Mounting The Marco Polo Tracker

[SXViper03]

Hi Spitfire, I just got my Mavic Lifejacket pontoons 2 weeks ago, they are made to not come off in case of a crash into the water. Basically mine are for emergency recovery use only but if the water is calm I would land on the water no problem. Yours may sit higher in the water than mine do. I landed on my pool the other day to test it out. Here's a couple of pics :

 

[ciscokid]

where is the best place to get the Marco Polo and what is the cost.

 

[SXViper03]

where is the best place to get the Marco Polo and what is the cost.

ciscokid : I scoured the internet and found the best place to buy it is directly from Marco Polo RC Model Tracking and Recovery - Tracking and Recovery Made Easy | Marco Polo the Tracking and Recovery System
I also searched the internet for a promo code but couldn't find any.....just for fun I tried typing in SAVE10 and the code worked! I got 10% off the
Marco Polo Ultralight System saving $21.99. I just checked and the code is still active. ps : I already tried SAVE15, SAVE20 and SAVE25 but they didn't work LOL!
The total was $197.96....No tax unless you live in California and Priority Mail shipping is free.

 

[SpitFire]

Little bit pricey for me For the Marco Polo Tracking and recovery system. Please let me know if your happy with it. Also, those pontoons you have would like to know if you will use them for water landings and launchings. Right now mine are used in case of emergency. But, that may change in the future. Thanks for feed back...

 

[SXViper03]

Little bit pricey for me For the Marco Polo Tracking and recovery system. Please let me know if your happy with it. Also, those pontoons you have would like to know if you will use them for water landings and launchings. Right now mine are used in case of emergency. But, that may change in the future. Thanks for feed back...

I have tried using the Marco Polo but only in my yard. I'm definitely liking it. I was hesitant about the price also but figured it's cheaper than buying a new drone if it gets away for some reason. I looked at GPS trackers like Trackimo 3G and it's $150 for the unit plus monthly service charge (1st year of service is free) I like that it needs no cell phone service to function. I'm planning to go to visit my buddy in Vermont this summer and he has no cell signal there at all.
I plan on using the pontoons to land and take of from the water but only when the water is like glass or very small waves. My Mavic doesn't sit very high on these pontoons as they were primarily made for emergencies. If it crashes in the water it won't sink.

 

[Jonarbel]

Great post. Shire, are you still happy with the way the Marco Polo mounting system that you illustrated has worked out. Have had to make any modifications ?. Any air breaking or drag issues. I’m about to instal mine using your plans. Thanks for the fantastic idea. Anyone else have any feedback on this system.

 

[lwbeasley]

I just received my Marco Polo as a replacement for my Trackimo TRK-100. I was looking at mounting options and was delighted to find this excellent thread. I already have this landing foot from Amazon and thought this is a great mounting option. I was ready to drill the holes and then I started looking at modifying the excellent mounting bracket I already had for my Trackimo.

I purchased the mount on eBay (link below) and by mistake ordered the model for the RF-V16 instead of the TRK-100. I later ordered the correct one, so I had two mounts to experiment with.

This photo shows the TRK-100 mounted in the correct bracket. It mounts very securely, with no danger of falling off, and is easily attached and detached from the Mavic Pro arms.




I chose to use the RF-V16 mount, although the TRK-100 would work as well. Zip-ties hold the waterproof tag very securely to the mount in a vertical position and allows full access to the charging port and power switch.





I also attached my strobe to the mount arm so that I have just one device to deal with. I clipped the connector from a cable and attached it with zip-ties as shown. This setup allows me to easily unplug and connect it to a charging cable.

The antenna is well away from the props and the entire unit weighs only 44 grams.




Here is the eBay link I used for purchasing the Trackimo holder.

Trackimo Tracker Holder for DJI Mavic Pro - ORIGINAL !!!! NOT THE CHINESE COPY | eBay

 

[DinoYYC]

Following the fine suggestions in this thread, I took it out for a “spin” today and am happy to report that no noticeable flight effects were noted even at full throttle!

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

This is what I came up with for the Marco Polo Ultralight model:

 

[ScottyV]

Another successful installation, thanks to the OP for the instructions. I used 1/4 inch aluminum spacers, which worked great.
Be careful to drill the holes so the screws go through freely. I drilled them a little smaller so they would thread-n (thinking it would make it more secure), and it cracked the landing gear so I had to buy another one.

 

[Jonarbel]

Where did you purchase the floats. Thanks for the info.

View attachment 35454 View attachment 35455
Hi Spitfire, I just got my Mavic Lifejacket pontoons 2 weeks ago, they are made to not come off in case of a crash into the water. Basically mine are for emergency recovery use only but if the water is calm I would land on the water no problem. Yours may sit higher in the water than mine do. I landed on my pool the other day to test it out. Here's a couple of pics :

 

[SXViper03]

I got them off of Ebay from a seller by the name of 3d-warehouse
He doesn't have any for sale currently but if you send him a message through Ebay he will let you know when he may make more. The original name of the auction and item number is below.

3d-warehouse

DJI Mavic Floats Pro / Platinum Life Jacket Pontoon Water Recovery
( 232704251777 )

 

[Jonarbel]

Thanks, for the info
QUOTE="SXViper03, post: 523577, member: 55082"]I got them off of Ebay from a seller by the name of 3d-warehouse
He doesn't have any for sale currently but if you send him a message through Ebay he will let you know when he may make more. The original name of the auction and item number is below.

3d-warehouse

DJI Mavic Floats Pro / Platinum Life Jacket Pontoon Water Recovery
( 232704251777 )[/QUOTE]

 

[Mavhawk]

SXViper03: Question for you about water landings with your pontoons?
I have pontoons, but have reservations about launching and taking off from rivers and lakes. Feedback would be appreciated. I have been using mine in case of emergency
landing. Thank You.

I saw a video, probably on youtube, where a guy actually landed and, I believe, took off also from the water. The thought still makes me nervous, but it went well for this guy. Marc.

 

[SXViper03]

I saw a video, probably on youtube, where a guy actually landed and, I believe, took off also from the water. The thought still makes me nervous, but it went well for this guy. Marc.

Hi Marc,
I take off from the top of my kayak and hand catch it when landing. I have landed on water with these but only when the water is calm. I actually bought these more for recovery than landing and taking off on water. Gerry

 

[Mavhawk]

Hi Marc,
I take off from the top of my kayak and hand catch it when landing. I have landed on water with these but only when the water is calm. I actually bought these more for recovery than landing and taking off on water. Gerry

That is gutsy, but really cool. I can sure see why you use the pontoons. Honestly, they sound like a really good idea, if your flying over any kind of water. I haven't done that yet, but I'm sure thinking about it. I live in San Diego, Ca. The ocean is beckoning me. He, he, ha ha. Marc.

 

[Inspirephil]

My Marco Polo sits top rear of MP, very strong Velcro.View attachment 32479 View attachment 32479 View attachment 32480 View attachment 32482

Excellent! I’ll be using your idea if you don’t object and that other persons mounting system seems like it would add so much unneeded weight to the Mavic that would tax the motors unnecessarily!

 

[Inspirephil]

Thanks Cuervo! I got this off of Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Hooshion-Pro...pID=417NATbounL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

It’s unavailable from Amazon currently.

 

[Inspirephil]

Mounting the Marco Polo Locator

I’ve been looking at trackers and watching too many YouTube reviews.

My conclusion was to get the Marco Polo for these reasons.

1. The bluetooth devices, while inexpensive, have a very limited range. Better than nothing.

2. Cellular trackers need a SIM card and a cellular contract. Another cell phone bill didn’t appeal to me. The main reason for not getting a cellular tracker is this: No cell service; no location. Seriously, the cell service at my house is either 1 bar or “No Service”. Without WIFI calling I’d have nothing.

Additionally, I can think of a number of times in remote areas that I had no cell service.

3. RF trackers (like the Marco Polo) have a 1-2 mile range, are extremely accurate and have no monthly fee. The tracker battery will broadcast for 3 days if fully charged (tracker mode). 15 days if not being tracked.

After spending a few days deciding where (and how) to mount the new Marco Polo (waterproof model) on the MP, this is what I came up with.

Freewill rear landing foot (I drilled two holes for the mounting plate), the Marco Polo mounting plate, two pieces of 0.300” long brass tubing, two 4-40X 0.625” stainless steel screws and two 4-40 nuts. Nuts were Loctited onto the screws.







The instructions suggest that the antenna be oriented vertically for greatest range. In the highly unlikely event of a crash, it seems that the odds are greater for the MP to be on its landing pads or on its back. (Unless its hanging sideways in a tree.)






There is sufficient prop clearance to the antenna. Not sure about the regular model of the Marco Polo, but the waterproof version has a stiff rubber sleeve over the antenna. It seemed quite difficult to move it into the prop circle.


Alternatively, I could rotate the Marco Polo 180º to orient the antenna down.

I noticed the antenna looked different? What did you use for an antenna on your Marco Polo? Or is it just a sleeve of some kind?

 

[Montana John]

I just got my Marco Polo last week. Thanks for the mounting idea shire! I bought the Ultralight system (not waterproof) so I used velcro to mount it to the landing gear. I spoke to the President of Eureka Products since I do water landings (pontoons), he told me I could either swap my ultralight for the waterproof transceiver or put a small amount of RTV Sealant over the hole where the light flashes as this is the only spot splashes of water or rain could enter the unit so I opted to do that. Of course if it goes under water it's toast. He also mentioned it could be waterproofed by putting the transceiver tag in a small pill bag from the pharmacy, just poke a small hole in it for the antenna and seal with RTV. View attachment 35345 View attachment 35346

I just got my Marco Polo, and I want to mount it like yours. There was a piece of Velcro included with the shipment, the same size as the tag. Did you receive one also, and if so, is that what you used for attaching the tag? I would love not to have to go shopping for industrial strength Velcro!
Thanks.
John