frankengels
lvl.4
Flight distance : 2273796 ft
Belgium
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davidmartingraf Posted at 2018-3-16 21:36
I don't see how when you're in the business of making and selling drones that travel miles away and return to home why it wouldn't be useful or essential to incorporate the best tracking technologies that exist currently? If we have it with our smart devices, we should have it with our smart drones, case closed. It works out not to be more of a cost DJI has to incur, as many people encounter a fly-away that isn't their fault per say but most of the time they complain to DJI because the drone was lost as a result. DJI ends of having to allocate company resources to these complaints, not to mention sometimes sending new replacement drones or even refunding the cost of the drone paid by customers. If these loss prevention capabilities are added, the increased cost and additional price charged is minimal compared to the costs and time wasted that exist currently arising from lost drones. It's simple supply and demand curve econonics that shifts the demand curve outward because there's a change in technology, which means more consumers would be consuming drones because the technology is more reliant, hence everyone wins.
Basically the idea is good,
But there are some RF (Radio Frequencies) overlapping band problems which could cause a poor connection between the controller and the aircraft. And even if these would be managed the range would drop.
Let me develop:
The frequency rage of a 3G network is from 1.8 to 2.5Ghz, so full overlapping the authorised 2,4Ghz for public use, and the 4G network is from 2-8Ghz so even overlapping the authorised 5.8Ghz for public use.
Naturally this could be managed by the aircraft switching the RC frequency if the current channel is used by the mobile network.
Knowing that the GSM specifications are allowing a sending power up to 2W and the max sending power of the Mavic is 1,6W (FCC) the signal isolation is more difficult and the controllable range will drop strongly.
The 2G with EDGE (0.75 -1.8Ghz) is the only mobile network mode which is not interfering with public authorised frequencies. But the old 2G is nearly end of life, in some countries it has already turned off and most of them will turn it off in 2020.
To eliminate the problem with overlapping frequencies this transponder could used like an ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) in real airplanes but connecting to the mobile network Basically it is getting active when a crash is detected or lost connection to the controller for a long time. This would than also need an autonomous power.
Even this would not help every time, as at least in Europe until now we are only allowed in non build up area where in my experience the mobile network reception is very often really bad, especially when the drone is on the ground.
It seems that with the 5G network drones could be included in the 5G network and controlled using the 5G, but here I am asking myself how to control them wen no 5G available.
I the mean time you could have a look for a drone tracking transponder already available:
http://3dinsider.com/best-gps-drone-trackers/
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