Small sims card type GPS tracker

[JimDE]

Got my replacement P2V a hour ago and it does have a slight out of focus are in the far lwr right corner that I guess I can live with and fix in PP. Loaded ver 1.08 without issues and ran 1.38 vison app on the NEXUS 7 running 4.4.... never flew it because the rain start and my wifi wasn't up to charge yet... I will calibrate the compass and test fly it tomorrow and do further camera testing just to make sure I can live with it.

While waiting today for the brown truck and reading the fly away threads I ordered a small sim card style txt messaging GPS unit as a insurance policy for fly aways. Anyone use one of these? How do you like it? and where did you mount it?

I plan on removing the 4 magnets in the battery cover and either velcro it behind the camera or attaching it some way to the left side skid away from the compass. Looking for other suggestions as well. I even considered putting plastic skid on the bottom of the landing skids to lengthen the base and sort of spanning these with something to attach the GPS across them.Sort of kill tip overs and finding the visioning one alteration.

 

[J Dot]

Hello,
I run a ( TK102b ) GPS Tracker on my P2V. I originally mounted it UNDER the belly twords the back ( just behind camera ) and aimed antenna AWAY from magnetic compass! This worked for about 10 minutes ( I personally could not get the Velcro tape to stick to the ( tracker ) it stuck fine to my P2V, but would slowly let loose from tracker. ( I noticed the tracker was packaged in ( Talcom ) powder for safety ) I tried washing it off, but never did get it right, maybe some really good Velcro tape, I bought little ovals already cut and ready. Anyhow I abandoned that way, as I did not want it falling 500 feet to its doom, so I designed and manufactured my own saddle bag, please see pic below! ( I run it opposite side compass ) just to be safe!

This has worked well for me, BUT HOWEVER YOU MOUNT IT ( absolutely recalibrate compass ) do this if you ever reposition the tracker, I always do, better safe than sorry! But honestly I've had ( NO ) interference between the GPS TRACKER, and my P2V.

Hope this helps!

Jerry D
USA
( J Dot )

 

[JimDE]

Very nice!!!!! I was thinking about zip tying it in that position or using commercial velcro behind the camera..... did you pry the magnets off the battery cover? Did they come off easily.

The way I understand how those gps function nothing much should be going on until a txt is sent to it and that should only happen if it is lost and you txt it. I don't see that having a big effect on the compass but can see the validity of calibrating after mounting.

I was even thinking of putting a thin piece of plexiglass between the two landing struts and just tie strapping it flat on top of that behind the camera.

The leather pouch is very nice ....... you must be a biker like me

 

[J Dot]

Sorry,
My tracker came with 2 backs, 1 with magnets, 1 without, so I used the one without, BUT IF YOURS COMES ONLY WITH, The magnets are ENCASED in the plastic, VERY DIFFICULT to remove, and there are 4 seperate magnets. Would DEFINATELY be a job and a half, maybe a dremmel tool would work for that?

Take care

Jerry D
USA
( J Dot )

 

[J Dot]

Lol, ex biker, blew out my knee in a wreck now I can barely walk normally, got merca, 6 surgeries to save my leg! But I still have it and 3 wonderful kids to boot, so my danger days are over for now ( but life is not over yet, maybe I can make a leg brace for the side of my bike, just kidding, lol. ) but I may buy a hi way cruiser one day ( like a gold wing or something ) and run the old mountain roads again?

The saddle bag turned out pretty cool, I'm working on a new less heave version with more graphics, and less bulk around edges, but am happy with prototype, I have several requests for them, but I cannot legally sell them with ( DJI ) on them. But I can provide pics for them to build their own, lol!

( I chose this way ) because several posts on fly-a-ways, in the crash, the GPS flew off, and was found away from the crashed phantom, I thought if it were to say ( graze a tree top during it escape, the tracker could possibly be knocked loose, while the phantom flies home to DJI Japan, to be resold! That would suck, finding the tracker with No Phantom attatched!
They also said the battery flew out as we'll in crash ( phantom battery, not GPS )

Take care
Jerry D
USA
( J Dot )

 

[JimDE]

Yeah the pic only shows a magnetic battery cover but I have read that some come with and without batteries..... Heck I might just duct tape the back if magnet removal is too tough... do have a dremel though :lol:

I was thinking of using the top loop in the housing to use opposed tie straps so it is suspended between the landing strut opposite the compass too...... I guess i will wait and see.

I put my name and address with a silver paint pen on one front prop guard and *reward* and my cell number on the other front prop guard tonight..... looks like I am planning for failure huh? I figured if I labeled the prop guards and found I needed to return the P2V for a 3rd time then I would not have a problem doing it as all I have to do is remove the guards as I did before. If this third P2V doesn't have any greater defect than the minimal OOF area it exhibits on the very lower right corner then I will be flying more than I have. That in itself is reason enough to label it and attach a sim gps from the horror stories we see on every P2V forum.

 

[J Dot]

True,
Just remember, although you read about fly-a-ways, ( many, it not sure how many ) even if it was hundreds, there are ( I'm sure there are several hundred thousand machines produced each year ( or more ) so if 100 fail, that is less than 1% of all phantoms out there, just a thought, but that is pretty good odds, on getting a good one, plus the majority of flyaway a I read about are phantom 1's, not 1.1.1. The first run ones. Also several, did not calibrate compass after choosing new spot to fly, and a few noticed they lost satellite signal during fly-a-way. So there are several variables to take into consideration, when worrying about fly-a-ways.
Besides
MORE PEOPLE LOSE THEIR PHANTOMS IN CRASHES, THAN FLY-A-WAYS. So if we were to worry, maybe we better worry about the crash, and not fly-a-ways.

I have a motto:
" There is a lot to Think about, but Nothing to worry about! "

Just fly, have fun, and enjoy every minute you have with your phantom, and ( God forbid ) the thing flies away, or crashes, or ect, just deal with it when the time comes, but for now JUST HAVE FUN, and don't worry about it, ( it won't help anyway ) lol.

I agree with labeling, I bough mine from a guy on ebay, with my number on it, I also put one on my controller, as a friend of mine, was loading his P2V into his car, and somehow drove off WITHOUT HIS TRANSMITTER, he never found it, so now I label mine ( just in case ) he has a new trans now, but if it CAN happen , it WILL happen. Regardless of stupidity, lol

I'm into a new project now, a range extender mod with 2 antennas and a wifi booster, will have its own power pack, ect. Will cost around $500. Sits on a large tripod ( outdoor RV portable antenna pole/stand ( approx 7' tall ) I'm using
1) 2x tp-link ( tl-ant2414b ) antennas ( $60 each ) appox price
2) DJI wifi range extender ( spare so I don't mess mine up ( lol ) ( $40 - $60 )
3) sunmans ( sh24gi1000-d2 ) wifi 2.4ghz amplifier / booster ( dual antenna ) ( $100 )
4) 2x UF.l mini PCI to RP-SMA pigtail cables. ( $8 ) both
5) USB multi port power bank ( 20,000 mah ) 12-19v ( $100-150 )
6) RV portable antenna pole. ( $40 )
7) misc. mounts, hardware, cable ties, ect. ( for mounting everything to pole )
( range of more than 4,000 feet ( I only get 513 ft stock ) then I loose FPV
( I want to fly above the clouds on a really cloudy day, for some sweet footage.
Here is a pic of the rig

I also want to mod my controller with this antenna

But hopefully finish it soon ( I did not design this, but borrowed the idea from a fellow pilot )

Jerry D
USA
( J Dot )

 

[storm_333]

I also use the TK102b. It came with two covers - one with the four magnets and one without, so I used the one without. I attached it underneath behind the battery using 3m command tape, which is like Velcro on steroids. A free pay as you go O2 SIM card works perfectly. It's already saved me once when I pulled the left stick hard down instead of the right - of course it dropped like a stone. It clipped a huge fir tree and crashed well out if sight in someone's back garden behind tall concrete fences. But the GPS worked perfectly and I was able to find my Phantom immediately. No way would I fly without it now

 

[JimDE]

Jerry, you have a great way at looking at things!!!!! I am one who prepares for the worst and is pleasent ly surprised if it does not happen. ;-)

Great to hear about the two covers .. Hope mine is the same. My ver was advertised as upgraded software and 2gig micro sd capable with memory.

Glad it worked when you needed it ... Very smart $30 worth of preventive medicine.

 

[J Dot]

Thanks,
Nice to hear a success story, I'm so glad you found your phantom, man you cannot beat ( the $30-$40 ) GPS tracker investment, totally worth it! I have not Had to use mine yet, and hopefully I never will, but it keeps me calm knowing it is there. I actually left my tracker on last time I flew, about 4 days ago, and I got a text this morning from it telling be the battery was low, pretty cool, but now I've paid for 4 days of no use, lol! At least I know it works!

Thanks for the kind words, I try to stay positive, in life!
Plus I'm a FACTS person, I want all the facts, lol. That way I can come to
A decent accurate conclusion to a problem ( and usually find some good in there somewhere! )

As for the tracker ( it requires 2 things upon receiving it )
1) mini sd card
2) SIM card ( DO NOT USE MICRO CARD WITH ADAPTOR )
You will hate it ( every time you try to put it in , it come out of adaptor )
I was so angry with it, it was stupid, so I took it back and got the right size SIM card, problem solved!

Yours might already come with 2gb mini sd card?
Pretty cool, mine came with nothing, lol.
Also TURN OFF ALL SLEEP MODES ON TRACKER, as mine would be ON upon liftoff, but would
Be OFF upon landing? I think internal SHOCK SENSOR, was shutting it down? But since I turned all sleep modes to off ( tracker stays on till I personally turn it off ) as in the case above, sending me low battery report! Lol!

Take care
Off to paint my picket fence out front ( white ) got tired of brown wood, so with the house freshly painted a brand new shingled roof, a front fishpond garden, fence was looking a bit run down,I will post a pic later of finished product! (If I'm allowed ) maybe I'll put my P2V in the pic, to look legit!

Jerry D
USA
( J Dot )