# Drone camera questions



## GAHUNTER (Jan 30, 2008)

I'm loving all the blue water drone videos. They ad a whole new dimension to blue water fishing, especially for billfish. But I have some questions:

Are they sensitive to the saltwater environment (like everything else on a boat)? What's a good one for use on a 29" boat? Can they be flown in winds heavier than, say, 10 knots? How much should I budget for one, including camera? 

Not saying I'm in the market for one, but, maybe one day!


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Good questions- I'd like to see the answers. 
From what I've seen, the Phantom Quad platforms look to be very popular. 








 Solo seems to be a newer quad drone with some interesting features




I would think they are as susceptible to corrosion as most of our other gear made from any metallic or aluminum material (bodies of mostly plastic with some aluminum parts and some metal components). 
I have also see these made for aquatic applications where the copter floats- taking off and landing from the water (still unsure how the designers may have anticipated use in saltwater environments).




Also, It should be very easy and practical to use from a 29' vessel.


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## PELAGIC PIRATE (Oct 10, 2007)

GAHUNTER said:


> I'm loving all the blue water drone videos. They ad a whole new dimension to blue water fishing, especially for billfish. But I have some questions:
> 
> Are they sensitive to the saltwater environment (like everything else on a boat)? What's a good one for use on a 29" boat? Can they be flown in winds heavier than, say, 10 knots? How much should I budget for one, including camera?
> 
> Not saying I'm in the market for one, but, maybe one day!



I just got one and they are not cheap : min of about 1K with a camera to over several thousand for the nicer units with accessories.

DJI Phantoms ( they make 3 series 1- 2 and 2 vision now) these are the most popular but there are others.

learning to fly it has a steep curve and you must be pretty tech savy to set up properly. Then even when its all set up right things can happen and you loose your drone or crash it due to many reasons. I wrecked mine last Friday in a oak tree 200 feet up and it came crashing down busting two guards and one prop and one motor. The drone survived but cost 45$ to fix the issues. Not bad considering the fall it took , but had this happened at sea it would have been gone. 

they can fly in winds up to 20 mph but it affects its ability to fly tight meaning it can blow around.

boat size is not a concern as the drone is pretty small so you can fly it off of a john boat if you want .

They are not water proof and saltwater will kill one , so using it on calm days would be the best . its basically a computer that flies , so think how great your desk top would run if you took it out fishing in your boat.

If you crash it on land you can recover whats left , but at sea its gone :thumbsup:


My general observations.


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## GAHUNTER (Jan 30, 2008)

".....you must be pretty tech savy to set it up properly..."

Well, that pretty much knocks me out of the running!


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## Jgatorman (Jun 8, 2013)

PELAGIC PIRATE said:


> I just got one and they are not cheap : min of about 1K with a camera to over several thousand for the nicer units with accessories.
> 
> DJI Phantoms ( they make 3 series 1- 2 and 2 vision now) these are the most popular but there are others.
> 
> ...


Pirate is correct on all accounts, steep learning curve for flight , maintenance and programming. Saltwater environment = corrosive. Moisture on any of the electronics not only will corrode it will also short. I have been flying RC helis for many years and these new drones are awesome and have amazing potential including fishing but do your research, this is not for everyone.


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

*drones*

The new parrot bebop might be more of an "entry level" and slightly more affordable unit


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## Jgatorman (Jun 8, 2013)

badonskybuccaneers said:


> The new parrot bebop might be more of an "entry level" and slightly more affordable unit
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZdSMAG90Rs



we have an old saying as RC helicopter pilots you can pay now or you can pay later but trust me you are going to pay. In this hobby cheap stuff is just usually just cheap stuff. PS if it does not have a dual joystick controler probably want to stay away. PpS better have some strength in those motors for one good wind gust and she is swimming.


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Jgatorman said:


> we have an old saying as RC helicopter pilots you can pay now or you can pay later but trust me you are going to pay. In this hobby cheap stuff is just usually just cheap stuff. PS if it does not have a dual joystick controler probably want to stay away. PpS better have some strength in those motors for one good wind gust and she is swimming.


It was just a suggestion for anyone just thinking about trying it out- without forking out $1000+ on a DJI or a comparable unit. And the Bebop does have an optional controller you can buy instead of using an IPhone app.









Adding the controller does significantly increase the cost for the Parrot Bebop- about $400 more!
But the Parrot Bebop base package (without the controller) is about half the price of the DJI Phantom drones- but, as said before.... you get what you pay for. So research the different ones available and buy based on what you find that works for you and what's within your budget. It would probably be really good to find a store or individual that is willing to take you out and show you one in person- and maybe even give you some airtime.





This is a HOT new market- So I guess the only other thing is to be careful about "cheap" or "knockoff" units. They probably wont be nearly as good as the premium units available, and some are just offered to get your money and won't hardly work at all.


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## off route II (Sep 28, 2007)

badonskybuccaneers said:


> The new parrot bebop might be more of an "entry level" and slightly more affordable unit
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZdSMAG90Rs


 this is the one I just ordered, entry level.


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## MSViking (Oct 11, 2007)

I am on my second DJI Phantom, nephew crashed the first one!  What P. Pirate says is correct about the learning curve. It's tempting to fire it up and go, but if you do without fully understanding the systems and it's limits your flight will be short! A lot of the literature that comes with the Phantom's is rather incomplete, the internet is a better teacher.

We have used ours offshore without any problem, but it takes a dedicated pilot that fully understands the copter to fly. While I can fly it, I can't fly it and captain the boat at the same time so we tend to not use it offshore .

I will also say while it's super cool toy, the novelty wore off quickly for me, it mostly sits in it's waterproof Pelican box in my office these days.

Good luck!


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## cliff k (Oct 1, 2007)

Whatever you do, buy it from Amazon and get insurance! Got my phantom from Amazon, and I bought the warrantywrench (think that's what it was called) warranty plan for 1 year for $99. Crashed it within 2 weeks, and they couldn't repair it so I got a check for the purchase price ( minus taxes, shipping).


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## Gamefish27 (Nov 13, 2009)

Soooo we all have one thing in common. Water!. anyone have one of the water prof ones yet? If not why not?


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