Drones are a lot of fun but they also cost a pretty penny. This means that we can’t always get the fanciest model and as a result, the drone that gets taken home doesn’t always have a locate function in place that will help us to find it. Even with the more expensive drone there is also always the possibility that a severe crash can hinder or completely nullify your chances of finding and retrieving the drone. To that effect we have collected a list of some of the best third-party tracking options out there so that you can add a little extra insurance when it comes to getting your beloved drone home. Let’s discuss how to find a lost drone.
Can’t I just use a car or child tracking device?
While some have utilized these methods they are not always the best choice when it comes to drones. Many of these devices are tone-location based, which doesn’t help you much over a large distance, and in general they are fairly specialized. It is much better to rely on a device that is miniaturized and geared for a long distance search. Once you take a look at our selections then you will get a little better idea of what we mean. Some of the specialized trackers in this list can utilize web tracking, satellites, and other clever methods to help to ensure that your drone never goes where you cannot find it (and these are crash proof and waterproof!). Let’s take a look and you can see for yourself.
TrackRBravo
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Our first entry is simple and effective. This coin sized tracker can help you to find where your drone has landed through a series of beeps or even utilizing blutetooth if the drone is close enough. The trzcker app that you use basically tells you if you are getting closer or further from your target and if it is very far away then it has a ‘Crowd locator’ function that can help to reunite you with your lost drone. The last thing that you want is to lose your expensive drone so we highly recommend investing in this or another tracker so that you can quickly find and retrieve your property in the event of the dreaded crash.
Marco Polo UAVfind Field system
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Our first offering counts as just the bare minimum (for those who keep a close eye on their drones and just want to track on abudget) but the Marco Polo UAVfind Field system is a whole different animal. Similar to a Lojack system that you would install in a car, the locator utilizes Doppler location finding technology that enables you to locate your drone at a distance of up to 2 miles. Taking advantage of this is easy, if you want to locate your drone then you need only click a single button and the tracking begins. The transceiver which you will be tracking is durable, designed to be crash-proof and the battery inside it is good for 1 month of waiting in standby mode or for 8 days of continuous tracking. It certainly shouldn’t take that long but it’s nice to know that this tracker has got you covered, so if you are worried about losing your drone in an accident then invest in the Marco Polo and let those worries wash away. One last thing to note, while most trackers of this sort require a GPS subscription the Marco Polo is not one of them. Once you have purchased it you can use it anytime without any surprise fees and that’s certainly a comfort in this day and age.
Trackimo Tracker
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Our favorite on the list is the Trackimo Tracker and it’s got a lot of nice bells and whistles. For one thing, it’s waterproof, so if your drone takes a dunk you can still find it and get it back home. So, how does it work? The Trackimo utilizes satellites and cellular towers to triangulate the location of your drone. This allows you to track it on your phone through the app which the company provides and there is even a
“Trackimo utilizes satellites and cellular towers to triangulate the location of your drone.”
web-based option which allows you to track the location of your drone online. It’s got an excellent range due to the nature of how it works, meaning that you can track your drone, a child, your cat, or even your neighbor wherever they go. Of course you will likely only be using it for your drone but if you purchase more than one unit you can link it (up to 100 items, actually) to your account so that multiple drones or anything else that you can think of may be tracked. As far as the service that goes with it, your Trackimo comes with a sim provided that gives you one year of cellular service to utilize for your tracking and it comes with a large number of extra features. Some examples include:
- Real time tracking
- 5 year tracking history
- Alerts when the drone is moved (great theft protection!)
- Smart alerts by email, text, or directly through the app
- Full support by phone
There are many more features but you get the idea. When it comes to tracking systems to protect your drone or other valuables, it’s hard to beat the Trackimo.
In Closing
In today’s article we have discussed how to find a lost drone by utilizing the latest in drone tracking technology. The devices in this article do exactly that, allowing you to locate your drone (in some cases on a convenient map on your smartphone) and can help to give you a little piece of mind in the event of an unfortunate incident. While it seems like a frivolous purchase we can guarantee that you’ll be happy that you made it should the worst occur, so we highly recommend that you invest in a little ‘tracking insurance’ for yourself. After all, it just makes good sense!
