Before you buy a drone...

29-12-23 00 / episode: 347

Drones are really interesting toys.

well they're not toys they're machines that people are using for lots of things, but for you and I they're probably toys.

if you're interested in getting started in drones let's talk about some big things that you need to know.

hi and welcome to the Les Perras podcast episode number 347, which is all about drones.

now that I know that you're interested in drones let's think about some of the big topics we should learn about:

ease of use

body types

Capacity

Limitations

preventing drones

ease of use

if you're just getting started and using drones you want to get a drone that has several rotors on it.

the rotor is just a small blade like on the top of a helicopter.

in technical jargon this is a rotary wing.

to use more technical jargon you want a multirotor drone.

if it has several of these helicopter like rotors on top it's going to be easier for you to learn.

one of the hardest drones to learn how to use is the fixed wing drone.

fix swing means that there's a Wing on the Drone just like on the plane and it's fixed and that means that it doesn't move.

it might have flaps on the wing that can move up and down but the wing itself doesn't move

body types

There are basic types of bodies for these drones and we can break them into three broad categories:

there's the multirotor,

the single rotor,

and the fixed wing.

as I said before the fixed wing is the most difficult to use but it has some trade-offs

because it's the fastest

And it can go to the farthest on a single battery charge.

they perform better in high winds.

on the other hand they cannot do a vertical takeoff and Landing

so they're harder to take off and land with.

they're also more expensive and less maneuverable.

Multi rotor drones on the other hand can't go as far but they're easier to use, more

maneuverable, and you can change what they're carrying quite a bit more easily so you can change your camera if you want to.

capacity

The multirotor Drone seems to be able to carry a larger capacity, but the downside is that it'll have a shorter flight time.

The fixed ring drone has a fixed capacity. that means there's a limit to how much it can carry and it's difficult to change what it's carrying

where it's easier to change what the multirotor Drone is carrying.

Limitations

what we're talking about here is the rules that apply to flying drones.

I don't intend to tell you what the rules are because they're going to be different for every country.

but here are some things that you have to think about.

are you going to be flying for fun or for money.

often times the license that you need is different if you want it Fly for fly it for money.

what I mean by fly for money is you're getting paid to fly the Drone, it's your job.

Next you might have to register your drone.

there will be all sorts of different rules on which drones need to be registered which drones don't

and you might register it if you're doing it for business

and not register it if it's not for business.

then there's the rules on flying the drones.

where can you fly it?

most countries will make it illegal to fly a drone near an airport for instance.

there will also be a height restriction.

that height restriction could be 150 m above the ground.

you can't fly higher than that without a special license or perhaps a special permit.

some places may say you can fly over other people's houses, and some places will not allow it.

then there's one more limitation: that's the people around you.

they may get angry if you're flying your drone close to them and they may damage it which brings us to the next point

preventing drones

other people may try to prevent your drones from flying,

or you might want to learn how to prevent other people from flying their drones.

there are special shotgun shells that you can shoot from a shotgun that release a net to capture the Drone and make it fall to the ground.

there have been cases where people use Falcons to take the Drone out of the air.

there is some danger to the bird but not that much in fact if it's well-trained.

other people might want to just shoot your drone with a shotgun shell.

that will destroy the Drone of course. and then there are radio wave Jammers

which can prevent you from sending or receiving signals from the Drone

and therefore you functionally can't fly it anymore and it will probably crash.

I think drones are really cool and it would be fun to have one.

I think you might feel the same, because you're still listening to this podcast.

if you want to get a drone first do a bit of research.

this podcast is giving you some areas to look into. go out and study and have fun with your drone

thank you for listening