M.A.R.S lite parachute kit

[Tyrellp3a]

Just got my new kit. Anyone else purchase this or try it out?

 

[cactusfrog]

Now that's kinda cool, guess I'm going to be researching them the rest of the night.

 

[Badfinger]

I remember some of the local guys trying that or something similar years ago on fixed wing aircraft. I can tell you it won't help with trees.

 

[ScopeTech]

I posted about it a little while ago Mars Mini v2 on Phantom 3 | DJI Phantom Forum

Just waiting on the Mayday kit, and still planning to investigate a manual deployment as I described in that thread.

 

[N017RW]

I have seen a similar system/concept work on a fixed wing under test conditions but given the random, extremely unstable, nature of a Phantom free-fall I find its effectiveness dubious due to entanglement.
Hopefully you'll never have to find out!

 

[ScopeTech]

Actually it appears to work just fine; the Mini in particular with the Phantom 3 mount fires out and down at a 15 degree angle since it can't clear the props by deploying vertically. So as long as the motors are stopped, presumably it's being deployed due to a complete or partial loss of power, should be good! Their website has videos showing deployment and the concept is sound, however I still feel there should be a manual deployment feature of some kind.

 

[N017RW]

"So long as...".

Famous last words.

I've seen the P.R. videos and I've seen MRs fail/fall with and without power.


TEHO

 

[ScopeTech]

"So long as...".

Famous last words.

I've seen the P.R. videos and I've seen MRs fail/fall with and without power.


TEHO

Point being?

 

[N017RW]

Don't rely on P.R. videos.

 

[Badfinger]

If the unit works as intended you've made a good $100+ investment and possibly avoid a $600+ repair. It's just that the chances of a successful deploy don't look very good due to the characteristics of a disabled Phantom. Entanglement with moving blades or even getting fouled in the arms create a problem. Electrical failure may prevent the internal wired version from working, so I guess the remote may provide the highest degree of success but what range does it provide and is it something else requiring batteries or need to be charged?

Not knocking it, just doesn't seem robust enough.

Good luck with it.

 

[WetDog]

Interesting. But what they don't show is telling. No pics of the drone after the landing. Landing doesn't look all that gentle. And, as Badfinger points out, telemetry on Phantoms who are busily trying to land without power show a lot of tumbling motion. There doesn't appear to be a drogue to pull the chute out and stabilize it.

Wouldn't work for me anyway, all it would do is hang the thing up in 125 ft trees....

 

[fastsmiles]

Might be fun to test on one of my old P2's

 

[ScopeTech]

I'm certainly not pushing the product as I haven't tested and don't even have the Mayday unit yet, but from localized testing (as basic as popping the parachute) it's extremely high velocity due to the compressed spring and in theory appears to be about as practical as can be given the limitations. As far as landing or entangling, bottom line is the difference between a free fall from x height or some measure of protection to soften the impact. If my drone ends up tangled in a tree instead of shattering in to a thousand pieces, that would be my preference.

 

[Tyrellp3a]

Well all I was curious about after posting this, is if anyone had got one off the kicksterter site like me months ago or not, how it worked for them, and what other cool options are there. As for if it will get tangled? Nothing ever works every time... Been on this site long? lol. Rather have a chance to save my drone a little damage. That's also why I bought my trackimo, fly away and can't find it eliminated.... Unless it flys into water or I forgot to charge it. The question about how it deploys, it has a little computer that is supposed to know when there is a problem, set up through usb on your computer. Anyways I plan on mounting it this weekend, removing my camera, flying both p3s up after I feel comfortable testing and filming it. One question I have is I know the p2 will drop midair killing the props by pulling them in and down, will the p3

 

[Jbundy63]

Left stick down or CSC will
kill the motors.

 

[Jbundy63]

I have the Mayday and Mars Lite as well but also purchased the Mars Mini and P3 mount, just waiting on my servo splitter wiring and power source.

One reason I thought about the chute system is for safety and hopefully minimal damages to property or people.

Let us know what kind of results you have if you decide to kill the motors in mid air. Best of luck! Fly safe!

 

[ScopeTech]

just waiting on my servo splitter wiring and power source

Can you elaborate on this? Are you using this method for manually deploying the Mini?

 

[sticky photography]

@Jbyndy, fyi left stick down will NOT kill the motors during flight, only CSC will.

 

[Jbundy63]

Can you elaborate on this? Are you using this method for manually deploying the Mini?

I'm using the Mayday system which will auto deploy and two Mars chutes. Waiting for the servo splitter so I can deploy the chutes at the same time and will power it by an independent 12 volt battery. Not 100% sure how this chute set up will work so I'll have to wait till I get everything installed and test it.

 

[Jbundy63]

@Jbyndy, fyi left stick down will NOT kill the motors during flight, only CSC will.

Thank you for correcting me on that!
Safe Flying!