Night vision pictures with GPS coordinates

[Lee Wilkes]

Hello all,

 

Probably not a new idea, but something I'm thinking of tackling. I want to build a RC plane capable of flying a preset course and taking pictures along the route. Then fly back home. All under the cover of darkness. I then want to take the pictures and be able to get GPS coordinates on them to be able to see where deer are bedded down. I need ideas for a good IR camera, large flying platform (I think I wanna do a gas engine), and a way to be able to search each picture with GPS coordinates. basically I wanna be able to pinpoint down to a GPS coordinate the bedding areas in my hunt club........

 

Any ideas?

[hightechhobbie]

if your "flying under the cover of darkness" with a gas engine that wont work but ive thought it would be fun to do a night mission

[Lee Wilkes]

what difference would it make if it was gas or electric? Just asking........

[hightechhobbie]

i was thinking the loud gas engine would scare away any animals

[Lee Wilkes]

Oh, ok. I see what your getting at. What I was going to do was take the photos somewhere around 400ft high. I wouldn't think that wouyld scare them. Don't have any experience doing so all I can do is guess about the animals reactions. Thanks for the input though.

[Alpo Hassinen]

Look this: http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/georeferencing-pictures

[Lee Wilkes]

I need to download some files I guess and get to work huh?!?!

[Dr Gary L Snyder]

Interesting request! I'm a certificated flight instructor and have hundreds of hours of night flying. I am also an avid hunter. I can't help but wonder how many federal regulations you will violate with what you intend. Will your UAV be appropriately equipped for night flights and have you researched the FARS/AIM? Also have you researched your state hunting regulations? While I can understand the motives and your enthusiasm I truly question the bad reputation that could result from such activities. If we do not regulate ourselves the FAA will!

Regards,

Doc

[Ellison Chan]

Not that I'm against hunting, to each their own.  But, is it really called "hunting" any more, if you pinpoint where they are by using technology like IR cameras and UAVs?

[Gareth Rens]

Hunting should be done with knives. Give the animal a fair chance. Sitting behind your computer, right clicking on the animal and selecting shoot seems a bit too unfair...

[Gary Mortimer]

+1 on that Gareth

[Richard]

+ 1 on Gary!

[Gord]

flying over an area to get an idea where they roam is not illegal or unsporting. People who have never hunted, don't get the idea that the hunter still has to get near the deer on the ground. Most deer hunters use a stand, deer smell the human scent and are generally wary of new smells. Its their instinct to not want to be near other large animals.

Using a UAV to hunt would be considered illegal. It would be using a firearm in an illegal and unsafe manner for one, and 2 shooting from a vehicle. You also haven't stopped to consider that any rifle capable of dropping a deer humanely will flip a UAV out of the air.