Marco Polo on a Phantom

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Hi Phantom Friends,

I've been using a R-16 tracker, which requires cell service. Well, sometimes I don't have any! When I was in Hawaii last year, my phone would die "looking" for service so I would not have any chance to find my lost tracker.

Quite a few on here have the Marco Polo tracker, so I thought I'd give it a try. The tag is half the weight of the R-16. It weighs 11.5 grams and fits nicely on the landing gear. The locator is a small hand held device that beeps and shows the direction of the tag. It works like a proximity device beeping more as you get closer. Nice if you are driving, and can't look at the screen. With a 2 mile range, driving towards the last known location could save a lot of walking!

The screen has a pointer and a signal strength icon so you know when you are getting close.The locator has a back-lit display and shows battery status of both the locator and the tag.

The other nice thing with the locator, is you can turn it to 90 degrees and find the tag if the bird happens to roost in a tree.:eek: Hopefully, tracking a lost Phantom is not necessary, but I think a $211.00 Marco Polo tracking system with no cellular or wifi connection needed is nice piece of mind.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and here's a couple of pictures.
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I bought a used Pet tag version on eBay and while the pet tag is more water resistant with larger battery and thus increased tracking run time it’s also bulkier and weighs in about 46g before straps, tie-wraps.

Consensus seems to be P1’s don’t really “need” it but I’ve tested the system over 1/2 mile in So CA Canyon terrain and it works very well. It even worked for several blocks in dense city environment when I left the tag near a window in my apt and took the tracker with me on an errand.

Very good piece of mind and nice not to bother with monthly/yearly charges while being effective in very remote environments without cell services.
 
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I've got one on my P2, since I'm still in the 20th century with my flip phone. Hope I never have to use it.
 
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I've got one on my P2, since I'm still in the 20th century with my flip phone. Hope I never have to use it.
I do know some people like flip phones. LOL we still have a land line,too!
image.jpg
 
I do know some people like flip phones. LOL we still have a land line,too!
View attachment 28994
Yes, I have a land line. Use it more than the shoe fone (for you older guys that know what I'm talking about). So, the Marco Polo is for a guy like me.
 
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A shoe phone? Hahaha!
image.jpg

I like how simple the Marco Polo is to operate. The R16 took several days to figure out. Maybe I'm just a old dog trying to learn a new trick!
 
Nice box of P3 ya got Fplvert ! Looks like ya did learn a new trick :)
..Ya old dawg ;)
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I bought the marco polo for the reason of not needing cell service or gps. but I have not needed it fortunately. But just with normal use and in and out of carry cases the receiver hinged doors broke on mine but no problem eureka products exchanged it but now I noticed on one of my two tags that the antenna wire is broke off at the tag. now this is put on with a rubber band on my CX 20 and up higher on the legs maybe the antenna gets rubbed when going in and out of the carry case, or taking it on and off the bird to charge it, but I would not think enough to damage it. I just got an email from Tim at eureka products and he says "If it looks like it was defective then of course we will fix it at no charge. If the plastic is broken then obviously it had some force put on it that exceeded the strength of the plastic. If we can get the remaining part of the antenna cover out an put a new one on without compromising the water seal (we pressure test the enclosures after assembly then we will do that. If we have to replace all the plastics to make it right then there will be a $20 charge for the repair + $5 return shipping. I’ll let you know after we take a look."
This set up is quite a bit of money, with extra tags at $100.00 each. The way the antenna is attached it is libel to break upon impact of a crash when you would really need it to work.. now it may look like it has been through the ringer from the picture this thing has not and it is a couple months old, and has been in a couple of mishaps with the CX20. It probley is due to my mis use but just want others to know if you have one be careful of the antenna.
 

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Thanks for the heads up on those Mike. Ya might just have saved someone's bird showing that . Hope all that have them check em . :)
 
I use the Marco Polo with the Trakimo.Just a little more insurance.Probably the 2 cost more than the Phantom. Maybe not Figure in Go Pro and FPV set up
 
I use the Marco Polo with the Trakimo.Just a little more insurance.Probably the 2 cost more than the Phantom. Maybe not Figure in Go Pro and FPV set up

If you can multipurpose them on your kids or something... then it's totally worth it.
 
Those trackers are nice but if the P3 goes wild it most likely doesnt matter if you find your P3 or not because its a total loss. Gimbal/camera is like 539 Euro? naked Phantom3 is like 700 Euro? Both will be most likely destroyed after a crash. The gimbal/camera will be destroyed for sure and most likely an EDC will get smoked and since you cant replace an EDC you have to buy a 400 Euro mainboard and a new 60 Euro shell. This brings it to 1000 Euro. So those trackers are only useful when you ran out of power in a cornfield etc..
 
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I use the Marco Polo from www.UAVfind.com.
The Trakimo is less but uses the 2G cellular network. We are now a 4G world with 3G also. ATT is phasing out 2G and all the Trackimo locators will have to be replaced.
The Marco Polo is 900 MHz and the sleep mode for the rechargeable battery is 8 days.
Fly Safe !
 
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I had a horrible nightmare last night that I'd had a fly-away and forgot to turn on the tracker. Got up to check, and she was still there, whew! Must have been the Chinese food I ate.:eek:
 
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I had a horrible nightmare last night that I'd had a fly-away and forgot to turn on the tracker. Got up to check, and she was still there, whew! Must have been the Chinese food I ate.:eek:

MSG's can do that to you... ;)
 
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I use the Marco Polo from www.UAVfind.com.
The Trakimo is less but uses the 2G cellular network. We are now a 4G world with 3G also. ATT is phasing out 2G and all the Trackimo locators will have to be replaced.
The Marco Polo is 900 MHz and the sleep mode for the rechargeable battery is 8 days.
Fly Safe !

I am shopping for a tracker. I located my P3 after "controlled flight into terrain" (I hit a tree). I've looked at the GPS trackers (good to 50') but the terrain where my drone came to final rest was pretty thick with vegetation, swamp, bogs, thickets, brambles, etc. Having the search narrowed to "only" a 7,800 square foot area to search would still be daunting. I know the Marco Polo gives you a vector to target so it's a bit more precise in locating the exact location -- however -- I understand that in the event of a flyaway a GPS tracker may be more useful since you need to be within 2,000 (or so) feet of the drone to acquire a lock on from the MP tracker unit. From what I've read though it seems more of us do something stupid (see above) rather than flyaways....

I'm leaning toward the MP right now....
 
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I am shopping for a tracker. I located my P3 after "controlled flight into terrain" (I hit a tree). I've looked at the GPS trackers (good to 50') but the terrain where my drone came to final rest was pretty thick with vegetation, swamp, bogs, thickets, brambles, etc. Having the search narrowed to "only" a 7,800 square foot area to search would still be daunting. I know the Marco Polo gives you a vector to target so it's a bit more precise in locating the exact location -- however -- I understand that in the event of a flyaway a GPS tracker may be more useful since you need to be within 2,000 (or so) feet of the drone to acquire a lock on from the MP tracker unit. From what I've read though it seems more of us do something stupid (see above) rather than flyaways....

I'm leaning toward the MP right now....

I'm confused about the accuracy you stated for GPS trackers Mine was $35 and it consistently is accurate to within about 10 feet or less. I've had the Mrs take it with her on shopping Saturdays to test it and she confirms I can tell her the parking spots she's in at malls and everywhere she goes. Pretty darn accurate. Far less than 7,800 sq ft. More like 100 sq ft or less.
 

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