Extending Your Drone Range With Cell Phone

Not to be a snob, but I'm not impressed.

For $1,300.00 USD a drone is a better buy. (I think they offer cheaper ones Discos also)

The report I read says the video quality is inferior and it needs room to land, unlike a quad. That's a big problem where I live because drones are not allowed in any city parks,

Finally, range only counts if you have enough battery to stay in the air and that is a question. They advertise 45 minutes, I get 30 and have two spare batteries. With no obstructions, drones like mine have a range of 3+ miles.

From another review, "Sporting a wingspan of 45-inches." That's big.

Finally, I get separation anxiety when I fly out of sight, even though I can see where it is on either a real time video and a satellite or street map view in the display.

FAA says you must have visual contact with your drone at all times. I'm not sure how that all works.

Well in the first place I'm not trying to sell you anything....This technology potentially extends your flying range to a lot more than 3 miles...and whether the drone is electric or fuel driven, I think would be irrelevant, it depends on the design...This is technology that I haven't seen before and thought it was interesting, so I decided to share it...whether it is of use to you or anybody else here, doesn't really matter....at least now you are aware that it exists....Now is it possible to fly non-stop coast-to-coast....probably not...but I don't think that will stop people from trying....After all we haven't had a way to control the RC planes and drones from these kinds of distances, at least that I am aware of, so it follows that somebody will design an RC plane for long distance flight that can hold large amounts of fuel....With 5G in the city environment, drone delivery becomes much more feasible...at least that's my take...

Good.

None of what you say makes these things more attractive that a "short range" quad.

Especially, at this time when it is illegal to fly over 400' AGL, out of your line of sight, and over anyone not directly engaged with the UAS flying above them.

Commercial drones will eventually get any certs they may want because we all know that money can buy anything.

Right now, it's a waste of money.

Not everybody confines their flying to the United States....who has more rules and regulations than anybody can keep track of....

Good point.

I can see them being used to carry IED's in some countries.

Of course, who cares about rules anyway?

Well I was thinking more of aerial photography, but I guess there could be some military applications....How's the cell phone coverage in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan? Not too good I'm thinking...

The biggest drawback I see it that it can't hover.

It's too bad drones weren't like kites. The lift system could carry the drone aloft, then when it reached altitude, the lift returns to earth and the remote floats on updrafts, thermals etc.

Like a glider, you could fly virtually,, forever.

You mean like this?

http://www.atlantiksolar.ethz.ch/?page_id=325

Coincidentally, a drone flew across the Atlantic yesterday, 3700 miles controlled by an operator in the US. Admittedly, not your average drone, these can stay in the air for 2 days.

...."A pilot-less plane completed a 24 hour cross-Atlantic flight to touch down in the UK yesterday evening.

The remotely-piloted aircraft which will become the backbone of the future Royal Air Force safely touched down at the Royal International Air Tattoo at 7pm last night (Wednesday, 11 July)

The MQ-9B SkyGuardian - currently being developed by US-manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems - touched down on schedule at RAF Fairford after an epic 24-hour, 2-minute flight from North Dakota ready for the show which will mark the centenary of the RAF.

The aircraft will go on to form the basis of the RAF’s new Protector system, due to enter service in the early 2020s.

The flight to RAF Fairford has achieved a number of major firsts. It is the first transatlantic flight performed by a medium-altitude remotely-piloted aircraft and the first to be entirely controlled by satellite communications in British airspace. The aircraft was controlled by pilots sitting in North Dakota taking 12 hour shifts as the aircraft flew over Canada, across the Atlantic and around southern Ireland before reaching the UK mainland in west Wales."....

http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/gloucestershirenews/16349527.pilot-less-plane-lands-at-fairford-after-epic-24-hr-flight/

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/uav-breaks-record-with-transatlantic-crossing-41541/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/09/18/the-navys-massive-triton-drone-just-flew-across-the-u-s-for-the-first-time/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.fc9f5f9ad965

http://www.barnardmicrosystems.com/UAV/milestones/atlantic_crossing_2.html

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/solar-powered-drone-world-record

we have strayed into another class of UAS.

• Flying a UAS that weighs more than 55 lbs.