Any Ham Radio operators using their drone for related tasks?

[wa5tef]

Are there any Amateur Radio operators using the Phantom's for stuff like antenna and tower inspections, hanging dipoles over trees, or supporting 160 meter verticals for 25 minute QSO's?
Thanks,
Jim
WA5TEF
Saltillo, MS

 

[BuickGS]

Not using my drone for Amateur radio use but I am a Ham.

WA0TFV
73

 

[AerialTouch]

Not yet, but likely will when we get better weather.

Les ---
W9LRT

Sent from my SM-G935P using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[davidgarth]

I'm also a Ham (W6DEG) looking for good ideas on how to use these two hobbies together somehow.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[jwt873]

I've inspected my 3 element SteppIR Yagi up on my 40 foot tower.

I have a handheld that has the capability of acting as a 2m/440 crossband repeater. I was thinking of attaching to the P4 somehow. It would have a great range up at 400 feet. But, I,m concerned about the radio interfering with the receiver in the drone.

VE4CY

 

[LoneDrone]

Now you got me thinking...[emoji848]

N2YJZ


Sent from my iPhone

 

[wa5tef]

I've inspected my 3 element SteppIR Yagi up on my 40 foot tower.

I have a handheld that has the capability of acting as a 2m/440 crossband repeater. I was thinking of attaching to the P4 somehow. It would have a great range up at 400 feet. But, I,m concerned about the radio interfering with the receiver in the drone.

VE4CY

Good concern. You could test it by transmitting using high Power with the HT's antenna up next to the drone. If there is no RFI then you should be OK. Also you might check with your frequency coordinator to be sure your transmit frequency is not in use. That is a novel idea worth following up on. Please email me results to [email protected].

Thanks
Jim

 

[ems12a]

Could strap a 2M handheld on a drone and do a fox hunt =)

N4EBC

 

[Richard R]

I wouldn't worry about interference, 2m not likely to interfere with 2.4 ghz. Might try removing the gimbal and mounting the radio on a gimbal guard. Radio is probably heavier than the gimbal so flight time would reduced. A lot safer, IMO, than some of the ideas about using them to hoist lines or antennas.
N4AFX

 

[wa5tef]

Could strap a 2M handheld on a drone and do a fox hunt =)

N4EBC

HA! That might hard to locate for sure!
Jim
WA5TEF

 

[wa5tef]

The best idea I have seen is taping a small piece of stiff wire onto one of the landing struts so it sticks out about 5 or 6 inches. Then loop a fishing line with a 2 oz weight over it and fly the drone to a spot over the top of a large tree and using the camera looking down, spot the spot next to the trunk and simply rotate the drone 180 degrees and the string falls off the wire and the weight drops down the side of the tree to the ground. It helps if the weight is painted orange or red because sometimes they are hard to see. Then, use this line to pull up a heavier line that then supports a dipole! Chuck, N5VGK came up with this idea. He also uses his Phantom 4P for tower inspections as he has several commercial towers that need to be checked out from time to time. That saves a tower climb and he gets a video record also.

Anyone else have any good ideas to share?
Thanks,
Jiim
WA5TEF

 

[LoneDrone]

I wouldn't worry about interference, 2m not likely to interfere with 2.4 ghz. Might try removing the gimbal and mounting the radio on a gimbal guard. Radio is probably heavier than the gimbal so flight time would reduced. A lot safer, IMO, than some of the ideas about using them to hoist lines or antennas.
N4AFX

Yes! Can you say Field Day?

 

[N9HLL]

Newbie to the forum and a P4 owner, but Yes I am currently trying to figure out a way to get light line over the trees for dipoles and release it so as not to get caught in the props on the way down.

On a side note...What a great piece of machinery, its been 30 years since i`ve flown anything RC.

Rick

 

[andyru]

I too am a ham and was looking for ways to string G4RV across trees for an instant antenna. I tried catapults and then crossbows but along comes the p4p+ and voila problem solved.
Prior to the p4p+ i was using a budipole for most portable antenna requirements.

Andy
M0JOO

 

[andyru]

Check out DJI Phantom Drop Maze by nosbigxam.
for a drop device

 

[adriano.basile]

Are there any Amateur Radio operators using the Phantom's for stuff like antenna and tower inspections, hanging dipoles over trees, or supporting 160 meter verticals for 25 minute QSO's?
Thanks,
Jim
WA5TEF
Saltillo, MS

Hi Jim, greetings from italy! Indeed I'm experimenting in measuring the impedance variation on an inverted "V" dipole at the variation of the aperture angle using the P4P as a crane! Obviously it is an academic experiment using a lightweight cable and QRP. 73 de IZ2EAT, Adriano

 

[N9HLL]

I`ll drag this thread back up, I just redid my OCF dipole ropes today with the P4 and it worked fantastic, No crashing and nobody died
The Hook is made from a coat hanger
The video is a rude and crude edit because I was out of time tonite

Rick

 

[wa5tef]

Rick! Wow, that is a great video. Your design is far superior to mine. I had just used one piece of wire taped to one landing strut. You attached it to both and the line slid off perfectly! You should send that to QST. A lot of others could use that idea. I could not tell exactly where you dropped the line, wat it clear over the tree, or did you drop it up next to the trunk but on the other side of the tree? I have about two acres of hardwoods, each about 80 feet high. I have been thinking about laying a long loop in the tops of these trees. I used to have a 1800 foot loop but inside the trees. I used a bow and a lead tipped arrow to reach my anchor point in the tree. The trees are too thick to do much else. I took the loop down a couple of years ago when I went to resonant double bazooka antenna for 160, 80, and 40 meters.

I am going to the shop tomorrow and work up a new coat hanger attachment. How well did your antenna work? What all bands do you operate on? I monitor 3.862 late afternoons and check into our Mississippi Section Phone Net at 1800 CDT or 0500 Zulu. I also operate all other HF bands on phone and CW but mostly phone. If you'd like to work up a SKED just email me at [email protected]. We might have some "war stories" about ham radio and drones.
So, thanks again for the video and posting.
73
Jim
WA5TEF

 

[wa5tef]

Hi Jim, greetings from italy! Indeed I'm experimenting in measuring the impedance variation on an inverted "V" dipole at the variation of the aperture angle using the P4P as a crane! Obviously it is an academic experiment using a lightweight cable and QRP. 73 de IZ2EAT, Adriano

Adriano, thanks for the posting. So how did the experiment turn out? Did you get some useful information? I have thought about trying a 160 meter vertical suspended by my Phantom 4. I have a fairly good place where I could lay out about radials on top of the ground and suspend the driven element (lightweight wire) from the drone. It would be fun to test and try out but of course not much for long winded QSO's. I wonder if there is a separate class for drone suspended contacts on Field Day?? HI
73 and thanks for posting,
Jim
WA5TEF
Saltillo, MS USA

 

[wa5tef]

OK fellow hams, good ideas coming in! Rick, N9HLL posted a video of his contraption actually dropping the weighted line over the tree. He used this to pull up the heavier support lines. Nice height on that tree too. When I was a kid, I used to use kites to haul up small home made parachutes. These were attached to the kite string with a small wire and allowed to "fly" up the string almost to the kite. I then yanked on the string to flip the kite and drop the parachute. I am thinking about the same thing for the Phantom 4. Make a chute using a trash bag or plastic wrap and add a little weight, haul it up to 400 feet and let it fall.

So, does anyone have anymore ideas to try out? Not necessarily ham radio related but anything the rest of us can try out.

Thanks and 73
Jim
WA5TEF
Saltillo, MS USA