I've been challenged

[AirApparent]

Shout out to fellow tower hands sweet video

You're all crazy. I'm a mess on the third rung of a ladder. Yes its embarrassing having my neighbors watch my wife putting Christmas lights on the roof as I hold the ladder. Could never go up on a tower. Stay safe.

 

[Ezookiel]

I'd also suggest doing your close approach from above rather from one side. Bumping the camera on the top of the tower from above, might be less disastrous than hitting the tower side-on with the props.


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[Spektrum 514]

It can been done. Here are a few towers I've flown right up to.

 

[chicago jeff]

Well I did it! It wasn't pretty, smooth or artistic but I made my first attempt and it worked!

I lost video signal near the top but the flight went smooth and the guys were entertained.

 

[sharper4]

Next challenge... land on top of a water tower, stop the engines, then take back off again!

 

[FDNY_Chris]

Well I did it! It wasn't pretty, smooth or artistic but I made my first attempt and it worked!

I lost video signal near the top but the flight went smooth and the guys were entertained.[/QUOTE

Was gonna say have each guy pay for your meal every night while you save up lol

 

[spankybear]

Your video is under exposed... Do you know what your setting where?

 

[acherman]

Nice work. Don't ever let anyone push you past your comfort/skill limits. Go slow if/when you need to. How did you have your TX antennas? For that I would have mine pointing straight out, flats up (facing the P3). That said, it looks like FM radio at the top, probably higher power so that may caused an issue (I would expect more with the control signal of the P3 than the video back).

 

[taroh]

I learned the basics of video editing. It's my first time, be gentle...

I'm curious about supporting wire of tower. At the middle of the tower and POI scene, did you fly LOS to avoid hitting wire? Or could you recognize in FPV? However, when drifting sideways, FPV won't be useful...

 

[acherman]

I flew mostly LoS. Basically position so I know I am between the guy wires and then start to circle. My circles seem to drift out a bit, so I was paying very close attention to them. Haha It's tough to see them on FPV until you're almost right on them.

 

[jay_midge]

Cool and scary. I might try and fly up to the top of the closest tower to where I live now. Here it is:

http://www.thebigtower.com/live/Arfon/

 

[flax]

I flew over to a cell tower about 1/2km away and had no issues passing near microwave dishes.

I wondered about those microwave dishes. So far I have been very worried it could end up flying into one of those (invisible) microwave beams and the effects it could have on the Phantom. So, there is nothing to be worried about? I was scared it could fry my drone or it's electronics.

 

[Airborne]

You did a really nice job flying around the subject. The yaw and pitch combinations are tricky, and yours look really good. (It's easy to get the subject out of frame or just lose good composition.)

agree...

 

[chicago jeff]

Your video is under exposed... Do you know what your setting where?

It actually came out great but the YouTube version seems dark. I shot in 4K in auto.

 

[SteveMann]

Unless the antennas look like this, then there is little risk flying into the beam.

The large antennas you see on the towers are microwave horn antennas. Most are not in use anymore but it's cheaper to leave the antennas on the tower until the real estate is needed. Several transmitters and receivers would have been connected to each one of these antennas by use of RF multiplexers. Each microwave transmitter/receiver would have had several data channels. Generally, this was C-Band microwave equipment, so it was in the 4, 6, and 8 gHz frequency range. Close enough to the 5.8GHz used in the Phantom controllers that you would lose your control link.

 

[acherman]

Close enough to the 5.8GHz used in the Phantom controllers that you would lose your control link.

Doesn't the P3 use 2.4 GHz up and down?

While new technology permits the use of lower power transmitters, the gain of the large reflectors still creates TX powers in the Kilowatt range, but not enough to fry the electronics, maybe just confuse them for a brief period.

 

[SteveMann]

You are correct - I was thinking of the P2 V+. At any rate most of those horn antennas are not in use., but I would avoid them just in case. All other microwave antennas you find on the comm towers are at a much higher frequency and unlikely to cause any problems for the Phantom.

 

[acherman]

You are correct - I was thinking of the P2 V+. At any rate most of those horn antennas are not in use., but I would avoid them just in case. All other microwave antennas you find on the comm towers are at a much higher frequency and unlikely to cause any problems for the Phantom.

Not ALL of them. There are a lot of 2.4 GHz dishes out there. And recently we have been doing a pile of 3.65 GHz stuff. Most of the horn dishes we used to take down were 1.2 GHz and 2 GHz. Big 8-10" waveguide running to them. Heavy crap.

 

[SteveMann]

Not ALL of them. There are a lot of 2.4 GHz dishes out there. And recently we have been doing a pile of 3.65 GHz stuff. Most of the horn dishes we used to take down were 1.2 GHz and 2 GHz. Big 8-10" waveguide running to them. Heavy crap.

Who is still using 2.4GHz dishes? I thought they were all moving to the S-Band for the higher bandwidth.

 

[acherman]

Lots of gas and oilfield.