Vision and radio communication obscured?

[MA2 317]

but have a desire to take a drone up some bends in waterways (creeks, rivers, etc) a few feet off of the water and under overgrowth tree canopies just for photos and explorations sake.....

Be wary of the invisible threads of death a.k.a. fishing line dangling from the canopy.

 

[KB9Radio]

I haven't flown yet, but have a desire to take a drone up some bends in waterways (creeks, rivers, etc) a few feet off of the water and under overgrowth tree canopies just for photos and explorations sake..... I have read the radio will communicate through some trees, but should it lose its signal, how does the drone RTH if there is a tree canopy above it 20 feet? Many of our streams in the Ozarks are like this. (Am I limited to line of sight?) I'm experienced with RC boats, but they don't have to fly out and can swim on their own......

Goes up into the trees and falls in the water. Also if you go around some bends far enough to loose signal, you're not operating LOS. Just saying...

 

[Meta4]

I haven't flown yet, but have a desire to take a drone up some bends in waterways (creeks, rivers, etc) a few feet off of the water and under overgrowth tree canopies just for photos and explorations sake..... I have read the radio will communicate through some trees, but should it lose its signal, how does the drone RTH if there is a tree canopy above it 20 feet?

What you are describing is almost certainly going to cause the loss of the drone pretty quickly.
It includes a number of very risky situations and as you haven't flown yet, it's probably not worth the trouble of trying to explain all of them.
You need to get the hang of flying in a clear, open area, well clear of trees and obstacles and gradually become aware of what the drone can and cannot do and the limits on it.
When you have an understanding of all the things that can go wrong and how to avoid them, you can gradually start becoming more adventurous.

 

[bronzeo]

What you are describing is almost certainly going to cause the loss of the drone pretty quickly.
It includes a number of very risky situations and as you haven't flown yet, it's probably not worth the trouble of trying to explain all of them.
You need to get the hang of flying in a clear, open area, well clear of trees and obstacles and gradually become aware of what the drone can and cannot do and the limits on it.
When you have an understanding of all the things that can go wrong and how to avoid them, you can gradually start becoming more adventurous.

This is a given, I'm just trying to clear up some misconceptions I had after reading the capabilities of these drones.... For instance 8 miles of radio contact was not described as line of sight. Although I figured maybe obscured line of sight of maybe 1/3 that distance which could allow me to fly it over a nearby hill and explore a bit. This single thing restricts using a drone more than anything. I also realize, it will be a while before I do much of any exploring, as it was with my other RC experiences, such as guiding a boat coming towards me..... The problem for me is, we have trees and hills everywhere, and I don't think I want to go chase down a farm field to fly in circles over. Asking this question has told me more than I had even planned on.... Thanks

 

[johnnyb57]

DJI Avata is the right tool for the job, no worries:

I've been wanting 2 ask how does the signal differ (seems so much better) seems loss of signal does not happen ?

 

[Capt KO]

The bottom vision sensor needs contrast to be effective. Water, snow, even sand can confuse the sensor so elevation is the solution. Some models are more affected than others but trial and error not recommended. Care Refresh and a Rescue Jacket can make your water flights much less stressful. Best of luck on your endeavors, practice makes perfect..sort of.

 

[rjwmorrell]

The bottom vision sensor needs contrast to be effective. Water, snow, even sand can confuse the sensor so elevation is the solution. Some models are more affected than others but trial and error not recommended. Care Refresh and a Rescue Jacket can make your water flights much less stressful. Best of luck on your endeavors, practice makes perfect..sort of.

There are definitely ways to mitigate the risks. And practice is one of them. I would fly this mission but only after loads and loads of preparation, and I'm not sure if I'd go below 3m above the water level. Maybe with the rescue jacket.

I'd definitely traverse the entire route in a boat to look for hazards, unseen fishing line, etc. I'd practice flying it probably on my Mini SE, which is a bit more replaceable in my fleet. I'd make sure the Kp is ideal, wind is minimal, and I had VO along the route to advise of any issues and maintain visual (eVLOS is permitted in Canada). If a client wanted this shot, it would probably be in the order of $300 to shoot it.

 

[mavic3usa]

I've been wanting 2 ask how does the signal differ (seems so much better) seems loss of signal does not happen ?

Haha, no idea. Alex is a forum member, perhaps he can help explain it:

3 - Hotnitsa waterfalls

mavicpilots.com

3 - Unnamed waterfall on an unnamed stream and under the road

mavicpilots.com

 

[Droning on and on...]

As an alternative POV, only you can weigh the value of the footage you would capture against the risk of having to pay full cost to replace it (just the aircraft). It may very well be worth it. If this will earn money, the risk/reward analysis is easy.

It's obviously been done before, so it's not impossible. IMO, with careful evaluation and planning the chances of success are substantially greater than failure.

 

[Meta4]

I'd make sure the Kp is ideal,

Any Kp is ideal.
Kp has no impact on drone flying.