My Hobbies

I currently use a Nikon D7100 for all of my ground level photography. After consulting the internet for many days and weeks, I finally decided on going with the Sony A33. This camera offered a whole host of features that were not offered on cameras in the same price range. This has proven to be a winning combination for me. I typically use an 18-200mm lens for just about all of my work. I typically run all of my photos through Adobe Lightroom for post processing. If more work is needed I use Adobe Photoshop CC.

Multi-Rotors

Being the tech person I am, I am always trying to stay up on the latest tech trends. One of the growing trends now are multi-rotors. Drones, as the media has so un-appropriately dubbed them. Growing up, I was always exposed to RC aircraft through my uncle and cousins. My uncle was in the Air Force and my parents and I went to see them when he was stationed on an air base in Illinois back in the 70's. I remember seeing the Harrier jet for the first time then. I believe that made a lifelong impression on me from that time forward. To this day, I am in awe of just about everything that flies. Whether it is the smallest of toy helicopters to the largest of planes. The funny thing about flying is that I hate to do it. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Having this passion for aircraft led me to finally making the leap into the multi-rotor world last year. For Christmas, my loving wife, purchased a DJI Phantom for me. This is a small 350mm size frame quad-copter (multi-rotor). This small craft allows you to mount a GoPro style camera on board and take asounding video from the air, along with awesome photographs. This craft can operate at distances of up to 1000m and has a ceiling of around 1000m, BUT according to FAA rules, the official ceiling of RC craft is 400'. I currently use a GoPro Hero 3 Silver edition to record video with it.

My current multi-rotor that I use is an 810mm air-frame. It is the Tarot T810. This particular craft has a full carbon fiber frame, flys with 15" carbon fiber propellers and has the capacity to tote around a full frame dslr camera. I am currently achieving around 22 minutes of flight time and expect more with larger batteries.

The flight controller on each of the craft is the DJI Naza M v2. This controller is what you would consider the brain of the multi-rotor. It keeps it aloft. It has many features that you wouldn't think possible. It has full GPS location marking, it has a return to home feature that is pretty amazing. It even has the capability to have it be fully autonomous with additional hardware. For information about this controller, please visit www.dji.com.

I use the FrSky Taranis -plus radio system to control the craft. This radio system has the capability to use up to 16 channels and has full flight telemetry assets available. What does all of this mean? Well, you can monitor just about every aspect of your craft in the air. From altitude, to distance from home, to speed, to GPS location.