Have Drones affected your treasure hunting?

nh.nugget

Hero Member
Sep 3, 2013
861
1,401
e.rochester nh.
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1
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whites, KEENE A52 sluice, 3" dredge
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TheHunterGT

Bronze Member
Feb 2, 2015
1,246
1,847
Central California
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Anfibio Multi - T2 Classic - F75+ - G2+....and MANY more tested and reviewed.
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Just got a Husban X4 (H107L) under the tree for my son who is 12. Got great reviews and is only $40. I think I am looking forward to it more than he is.

Got 5X extra batteries and a charger for like $20 more to increase total flight time before putting it away.

This dudes review sold it for me. Told my wife I'm getting one for myself soon to terrorize the dogs with.

 

Limitool

Gold Member
Jun 9, 2013
5,282
6,861
Middle TN. area
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White XLT Spectrum E-Series
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I got no problem with them at all as long as their not utilizing a camera spying on people or inside buildings. As I've stated before if one was flying over my home here I'd shoot it down easily. Now I live in a very rural area so firing off a gun is no problem. But if I was in town I'd just attach the silencer to the .22 or the .22 mag and do the job. As the OP stated... if it was flying low over me it would then be a mission to me to bring it down and then the operator (but that's me). Lawsuits be damned... not a problem.
 

whitjake

Jr. Member
Oct 12, 2013
94
51
Warren, Pa
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Fisher Gold bug 2, fisher F2
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All Treasure Hunting
Taking a drone out with a camera attached would be a really bad thing to do. Now that all drones over a half pound have to be registered with the FAA or you can be fined 25k. I wouldn't fly it over someone's house just to tick them off if I was doing an areal flight of the neighborhood that would be different. Its like MD you have to go by the rules and ethics of the hobby. be polite and if someone says something fix it no need to be a D*CK about it and shoot it down. I could say the same thing about someone MD on my property that they didn't have permission to do. I would shoot there machine...
 

flgliderpilot

Bronze Member
Apr 28, 2015
1,504
1,427
Saint Augustine, FL
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CZ-21, Minelab Equinox, Garrett AT Pro
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Shooting down any registered aircraft even if not manned will get you in serious trouble as someone else stated. You have no rights over the airspace. When flying (real) gliders, I've circled for hours watching a farmer working his field. His tractor was popping off nice thermals!
 

Limitool

Gold Member
Jun 9, 2013
5,282
6,861
Middle TN. area
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White XLT Spectrum E-Series
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Shooting down any registered aircraft even if not manned will get you in serious trouble as someone else stated. You have no rights over the airspace. When flying (real) gliders, I've circled for hours watching a farmer working his field. His tractor was popping off nice thermals!

While I totally understand your meant meaning while using a glider and/or a modern day drone I agree "you" have no rights over the airspace. Nor does somebody else circling a farmer and or looking over private property. And the "serious trouble" your referring to is when someone does this to me (many others)... and I/we easily shoot down the craft. They (drone operators) do not own the airspace over my/our private property.

Your may be right that I/we have no rights over the airspace of our property.... but that's a two way street. If you don't believe it then fly and hover over my home.

Ever raise 5 daughters with a beautiful deck and pool in the middle of nowhere...? Try and get those "thermals"... and you better be recording in real time because it will be the last time within my non-airspace authority (serious trouble be damned)..... :laughing7:
 

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,004
17,108
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
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Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Look closer. The FAA does not require the registration of drones. They require the registration of the OPERATORS of drones from 0.55 to 55.0 pounds. They don't ask you how many or of what size. They just want to know who is flying them.

You will be assigned a number that must then be placed on all the model aircraft you fly in that size bracket. Same number goes on all models you own. But you have to have the printed certificate on your person when flying.
 

Dr. Syn

Sr. Member
Feb 15, 2011
458
700
Lakeland, Florida
And you don't have to register till Feb. 19th. So fly your heart out till then, the law has no teeth, if it actually lasts. It's breaking a current law as it is.

Like the FAA actually thinks the yahoos who've been causing all the problems, are going to register.

Nah, this isn't going to work. Only thing that will work is to put the hammer down on those caught being a menace to traffic of any kind or spying without permissions, and such. Mandatory fine and jail time, not some up to fine and time. And if one of these IDIOTS hurt or kills someone, then it's a lifetime ticket to GITMO. Might not stop them all, but it will sure make em all think twice about doing something stupid, unlike this new law.

Pure illegal silliness, Joe Blow is flying his quad 2 miles away from the comfort of his home. No ID on the craft, and while buzzing an airliner, it gets sucked into one of the engines. Tell me how the FAA is going to trace down this craft after it goes through the blades of a turbine? And how are they going to prove Joe was at the controls? Or does Joe just tell em it had a brown out, or he lost control signal of it and it's not his fault it went where it did?

And with Christmas, how many little Timmy's got one and are outside flying them today, which is against the current law, unless Dad can prove he bought it before the December 21st cut off date.

Me? I'm an AMA member, and nope I haven't registered, and I was out flying this morning.
 

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Morbidlynx

Tenderfoot
Dec 27, 2015
5
5
Maryland
Detector(s) used
MineLab X-Terra 705
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All Treasure Hunting
As cool as RC drones might be, if you harass or buzz somebody's property or person or use it to invade a reasonable degree of expected privacy you deserve to lose it. Just because you theoretically CAN do something doesn't mean that you SHOULD or that it's in good taste to do so.

It'd be hilarious to build a small AA flak gun that could target drones encroaching on private property.
 

Limitool

Gold Member
Jun 9, 2013
5,282
6,861
Middle TN. area
Detector(s) used
White XLT Spectrum E-Series
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
And you don't have to register till Feb. 19th. So fly your heart out till then, the law has no teeth, if it actually lasts. It's breaking a current law as it is.

Like the FAA actually thinks the yahoos who've been causing all the problems, are going to register.

Nah, this isn't going to work. Only thing that will work is to put the hammer down on those caught being a menace to traffic of any kind or spying without permissions, and such. Mandatory fine and jail time, not some up to fine and time. And if one of these IDIOTS hurt or kills someone, then it's a lifetime ticket to GITMO. Might not stop them all, but it will sure make em all think twice about doing something stupid, unlike this new law.

Pure illegal silliness, Joe Blow is flying his quad 2 miles away from the comfort of his home. No ID on the craft, and while buzzing an airliner, it gets sucked into one of the engines. Tell me how the FAA is going to trace down this craft after it goes through the blades of a turbine? And how are they going to prove Joe was at the controls? Or does Joe just tell em it had a brown out, or he lost control signal of it and it's not his fault it went where it did?

And with Christmas, how many little Timmy's got one and are outside flying them today, which is against the current law, unless Dad can prove he bought it before the December 21st cut off date.

Me? I'm an AMA member, and nope I haven't registered, and I was out flying this morning.

I agree with ya... only law biding folks will register. Kind of like car insurance and guns among just 2 more examples. I think they'd be real fun to fly around especially with a real time camera on board. But I sure the hell wouldn't fly over a farmer working, livestock or other folks minding their own business. I would take offense if one hovered over my home or my head and I wouldn't blame anybody for putting one down if their privacy or property is invaded. I'm not calling "the law" or filing any lawsuits as that is not dealing with the direct problem. Law enforcement and lawyers will not get my point across as I can.
 

Digger

Hero Member
Mar 24, 2003
740
186
Dodge City Kansas
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Blaming the drone is like blaming the gun. I have used my Phantom 3 to aid me in finding good metal detecting locations without having to walk for miles.
 

Limitool

Gold Member
Jun 9, 2013
5,282
6,861
Middle TN. area
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White XLT Spectrum E-Series
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Blaming the drone is like blaming the gun. I have used my Phantom 3 to aid me in finding good metal detecting locations without having to walk for miles.

That's fine by me and if it works for ya in this endeavor then I'd support ya and probably join you. People like you using them responsibility I wouldn't know why anybody would have a problem with this usage. But those other folks who use them in a non-responsible fashion are the ones I have the problem with and make things harder for those who are. Just like blaming the gun.... I TOTALLY AGREE.
 

TheHunterGT

Bronze Member
Feb 2, 2015
1,246
1,847
Central California
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Anfibio Multi - T2 Classic - F75+ - G2+....and MANY more tested and reviewed.
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As a long time firearm owner and a 2 day drone pilot...I feel sad being associated with either side. :sadsmiley:

Why would any competent firearm owner shoot down a drone? How does acting a complete and irresponsible fool help the situation?

The drone pilot is already being an irresponsible fool...so you feel the need to trump him?

Anybody who flies a drone like that should be stripped of their drone rights forever. Same for anybody who discharges their their firearm at somebodies personal property for no other reason than they were annoyed.
 

Escape

Bronze Member
Apr 4, 2009
1,643
1,881
We shoot birds. Who do they belong too? Is shooting a drone that much different? Especially if we don't know who it belongs too? Thought I would twist things up a bit for no reason at all. Actually I heard Bill Cosby likes drones.
 

Limitool

Gold Member
Jun 9, 2013
5,282
6,861
Middle TN. area
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White XLT Spectrum E-Series
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Metal Detecting
As a long time firearm owner and a 2 day drone pilot...I feel sad being associated with either side. :sadsmiley:

Why would any competent firearm owner shoot down a drone? How does acting a complete and irresponsible fool help the situation?

The drone pilot is already being an irresponsible fool...so you feel the need to trump him?

Anybody who flies a drone like that should be stripped of their drone rights forever. Same for anybody who discharges their their firearm at somebodies personal property for no other reason than they were annoyed.

While I totally understand you stance and agree 90% I'd just like to simply clarify. Your straw man of "need to trump him" or "were annoyed" does not enter into it for me. I don't feel the need to trump anybody nor look around for something to annoy me. And I certainly don't/wouldn't look for reasons to discharge my firearm at somebodies personal property neither. And the small number who do/would are as irresponsible as the arrogant drone pilot.

In my situation... living here on this ridge top with no other homes around and an unknown drone operator felt the need to hover over my home, pool and deck I would shoot it out of the sky... period. I would never leave this property and go "drone hunting" and/or look for something to annoy me so I could shoot my firearm at someone's personal property.

FYI: I had a guy stop on my rural road last Sat. afternoon. He was about 200 yds. from my home. He gets out of his truck, fires up his chain saw and started getting some firewood for himself on my property. I didn't shoot the chain saw nor the truck.... because I could see the operator.
 

Duckshot

Silver Member
Sep 8, 2014
4,455
9,643
trapped on the earthly plane of causation
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
As cool as RC drones might be, if you harass or buzz somebody's property or person or use it to invade a reasonable degree of expected privacy you deserve to lose it. Just because you theoretically CAN do something doesn't mean that you SHOULD or that it's in good taste to do so.

It'd be hilarious to build a small AA flak gun that could target drones encroaching on private property.

They are radio controlled. Jam the frequency.
 

Dr. Witty

Hero Member
Jan 8, 2015
535
809
Upstate NY
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i'll bet it would be hard to jam a spread spectrum frequency hopping transmitter. Easy if they were operating on a fixed frequency FM signal, which nobody is these days.
 

Limitool

Gold Member
Jun 9, 2013
5,282
6,861
Middle TN. area
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White XLT Spectrum E-Series
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Metal Detecting
I can "jam" a spectrum frequency hopping transmitter... it'll cost about $00.50 cents.
 

pepperdawg

Hero Member
Dec 25, 2014
531
773
North-Central CT
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AT-PRO; Garrett-Carrot
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Metal Detecting
Had my first drone encounter today - spent an hour at a local playground - 7 coins worth of clad (2 dimes 5 pennies) - spent most time playing catch with a football w/my little guy - but was last time probably before the ground freezes again.

Hear a noise - look up and see a drone - white plastic etc - but couple of my observations -

higher than I thought these things go; seemed very stable and the distance it traveled while we could see it - came from one neighborhood - hovered above the park for a bit then off in another direction to a different neighborhood.....no operator to be seen. I guess the range is pretty good?

Just interesting to watch considering this didn't look any more fancy/advanced than one of the "toy-esq" type drones all the rage.....blew my mind to think someone saw flying it probably from thier phone...gotta dig (for good or bad) technology.

-C
 

Digger

Hero Member
Mar 24, 2003
740
186
Dodge City Kansas
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XP Deus, E-Trac, Makro Racer 2, DFX
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All Treasure Hunting
living here on this ridge top with no other homes around and an unknown drone operator felt the need to hover over my home, pool and deck I would shoot it out of the sky... period.

And should that drone be less than 80' I'd not blame you a bit. I'm just pointing out that the law says a drone can be flown over pretty much all but airports as long as they are 80' or higher. Period. Shooting one down becomes a matter of breaking the law yourself. Most people don't realize they do not own the shy above 80' even if it is above their property. Until the law get changed that is the way it is. Personally only a irresponsible drone pilot would do such a thing in the first place, but, they are out there.
 

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