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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?cid=101&fct=showf

ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: Aerial Drone & PT 623
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=3593

I know this is way off the message board subject but I thought I would shed some light on the drone that filmed PT 658. It was a basic DJI Phantom with a Go-Pro hard mounted to the bottom. These can be purchased for around $500 minus the camera. They require a constant systems check through a computer program that is connected to the drone before each flight and a serious start-up procedure that must be followed before each flight as well. As some of you already know, I purchased one of these on steroids last November and was going to use it to film the next edition of the on-going PT 623 mission saga. The subject was going to be an attack on the 623 only from the perspective of the attacking Zero pilot. You might also recognize the locations below where the Barge Hunting missions were filmed. WOW, so far so good. Mine was outfitted with much stronger motors and carbon fiber props. Add to that a gimbal controlled by the on-board computer system that kept the camera level no matter what the yaw of the drone was and also gave me the ability to tilt the camera 90 degrees looking straight down by R/C. The control system was upgraded to an R/C helicopter unit giving me a 1 mile range, 2000 foot ceiling and it was flown using a live streaming video link and HUD system display back to a monitor on a tripod. It also was using the new 4K Go-Pro to capture video and still photos at the same time.

All was fine for the first 20 or so flights but the day after the shots below were taken, there was a major system failure that caused the digital magnetic compass, the GPS module and the NAZA command module to "disconnect" In other words, it had no idea where it was, how high it was or where home was. Fail Safe and Return to Home was unusable. Very bad for my blood pressure as this drone was way way north of the basic $500. I did manage to land it in one piece just before the batteries died.

The unit went back the next day and I have discovered that this is a common problem affecting 30% of these Phantoms so far. So for now I am drone-less and in drone withdrawal. Need to come up with a new idea for this years PT mission.

Posted By: Roy Forbes | Posted on: Jun 22, 2014 - 11:41am
Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm

That is SO cool Roy, I'm jealous. Thanks for the info and images, and I hope you get back in the air soon.

I look forward to your next movie.

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Jun 22, 2014 - 4:02pm
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

Great aerial pictures of Pirates Cove, I was there with our boat a few times.

Larry
62 Bel-Air
260 Eagle EXP
79 Cole TR-2

Posted By: bubbletop409 | Posted on: Jun 24, 2014 - 11:05am
Total Posts: 164 | Joined: Apr 22, 2013 - 11:48pm

Glad you liked the photos Jeff. I'm going to wait until somebody comes out with a more reliable command module, but I just saw that the military looses one of their drones every 2 weeks.

Larry, that is a very fun location, especially on the Holiday weekends if you can stand the heat. Are you from AZ or CA ?

Posted By: Roy Forbes | Posted on: Jun 26, 2014 - 7:48am
Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm

I'm from NorCal, just south of Oakland CA.

Larry
62 Bel-Air
260 Eagle EXP
79 Cole TR-2

Posted By: bubbletop409 | Posted on: Jun 27, 2014 - 8:30pm
Total Posts: 164 | Joined: Apr 22, 2013 - 11:48pm

Roger that. To bad your not closer to the cove.

Posted By: Roy Forbes | Posted on: Jun 28, 2014 - 10:22am
Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm

Off topic, but this 4th of July fireworks show filmed with a drone is spectacular: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9KZ3jgbbmI[/url]

Be sure to play it in HD and fullscreen.

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Jul 5, 2014 - 9:52am
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

WOW Jeff that was awesome. He also had the gimbal to control the camera angle but I was amazed he still had the standard RC system flying at that distance.

You are not helping with my withdrawl !!

Posted By: Roy Forbes | Posted on: Jul 9, 2014 - 9:13pm
Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm

Incredible! Thanks for sharing and getting me thinking about yet another new hobby!

Cheers,
Andy

Posted By: Andy Small | Posted on: Jul 10, 2014 - 7:23am
Total Posts: 262 | Joined: Nov 20, 2013 - 9:04pm

Awesome perspective! I have to tell you though, as a pilot all these drones make me just a little nervous.
Dave[:-bigeyes-:]

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Jul 10, 2014 - 5:46pm
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

Roy,

The clarity of the photos just astound!
After I get the 157 reworked I gotta come out and we can have two PTs riding side-by-side (Can Susan fly the drone camera??)

Bridge

Posted By: TheBridge | Posted on: Jul 13, 2014 - 9:29am
Total Posts: 318 | Joined: Nov 22, 2009 - 3:04pm

Susan can skipper the Jap barge as well as the 623 as she did in the Barge Hunting video. Now the drone, well lets just say I wish I had a photo of her face when I told her she would need to fly the drone for the next PT video. However, for now I am droneless and in severe withdrawl !!

Posted By: Roy Forbes | Posted on: Jul 15, 2014 - 6:41pm
Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm