TREE WON

[Peter Hartmann]

TREE ..... "ONE" ......... Phantom 3 "zero".

My fault - clowning around - at ANY age I should have known better ( hard to judge distance - the trees up by the Canadian border around Priest Lake are well over 100 ft. high).

Hit a tree when the Phantom 3 was about 70 ft. AGL. Blade guards protected the tree from either emotional or physical injury (that's a relief.....! ).

Drone blades apparently stalled from nibbling on a branch - drone went straight down - hit concrete. Camera broke off - lens cracked, arms cracked.

From the difficulties and costs noted elsewhere in this forum, decided against trying to have what is left repaired. Kept the battery and the miniature ScanCard... fed the rest to a hungry trash can....

I was VERY happy with it- ordered another "refurbished" one .

As a side note, I share the suspicion with others that the term "refurbished" simply refers to how they get rid of excess stock in a manner that avoids violating contracts between factory, suppliers, distributors, etc.

New one should be here in a week or so - be interesting if it is (as the one I wrecked) clearly brand new, with the only "difference" that the box comes marked "refurbished".

 

[mdowney58]

If it's not too late to get it back out of the trash, you may just find that someone may purchase the carcass for parts....

 

[MapMaker53]

I would keep it for extra parts that are still good. Crazy to toss it out.

 

[Budman]

darn trees jumping out in front of you
get that drone out of the trash
pay it forward
someone will need the parts and pay for shipping

 

[ServiceCall]

What?? No video?

 

[Erised]

Ouch that hurts, Yep, dept perception is not a human strength. I can see how this could happen, some time ago I was going around POI and I was sure I was in front of the tree but I passed behind it, all fluke because I missed the tree. When I showed the video to some friends they said "that was cool when you went behind the tree". Not cool when it's a mistake that could have done no harm to the tree.

 

[johngussman]

Ouch that hurts, Yep, dept perception is not a human strength. I can see how this could happen, some time ago I was going around POI and I was sure I was in front of the tree but I passed behind it, all fluke because I missed the tree. When I showed the video to some friends they said "that was cool when you went behind the tree". Not cool when it's a mistake that could have done no harm to the tree.

no kidding, every time I go to the mall I get lost in all the depts as well.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

I would keep it for extra parts that are still good. Crazy to toss it out.

............................................................................................................

Crazy ? Did I ever lie to you ? Did I ever represent to you that I am sane ? If I were sane, I wouldn't have been carrying on like a spoiled thirteen year old.....!

I did get the battery out of the carcass. No obvious signs of damage - holding a charge - but wondering whether I should toss it - the kind of deceleration it encountered makes me wonder if it is now a fire hazard ?

Nope - no video - I wasn't videoing at the time - I did save the mini Scan Disck tho.

As for parts - given how mashed up the body & the "arm" structure was, I would rather doubt if anything other than one or two of the motors would be operational. Too late now - I am back at my ranch in northern Arizona - the drone, by now, is keeping someone's garbage comfortable in a charming resort town ( Cavanaugh Bay - Coolin ) in northern Idaho just south of the Canadian border.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

What?? No video?

....................

Wasn't using the camera at the time - was just showing off to some cute girls too young to be my granddaughters.

 

[Deleted member 62848]

TREE ..... "ONE" ......... Phantom 3 "zero".

My fault - clowning around - at ANY age I should have known better ( hard to judge distance - the trees up by the Canadian border around Priest Lake are well over 100 ft. high).

Hit a tree when the Phantom 3 was about 70 ft. AGL. Blade guards protected the tree from either emotional or physical injury (that's a relief.....! ).

Drone blades apparently stalled from nibbling on a branch - drone went straight down - hit concrete. Camera broke off - lens cracked, arms cracked.

From the difficulties and costs noted elsewhere in this forum, decided against trying to have what is left repaired. Kept the battery and the miniature ScanCard... fed the rest to a hungry trash can....

I was VERY happy with it- ordered another "refurbished" one .

As a side note, I share the suspicion with others that the term "refurbished" simply refers to how they get rid of excess stock in a manner that avoids violating contracts between factory, suppliers, distributors, etc.

New one should be here in a week or so - be interesting if it is (as the one I wrecked) clearly brand new, with the only "difference" that the box comes marked "refurbished".

Who put that tree there,,sorry to read,yip i would even save broken bits,,i think im bit of a hoarder ,i got boxs if bit of planes ,trains,heli's,nos buggies and electric,its all handy one day,,never know,,jealous here only birds that watch me are segulls enjoy the next one

 

[Neon Euc]

Keep the drone. My P3A done the same thing. Thought it was big enough to take on a tree at 60 metres and dropped to the ground. The price for a repair.... $120. Yep... Same fate and injuries as yours. Well worth shipping it to DJI for a quote. Plus you could always keep it in case you need to replace any motors

 

[BourgeoisSJC]

You have to be real careful around those Canadian trees. We grow them tall to keep the prying eyes south of the 49th from seeing what we are really doing here.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

Keep the drone. ......... Well worth shipping it to DJI for a quote. Plus you could always keep it in case you need to replace any motors

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Guess your computer system is different than mine - guess you didn't get to see or read my above posts.

Again, my Phantom 3 was hiding in a closet when a vicious tree broke in and attacked it, so aggressively it looked like it had gone 'free-fall" onto concrete from a height of around 70+ feet. ( yes - every Canadian I have had the honor to meet has been gracious and charming....but their trees....something else...)

Had you read my post, you would have learned this occurred at a charming and very isolated resort just south of the Canadian border (where I spent the week-end with some other Lake owners where we had a get-together). (Cavenaugh Bay & surrounding beaches at Priest Lake, Idaho.)

Had you read my post, you would have learned I was so outraged at my stupidity ( on second thought.... I bet that sneaky tree was an anti American drone Canadian ) that I tossed what was left into a garbage can.

Again, I am now back at my home/air-strip in northern Arizona - awaiting my next "refurbished" Phantom 3 (due by the end of next week). ( and yes, it most certainly will have extra length landing gear to keep the camera out of the dirt and weeds) (and yes, it most certainly will have propeller guards - and yes...I will see if I can find any difference in how it operates with or without prop. guards).

Yes, perhaps a few of the parts could have been salvaged. So you are right - I COULD have brought the mess back here to northern Arizona - One of the props. and its related motor system might have been useable. Two of the propeller guards seemed useable.

I didn't use hundreds of dollars of aviation gasoline to go up north to work on drones. We had a busy, event-filled fun filled weekend (had about 20 Lakes in attendance). So I couldn't give this any more time.

I am still waiting for comments about the battery. Obviously, it incurred major "G" loads. No visible signs of damage. I'd asked in one of my "posts" above whether there is any risk of fire from the deceleration loads it incurred. So far, no responses. And yes, of course I saved the 32 GB "mini" Scan Disc.