RC Drone Guy

RC Drone & Quadcopter Enthusiast

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WTF??? These Guys Are Stoopid.

http://gizmodo.com/dads-with-drones-are-wreaking-havoc-this-christmas-1675107570

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So you got a drone for Christmas (or an unmanned flying vehicle, as the FAA likes to call it, or a quadcopter, if you prefer). That’s awesome. But don’t just head into your backyard and try to fly it without any preparation (unless it’s one of those Parrot MiniDrones, of course).

As we reported earlier this week, the FAA would like you to follow a couple of common sense rules before you take flight. Most of those you probably know about already (like staying away from airports, people and animals, and not flying over 400 feet) and some drones now automatically deactivate if you are too close to a major airport, so that’s getting a bit less of an issue.

But here is what you should really do before you take your drone out for the first time: read the manual and watch all the instructional videos. I know that’s a hassle, but you (or somebody who loves you very much) just spent a few hundred dollars on a flying lawnmower and it only takes one bad crash to ruin all the fun — and you really don’t want to crash into any people when you lose control, because those fast-spinning propellers are sharp.

Most drones also have a specific start-up procedure you want to follow and you probably also want to know exactly what each of those knobs, levers and buttons on your remote control does before you take off.

After that, find yourself a wide open space away from airports, power lines, people and animals to start practicing. Try to learn to take off and land first. Don’t worry about the app that runs on your smartphone at first (unless it gives you a first-person view from the drone’s camera — I’d start using that right away because it can make flying more intuitive). Flying drones isn’t hard, but that doesn’t mean it comes natural. Keeping track of what direction forward is for your drone takes practice, for example.

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Drones Given for Christmas a Hazard in the Skies?

By Christmas afternoon, thousands more RC Drones will be in American skies — but the federal government fears operators of the increasingly small, cheap craft simply don’t know what they’re doing and could cause aerial catastrophes.

The Federal Aviation Administration joined with drone industry groups and others this week to launch a safety initiative aimed at unmanned aerial systems, which have become one of the hottest holiday gifts this season, according to companies such as Amazon and Best Buy.

Once identified only as huge, multimillion-dollar military weapons, drones also have become 21st-century toys, some of which cost as little as $20.

The low cost and relatively simple operation make drones appealing gifts for tech junkies, teenagers and others.

“Over the next five days or so, you’re going to have tens of thousands of 10-year-old to 90-year-old people that are going to have this capability, being exposed to it. And we want to make sure they understand how to use it in a safe and responsible way,” said Michael Toscano, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the drone industry’s largest trade group.

The association, the FAA, the Academy of Model Aeronautics and other organizations this week launched the website KnowBeforeYouFly.com, which contains information on federal regulations and safety guidelines for operating the craft.

[Read More]

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Quadcopter Drone Packs First All-Linux Autopilot

Erle Robotics has launched what is claimed to be the first drone torun both a Pixhawk APM autopilot and ROS directly on Linux. Over the last year Erle Robotics and 3DRobotics have collaborated on developing an open source, all-Linux BeagleBone Black-based autopilot for drones using the popular 3DR APM architecture, but without using Nuttx RTOS for the real-time bits. In addition to being used on a new ‘Erle-copter’ quadcopter drone, the new all-Linux ‘Erle-brain’ APM will ship in both a two-winged UAV and a four-wheeled robotic vehicle, due next spring.

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DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus Review

A Professional Drone for Everyone: DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus

In this DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus review, we take a look at all the great features of the Phantom Quadcopter. As far as RC drones, this is one of the most coveted and best drones with cameras for hobby flyers and professionals alike.  While it is a very serious option when it comes to buying a quadcopter, it can easily be flown by beginner quadcopter flyers as well.

with all the DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus Reviews on the internet, you'll notice that the Phantom is one of the most widely touted and respected drones to hit the quadcopter market. It's a personal drone, but doubles for commercial use by Hollywood film makers, photographers and even law enforcement.

As you can see from the video, the Phantom 2 Vision Plus gives you a perfect blend of sophistication and ease of use. While you can find the drone at hobby stores, your best price will be found on Amazon.com, where the drone usually sells around $1300.

The Phantom 2 is a great quadcopter that is GPS controlled and can carry your GoPro camera to take great aerial shots. While it may be a little more expensive (ok... a lot more,) excellent value and super easy to operate even for first time flyers.

Now DJI has pushed it further, they put a 3-Axis Gimbal and 1080p HD Camera combo and a Wi-Fi Video System on the drone, they really listened to what players want and well, this is the result - the Phantom 2 Vision Plus "Flying Camera".

The Phantom 2 Vision Plus V3 standout on the market because of the smart 3-Axis gimbal which stays leveled all the time, no matter how fast or aggressive you fly the drone and it still give you "Perfectly Stabled" video. We love the portability and the convenience of the Vision+, it makes Flying easy and fun, everyone can take stunningly beautiful scenic videos, no harsh, no trouble at all, this truly is a Flying Camera!

The Vision+ can transmit video and flight data to your smart phone thru Wi-Fi with almost no latency, you can actually "Fly" the drone base on the video screen with First Person View (FPV) experience, Wi-Fi range is about 300m~500m. (this is very long range for Wi-Fi, thanks to the Range Extender, that's the small white box on top of the Remote Controller)

Phantom 2 Vision+ is an Epic product, it came with everything in the box, you just need a Smartphone, charge all batteries, grab the whole box to the field and start playing, 20+ minutes of Non-Stop Hollywood Grade video footage. We can say this Vision+ is the dream product for every one. Easy and fun to use!

Learn More about the DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus

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