Aerial drones allow hobbyists to capture spectacular photos and video.
By Mark Quasius, F333630
May 2015
Not long ago, any mention of aerial drones referred to unmanned military aircraft used for surveillance and for taking out bad guys. But drones have evolved. Online retailer Amazon made news when company representatives unveiled plans to one day use drones to deliver packages. Consumers, too, have noticed that advances in technology have made drones affordable for people looking for an interesting hobby.
In particular, drones are becoming popular among RVers and others who enjoy shooting photos and videos. Drones can go where handheld cameras cannot, which gives them unique vantage points. And the quality of video and still photography that is possible with drones makes them more than just a toy.
Drones vary in size, price, and power. Very basic models are available for less than $100, but for shooting high-quality images, expect prices to begin at $300 and run up to $3,000 or more, depending on equipment add-ons.
The most popular drone is the quadcopter, which has four electric motors with propellers that lift and navigate it. A joystick on the remote control varies the speed of each motor and directs the unit to fly straight, move sideways, rotate, or change altitude. The four motors give the drone excellent stability, make it easy to hover, and allow the average person to quickly master flying it. Larger hexacopters have six motors, which increase the payload capacity and add stability in high winds; they are more often used in professional video applications. Unless you are looking to mount a full-size single-lens reflex (SLR) digital camera, the quadcopter is good enough for enthusiasts.
GoPro Advantage
Many drones are designed to carry a GoPro camera. The GoPro camera is considered one of the best things to happen to video enthusiasts. GoPros are commonly seen mounted to helmets, bicycle frames, race cars, and off-road vehicles to record action sports. They are lightweight and compact but produce amazing video. In addition, they can deliver a timed series of high-resolution still photos. The camera has its own internal battery, so it does not sap the drone’s power supply.
The GoPro camera is suspended on a mount beneath the drone. The drone’s vibration can created unwanted ripples in the video. To combat this, an antivibration mount is available, which consists of a pair of carbon-fiber plates separated by four rubber antivibration dampeners. Because the camera is mounted in a fixed position, the drone must be maneuvered to achieve the desired camera angles.
If you want to kick your video up a notch, add a stabilizing device called a gimbal. It increases the cost but greatly enhances the video, especially if the quadcopter is maneuvered often during a shoot. A gimbal consists of a multiaxis motorized mount controlled by a gyroscope. The gyroscope keeps the camera oriented in a fixed position relative to the horizon, so the quadcopter can bank or dip without affecting the camera angle. By moving a control on the remote transmitter, the operator can adjust the camera’s vertical angle while the drone is in flight. The gimbal’s gyroscopic control also helps to eliminate the ripple effect.
Shooting video or still images with the quadcopter is great, but if you don’t know what the drone sees while it’s flying, you won’t know what’s in your footage until it lands. That can be solved by adding a first-person-view (FPV) setup to the quadcopter. Various systems are available, depending on the quadcopter brand and model. Some setups have a dedicated monitor screen, while others can stream to a smartphone or a tablet, such as an iPad. The FPV setup requires a receiver, some sort of monitor on the receiving end, and a wireless transmitter mounted to the drone that interfaces with the camera.
The trend in quadcopters is all-in-one models with dedicated cameras and gimbals specifically designed for photography and video. Such systems can be easier to set up and operate, but they cost more. And unlike the models that support the GoPro camera, the cameras in these drones cannot be removed and used for other tasks. An example is DJI’s Inspire 1, which shoots ultra-high-definition 4K video at 30 frames per second or 1080p high-definition video at 60 frames per second. (4K video has about four times the resolution of 1080p.) The Inspire 1 features retractable landing gear; three-axis gimbal control; and dual controllers, for both flying and video camera operation. This level of capability raises the price to almost $3,000. GoPro, meanwhile, is rumored to be developing its own consumer drone.
My Setup
I purchased components from a number of sources. B&H Photo and Video had a great selection of accessories and the GoPro camera that I wanted. Atlanta Hobby had the DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter. I found the FPV system I wanted on Amazon.com. Given the rising popularity of photography drones and the increasing number of vendors, you won’t have any trouble finding what you need.
I chose the DJI Phantom 2 because it was highly recommended and was designed for the GoPro camera, which I also intend to mount on our Jeep to record off-road adventures. One great feature of the Phantom 2 is its GPS interface. When switched on, the drone orients itself with a digital compass and a GPS fix. The controller can be operated in either the “course locked” mode or “flight path” mode. In course lock mode, nudging the controller’s stick forward moves the drone away from you, whereas moving the stick backward returns the drone to your position, regardless of which direction the drone is actually facing. In flight path mode, the drone flies in the direction it is aimed, so if the drone is rotated, it goes in that direction. The GPS interface also has an automatic “return home” function, so that if the controller is switched off, the drone will return to its home position, hover 65 feet over the ground, and then land.
I added the antivibration mount to my GoPro and then fitted an FPV transmitter to the drone. The 7-inch monitor with an embedded receiver came with adapter mounts to attach it to the drone’s remote control. An extra battery attached to the monitor mounting bracket supplies power to the monitor. The Phantom has the latest version spin-on propellers and is fitted with the latest version of Naza software so that it can control a gimbal, should I decide to add one later.
The quadcopter’s battery life is fairly short — typically eight minutes of run time — although actual battery usage depends on how much throttle you apply. In that sense, it’s no different from driving an RV. Lots of maneuvering, high-speed flying, and climbing to high altitudes uses more battery power than slowly cruising along at medium altitudes. To get a power boost, I added a dual battery setup, which consists of a carbon-fiber dual-battery mount, extra batteries, and a three-way wiring harness. I also bought extra propellers, because they can be damaged if the drone collides with something.
Flying The Drone
My first flight was in an RV park’s large open area, which gave me the chance to learn the controls a bit without fear of banging into objects. I found that flying the drone was a fairly easy task. First, switch on the transmitter, plug in the battery on the drone, turn on the GoPro, and start recording video. Then, move the drone in a circle to orient the compass. A flashing light on the rear of the drone indicates when the unit has located enough satellites to obtain a GPS fix.
The drone’s motors are started by holding both joystick controls down. The left joystick is the throttle and rotation control; the right joystick controls forward and sideways motion. Increase the throttle and the quadcopter lifts off. Release the throttle to the idle position and the drone hovers in place. The GPS control holds it in the same spot and prevents wind drift.
The drone can be controlled within a range of 984 feet. However, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines call for hobbyists to fly drones below 400 feet and also to keep them within sight at all times.
After a few test flights in an open area, I flew the drone over the access roads in the RV park, observing its progress on the FPV monitor screen and shooting video of the flight. The quadcopter was easy to control. When a car turned down the road that the drone was hovering over, I simply raised the drone another 30 feet. Hovering and rotating the drone resulted in some really cool panoramic video.
I can see how a gimbal would be a big help. The antivibration mount eliminated the rippling effect, but when I moved the drone, it would dip just like a real helicopter, and that caused the camera angle to change. It was especially noticeable when I moved the drone sideways, shooting video of a row of RVs. As the drone tipped to travel sideways, the camera angle also rotated. With a gimbal, the camera would have remained level with the horizon. My video footage was good but not up to the quality of the video shot over Niagara Falls that has garnered nearly 3 million hits on YouTube (search: DJI Phantom — Niagara Falls).
Final Analysis
Flight time is a big issue. Eight minutes on a single battery isn’t very long. The latest high-end drones boast a maximum flight time of 25 minutes, but maneuvering reduces that time considerably. If you fly over water, you obviously want to make sure the drone returns to your location before the battery runs out. If you want to go high-tech, an IOS interface will overlay battery, GPS, and altitude information on your FPV monitor so you can view the flight parameters as you fly. It all depends on how many bells and whistles you want.
Keep in mind that technology is always changing. New drones with improved batteries and embedded camera and gimbal systems are appearing virtually overnight. If this hobby interests you, you’ll need to research the latest offerings as products get better and more affordable.
Quadcopters are a great hobby for RV travelers who are looking for something new in their travel photos or videos. It’s now possible to get great visual perspectives that once were unattainable. Drones are compact and don’t take up much room in the RV. Plus, they are a lot of fun to fly.
Guidelines For Operating Drones Safely
In January, a drone being flown by an off-duty government employee crashed onto the White House grounds. That highly publicized event added to the growing number of examples of drones being in places they shouldn’t.
As reports of drone incidents increase — everything from close calls with airplanes to people voicing privacy concerns — regulators are taking notice. Recreational drones have been banned from military reservations and from lands administered by the National Park Service. And, at least 35 states and several municipalities have introduced legislation to restrict the use of drones, according to The New York Times.
Still, there is still plenty of room to enjoy drone flying. The key is operating drones safely and responsibly. That is the goal of Know Before You Fly, an education campaign founded by several industry organizations in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These guidelines are among those listed on the Know Before You Fly website:
- Follow community-based safety guidelines, as developed by organizations such as the Academy of Model Aeronautics, www.modelaircraft.org.
- Fly no higher than 400 feet and remain below any surrounding obstacles when possible.
- Keep the drone in sight at all times.
- Avoid other aircraft and obstacles at all times.
- Contact an airport or control tower before flying within five miles of an airport.
- Do not intentionally fly over unprotected people or moving vehicles, and remain at least 25 feet from people and vulnerable property.
- Do not fly near or over sensitive property such as power stations, water treatment facilities, correctional facilities, heavily traveled roadways, or government facilities.
- Check and follow local laws before flying over private property.
- Do not conduct surveillance or photograph people in areas where there is an expectation of privacy, unless permission is obtained.
The FAA can take enforcement action against model aircraft operators who endanger people or property.
Resources
- Know Before You Fly: www.knowbeforeyoufly.org
- Online map of no-fly zones across the United States, created by Mapbox: www.mapbox.com/drone/no-fly
- State laws addressing drone issues, compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures: http://tinyurl.com/qemocyj
- Information and a selection of videos shot by drones, compiled by Smithsonian magazine: http://tinyurl.com/ohrpab4
Selected Retailers
Atlanta Hobby
(678) 513-4450
B&H Photo and Video
(800) 894-9703; (212) 502-6230
DJI
(818) 235-0789