S2 in the rain?

VEGASROBBI · Apr 11, 2020

I shot most of this video with Anafi since it was raining. I have used Anafi several times in the rain before and being essentially a dumb drone it does fine.

I was skeptical about using my S2 in the rain with all the cameras and sensors, but it did fine. I flew an entire battery in moderate rain without issue.

Lifeisfun · Apr 12, 2020

WoW ? Do you have cap on the USB-C port?

skydioconvert · Apr 12, 2020

VEGASROBBI said:
I shot most of this video with Anafi since it was raining. I have used Anafi several times in the rain before and being essentially a dumb drone it does fine.

I was skeptical about using my S2 in the rain with all the cameras and sensors, but it did fine. I flew an entire battery in moderate rain without issue.

Gotta ask.... what prompted you to try flying in the rain? .... probably just an after effect of the six foot rule <GRIN>

Concur with your comments about the media but then again nothing they do is really surprising any more.

P.S. Haven't heard the that 60's PG theme in quite a while.... those are the days of B&W tv!!!

RemE · Apr 12, 2020

I have to say, you are so impressive, your skill and knowledge on off-roaders is amazing. The sound of those monsters, awesome.

You have now got a toolbox of good "following drones", what a journey it's been. Nice to see you in a space where you aren't always squashed!

VEGASROBBI · Apr 12, 2020

I go on test drives and need the footage regardless of weather; at the end of the day the drones are expendable. Our average conversion runs $30k so if you do the math..

I purchased a Swellpro waterproof drone for days like this but haven't got around to it.

I find DC electronics handle water well, its the contamination in water that creates conductivity, rain water is pretty clean. My H, Anafi and now S2 have all flown in the rain.

Welcome to the forum RemE, I visit the asylum occasionally but don't miss it at all not a lot of good content.

Have you flown your S2 yet?

RemE · Apr 12, 2020

Just updated to current firmware will fly when it's nice out, soon. I did make a bike mount to play with some beacon tracking now that the neighborhood is so quiet.

Rain flying, as long as water stays away from the RF side, should be OK. WiFi hates moisture, loses range.

loyukfai · Apr 13, 2020

VEGASROBBI said:
I find DC electronics handle water well, its the contamination in water that creates conductivity, rain water is pretty clean. My H, Anafi and now S2 have all flown in the rain.

Hi there, an off-topic Q, what do you think, between the ANAFI and Skydio 2?

My 2nd ANAFI crashed some time ago and I've yet to get another drone.

Cheers.

VEGASROBBI · Apr 13, 2020

They both do a good job at follow, both use GPS and optical.

Anafi is smoother and more flexible, SD still needs work on smoothing out the flight path.

Anafi must be flown there is no obstacle avoidance. The S2 on the other hand is a dream I launch and forget, but I do keep my eye on it. This allows me to do other things like record in car rather than fly. The S2 is amazing at avoiding obstacles, even small branches, I'm still impressed.

The S2 is faster and I have followed at close to 40 MPH with it, Anafi's top speed is about 28 MPH.

The S2 can be aggravating, at higher speeds it flies higher and looks down on you, Anafi being a dumb drone will allow you to fly close the ground.

Anafi crashes well lol. It's light and my Anafi has ended up in many trees with falls to the ground and no damage; I don't think the S2 will fair as well.

Anafi is easier to use, the app is simple and launching a breeze. I boot up Anafi in my car and throw it out the window, then land it through the window. The S2 isn't hard to get going but more steps are required including clean the cameras.

I think they compliment each other so having both is an advantage today. If Skydio smooths outs the moves and shrinks the OA bubble it may replace Anafi but not yet.

loyukfai · Apr 13, 2020

Thanks! How about the other aspects or usage?

If you have to choose only one today, which one will you get?

Cheers.

VEGASROBBI · Apr 13, 2020

loyukfai said:
Thanks! How about the other aspects or usage?

If you have to choose only one today, which one will you get?

Cheers.

Comes down to your need IMO. If your like Ridefreak hands off riding a bike I'd go with the S2. If you can manually pilot the Anafi is an excellent value and has a pretty good camera.

UNIXman · Apr 18, 2020

Back to flying in the RAIN: Water on the lenses causes distortion, nullifying the Obstacle Avoidance. The motors aren't capped either, so water can get into the motors. The USB-C port was already mentioned. I put a cap over mine.

de KØUNX, Jim, in Jefferson County, Colorado

Lifeisfun · Apr 18, 2020

UNIXman said:
Back to flying in the RAIN: Water on the lenses causes distortion, nullifying the Obstacle Avoidance. The motors aren't capped either, so water can get into the motors. The USB-C port was already mentioned. I put a cap over mine.

de KØUNX, Jim, in Jefferson County, Colorado

I think you would immediately get warning to clean the cameras if they are dirty.

UNIXman · Apr 18, 2020

If you're already flying autonomously, the rain droplets on the lenses would cause "lots of little lenses" that would nullify the OA.

skydioconvert · Apr 18, 2020

Moisture (i.e. rain, mist, snow, sleet, fog, ...) it's like that pesky little virus out there ... it finds ways to get into spots it doesn't really belong.

Add Muphy's Law to the mix and the chances of something bad happening begin to look like the COVID-19 curve on the
COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) website.

My humble opinion.... wouldn't do it.

Ridefreak · Apr 18, 2020

The threshold for that warning is pretty low, I've flown with a slightly dirty lens and had it stop with a dirty lens warning telling me to land.

Lifeisfun · Apr 18, 2020

Ridefreak said:
The threshold for that warning is pretty low, I've flown with a slightly dirty lens and had it stop with a dirty lens warning telling me to land.

Yup, same here

skydioconvert · Apr 18, 2020

Ridefreak said:
The threshold for that warning is pretty low, I've flown with a slightly dirty lens and had it stop with a dirty lens warning telling me to land.

What happens if you ignore the dirty lens warning?