It’s snowing. It’s snowing a lot. It’s also actually rather pretty outside, since I don’t have to drive in it. So I thought, once I got home this evening, that I’d throw the ol’ drone up in there and see how it coped with dim light and blowing snow.
No, it doesn’t. It flies just fine, doesn’t even notice the steady breeze, but the snow piles up on the lens and reflects the red running lights on the machine so you see next to nothing other than bloody red glare. You do get a blurry glimpse of Mary shoveling snow from the sidewalk, though — and now you know who does all the real work around here.
The weather is supposed to worsen over night, and the snow doesn’t end until Tuesday evening. It’s Minnesota, all right.
Need to fit it out with a windshield wiper.
If that’s a DJI Phantom 3, you should read the manual. It says they shouldn’t get wet.
Lots of exposed electricy stuff including the motor cores.
What? No snowthrower? De rigueur for any Yooper or ex-Yooper still in the snow belt.
The snow doesn’t end in Minnesota until May.
Loving your toy by proxy here. I should get one myself. So jealous.
PZ, maybe you should try one of the water repelling treatments, like Rain-X.
These folks did it to a GoPro housing and the results looked good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXxNdIopFCo
I’d like to say my own experiences were as constructive. As a youth, I recall using it to play practical jokes and write off-color messages on friends car windows that would only become visible in the rain.
PZ, you are correct in not shoveling snow. After my cardiac event I was told never to shovel snow again. Worst thing for a middle-aged guy’s heart.
This whole snow thing… I used to love it, but i am, i suppose, grateful for the red flying bokeh instead.
having lived in southern cal. most of my life I have little experience with snow. What I have told me it is f’n cold with all that snow around While it is beautiful while one is inside I do not like going out in it much. I will say because of the little time I have been in snow has pretty much stopped me complaining when the night temperature dips to the high 30* around here.
uncle frogy
It snowed, lightly and briefly, this morning when I drove to the grocery store. And I was thrilled. Of course here in Portland we rarely see the snow. C’est la difference!
Having lived in Wisconsin most of my life, I am no stranger to snow. It looses it’s charm after the holidays, and you start to long for sunshine and green tress. By mid-January you just want this winter shit to be over.
Looks like all we’re going to get from this weather system is a mess of rain. So much the better. I’ve got a “Call of Cthulhu” game in Madison tomorrow night and I’d hate to drive back to Muskego in a snowstorm.
At my house I’d be the one shoveling snow and my wife would be playing with the drone. What am I doing wrong?
Yup, snow. Just woke up, looked out to see we’re fair buried in it, with a bit still lazily spiraling down. Oy.
Oh hey, a drone… Yeah, I’m with a lot of people in saying that those things need proper training and a license. They’ve been causing a lot of havoc that didn’t exist before. I’d rather not have a random helicopter blade chop up my eye, or prevent a fire helicopter from putting out a fire. If nothing else, requiring license and registration means those things can be tracked back to their owner.