Simon B Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 After an unfortunate incident today which has resulted in a lost glider (no idea where it went!), it's occurred to me that a small lightweight GPS locator would be an idea, but I don't know what sort of thing to get. I'd ideally like something that could link to maybe something like an iphone app, so I could locate on a map, but don't know what's available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamish Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 I had these fitted to my models last year. Twice I went down in field of oil seed rape and would not have recovered without them. You do need to have an idea of where the model went down and also good hearing. http://www.njttechnical.co.uk/lmf/index_files/Page374.htm Here is a link http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1242706 which is Tracker based Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon B Posted May 21, 2010 Author Share Posted May 21, 2010 There's the problem - the glider was lost from view and we had no idea of even the rough area, hence something we could then locate on a iphone or similar.Edited By Simon B on 21/05/2010 23:22:41 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Well you could make your own thing I think GPS is accurate to about 5 meters If we can mount a flux capacitor on the iphone and reroute the triangulated bipolar thingumy Theres those loc8tr things you could try Edited By Peter 'Servo Scrounger' Savage on 21/05/2010 23:27:38Edited By Peter 'Servo Scrounger' Savage on 21/05/2010 23:29:25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowerman Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 The free flight people use model locators (work like wildlife radio collars I think). Try Free Flight Supplys or search through other forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 The free flight boys use radio locators, so do falconers. They dont come cheap but they work well enough if you know how - and "fox hunting" or VHF DF-ing is a skill to be acquired! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Sheehy Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I've just got a telemetry transmitter but haven't had a chance to use it yet due to English weather. However I read of a chap who located a lost plane by pointing the Tx antenna laterally and noticing when the RSSI voltage dipped. As I'm sure most people know the weakest reception (two way telemetry) is when you point the antenna directly at the plane, so you will get the weakest RSSI when pointing directly at the model. As I said I haven't had a chance to try this out yet but next time I get to the patch I'll be sure to check this out. John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I still use my loc8tor fitted in my fpv aircraft, aslong as i know the direction the aircraft has went and after a few calculations can then switch it on and it normally picks up the signal after a few minutes, bought the whole package for £100 around 3 years ago, the range with the loc8tor built in is meant to be 1000ft but if you build a 5 in pod for it too sit on you can easily get 3000ft , its a 5g package and does what it says on the box, i have a gps tracker for an old sports car we had , that is 46g but since we still pay the monthly sub then since its live it works down to 50ft worldwide! That is the make Tracker, another way is fit a few powerful white strobe lights and a back up battery for them , then hit a spare channel switch at night, head out onto high ground then look around, i have found aircraft this way too, Good luck and i hope you find what youre after, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Grigg Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I have some really good ones but I cant find them !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Garnell Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Hi Simon I saw this in the news the other day which seems a very good idea if you know within a hundred feet of where your plane is. Google News "stickNfind". Coming out soon so it seems Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Have a look at this Rene Limberger does exactly what you want. Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Jones Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Telemetry/GPS If the Rx and telemetry are still working that is. I suppose that applies to all forms of locator though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingCrust Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Hmmmm. How big can you go? Smartphones have a satnav locator on them for when you lose them. If you could get a used one and set it up PayAsYouGo, just drop it in the model before launching. If lost you just use another smart phone with satnav to find it. Simples! Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Posted by Rentman on 30/11/2012 13:56:18: Hmmmm. How big can you go? Smartphones have a satnav locator on them for when you lose them. If you could get a used one and set it up PayAsYouGo, just drop it in the model before launching. If lost you just use another smart phone with satnav to find it. Simples! Ian You could also talk to your model and tell it to brace for the crash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Austin Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 So Guys What's the latest on lost model locators. in the UK? I saw one recently advertised as a"GPS" locator, but it turned out to depend on the mobile phone triangulation using the GSM system. Apparently not particularly accurate in crop fields etc. GPS would be my preferred system, in case the plane is out of earshot. but maybe a combination is also good??? Go With the Flow Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Lots of ideas: **LINK** **LINK** **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Austin Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hi Phil Thank you for that. Interesting stuff, but I wasn't thinking of building my own. Maybe I need to think a bit simpler There must be some ready made device available. I'm also wondering about something like a panic alarm sitting in the model, but activated by a hand held remote??? Might only have a hundred yard range or so. Or maybe something with directional tracking? But a ready made solution??? Go With the Flow Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Winks Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Posted by Bruce Austin on 20/04/2014 16:22:17: Hi Phil Thank you for that. Interesting stuff, but I wasn't thinking of building my own. Maybe I need to think a bit simpler There must be some ready made device available. Bruce have a try at contacting the boys at flitetest.com I'm sure somewhere in the past Josh bixler and David winnestal, 2 of their Utube channel presenters, have used a gps tracker to locate a downed model and knowing them it won't have cost mega bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowerman Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Check out -Loc8er.co.uk. Small tags fit in model, hand held reciever, range about 300 ft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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