San Antonio

I need to start charging a finders fee.

 

Haha. If you wanted to snag his 887s you're first in line. I'm in no rush, just waiting for the right time

 

No sir have at it I have the setup I like

 

10-4

 

Well don’t have 887’s but will have the 888’s going up for sale in the not too distant future.

 

Ome springs don't fit 6112

 

Places is Texas are hard to come by. I put in for public land draw hunts every year, and sometimes get lucky enough to draw one. Making friends with a nice land owner is your best bet lol.

 

Fancy looking mall crawlers it's a shame I don't have a Chevy 2500 Duramax I can put some 24s and stretched tires on

 

Afternoon everyone! SURE GLAD this is a cool down week, because it was over 100* in the garage - 106* outside of it! Damn, no wonder I don't get far. And then "fake radar" showed that frontal storm forming Northwest, and heading down about 3, so I started moving racks back in, and dang if two casters on the heavy rack didn't just fold up and give way. Had to pull it in with the floor jack. Got as far a getting the table set back up to sort piles of stuff on what used to be a counter. Oh well.......

 

Drive thru rain otw home . Hoped it’d follow

 

That'd be nice if it would. Not a dang drop here, they say maybe later. Wind and clouds, nothing else....

 

It went by
Nothing here

 

It's starting to make noise on the roof! But it's just sprinkles.....we just got a small green patch around.....

 

Dr

 

Buenas Tardes Gentlemen

Just wanted to thank everyone again for your hospitality. And so to give something back, I'd like to offer up some suggestions to @LostHusker and @Oldie2007 on getting started in RC Flying. I'll start off by saying that if your strictly interested in camera platforms (drones), then a lot of this information will just simply not apply. Because, as I eluded to in my last post, camera platforms really don't take a lot of skill to fly. If you can read and follow directions, AND if you understand and know how to program a route on a GPS, then YOU can fly a "Hobby Class" camera platform. Notice I said Hobby Class. Don't waste your money on the DimeStore RC Models. They can be a lot of fun to play with. And the CAN teach you the basic of flying. But the biggest problem with the toys is: When you crash them, your done (trash). A Hobby Class model can be totally rebuilt no mater what damage you have done. Also, lots of support for Hobby Class airframes. And almost Zero support for toys.

Next, if you want to jump right in AND enjoy the hobby, then here are (2) suggestions.
1) Buy a Simulator for your PC. The SIM is the best investment that any flying hobbyist can make. Almost any SIM will do. Even a Fixed Wing (airplane) SIM will teach you skills that can be applied to any type of flying machine. One thing to take note of though with these Simulators is: Even though they WILL help you fly Camera Platforms, but only when you actually need Hands-On flying. None of SIMS will teach you skills necessary for programming Camera Platforms or operating their systems. Learning how to do that will be proprietary to which ever brand of airframe you decide to purchase. These sims are designed to teach you traditional flying skills that will take you far beyond what is needed to fly a camera platform. And, for the most part, the Drones modeled within these simulators are not Camera Platform Drones. They are designed for the Quad Racing enthusiasts. I still strongly suggest a SIM. Some of the cheaper versions that you should consider are (multiple types of aircraft): AccuRC, Heli-X and neXt Flight Sim. Drone Specific are: LiftOff, FPV FreeRider and DRL Racing. In my opinion, the best SIM on the market today is (also probably the most expensive - but well worth the price):

https://www.horizonhobby.com/produc...t-simulator-with-spektrum-controller--rfl1100

2) Buy something cheep to gain experience. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, there aren't really any cheep Camera Platforms that I would recommend. So - let me suggest that you buy a beginner race quad in order to get some real flying time under your belt. Be warned that even though these things can start off cheep. They can be a Rabbit-Hole of expenses with accessories if you venture to deep. So just start off with the basics. After you gain some proficiency, then decide if you want to invest further. These Quads DO have some On-Board computer flight assists. But you will not be programing Routes with GPS. The "assist" only consists of offering Stability Enhancements (you are still the pilot) and "Rescue" (just simply returns the aircraft to Up-Right and Level with the push of a button). They are extremely Crash Resistant (but not crash proof). NOTE: This suggestion is a Hobby Class airframe. Fully rebuild able and full support from the manufacturer and On-Line Forums. They are intended for In-Door use or extremely light winds. And have everything you need to get into the air (Ready To Fly) after charging batteries.

Without Camera
https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/drone/blade-brand/ready-to-fly-15086--1/inductrix-rtf-blh8700

With Camera (I have this one myself)
https://www.horizonhobby.com/produc...86--1/inductrix-fpv-plus-rtf-with-dvr-blh9600

Now, when your ready to get down to business, the top players in the game are DJI and Yuneec. DJI, in my opinion, is #1 because they invented the game. They built the first commercially available Drone using a circuit board from a Nintendo Wii Fit balance board. And the rest is history. Only thing to add here is: Buy the best that you can afford. In this game, you truly get what you pay for.

https://www.dji.com/

https://us.yuneec.com/

If you must look at cheep knock-offs. Take a look at Cheerson or Eachine. I have a friend flying a Cheerson. It's a knock-off of a DJI Phantom. And it does the job. but you can tell that the quality isn't there.

A little bit about batteries and flight times: Race Quads (and Helis) barley get 4 minutes. Camera Quads can get up to 30 minutes if your light on the stick and you have light winds. If you don't know anything about Lipo Batteries, take some time to educate yourself before you start flying. You don't want to use more than 80% capacity of your battery (never run it down till it quits). And you have to exercise caution when charging. If you take good care of a Lipo, it will be reliable. But, if you abuse one, It can be unforgiving.

Finally, join a forum. I use Helifreak.com. If you like, you can find my profile with the same user-name that I use here. It is a strong forum for Heli people. But it also has good information for Quads. I'm sure that there are specific forums for camera people. I just haven't had a need.

Side Note: If you haven't seen this. It's interesting for a few shows (Drone Racing on TV)
https://thedroneracingleague.com/

Hope this helps to further spark your interests. And possibly offers a little guidance.

Thanks
Randy

OH - PS: I still believe that the commercial industry is Wide Open in this field. But, like any business, you will have to find the nitch that will get you in the door.

https://www.helifreak.com/

 

MAN, that is some detail for a simple thank you! I will copy this one and mail it to myself for reference. Honestly, once retirement set in, the obligation of doing ANY work seems tough to comprehend! Thanks a bunch dude! Visit often!

 

I also enjoy helping others. And sharing my enthusiasm in the hobby.

 

And you shared it very well! Drone mapping for a little retirement job sounds like fun, as I would only have to accept what I wanted to REALLY do! You gave us a lot of information that would have taken novices tons of time to look up, and I really appreciate it! Glad you had a good trip too. Next time, you can stop through BBQ Capital of Texas on your way to other places!

 

Thanks

I haven't been down there yet. Projected arrival will be on the 25th around 4:00 PM.

 

OH yeah, right! Lost track of that! In my mind, you've already done all that!!!
If you go through Lockhart on the way, holler. I'll get you some good BBQ!