Found phantom - how do I locate owner?

wirralkim · Dec 19, 2014

Hi all,

I have found a phantom with attached camera - how can I locate the owner?

I have tried social media, but with no success.

Is there a warranty number I can use to match up with owner? The camera is well stuck on and I don't want to take it off for fear of damaging it if it's of no use

Thanks

Kim, Wirral, UK

SteveMann · Dec 19, 2014

Your honesty is appreciated. What you have is a probable "fly-away" where the Phantom lost it's GPS signal and didn't know where "home" is. Depending on the model of Phantom look for the micro-SD card for the camera. If the camera is a GoPro then the microSD card may be under a tiny USB connector on the right. If the camera is a white 'dome' or a silver no-name camera, look at the left side of the gimbal housing just below the copter for the micro SD card.
Look at the video files on the Phantom camera to see if you can get an idea of where the owner was shooting. You might even see the owner as the video starts. You may also see the spot where it went awry. Generally a fly-away will fly away in a straight line for no more than ten miles before the battery is exhausted, then it lands. One way or another.

There was a Phantom lost in the ocean off the California coast last year, and found this year by a scuba diver. The video card still worked even after months on the ocean floor, and as luck would have it, the diver recognized the neighborhood, and where the Phantom took off from the owner's driveway, it only took the diver 20-minutes to find the owner.

I hope you find the owner, and when you do, he owes you at the least a dinner or a case of beer. And keep us informed of your progress.

Skydronik · Dec 19, 2014

May be someone can do something like this, but with phantoms!,,[emoji2]

http://www.camerafound.com/

Now, being serious: THANKS wirralkim for your honesty. i really hope to be you who finds mine, if I loss it.

Cheers!

J Dot · Dec 19, 2014

I agree above,
You might want to run an ad in a local paper,
Or daily flyer( something like ) DRONE FOUND,
Then make them describe it, to prove it is their lost
UAV. You might get a bite? Also local HOBBY shops to ask
If anyone lost a bird? Good luck!

PS: ( I'm sure I'm speaking for EVERYONE here )
I appreciate, your honesty! And also your drive to find
The owner! That is EXTREMELY NOBLE! A+ my friend!

Take care, fly safe!

Jd

Inspector71 · Dec 19, 2014

Do any pilots mark their Phantoms with their name and phone number for just this sort of scenario?

malibusteve70 · Dec 19, 2014

Inspector71 said:
Do any pilots mark their Phantoms with their name and phone number for just this sort of scenario?

Everyone should, shows responsibility. Thanks OP for the honesty, you are a rare breed! Where did you find it? City/state?

PhantomFanatic · Dec 19, 2014

I only wish I was surrounded by honest people, like yourself. It also is a reminder that all drone pilots should mark the drone with their name and phone number.

I am certain that the owner will be very appreciative to get his drone back!

To Steve: Great story about the scuba diver finding a drone. I've found wallets, class rings, etc. and I returned all of them. I did it because it was the right thing to do, but no one thanked me. This was prior to the Internet.

Thanks to you Kim. If you ever get into drones, you would be very welcome here. If you exhaust all efforts to find the owner, I think keeping it, if you want it, would be an acceptable thing to do.

discv · Dec 20, 2014

Thanks for your honesty.

Have a look through the SD card in the camera. Footage might give you a clue (and would really help with proving the real owner)
See if their is a text file on the card

crash1sttime · Dec 20, 2014

Skydronik said:
May be someone can do something like this, but with phantoms!,,[emoji2]

http://www.camerafound.com/

Now, being serious: THANKS wirralkim for your honesty. i really hope to be you who finds mine, if I loss it.

Cheers!

Why not have a section on this forum, all you need to do is enter an email address and last half of serial number, not sure how someone would search it though.

bald1eagle · Dec 20, 2014

OH!! It's mine.

SteveMann · Dec 20, 2014

crash1sttime said:
Why not have a section on this forum, all you need to do is enter an email address and last half of serial number, not sure how someone would search it though.

Why just partial?

paulajayne · Dec 20, 2014

bald1eagle said:
OH!! It's mine.

Orlando to the UK that is a hell of a battery you have on it. :lol:

Larry L · Dec 20, 2014

Wouldn't DJI have a record of the SN? I know when I bought mine, the SN was registered at the time of the sale. BTW, thank you for your honesty.

PhantomFanatic · Dec 20, 2014

crash1sttime said:
Skydronik said:

May be someone can do something like this, but with phantoms!,,[emoji2]

http://www.camerafound.com/

Now, being serious: THANKS wirralkim for your honesty. i really hope to be you who finds mine, if I loss it.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Why not have a section on this forum, all you need to do is enter an email address and last half of serial number, not sure how someone would search it though.

I think that is a good idea. But, there is one problem. How would the person who found it, know to come here? Yes, we could put this URL on the Phantom. But, if we are going to do that, why not just put our name and number on it?

wirralkim · Dec 20, 2014

Hi all,

I have already downloaded 3 images of what I presume to be the owners faces and am currently using social media to try to find them. I have added it to all the free lost and found sites I can possibly think of but no luck!

However, I have managed to locate someone here in the UK that distributes them who also lives locally and is helping me in my search!! Yippee!! He's given me tips on how to know if it's definitely whoever comes forwards (hmmm dodgy grammar!!?)

From what I can gather by lack of response, there really is no way to locate an owner unless your name is on it. People, please put your name on these things and a contact number! It's starting to eat into my time quite a lot and I can see why people give up and you never get your drones back...... Most people would return them I'm sure of it! Yes it does look pretty cool and I would love one, but one you find isn't yours to keep.....

Thanks for your help, I'm probably not going to check in here again as I now have found UK people to help out, but happy droning!

Kim - from across the pond

bald1eagle · Dec 21, 2014

paulajayne said:
bald1eagle said:

OH!! It's mine.

Click to expand...

Orlando to the UK that is a hell of a battery you have on it. :lol:

It was a really ambitious ground station flight...quite surprised it made it, but I wanted some aerials of the stones..

Happyflyer · Dec 21, 2014

Kim, Don't go away. I am sure everyone here would love to read the final results of your search.
.
A++ for your effort.

wirralkim · Dec 21, 2014

Definitely going to be a final post for me..... But I thought you guys may be happy to know, I located the owner!!!

I trawled through more footage in the card as a last ditch attempt and found shots of them practising at home..... Recognised a few places, combined it with a google earth sweep and found his house. Knocked on his door tonight and he was stunned to see it!! He promised he would write his name and number on it before flying it again.

Happy ending after all!

(I have a baby so I'm always up at night feeding her, so it's not been too bad of a project doing it at night haha! Will have to find something else to entertain me now!)

Kim