Drones

Muckit

Listening to a radio programme today talking about their popularity. Lad was on about all their possible uses and just mentioned agriculture. I always only thought of them as a play thing and a way for the paps to take sneaky pictures!

So do you think they would have a use on your farm? Are they the next quad?

They'd be a handy for part time livestock farmers l would think if they could be controlled remotely over the internet to herd.

Birdnuts

I think they will have huge implications for all outdoor industries and activities. Will be handy for checking on livestock on sprawling commonages or saving time walking large tillage fields etc. Handy for security too as many police forces are already using the larger more expensive ones for survalliance etc. In parts of Africa they are proving to be a powerfull tool against poachers and rustlers on large sprawling ranches/game reserves. Of course the government will be using them in the future too, to make sure we are all behaving ourselves;)

greysides

Heat detection?

Reggie.

Great job for them foxes and rogue dogs

Connemara Farmer

They're great until they get a slight breeze, the chape ones anyway. A lad I know has some sort of tower near him and it's inspected via drone camera.

In Japan small paddy fields are sprayed with remote control helicopters. Would be handy for bad ground but they're expensive.

The right one be great for checking sheep on the hills.

Genghis Cant

Several Government agencies, that I'm aware of, outside of the army, use them to good effect. Coillte and NPWS are two.

Capercaille

Forty years ago everyone herded dry cattle by walking through them. Cattle were quiet.

In last ten years alot of people herd cattle driving jeeps. Cattle wilder. At least the cattle can see farmer through window or window will often be down.

Now people might be herding with drones. Cattle will never see anybody. Cattle will be pure wild.

mr potato head

Don't just think of them as the multirotor type of drone (the ones like multi bladed helicopters), While they can hover but they can't cover much ground. There are also wing type ones which can cover a much bigger area.

Yes herd management is one use. But they have a number of uses in forestry and tillage too, for example using cameras to map the health of vegetation in a field. This uses cameras and a method called Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI).

There are some examples here:
Unmanned Aircraft and Agriculture - Google Group

Blackgrass

Drone tech in a few years loaded with very high power cameras with software to distinguish crop from weeds and give a m2 plant count to ascess weed population tying in with economic margins and ipm.
Tech to scan Green area indexs to help with early N needs to give a full canopy.
Tech to scan crop mid canopy to get better use of N sensors and even up fields before final split at flat rate.
Copied and paste but these are areas currently available or being refined for market in cropping.
Agronomist uses one daily to check any immediate areas of concern as much easier to view from the air.

Username John

Capercaille wrote: »

Forty years ago everyone herded dry cattle by walking through them. Cattle were quiet.

In last ten years alot of people herd cattle driving jeeps. Cattle wilder. At least the cattle can see farmer through window or window will often be down.

Now people might be herding with drones. Cattle will never see anybody. Cattle will be pure wild.

True, tis better to have quiet cattle.
But what if you can only see them once a month cos you'll need to spend a day looking for em cos they have a big run, and you don't have the time to do that - surely it would be better to have a piece if kit that you can send up and have checked on them...

What about lads with sheep on the hills?

Base price

Muckit wrote: »

Listening to a radio programme today talking about their popularity. Lad was on about all their possible uses and just mentioned agriculture. I always only thought of them as a play thing and a way for the paps to take sneaky pictures!

So do you think they would have a use on your farm? Are they the next quad?

They'd be a handy for part time livestock farmers l would think if they could be controlled remotely over the internet to herd.

My nephew bought one recently. It cost about €400 and he described it as a play thing and far from top of the range. He brought it up to my place on a calm day and flew it around the fields. Wouldn't have a great range or altitude (which was ok as we are near a flight path) but I was more than impressed with the video that you could see live (or recorded) on his phone.
Having said that if I saw one flying over mine then I reckon a 34gr 4 or 5 would sort it

Base price

Username John wrote: »

True, tis better to have quiet cattle.
But what if you can only see them once a month cos you'll need to spend a day looking for em cos they have a big run, and you don't have the time to do that - surely it would be better to have a piece if kit that you can send up and have checked on them...

What about lads with sheep on the hills?

Can understand lads with sheep on hills but is there a livestock farm in Ireland so large that it takes a day to herd them.
Agree with Capercallie, over the years cattle are getting wilder due to less daily contact with humans which cannot be avoided due to off farm work commitments etc. Add a drone into the equation then we are really asking for trouble.

arctictree

What range do they have? Would it go 2KM to the other side of a hill?

darragh_haven

Theis is the quailty of image that I can get from our work drone. And the video the same quality. It can go to a thousand feet with out any problems. If it gets lost, it has an auto return setting. It will land exactly where it took off from

ihatewinter

darragh haven what would the cost of one be. Amazing quality and view.

Base price

After looking at the quality of the images that Darragh posted I really hope that our Dept of Agri don't use the same technology - otherwise we will be screwed :mad:

feargale

Base price wrote: »

After looking at the quality of the images that Darragh posted I really hope that our Dept of Agri don't use the same technology - otherwise we will be screwed :mad:

You could send one to the post office to collect the pension. Then they will be able to close every P.O. in the county bar one. But if you live near an airport they'll be putting traffic lights up in the clouds.

darragh_haven

ihatewinter wrote: »

darragh haven what would the cost of one be. Amazing quality and view.

We bought that off the Architect that does our planning permissions for us last month. Its about 5 years old and cost £500 sterling. He bought a new one for £2300 but it is top of the range.
There are one or two for sale on gumtree uk or Ebay

Markcheese

What are the legalities of someone flying them over your house ? - yard or even fields ?- I know the lad who did the Ariel film of cork city got into trouble but that was over a built up area and near (ish) an airport

Muckit

From what l can recall of the radio programme, l think Irish law hasn't really been able to keep up with the technology. A lot of grey areas!

vicwatson

You need a licence from the IAA (Irish aviation authority) to legally fly a drone

In a statement, the IAA said any person operating a remotely piloted aircraft “must obtain a permission to fly and an aerial work permit from the IAA, before commencing operations in Irish airspace”.

keep going

Markcheese wrote: »

What are the legalities of someone flying them over your house ? - yard or even fields ?- I know the lad who did the Ariel film of cork city got into trouble but that was over a built up area and near (ish) an airport

We have a fella that regularly flys over with what I would describe as a paraglider with an engine strapped to his back, would only be 200 ft up so he can see everything, dont bother me as long he dosent fall down on me

onyerbikepat

They'd be handy at matches too. You'd have a great view and you could ram it into Lar Corbett's head if he was bearing down on goal.

sh1tstirrer

Base price wrote: »

After looking at the quality of the images that Darragh posted I really hope that our Dept of Agri don't use the same technology - otherwise we will be screwed :mad:

They are being used in the uk and Northern Ireland for the last few years for exactly that. You'd never know what they might find a furze bush growing a foot into the field, no doubt they will figure out more ways to cut your payment. Next you won't be able to step outside your door without being watched.

RobertKK

At least they aren't the ones firing the missiles.

jaymla627

Neighbour caught a lad well known for lifting diseal/home heating oil around his area flying one , needless to say two houses near to him had their tanks emptied the following day....

Brown Podzol

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

They are being used in the uk and Northern Ireland for the last few years for exactly that. You'd never know what they might find a furze bush growing a foot into the field, no doubt they will figure out more ways to cut your payment. Next you won't be able to step outside your door without being watched.

Double barrel anti-aircraft guns.:cool: