GTU 10
- Thread starter tapiot
- Start date
I think he means that they are becoming increasingly difficult to buy. It probably indicates that it's being retired as a product.
You can still get them on Garmin's site:
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-trail/dog-tracking-training/gtu-10/prod67686.html
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-trail/dog-tracking-training/gtu-10/prod67686.html
tapiot said:
First lesson of business. Find a believable reason as to why the Garmin is a business expense. I wrote off my Shark Dominator as an inspection tool.
The GTU=10 does not need to "live" on your Phantom. It can be placed on other items when not in use on the Phantom. I have had mine for about a year or two and I throw onto/into anything that I think might go missing. I am not sure what I paid for my GTU-10 but it was less than $199. I do believe that there are other products on the market that do the same thing as the Garmin device.
I wonder if the DJI ground station provides some sort of tracking. It is a data link back to the iPad after all.
I wonder if the DJI ground station provides some sort of tracking. It is a data link back to the iPad after all.
I was thinking about adding a RF beacon to my phantom, small light and very basic way to locate if lost.
http://fmtv.us/rf_beacon.html
http://fmtv.us/rf_beacon.html
You might have seen my back and fourths to discv on the RF beacon Bruce?: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2920
It looks interesting but more of a 'last resort' measure if you fly in an area with literally no cell coverage at all (the GTU10 needs cell coverage to send its GPS co-ordinates). You will need a LOT of practice finding it and you will need to invest in a radio set like a Baofeng to track it (which comes with its own legal question marks). If those circumstances are the ones you fly under then a bluetooth tracker like the Tile (when/if it ever comes out) matched to it would be a good option.... use RF to at least get close enough to then track it via BT.
The GTU10 is worth its weight in gold IMO and is still the safest solution for most people. Long may it last....until a better solution comes around! $199 spent on business things or $1000+ spent replacing a lost Phantom/Gopro. Plus as others say it is a tax deductible business expense for a start up company in most countries.
It looks interesting but more of a 'last resort' measure if you fly in an area with literally no cell coverage at all (the GTU10 needs cell coverage to send its GPS co-ordinates). You will need a LOT of practice finding it and you will need to invest in a radio set like a Baofeng to track it (which comes with its own legal question marks). If those circumstances are the ones you fly under then a bluetooth tracker like the Tile (when/if it ever comes out) matched to it would be a good option.... use RF to at least get close enough to then track it via BT.
The GTU10 is worth its weight in gold IMO and is still the safest solution for most people. Long may it last....until a better solution comes around! $199 spent on business things or $1000+ spent replacing a lost Phantom/Gopro. Plus as others say it is a tax deductible business expense for a start up company in most countries.
I just ordered a GTU10 (Canada) today. With tax & shipping it was $225.00. Which is almost half the price of the Phantom now. But figuring in the extra equipment onboard (video transmitter & camera) I think it was a good buy.
DeweyAXD, I've done radio tracking in the past and have radios already. The problem with GTU 10 is what you mentioned, cell coverage. My phantom will be going on offroad trips into places that have no signal. I mainly will have it installed as a last resort and hope to never need it. The big factor in the phantom is weight, the reason I'm going this route.
I bought a refurbished GTU10 on Amazon for $115. After a bit of back and forth with Garmin we got it working. Biggest problem im currently having is it isn't working with the android app at all.
As for the tracking beacon, I'll probably be trying that too, I have a ham license a baefong hand held radio and a vehicle mounted radio. As for the legality ofmusing the baefong, it is perfectly fine for you to be listening, you just CANNOT transmit. The only time a person without a HAM license can transmit is during an emergency. So, yes, you can buy the beacon and a baefong to track the signal, just dont push the button and transmit, thats when you get into trouble.
As for the tracking beacon, I'll probably be trying that too, I have a ham license a baefong hand held radio and a vehicle mounted radio. As for the legality ofmusing the baefong, it is perfectly fine for you to be listening, you just CANNOT transmit. The only time a person without a HAM license can transmit is during an emergency. So, yes, you can buy the beacon and a baefong to track the signal, just dont push the button and transmit, thats when you get into trouble.
tapiot said:
Garmin is best, but TAGG has one that I have on my dog. Garmin has the 10. I buy the $90 refurbished one.
+1 on the GTU 10. Only rules of engagement I would suggest are:
In theory this shouldn't happen, as I believe the Garmin uses the GSM 1900 band, and GPS L1 is on 1575mHz. But in practice, GPS signals are *very* weak by the time they reach earth, and a 1-watt radio blasting right next to the NAZA GPS antenna is bound to overwhelm adjacent radio frequencies to an extent.
If you had a questionable satellite lock to start with, requesting a position fix from the Garmin could result in going well below 4-5 satellites for as much as 20-30 seconds, which in turn could be a bad thing for your Phantom.
- 1) Keep it set to the on-demand tracking mode. Don't have it set to periodically check in with its location.
2) Don't activate a tracking request while your Phantom is in flight.
In theory this shouldn't happen, as I believe the Garmin uses the GSM 1900 band, and GPS L1 is on 1575mHz. But in practice, GPS signals are *very* weak by the time they reach earth, and a 1-watt radio blasting right next to the NAZA GPS antenna is bound to overwhelm adjacent radio frequencies to an extent.
If you had a questionable satellite lock to start with, requesting a position fix from the Garmin could result in going well below 4-5 satellites for as much as 20-30 seconds, which in turn could be a bad thing for your Phantom.
miskatonic said:
I tried to buy on that link and there is no BUY Link that I could find. I think Garmin is phasing them out.
I just received an email from Garmin and they have "discontinuted the item and exhausted all stock." Per Britton in Customer Care.
Stick and Find is coming out with a tracker with a 1/2 mike range. https://www.sticknfind.com/BluTracker/
Stick and Find is coming out with a tracker with a 1/2 mike range. https://www.sticknfind.com/BluTracker/
rampage42 said:
Well that is a bugger. They'd best keep supporting it via app/web for a while!
Stick & Find and The Tile have been 'coming out' for longer than i can remember now (well over a year if not more). Lets hope one of them comes out soon and that it works at the stated distance.
My worry with these 'pre-order' companies is that they are using your money to develop the product from concept. This is basically making you an investor of their business with a 0% ownership stake and no legal rights should they go bankrupt. If they fail to produce the product and run up too much dept on equiptment, building costs, wages etc they can simply go into adminstration, write off the dept and move onto the next project. As always I've got my synical hat on there and I genuinely do hope they make it work.... I'll be less synical when i see one you can actually hold in your hand within a few days of paying :lol:
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