GPS/ Cellular Tracker for Canopy?

[Westerly 61]

With the number of people who have lost canopies, I am surprised still no one makes a cellular tracker specifically for skydiving. Anyway, there are several options on the market that allow you to track any object anywhere as so long as it is within the footprint of the device's cell network. I was thinking of getting one. Ideas for brand and attachment options? It seems like this is a reasonable choice:

https://pinggps.com/

Has anyone actually used one of these guys to retrieve a canopy?

[VTmotoMike08 0]

Following. I picked up a tile tracker in a target a couple weeks ago, haven't had the motivation to start playing with it yet. Small pocket sewn into your main deployment bag would probably be the way to go.

https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/

[DBCOOPER 5]

"With the number of people who have lost canopies"

I don't know anyone. Know a few that melted them on a four wheeler. one on a barbed wire fence, and one caught in a boat prop but none lost due to a chop. I'm sure it happens in certain locations but it seems like a solution looking for a problem.

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[VTmotoMike08 0]

It is somewhat rare, but if we are doing anecdotes now, then I can think of at least six people I know who have lost a canopy in a chop (myself included). Canopies are pretty expensive these days, even if it only gives a little better odds of getting it back, a cheap GPS based tracker could really be useful. And they are pretty cheap.

[Westerly 61]

VTmotoMike08

Following. I picked up a tile tracker in a target a couple weeks ago, haven't had the motivation to start playing with it yet. Small pocket sewn into your main deployment bag would probably be the way to go.

https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/

Tile is a Bluetooth tracker and is completely worthless for our application. It has a maximum range of about 35'. You need a cellular and GPS tracker.

Regarding lost mains, I see it all the time. If you jump in the desert, probably not going to happen. If you jump near a forest, it will happen frequently. I see people lose mains on a regular basis. It happened just last week and again the week before.

[DBCOOPER 5]

If you insist....


https://petlifetoday.com/best-gps-dog-trackers/

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[DougH 270]

The Iota was shaping up to be a great solution. But they went tits up, and the software interface worked off of their website.

It was a combination of GPS, radio transmitters, and a IP connected base station received that fed the information into their network so you could track with an app.

The more base stations in an area, for example keep one at the DZ, and another one at a fun jumpers house that is across town would increase the coverage.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[Westerly 61]

VTmotoMike08

Following. I picked up a tile tracker in a target a couple weeks ago, haven't had the motivation to start playing with it yet. Small pocket sewn into your main deployment bag would probably be the way to go.

https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/

Those are bluetooth trackers which are completely useless for skydiving. They have a range of 50' or so.

[SethInMI 174]

Westerly

***

https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/

Those are bluetooth trackers which are completely useless for skydiving. They have a range of 50' or so.

It could be useful if you could attach a phone to a drone and fly a grid pattern. Look at the phone app afterward and see if it found anything.

It's flare not flair, brakes not breaks, bridle not bridal, "could NOT care less" not "could care less".

[Bob_Church 7]

VTmotoMike08

It is somewhat rare, but if we are doing anecdotes now, then I can think of at least six people I know who have lost a canopy in a chop (myself included). Canopies are pretty expensive these days, even if it only gives a little better odds of getting it back, a cheap GPS based tracker could really be useful. And they are pretty cheap.

As electronics get smaller and cheaper I could see doing this for a freebag and pilot chute.

[cosmicgypsy 5]

You could look into model rocket locators possibly. There are some you can build yourself, they are audible and small. The question then is where could they be attached and how to activate them.