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Archive 2015 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed

  
 
Maineguy
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


I am thinking of purchasing a 1080P/still Quad-copter/Drone for real estate photography. I do not want to spend over $1,000 if possible because I know that the market is changing rapidly. I would appreciate any thoughts and suggestions as what brands to buy and which ones to stay away from.


Dec 21, 2015 at 09:08 AM
jancohen
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


If you haven't done so already, you might want to have a look at MUST READ for any US drone pilots. The FAA is implementing strict rules that require commercial drone operators (e.g., those who do real estate photography) to comply with various things like having a pilot's license in order to legally operate a drone. They do offer a means to obtain exemptions for that, see the thread in question.

Just a thought in case you weren't aware of this yet.

As for cheaper drones, you might want to go to B&H and search for quadcopters, which will give you some of an idea of what's available. Like a lot of other things, you'll find mixed reviews, but doing so helps. Also check out Youtube, which offers a lot of videos on the subject. Lastly, run a search for something like drone operators forum real estate, which will also return links to a lot of relevant information.

Real estate drone video/photos, when done right, can be a real money maker, if you have the right equipment and know how to use it, and are in the right place to make good use of both.

Edited on Dec 21, 2015 at 10:57 AM · View previous versions



Dec 21, 2015 at 10:33 AM
Maineguy
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


Thank you SO MUCH for all of the information and advice, this is greatly appreciated! As of today, all drones have to be registered with the FHA.


Dec 21, 2015 at 10:44 AM
Cicopo
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


Be very careful with this. Commercial use is very different than hobby use & you MUST COMPLY with FAA rules & have very good insurance as part of that. DO YOUR HOMEWORK before spending your money. This forum is just one of many that might help.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/channels.php?id=34



Dec 21, 2015 at 10:47 AM
jancohen
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


^ +1 What Cicopo said.


Dec 21, 2015 at 10:58 AM
sjms
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


Peter Urbanski wrote:
Thank you SO MUCH for all of the information and advice, this is greatly appreciated! As of today, all drones have to be registered with the FHA.


FAA, big difference



Dec 21, 2015 at 11:21 AM
Maineguy
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


You're right! I just caught that mistake!


Dec 21, 2015 at 11:27 AM
Cicopo
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


Not only will they along with all model aircraft that have some form of flying control system, even good old control line pilots. As I understand it those wishing to use any R/C aircraft or drone for commercial use will ALSO need to pass some form of test proving they can fly whatever they want to operate rather than to just rely on the built in electronics. This is a very important thing to keep in mind either way because things go wrong all the time, & consumer grade drones use much lower quality components than those sold for true commercial use.


Dec 21, 2015 at 11:56 AM
Canon-Shooter
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


I used to be into this as a hobby and it can be very expensive...I had Thousands of $$$...tied up into it. I built the units and just could not bring myself to fly them...scared to crash them and with no real type of insurance to cover...crashes....made it even harder for me to do.

I was using Bergen RC Observer Twin Helicopter. This was before the "Drones" like today.

www.bergenrc.com/ObserverTwin.php


Even though I have 1000,s of hours on a simulator...I just could not get past the...the Crash...that WILL/Would have happened. Even the Pros crash and some are beyond your control.

I would look into a good Simulator...like Real Flight....www.realflight.com.

It will teach you a lot and unlike real crashes...just hit the reset button and Fly on!

Here are a couple top sites that will have ALL kinds of information on this.

www.helifreak.com

www.runryder.com

Hope you find what your looking for!




Dec 21, 2015 at 12:46 PM
Maineguy
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


Thanks for flight simulator information! One reason I want to keep it around $1k is for the very reason you mentioned.....crashing the drone!


Dec 21, 2015 at 01:10 PM
chez
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


Peter Urbanski wrote:
Thanks for flight simulator information! One reason I want to keep it around $1k is for the very reason you mentioned.....crashing the drone!


Then I suggest you better get yourself a good insurance package as the cost of a crashed drone could be cheap compared to any lawsuits.



Dec 21, 2015 at 01:37 PM
Canon-Shooter
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


chez wrote:
Then I suggest you better get yourself a good insurance package as the cost of a crashed drone could be cheap compared to any lawsuits.


No problem Peter...glad to help!

This is a place where you can get insurance and other great info on RC/Drone/Model-aircraft....you will need to join this club in order to fly at most sanctioned fly-ins and such...they also offer insurance and many other services...well worth the cost...here is a few things and the site info is below...

Liability Coverage for the Operation of Model Aircraft, Boats, Cars, and Rockets $2,500,000 Comprehensive General Liability Protection for model activities for members, clubs, site owners, and sponsors $25,000 Accident/Medical Coverage for members $10,000 Maximum Accidental Death Coverage for members $1,000 Fire, Theft, and Vandalism Coverage for members Primary Site Owner Insurance


http://www.modelaircraft.org/

They do not cover Uh-Oh crashes or WTF happened crashes...



Dec 21, 2015 at 02:50 PM
TrojanHorse
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


I just bought a drone and did a fair amount of research into the < $1000 market. If I were going to do aerial video work, the best deal on the market appears to be the DJI Phantom 3 Standard (2.7k video from an onboard stabilized camera) for $699. You can get fancier cameras by spending more money. Range and battery life are both very good.

As it turns out, BH has a sale on the previous model - no camera included but it looks like you can put whatever you want in the gimbal included wiht it. 8 more hours if you want it: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/dealZone.jsp

I ordered a Parrot AR Drone 2.0 for about half that so I can be less worried about losing the thing. Crashing is one thing but sometimes those drones just up and fly away (google DJI phantom flyaway if you want to freak yourself out). Mine is just for goofing around though.



Dec 21, 2015 at 03:14 PM
Cicopo
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


I'm not sure whether the AMA will insure commercial use, but I know that MAAC won't which is what we have in Canada. As for the flight sim by all means money well spent. I just ordered a nice long monitor cable so I can use my TV as my flying field.


Dec 21, 2015 at 03:31 PM
Cicopo
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


For the record the AMA is contesting the FAA's right to impose the registry & in my opinion is giving it's members bad advice in that they are saying to hold off on registering until the last moment thinking it will have blown away by then.

http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2015/12/17/hold-off-on-registering-model-aircraft/

This is another useful site with info on personal & commercial use (in the US)

http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/

This is why the AMA thinks the FAA is overstepping it's mandate.

https://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_programs/section_333/

And this is a lawyers first interpretation of things as of last week.

http://jrupprechtlaw.com/myrupprecht-laws-analysis-of-the-faas-published-drone-registration-rule

Canada hasn't yet said whether it will do the same thing but if they do it will be far easier because Transport Canada has the ability to make it law much easier than the FAA does. A recent news program on drones suggested it's coming but so fan no official announcements have been made here.

This is Transport Canada's info page and the second last link has the rules for "during your flight" which are pretty much the same rules as US pilots must follow.

http://www.maac.ca/en/transport_canada.php



Dec 21, 2015 at 03:50 PM
Maineguy
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


I want to thank everyone for their input. I really appreciate all of the information on the liability of a drone and the insurance one would need to purchase. I also thought that the DJ1 Phantom Standard would be a good entry level drone which would give good video quality, not break the bank at the same time and would not make me sob for days if I crashed the drone!



Dec 22, 2015 at 08:05 AM
Cicopo
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


DJI are pretty good for the money ( the ready to fly ones) BUT I don't think they have a repair parts distribution system & force buyers to ship damaged units to them for repair. DJI do also sell kit form units as well as commercial grade ones. My advice for anyone shopping that is a bit of a do it yourself'er is to shop for brands / models with replacement parts available quickly either from a local hobby shop or major on line source.


Dec 22, 2015 at 01:10 PM
DanBrown
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


Peter Urbanski wrote:
Thank you SO MUCH for all of the information and advice, this is greatly appreciated! As of today, all drones have to be registered with the FHA.


Only if you plan to keep it inside your house.



Dec 22, 2015 at 03:01 PM
R.H. Johnson
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


Basic UAV Liability with AerialPak
The starting premium for Aircraft Liability begins at $640 per year for an AerialPak policy with a single UAV and $500,000 in Liability Limits. Many clients opt for $500,000 while getting a foothold in UAV and testing out how it fits in to their business plans. Others need a Certificate of Insurance at $1,000,000 or more in coverage. Liability coverage is intended to defend you and your business against claims from others that caused bodily injury or property damage.

AerialPak and Hill & Usher now Provide Optional Hull/In Flight Property Coverage.
Hill & Usher pioneered a number of products that will address some of the risks related to UAV operations. UAV products are currently offered within our AerialPak program.

When you secure your UAV policy, your current PackageChoice policy will likely not change much. The PackageChoice policy you carry will insure you while on “the ground” while the UAV policy insures you for operations related to UAV flight.

To receive a pricing indication, please complete our application at www.aerialpak.com.



Dec 24, 2015 at 06:49 PM
RjCruz22
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Drone/Quad-Copter Advice Needed


I recommend DJ Phantom III, amazing drone, this thing allows even the layperson to get super quality aerial video.

The most impressive thing about this is stability. Unlike other drones on the market that require practice and real piloting skills, a novice can pick this thing up and get really good flight performance and aerial photos/video. Its combination of flight sensors makes for rock-solid flight. You can take your hands off the controls and the aircraft just sits there, hovering perfectly, even in gusty winds. I've shown this off to experienced multi-rotor drone and RC aircraft pilots and all have been astounded by its flight performance and ease of use. Maneuvers which are generally difficult for other drones (hovering, descending vertically) are all easy to do with this.



Oct 17, 2016 at 05:48 AM
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