Drones...should you be scared for your privacy?

[DAA]

I try and get decent pictures of wildlife with a long lens fairly often. The 150-600mm zoom I use, actually could work for some spy type photography. That is, I could stand far enough away that you might not notice me taking your picture and get a fairly good picture of you. Notice, I say you "might not" notice me taking your picture. If I wasn't actually concealed, you might well notice that big azz lens pointed at you - if I was close enough to get a perv quality image I'd be close enough for you to see what I was doing if you were paying enough attention.

But! The size and expense of a drone large enough to carry that lens, let alone stabilize it well enough to get useable images, is so far beyond the hobby models you might see around your neighborhood it's hard to even explain. Way, way, WAY beyond what you see people using for real estate and hobby stuff.

Otherwise, as already noted, you've got four weed whackers buzzing around getting crappy GoPro vid/images.

Haven't experienced it yet, myself, but I imagine I'd be simply irritated by the noise. Probably irritated enough to want to shoot the person flying it. But I wouldn't be concerned about the camera onboard. It's a GoPro for cripes sake.

- DAA

 

[Herzog]

I didn't read all the way through... but I see a lot of arguments here that people use against guns. Having a drone doesn't make you a pervert. Same as owning a gun doesn't make you a murderer or thug.

I know a lot of people with drones who make incredible videos and do some really cool stuff with. I doubt you'll see them flying around in your window. What's that saying? The action of a few...

 

[ID Bronco]

wow, you guys are e-thugs.

Would you honestly discharge a firearm into the air in your neighborhood at an R/C toy?
Some people should not own guns plain and simple.

If you feel violated by the toy go walk two houses down and confront the kid flying it (explode his brains or whatever...), duh.

Not everyone is in a neighborhood where it wouldn't be a good idea.

I also agree that the cell phone stuff is worth taking precautions with too.

 

[skiboarder]

wow, you guys are e-thugs.

Would you honestly discharge a firearm into the air in your neighborhood at an R/C toy?
Some people should not own guns plain and simple.

If you feel violated by the toy go walk two houses down and confront the kid flying it (explode his brains or whatever...), duh.

Damn straight. 3 rattle snakes, 1 rabid skunk, a couple of raccoons and a bob cat and mountain lion shot at. Besides if a drone is flying around my 15 year old daughters window it coming down. You can tell if some one is checking out the neighborhood from the air or being creepy.

 

[Seven]

I have no problem if you stay far enough away that my pressure washer with fine tip can't reach you. spend anytime within that area without consent and it's going to rain.

 

[TurboMinivan]

Just an FYI, it is illegal to shoot down an aircraft.

Okay, but perhaps there are... other ways... to accomplish this same task.

I've never owned or even seen/handled a drone, but I have owned multiple RC cars. Each one carries a warning/disclaimer along the lines of "this device must accept any RF interference in the area." What if there were other RF signals on the same frequency in the area of the drone? I thought I once heard that drones automatically return "home" if they lose signal from their controller. Is this true? Is that what would happen if their controller's signal were jammed/blocked/etc? Or could you "take over" the drone and issue your own commands to it instead?

I saw this late one night on an episode of Hawaii 5-0.

 

[Greg]

Spence posted up to dispel fears and everyone is running for their guns.

 

[Herzog]

Spence posted up to dispel fears and everyone is running for their guns.

Which is ironic because they are using the same logic as anti-gun people.

 

[Spork]

I guess most my comments here have been sarcastic, I don't live somewhere I expect to see drones, maybe helicopters, powered para-gliders, small planes, but not drones. I guess I believe drones would observe the same rules as the other aircraft around my house and as with any of them if they are hovering directly overhead for too long I'm expecting them to be up to no good. I don't plan on shooting anything flying around my back yard, not about to start with drones. If it bothered me enough I figure most drones with a camera probably have about 15 minutes of air time if that and if I follow the drone I can take it up with who is really bothering me.

 

[ID Bronco]

Just moon them

 

[Unimog]

I am not a drone enthusiast by any stretch, but I do have a tiny quadcopter with hd video. It is fun to play with to get a different view on things. I definitely would not want anyone hovering over my home or yard. The argument that you can't get good video from a distance doesn't hold much water, IMO. It is not going to be high-quality, but being able to take the resulting video and zoom in to see some detail is definitely a reasonable thing to do. Besides which, my junker quadcopter with HD camera was only $50. I'm guessing within years, there will be much, much better resolution, and quieter machines available.

Hopefully those of us who own drones are listening closely to the controversy, even among our closed group. It is obviously a sensitive subject and warrants increased attention to how our activities are perceived by others - kindof like off roading.

 

[rholbrook]

I have a several clients that do a lot of military contracts for things that fly and used for things you are discussing. A civilian type surveillance camera on a drone does not produce a good image at distance.