Cheap Drones

Kim Doh

Amazon Deal of the Day is some very good prices on Parrot Drones - Thought one may come in handy for my 'neighbourhood watch', buzzing water meter installers or bombing north Pakistan.

matchthis

Have a link? Trying to get one of these for decent price

dodzy

A BA with no link should result in a public flogging.

Danbo!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ref_=tsm_1_tw_s_uk_netu1f&rh=i:toys,n:5246809031,n:5246809031&ie=UTF8&node=5246809031&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Kevin!

Just Google Amazon deal of the day lads?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/gb

Not difficult to find, thanks for the heads up op

lego101

Did you buy it OP?

JONJO THE MISER

Would be great for farmers to count there sheep or cattle from the comfort of there bed.

Last_Minute

Are there any sex bots on sale?

mrcheez

ah I'll wait till these things follow you around... apparently some prototypes in the making: http://www.gizmag.com/airdog-auto-follow-action-sports-drone/32576/

Would be cool to have on a cycle, or kiteboarding

JONJO THE MISER

Surely at some point some regulations will have to come im if they become popular.
Imagine a city with thousands of these flying around driving you mad.

The_Conductor

Ok- its a 6 channel radio controlled 34-35Mhz robotic aid- that doesn't appear to come with a remote control? I've gone through the box contents- please enlighten me if I'm missing something. Looking at the video of live feeds on an android phone on one of the advertisements- looks amazing- but how do you control the device, without some radio transmitter?

Also- do you require a license to operate equipment in the 34-35Mhz bands?

That Parrot 2.0 Elite- really looks the business!

jamesd

Controlled via your smart phone.

The_Conductor

jamesd wrote: »

Controlled via your smart phone.

Last time I checked- my smart phone didn't have a 35Mhz transceiver in its specs.........? If you said 2.4Ghz- or 5Ghz- I'd have to check, but its a definite possible.......

mrcheez

The_Conductor wrote: »

Last time I checked- my smart phone didn't have a 35Mhz transceiver in its specs.........? If you said 2.4Ghz- or 5Ghz- I'd have to check, but its a definite possible.......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrot_AR.Drone

"communicates with the pilot through a self-generated Wi-Fi hotspot"

interesting

drumswan

It would seem flying one of these in a public place without a licence is illegal. Even with a licence the cameras are illegal according to this article

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/game-of-drones-as-remote-pilots-ignore-the-rules-1.1891523

The_Conductor

mrcheez wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrot_AR.Drone

"communicates with the pilot through a self-generated Wi-Fi hotspot"

interesting

It is interesting- but it is also a major limiting factor- I don't know about your phone- but mine certainly has limited wifi range........ I can see one of these flying out of range and crashing in no time flat.......... I think this needs a bit more research.........

Funkstard

For anyone looking for something a bit more affordable, I have one of these on order for a Christmas present. It's nowhere near professional but has a 2mp camera and should be a bit of fun to play around with. Have it delivered for ~$65.

Syma X5C - Ali Express

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uDonroP4EA

RobertFoster

The_Conductor wrote: »

It is interesting- but it is also a major limiting factor- I don't know about your phone- but mine certainly has limited wifi range........ I can see one of these flying out of range and crashing in no time flat.......... I think this needs a bit more research.........

I believe some of them have a return to base function if signal is lost. Either that, or they hover in place until the battery runs out/signal resumes.


From a regulation point of view, I think they dropped the ball calling them drones. To me, drones are ominous, covert, death-from-above UAVs. They should have stuck with calling them quad- and octocopters.

mrcheez

RobertFoster wrote: »

I believe some of them have a return to base function if signal is lost.

Wouldn't be a good idea to launch one of these from a boat

Curious what's the flying time like on these? I read somewhere 26 hours but perhaps that's military.

Atomic Pineapple

Doesn't drone refer to an unmanned version that is not controlled by anyone but is either programmed to find it's own way or has a predefined path?

One piloted by a human is not technically a drone.

Flying time is around 30 minutes on current consumer products I believe.

But some of the stuff shown at the web summit last week looked amazing, self reliant drones that can monitor traffic, monitor areas for intruders, deliver packages, guide search and rescue operations. They like other technologies present huge opportunities to do good in the world and I hope legislation and naysayers don't stunt the possibilities.

The_Conductor

mrcheez wrote: »

Wouldn't be a good idea to launch one of these from a boat

Curious what's the flying time like on these? I read somewhere 26 hours but perhaps that's military.

The cheaper one says 35 minutes- given its only a 500mAh battery this sounds optimistic to me......... The more expensive one says an hour........

davidom2513

Is £200 very cheap for a parrot drone?

Do they retail for a lot more elsewhere?

I don't need one, yet I'm tempted

ted1

mrcheez wrote: »

Wouldn't be a good idea to launch one of these from a boat

Curious what's the flying time like on these? I read somewhere 26 hours but perhaps that's military.

Its about 25 minutes

Invincible

On Autumnwatch on BBC couple of weeks ago they had one operating counting deer on a marsh, great quality footage from it.

jamesd

The_Conductor wrote: »

Last time I checked- my smart phone didn't have a 35Mhz transceiver in its specs.........? If you said 2.4Ghz- or 5Ghz- I'd have to check, but its a definite possible.......

It creates its own wireless network , your smart phone connects to it to control the unit.
My Parrot 2 used to lose signal at about 85 metres up or away from me, It did not have a return to base but had a land if battery low setting.

Battery used to last 15 min max, also since they are so light the wind catchs them.

?Cee?view

drumswan wrote: »

It would seem flying one of these in a public place without a licence is illegal. Even with a licence the cameras are illegal according to this article

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/game-of-drones-as-remote-pilots-ignore-the-rules-1.1891523

I'd disagree with most of what that article states unless the regulations have changed in the last month or two. The Irish Aviation Authority regulations don't extend to cover these.

drumswan

?Cee?view wrote: »

I'd disagree with most of what that article states unless the regulations have changed in the last month or two. The Irish Aviation Authority regulations don't extend to cover these.

Heard a guy on Newstalk the other day saying they were illegal also.

Who cares though, they are pretty cool!

Ardennes1944

I ordered a Syma from Aliexpress too. Only 43e with a spare battery, blades, etc etc

Gatling

?Cee?view wrote: »

I'd disagree with most of what that article states unless the regulations have changed in the last month or two. The Irish Aviation Authority regulations don't extend to cover these.

Apparently depending on what attitude you plan on flying you do need to inform Air Traffic control.

but there definitely legal and don't require a licence to operate

Gulliver

Ardennes1944 wrote: »

I ordered a Syma from Aliexpress too. Only 43e with a spare battery, blades, etc etc

Good thinking. I 'd definitely recommend anyone looking at the Syma to get the spare battery. You only get around 8 to 10 mins flying time and it takes 75 mins to charge. Also as the battery is Lithium Polymer, don't let it overcharge.

No amount of trimming on the handset got mine to hover without drifting indoors, so be aware that you'll have to be on the ball to fly it. But for the price it's great fun!

imitation

Gatling wrote: »

Apparently depending on what attitude you plan on flying you do need to inform Air Traffic control.

but there definitely legal and don't require a licence to operate

Yeah, it will be fine as long as people are sensible, a 300g drone field is grand. If people start flying 2kg ones around stadiums and brain a few people with them (or even worse, violate some football associations copyrights!) we can expect new legislation fairly fast.

Qualitymark

Anywhere you can buy these in a physical shop in Dublin?

What do you need in terms of extras - batteries, spare parts?

What's cheap and good and tough and best for the price?

The_Conductor

You could try the likes of CQ Communications there by the Half-Penny Bridge?
It really depends on what you're willing to spend- what you're looking for from the drone etc. You can get cheap and cheerful things even in some newsagents- and 100% definitely in the likes of Maplins on Jervis Street. Going upmarket gets you an entirely different product- better flight times, better camera, programmable drones etc etc etc.

Try Maplins and CQ Communications for starters- but realistically you're probably going to need to get them online.........

Qualitymark

Thanks, I'll take a look in CQ.

I looked at a couple of Irish online shops but they seem to be plastered with "Out of Stock" stickers. Don't want to buy from Amazon this Christmas.

Edit: cqcomms' website doesn't seem to have drones, only wild-eyed kinda spy stuff. Might wander into the shop, but no great hopes.

This is basically a toy for a bit of fun I'm looking for.

bromley52

Qualitymark wrote: »

Anywhere you can buy these in a physical shop in Dublin?

What do you need in terms of extras - batteries, spare parts?

What's cheap and good and tough and best for the price?

Top floor of Dundrum shopping centre. There is a shop that sells gadgets and they also sell drones. Expensive though.
I purchased a drone called the Hubsan x4 with a 2mp camera off Amazon for about €65. The same in the shop above without the camera was about €70.

Qualitymark

bromley52 wrote: »

Top floor of Dundrum shopping centre. There is a shop that sells gadgets and they also sell drones. Expensive though.
I purchased a drone called the Hubsan x4 with a 2mp camera off Amazon for about €65. The same in the shop above without the camera was about €70.

Hm. And with the camera?

bromley52

Qualitymark wrote: »

Hm. And with the camera?

Yes with the camea. The crowd I purchased off were shobhob and there were doing super saver delivery at the time direct from the UK. I just looked there and there only seems to be sellers from China and Hong Kong and only free postage to the UK. I imagine they sold out quickly for Xmas.

Shobhob store front
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aag/main?ie=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=1&isCBA=&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&orderID=202-8343170-1776314&seller=A1Z9IDSJYKIJ88

Qualitymark

Ah, thanks. No Amazon for me this Christmas, though.

Where's the best place for generally geeky presents in Dublin, moving slightly creeptheadily for a moment?

The_Conductor

Qualitymark wrote: »

Ah, thanks. No Amazon for me this Christmas, though.

Where's the best place for generally geeky presents in Dublin, moving slightly creeptheadily for a moment?

Maplins?
Depends on how geeky you want to go?
Is the recipient into computer programming?
How about an Arduino or Raspberry Pie board, a case for it- and a book on programming on the respective platforms?

Your options are a bit limited at this stage- if you can narrow it down to a specific product- we might be able to point you towards a bricks and mortar store that stock it (though it is late in the day).

Sorry CQ don't do drones- I kind of imagined they would- it seems a logical extension to their other products.

Gadget type shops are one route- versus the likes of Maplins- a different route- kind of depends on whether its for a geek or a nerd

Qualitymark

It's for a programmer Is that a geek or a nerd?

Guide me to gadget-type shops, if you'd be so kind. I'd have been buying online before, but would prefer to buy locally this year.

The_Conductor

Grand- if they're a programmer- thats easy- do they have a Raspberry Pie already? Also- probably don't bother with an 'idiots guide' to go with it-a nice case for it might be a better bet. Maplins have them (for definite). Take soundings on whether they're an Intel type programmer (aka an Arduino board)- or more Java (Raspberry Pie).

If you'd like to go down a different route- I am almost certain there is a gadget shop in the Jervis shopping centre- akin to the one out in Dundrum.

If you fail going down either of these routes- are they a gamer? Something like 'The Last of Us' might be appreciated (if they have an appropriate platform, and don't have it already!)

Think outside the box- even places like Argos can have interesting gadgets that would appeal to nerds (though don't admit you bought it there!).........

PPC

http://radiocontrolledshop.ie out near the Red Cow have a great selection of radio controlled stuff.

Qualitymark

PPC wrote: »

http://radiocontrolledshop.ie out near the Red Cow have a great selection of radio controlled stuff.

But the dreaded Out of Stock strikes again http://radiocontrolledshop.ie/573-multicopters-helicopters-planes

Notch000

Funkstard wrote: »

For anyone looking for something a bit more affordable, I have one of these on order for a Christmas present. It's nowhere near professional but has a 2mp camera and should be a bit of fun to play around with. Have it delivered for ~$65.

Syma X5C - Ali Express

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uDonroP4EA

what delivery like with these guys ?? couple of weeks or months ???

The_Conductor

Notch000 wrote: »

what delivery like with these guys ?? couple of weeks or months ???

Chinapost- and then Netherlands post- normally 2-3-4 weeks (not longer)- but...... they have a habit of putting improbably low valuations on customs declarations- and Irish Customs and Excise and pretty much guaranteed to impound it- until you prove the price of it- and then demand duty and vat on it.

Not bad in all honesty- and you're probably looking at less than 25 on vat and duty- if you're happy to wait 3-4 weeks.........

The_Conductor

Qualitymark wrote: »

But the dreaded Out of Stock strikes again http://radiocontrolledshop.ie/573-multicopters-helicopters-planes

Do you have a specific budget in mind?
They have a few models left- even if they are horrendously expensive.

Lidl did some 2.4Ghz choppers a week or two back- they're only toys really- but they're a bit of crack...........

Even with the 'out-of-stock' stickers up- it might still be an idea to visit- they may have one or two that they were keeping back. Ditto Maplins- they stock these too- though I have no idea on stock/availability.......

beauf

Whats a good indoor one?

Qualitymark

Thanks, Conductor. Horrendously expensive is a bit out of my range. Great fun for the price is more my level. And I suppose one would have to buy three or four batteries too, since battery life is a risible eight minutes for most?

bromley52

beauf wrote: »

Whats a good indoor one?

As I mentioned earlier, the Hubsan x4 (with or without camera) is a good start. Once the trims are adjusted it is reasonably easy to control indoors and outdoors (on a calm day) as it has some weight. You get about 5 min of flying time per charge (reality) and it comes with a protector and a spare set of blades.

Qualitymark

Does that mean five minutes flying and then eight hours juicing up the battery? (If this sounds like a stupid question, I'm just trying to get a handle on the play value of drones.)

Incidentally, Conductor, my experience with the Germants is that Aldi are generally good for electronics, but I've been burned a few times with Lidl on electronics.

Gulliver

Qualitymark wrote: »

Anywhere you can buy these in a physical shop in Dublin?

What do you need in terms of extras - batteries, spare parts?

What's cheap and good and tough and best for the price?

The gadget shop in Dundrum Centre had Syma ones without the camera a few weeks ago. They come with 1 rechargeable battery for the quad and spare rotors. The controller takes 4 AAs.