not over 1k to get your mavic I can't imagine why this product would even be a question based on the initial investment on its own. my quads cost between 3 and 500 to build with too end everything on them and I still don't like risking flying without the Marco polo