Flying quadcopters (AKA “drones”) and other RC aircraft can be a lot of fun, but if you happen to land and/or crash in an unknown area, things become more difficult. To make this a bit easier, ExpertRC is offering a tiny 433 MHz Beacon tracker for lost RC models.
When triggered, the device emits a tri-tone signal at set intervals, which you can pick up on an appropriate radio unit from 10-15 km away. As outlined in this beacon tracking guide, you can then use radio direction finding techniques to point at your lost RC aircraft from different positions, narrowing down its location. Of course no one likes to loose a drone, but the act of finding it again actually sounds like it could be quite fun/frustrating at the same time.
While developed for tracking lost RC equipment, it could also be quite useful if you have pets that are prone to wander, or it could help recover items that “mysteriously” disappear. You’d just have to figure out a way to trigger it properly. If that sounds interesting, I assume the gears in your head are already spinning!
