Need help retrieving drone

[MAVE (Little bird)]

A tree surgeon might have ladders but I think they tend to throw weighted lines and then climb hauled up ropes and I doubt they'd want to throw at a window. A window cleaner might have such laddders.
But, as Mavic_South_Oz says, the first good wind may knock it down so I think time is of the essence.
As it's near glass you can't throw stuff at it and a paid 'proffessional with laddders might want written permission from the management to put ladders in contact with the building.

Lory's idea sounds possible but might want three dowels, two to guide the baloon and a longer one to nudge the drone, you'd probably have to balance the 'nudger'.

Personally I'd be inclined to try nudging it with a stick/cane taped to the drone and use a blanket etc. held by two people to catch it. al la

As it is near glass I think lifting it with a drone would be difficult

Very cool on savings the pigeon.

 

[samtex]

I missed something in this tread, but can you engage the motors or is the battery exhausted?
I have viewed many videos on fishing with a drone. Why cannot such a concept be used to retrieve your drone with a hook of sorts if the rescue drone is larger than the one being retrieved?
(Just a curiosity question.) Those videos that I have viewed were showing dropping a fishing line much further than the fisherman can toss a fishing line, but in your case, the line would be fixed on the second drone to hook yours and gradually lower it to the ground. Also if you could have a second drone inspect how yours is attached to the building that would seem to be the first step.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I missed something in this tread, but can you engage the motors or is the battery exhausted?
I have viewed many videos on fishing with a drone. Why cannot such a concept be used to retrieve your drone with a hook of sorts if the rescue drone is larger than the one being retrieved?
(Just a curiosity question.) Those videos that I have viewed were showing dropping a fishing line much further than the fisherman can toss a fishing line, but in your case, the line would be fixed on the second drone to hook yours and gradually lower it to the ground. Also if you could have a second drone inspect how yours is attached to the building that would seem to be the first step.

The battery will probably be long exhausted or the drone shut down because of over heating. From memory powered on but not flying Mini 3 s are prone to over heating.
But if it is stood on its nose or at any steep angle then software within the drone likely prevents motor restarts. Even if that is not true something in contact with a prop e.g. the window sill, a wall or glass will stop a motors from starting.

With regards to lifting the drone with another drone, the 'classic' way of doing it is to have the rescue drone vertically above the patient, two problems with that
1) it may not be physically possible and
2) even if physically possible it would put the lifter in close proximity to the building.......not a good idea for several reasons.

If you were to try lifting it using a hook on the end of a stick projecting fron the rescue drone then the Mini 3 pro will exert appreciable leverage on the rescue drone and the rescue drone may not be able to cope.
If the hook were attached to the stick in such a way that the link to the stick would break when lifting the Mini 3, to over come the above "leaverage", then the mini 3 could be dragged off the window sill but I forsee two problems with that,
1) you have no idea if the hook has snagged the Mini 3 securely enough to bear its weight.
2) Dragging the mini 3 off the window sill will almost certainly lead to a jerk loading on the rescue drone, for small/light 'cargo' this might not be a problem, but for 250g in close proximity to a wall/ glass ...... I would be wary.

 

[tlyons]

Hey what’s up LA. Idiot here crashed my drone into the side of a building. It’s literally hanging on the edge. Anybody willing to help me out please hit me up.

1. Know a fisherman with a casting rod?
2. Home Depot or Lowes will rent you a folding 29' ladder for around $30 for 4 hours. Bring a grabber or a stick with a hook in case its further than you remember. Best to have a friend steady the ladder. For another $20 HD will rent you a truck to transport the ladder.

Good Luck!

Edit: I am guessing you are not a tool kind of guy (or gal) or you would already have your drone back. If so, in my area we have nextdoor.com where it would be easy to place a cell phone pic of where the drone is stuck and offer a $50 reward for retrieval. Lots of people in white vans with ladder racks on the roof in every neighborhood.

Edit: I see in a later post its 40-50 ft or more. That's a bigger challenge.
1. Talk to the building owner.
2. Accurately measure the height with trig
3. Find a roofer. A tree surgeon or a rigger will be far more expensive.

 

[New England Droning]

Called a tree surgeon that is willing to do it for $300. Is this too much?

How much does a new drone cost? versus worth it???

 

[lory]

Since I am a fisherman I like the fishing idea. if you could figure out what kind of weight to use that would not do any damage to window or building. maybe a tennis ball that might be to light but you could inject it with water "with hole glued over"" keep the window clean." and attach several loops of sewing thread or yarn. but they would all add drag. No hooks. you don't want to leave anything behind on the building.
If you don't fish, build a sling shot. and you don't need a spinning reel if you coil the line correctly on the ground or any smooth surface.
Earlier I suggested a balloon and such but that might be a hassle.
I have removed a drone from high in a tree with a 50# bow and iron weighted arrows that would pull up 50# test braided fish line and still have the arrow weight to pull another 75 feet of line after going over a branch. which now gave me a 100 pound pull on the line. worked good.
The next report I want to see on this thread is...That I got my drone back and how I did it.

 

[Osmosis]

I like the balloon with hanging hook idea posted above. Get some footage of it being retrieved!

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I wonder if it's still up there, do your have pigeons in LA and do building owners coat 'ledges' with pigeon repellent?

 

[psionic001]

Just get a Mavic 3 size drone with prop guards. It will have no troubles hovering above it while nudging the wall. A small multi prong hook from coat hanger wire works a treat.
Just do Plenty of performance practice against similar walls or glass windows beforehand so you’ll know how it behaves.

Alternatively just get a high rope access company to abseil down from the roof. That’s how the windows are cleaned anyway.

 

[snydermikej]

There are 40' extension ladders. Get a ladder and a survey rod that will extend to 25' maybe put a fish net on the end of it and bring the drone down in it keep it from hitting the ground. Or get a small scissor lift that would fit on sidewalk and a 25' sliding extension pole like a 25' survey rod a net attached to it.

 

[Peter51]

Go to the fire station in person and ask politely if the fire department would like to do a drill...
Costs a six-pack...

 

[Anthonydotcom]

Im guessing he didn't get his drone back. I'm also guessing one of the hobo's down below got a new toy to trade for a smoke.

 

[Starz]

to trade for a smoke

Or a poke.