Quadcopter video from our Gulf Islands trip

[Rusty]

Greetings. We just got back from two weeks in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. This year we took my new quadcopter (a DJI Phantom 2 Vision +) along. I strung some of the better clips together for this short video.

MV Archimedes and DJI Phantom Random Clips - YouTube

It took me a while to get past the fear of sinking it. Turns out it was much easier to fly on the boat than I thought it would be.

 

[Moonstruck]

WOW! That is so cool. Beautiful, and well put together.

 

[kolive]

Fantastic. Great clarity and stability too. I want one now.

 

[READY2GO]

That is too cool. I want one. Did you buy stock in the company before you posted that?

 

[N4712]

Great video! We've been looking at the Vision +, how do you like it thus far?

 

[Conrad]

Amazing! The clarity and steadiness of the images are way beyond what I would have expected. You obviously have a good eye for photography - the opening shot was a real grabber!

My biggest concern if I were to operate one is that all I would get would be underwater shots...

 

[SHASA III]

Great video...we returned from 3 weeks in the islands in early September and your video took us right back! The quad copter would be a nice addition to our boat.

Cheers

Vic & Kate
SHASA III
Transworld 40

 

[Mule]

Got to have one...gota gota gota have one.......Honey....whine.....

 

[MurrayM]

Dude! That's freakin' AWESOME!

Wonder how close you could get one of those to Grizzly Bears...

 

[Rusty]

Wonder how close you could get one of those to Grizzly Bears...

I don't think you could get too close. The copter makes noise. Not a lot, but in the quiet of nature, it really stands out. I flew it over a group of seals lounging on a rock. The copter was 75 feet or so up. The seals all bolted for the water when it got close.

The only scary part for me was when we hit the limit of a designed in feature. The copter has a programmable distance limit. Both for horizontal and vertical distance from each flight's start point. Mine was set for a 2000 foot horizontal limit. Not a big deal if you are stationary. We were recording the boat underway and it hit the limit because the starting point was 2000 feet behind us. The poor little thing just hovered 50 feet above the water as we merrily motored away. The first two times we had to go back for it. Then I learned how to reset the start point to wherever we were at the time the limit was reached.

I didn't fly it early or late (when the light is good). Mostly during the day when the sound would not add to the overall noise level wherever we were.

When I first started, I took it to shore and launched and retrieved from there. But it is much easier to hand launch and retrieve (as at the end of the video). So that is what I did from then on. catching it at the end of the flight was easy when the boat was stopped.

 

[healhustler]

That's just about the coolest way I've seen yet to make a "wow" impression of what the cruising life is about. There's no way you're going to send that home and not have people jealous of what the experience must be like. I want one.

 

[Carolena]

Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing. I do have a couple questions:
1. How long is the flying time between charges?
2. Are you seeing a live view from the remote?
3. Did you actually launch and retrieve from the moving boat, or did you stop to retrieve (thinking of your underway shots).

Again, thanks very much!

 

[jwnall]

OK. Guess I am doomed, and that is all there is to it. I have been looking for some reason (any reason, to be honest) to buy one, but thus far have successfully fought it off. No longer. Now I have a reason. And hopefully all I have to do is to somehow (probably after a few drinks and some soft music) get my other half to watch that . . .

 

[dwhatty]

Got to have one...gota gota gota have one.......Honey....whine.....

Oh Oh! I see a new boat expense in my future. Just how am I going to get it by my wife?

Really cool!

What sort of camera is on it? GoPro? Or did I miss that in my excitement?

 

[bligh]

Great video!

 

[N4712]

Oh Oh! I see a new boat expense in my future. Just how am I going to get it by my wife?

Really cool!

What sort of camera is on it? GoPro? Or did I miss that in my excitement?

The Vision Plus has a DJI branded camera and gimbal which makes it buttery smooth in flight. Although you can get them with a gimbal for a gopro.

 

[Carolena]

This is the one thing that would scare me. How did you prevent it from decesending when you were out of range?

"
Return to Home Failsafe

• If the Quadcopter loses the signal from the controller for any reason the "return to home" feature will initialize
• The aircraft will ascend to 60 feet then make a straight-line course back to the "home position" you will have defined during the GPS calibration process
• Once there, it will safely descend to the ground and power itself off"

 

[dwhatty]

Do they float? Without damage?

 

[Mule]

Where the boat was or is.......suspect was. Therefore in most cases irrelevant.

 

[N4712]

This is the one thing that would scare me. How did you prevent it from decesending when you were out of range?

"
Return to Home Failsafe

• If the Quadcopter loses the signal from the controller for any reason the "return to home" feature will initialize
• The aircraft will ascend to 60 feet then make a straight-line course back to the "home position" you will have defined during the GPS calibration process
• Once there, it will safely descend to the ground and power itself off"

I believe to lock the GPS into the DJI you must take off then land again, which then it's locks the location in. At least from what I've read, also once it's back in range you can override it and take control by toggling a switch on a controller.

 

[N4712]

Do they float? Without damage?

No.

 

[dwhatty]

No.

Bummer.

 

[ksanders]

Oh Yea

I have to have one of those!

Nice!

 

[jwnall]

OK. Satan won this time. I ordered one from Amazon ($1159 or something like that, plus tax). No launching from the boat, though -- I am not that brave! Initial tests will be in a cow pasture nearby. Should be fun.

 

[Ctsearay]

I have the DJI Phantom II also and love it. I have taken some amazing photos and videos of our boat and its surroundings. I have taken off and landed on the boat quite a few times without an issue. Well I'm sorry to say that it took a splash this weekend. I have always zip tied some foam to the legs in the outter chance it went for a dip and I'd still be able to retrieve it. And it did, A huge gust of wind coupled with the battery at the end of it run time caused a dunk in fresh water. It has dried out and I'm going to give it a go this week to see if its still operational. The memory card came out fine and I have all the vidoe and pics. I only wish it was running video as it went down. You wanna talk about my heart in my throat!!! BTW there is a company you can send it to and the will waterproof your unit but it costs aprox $600.

 

[Steve]

Great video, I can see a money making oportunity selling boat pictures or videos like the helicopers guys do.

 

[Ctsearay]

Yeah the FAA has now ruled that if you do it for profit you need to be fully commercially licensed. The govt needs their taste too LOL.

 

[Capthead]

Nothing like seeing a beautiful Grand Banks 42 in videos like yours. Outstanding!!

I'm jealous.

 

[FlyWright]

Oh Oh! I see a new boat expense in my future. Just how am I going to get it by my wife?

Sometimes it's easier to get forgiveness than permission. This might be just one of those times.

 

[healhustler]

I'm still trying to figure out a way to order this thing for "her" for xmas? You really started something here, Rusty!