Anybody using drones to find or research sites?

[TrpnBils]

It strikes me as something that could potentially be useful if done right. Different times I've walked up on a site that should have had an old foundation or something on it only to find 3' tall grass and brush made it impossible to find what I was looking for. In cases like that I think aerial photos or video would be a great help. Anybody try it?

 

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[kingskid1611]

Haven't tried drones but I have taken some experimental aircraft up and buzzed around some areas around here. I look for old home sites that sit back in trees and down the backside of fields.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Drones would be pretty inefficient for that purpose.

1- we already have access to exceptional quality google-earth sat images and can see them compared over time.
2- Drones are line-of-site operation (unless you are talking about VERY expensive, professional ones) so you already have to be on the location you want to search
3- you would be better off piloting something like an ultra-light to get a "hands-on" aerial view of a place.

 

[jwatkins]

Drones would be pretty inefficient for that purpose.

1- we already have access to exceptional quality google-earth sat images and can see them compared over time.
2- Drones are line-of-site operation (unless you are talking about VERY expensive, professional ones) so you already have to be on the location you want to search
3- you would be better off piloting something like an ultra-light to get a "hands-on" aerial view of a place.

I disagree. An ultra-light?? You can deploy a drone much easier and safer than flying an ultra-light. Also google earth images are not very detailed when wanting to look close to the earths surface. I can shoot 4k video directly above the site. I can even pre-plan a flight route with mine at home and take it out to get detailed pictures or video

 

[Jason in Enid]

So if you are on site, why aren't you just walking out to look with you own eyes? 3 foot tall grass? WTF is a drone going to see through that? If you want a toy to play with, that's fine but just go put your Mark 1, Mod 0 eyeballs on the site if you want to see something.

 

[TrpnBils]

My thinking is a cheap-ish toy drone is a hell of a lot more accessible to most people than an ultralight aircraft although, yes, an ultralight would allow you to get your own eyes up there and would probably be more effective.

 

[ctalmadg]

It strikes me as something that could potentially be useful if done right. Different times I've walked up on a site that should have had an old foundation or something on it only to find 3' tall grass and brush made it impossible to find what I was looking for. In cases like that I think aerial photos or video would be a great help. Anybody try it?

I use mine to find cellar holes.. in the early winter with a little snow they show up real well.

 

[Jason in Enid]

My thinking is a cheap-ish toy drone is a hell of a lot more accessible to most people than an ultralight aircraft although, yes, an ultralight would allow you to get your own eyes up there and would probably be more effective.

The ultra-light comment was tongue in cheek, but it would at least allow you a considerable range and flight time to survey an area. The only thing I could see a drone to be useful is for places where it is too dangerous to go without very good reason. Such as examining cliff and mountain sides for caves, etc. Anything else, is just impractical.

 

[ARC]

I only use a drone to research YOUR sites. :P

 

[gollum]

I don't see a lot of use in coin shooting, but when chasing clues in the mountains, a small FPV Camera Drone (read streaming video) can be very useful for getting better looks at marks high up on cliffs, or hard to see spots on tall Saguaro Cacti.

Mike

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I would use one if I had one.

 

[chrisdigs]

I used the DJI phantom 3 to pinpoint a few old home sites... But as Jason suggested best way is to lay eyes on spot ,hard to see much above the tree line.

 

[Tom Bigbee]

The Diggers used one in one of their episodes. They were looking for foundations which they said could be easier seen from the air. I think a drone would come in useful.

 

[fmrUSMC_0844]

Sure you can walk to the site, but sometimes I think a nice clear picture, or video of a site from the air would help. I have thought about using a drone for this purpose. I just dont want to fork out 1200 for a nice one.

 

[jwatkins]

So if you are on site, why aren't you just walking out to look with you own eyes? 3 foot tall grass? WTF is a drone going to see through that? If you want a toy to play with, that's fine but just go put your Mark 1, Mod 0 eyeballs on the site if you want to see something.

Obviously you cannot see through high grass but if there is not 3 foot tall grass or higher you can see quite well. Yes a drone would not be ideal for everywhere but I would rather fly over 10 or 20 acres and get an idea of a site then walk over those 20 acres. Take the Nasca Lines for example, you could be walking on the ground right next to them and not even know they were there. Bird's eye view is just another tool in the toolbox!

 

[Jason in Enid]

Obviously you cannot see through high grass but if there is not 3 foot tall grass or higher you can see quite well. Yes a drone would not be ideal for everywhere but I would rather fly over 10 or 20 acres and get an idea of a site then walk over those 20 acres. Take the Nasca Lines for example, you could be walking on the ground right next to them and not even know they were there. Bird's eye view is just another tool in the toolbox!

HAve you ever gone looking for long-gone house sites and ghost towns? There is nothing, zero, nada that a drone can see. You HAVE to walk the ground and put your eyeballs to the soil. Those tiny little chips of china, glass, crock, and rust are barely visible from 6 feet, but thats what you have to look for to locate those spots.

 

[TheHunterGT]

Living in eastern Colorado right next to the Commanche Grasslands and the Santa Fe trail....a drone would be an invaluable tool for finding old homesteads that have crumbled and are not visible from the dirt roads.

The tall grass makes it impossible to see any crumbled structures. You could be 50 feet from a smaller homestead and never even know it the way the grass blends together. Have stumbled across 2-3 old homesteads by complete luck...totally hidden. A drone with a simple GoPro would easily spot those from the air and save me TONS of high stepping through thick grass....were talking thousands of square miles of 3-4 foot tall grass.

I agree with the Google maps comment. In many or most cases it will do the job for a larger spot without a tree canopy to deal with. The smaller homestead may be harder to spot as they can get pretty grown-over by the grass here.

Many times I just grab the detector and go driving....no Google maps....just grab and go. Tossing the drone case in the truck would not be hard and only take a few minutes to fly and then check footage with my tablet...15-20 minutes top....all on-site. Takes me that long to decide on a location from Google maps....so it is comparable from a personal time stand-point.

IMO the benefits of having a drone and tablet on-site ready to go outweighs the negative.

 

[applecrack]

I have been looking into using drones for that exact purpose. I got a price on a drone with Lidar for around 8000. That is a steep price but they will come down. For another 2000 he can hook up a thermal camera as well. I think this is just the start of a whole new age of treasure hunting. Exciting!!!