Spark Float Gear?

[spark29]

Well Ted you got a point. I know the Dji Go 4 app does record the flight and maybe i should stick with that
I just figured out how to also record via the Iphone build in screen recording so i should be safe flying.

 

[Ted Schoenfelder]

Well Ted you got a point. I know the Dji Go 4 app does record the flight and maybe i should stick with that
I just figured out how to also record via the Iphone build in screen recording so i should be safe flying.

I was just interested in any additional benefits. I use Android and do have a screen recorder but have not been using it since DJI Go 4 app does a similar function. However, I do know some flyers still use screen record along with the DJI app.

 

[Spark 317]

I use the iOS screen recorder on my mini4.

The DJI app only caches video when recording, not the whole flight.

The screen recorder will capture your whole flight whether you are recording video, taking pictures, or just flying around goofing off.

It's nice to be able to review a flight and pay better attention to the telemetry on the screen.

I've noticed glimpses of a disconnect before while reviewing the footage of one flight but never noticed it during the actual flight because it flashed quickly.

 

[Ted Schoenfelder]

I use the iOS screen recorder on my mini4.

The DJI app only caches video when recording, not the whole flight.

The screen recorder will capture your whole flight whether you are recording video, taking pictures, or just flying around goofing off.

It's nice to be able to review a flight and pay better attention to the telemetry on the screen.

I've noticed glimpses of a disconnect before while reviewing the footage of one flight but never noticed it during the actual flight because it flashed quickly.

Makes sense. I usually run the video on Spark for the whole flight anyway. However, if switching around between functions it would be helpful to have the full record, as well as reviewing telemetry, especially when you suspect errors. I have limited memory so I've been a little afraid to run both at the same time. Does your screen recorder record to an SD card to save space? I'm not sure my Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (GT N5110) can handle the processing load? It is an older tablet.

 

[Spark 317]

The mini4 doesn't have an SD card so everything is captured on the device.

I was running both recorders on a recent flight and found the video lag/ latency was terrible. I turned OFF the DJI cache and it seem to fix it. I guess it was too much to process on my mini running both and the Go4 app at the same time.

 

[Ted Schoenfelder]

The mini4 doesn't have an SD card so everything is captured on the device.

I was running both recorders on a recent flight and found the video lag/ latency was terrible. I turned OFF the DJI cache and it seem to fix it. I guess it was too much to process on my mini running both and the Go4 app at the same time.

Yes, I am afraid I would run into the same problem. My device is probably older and even less powerful than the mini4. I have thought of an upgrade but I use the DJI Goggles most often, so I've held off on the extra tablet expense. The tablet doesn't get used much when I use the goggles, mostly just to check that everything is in the green before takeoff or to change parameters in the menus.

 

[NewYorkJack]

I just made my own this past weekend using pool noodle floats and a set of extended landing gears. Worked out great, no issues blocking sensors, etc. and just spent all day on the lake with the Spark. Maybe a decrease in flight time by a minute or two due to weight but that could be me overthinking it.

Here's my video of my Spark taking off and landing in water with my pool-noodle landing gear float.

Takeoff:

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[Ted Schoenfelder]

I just made my own this past weekend using pool noodle floats and a set of extended landing gears. Worked out great, no issues blocking sensors, etc. and just spent all day on the lake with the Spark. Maybe a decrease in flight time by a minute or two due to weight but that could be me overthinking it.

Here's my video of my Spark taking off and landing in water with my pool-noodle landing gear float.

Takeoff:

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Landing:

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Very good! How did you fasten the noodles to the aircraft so they don't fall off? I tried something similar using round pipe insulation but I was still noticing performance anomalies and didn't trust it to be consistent.

 

[Paul Lynch]

Hi Ted .
Im new here and this is my first post , its been interesting reading everyones comments as ive just purchased the same float kit, unfortunately before i read your post and today it turned up so once i try them ill report back and add my two bobs worth

 

[IanSR]

Since the DJI Go 4 App records the data, back up video, and also has the "find my drone" feature, what are your reasons for doing an additional screen video backup?

I've watched several videos where Spark flew away and out of range of the RC where video stopped recording. Locating a lost drone in those cases could be extremely difficult particularly in a wilderness area without additional tracking ability over and above the app. That is one reason I have the Marco Polo tracker. Don't want to lose it!

As others have said it allows the whole flight to be recorded including the onscreen telemetry, just gives you another source of stats, that's all, plus for some reason whenever I setup go to cache the video locally on my phone, it crashes.

I looked on amazon for that Marco Polo tracker and it cost more than I paid for my Spark lol

 

[Ted Schoenfelder]

Hi Ted .
Im new here and this is my first post , its been interesting reading everyones comments as ive just purchased the same float kit, unfortunately before i read your post and today it turned up so once i try them ill report back and add my two bobs worth View attachment 5315View attachment 5316

Please do follow up.

I will be very interested in hearing how your flights go with the float gear. I may be the only one who has had performance issues and you may have no problems at all! I hope not, since that will help me focus on other areas for solving the problems I've been observing.

By the way, I like your edited box label! Could be even further edited to say "little drone with really big balls"!

 

[spark29]

I just made my own this past weekend using pool noodle floats and a set of extended landing gears. Worked out great, no issues blocking sensors, etc. and just spent all day on the lake with the Spark. Maybe a decrease in flight time by a minute or two due to weight but that could be me overthinking it.

Here's my video of my Spark taking off and landing in water with my pool-noodle landing gear float.

Takeoff:

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Landing:

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Very nice. I'll make my own too later this month and try it out in our nearby lake

 

[NewYorkJack]

Very good! How did you fasten the noodles to the aircraft so they don't fall off? I tried something similar using round pipe insulation but I was still noticing performance anomalies and didn't trust it to be consistent.

I got a set of riser extended gears from Amazon - they clip on to the Spark. Cut 4 pieces of equal length pool noodle which I got from the dollar store. The pool noodles have holes in them so the legs of the extenders went into them with some Gorilla glue. All is well.

 

[Ted Schoenfelder]

I got a set of riser extended gears from Amazon - they clip on to the Spark. Cut 4 pieces of equal length pool noodle which I got from the dollar store. The pool noodles have holes in them so the legs of the extenders went into them with some Gorilla glue. All is well.

I saw those risers before and wondered if they wouldn't work well for that application. Glad to see someone has actually done it! Keep us posted on how they work for you and if you see any adverse performance issues or unusual warnings.

I was hoping to fly the float configuration from a kayak and optionally pick it up from the water after landing rather than trying to land on the kayak or plucking it from the air by hand.

 

[NewYorkJack]

I saw those risers before and wondered if they wouldn't work well for that application. Glad to see someone has actually done it! Keep us posted on how they work for you and if you see any adverse performance issues or unusual warnings.

I was hoping to fly the float configuration from a kayak and optionally pick it up from the water after landing rather than trying to land on the kayak or plucking it from the air by hand.

So far so good. I row and I also paddle. It's a lot easier to land into the opening of my rowboat vs on top of the kayak. Keep in mind the chop and the wake from your kayak trying to come up next to it will cause it to drift away from you if you come in too fast at it.

 

[notime]

I purchased the float gear in this link: Water Landing Floating Ball + Landing Gear+ Heightened Bracket Kit for DJI Spark | eBay Which adds about 65 grams to the aircraft.

Though it is stable in flight, I've noticed these adverse performance issues: The aircraft sometimes continues to climb when the RC stick is neutral and no climb commanded. It is sluggish in response to RC inputs during climb or descent. It is reluctant to descend unless full down stick is commanded and then descends too rapidly. Max motor speed warnings occur occasionally. Has anyone else used the same gear, or similar, and had performance or handling problems?

I've talked to Bentguy516 (see video here

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) and he has not observed these symptoms, so I am wondering if I have a Spark or RC problem?

I would love to hear from you if you have experience with float gear, positive or negative. I plan a lot of over water work and need to be able to recover the drone.

The motors power band are designed for the weight of the spark with the tipical dji accessories. Any more weight and you lessen the life of the motors and battery.

 

[Heckmaniac]

The reason it was climbing is probably because the downward censor was seeing the floats and mistaking them for the ground, you need to turn them off, Ive done it to mine because of where we live, I have the info written down somewhere if you want me to get it for you?

PID is a betafloght/cleanflight option that can be changed to alter the beahvour of a quad in the air, it's generally something you'd change on a homebrew one, the term is uselessness or A Di products as you cannot change them in sparky.

If you could please share how to shut off the downward sensor - I have another homemade method that works great for flotation and decent handling, with the exception of the fact that it starts to fly away and not respond to my downward stick - have to hit the land command to get it to come down and when it does, it lands very hard and uncontrolled. Guessing it has to do with the downward sensor picking up on part of the sticks that cross to hold the styrofoam balls (see pic).

 

[Heckmaniac]

Revised my homemade floats -works perfectly now. Crossed sticks further back behind downward sensors. Here is YouTube video I took, apologies that some of video is out of frame (had camera on ground).

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