Hello ... new to drones.. Portsmouth area

Hi.
I have always wanted to fly drones model aircraft since I was a lad… but I’m coming up to seventy now and have no experience or knowledge on what I’m doing, but everybody has to start somewhere.

I have obtained a flyers ID, Operator ID and a free used drone (Go-pro Karma) from my nephew.
I know the karma has had issues and is not liked by some and also not modern and up to date but I’ve seen it working, and it works well with no issues.
However, it has rained every day since I’ve picked it up and got the tickets and it’s still in the box. All I’ve done is charged the batteries. So, I am a complete noob.
I would really appreciate and advice on the best way forward.

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Hi @Indy-Garden and welcome to Grey Arrows :wave:t2:

Have you seen our members map? (Click the burger-menu in the top right) You may find some pilots living near you. Feel free to add yourself to the members map too :+1:t2:

We’re a well established club with many knowledgeable members so it’s very likely that any issues you come across will have been discussed here before. Our discussion forum has very powerful search features which should help you find what you need but if you get stuck you can post a new question in the #questions-and-answers category.

Looking for recommendations of places to fly? Check out our interactive map on Drone Scene - be sure to log in to gain access to the full suite of features and map layers:

And please feel free to add locations of your own too.

Please also take a moment to look at the Membership Levels section on our FAQ as we’re quite different to other clubs and you’ll be eligible for some rather exclusive club discounts as your membership level increases :blush:

Welcome once again!

(:wave: … and Hi from Southampton from me.)

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Welcome Charlie from the Black Country.
The Karma’s OK as long as everything’s working as it should. I’ve still got mine! You’ll find it’s got the turning circle of a super tanker but they’re pretty stable and tough as old boots. But if it was free…get out and give it some, get some practice in!

Hi Charlie.

As soon as the weather improves (August?) get out and get playing :slight_smile: I am also in the “Portsmouth area” on an island a couple of miles east and several decades behind Portsmouth.

If you feel the need for someone to come along and help contact me - either in this thread or by a direct message - I’m free most days :slight_smile:

3 Likes

Many thanks for the quick replies… the only other online club I’ve ever joined is a land Rover owner’s club and it always took days for acknowledgment if at all.

Over confidence or stupidity has got the better of me…

Having seen its not raining I have ventured outside. and fired it up.

all was well as she hovered 1 metre off ground…

I hope my wife doesn’t inspect her flower border…
The result is me drone makes a good strimmer. :worried:

better order a spare prop…

Hi Charlie - welcome to GADC :+1: :+1: :+1:

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I might just take you up on that… I think I’m going to need it…

Altitude is our friend! Get out of ground effect and the Karma will be calmer (geddit?) and a lot easier to fly. Have confidence and have a go!

Hi Charlie @Indy-Garden and welcome to GADC.

Will do… i just hope she dost go outside for a few days. :blush:

Hi.
thank you to everybody who has replied.
Just a note and a request for understanding.

i am not to god with the typing stuff. i use text to speech and past everything in…

text to speech hates me… so please be understanding if i get a few things wrong. its just how it is.

Many thanks
Indy

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Hi from several hundred miles further north @Indy-Garden :wave:t2:

Welcome to GADC :smiley:

Welcome! I’m still a relative newbie here too but I can confirm everyone on here is really annoying…

Sorry, I meant to say very friendly and a cracking bunch! Enjoy the experience and don’t be scared to ask stupid questions! Someone will be willing to help…

All the best,

Andy.

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The only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask before everything went tits up! :slight_smile:

No, got it right first time! :grinning: :grinning: :grinning:

We all go throught the flower-cutting and hedge-trimming periods of our drone lives.

Don’t worry, I guarantee you will soon advance to the climbing-a-tree-to-get-it-down stage.

hi… i think i need to buy in spare blades in bulk…

i have only auto launch it… once, and im down two rotor blades.

im going to wait for a dry day and find the biggest field i can… :grin:

And finger slicing too. Three times! I thought I had mastered hand launch and hand catch. Nope!

Also there was one misguided attempt to fly indoors and getting drone tangled in a rats nest of charging cables!

A field with short grass, or a field that needs to be mowed? :grin:

I suggest viewing some of the Go-pro Karma reviews and instructional videos on Youtube. There you can learn from other people’s mistakes.

(This is much cheaper (and less painful) than learning from your own mistakes.)