The What Did You Do On The Weekend Thread!!

crackacoldie

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Jan 8, 2013
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Newcastle NSW
I spent this past weekend in low range revisiting some tracks in the High Country that I haven't had a chance to do for some time. This was after checking out the annual hot rod weekend in the High Country hamlet of Jamieson on Saturday

The Van stayed home as it was a swag only trip.
Haven't been able to do the high country for a while coz you've been in gods own country for the better part of a quarter of a year!!!
 

Matty4

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Mar 18, 2011
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Finally got the chance to get the van out. hasn't been out since Feb.
Took the opportunity whilst my eldest (17) was away on a school trip to head down to Lakes Entrance for 3 nights.
Stayed at the Waters Edge Big4, small park but nice grassy sites.
Did Buchan caves and we've decided to go back there and take the van into the campground there, was a very pretty spot.

20150921_121331.jpg

Our site taken from my DJI Phantom 3

DJI_0010.jpg
 

Crusty181

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Feb 7, 2010
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Our site taken from my DJI Phantom 3

Must get some practice with my newly acquired Walkera QRX350 quadcopter for our trip next month!

I just ordered a Phantom 3 .... but unfortunately (and naively) watched some drone crash Youtube videos, so Im not 100% convinced now Ill ever actually fly it. Theres a couple of incredible Youtube videos, one of a Phantom 1600m vertical, and another around 7.5km long range flight.

@Matty4 which model did you get, what screen are you using and have you trialled the intelligent flight modes.
 
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Crusty181

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Finally got the chance to get the van out. hasn't been out since Feb.
Took the opportunity whilst my eldest (17) was away on a school trip to head down to Lakes Entrance for 3 nights.
Stayed at the Waters Edge Big4, small park but nice grassy sites.
Did Buchan caves and we've decided to go back there and take the van into the campground there, was a very pretty spot.

20150921_121331.jpg

Our site taken from my DJI Phantom 3

DJI_0010.jpg
They've spent some money in that park by the look. It was a Big 4 back when we stayed there on the way back from QLD. Princess Crusty was so disgusted in the place she questioned Big 4 about the legitimacy of the Big 4 accreditation .... it was just pox, but from the drone pic appears to now fit the bill, which is as it should be because its in a great spot. Obvious new playground and I recall they built a new toilet block because the old one was horrid.

After 5000 odd km, and a few laps of the town looking for a c/park, as we pulled into the driveway my bike slid forward off the front of the ball mount bike rack, slid down btw the rack and the car, scratched and dented the car, hit the roadway and jammed under the draw bar of the van ... totalling the bike and stopping the car.
 

Matty4

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Mar 18, 2011
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Concrete pads look like they have been installed in odd locations?
Must get some practice with my newly acquired Walkera QRX350 quadcopter for our trip next month!
By the looks of it, those sites used to have permanent vans with aluminium annexes on them.
The concrete would have been the "patio" out the front of the annexe.
You can see one on the left side of the site photo.
 

Matty4

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Mar 18, 2011
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I just ordered a Phantom 3 .... but unfortunately (and naively) watched some drone crash Youtube videos, so Im not 100% convinced now Ill ever actually fly it. Theres a couple of incredible Youtube videos, one of a Phantom 1600m vertical, and another around 7.5km long range flight.

@Matty4 which model did you get, what screen are you using and have you trialled the intelligent flight modes.
@Crusty181 I bought a Phantom 3 Advanced, the savings over the Professional paid for a couple of extra batteries. I didn't have anything that was capable of displaying 4K when I bought it, but have since bought a new 27" iMac with the 5K Retina screen.........meh...
I mainly use an Ipad mini 2 for my FPV setup, but have used my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone on the odd occassion.
Personally, I prefer the iPad as the DJI GO app seems to work better on iOS than Android.
There are 3rd party apps available but I'm happy with the DJI system, that also restricts altitude to 500m, it just won't go any higher, I've tried...hehe.
I've flown it out around 1.5 to 1.7km so far, at that range I start to get a little nervous as it's gone from my line of sight and I get the odd "weak transmission" warning on the app and lose video for a second or two, but it always comes back.
I trialled the new Intelligent flight modes on the weekend. See short vid below. It works well. Didn't bother with waypoints though, I don't have a need for it. Feel free to ask any questions about it. You need to get it up and fly it when you get it. Happy to show you too if you'd like.

 
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Crusty181

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@Crusty181 I bought a Phantom 3 Advanced, the savings over the Professional paid for a couple of extra batteries. I didn't have anything that was capable of displaying 4K when I bought it, but have since bought a new 27" iMac with the 5K Retina screen.........meh...
I mainly use an Ipad mini 2 for my FPV setup, but have used my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone on the odd occassion.
Personally, I prefer the iPad as the DJI GO app seems to work better on iOS than Android.
There are 3rd party apps available but I'm happy with the DJI system, that also restricts altitude to 500m, it just won't go any higher, I've tried...hehe.
I've flown it out around 1.5 to 1.7km so far, at that range I start to get a little nervous as it's gone from my line of sight and I get the odd "weak transmission" warning on the app and lose video for a second or two, but it always comes back.
I trialled the new Intelligent flight modes on the weekend. See short vid below. It works well. Didn't bother with waypoints though, I don't have a need for it. Feel free to ask any questions about it. You need to get it up and fly it when you get it. Happy to show you too if you'd like.

When I get a cheap idea, I have a habit of optioning up inside my head until my initial cheap "idea" morphs into a expensive reality. So the idea of grabbing a cheap second hand Phantom 1 for a muck around, after the prerequisite mental upgrade process, resulted in ordering a new Phantom 3 Advanced. I registered for the DJI factory love-in scheduled for Melb at the end of Oct, but would certainly appreciate a few hands-on tips. I was disappointed to discover that the waypoint function is nothing remotely like the Ground Station function which is available on the Phantom 2 ... and I can't think of a single reason to need the current waypoint option. The other Intel flight modes sees pretty handy though.

I don't have Apple stuff aside from a Mac. Don't particularly like Apple goodies, so for the drone Im stuck with my array of Android stuff.
 

Matty4

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Mar 18, 2011
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Have you been here @Crusty181
www.phantompilots.com

It's funny you mention that about the Apple vs Android debate, quite a few on there are Apple haters but conceded to getting an iPad for the ease of integration. I've read really good things about Litchi though, which is an Android only platform for the P3 and I1.
I had a P1 with OSD and an FPV setup but the limited flight time drove me nuts, so sold it to fund the P3A.

Tell me more about the DJI love-in, haven't heard of it.

Thread back on topic now/....
 

Crusty181

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Have you been here @Crusty181
www.phantompilots.com

It's funny you mention that about the Apple vs Android debate, quite a few on there are Apple haters but conceded to getting an iPad for the ease of integration. I've read really good things about Litchi though, which is an Android only platform for the P3 and I1.
I had a P1 with OSD and an FPV setup but the limited flight time drove me nuts, so sold it to fund the P3A.

Tell me more about the DJI love-in, haven't heard of it.

Thread back on topic now/....
The initial idea was to blindly grab a 2nd hand P1, throw the GoPro on it for some cheap fun ..... then more reading and the potential kicked in and here we are.

Apple is an awesome platform and great products, and is far more stable than Android .... but I just can't cope with the controlled Apple environment; frustrates the bejesus out of me. Just to put music on the damn thing is an exercise. I would certainly consider buying a iPad for the Phantom (if it wasn't so costly). We have a iPad, I just prefer not to use Apple generally. Its a bonus my fav brand, Samsung, is loosing market share and they're slashing prices on there products

The DJI love-in is factory sponsor days at venues around the world for newbies .. coincidentally the Aus one is in Melb in Oct DJI New Pilot Experience

The PhantomPilots web site is just what I need .. thanks for that

That Litchi App looks very cool. Has the Ground Station function DJI have removed in the P3 ... I have an 8inch Android Tab, perfect. The App requires DJI validation on install, which is a nice confidence booster. I presume the safety features still function. Probably give that a run I think
 
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Smirke

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May 9, 2014
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1st day of holidays and I spend it washing the panda wagon. It took an hour and a half just to wash the roof! Those jayco guys were very messy with their silicon. I got globs everywhere. I guess I should be grateful they put It where it was meant to go. Now all I need are those rubber corners and then put the cover on. Until she goes back to get the spare put on her rear end and a new awning.
 
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Smirke

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Want to come up and wash ours @Smirke ;)
Ahhhh.........no. But I did get my corners and some silicon to stick it down with, so I'll be up the ladder tomorrow sticking them on. Then battling with the cover. Trying to decide whether to use those d rings and straps or bolts to hold the table under the front/back lid.
 
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dagree

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Ahhhh.........no. But I did get my corners and some silicon to stick it down with, so I'll be up the ladder tomorrow sticking them on. Then battling with the cover. Trying to decide whether to use those d rings and straps or bolts to hold the table under the front/back lid.

I tried ;)
I would go the d-rings and straps so you can fit a few more bits in there ;)
 
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Bluey

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was in the city today on a 3 tonner bit of a change to a 45t cleaning up before they pour the ground slab or the roof of the basement then I had to go to the other side of the site so I got a lift thought it was a good shot
Matt's phone 004.jpg
Matt's phone 005.jpg


see @Crusty181 we don't rebuild we dig a hole they put a building in it 50 years later we smash it down and do it again