This is a guest post from Jack Danielson, a drone enthusiast, geek and writer. He is particularly interested in the proliferation of drones around the world. He holds the position of consultant writer at Bakehouse Aerial, a safe, responsible, and professional drone company for all kinds of videography and photography needs.
Are you concerned about the dreaded flyaways? No matter if you are a pro flyer or a novice user, there’s always the risk of your precious little birds getting out of control and crash landing out of your sight.
While the cause of drone flyaways is a matter of serious debate, there is no doubt that a drone tracker can come handy to find and recover your valuable asset.
A GPS-based tracker can provide you with accurate positioning details of your lost drone. Information on the longitude and latitude of the location would help you to zero in upon the precise search area – thus improving the likelihood of recovering your unmanned aerial vehicle in the event of a flyaway.
There are a number of GPS-based drone trackers out there in the market. With so many options at your disposal, sometimes things can get a little confusing. To cut short all such confusions, we bring you a handpicked list of the most reliable and popular GPS trackers for locating your lost drone.
1. Flytrex Live 3G
Cost – $189
Flytrex Live 3G tracks your drone in real-time using GPS technology and transmits its positional data to you via a cellular network. It is like a mini blackbox for your personal drone that has the ability to provide live flight telemetry. It has a micro SIM card slot which is 3G compatible. In the event of a crash or flyaway, it would let you know exactly where your drone has landed. It comes integrated with Google Maps to provide you the direction to arrive at the crash site.
With 3G network coverage, this drone tracker is able to maintain a solid signal strength even during high altitude flights. Apart from drone tracking, this awesome device can also provide you details like altitude, ascent, speed, distance and duration of your flight.
Flytrex Live 3G drone tracker supports a wide variety of multi-rotors including DJI Phantom 1, 2 & 3, Naza-M 1 & 2, WooKong-M, 3D Robotics Iris+, 3DR APM, Blade 350 QX2 & QX3, and Yuneec Q500.
2. Trackimo
Cost – $139
Trackimo GPS Tracker is a light-weight device with a powerful set of features for keeping tabs on your flying machine. It relies on cellular network to coordinate with satellites for finding the precise location of your drone in real-time. It comes with a free app which can be installed on your android/iOS smartphone to track your drone’s activity and flight data. Web-based tracking using a browser program is also possible. Another great feature of Trackimo lies in its ability to send instant alerts on demand. You can manually ping it to find the real-time coordinates of your multi-rotor.
It comes with a waterproof case. Even if your drone accidentally lands on a water body, it can still transmit the location details to your mobile. Trackimo is a universal GPS tracker which is compatible with all types of drones and multicopters.
3. TK102
Cost – $29
What makes TK102 GPS Tracker stand apart from the others is its great price. You can get this tiny little drone tracker for as low as just $29. It operates with a GSM SIM card and uses the cellular network to transmit the tracking data. To track your drone, all you need to do is to give it a call. You will instantly receive a text message with time-stamped latitude/longitude coordinates and a link to Google map showing you the precise location of your device.
TK102 is a standalone device that can be attached to all types of drones and quadcopters.
Final Words
Lots of seasoned drone users have experienced flyaways time and again. Irrespective of whether you are using drones for aerial photography or just want to have some fun, the risk of flyaway will always be there. So it does make sense to invest a few additional bucks for the peace of mind that a drone tracker brings. Isn’t it better to be safe than sorry? The choice is yours.