No matter where you live on this planet, there’s a good chance you’ll soon spot one of those new fangled, remote-control quad-copters in the wild blue yonder.
You might catch the computerized craft – about the size of a large pizza – hovering high above a park or a neighbourhood, skimming over a lake or climbing the face of a mountain. If the ‘pilot’ is a journalist or police officer, they’re likely grabbing video of a “event” — an accident, hostage-taking or some other crime scene.
Perhaps a real estate company has a quadcopter hovering over a property, hoping to get photos and video to ‘wow’ buyers. Or, a photographer has put the machine aloft to get some cool aerials of the wedding party.
Talk about a whole new perspective. These mini-drones — as many call them — are revolutionizing both photography and the way some people do business.
Before we go any further, let’s be clear that not everyone is partial to the word ‘drone.’ They say it conjures images of spying, bombings and extra-judicial killings; they prefer ‘quadcopter.’
‘Quad’ of course means four … so when we say quadcopter [as in the DJI Phantom], we’re talking about a machine that has four propellers. The six-prop hobbies are called ‘hexacopters.’ I’ll stop there, because there are 8-bladed machines … and more.
No matter what label one puts on these hobby aircraft … man, they’re sure exciting!
For the purpose of this post, I’ll focus on the Phantom. That’s for a couple of reasons: I own two [the Phantom 2 and the Phantom 2 Vision]; second, the Phantom is by far the most popular quadcopter on the market. Sales have taken off and the sky is the limit. Sorry. Couldn’t resist.
I’m a novice at flying these; heck, I’m a novice at operating remote-controlled toy cars. But by watching tutorial videos online and by flying as much as possible, I’m much better now.
My interest in aerial photography dates back to the 1950s, when I was a kid growing up in Campbellton, New Brunswick. I was 10 or so when I got my first camera [a Kodak], and even then I was intrigued with taking photos from on high, first from hills, then mountains. And as I grew older, from aircraft. For me, the Phantom is a dream come true.
EASY TO OPERATE … AND MORE FUN THAN ONE CAN IMAGINE
Dan Zak of The Washington Post, in a March 2014 article, describes the sound of the mini-drone as like an electric weed cutter.
The quadcopters are fairly simple to operate, certainly much easier than the standard twin-prop, remote-control toy helicopter. The beauty of something like the Phantom 2 Vision is that after downloading the DJI Vision app, one can see what the onboard camera sees by attaching an iPhone, iPad or an Android device to the transmitter. An operator can see everything in “real time.”
They can also check the speed of the craft, its height, the number of satellites it is connected to, how much battery power is remaining — and determine if there’s a micro SD card inserted in the camera. By touching a small icon on the smartphone, the operator can shoot either video or stills. The best part is that the tilt of the camera can be controlled from the phone.
A running timer shows the length of the video being shot. The operator can also make changes to the camera settings while the Fantom 2 Vision is in the air. The magic doesn’t seem to end. The Phantom can also beam photos to your cell phone, and you can email them off to someone while the craft is still hovering high above you. Is that crazy or what?
Check out the HD video taken from the Phantom 2 Vision over my neighbourhood in the west end of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The clip was shot on a slightly windy, chilly 10th of December 2013. The video has been enhanced and stabilized somewhat, through Mac’s iMovie program. The clip runs 0:11.
This next clip is HD raw footage, showing my attempts to steady the craft as it lifts in the air. Notice too the remote adjustment of the camera while it is hovering.
This was shot on the 17th of February 2014 at my friend David Willson’s acreage near Devon, Alberta. In the video is David’s Irish Wolfhound, Bran, who doesn’t seem the least interested in the Phantom. The clip runs 01:42.
Ian Affleck of Busby, Alberta, flies the Phantom One and says he notices that birds aren’t frightened off by it. “They seem to be more curious than anything,” he says.
Here’s a ‘screen-capture’ taken at night over a Costco store in Edmonton. Again, this is not a still but an image taken from a 1080p video.
Costco at Night: the warehouse on 91st Street in Edmonton.
PEDRO RIVERA
What inspired this article is the previous post on my blog, ‘Used, Abused and Betrayed’, the story of a young American journalist, Pedro Rivera, who landed in hot water in February 2014 for flying his Phantom 2 Vision half a block away from an accident scene in his hometown of Hartford, Connecticut. Police surrounded Rivera and harassed him. Officers, including the Chief, now find themselves in the crosshairs of a lawsuit filed by the reporter.
Rivera had been using his quadcopter to get images for a TV station where he worked part-time. In a mind-boggling act, the station turned on Rivera [at the request of the police]. It hasn’t called him back in to work since the incident.
The reporter’s plight has become a lightning rod of sorts for governments that will eventually bring in legislation to govern the use of the small aircraft. More on that coming up in this piece.
A majority of owners fly their quadcopters purely for fun and of course to take cool aerial shots and videos. Some do it for business.
Others have flown their quadcopters simply to help people.
Just outside Hartford is the bedroom community of Branford, where lawyer and quadcopter enthusiast Peter Sachs flies his Phantom 2 Vision. Sachs was recently asked by the local Fire Department to use his Phantom to check out an out-of-control fire in a quarry. The fire was burning close to a building where explosives were stored. Was it safe to send in firefighters? That’s exactly what the Fire Chief wanted to know. After sending his Phantom into the sky to get a bird’s eye view, Sachs gave him the answer: they were good to go.
Sachs — who fully supports Pedro Rivera, by the way — was given a huge thumbs up by the Fire Chief.
Check out Sach’s video of the fire on YouTube …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n9VNCr8Iyw
The more professional units [such as the six-bladed DJI F550] can fly greater distances, carry heavier [read=better] camera equipment … and because they have six or more propellers, they’re more reliable. If one prop craps out, it remains airborne.
POPULARITY SKYROCKETS
The quadcopter is so popular it has spawned an entire accessories market. Phantom owners can buy special hard-shell carrying cases, flashing LED light strips, extended landing gear, extra-strength batteries, prop guards, anti-vibration mounting plates, carbon fibre props, GPS tracking systems … and of course small, rugged action cameras and stabilizers [gimbals].
Even bumper stickers: ‘My Other Vehicle is Unmanned.’
The machines have given a whole new perspective to photography.
The Phantoms were designed for the most popular action camera, the GoPro. When combined with a stabilizer, a gadget that keeps the camera level, the result is some very smooth 1080p video.
Another sports camera that works well is the Ghost Drift. So far, I’ve only used the Drift … plus of course the built-in camera that comes with the Phantom 2 Vision.
The Phantom 2 Vision is capable of shooting “14mp” stills, but that’s misleading, which is why I used the quotation marks. The photos are not all that sharp because of the camera’s tiny lens and censor. You can get better stills by pulling ‘screen captures’ from the HD video.
I plan to attach a light, 16.1 MP Sony NEX-5T camera to my Phantom Two and get better stills. The Sony NEX has a timer which can be programmed to take shots at set intervals. Because the camera has a full-size lens and censor, it can produce fairly good photos. With an SD memory card and a 16-50mm lens, the NEX-5T weighs just 13.8 ounces [393 grams].
Police will discover the quadcopters and mini-drones can save lives [monitoring a hostage-taking ... or searching for a lost child]. There are so many possibilities; one can only imagine. It’s like another tool, and not an expensive one either.
PROFESSIONAL VIDEOS SHOT FROM PHANTOMS
Click on this link for an assortment of videos that show the capabilities of the DJI Phantom [and some post production editing]. This post isn’t meant to be a commercial for DJI, but the beautiful videos illustrate the potential of these flying machines more effectively than any words I can muster.
The videos are spectacular. And so concludes my sucking up to DJI. While its famous Phantom has many positives, there are some negatives too. I’ll touch on those later in the post.
I chose a Phantom over other models for the same reason I chose a Mac computer over a PC. The Phantoms not only look more professional, they seem to be a better product, more cutting-edge if you will … and more reliable. Or at least that’s my hope. However, I’m not about to buy every quadcopter on the market to find out.
For a better overview of quadcopters on the market, check out this cool site: http://quadcopterhq.com/best-quadcopters/
Google ‘YouTube and DJI Phantom’ for a host of tutorial videos on how to operate the Phantom.
MORE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS: NOT IF, BUT WHEN
I’m about to list some negatives about drones, but try to keep a balanced view … there are far more many plusses. As Pedro Rivera points out, “Everything can be used for good or bad. A gun can save you or kill you, same as a car … it can drive you to McDonalds or it can run you over.” Rivera’s point is that misuse of the drones is no justification to ban them or over-regulate them.
As retired Canadian journalist Paul McLaughlin noted in the post on Rivera, the devices are a game changer, “… including the law, journalism and privacy.” McLaughlin wonders what would happen if the paparazzi had quad-copters and began covering an event. “Imagine the paparazzi at an event with 50 drones overhead?” he asks. For that matter, celebrities sunbathing in the nude in the back yard of their estates, behind 15-foot walls, perhaps should be wearing more than sunscreen. Magazines will pay a lot of money for some exclusive shots.
What about peeping Toms and child diddlers? There’s nothing to stop Lester-the-Molester and other deviants from buying these toys. As long as they’re 18, they can walk into a hobby shop and pick one up. Or, better yet, buy one online and have it delivered to their door.
What about stalkers?? ["My girlfriend thinks that I'm a stalker. Well, she's not exactly my girlfriend yet ..."] So much for thinking somebody has privacy because they live on the 20th floor of a high-rise. Make that the 120th floor, it don’t matter. A quadcopter or personal drone can park outside condos and apartments that are hundreds of feet in the air.
Hunters? What’s to stop hunters from using a personal quad-copter with a camera to stalk game? Would that not give them an unfair advantage?
People are now wondering if they can shoot down a quad-copter flying over their property. As one man pointed out, that’s what shotguns are for. Who gets to keep the camera if a drone is blown out of the sky?
What about terrorists and other loonies? Forget about strapping explosives to their bodies … how about strapping a bomb to a quad-copter? How hard is that? Put it this way, it would be a lot easier to do than it would be to prevent it.
Check out this incredible article from Israel’s Homeland Security Home … it says hackers have developed a drone that can steal the contents of your smartphone — plus grab passwords to your accounts. “New Overhead Privacy Thief.”
Could mini-drones be designed to shoot 80,000 volt taser darts? Apparently so, according to this story by Mark Prigg in the Daily Mail [Mail Online] …
Would any private paramilitary group be interested in a weapons-carrying mini-drone? They’d be most interested. Just a guess, mind you.
Check out this video from FPSRussia, a popular YouTube site where Kyle Myers, an American born in Hart County, Georgia, USA — playing the role of “Dmitri Potapoff” — uses a modified and souped-up mini-drone to illustrate how dangerous these flying machines can be. These suckers can do some serious damage.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/SNPJMk2fgJU
The State of Connecticut may pass a law that would give judges the power to imprison anyone for up to 20 years for flying weapons or explosives on a drone or quadcopter, and up to 10 years for using the craft for voyeurism.
How will drones change sports? That’s a question pondered by Colin Lecher of Popular Science …
http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/how-will-drones-change-sports?dom=tw&src=SOC
Don’t think drug dealers know about these gadgets? They will see a remote-controlled quad-copter as an easy way to transport drugs across a border, and a cool way to transport contraband over prison walls.
What’s to stop someone from shipping a small weapon with ammo to a prison exercise yard … or to a loading dock where inmates are gathered? How would guards stop these things? Keep in mind, they’re fairly small and difficult to detect when they’re hundreds of feet in the air. And they don’t make a lot of noise.
In Canada and the U.S. mini-drones have already been used to carry contraband over prison walls [smokes and drugs]. Here’s a story on Liveleak about how a machine was used to get cocaine into a correctional center in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 7 March 2014. According to the story, prisoners had previously used pigeons and cats to smuggle in dope. Cats??
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3df_1394450345
Let’s talk about liability. Who’s responsible when one of these toys spins out of control and comes down on a busy freeway, resulting in a pile-up where people are hurt or killed?
What happens when a child is hurt by an out-of-control flying lawnmowers plunging from the sky?
Manufacturers maintain they’re not liable, but that doesn’t mean anything in a court of law. A judge will decide who is on the hook for some serious money. That may be you.
Although I’ve listed some nefarious uses of quad-copters, I believe a huge majority of operators are law-abiding folk who want to have fun, act responsibly … and earn an honest dollar without putting people at risk.
Matthew Schroyer, founder and president of the Professional Society of Drone Journalists, threw his support behind Pedro Rivera, the beleaguered TV reporter. Schroyer’s organization, which has members from around the world, has its own Code of Ethics. Check it out by clicking on this link:
http://www.dronejournalism.org/code-of-ethics
Remote-controlled quadcopters are safer … and way, way cheaper than helicopters. I can’t imagine a newsroom without a couple of these. Wait. What am I saying? I can well imagine, given the cutbacks newsrooms are facing.
Legislators now find themselves in much the same position as law-makers did 100 years ago when “horseless carriages” started becoming popular. A host of laws were introduced and as the years went by, more laws were brought in. The same will happen today to govern the use of quad-copters and the larger machines.
The bureaucrats will have a field day determining what’s okay … and what’s a no-no.
Enter the California-based website WantToKnowInfo.com. It makes the point: “Do we really want only the military and government to have the right to use them?”
TUG OF WAR
In the U.S.A., the Federal Aviation Agency, the outfit that deals with flights over American soil, has weighed in on the debate over its involvement with unmanned aircraft. Click here to read a statement the FAA issued on 26 February 2014:
http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=76240
Just to muddy up the waters a bit more, on the 6th of March 2014 a judge with the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the FAA has no authority to regulate drones, striking down a 6-year ban on commercial drones. The problem with the FAA is that all it had was a “policy statement,” no enforceable law. Duh. Thanks to PetaPixel for this story. Read all about it:
The FAA says it will appeal that ruling.
A GREAT IDEA, BUT …
The DJI Phantom is a terrific concept, but flawed. The company must be given credit for trying to improve its product — such as adding an extra antenna to the craft — but after experiencing three fly-aways [with only one recovery], I remain ultra-cautious about these things. Perhaps you should be too … especially after reading accounts by other owners who have watched their expensive quad-copters and cameras fly away, never to be seen again.
In its initial instructional videos, DJI claimed that once the craft was locked into at least six satellites, it would automatically return to the point where it took off — even if the transmitter was destroyed while the Phantom was in flight. Sounds great, but that didn’t happen with me. My machine drifted out of sight.
So much for another theory: that by taking one’s hands off the spring-loaded controls on the transmitter, the craft would hover in the same spot. Nope.
Here’s what happened: I’d been flying/landing the Phantom One in a large, open park for about 20 minutes. Everything was going fine. The machine had been calibrated, no electrical wires or power lines were nearby, there were fresh batteries in the transmitter — but the little bugger suddenly took off, towards a suburb a mile or so distant. God knows where it is now, or who has it. Maybe some little old lady now owns it, showing it off at bridge parties as proof that UFO’s really exist.
My second fly away happened at night near the Bay of Chaleur in Northern New Brunswick. Same thing. Locked into satellites, and for about 15 minutes everything was going fine. The craft then suddenly started to misbehave … doing large circles on its own [looking for satellites, I was told], and circling at a good clip. When I tried to get the Phantom under control, it drifted over a forest and towards the bay. It’s as though the little bastard wanted to go for a swim. The Phantom flew for miles, ignoring my frantic attempts to bring it back. Fish in the Bay of Chaleur are now checking it out.
I watched my Phantom One drift away until I couldn’t see the lights any more. What a heart-breaking loss that was. I was fast becoming an owner of Phantom transmitters. It would have been cheaper had I had rented a real helicopter.
Two police officers pulled up in a cruiser after seeing a mysterious craft with flashing lights headed towards the bay.
I also discovered early on that one of the battery chargers for my Phantom One was defective. A dealer revealed he returned to company a few faulty battery chargers. Growing pains.
On the Amazon customer feedback there was one account by a Phantom owner who witnessed her machine suddenly rev at a high speed and fly high into the sky, never to be seen again. Hmmm … the first Phantom Two I owned, on its initial flight, also revved at a high speed and was slow to respond to commands. It too went crazy. I brought it down as fast as I could. Did DJI hire its throttle engineers from Toyota?
A faulty transmitter was suspected and that transmitter was replaced. However, even with a new transmitter the high revving continued. In the end, everything was replaced. I’ll be saying prayers when I put this in the sky again.
I have ordered a small GPS tracking device [manufactured by TRAX of Stockholm, Sweden] to attach to my Phantom because I can’t trust my flying machines to consistently respond to controls. I realize there’s a ‘Find My Fanthom’ feature on the DJI app on my iPhone, but given what I’ve experienced I can’t trust it. I’ll attach my own tracking device, thank you.
An official with TRAX says their small, waterproof tracking units were initially designed for children and pets, but they’re now getting calls from owners of remote controlled-aircraft. I’m not surprised.
Examination of my Phantoms by a DJI supplier has twice led him to conclude that the transmitters were faulty, even after calibration. Staff at a hobby shop in Edmonton wondered if a software update had in fact made things worse. Who knows??
What it comes down to is that the Phantom is a new product and while they’re a lot of fun, bugs must still be worked out, just as legislation needs to be worked out so society isn’t at risk.
SOME TIPS FOR FLYERS …
First practice flying with the tiny, inexpensive quadcopters, the ones that fit in the palm of your hand. These things go for about $100. They’re more difficult to maneuver, yes, but if you can fly them, you can handle something like the Phantom.
Purchase a waterproof GPS tracking device [TRAX or Garmin, for example] and attach it to your machine. Google TRAX and the Garmin GTU10 on how to get these things. Note that a custom-made bracket for the Garmin GTU10 — one that snugly fits onto the Phantom landing gear — is available from Shapeways.
Think of a GPS tracking device as insurance. Let’s hope you never have to use it.
It’s also wise to put your phone number on your craft. If there’s a fly away, some honest person may find your baby and give you a call.
Fly in a safe place; a park or field is best.
When you first put up the quad-copter, it may start to drift. Hover it about 10 feet off the ground for a couple of minutes until it stabilizes. Move the craft forward, backwards or sideways until it “adjusts” itself and stays in the same spot. Just don’t shoot your craft 100 feet high to impress people and then try to stabilize it. If that happens, you are rolling the dice.
Take along small battery chargers for both your smartphone and the range extender on the transmitter. The smart phone tends to drain quickly … and the last thing you want is for your range extender to crap out. I use the small i/oMagic batteries, available at Costco for less than $20 for a pair.
Buy prop guards and extra blades. You’ll need them. The plastic, stock blades are not as durable as the more expensive, carbon fibre blades. I’m told there’s also less of a ‘jello’ effect when using the carbon fibre blades because those blades don’t flex.
Another tip: you take your chances if you don’t buy straight from the manufacturer. Beware of knock-off junk, especially Chinese-manufactured products stamped O-XOXO. Replacement blades and prop guards made by this company are a waste of money. Don’t know what the ‘XO’ stands for, it may be “you’ve been had,” but it sure ain’t ”hugs and kisses.”
A good time to practice flying is when it’s dark, strange as that may seem. That’s because you can easily see the LED lights on the underbelly of the craft. However, some people will wonder if they’ve spotted a UFO. After I did some night-flying in a local park, a police helicopter swooped in to check things out. Somebody had put in a call. “Sorry Mr. Concerned Citizen, no sign of E.T. …”
SOME KIND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FOLK AT DJI …
Consider designing your Phantom One so one doesn’t have to use a PC computer to install an upgrade or calibrate the equipment. There are millions of Mac owners out there who don’t own PCs.
Have people who are fluent in a foreign language [whether that be English, German, Spanish, whatever] write your manuals. There are enough highly-qualified, unemployed journalists around the world who would be more than glad to help.
Why design your Phantoms so that only GoPro cameras can be mounted? Why not have the international, standard camera screw attachment so that other cameras [such as the Ghost Drift] can be attached as well?
Re-design the landing gear on the Phantom so that it provides more stability in take-offs and landings … and increased clearance for gimbals and cameras.
Owing to the complexity and popularity of the devices, encourage somebody to come up with a book called Dummies for Phantom Users. An easy-to-follow instruction book would make life a lot easier for owners, and it would increase sales. PS: Dummies is a U.S.-based company. Deal with them and you will be exporting some work to the United States. That’s a nice switch.
Improve your Customer Relations. Set up a help/call centre that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And when company representatives respond to emails, it would be nice if they could assign a file number and identify themselves.
A major hobby store in Edmonton, Hobby Alley, has stopped selling the Phantom because it got fed up waiting for parts to arrive. DJI, if you’re going to market a product, please consider having parts readily available for your customers who have already laid out some good coin.
FEEDBACK WELCOMED
Have you had fly aways or something unusual happen to your Phantom that you’d like to pass on to others? You can leave a comment at the end of this post, or tell me about it in an email … click here. I respond to all emails.
