I've been using the
Marco Polo for a few years now on small racing drones (250 size and up), and it has worked flawlessly. I've lost several small quads in VERY high weeds where you could almost be standing on the quad and not see it, and the
Marco Polo has enabled me to find it every time. The tracker module that goes on the aircraft is tiny and doesn't send any signal at all until the searching tool pings it, so no RF interference. I highly recommend it.
Still, the
Marco Polo is pricey and the locator is bulky ...especially when one's backpack is also carrying a plethora of photographic devices as mine usually is, in remote locations (...to better elucidate my perspective: Even closed the MC locator is about the size of a flash gun. I'd rather take the flash
).
The advantage of the
Marco Polo over the Loc8tor is the "long-range" tracking, since the
Marco Polo range is much larger (...quite impressive, actually...).
I am thinking that since I have the flight path on the map, I can get near enough a down-site for the Loc8tor to provide effective assistance.
Let's imagine the scenarios:
1. The Mavic just falls off the sky because of a defect, engine or propeller problem or because it bumped into something- The last position is recorded on the map.
2. The Mavic looses signal or senses a low battery level and initiates a Smart RTH, developing a problem (either the low-sun-obstacle-freeze or another, new one) that results in a forced landing midway through - The landing site will be between me and last position on the map.
3. Any other type of malfunction documentable by a flight log during the 2 year warranty is more a DJI problem than my own (...consumer laws are very effective around these parts. If DJI tries to pull a "fast one", the vendor will be brought into the complaint channel...).
I understand there are other remaining instances in which the MP would be more effective but does that effectiveness increase justify the price + the bulkiness?...I am not yet fully decided on this.
To be frank, I am much more worried about physical access in a no-cell coverage, remote location than I am about the effectiveness difference between the MP and the Loc8tor.
What I have already decided is where the Velcro patch will go and how large it will be.
For me, it might well turn out that I get the MP, add it as 3rd option to other 2 ones I already have and elect which on to use on a case-by-case mission profile basis.
MK