anyone recommend an rc finder?

[ballores]

Anyone recommend a tracker for quad type affairs, had a flyaway with an ar drone, which cost me a bottle of wine , as it dumped in a schools grounds one weekend, caretaker likes my wife';s wine.Changed to proper quads now but fly mostly over crops as I want to avoid the bloody school, I fly 250';s and want to keep the weight down , was considering a crappy nokia on payg for the 450 tricopter

[quadfather]

Have a look at the Loc8tor Lite. http://www.loc8tor.com/uk/everyday/loc8tor-lite.html  It comes with two locator fobs and the handheld thingy can track up to four.

There are a few favourable reviews.  But it';s only good for cases when you know roughly know where the quad went down, and range is largely dependent on obstacles.

A chap in this forum is developing his own solution which is GPS based with a much larger range, but I believe it won';t be suitable for a 250 sized quad due to size and weight.

[ched]

Have a look on ebay for a tk102. It may be a bit heavy at 50gms but you put a paygo sim in it and if you loose your quad you text the tk102 and it replies with gps co-ordinates.
Check the versions as some dont do 3G some do. Also the TK102 might have better versions but it will give you an idea.

[Dougelove]

Another buyer for Andy7 as soon as he';s finished!
http://www.multi-rotor.co.uk/index.php?topic=12164.msg111385#msg111385

[quadfather]

Have a look on ebay for a tk102. It may be a bit heavy at 50gms but you put a paygo sim in it and if you loose your quad you text the tk102 and it replies with gps co-ordinates.
Check the versions as some dont do 3G some do. Also the TK102 might have better versions but it will give you an idea.

None of these devices support 3G.  All they do is send (and receive) SMS.  Some of them stream "real time" data over GPRS (2G) to some server in China (never got mine to work) and newer models have a SD card slot where this data can be logged.  Don';t go and spend extra because it has 3G in the name.

[richardg6paj]

Funny how this keeps cropping up.
I can recommend both the loc8tor and the fmkit beacon. If you';re not contemplating a flyaway then you can';t beat a self powered audio beacon, especially for a 250 sized quad.
Watch this video.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rmc3gboiGkI

Richard

[hoverfly]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0012GMDC4/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new

I have one of these ,it is good for 100 yds. If you shop around they can be had for around £35, very good feature   is when you get close to the  bug it starts squealing, the direction indicator on the hand set is really accurate. It might not help to find a fly away but its great when a craft drops out of sight  in the next field into long grass. 

[ChavasRegal]

I';ve been tempted by the Pettorway http://www.pettorway.com/real time GPS tracker, designed for tracking your pets its fairly small, reasonably light, With 8hours battery life and water resistant, the only downside is a small annual fee of £25 which is cheap compared to the £5-8 p/m for similar devices.

What is X2 ?

The Pettorway X2 GPS Pet Tracker is designed specifically for cats and dogs and their owners. Have you ever wondered where your furry friend goes when you let them out? If your Pet goes missing would you like to know their exact location? The Pettorway X2 Live Tracker will help you discover your pets adventures and keep them safe.The Pettorway X2 is Water proof,Lightweght,easy to use and you can even upload their travels and adventures to our dedicated online community.

The X2 Live Tracker Specifications:
•Tracker Dimensions 39mm diameter x 19mm thick.
•Tracker Weight 26g.
•Battery charge time 2 hours.
•Battery life 8 hours, Can last up to 10 days in standby mode.
•Tracker contains motion sensor so when pet is inactive the product goes into standby and preserves battery life. Battery life is dependent on usage patterns.
•Tracker is water Proof up to 1m.
•Tracker robust casing is shock resistant.
•Data logging will operate worldwide.
•Live tracking available subject to a mobile phone signal being available (GPRS)
•Can be attached to any pet collar, (Please note for best signal performance please do not use metallic collars)

[gavnthat]

I have been using a loc8tor lite for ages now on my mini quad and wing, it works great as long as you can get within 80 to 100 metres of where it went down even in long grass and bushes it will take you straight to it. Further if out in the open. Saved me hours of searching since I got it. I got it after losing my 450 quad couple of years ago and only finding it after 2 days of searching.