Exploring with Drones?

General urban exploration stuff -- location specific stuff in the categories below
BacktotheFuture4Life
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Exploring with Drones?

Post by BacktotheFuture4Life »

Do you? I think it'd be cool (and safe) to explore abandoned buildings with a drone, especially in a remote region. (Such as those secluded down on islands in the Lake.) Do you guys do it? I would buy a drone, but I'm currently broke. :roll:
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mindwaave
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by mindwaave »

I've taken my drone out on 2 explores, and have learned that it's not very safe (or simple). Beyond being a significant investment to accidentally crash or lose, drones are easy to spot against a bright daytime sky, and can definitely get you spotted on a property if you aren't cognizant of who/where else can see it. Wouldn't really recommend drones indoors, they'll stir-up dust and be less stable without clear signal from GPS sats.

It is pretty great to have for open areas, and as my videography skills improve, I plan to get more creative use out of it....

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BacktotheFuture4Life
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by BacktotheFuture4Life »

Wow! That bottom one is interesting... Is it a factory/plant of some sort?
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Chris
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by Chris »

I am just getting into this stuff myself.

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I think they could be a very useful tool. A stable GPS camera drone could be a great scouting tool, but like any other explore, you have to be smart about it.

A small indoor camera "selfie" drone could also be fun in a large industrial building. In a place like Armour or the Carondelet Coke plant such a little toy could make for a lot of fun.

I don't really do any "real" exploring any more (hopefully that will change) but I've got a list of places I want to explore with my quad.
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by BacktotheFuture4Life »

Wow! Another great shot! Thanks for all of the feedback!
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Chris
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by Chris »

mindwaave wrote:...
Question for you...when you took the shots of the intake towers, where were you standing? On the COR bridge?


If so, did you have any problems with the steel giving you interference problems?
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by BacktotheFuture4Life »

Chris wrote:
mindwaave wrote:...
Question for you...when you took the shots of the intake towers, where were you standing? On the COR bridge?


If so, did you have any problems with the steel giving you interference problems?
I was wondering that, too!
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mindwaave
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by mindwaave »

I was actually standing on the island.

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Steel may cause some RC interference, but it definitely affects drone compasses during startup. I took-off from the hood of a pickup truck once, and as soon as it got 3 inches of altitude, the drone banked right at full tilt. Got lucky and recalibrated before it crashed. Never start or calibrate drones around ferrous metal lol
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Chris
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by Chris »

I noted when I was flying around McArthur I could not fly over or through the bridge without it getting "squirrelly". I could only fly alongside it.

I once calibrated my compass right on top of a steel rail. Yeah, don't do that!
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RE: Exploring with Drones?

Post by kcexplorer69 »

Drones have saved my ass a couple times[/img]
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mindwaave
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by mindwaave »

Recon is another great use for drones :P Gratz on not getting busted that day lol
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by GlassCurtain »

I'm big into the racing/freestyle drones and I love that it's getting popular to fly Bando's (abandoned places). Here's a great vid of some UE plus drone freestyle. Especially showing the police what we do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_KCTAibN1s
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by gimpface »

I bought one a while back with this in mind. I think they're a viable option for hard to access places and certainly for your initial recon of a site.
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by ForsakenExplorer »

I explore with drones all the time. I use the Mavic Pro
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mindwaave
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Re: Exploring with Drones?

Post by mindwaave »

ForsakenExplorer wrote:I use the Mavic Pro
Nice, that's the model I have. Pretty happy with it.

Post some shots!

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