Prop Guards

[SigmaPhil]

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year!

I received my first drone for Christmas and it is a 3dr Solo. I have already flown it and, unfortunately crashed it. I attempted to land it on my porch, but the Solos hit the wood railing and it broke two of the propellers. It appears that everything is okay and it was just those the two propellers that were damaged.

I have a couple questions..
1. I have found prop guards on Amazon by PolarPro. As anyone had any experience with them and do you recommend them? https://www.amazon.com/PolarPro-Prop-Guard-Snap-Design/dp/B016EWOAGW/
2. Are aftermarket prop guards of any kind recommended. Maybe I shouldn't modify the Solo?

Thanks,
Phil

 

[Tomsu]

I bought the PolarPro over a year ago when they first came out. I have yet to install for 2 reasons. One, they will add weight to the Solo. I am looking for the longest flight times I can get. 2nd, I have not had to fly Solo close to any obstacles. The only place I could see a use would be flying inside. If I had to fly inside for the type of work I do (photogrammetry), I would choose a different uav that had sensors for obstacle avoidance. But I foresee one day they will come handy for me when I need to put my Solo very close to objects, just has not happened yet.

 

[albrat9111]

If you new too drones., you really need and open area to fly and get used to it. I don't really see slot of owners using prop guards. They say it makes the drone louder and they damage props due to poor design


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SigmaPhil]

If you new too drones., you really need and open area to fly and get used to it. I don't really see slot of owners using prop guards. They say it makes the drone louder and they damage props due to poor design


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh wow I did not know that they damage the props? Kind of defeats the purpose of it being a guard, lol.

 

[SARDG]

Oh wow I did not know that they damage the props? Kind of defeats the purpose of it being a guard, lol.

I've heard isolated cases of them rubbing on the props, but I suspect damage only occurs if they are installed incorrectly and not checked with each flight with a quick hand rotation of each prop.

I have a set on Solo #2 which is more of an experimental drone with all kinds of weird shtuff on it. No problems - but of course weird shtuff adds weight, reducing flight time. I haven't taken the opportunity to crash that Solo yet, so I cannot speak to their effectiveness but it seems as though they would generally help.

 

[SigmaPhil]

---

I bought the PolarPro over a year ago when they first came out. I have yet to install for 2 reasons. One, they will add weight to the Solo. I am looking for the longest flight times I can get. 2nd, I have not had to fly Solo close to any obstacles. The only place I could see a use would be flying inside. If I had to fly inside for the type of work I do (photogrammetry), I would choose a different uav that had sensors for obstacle avoidance. But I foresee one day they will come handy for me when I need to put my Solo very close to objects, just has not happened yet.

I hadn't thought about the added weight. Not sure I'm going to buy them now.

 

[SigmaPhil]

I've heard isolated cases of them rubbing on the props, but I suspect damage only occurs if they are installed incorrectly and not checked with each flight with a quick hand rotation of each prop.

I have a set on Solo #2 which is more of an experimental drone with all kinds of weird shtuff on it. No problems - but of course weird shtuff adds weight, reducing flight time. I haven't taken the opportunity to crash that Solo yet, so I cannot speak to their effectiveness but it seems as though they would generally help.

Thanks for your comment.

 

[Maddog]

I've heard isolated cases of them rubbing on the props, but I suspect damage only occurs if they are installed incorrectly and not checked with each flight with a quick hand rotation of each prop.

I have a set on Solo #2 which is more of an experimental drone with all kinds of weird shtuff on it. No problems - but of course weird shtuff adds weight, reducing flight time. I haven't taken the opportunity to crash that Solo yet, so I cannot speak to their effectiveness but it seems as though they would generally help.

Well hurry up & crash it- inquiring minds want to know!

 

[SARDG]

Well hurry up & crash it- inquiring minds want to know!

No problem... I'll go out right now and try that and let you Know!

 

[Maddog]

No problem... I'll go out right now and try that and let you Know!

Kewl !!

 

[Whirlygig]

I have tried the polar pro prop guards. I think they are well built and have some value for some people. But, they cause more wind resistance than I expected. They slow the solo and make it less stable and predictable in heavy or gusty winds.

 

[DJMc]

I agree with Whirlygig. I have a set of guards. They are well designed and well built product, albeit within the limits of interfacing with the Solo arms - which is were the potential problem starts. They can be fitted such that they are twisted out of plane and can indeed interfree with the propellor disk - the clearance even when fitted properly is tight and should be checked carefully before flight. I too used them on a gusty day and experienced exactly the same issue, particularly in cross winds, with much more noticeable roll and subsequent correction by the aircraft.

If you want to fly in a physically restricted location they might offer some protection and I would use them again where it was beneficial. But my own personal first choice of mitigation would be to ensure I wasn't exceed my own capabilities. I really do see them as a last resort - useful but as part of a layered approach to avoiding incidents.

Hope this helps.

 

[SigmaPhil]

Thanks everyone. I've decided to not buy the polar prop guards at this time. They are obviously not designed to be flown into and landed in a tight space. It was my own warp sense of adventure that led me to try it. LOL, I'm fortunate it only damaged the two propellers and not more.

 

[SigmaPhil]

I have tried the polar pro prop guards. I think they are well built and have some value for some people. But, they cause more wind resistance than I expected. They slow the solo and make it less stable and predictable in heavy or gusty winds.

Well I definitely don't want to add something that will make the Solo less stable.

 

[SigmaPhil]

I agree with Whirlygig. I have a set of guards. They are well designed and well built product, albeit within the limits of interfacing with the Solo arms - which is were the potential problem starts. They can be fitted such that they are twisted out of plane and can indeed interfree with the propellor disk - the clearance even when fitted properly is tight and should be checked carefully before flight. I too used them on a gusty day and experienced exactly the same issue, particularly in cross winds, with much more noticeable roll and subsequent correction by the aircraft.

If you want to fly in a physically restricted location they might offer some protection and I would use them again where it was beneficial. But my own personal first choice of mitigation would be to ensure I wasn't exceed my own capabilities. I really do see them as a last resort - useful but as part of a layered approach to avoiding incidents.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom on this matter!

 

[erikgraham]

Thanks everyone. I've decided to not buy the polar prop guards at this time. They are obviously not designed to be flown into and landed in a tight space. It was my own warp sense of adventure that led me to try it. LOL, I'm fortunate it only damaged the two propellers and not more.

When you are close in to your house, or trees, or a cliff, or anything that obstructs the Solo's view of the sky, then GPS accuracy degrades and that can cause the Solo to drift. So try to take off and land in a wide open area.

 

[Lon Denard]

I tried them and found that the clearance was tight! Other guys have more experience but I believe I've seen significant prop deflection while flying. In any case,I completely agree with everyone else that it's best to stay away from objects in the first place. I have a couple Mini Drones and a controller for flying indoors. Last I checked, the Parrot was $60. I live in Michigan so it'll give me some maneuvering practice over the winter. Good luck!

 

[Beefmastertange]

Thanks for sharing your wisdom on this matter!

They came on the toy drone my mom gave me for Christmas. After one crash they bent and when I pushed them back out in place they appeared fine. I was flying at about 40ft and all the sudden one bent, caught a propeller and the drone went vertical falling to the ground. I assume these are better but ever since seeing my drone fall out of the sky and become useless I would never use prop guards. Only positive is it lead me to purchase my Solo.

 

[SARDG]

They came on the toy drone my mom gave me for Christmas. After one crash they bent and when I pushed them back out in place they appeared fine. I was flying at about 40ft and all the sudden one bent, caught a propeller and the drone went vertical falling to the ground. I assume these are better but ever since seeing my drone fall out of the sky and become useless I would never use prop guards. Only positive is it lead me to purchase my Solo.

But the Polar Pro guards cost just about what that entire toy cost.

 

[Han Solo]

I had a job to fly indoors recently, so I put on the prop gaurds. It gave me a sense of protection. But eventually, flying indoors in this gym, the heating ducts airflow caught the solo and it drifted into a wall. A minor crash. Normally, a crash like that would have shatteded a couple of props. Upon inspection , I found that indeed one prop did get a nasty chip in it. So, the gaurds saved 75% of the props. Was it worth it? I guess so, but I rarely use them.

When I know that I need to fly in close proximity to people, I will put them on. I would rather have a bit of insurance, and take the hit on performance.