Mavic Air 2 Floatation Device.

[Kyle76]

I may never use it to land on the water, but knowing my drone is unSINKable after the unTHINKable is worth the money and 6 less minutes of flight.

Unless this phrase is already in use, you need to copyright it quick and sell it to Phantomrain for a couple of wetsuits at least.

 

[itsneedtokno]

Unless this phrase is already in use, you need to copyright it quick and sell it to Phantomrain for a couple of wetsuits at least.

At the moment I'm pretty sure I'm covered by IP rights, as I stated it on a public forum that is time stamped.

Maybe I'm wrong, if so, please inform me.

I like the TM idea though ?

 

[Kyle76]

At the moment I'm pretty sure I'm covered by IP rights, as I stated it on a public forum that is time stamped.

Maybe I'm wrong, if so, please inform me.

I like the TM idea though ?

I don’t know, but it’s a great line.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

At the moment I'm pretty sure I'm covered by IP rights, as I stated it on a public forum that is time stamped.

Maybe I'm wrong, if so, please inform me.

I like the TM idea though ?

That is great, if i do use it , I will be sure to quote it and link it to your amazing photos.
Thank you.

 

[Ryan-FL-MA2]

Great idea. Did you weigh the MA2 then put the same amount of weight on the bottle to see if it floats?

If the weight of an object is less than the weight of the water it displaces, then it will float, right?

A MA2 weighs 1.3 lbs.
The empty bottle weighs roughly .055 lbs. according to the internet.
Velcro/Zip Ties: Maybe .025?
So the total combined weight is approximately 1.38 lbs

1 oz of water weighs approximately .065 lbs.
The 20 oz bottle of Gatorade will displace about 1.3 lbs of water.
So as long as the MA2 itself displaces more than 1.23 oz of water, the assembly will float.

The battery alone will displace more than 1.23 oz, so I think it should work.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

We know being on the Water better than anyone , and the Mini 2 was the Surprise as its held its ground with the Mini 2 Rescue Jacket. Amazing for how lite that was.

The Air 2 is our favorite , its ability to fly long distance flights with the Rescue Jacket and gain 3000 Ft visual line of sight during the day makes it a fantastic tool to have in your Arsenal.

The Mavic 2 Rescue Jacket provides the tool needed to do professional work in a secure setting.
Zero chance you loose the SD card from your shoot.

We offer the Forum Members a nice Discount
so email me at [email protected] and what drone you have.

 

[wpbgary]

Thanks 'ddbros' for the 20oz Gatorade bottle idea!! I know it looks ridiculous, but it's a solution that works. I also only care about recovery for DJI Refresh purposes in case the drone falls into the drink.

To make mounting and unmounting the bottle easier, I used rubber bands. It's important to also use a small tie wrap or similar at the base to pull the rubber bands close to the body to give clearance for the props. The best feature of the Gatorade bottle are the groves forward and aft that the rubber bands recess into, to prevent the bottle from slipping out. Also, using rubber bands makes it easy to get your finger under the bottle to access the power on/off button.

I'm amazed at how well it flies, as if the bottle wasn't even attached. Plus, there's nothing underneath the body to affect the sensors or prop wash. I feel more confident now when filming subjects over water.

I did some buoyancy calculations and the bottle should be more than enough to keep the MA2 at the surface. As a test, I still plan on attaching equivalent weight (~570g) to the bottle just to see how buoyant it is at the surface.

 

[SoCoolAZ]

I have refresh so I only care about recovery. I've used a 20oz Gatorade bottle zip tied to the top. About the same length as the drone and is out of the prop-wash. View attachment 110886Didn't notice flight time impact, but I'm guessing a windy day would impact it. The bottles have flat sides, so it stays put

Brilliant. I lost mine in a lake this past summer and DJI Care isn't going to cover the drone without retrieval. This simple hack would have saved my drone. Thanks a million!!

 

[stevecn70]

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If the weight of an object is less than the weight of the water it displaces, then it will float, right?

A MA2 weighs 1.3 lbs.
The empty bottle weighs roughly .055 lbs. according to the internet.
Velcro/Zip Ties: Maybe .025?
So the total combined weight is approximately 1.38 lbs

1 oz of water weighs approximately .065 lbs.
The 20 oz bottle of Gatorade will displace about 1.3 lbs of water.
So as long as the MA2 itself displaces more than 1.23 oz of water, the assembly will float.

The battery alone will displace more than 1.23 oz, so I think it should work.

I measured the battery alone and it is "roughly" 7.5 cubic inches in volume, so that is 0.271 lbs or 4.336 Ounces of water. The battery weighs more than that so by itself, it obviously sinks and I don't think it is watertight. The problem is figuring out what in the drone will displace water. The plastic framework itself would be a certain amount, plus any parts that are watertight, inside of the propellors, screws, etc. The only way to know is to submerge it, shake it around underwater at all angles, give the water time to get in it, then weigh it from above while it is underwater. Any volunteers? lol

Something like the getterback would work well but you a limited by how deep the water is. The lake I fly around where I live has a max depth of 38 feet and I know where on the lake the maximum is.

 

[Ryan-FL-MA2]

I measured the battery alone and it is "roughly" 7.5 cubic inches in volume, so that is 0.271 lbs or 4.336 Ounces of water. The battery weighs more than that so by itself, it obviously sinks and I don't think it is watertight. The problem is figuring out what in the drone will displace water. The plastic framework itself would be a certain amount, plus any parts that are watertight, inside of the propellors, screws, etc. The only way to know is to submerge it, shake it around underwater at all angles, give the water time to get in it, then weigh it from above while it is underwater. Any volunteers? lol

Something like the getterback would work well but you a limited by how deep the water is. The lake I fly around where I live has a max depth of 38 feet and I know where on the lake the maximum is.

I tried out the plastic bottle idea and had mostly positive results.

I typically avoid purchasing brands owned by the Resnicks, but I made an exception and bought a 1L bottle of Fiji Water because of it's larger displacement and squarish shape. I peeled the labels of the bottle and they left a bit of sticky residue, but I didn't mind because I figured the stickiness would help prevent the bottle from sliding around. I attached it to our Mavic Air 2 with three wide rubber bands and took off. Once I could see that the bottle didn't seem to have a significant impact on the performance or stability of the drone I started flying around the lake I was at. It seemed to go pretty well, but I have to say that the confidence I gained by knowing that the drone wasn't likely to sink was offset by my concern that the bottle would shift around and interfere with one of the rotors. At one point the bottle cap appeared on the screen and my heart almost stopped, but I quickly realized that the drone was just tilting as I flew forward and I could see the bottle cap because the camera stayed level. I was about halfway through the third battery when I noticed a loud buzzing sound coming from the drone. There was some interference on the video feed, but the drone was still handling just fine so I didn't freak out and carefully flew the drone back to the boat.... Sure enough the water bottle had shifted just enough that it was contacting on of the rotors and the spinning blades had already cut a 3/4" gash into the bottle. Amazingly, there was no visible damage to the blades which were brand new. It didn't even rub the silver paint off the leading edge of the blade tips. I removed the bottle and took off again with no trouble, the interference on the video feed disappeared and I'm sure it had been caused by the vibration from the blades hitting the bottle.

Now that DJI has added flyaway coverage to the refresh plan, I don't think I'll try the bottle idea again until our policy expires. If I do try the bottle again, I will look for a more narrow bottle that gives the rotors more clearance. I may also try double stick foam tape or self adhesive Velcro in addition to the rubber bands to ensure the bottle doesn't shift around during flight.

I like the bottle approach because of the obvious cost savings, plus the satisfaction you get from a DIY solution, and the ease with which it can be removed. I'm also pretty forgetful and if I don't remember to bring the float on the trip, I can stop at any convenience store and get the materials I need to replacement. I hope someone will find this info helpful. Credit to ddbros for the original clever idea.

 

[Ryan-FL-MA2]

I measured the battery alone and it is "roughly" 7.5 cubic inches in volume, so that is 0.271 lbs or 4.336 Ounces of water. The battery weighs more than that so by itself, it obviously sinks and I don't think it is watertight. The problem is figuring out what in the drone will displace water. The plastic framework itself would be a certain amount, plus any parts that are watertight, inside of the propellors, screws, etc. The only way to know is to submerge it, shake it around underwater at all angles, give the water time to get in it, then weigh it from above while it is underwater. Any volunteers? lol

Something like the getterback would work well but you a limited by how deep the water is. The lake I fly around where I live has a max depth of 38 feet and I know where on the lake the maximum is.

I agree with you about the battery and body of the aircraft not being water tight so it's risky to rely their displacement. I think it would come down to how much air they trap and for how long, how turbulent the water is, and how quickly can you retrieve the downed drone. In the interest of playing it safe, I stepped up to a 1L bottle (33.8 oz) bottle and had decent results. (See previous post)

 

[stevecn70]

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I tried out the plastic bottle idea and had mostly positive results.

I typically avoid purchasing brands owned by the Resnicks, but I made an exception and bought a 1L bottle of Fiji Water because of it's larger displacement and squarish shape. I peeled the labels of the bottle and they left a bit of sticky residue, but I didn't mind because I figured the stickiness would help prevent the bottle from sliding around. I attached it to our Mavic Air 2 with three wide rubber bands and took off. Once I could see that the bottle didn't seem to have a significant impact on the performance or stability of the drone I started flying around the lake I was at. It seemed to go pretty well, but I have to say that the confidence I gained by knowing that the drone wasn't likely to sink was offset by my concern that the bottle would shift around and interfere with one of the rotors. At one point the bottle cap appeared on the screen and my heart almost stopped, but I quickly realized that the drone was just tilting as I flew forward and I could see the bottle cap because the camera stayed level. I was about halfway through the third battery when I noticed a loud buzzing sound coming from the drone. There was some interference on the video feed, but the drone was still handling just fine so I didn't freak out and carefully flew the drone back to the boat.... Sure enough the water bottle had shifted just enough that it was contacting on of the rotors and the spinning blades had already cut a 3/4" gash into the bottle. Amazingly, there was no visible damage to the blades which were brand new. It didn't even rub the silver paint off the leading edge of the blade tips. I removed the bottle and took off again with no trouble, the interference on the video feed disappeared and I'm sure it had been caused by the vibration from the blades hitting the bottle.

Now that DJI has added flyaway coverage to the refresh plan, I don't think I'll try the bottle idea again until our policy expires. If I do try the bottle again, I will look for a more narrow bottle that gives the rotors more clearance. I may also try double stick foam tape or self adhesive Velcro in addition to the rubber bands to ensure the bottle doesn't shift around during flight.

I like the bottle approach because of the obvious cost savings, plus the satisfaction you get from a DIY solution, and the ease with which it can be removed. I'm also pretty forgetful and if I don't remember to bring the float on the trip, I can stop at any convenience store and get the materials I need to replacement. I hope someone will find this info helpful. Credit to ddbros for the original clever idea.

I think I'm going to go with a similar approach. I think I'm going to get a tension scale and see exactly how big of a bottle you need to keep the drone floating. As long as it takes more than 1.5 lbs to force the bottle underwater, should be good to go.

 

[ddbros]

I like the rubber band idea. Maybe somebody should make a Gatorade bottle mount using their 3D printer. It would be nice to have a quick and easy mounting system. The zip ties are a pain especially for swapping batteries.

BTW, I used the equivalent weighted wrench to test the 20oz bottle. With no buoyancy of what the drone might provide, the bottle would sat about 1/2 above water.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Please post all your videos of the Gator Bottle floats , floating the drone in the sea : }
Especially the 33.8 oz bottle , sounds promising.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain / Snow

 

[Ryan-FL-MA2]

Please post all your videos of the Gator Bottle floats , floating the drone in the sea : }
Especially the 33.8 oz bottle , sounds promising.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain / Snow

The bottle idea is only useful if you have the DJI Care Refresh and you want a way to recover the drone if it crashes into the water. It's not intended to keep the drone dry or prevent it from being destroyed, so I don't think you'll be seeing any videos.

 

[PalmettoAerial]

Brilliant. I lost mine in a lake this past summer and DJI Care isn't going to cover the drone without retrieval. This simple hack would have saved my drone. Thanks a million!!

SoCool,

I am in a similar situation - lost my s2 on the 3rd flight last night. Its likely in an area thats 30 ft deep ...

What process did you follow and what advice would you have for me when filing the claim?