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TwistedCrank
climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
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Sep 24, 2012 - 10:26am PT
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The wilderness became just a bit less wild.
Pretty soon those little buzzbombs will be trailing Red Bull banners.
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Sep 24, 2012 - 11:56am PT
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Whoa! Unreal footage! How many batteries/ charging stations did they haul up there. Coolest footage I've ever seen.
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Rock!...oopsie.
Trad climber
the pitch above you
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Sep 24, 2012 - 12:10pm PT
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Good and bad sides to this technology are pretty complex issues. I wouldn't be psyched having it around, especially if I wasn't in the group that brought it.
Also, it takes BALLS to be bringing a "drone" into that area these days. Seems like a good way to get dead if the wrong people think you're up to no good.
Stellar footage though.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Sep 24, 2012 - 12:12pm PT
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Thanks Alpine for the video link. Terrific! The Karakorum as we have only imagined it, now actually on film. This technology may be signaling the end of adventure as we have known it or instead perhaps its enhancement. What an issue.
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Sep 24, 2012 - 01:37pm PT
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Wow, I really am torn. The existing footage and future possibilities are truly amazing; and yet it is superbly annoying to anyone who struggled to be there in person, who is not part of the filming expedition.
What an interesting problem of balancing personal rights and freedoms with respect for others.
My first reaction is that they should be banned in designated wilderness areas.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Sep 24, 2012 - 01:43pm PT
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If they start showing up at Tahquitz I'll have to get a sling for my shotgun.
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squishy
Mountain climber
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Sep 24, 2012 - 01:50pm PT
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$1000 ?!??!!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
funny joke...
I own one and it's actually around 3,000 turn key....I even offered to built one for anyone who wants one in the "what are you building thread".
You cannot use them for commercial purposes yet, just for hobby, at least not for few years, people are doing it but it's against the law unless you have one of the rare federal permits, of course in other countries who knows what the laws are.
If anyone wishes to get areal photography of a climb or project, hit me up, I would be glad to help out, I have a whole club behind me with many people flying these. I use a Contour HD camera but many guys use GoPro, we are based in Sacramento...
I just shot the space shuttle flyby the other day, it came out shitty because I was trying to remain safe and the damn thing flew right over me..
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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Sep 24, 2012 - 01:51pm PT
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I wonder what the max ceiling is on that type of drone?
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squishy
Mountain climber
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Sep 24, 2012 - 01:52pm PT
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This video will scare you and enlighten you on the subject and gives a realistic status report if you are interested, it's long but worth it...
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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squishy
Mountain climber
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Sep 24, 2012 - 01:55pm PT
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I wonder what the max ceiling is on that type of drone?
The thin air only cuts down on flight times...flight time of a FPV multi-rotor will usually reach ten minutes at sea level.
Mine will fly to 15 kilometers in elevation (or any direction) before losing control signal and automatically returning home.
I have been over 1,000 feet several times but my live video feed will only reach 2 kilometers at the moment. I have a funny crash video of the quad losing power at 948 feet and falling inverted for the whole distance into a squash field, got it all on video, lol.
The record on hobby grade equipment on an airplane is over 100 miles using thermals to save battery power, he used large parabolic dishes and helical antenna's to reach that range...
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Sep 24, 2012 - 02:00pm PT
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Think biologicals + cheapie helicopter + stadium full of people. Technology is dangerously far ahead of wisdom and management. Glad I don't frequent sporting events or concerts!
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squishy
Mountain climber
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Sep 24, 2012 - 02:12pm PT
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Oh and these are not drones, they are more like civilian or hobby grade UAV's...we call them FPV (first person view) multi-rotors. Quad-copter/quad-multirotors have four motors, hexes and octo obviously have six or eight motors and propellers, they are much safer because they can lose a motor and still fly.
A drone is an full auto piloted craft, requiring no pilot to fly a pattern or waypoints. We can do it, but it's much more fun to fly it yourself. Here is some of my live feed video of what they can do. Mine will only come home and land itself in the event of a failsafe, so I can't really call it a drone, that functionality would cost me another 800 bucks, but it's easy to do.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
We fly and test each week in Elk Grove and we welcome anyone interested in getting into it...buying all the gear is easy, the know-how is the tough part. It takes a huge time investment to learn how to even make all this stuff work together, so don't worry about the skys growing grey with drones and blocking out the sun just yet, you can't just go out and buy this, but you may within a year or so...
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Sep 24, 2012 - 02:26pm PT
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No sh#t I was leading a climb out at Texas Canyon when a drone like this did about 5 flybys circling the rock. It was somewhat loud (sounded like a swarm of angry bees approaching), intrusive, distracting and came to within 20 feet. I was tempted to take target practice, but couldn't pull of some choss quick enough. Just kidding I wouldnt ruin someones investment that way, but this bring up some major invasion of privacy issues. From distracting flybys on climbs, to spying through someones bedroom window or on private land. Could even be used to drop weapons to prisoners during recess.
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squishy
Mountain climber
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Sep 24, 2012 - 02:36pm PT
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one was already used to drop items into a prison...
there's also startup companies in San fran and in NY with the aim to deliver food...
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TwistedCrank
climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
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Sep 24, 2012 - 02:49pm PT
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Premature innovation is the root of all evil.
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squishy
Mountain climber
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Sep 24, 2012 - 03:45pm PT
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"Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should." - Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park
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