A misplaced drone on the ground
The cutting-edge capabilities of drones have made them versatile tools across many different industries. People are using drones for anything from reconnaissance and airborne inspections to videography. Due to their adaptability and ease of use, drones can be easily used in a wide range of scenarios. However, while drones are useful, they are also very fragile. In other words, you risk losing them if you don’t handle them properly. Taking into account the high price tag of drones, you can see how this could be an issue. Therefore, today we are going to give you a few clever tips to help you find a lost drone.
Use the Return Home Function on Your Drone
Using the “return home” button and waiting a few minutes before going out to look for your drone is the first thing you should do if you lose connection with it due to bad weather or a crash. Depending on the model of the drone, this process is going to vary. However, most models will show you telemetry data at the bottom of the remote control screen. In addition to distance, it will also indicate in which direction your drone is now flying. If the readouts are decreasing, the drone is getting closer to you. However, if the values on the screen don’t shift, you have either lost the connection to your drone or the drone is stuck somewhere. If this happens to you, it’s time to consider other options to find a lost drone.
Verify the Last Known Location by Consulting Flight Records
This is usually the first thing professional drone pilots do if they need to find a lost drone. Additionally, it is helpful for drone pilots whose drones have crashed due to a dead battery. At the very least, the drone’s last known coordinates before the drone disconnected will help you and your search team focus your efforts. In addition to the last known coordinates, you can use the data at the end of the last flight log, which is accessible for some drones. Then, you can start your search at the given location with the help of global positioning system (GPS) equipment or even just your smartphone’s GPS. You’ll still have to put in some extra work, but at least you’ll be focusing your efforts where they’ll be most fruitful.
Scan the Area with Another Drone
If you have access to another drone with a working camera, you can save a lot of time looking for the lost drone. You can use another drone to survey the surrounding area from the air and see if you can find your drone that way. If the missing drone still has battery life when night falls, another drone could also be used to spot its lights from above.
Using the Lost Drones Video Feed
Having some form of screen capture is a great security feature for any drone. This way, if you start losing control of your drone, you can quickly take a screenshot of the surrounding area. Doing so will reveal the last known location of your drone. Assuming you have a rough idea of where your drone has crashed, you can use audio cues in addition to visual ones to track it down. If you start losing control of your drone, you should try to get a picture of the ground. Everything from grass, gravel, and plant life to clusters of huge boulders or fallen trees. All of these things will help you locate your drone if you lose it.
Ask Around the Neighborhood
If you are settling into a new community and lose your drone while trying to get to know the area, you could ask your neighbors for help. Some of them might have witnessed your drone crash and can help point you in the right direction. It’s also a good idea to let them know where you fly so that you can get back on the ground safely in case of an emergency.
How To Prevent Losing Your Drone
1. Purchase a Tracker or an App
Most people don’t bother with trackers, even though they can be very useful after a drone crash. You should use tracking software whenever possible so you can find your missing drone. Numerous GPS-based drone trackers are available and will serve their purpose well. For example, you can use the TK102 model. This handy device costs around $30 and uses a SIM card to function. So, if you ever misplace your drone, you can just dial TK102’s SIM number to get a text message with its current location. There are many different types of trackers that you can use out there.
2. Fly Your Drone Within Visual Range at All Times
When you can actually see your drone, the chances of it crashing or disappearing drastically decrease. In fact, according to FAA regulations, pilots must have their UAVs in clear sight at all times. If you want to fly safely, you should stay where you can see the ground. Keep in mind that relying only on a live video feed to protect your drone is a bad idea. If you do this, you will have no idea what’s occurring behind or to the sides of your drone.
3. Set the Right Height to the Proper Level
Even though newer drones have vision systems that allow them to avoid or fly over objects during RTH, setting an RTH Altitude is still good. RTH relies on natural lighting. Therefore, it may fail to detect issues in environments with little to no shadows, such as those involving clear glass or water. In fact, miamimoversforless.com has experienced RTH issues in the past when conducting drone property surveys. They have found that the sensors that prevent collisions may potentially overlook thin objects such as tree branches and power cables.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you will find some of these clever tips to find a lost drone useful. If you follow them closely, you will have no trouble keeping your drone safe and secure at all times so that you can spend more time flying and less time worrying about crashes and damages. An article on finding your DJI drone- Find My Drone -https://www.droneblog.com/find-my-drone-dji/