Hey --

I'm making my first post, and had an interesting idea.
Haven't the engineers at DJI considered installing a Bluetooth or GPS tracking system for their drones?
As a new Spark pilot, I'm most interested in that one (at least for now).

What do you all think about this idea?

Cheers,

Tyler

Considering they (DJI) recommend turning off bluetooth when flying ...hmm

I just realized this has come up before. And I found a $9.50 GPS tracker that weighs less than a gram.

I just realized this has come up before. And I found a $9.50 GPS tracker that weighs less than a gram. Forget Bluetooth. Isn't this a good and cost effective idea for DJI to incorporate in their tech anyway?

Care to post link for GPS tracker for 9.50 that weighs less than a gram :-)

AlanIRL Posted at 2018-1-5 11:52
Care to post link for GPS tracker for 9.50 that weighs less than a gram :-)

Unlike many posters who fade away forever after asking to post anything, I will provide the link:

https://www.adorama.com/trkkit.h ... brv2KYaAuF1EALw_wcB

It's a Trackimo GPS tracker made for mounting on drones. Is it REALLY $9.50? Do you need a transmitter?

DroneLoadz Posted at 2018-1-5 12:04
Unlike many posters who fade away forever after asking to post anything, I will provide the link:

https://www.adorama.com/trkkit.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4bzSBRDOARIsAHJ1UO7vvozPFqN8iSjWiao54NWqZAjPeTHEjK5sdwzMsNBYrVkQnbrv2KYaAuF1EALw_wcB

It looks like that is just a drone attachment kit for the GPS tracker.

Here is the GPS tracker...

Trackimo 3G GPS Tracker
edit: There is a cheaper version on Amazon that includes 1 year free of service. Some one in the reviews posted a picture of it attached to a Mavic.

Trackimo TRK-100

DroneLoadz Posted at 2018-1-5 12:04
Unlike many posters who fade away forever after asking to post anything, I will provide the link:

https://www.adorama.com/trkkit.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4bzSBRDOARIsAHJ1UO7vvozPFqN8iSjWiao54NWqZAjPeTHEjK5sdwzMsNBYrVkQnbrv2KYaAuF1EALw_wcB

I've been using Trackimo for 3+ years.  It weighs a LOT more than a gram and requires a monthly/yearly fee.

Oh and it doesn't fit on the Spark...the props hit the tracker

DroneLoadz Posted at 2018-1-5 12:04
Unlike many posters who fade away forever after asking to post anything, I will provide the link:

https://www.adorama.com/trkkit.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4bzSBRDOARIsAHJ1UO7vvozPFqN8iSjWiao54NWqZAjPeTHEjK5sdwzMsNBYrVkQnbrv2KYaAuF1EALw_wcB

40 grams.... off by a factor of .... 40 :-)

web_parrot Posted at 2018-1-5 14:47
40 grams.... off by a factor of .... 40 :-)

I saw this little beastie and was quite tempted...I don't know if the signal would interfere with the drone though:

https://www.amazon.com/Marco-Polo-Advanced-Recovery-System/dp/B073X9HBL7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515193092&sr=8-2&keywords=Eureka+Technology

I have explored GPS tracking options and found three that might work.  I have NOT tried any.

This one is about 23 grams.  It does require a monthly fee but it is included the first year.
https://store.trackimo.com/products/trackimo-mini-dog-tracker-cat-tracker

This one is a little bigger at 26 grams and more expensive for the monthly service.
https://www.whistle.com

This one is 33 grams BUT it is solar powered and rechargeable.
https://thelightbug.com/buy/index.html#!/select

All of these are in the range of weight for a set of prop guards.

Monthly fees are required since they use cellular phone networks to report the GPS positions.

The biggest problem is where to mount the unit.  On a Spark it would have to be on the bottom since it would likely block the Spark GPS antenna if mounted on the top.  Presumably it would need to be near the middle to not change the center of gravity for the Spark.  The other issue might be damage to the tracker if there was a crash on land or not being 100% waterproof it you crash in water.

The other issue is would any of these interfere with the radio signals in the Spark and would they work attached to a Spark.

Lis Morris Posted at 2018-1-5 14:58
I saw this little beastie and was quite tempted...I don't know if the signal would interfere with the drone though:

https://www.amazon.com/Marco-Polo-Advanced-Recovery-System/dp/B073X9HBL7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515193092&sr=8-2&keywords=Eureka+Technology

Love the name ....  "Marco ..... Polo"

I am new to drones also. My only thought is the range of Bluetooth lacks compared to other forms of communication.

Lis Morris Posted at 2018-1-5 14:58
I saw this little beastie and was quite tempted...I don't know if the signal would interfere with the drone though:

https://www.amazon.com/Marco-Polo-Advanced-Recovery-System/dp/B073X9HBL7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515193092&sr=8-2&keywords=Eureka+Technology

The tag (device mounted to the drone) does not transmit a signal until it receives a signal from the hand held tracker unit. The hand held receiver sends out a call to the tag, When the tag receives a request to transmit it then sends out a signal so the hand held can home in on it. So to answer your question No it will not interfere with the controlling the drone in any way. Also the frequency of the Marco Polo is in the 900 MHz band  and no where near the 2.4 or 5.8 GHz. I have one and played with it quite a bit. It does work well however I do not think the range is 2 miles. But if you have an idea where the drone went down and you get fairly close it will walk you right up to it. I purchased mine used on eBay and paid $100.00 for it. I have seen go for as low as $75.00.  Mine is a pet model so I had to remove the tag from its case in order to lighten it up a bit. I have used it on my Mavic but not on the Spark yet.

There are a couple of you-tube videos. Seach drone + marco polo

However the $9.00 tracker the OP posted has sparked an interest and I will be checking it out further.

DroneLoadz Posted at 2018-1-5 12:04
Unlike many posters who fade away forever after asking to post anything, I will provide the link:

https://www.adorama.com/trkkit.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4bzSBRDOARIsAHJ1UO7vvozPFqN8iSjWiao54NWqZAjPeTHEjK5sdwzMsNBYrVkQnbrv2KYaAuF1EALw_wcB

After reading everything the $9.95 is only for the strap. You still need to purchase one of the trackers. I was all set to order one. I am currently using a Marco Polo and please so far.

Hi all,

If you are going purchase one of the Trackimo units be sure it will work on the cell phone system in your area. The less expensive units operate on the 2G networks only. 2G has all been phased out in the US opting
for faster data and systems capability to handle more calls per channel. The more expensive trackimo operates on the 3G networks. My concern is, 5G is right around the corner and they might start phasing out the 3G networks at some point leaving us with 4G and 5G only.

Hello again,

I cannot seem to get away from this thread. Anyway I got to thinking one of the cheaper Bluetooth tags might help in locating a lost drone. There should be no problem using one as the tag will not transmit until it receives a signal from your phone and the phone has to be using the proper app. Leaving the Bluetooth option off in the phone guarantees the tag will not transmit so I see no problem with interference. Only down side with the little Bluetooth tags are you must be very close to them in order to ping them. The range is limited to about 25 feet or so. Still very useful if the drone in some deep weeds or somewhere out of sight.

OP here. Just getting back to this thread as I’ve been flying Spark out over the marshes of Glynn. Pretty out here.

Good! Glad to see an answer about the “$9.50 tracker”, they need to update that listing because it is misleading. Knew something was up.
Also, I agree that 2G systems should be entirely avoided. In fact, until DJI implements its own GPS system, I might avoid mounting anything altogether as it can void the warranty. Plus, the Spark is too small to have anything hanging off of it.

Tyler

Back again,

I did a little research for a very light tracker that could be used with a Spark and I came across a little tracker designed to keep track of a cat or dog. It is called a Loc8tor Lite. It appears to be available everywhere. I purchase one from Amazon for $79.00 US to play with. The weight of the tag is only 6 grams and should not bother the performance of a Spark. The range is not as good as my Marco Polo but the tag is so much lighter it might be a good trade off. The transmitter frequency is in the 2.4 GHz band but it only transmit if it hears a request to transmit from the locator so no interference is anticipated. This is not to be confused with a long range GPS position locator but as long as you have some idea where the drone went down it will take you right to it. In tall grass it can be a drone saver. I plan on doing some experimenting with a couple of high antennas to increase the range. I found many you-tube videos demonstrating how well the thing works. Check it out, its pretty neat.

I hope you never need a tracker.

~Bill

BMelody Posted at 2018-1-8 06:25
Back again,

I did a little research for a very light tracker that could be used with a Spark and I came across a little tracker designed to keep track of a cat or dog. It is called a Loc8tor Lite. It appears to be available everywhere. I purchase one from Amazon for $79.00 US to play with. The weight of the tag is only 6 grams and should not bother the performance of a Spark. The range is not as good as my Marco Polo but the tag is so much lighter it might be a good trade off. The transmitter frequency is in the 2.4 GHz band but it only transmit if it hears a request to transmit from the locator so no interference is anticipated. This is not to be confused with a long range GPS position locator but as long as you have some idea where the drone went down it will take you right to it. In tall grass it can be a drone saver. I plan on doing some experimenting with a couple of high antennas to increase the range. I found many you-tube videos demonstrating how well the thing works. Check it out, its pretty neat.

Bill, thanks for your research on this! I hope I never need it, either, but if that stopped me from buying gadgets I think my house would be half empty. It looks to be actually smaller than any of the bluetooth trackers I was investigating. I measured the "feet" of the spark and they are 6mm high. As long as the thickness of that tracker is under 6mm, there shouldn't be any clearance issues if I mount it to the bottom of a battery with 3m scotch weld instant adhesive. The only problem with this, obviously, is that the tracker is just on one battery. However, shouldn't void the warranty on the aircraft since it's just mounted to the battery. Definitely worth looking into!

Thanks,
Tyler

Hey Tyler,

I think I will try attaching the tag with double sided tape. Perhaps carpet tape. Its very sticky and paper thin. I will report back after I receive mine and do a little experimenting. I am by trade an RF engineer (retired) and love playing with radios of all types. I am looking forward to some range testing using a DirecTV reflector to increase the range.

~Bill

DroneLoadz Posted at 2018-1-8 07:13
Bill, thanks for your research on this! I hope I never need it, either, but if that stopped me from buying gadgets I think my house would be half empty. It looks to be actually smaller than any of the bluetooth trackers I was investigating. I measured the "feet" of the spark and they are 6mm high. As long as the thickness of that tracker is under 6mm, there shouldn't be any clearance issues if I mount it to the bottom of a battery with 3m scotch weld instant adhesive. The only problem with this, obviously, is that the tracker is just on one battery. However, shouldn't void the warranty on the aircraft since it's just mounted to the battery. Definitely worth looking into!

Thanks,

Just an idea: mount it with velcro tape? You could put a dot of velcro tape on each battery and move the tracker from battery to battery as you wish. The industrial strength type of velcro is amazingly strong.

[quote]The tag (device mounted to the drone) does not transmit a signal until it receives a signal from the hand held tracker unit.[\quote]

As far as I understand how GSM networks work (correct me if I'm wrong): If the tracker uses GSM to communicate its position, it must log to GSM network and respond to calls from GSM stations. Hence it transmits data not only when called but all the time, otherwise it will not be able to receive the call.

Hi _pk,

The systems I was referring to are not GSM. GSM (Global System for Mobile) trackers require cell phone service to be available in area of use. A GSM tracker also requires a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) and a paid up account to operate. A GSM tag will briefly ping a tower to establish a connection using cell phone frequencies and will not interfere with the drones WiFi frequencies. Once logged into a cell tower the tag goes into a receive only condition but will ping occasionally just like a cell phone. Some tracker systems must use several cell towers to triangulate where the tag signal is coming from and do not provide an exact location. These would be all but useless for drone locating. The better systems use a GPS receiver in conjunction with a GSM module. So what happens when the drone is lost you use your cell phone to send a text (all part of the app) to wake up the tracker. Once the tracker receives the text requesting its location it turns on its GPS receiver to get its exact location. Then the tag sends a text with the location data back to your phone  and an app uses the GPS concordance data to put a spot on a mapping program which then shows you the exact location of the tag.  A great approach to getting the exact location as long as there is cell phone coverage in the area. And in many cases the cell phone services must be G2. G3 tracker systems are available but cost more.

The Marco Polo tracker (mentioned above) uses a hand held receiver with a 4 antennas built into the covers that provide directional data to a receiver that is then displays the direction to the tag. The Maro Polo uses a higher Tx power in the handheld unit to send out a signal to wake up the tag. The tag is in a receive only state until it receives a signal from the hand held Tx/Rx display unit. This unit has a limited range of up to 2 miles. My Marco Polo system works quite well but the tag is (IMO) too large for the Spark.

Next we have the Loc8tor Lite system using a very small and light tag. Very similar to the Marco Polo in operation however its range is limited to ~ 400 feet. But if you know the direction the drone went down and head in that direction you should eventually get within range of the tag and the by moving the receiver side to side it will walk you right up to it. The tag is in a receive only condition until it receives a request to transmit. You must move the hand held from side to side to determine the direction. The Marco Polo unit uses a real direction finding  quad antenna array and an LCD display that shows you the direction to walk so sweeping the hand held unit from side to side is not required.

Neither the Loc8tor or Marco Polo provide a GPS location. They simply transmit a signal the hand held unit can lock onto and direct you to it.

Hope all this make some sense,

~Bill

BMelody Posted at 2018-1-9 07:12
Hi _pk,

The systems I was referring to are not GSM. GSM (Global System for Mobile) trackers require cell phone service to be available in area of use. A GSM tracker also requires a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) and a paid up account to operate. A GSM tag will briefly ping a tower to establish a connection using cell phone frequencies and will not interfere with the drones WiFi frequencies. Once logged into a cell tower the tag goes into a receive only condition but will ping occasionally just like a cell phone. Some tracker systems must use several cell towers to triangulate where the tag signal is coming from and do not provide an exact location. These would be all but useless for drone locating. The better systems use a GPS receiver in conjunction with a GSM module. So what happens when the drone is lost you use your cell phone to send a text (all part of the app) to wake up the tracker. Once the tracker receives the text requesting its location it turns on its GPS receiver to get its exact location. Then the tag sends a text with the location data back to your phone  and an app uses the GPS concordance data to put a spot on a mapping program which then shows you the exact location of the tag.  A great approach to getting the exact location as long as there is cell phone coverage in the area. And in many cases the cell phone services must be G2. G3 tracker systems are available but cost more.

Bill,
Thanks for that comprehensive reply. I do like the idea of a high grade velcro to attach it so I can detach if I so desire. The only possible drawback to the Loc8tor is that it operates on the crowded 2.4GHz frequency which could mean interference issues, especially in suburbs with hundreds of WiFi networks. I'm curious to see how well it tests out when you get it. Are you gonna put it on the Spark, Mavic, or Phantom? Please update if you run any tests. I will likely just go ahead and get one in the next week or so.

Tyler

Hey Tyler,

I received the Loc8tor lite today and started playing with it. Some good and some bad. It actually arrived in one day! God I love Amazon Prime!

Setup is easy and if you follow the instructions there should be no problems. I only activated one tag. I played with it around the house and it does work quite well. The instruction manual is good and well written. I did have a little problem with the battery in the tag as it did not make contact when I first pulled the battery shipping disconnect strip. That was OK because I wanted to see if the battery could be replaced as they do not mention battery replacement for the tag in the instructions. Once I re-seated the battery it worked as designed.

The size of the tag fits nicely on the top of the Spark. It is a little to thick to put on the bottom without some landing gear extensions. However under the Spark might be the only solution to using a tag of any kind with a Spark. Let me explain. I weighed the tag at 0.5 oz. Turns out it is as heavy as one prop guard.  I normally only use the prop guards when flying indoors. But I thought I would leave them on for this test. The Spark had no issues flying with the tag attached to the top dead center and 4 prop guards. That is the only place it fits and clears the rotating props. I flew the Spark around my yard and it flies just fine. However I did notice it took a ling time to acquire 12 GPS satellites. Once I got them all I took off. Shortly after take off I noticed I lost GPS then I got it back again. I flew one battery down to 20% then landed, everything appeared normal. Then I picked up the Spark and lost GPSa again. While looking the the Spark it dawned me. I suspect the tag is directly over the GPS antenna and with all fly away problems due to loss of GPS I do not think putting the tag on the top of the Spark and possibly blocking the GPS antenna is good thing to do. It was cloudy here today and I'm sure that did not help with GPS reception but I have never had any GPS loss before.

I think I will get some landing gear extensions as that is the only solution I can come up with at this time. As far as using it on my Mavic I think I will stick with the Maro Polo. You cannot beat the range of the Marco Polo. The Marco Polo may fit under the Spark and also be a good alternative.

So that's about it . Let me know what you decide to do.

~Bill

Hey Bill, have you tested the range? and in what kind of outdoor setting? I'm interested in this Loc8tor too, but the comments on Amazon regarding range are a bit mixed. I plan on using it in a mix of rural towns and forested mountainous areas, so getting a fairly good range is ideal.

Sebas

Hi Sebas,

The range is very limited. The only real advantage to this tracker would be near field. If you know where about the drone went down  but may be in a tree or some tall grass then it will help you locate the drone. If you do not know the approximate area the tracker may not be of any help. If you check your flight log and have a GPS coordinates that may get you close enough so the tracker could lock on.

I agree the reviews the range is very limited. I was not over impressed with the operation. I am not sure but there may be motion switch that turns off the tag after some period of time. I was not able to wake up the tag if it has sat for awhile. I tried several times and got no response until I moved the tag. I also had a problem with the battery making contact when I first activated it. All the above made me skeptical of its reliability. I will be returning it today.

I am really concerned about mounting any tag to the Spark. There is no good place to mount it without some sort of interference be it mechanical or electrical.  As i mentioned above mounting the tag on the top severely attenuated the GPS reception. So for me there will be no tracker attached to my Spark.

~Bill

This thread keeps coming back up.   One thought... the spark already has GPS... It seems like it would be an almost trivial thing to add to a new version of spark or new drone add a cellular radio chip.  I am pretty sure phones use a chip that does both Wifi and cellular on one chip...   Then spark could report its location over cellular at any time.  Think the 'find my drone' function but with the drones position reported via the cellular network.    DJI are you listening ?  :-)

LouisP

Brilliant !

It would require a cell phone account but due to the minimum activity it could be very affordable.  Even better if they could piggy back it on an existing phone number but that's not going to happen.

~Bill

Great write up. And yeah, I bet the engineers couldn’t even DO that if they wanted to! ;) ;)

Boy, I’d sure like to see them try. . .

Hi guys, the mavic air has come out and the mavic pro 2 about to come.

Is there no sight or option on adding a gps tracker for better action sports follow modes? it seems that the active tracking it is yet not optimal for solo self recording (signal gets easily lost)

Thanks

Get a tracker you can switch on remotely with your mobile and let it "sleep" until you need it.

DroneLoadz Posted at 2018-1-5 11:42
I just realized this has come up before. And I found a $9.50 GPS tracker that weighs less than a gram.

What kind, do you have a link for it?

BMelody Posted at 2018-1-6 11:23
Hello again,

I cannot seem to get away from this thread. Anyway I got to thinking one of the cheaper Bluetooth tags might help in locating a lost drone. There should be no problem using one as the tag will not transmit until it receives a signal from your phone and the phone has to be using the proper app. Leaving the Bluetooth option off in the phone guarantees the tag will not transmit so I see no problem with interference. Only down side with the little Bluetooth tags are you must be very close to them in order to ping them. The range is limited to about 25 feet or so. Still very useful if the drone in some deep weeds or somewhere out of sight.

My thinking is that you use the "Find My Drone" feature in the app to get you in the general area and then you activate the bluetooth tracker to pinpoint the location.  Should work if the app can get you relatively close, but obviously that won't always be the case.