I'm in the research phase of my new business. I just received my Part 107 Drone Operation certificate and I'm in the process of getting my technician class HAM license in the US. I want to enter the UAV and telematics industry, but I'm not sure what niche I can operate in. The demand seems to be on the supply and manufacturing side right now, with everything UAV related either out of stock or outrageously priced.
I did notice there hasn't been much development in drone tethering tech. There's lots of good reasons why you'd want to operate a tethered platform, especially for radio antenna applications and other RF mesh type systems that are limited to LOS or have limited power. The tethers I've seen on the market are outrageously priced or marketed to institutional buyers. I would love to see a proliferation of drone tethers, especially for DJI.
Perhaps this is a good starter project for my company. Has anyone here tried to use a tethered drone before? Dronetenna anyone?
It looks fairly simple electronically, a base unit provides DC power, maybe 100V @ 1.5 amps or so, up through a thin stranded cable to a battery adapter that houses a DC buck converter that converts the supply power into something the drone can use. This same tether wire can be run alongside a vertical antenna for a wide range of frequencies, with a radial attached to the ground unit. You can also use a tethered drone as a LoRa or other digital node, or even as a repeater for other bands. You are really only limited by the 400' AGL rule in the US and that's a lot of antenna height for any amateur station operator.
Many neighborhoods in the US have rules against big antennas but you can fly your drone anywhere allowed by the FAA. You can even fly a tethered drone in otherwise controlled airspace, or so I hear in the new rules. Dronetennas might be a breakthrough application for RF and tethering. What do you think?
I did notice there hasn't been much development in drone tethering tech. There's lots of good reasons why you'd want to operate a tethered platform, especially for radio antenna applications and other RF mesh type systems that are limited to LOS or have limited power. The tethers I've seen on the market are outrageously priced or marketed to institutional buyers. I would love to see a proliferation of drone tethers, especially for DJI.
Perhaps this is a good starter project for my company. Has anyone here tried to use a tethered drone before? Dronetenna anyone?
It looks fairly simple electronically, a base unit provides DC power, maybe 100V @ 1.5 amps or so, up through a thin stranded cable to a battery adapter that houses a DC buck converter that converts the supply power into something the drone can use. This same tether wire can be run alongside a vertical antenna for a wide range of frequencies, with a radial attached to the ground unit. You can also use a tethered drone as a LoRa or other digital node, or even as a repeater for other bands. You are really only limited by the 400' AGL rule in the US and that's a lot of antenna height for any amateur station operator.
Many neighborhoods in the US have rules against big antennas but you can fly your drone anywhere allowed by the FAA. You can even fly a tethered drone in otherwise controlled airspace, or so I hear in the new rules. Dronetennas might be a breakthrough application for RF and tethering. What do you think?
