Importing drone for checking out my house's roof and roof space

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paulchinnz

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#289854 3-Oct-2021 21:21

I'm looking at getting a drone from Aliexpress to periodically look:

a) around the house's roof and also

b) inside the roof space

Apparently it's a good idea to check out the roof space annually e.g. for leaks etc. Roof space is fairly spacious (big enough to install ducted heatpump).

I've had a look at https://www.rsm.govt.nz/business-individuals/buying-electrical-and-electronic-products-in-new-zealand/buying-a-drone-or-remotely-piloted-aircraft-rpa/ and the model I'm looking at is supposed to use Remote Control Frequency: 2.4GHz and Smartphone Receiving method:5G WIFI Channel, so sounds ok.

So I've 2 questions:

1) any problems I should expect from importing a drone via Aliexpress (beyond the usual caveats about buying anything from Aliexpress)

2) will navigating the roof space be a problem?

Thanks!

pih

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#2788787 3-Oct-2021 22:08

I'd be wary of the quality of the optics (among several other things) on an AliExpress drone. Maybe they are getting better, but if you want to do inspections you'll want excellent stabilisation and a decent camera, preferably with optical zoom. And while I haven't looked recently, I think you will struggle to find that on a low end consumer drone.

However even if low end drones have really come a long way recently - depending on what you're trying to monitor - I'm still skeptical that a drone will give you the detail you need. You'll be able to see if your gutters need a clean, but you won't be able to see the depth of gunk. You'll be able to see if a roof tile is missing or falling away but you probably won't see any cracks. You'll see if the pointing has fallen out but you won't be able to tell if it's loose.

On navigating the roof space: (imho) I think you'll spend more time retrieving it and replacing blades than you would if you just climb up and do it yourself. Flying a drone (especially a cheap one) in a dark, often hot, constrained space is a bad idea. But ymmv.

paulchinnz

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#2788793 3-Oct-2021 22:45

Thanks @pih

Take your point about low res visuals. I'm mainly looking for big problems. Fluorescent lights have been installed in the roof space.

Also take your point about retrieving from the roof space/replacing blades - how fine is the control with a 'good' model e.g. Mavic 2 Pro? Does it move in minimum increments of 100 cm or 1 cm or something else?

michaelmurfy

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#2788802 3-Oct-2021 23:17

I've got a "Good" model (DJI Mavic Air 2) but there is no way I'll fly inside a roof space.

Also not to be one of those people but please also be aware of the NZ Drone Rules: https://www.airshare.co.nz/rules - also if you've got nasty neighbors at all they may not appreciate a drone flying around as they may think you can see them (personal experience here!) so be mindful of that too. There are heaps of safety features built into most good drones here in NZ that don't exist on cheap drones from Aliexpress.

I'm not sure what you're really hoping to pick up with the drone that you can't pick up physically. I feel that the drone will miss things you'll otherwise find.

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yann

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#2788807 4-Oct-2021 01:25

I'd be a bit wary of flying a drone, even a small one like what I have (DJI Mini 2) in a roof space. My drone can be flown indoors, however stability is pretty dependent on what objects are around the place. So it flies fine with enough room, but it'll be buffeted around a fair bit the closer it flies to objects so if you were flying in a roof space, I would imagine beams, roof angles, as well as a smaller air space will affect flight. The drone will likely kick up a fair bit of dust (or insulation fibre etc) as well.

Also depending on the drone, there will or will not be proximity sensors which might blade/drone retrieval operation if things go badly.

I don't suppose you could set up a little string/wire pulley system for a GoPro or mobile phone, where you could have some lines set up depending on where access is, and then pull the camera along and record what you have and review later (or monitor remotely). Could be fun project maybe :)

Yann

paulchinnz

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#2788837 4-Oct-2021 08:23

Thanks @michaelmurfy and @yann

I should've explained that I dislike a) 'unsecured' heights and b) hot cramped spaces. All mind over matter stuff, but wanted to see if a drone might be the solution.

Sorry I don't think I got a response to one of my questions. Assuming perfect conditions (clear line of sight etc) - what is a 'good' drone's minimum incremental motion?

Goosey

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#2788838 4-Oct-2021 08:23

Perhaps cheaper & easier to bring in a LBP whose a specialist roofer for an "annual" check as even if your inspection finds something they will still need to come check it out for themselves before recommending a suitable repair.

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Mehrts

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#2788845 4-Oct-2021 08:33

Since we're on the topic of remotely controlled things:

Would a decently sized RC tracked vehicle with a camera attached to it possibly do the job? Or even build such a thing where the camera is on a controllable arm which would allow better access to tight spots.

yann

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#2789469 5-Oct-2021 01:06

paulchinnz:

Sorry I don't think I got a response to one of my questions. Assuming perfect conditions (clear line of sight etc) - what is a 'good' drone's minimum incremental motion?

My one can hover pretty still and stable, though the closer it is to the ground, the more it'll move around (say, less than 40cm or so). As it is tries to keep itself in a fixed position if there is no controller movement, it will usually do so pretty well, though is dependent on what the surroundings are like objects etc. It can move very slowly around so long as you're going easy with the controller, i.e. it can move a few cms a second etc, and have the camera facing down etc. But even if you don't adjust the altitude, my particular drone's height might adjust without input if it senses it might hit something (due to having collision sensors on the bottom), so this could fluctuate a little if there are beams and such around and how close you're flying it to the ground. It has no sensors above or on the sides, so flying it in encloses spaces could be interesting if you're not keeping a track on it. But it flies with good stability, however encloses spaces or close objects will cause chaotic airflow or wash, which can cause some instability whilst inside. So the smaller the space, the more instability. For my model of drone you can get propellor guards which would prevent damage when you bump into things like the ceiling or walls.

I'd assume line of sight control would be fine, though potentially if you're in a metal framed house, not too sure whether that would create interference. I think it'd depend on what type of drone, radio frequencies, or wifi type stuff it had.

Yann

paulchinnz

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#2789580 5-Oct-2021 09:04

Thanks @yann

I've been successfully disabused of the notion that the drone's a good idea for my use scenarios.

A little RC car is next on my list to consider for the roof space. Yes easier to just get someone else to have a look ... but where's the fun in that ;p