Being new to this, I was looking at some videos last night on "lost drones" and one being a Spark.  Would/have people had success putting a tracker on your drones and if so, recommendations for the Spark?  Seems like a decent insurance option for a $700 investment?  
I see some options include:
Tile - https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us ... lite-test-finds-out
https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/blog/track-your-drone-with-tile
https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us ... vered-with-tile-app
Marco Polo
Stick 'n Find
Trackimo - https://trackimo.com/gps-drone-tracker/
Ping - http://pinggps.com/

Tile seems like the most popular option?  

Anyone who has advice, I'd probably lean on putting one on, probably just on the top of the Spark housing?  I will be flying in areas without a cell signal a few times a year also, so not sure how this would impact the choices.  

Thoughts or advice welcomed!  

I was actually about to post this question for myself but you beat me to it!

If you really consider buying a tracker for your drone. Buy a real GPS tracker instead of a bluetooth tag. I got both and the bluetooth tag was almost useless....

I've never considered this. Strange that there isn't a way to just track the gps already builds into the drone.

Ive used trackimo in the past on the p3 and p4.  It works very well.  I probably won't put one on the spark since it doesn't go nearly as far.  

Visualkaos Posted at 2017-6-12 10:04
Ive used trackimo in the past on the p3 and p4.  It works very well.  I probably won't put one on the spark since it doesn't go nearly as far.

Ya, still need cellular reception with that...and it's about 5x more expensive, heavier and bigger than Tile?  

I hadn't ever thought about it, but, i really like the tile idea!

Cravenfan Posted at 2017-6-12 10:28
Ya, still need cellular reception with that...and it's about 5x more expensive, heavier and bigger than Tile?

Yeah I would think the tile would be the best for the spark.  

Visualkaos Posted at 2017-6-12 11:08
Yeah I would think the tile would be the best for the spark.

Petty good video...poor monkey however!

rickysuperdog Posted at 2017-6-12 07:59
If you really consider buying a tracker for your drone. Buy a real GPS tracker instead of a bluetooth tag. I got both and the bluetooth tag was almost useless....

+1...I use Trackimo on ALL my DJI drones.

Anyone heard of RF-V16 GPS tracker before? I just bought them thru AliExpress, and planning to put on my spark.

Thinking about this little guy.  Not really a tracker, but an audible alarm.




http://www.nichemall.net/index.p ... 0&product_id=50

wricks Posted at 2017-6-14 03:25
Thinking about this little guy.  Not really a tracker, but an audible alarm.

Interesting gadget, though if you plan on flying over 1,000 feet distance I doubt you'll hear it

I use MyKi Pet - EU - to track my car. Guess a drone is not an issue either. Unlike the BT trackers it has inet connection and is really accurate - currently in my trunk.  https://myki.pet/en/online-shop/

I'm leaning toward a Tile, due to the small size and weight and low cost. Realizing you have to be in range to activate it. Saw that Drone Keeper Mini which activates an audible alarm after 30 seconds of no movement. Just wish it was flatter.

aviscomi Posted at 2017-6-14 04:12
Interesting gadget, though if you plan on flying over 1,000 feet distance I doubt you'll hear it

True, but if the DJI "Find My Drone" app can give me the last recorded position, I'll at least have a place to start.

Cravenfan Posted at 2017-6-14 05:37
I'm leaning toward a Tile, due to the small size and weight and low cost. Realizing you have to be in range to activate it. Saw that Drone Keeper Mini which activates an audible alarm after 30 seconds of no movement. Just wish it was flatter.

Looking at the construction, I thought it might be able to be re-engineered to be about half the height and twice as long.  At $19, it might be worth a try.

wricks Posted at 2017-6-14 06:13
True, but if the DJI "Find My Drone" app can give me the last recorded position, I'll at least have a place to start.

Is the, "find my drone" app part of DJI Go 4, or something different?

Cravenfan Posted at 2017-6-14 11:28
Is the, "find my drone" app part of DJI Go 4, or something different?

As I understand it (and I could be wrong) it is part of the DJI Go 4.

wricks Posted at 2017-6-14 11:31
As I understand it (and I could be wrong) it is part of the DJI Go 4.

Interesting, I see it on the app, but until my Spark comes in, I'll have to wait and see...but better to try that than put another tracking device on it...

So, I've got a Tile Mate (which is a bit smaller then the first version). What would be the best spot to put it on? Top?

What's the point of the tracker when Find My Drone does essentially the same thing?

InTheReeds Posted at 2017-7-8 08:34
What's the point of the tracker when Find My Drone does essentially the same thing?

a tracker has an independent energy source and transmission. if something really goes wrong with the spark, powerloss, GPS-loss etc ad some wind and the spark isnt anywhere near the last recorded GPS route...

i am still thinking about a tracker, but bluetoothtracker dont have enough range and the better ones are to big. where even put them on the spark without interferring with transmission, which isnt the best to start with...

InTheReeds Posted at 2017-7-8 08:34
What's the point of the tracker when Find My Drone does essentially the same thing?

I'm not a fan of the Bluetooth trackers because of their limited range.  However, when my drone had an out of control fly away and crash, it ejected the battery.  So the drone itself isn't going to be useful in helping to locate itself.

Yesterday my Spark lost connection to the remote (still investigating why) and it landed itself in a field of grass. Luckily I could find it easily with the build in GPS.
Anyway, if the GPS would have failed or if the battery fell out, I would have had a hard time to find my Spark again. Therefore I decided to buy a bluetooth tracker.

I fly a lot in the mountains and sometimes there is not enough GPS signal, so I try to go with a bluetooth tracker. Best one to suit my requirements is a „Tile Sport“ at the moment.
It has 60 meters (200 feet) of max range + you can let it beep (~80db) when it has bluetooth connection.
If you know approximately where the drone went down it helps a lot I guess.
https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/products/sport

I also thought about attaching some sort of panic alarm tot he drone so that you can hear it, but I think thats too annoying.
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01FUNX ... mt_dp_5YQPzbSRRWMJK

The Spark seems sensitive to local interference. How does it cope with an active tracker attached to it emitting Bluetooth and/or Cellular signals and any other EMC/RF that a small active CPU generates?

Martin Lines Posted at 2017-8-30 04:52
The Spark seems sensitive to local interference. How does it cope with an active tracker attached to it emitting Bluetooth and/or Cellular signals and any other EMC/RF that a small active CPU generates?

Good question, I was about to ask the same.

The Tile seems to be the best option.  Given it can be located even from others with the Tile app and not even know you lost anything is pretty amazing.

One question that never got answered here is will the Tile interfere with GPS and wifi signals and where to mount it?

I bought a Tile for the Spark. I really like the device. It's small, cheap and can be fastened onto the battery by velcro very easily. The limited range doesn't bother me as I figured I would usually have a pretty good idea where the Spark went down, it would just help to locate it in a field of corn or a bank of spiky bushes or something. I mounted it onto the battery as I figured there was less chance of interference than if I put it on the top. But (and this is a big but) I'm really scared of interference so I took it off and have stopped using it.

Does anyone have any experience of using it - good or bad?

I've got a RF-V16. Don't know any good ways to attach it to the Spark yet though.
If you search ebay for rf-v16 dji you'll find a lot of custom holders for Mavic and Phantom. I bought one that claimed that'll fit the Spark, but it didn't. :/

Today I took a first flight with the Tile Sport tracker attached and it went prety good. Although I lost connection for about 5 seconds in 50m hight.
Not sure if that was because of the tracker as I also had some interreuptions before.
You can easily fix the trakcer with some rubber bands, I also added some yarn just in case.
I will report if any problems will occur with it.

I just found out about Loc8tor Lite, which sounds good because it uses UMF radio based frequencies, not GPS, so it shouldn't affect DJI Spark GPS/compass and it send signal just when we try to look for it by receiver. Similar system to Marco Polo tracker

daviden Posted at 2017-8-30 11:50
I've got a RF-V16. Don't know any good ways to attach it to the Spark yet though.
If you search ebay for rf-v16 dji you'll find a lot of custom holders for Mavic and Phantom. I bought one that claimed that'll fit the Spark, but it didn't. :/

Just a bit of caution for RF-V16 using it outside to US, a lot of network providers have phased out the 2g networks it works on, this is the case in Australia. It would be better to go with a 3g tracker

What people fail to realize (and later get shocked) is Tile works via CROWD GPS which means for it to work beyond Bluetooth range another smartphone user also with the Tile app has to be within BT range to pick up your Tile's BT signature and then relay its location via his/her smartphone GPS. Which means if there isn't another smartphone with the Tile app within your Tile's BT range you're out of luck buddy. Sadly, this critical point is not clearly mentioned by Tile manufacturer and is "buried" in their literature.
A promising upcoming unit is Ping GPS (pinggps.com) but is already sold out of its first batch of pre-orders. I read their  website completely but I can't definelty confirm that it links directly to a GPS satellite, but it seems it does (in addition to BT and GSM). This is not a plug for them

I used the Tile on the last 10 flights, and I had no problems at all.
Stable image, no connection lost. I even used Wifi connection to Remote as my OTG cabel is broken at the moment.
I can recommend the Tile for everybody, who knows approximately where the drone is and where it goes down if failing -> then you can easiliy find it with the tracker.
If it goes down 3km away from you and you have no idea in which area, the Tile won't help you very much.

I have found this D3 Micro Super Mini GPS Tracker

BigTcz Posted at 2017-9-23 02:31
I have found this D3 Micro Super Mini GPS Tracker

Only problem is that this a 2g tracker, many countries have phased out or are phasing out  their 2g networks e.g  Australia, Canada and USA.

I had to go for a 3g tracker, a TKstar , http://www.dx.com/p/tkstar-water ... vD_BwE#.WcZB3cig-Uk
I only use it for the mavic and P4P, it's too big I suspect for the spark unless you velcro it to the top of the

Martin Lines Posted at 2017-8-30 04:52
The Spark seems sensitive to local interference. How does it cope with an active tracker attached to it emitting Bluetooth and/or Cellular signals and any other EMC/RF that a small active CPU generates?

good question. mine recently wouldn't work simply because i was listening to music on my bluetooth headset and it didnt like that at all

I look at some cheap trackers on eBay recently. I may do this

Always use a Marco Polo on my rc planes and heli's. Now I attach it to my Spark. It's a bit 'belt and braces' approach but the tracker has a battery life of up to 30 days, giving plenty of time to locate a wandering Spark.