PHANTOM EMERGENCY FLOTATION FOR A DIME (redux)

grrquadman · Jan 3, 2016

CapnBob said:
As I said, there are obviously no guarantees. If you use flimsy bags or zip ties, they may pop or break. I came up with this idea, but I have never crashed myself (touching wood..). There are 2 instances I know of where this technique floated the Phantom and allowed recovery. By the way, they only look goofy close up. You can hardly see them at altitude depending on weather.. . If they do show up a bit in the camera view, when tilted down, try attaching them higher up on the skids. One other thing, make sure they are inflated fully. The inflation is what pushes them to the side as opposed to hanging down. In this particular video the bird had them on, but I didn't venture out over the ocean. I chose it because I have the camera tilted down 90° in a few scenes.

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What a fantastic video AND audio! - Looks like I can see the reconstruction after "the fire".
**** fine work, Capt !
Fly safe-
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David

DLinzy · Jan 4, 2016

This may very well be the best option ever..... Home

Thoughts?

Denny

MapMaker53 · Jan 4, 2016

Been covered extensively.

CapnBob · Jan 4, 2016

DLinzy said:
This may very well be the best option ever..... Home

Thoughts?

Denny

With Getterback, there is a delay, and the object will sink to quite a depth before it deploys.
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(Q

"How long does the GetterBack take for the float to surface?"

(A

"It typically takes one to two minutes, but it can take longer depending on sink rate, depth and water temperature. A fast sink rate in warm water to ten feet will result in the shortest time and a slow sink rate in very cold water to one hundred feet may take up to ten minutes."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know about you, but the thought of my $1,300 bird marinating on the bottom gives me the willies. Also, Getterback is a single-use device, @ $20 a pop, and there is a 100' depth limitation.

syotr · Jan 4, 2016

Remember the buttered side down law. With any type of float, the Phantom is likely to land upside down or flip over even if it landed right side up. Floats will keep it from sinking and make it possible to recover, but if it is salt water, there may be permanent damage.

CapnBob · Jan 9, 2016

Well, that goes without saying. If you can get right back, remove the battery and flush it with fresh water, you at least have a chance, and I have read that this has worked for some. You have to disassemble and dry it out for days, You have zero chance when it's sitting out of reach at the bottom.

Nakelp86 · Jan 9, 2016

These are all great but have to come up with something different.
If the quad drops in a drink It ralrely touches ( well almost never) down On the skids/LG. So as these solutions will save it all together but won't save electronics or the cam

Why don't they make gimbal to accommodate GoPro with waterproof casing at least.

syotr · Jan 9, 2016

Nakelp86 said:
These are all great but have to come up with something different.
If the quad drops in a drink It ralrely touches ( well almost never) down On the skids/LG. So as these solutions will save it all together but won't save electronics or the cam
Why don't they make gimbal to accommodate GoPro with waterproof casing at least.

There are some gimbals made for the GoPro in the housing. There are several quad shells that are waterproof. Most are pricey. Here is my solution:

Nakelp86 · Jan 9, 2016

Yes, that is cool, I know they make shells waterproof buy as I said when unexpected happens you have almost zero chance to land right side up, and pool is fine but salt water kills pretty much everything :-(
I dont see any feasible remedy for it.

syotr · Jan 9, 2016

Nakelp86 said:
Yes, that is cool, I know they make shells waterproof buy as I said when unexpected happens you have almost zero chance to land right side up, and pool is fine but salt water kills pretty much everything :-(
I dont see any feasible remedy for it.

Landing upside down is not a problem even in salt water. This bird is completely waterproof. I have crashed in fast moving whitewater and recovered without a problem. The Dex shells are very durable.

Daverock · Jan 9, 2016

I recently crashed into salt water it was a sickening feeling. Fried two ESC's, and reciver still trying to trouble shoot, reciver replacement, is first on list. Video coming soon.

Darrell3 · Feb 25, 2016

Pretty cool idea CapnBob! I leave for FL Sat morning and I'm sure I'll be over some water at some point so this little inexpensive trick might just come in handy! I do have crash insurance but I will need recover it if in fact she takes a swim! I do have a question though. I know that after lift off this won't be a problem but while the bird is on the ground, before take off or during landing, have you had any issues with the bags coming up high enough to make contact with the props? I'm sure if you accidentally tighten the zip ties too high on the landing gear this could be a problem but I want to feel confident that's doesn't happen. So you're saying about an inch from the bottom of the landing gear is good?

MapMaker53 · Feb 25, 2016

Well, that brings up a good point, Darrell3, and a potential issue. I don't think there is much to worry about prop contact while on the ground or in the air, but it seems the bags would float up vertically when the quad enters the water as in CapnBob's test video. In that position, I have to imagine it likely that the any spinning props would contact and puncture the bags and cause the quad to sink. Any thoughts on this, CapnBob?

Darrell3 · Feb 25, 2016

These are cool but ridiculously over priced!!! $137 for ONE!!! No thanks, I'll stick with Ziploc bags or pool noodle idea.
Argo Drone - floating DJI Phantom by LCdesign on Shapeways

MapMaker53 · Feb 25, 2016

Those are bound to be in the shot.

Darrell3 · Feb 25, 2016

Definitely! It'll be hard to attach anything to the landing gear & it not be seen in the shots except maybe for the bag idea. My only concern is hoping the bags stay inflated (especially upon impact with the water) & clear of the props.

npalen · Feb 29, 2016

I don't often fly over water, but when I do I drink Dos Equis.

RoyB · Feb 29, 2016

If you bought crash insurance (available from other on this forum) you need to at least recover the bird to send it back for repair. If you have insurance and the bird is unrecoverable at the bottom of a lake or ocean, your insurance is void. Any of these devices will at least allow you the chance of retrieval and repair by insurance provider. When flying over water, freezer bags will be in my supplies.thanks!

Mark The Droner · Feb 29, 2016

I tried the pool noodle thing and was not happy with the way it flies. I'm also not convinced the craft won't tip over easily while in the water. I tested it in my kitchen sink and it ain't real stable. Third - if the craft goes down over water, it probably won't be descending gently. Bottom line is it will almost certainly get very wet.

It seems all these floatation devices are either unstable or interfere with flying or both. So I finally decided I'll just put a getterback deal on the craft and hope it doesn't go down. Now that I have some experience, it seems to me the chance of it going down is very small - like 1 % or less. I have one but I was thinking I might get another one for flight balance.

Videos

MikeK · Apr 2, 2016

CapnBob said:
I am in exactly the same world. Fixed/Retired/Disabled/military.

I spend more time modding, planning, and researching than I do Flying. I cannot afford another, so I must not lose this.

And therein lies the tale -- Necessity being the mother of invention.

Compliments on an ingenuous solution to a very common problem.