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fandomwriterstuff · 3 years ago

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“We’re a well-oiled team of military-grade kindergarteners,” his best friend, and the only other human on the ship who would understand what kindergarten was, continued chastising him and his companions. “The level of education and training among the three of you eclipses that of the entire rest of the members of this operation,” Annabeth continued, pointing her finger individually at himself, his pilot Jason, and his Chief Science Officer Nico. “You know, I’m not that surprised with you, Percy, but you are our XO so you should really be more responsible,” he winced at that, still feeling a bit of imposter syndrome at being the Commander of the USS Olympus. “Jason, shouldn’t you be piloting a ship or something?” At that, he saluted her and did an about face before scampering off to get into more trouble. “And you, you’re definitely way too responsible to have gotten mixed up with this Seaweed Brain and Sparky, so what’s in this tomfoolery for you?”

Nico, the only Neptunian on the ship, shifted his large black wings self consciously under the scrutiny of their Chief of Operations. Percy, as the Commander of the vessel, felt obligated to protect his usually stoic and well-behaved… acquaintance? Di Angelo was reserved, almost standoffish, and resented anyone who tried to stick up for him for some reason, but that didn’t stop Percy’s stupid seaweed brain from doing so. Hence the acquaintance. Percy was 99% sure Di Angelo didn’t consider him a friend. But he was nice to Percy and a great officer, so Percy considered him his friend.

“It was my fault, Annie,” he used her childhood nickname carefully, not knowing whether it would soften her up or piss her off more. He was hoping for softening. “It was just another one of Jason and my dumb ideas that we thought we would need a scientist to help with, and we didn’t want to piss off Leo by involving him in it. You know how he is about his engineer and warp cores and whatnot,” Percy held his hands up placatingly. “Leave Di Angelo out of this, he has sciencey things to do, isn’t that right?” Percy side-eyed his companion who (not surprisingly) rolled his eyes.

“I try not to get involved with human pranks or even Jovian mischief, but Officer Grace and First Officer Jackson were about to be meddling with my linguistics team. It isn’t my duty to tell my superiors what to do, so I sought out the next best option, supervising and ensuring no lasting damage was done to the physical or emotional state of the linguistics team. Now,” Here Percy held in a smirk as Di Angelo shrugged. “If they caused interference with the machinery of the ship, that wouldn’t be my expertise, so I allowed it to happen and-” Percy held back a laugh as the other male started speaking even faster to get everything out as Annabeth turned redder and redder. “I’m very sorry about that, truly, but I had no control over the situation.”

“No control over the situation? You three broke our LIT machine and now we have to go back to Earth as soon as we pass close enough to fix it. Soon enough nobody on this ship will understand each other,” the woman across from them crossed her arms and Percy shrunk back a bit.

“I want to make a joke about a machine being called “LIT,” but I feel like it isn’t the right time,” he muttered. “I know the Linguistic Inhibition Technology is important, but most of us have a working understanding of at least one other language, so it shouldn’t be a huge issue, right?”

“You know it works by connecting to the implant technology in our brains, so as it shuts down one by one, members of this ship from spaces stations and planets far and wide will have no clue why they suddenly can’t understand their XO, or their Chief Officer, or their best friend. So you better explain this. And you have to tell them that we’re going straight back to Earth to fix it because no nearby planets have the same brain implant tech as us. Damn Terrans and their brand name technology copyrights,” Annabeth grumbled and finally turned around to walk off.

“Hey, you’re Terran, too!” Percy shouted after her, but she just flipped him the bird.

“She can do that?” Di Angelo asked, side-eyeing Percy.

“Yeah, she’s been my best friend since we were twelve. As long as she doesn’t undermine my authority in front of everyone else, I don’t really care. I’ve done way worse to her,” Percy laughed at the other man’s frown. “Nothing bad, just pranks and things of that sort. Maybe when we get back to Earth we can show you where we’re from. You never set foot off of the training grounds while you were in school.”

“I would… like that,” Di Angelo paused and gave Percy a soft smile.

“Great,” Percy patted the younger male on the shoulder and made his way to the Command Center.

Percy sat himself down in the rotating chair and pressed on the comms device.

“Gooooood evening crew of the USS Olympus, this is your Commanding Officer, Percy Jackson, speaking,” he smiled at the engineering crew that was scuttling by, only for one of them to pause and look at him like he was speaking a different language… Whoops.

“There was a malfunction with the Linguistic Inhibition Technology and we will be returning to Earth henceforth to repair it before the damage becomes problematic. You may experience glitches with your implant technology and may revert to only understanding your first language and those you have studied extensively. If somebody looks like they’re not understanding what I’m saying right now, please escort them to the linguistics team in Science Bay 3. Carry on. Jackson, out.” He clicked again and the mic turned off.

He sighed, this would be one of his bigger mistakes. They were supposed to be exploring, but they couldn’t do that if nobody could speak to one another. One trip home couldn’t hurt him, and he was sure Annabeth would be happy to see her father.

It wasn’t until later after the Chief Officer meeting when someone finally asked Percy about Earth. For many of the non-humans on the ship, Earth was a place to get education and training to go out in the star fleet, and they never set foot outside the campus grounds, just like Di Angelo. But people had stopped asking him questions because Earth was basically “Space Australia,” as Annabeth had explained to him. The adaptability of humans and their need to pack bond astounded many and horrified many others. So, he stopped talking about home.

It was a new member of their ship, Novax (a Vulcan who was a part of Leo’s engineering team), who asked him about it first.

“I hear Earth is 75% made of pure salt water, and is filled with animals of all kinds. Do you have a favorite water animal?” he asked Percy excitedly.

“Definitely dolphins, though they aren’t underwater creatures. Like humans they need oxygen to breathe, and come up for air very often. My favorite actual underwater species would have to be a hippocampus from Neptune. I’ve always wanted to go and see one, but my human anatomy prevents me from going on-planet,” Percy explained and sipped on his hot tea.

“There are a million creatures in the ocean and you pick one that doesn’t breathe underwater?” Clarisse grunted. His Chief Tactical Officer was a brutish Martian, but very specialized in weapons. “And your second favorite isn’t even Terran.”

“What else do you know about the ‘ocean’?” Novax breathed, leaning forward.

“Eh, not much,” Percy shrugged.

“I’m not sure I heard that correctly, maybe my LIT unit isn’t functioning well,” another member of engineering asked, Nyssa. “Your planet is 75% water and you don’t even know what is inside it?”

“I could tell you about the people who spend their life learning about what survives in the deep depths,” Percy looked up, knowing he had all of the non-Terrans hooked on every word. Even Di Angelo had paused in his note taking and was staring wide-eyed at Percy. “But I don’t know if you’d want to know.”

“No we do!” Nyssa exclaimed. “There are people who dedicate their lives to a place that’s literally not navigable by humans, the main inhabitants of the planet?”

“Well as you said, most of the planet is water. Which means that coastal communities are filled with fisherman, whalers, swimmers, and more. I could tell you about some of those. I could also tell you about the scientists that spend years of their lives building bots that can’t even come close to withstanding the pressure at the deepest depths without imploding, or I could tell you about those that do come close,” he shrugged.

“What happened to those?”

“The video feed cut out after only seeing multiple rows of sharp, jagged teeth,” Annabeth answered, her sharp grin frightening those who hadn’t noticed her. Some forgot that she was Terran, because she was also half Minervan.

“I could tell you about whales. Beautiful, they come in black and white or grey or blue. But they can be as big as almost 100 feet long. That’s as long as most pirate ships. And they could fit about 400 average sized humans in their mouths. You don’t want to cross one of them. And they only live on the surface. The things that live in the deep,” Percy shuddered for effect. There were no Neptunians on the ship, so there were no natural water dwellers there, so all of his rapt listeners were shocked by this information. “There’s the anglerfish. They light up the dark with an antenna on top of their heads, and the light lures in prey. But it’s so dim elsewhere that you don’t see their big sharp teeth until you’re right up against them,” he murmured. “Giant squids are almost as big as whales but not nearly as peaceful and beautiful. They have eight arms and two tentacles that could wrap around any boat and crush it.”

“Ten limbs?” Nyssa whispered, clearly disturbed.

“Plus, the Portuguese Man o’ War,” Percy shrugged nonchalantly. “Also known as the floating terror. It’s like a big blue jellyfish that sits innocently on top of the water with huge blue tentacles that sit just underneath with a sting strong enough to kill a full grown human.”

“Don’t worry,” Annabeth grinned that shark grin again. “Percy won’t tell you about the stories of the old days. He doesn’t want to scare you.”

“That was the not scary part?” Novax gulped.

“Anyway, I just got notified that we’ll be back on Earth in a few days, so brace yourselves,” and with that, she stood and left them all staring after her. When the door clicked shut, Percy had all eyes back on him. He shrugged.

“Don’t look at me. I wasn’t going to tell you about the kr- nevermind,” he stood. “Di Angelo, with me,” the younger officer stood, back to business and was at Percy’s side again in a moment. “Clear your schedule, you’re spending shore leave with me, pal.”

“Great,” came the deadpan reply.

“Don’t sound so somber,” Percy rolled his eyes. “I’m just going to show you the beach and maybe a good gay bar. You need to let off some steam my dude.”

The other male reddened.

“That is so… That is…” he huffed. “Highly inappropriate.” he glared down at the ground and Percy felt a little bad, maybe the guy wasn’t out? But it was clear he had a preference for males. Oh well, that foot was already in Percy’s mouth.

“Fine. But I will be attending and I am a great dancer so you’re missing out,” he winked at the flustered officer and made his way back to his cabin. It would be an interesting few days.

He made a plan with Annabeth. Day one before shore leave, Percy would spread a rumor to Novax about the kraken. Bigger than a giant squid and meaner. Known to crush entire pirate ships in the olden days.

Day two, Annabeth would mention sirens to Nyssa. Hideous creatures that could lure you in with their voices and lead you to believe you were bringing your ship in to everything you ever wanted, when in reality you would crash your ships and then drown.

Day three, Percy would tell Leo about the Megalodon. A definitely very real shark so big you couldn’t even imagine it. Percy shuddered at that one.

“But, there are some good things,” Percy was speaking to Nico Di Angelo from his Commander chair, in ear shot of some of the participants of the conversation a few nights prior. “Mermaids, the siren’s nicer cousin species. And the lost city of Atlantis. Known to be a great and bountiful city, lost to the sea and cursed by the gods to be stuck down there forever. Some believe it still exists, but it’s within the Bermuda Triangle.”

“What, pray tell, is the Bermuda Triangle,” Clarisse sighed.

“Hard to explain. Ships just… go in… and they never come out,” Annabeth shrugged. “Planes go down. Ships wreck. People who go in don’t come back out, so we don’t know if Atlantis is really there or not.”

“That’s… terrifying,” Novax whispered as he walked by.

Percy was sure he had created a healthy fear of Earth’s oceans in his crew. And he meant to, because while he loved the beach and swimming, he did want to make them shy away from the depths. They wouldn’t do well to explore it.

#percy jackson #humans are weird #humans are space orcs #star trek #fusion #nicercy #percico #if you squint

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droneseco · 4 years ago

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Chasing M2 ROV Review: Are Underwater Drones the Next Big Thing?

Chasing M2

7.00 / 10

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It's difficult to get good footage unless you have crystal clear water, but the Chasing M2 itself is well-built and easy to control. Without additional sensors though, it's tricky to navigate the murky depths.

Specifications

Brand: Chasing

Camera: 4k UHD EIS

App: Chasing GO1

Speed: 3 Knots

Weight: 10lbs

Range: Dive 330ft

Connectivity: Wi-Fi & Tether Cable

Battery: Swappable 97.68WH lithium

First-Person View (FPV): Via App

Pros

Precise controls

Great build quality

Powerful lights ensure you can still film at a good depth

Cons

Difficult to navigate without positional feedback

Phone holder is not secure

Carrying case is overly bulky

Takes a lot of clean-up to put away

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If your friend told you they just got a drone, you’d probably think of the flying kind, right?

It's no surprise. With their falling prices, smarter technology as well as more intuitive controls and setup, consumer drones have become more accessible to the masses. DJI, the leading brand of making consumer aerial drones, has one for every budget now. It's not just a fad either, Insider Intelligence predicts 29 million consumer drone shipments by end of 2021.

But what you wouldn’t likely guess, is how this drone segment isn’t just made up of the flying kind. In fact, a growing percentage is emerging from the deep seas. Turns out your friend from earlier is actually a bigger fan of The Beatles than flying and just bought a Yellow Submarine instead.

Today we're taking a look at the Chasing M2 from Chasing Innovations, which retails at around $2700.

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The Underwater ROV Market

Chasing Innovations has clearly done their market research and knows there is a growing demand for high-quality underwater drones, more specifically referred to as Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles or ROV. It’s estimated that the global Underwater Drone market will hit $8.7 billion by the end of 2027 as the demand for these tools continues to grow.

With five underwater ROVs on offer, including the M2 I’ll be reviewing, Chasing is one of the largest manufacturers in this category. From my research, I was surprised to find a number of other companies offering high-end consumer and professional ROVs which are primarily designed for underwater surveyors, inspectors, hobbyists, and professionals looking to capture underwater photography and videos.

The Chasing M2 seems to offer enough advanced features and controls that certainly make it feel premium and capable, but at the same time still very accessible and easy to learn how to use even if you’re new to the underwater ROV experience. While this is my first ROV, my background with flying drones professionally will help me explain the similarities, differences, and overall experience with the Chasing M2. From my past few weeks using this drone, I found a few important details and considerations that you should know about before you decide to buy one.

A Very Detailed Review is Ahead

I highly suggest following along with my video review and tests to get a more detailed understanding of how this ROV works and my experiences using it. Throughout this article, I go into a lot of details that might seem over-explained, however, with this likely being a very new product and experience for others as well, I want to best explain all the lesser-known or considered aspects surrounding operating, owning, and maintaining this drone.

Especially if you are considering the Chasing M2 as your first underwater ROV, you’ll want to make sure it's actually a good fit for your needs and environment. My biggest question, which I help address throughout this review is; does the Chasing M2 offer enough features, conveniences, and value to make it a good choice for you?

Let’s start by looking at the initial setup process and getting familiar with the ROV for your first test.

Getting Your Feet Wet… Literally

Size

I was surprised to find that the Chasing M2 doesn’t need much to get it running and is actually very intuitive (even if you can’t be bothered to read the instructions in full). When you open the ROV shipping package, you’ll notice that everything arrives inside of its expanded polypropylene (EPP) carrying case. The case design and size reminds me of the older bulky DJI Phantom drones. While the ROV, with its aluminum alloy build, is about 10lbs (4.5kg), with everything packed up in the case, the total weight is closer to 20lbs (9.07kg). Combined with the fact that the case is huge, this certainly isn’t going to be something you can casually bring along your next trip without planning ahead.

Speaking of planning ahead, plan on getting wet and sandy…

Setup and Unboxing

To get your ROV ready, the basic steps only include connecting one end of the tether cable to the controller and the other to the Chasing M2. Despite the setup itself being easy, there are a lot of precautions to keep in mind. I found it easiest to take out the three parts—the drone, tether, and controller—and lay them out flat before beginning the setup.

I'd also recommend setting out a larger towel or even tarp on the ground or area you'll be using to keep all your hardware protected from the elements during the setup and teardown process. You should also choose a relatively flat location which is a safe distance away from the water to prevent accidents.

The carrying case is divided into two compartments, each opening from opposing sides of the box. The side with the Chasing name houses the ROV and a small absorbent towel. You'll benefit from packing additional towels for cleaning and drying with you as this single towel is not nearly enough.

Flip it over and you'll find the controller, with a built-in phone holder. This side compartment also holds the tether, a sunshade for your controller, the AC adapter which can charge the ROV and controller simultaneously, as well as a small packet that includes your manuals and some replacement hardware parts.

While both ends of the tether cable are identical, one of the ends has a loop/strap attached to hook on one end of the drone. Plug each dedicated end into the controller and ROV and turn their screws tightly for a secure fit. When not in use, the ROV's tether port is covered with a small rubber cap. Because it isn't physically attached to the drone, I could see myself and others easily losing this piece if they don't immediately place it into their pocket or a tight place in the carrying case.

Again, it's crucial that you make sure to tighten both ends properly to prevent water or other elements from seeping in. After a few tests in various lakes, I began to notice a steady build up of fine sand around the port covers of the ROV. Regular inspection and cleaning after every dive would be highly recommended to prevent any of this sediment from making its way into the port itself.

With everything connected, you're now ready to launch.

Your First Launch

Honestly, there was a lot of anxiety when setting up for my maiden voyage. I’ve flown aerial drones for over four years and currently use the DJI Mavic Pro 2, and so naturally, I was curious to see how much of that experience would translate over into using this new yellow submarine.

Unless you're launching into a pool or off a pier or boat, you'll quite literally have to toss this sub a few feet out into the water to get it going. Most coastlines are likely too shallow which is why you need to throw the drone further out. This is the most difficult part of the whole setup process, but only because of how worrisome it can be at first. You'll feel relieved, however, when you realize the sub does not immediately sink once you throw it in but instead has a natural buoyancy to it.

Once floating in a safe depth of water, you can move on to turning the Chasing M2 on.

Controller

There are no buttons or indicators on the ROV itself. Turning it on is done via the controller itself. The on switch turns the controller and drone on and begins the wireless connection process as well for pairing to your smart device. After a few seconds, you're ready to unlock the drone's motors using the lock/unlock button at the center of the controller. Hold it for a few seconds and the motors engage. The Chasing M2 will drop into the water by a few inches so that all its motors can spin.

One button that's interesting, but that I didn't have the opportunity to test out, is the rear right one indicated by a gear. This allows you to use an optional arm attachment which was not included with this review unit.

By default, the ROV is set to hold its position, and so even without any input on your end, the motors will spin to help keep the drone in place. In calmer waters, this surprisingly did a good job. It is important to note that while the drone is waterproof, the controller is not. Do your best to keep this dry and away from water. If you're operating this drone alone, be sure to put your controller down in a safe and dry spot before attempting to toss or pull out the drone.

Aside from actually controlling the drone itself, the controller is relatively bare and somewhat of a letdown considering how advanced and robust the rest of the drone is. Especially when compared to the DJI Mavic's controller, a lot is left to be desired. In part, I’ve been spoiled by how small and compact DJI has designed its controller. In contrast, this is bulky and feels quite dated. But besides its physical size, the Chasing M2's controller also lacks with providing users important status indications.

Battery level is only shown with a single light; Green (High power) Blue (Medium power) Red (Low power. Aside from this and your wireless connection indicators, no additional info is provided. It's not until you connect the controller to your smartphone that you can see other important information including heading, depth, temperature, and speed.

On top of this, the phone attachment holder felt more of a last-minute addition than an actual design choice. It feels flimsy and rather cheap, unlike the rest of the controller which despite its lack of indicators, actually felt rugged and well built. I didn't feel too confident in the mounts' ability to hold my phone securely.

When I was first getting used to the controls, not having the additional indicators was less of a problem as I was maintaining line of sight to the drone relatively close to the surface.

Once you descend, though, you are definitely going to want to have your smartphone or tablet paired. The problem is, this isn't always practical or possible. There is a good chance that sometime in the future, the app either crashes or maybe even your phone dies while using it.

At the very least, as a backup, you should be able to some essential info like depth and distance from the controller itself on a built-in screen. This has been crucial with my time using the Mavic Pro 2 when the app or phone suddenly stopped working and I needed to rely on the controller to safely return it home.

Retrieval

While Chasing claims that the setup only takes three minutes to complete, the teardown process is not quite as quick. Depending on where you’re trying to recover the drone from, this will dramatically impact how easy (or hard) it is to pull out of the water.

For the same reason you toss it outwards on launch, you’ll need to watch out for shallow coasts on its way back. One tip to circumvent this slight predicament is to navigate the drone close to shore and then to turn off the thrusters before it gets too shallow. I try to be careful to avoid dragging the drone along the shallower areas as much as possible. From here, I just gently pull on the tether cable to bring the drone close enough to where I can then lift the tether up to pull the drone out.

Of course, you’re going to want to be careful to not fall in the water when pulling out. Similarly, I frequently found myself actually walking a few steps into the water just to help ensure I wasn’t dragging the drone too much along the bottom.

These somewhat minor points are just things you need to figure out as you use the drone. Chasing’s official documentation doesn't really address them.

Now that you’ve got the drone in hand, you’re now going to need to pack it and the tether up. Sounds simple enough, right? Sort of…

Teardown/Pack up and Time…

You’ve now got lots of wet and probably sandy gear to deal with now. For the tethering cable that doesn't matter so much: it can either dry or be wiped down pretty quickly. You can easily put that back in the box without much worry, although I’m somewhat concerned by the loose sand it brings into the rest of the box that’s stuck on it.

What takes the most time is the drone being wet and usually having some loose sand, seaweed, small twigs, and other small debris. Unlike an aerial drone, it's not as simple as finishing your journey and packing it up. The Chasing M2 is rather hard to get completely dry. It's got several nooks and crannies that water and debris likes to hide in. Unless you have a few hours of spare time or a hairdryer on hand, you’re probably going to be packing up a drone that’s at least somewhat wet.

And while I’m not necessarily worried about the drone being wet, since it is after all waterproof, I’m more concerned about the water and potential debris build up in the carrying case, which normally stays closed. Even if you try to wipe down the drone as best you can before packing it up, you’re going to still be bringing in a lot of sand.

I’ve been trying to get into the habit of giving the drone a wash in the tub once I get home, provided I actually remember. I end up with a tub full of sand and little seaweed but nothing too crazy. I then lay out a towel on the floor to let the drone fully air out. I take a small towel to wipe down and dry out the carrying box too.

The reason I go into length with this seemingly straightforward process is to highlight how much additional effort goes into taking care of this drone and its accessories.

Overview and Impressions

The Drone

The ROV itself feels like a tank and in no way can be mistaken for a toy. In the 20 or so minutes I took with my initial setup, I had about five different people stop and ask me what I had. It was a crowd-pleaser and conversation starter for sure. It reminds me a lot of when aerial drones were just getting popular and everyone wanted to know what you were doing.

The front houses a 12MP 4K camera, attachment port, and two 2000 lumen LED lights (one on each side of the camera) to help you see where you're going.

Controls

My biggest recommendation would be to take this to a clear and calm body of water like a pool or lake for your first few tests. In my case, I found a nearby lake that had minimal obstacles. This allowed me to get used to all the controls and easily see how my inputs impacted the movement of the sub. This was the biggest similarity to using the DJI Mavic Pro 2. The two joysticks on both controllers operated largely the same.

What was new to me, though, was the tilt and roll dials on the rear of the M2’s controller. This introduced new movement options which I had never experienced before on a drone. Once I got the hang of it, I actually appreciated the tilt controls quite a bit as they are needed to position your camera. Unlike the gimbal on an aerial drone, the camera on the Chasing M2 can’t operate independently. It does take a little more effort to master these additional physical controls.

While most underwater consumer drones max out at six vertical/horizontal thrusters, the Chasing M2 has eight, uniquely oriented to help prevent it from getting stuck in debris. These powerful motors give the ROV very precise 360-degree controls with roll, tilt, and turns that are easy to get the hang of.

Overall, it handled lakes with small currents really well. It wasn't until I tried it out in a faster-moving river that I realized it wasn't up for the task and that I needed to quickly bring it back in, albeit with lots of effort.

Speed/Sound

Speaking of movement, the M2 has a top speed of 4.9 ft/s (1.5 m/s) in a still body of water. It was quick for sure and made it really fun to just zip around. Surprisingly, even at full throttle, it was essentially silent… like a real sub. The only time it was audible is when you’re operating towards the surface and the motors aren’t fully submerged. Descend a few inches, though, and its back to stealth mode. I actually found I could get relatively close to some geese and they had no idea I was there until I re-emerged.

Operation

The M2 is rated to last for 2 to 4 hours charge. The ROV has a removable 97.7Wh battery which charges in about 2.5 hours. Additional batteries cost $399 if you want to go longer between charges. The controller has a 2,500-mAh lithium battery which charges in 2 hours. Both the drone and controller can be charged at the same time using the included AC adapter.

The ROV can be operated in temperatures from 14 to 113 ºF (-10 to 45 ºC). It can dive to 328 ft (100m) but I did not have the opportunity to take it that deep. If you plan on frequently hitting these depths, you'll probably want to choose their kit which includes the longer 200m (656 ft) tether cable vs the 100m that comes by default.

Camera & Live Viewing

The camera features a 1/2.3-inch Sony CMOS sensor with an F1.8, 152-degree wide-angle lens. Those 2 big lights on the front are going to come in handy as it gets dark quickly when you descend. You can record up to 4K videos and 12MP photos.

In terms of overall camera quality, it can be a little hard to judge as when submersed, you're dealing with lots of naturally occurring artifacts including sand, bubbles and other debris which distort your image. Overall, it has a very early Go-Pro, or action camera look and quality to it. Its not very sharp or vibrant, but that's kind of to be expected. I wouldn’t necessarily be buying this drone exclusively for its camera. You're not going to be amazed by the quality of the images and videos you take, but instead by the content itself, whether that’s some cool terrain, fish or other creatures.

If you really want to up your quality though, you can use its action camera attachments to use better waterproof cameras. I would really just rely on this built-in camera for live viewing and monitoring and invest in a better camera to attach to if getting the best photos and videos was a priority.

On the other hand though, I was surprised that when you connect to the app, you have several options to tweak your image with ISO, white balance, as well as change your frame rates and resolution. It maxes out at 4K 30FPS at a bitrate of 60MB/s, but I would have liked to see a 4K 24FPS option as well. Additionally, EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) can be turned on via the app and helps eliminate most of the shake in your footage.

Whether or not you can actually tell what your camera is looking at is another question. The thing with underwater drones is unless you have very, very clear water, its difficult to see where the drone is relative to its surroundings. The lakes I took the drone to had relatively clear water to the point that I could see the drone even when it went down a few feet. But unless you’re operating in crystal waters, like the kind you see in snorkeling videos, it’s not easy at all to tell what’s actually going on.

I found it useful to get low to the ground and have the drone tilting downwards so that I could at least see what was directly below me more easily. You’ll want to minimize the thrusting movement as it'll result in sediment floating everywhere. You can apply this same strategy for getting very close to other objects too. But unless you’re surveying or know of something specific to navigate up or next to, it’s going to be very difficult to find just by using the visuals provided by the camera.

Schooling the Fish

From my research, while there are several competing underwater ROVs, many of which cost far less, the Chasing M2 is unique in that it offers several accessories, attachments and additional features. Chasing has a wide selection to choose from on their site including an E-reel to speed up the setup and tear down process.

Tools and Attachments

The M2 can also support attaching add-one weighing up to 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg). Up to 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of tools such as additional cameras or lights can be mounted beneath the camera. Chasing even offers an optional grasping arm, for an extra $499, allowing users to not just see their environment, but also interact with it. I did not get the opportunity to try this out, but I would imagine it being a big selling point for those looking for certain retrieval or more basic arm functions underwater.

Aside from offering this grab arm and a brighter diving light which costs $1299, the M2 might get you interested in other possible attachments and upgrades as well.

The M2 I’ve been testing out is the second-highest model Chasing offers. For most, this will probably be all you need, especially if you’re focus is on taking videos, photos or just having more casual fun with it.

If, however, you plan or using this in a more professional work including search and rescue, inspections or surveying, you‘ll likely want the advanced capabilities of their M2 Pro. The Pro looks identical to the M2 but is more powerful, can go deeper and is compatible with additional attachments including sonar, cameras and transmitters. Many of those attachments look like they could make the ROV far more useful, yet do cost quite a bit on top of the nearly $2000 price difference between the ROVs themselves.

I would argue that some of these attachments, especially the sonar, would actually still be handy for even more casual users, and I actually found myself wanting some of them (despite not knowing they or even the M2 Pro even existed) during my initial tests.

Value and Best Uses

This next point isn't going to be a direct disadvantage to the Chasing M2 specifically, but rather underwater ROVs in general. Finding the best uses for an underwater drone might prove challenging. Its not because the M2 isn't capable, but rather because of the water you're limited to or the practical applications you can use it for under these less than perfect conditions.

While the Chasing M2 isn’t the top of the line model with all the additional sensors and modules, I almost feel like they’re necessary to still make the drone practical for the 90% of water which isn’t crystal clear, otherwise, it frequently feels like your operating by guessing or pre-surveyed areas, rather than having the ROV do the work for you.

The drone itself is stellar and has amazing controls. The biggest area it could improve upon, however, is helping users better understand its position relative to its surrounds so that it feels less like you’re operating blind. The M2 sits in an interesting position where it can be a very powerful tool for the right job, but in trickier (less clear) or brand new waters, it almost feels like the M2 Pro would be a necessary upgrade for most.

If you’re more of a hobbyist or looking to use primarily for photos or videos, you’ll only get the best use out of this if you have some nice, clear waters to use it in. At almost $3000, however, you’ll need to consider this drone as a whole, the setup, operation and all the other details, to determine if it’s a good choice for you.

Chasing M2 ROV Review: Are Underwater Drones the Next Big Thing? published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

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mtg-brokentoken · 7 years ago

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Fog, Frog, Holy Day or Another Way? An MTG PSA

I recently spoke about substitutions regarding Arcane Adaptation, and today I’m going to talk about something with significantly more breadth and depth, Fog.

Fog is an iconic card in Magic, and leaving a single green mana available is enough to bluff many seasoned players. There are even decks built around the mechanic as a way to stall the game in order to get something ready, such as a combo to win.

There are also one-sided effects like this, with the added benefit of getting a bonus when damage (to you) is prevented. I’m going to pause for just a moment to say that I tried to pick examples that either prevented all damage or prevented all damage from one side (rather than just from a single creature), and I still got 49 cards worth highlighting. That’s a lot of Fog. So some cards may simply be mentioned without an image. Please forgive me, or use this handy link to gatherer.

Fog isn’t only available in green. Black has a version called Darkness.

Red doesn’t have an exact match to Fog, but it does have some things worth looking into. Red is a bit more risky, but has Fighting Chance, where you flip a coin for each blocker to see if they deal damage (A great combo with Chance Encounter, btw), or red can sacrifice a Snow-covered Mountain for Glacial Crevasses to ensure prevention without flipping a coin, or you could use Impulsive Maneuvers (preferably with Krark’s Thumb) to ensure your creatures attack for double damage while your opponents’ creatures attack for 0. This only takes care of attackers, not blockers, the opposite of Fighting Chance, but can be quite effective at making attacking less appealing to your opponents, since they don’t know what will deal damage, and you do before declaring blockers.

Statecraft is basically blue’s only option for wide-range abilities like this, though Fog Banks and Gomazoas do stop damage at a one-to-one ratio.

Even colorless has an option, though basically a more expensive Glacial Crevasses. Dolmen Gate is also an option, though only preventing damage to your attacking creatures, not preventing any incoming damage when you are defending.

White is the closest behind green for options. Holy Day is a color swap, same cost, same effect, also instant, just like Darkness in Black. But white also has Pollen Lullaby, with the possible benefit of not untapping their attackers, well worth one extra mana if it works. Harmless Assault costs 4, but only works on attacking creatures, meaning it’s a good way to let an opponent leave themselves open, or to block without risking your own creatures. Sadly, it does mean that you can’t use it on the offensive, unlike Encircling Fissure, which prevents damage from creatures controlled by one opponent. Angelsong is also an option, and is a bit more flexible than some in that it has Cycling in case you need a different type of card more. There are a few more white cards worth mentioning, mostly on creatures, so that will be later in this article. Lastly, if you want to use the damage that would have been dealt to you offensively, there are options like Channel Harm, which would still trigger Selfless Squire by preventing the original damage and creating a new source... this is also kind of helpful with red’s penchant for doubling damage, as the original damage is prevented but double that much damage can be dealt to one creature.

I’m going to hold off on highlighting green, just because there is so much of it in a few varieties, and move on to multicolor options.

Energy Arc has untaps the creatures it is preventing the damage of, so can be used as an untap spell instead of just having it be a Fog. Batwing Brume prevents combat damage but may also be used to hurt someone for one point for each creature they sent your way, which can be helpful even if you don’t have white, as it may kill them before their creatures deal damage to you.

Angus Mackenzie prevents all combat damage and is a fairly nice repeatable effect, and is a Legendary Creature so could be a commander if you feel so inclined. Radiant Kavu is also a multicolor creature, though not legendary, but it does prevent damage from blue and black creatures, meaning your creatures can potentially still deal damage without taking damage.

Since I’m bringing up creatures, now seems a good time to get back to some monocolor options that aren’t exactly a match to Fog (your opponent can see most of these on the table, waiting for their abilities to be activated), but are still handy ways to prevent most potential damage. Selfless Squire was already mentioned above, but bears repeating since nearly everything else in this article can be used to pump it.

Frontline Strategist is a good combat trick, still costing only one mana like a Fog or Holy Day, but a Morphed creature is almost always met with suspicion. Kami of False Hope is a creature that only costs one white mana and can be sacrificed at instant speed, but your opponent will be able to see it on the board before you can trigger its ability, which you can only do once. Knight-Captain of Eos is a great, repeatable effect, but requires Soldiers and mana. If your opponent sees you’re out of either, they are more likely to start swinging in at full force, making the Knight great for decks which have a lot of Soldiers, and just a bit more helpful (and quite a bit more expensive) than a regular Fog.

Green has quite a few options, so we’ll start with one that reads as being possible every 3rd turn. Spore Flower can be good in a game that gives you some time to collect a few spore counters before you need fear being attacked, but if you’re being attacked each turn the Spore Flower is unlikely to hold out for long alone. A dedicated Fungus deck with something like Sporesower Thallid finds this option appealing, though, because of how readily repeatable it is, though, despite only having one toughness.

Spike Weaver can naturally be repeated 3 times, and is a bit more sturdy than Spore Flower. Green is good at adding additional +1/+1 counters to continue the Fog effects, with something like Primal Cocoon being thematically and synergistically appropriate.

Dawnstrider is a card that summoning sickness matters, as does the number of cards in your hand. But again, a repeatable effect shouldn’t be overlooked, even on a meager 1/1.

Haze Frog is a bit high on casting cost for the one time effect, but it does come with a creature, and it has Flash. Best of all, Haze Frog specifies OTHER creatures, meaning it can still be used to potentially block and kill one thing. Spore Frog is, like many we’ve mentioned, a humble 1/1. It has a non-repeatable effect, but can be used the same turn it comes out.

After talking about the creature cards this effect is on, it’s worth mentioning how many creature synergies there are cards with this effect for. There’s enough options for you to build a deck around it, so it’s basically one-sided prevention.

- Spiders.

- Wolves/Werewolves

- Tramplers

- Green creatures in general

- Red creatures (for a cost)

- Make sure you have at least 4 power

- Speaking of 4 power

- Or creatures that got a permanent pump.

Tangle and Spore Cloud both keep attackers blocked, but the Spore Cloud also taps blockers, which can be quite a helpful thing when playing in a multiplayer game, especially if you want your opponents to be open for your own attack. Clinging Mists is also helpful if you’re below 5 life, and has the added benefit of tapping the attackers, in case they have vigilance.

Druid’s Deliverance prevents combat damage to you, not to creatures, but then lets you make a copy of a token you have. Defend the Hearth and Commencement of Festivities both cost two and prevent combat damage to players, making it political in a multiplayer game, but still not protecting creatures from harm.

Terrifying Presence is noteworthy became it allows one creature to still deal combat damage, which is quite useful when combined with a Lure effect to kill off a few choice blockers. Serene Sunset can be used in much the same manner, but potentially leaving more of your creatures to deal damage (though cost can become a factor).

Revealing Wind is fairly straightforward as a 3-mana Fog in most cases, but does have the benefit of working well against Morph.

Blunt the Assault can be quite powerful, getting you life for each creature on the battlefield. Respite isn’t quite as powerful, only giving you life for each attacking creature, but this can be used to increase your life total significantly when attacking with a token deck.

Lull and Haze of Pollen both allow for the card to be cycled, which is good when you’re ahead and have little reason to prevent combat damage.

Finally, at the end, because it comes back after it was used, Moment’s Peace has Flashback, allowing it to be cast once from the graveyard.

The preceding list was made, mostly, by searching for “prevent” and “combat damage” in Gatherer. Which should totally be an app. Why isn’t Gatherer an app yet?

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cilverstephen-blog · 5 years ago

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topicprinter · 6 years ago

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Disclaimer: I have no affiliate links, no plugs, and nothing to sell you. I am working on a freebie in exchange for email sign-ups for my website, but this is down the road when I actually get things off the ground. This is some practice, plus sharing helps the world go round.Of all my random endeavors, I'd say my most successful (and enjoyable) has been thrifting and flipping sartorial footwear. It's not the sexiest side-project, and I'm not living on my earnings, but it has done far better than I first expected.To simplify it all, I find high-quality men's dress shoes, repair and/or clean them, and sell them.I also thrift menswear items and do some resale, however a lot of that is for my own wardrobe. This isn't a massive enterprise, although my last month has been my most profitable to date ($500 in earnings, which is about $400 in profits), and I'm hoping to take things more serious moving forward. Link to stats: https://imgur.com/q8gC2pI - I've actually just passed this and am nearing $700 in earnings.I think I've stuck with this more than other endeavors because 1), its almost immediately profitable, and 2), I honestly enjoy it, so it doesn't feel like to huge chore to for look and list items. Having a little extra here and there certainly helps fund other hobbies and interests.If you're interested in fashion, want some extra money, or want to seriously fund a project you're working on, you might find thrifting and flipping can do just that.The processIf you've ever flipped something before, it's pretty much the same idea: find something at a low, discounted price, make any required repairs or fixes, make it look presentable, and sell it at a higher price than you bought it.I choose quality shoes because compared to items like t-shirts, coats, oxfords, and pants, they are available at a low price point, hold onto their value better (generally), are pretty durable, clean up well, and just resell better than the rest.Here's my general workflow when it comes to buying, fixing up, and selling shoes. The rest of this guide is broken up into these 8 sections.Hit up a thrift store: thrift stores are your haven. Some days, you might come home with five pairs of fantastic shoes in near-perfect quality. Some days you'll come back with nothing and broken dreams. Others, you'll get annoyed that there's nothing worth buying and you end up buying an overpriced pair of crap boots you know you shouldn't have bought. Regardless, thrift stores are where you'll do most of your hunting due to their lower prices.Searching for shoes: following a number of criteria, you will search for quality shoes that can be resold, and require minimal work to do so. Shoes of a certain brand, quality, model, condition, colour, leather, etc. will sell better than others. It sounds obvious, I know, but it's important to take this into consideration. Shoes that look 'cool' to you might be worth nearly nothing, while that beat up pair of oxfords might be worth $300 to the right buyer after a good cleanup. I'll give you a number of criteria so you can identify what's worth buying.Purchasing the shoes: once you've found a pair (or two, or three), now you need to see if the price they're being sold for is worth it. I've never been to a thrift store where I can haggle, so my advice to you is to not bother unless it is stated. eBay is your friend. Download the app and under the additional search criteria, click on 'Sold Items'. This gives you items that fall within your search query that have already sold, so you know what prices buyers might buy for a similar item.Get them home and do additional research: you'll get better at this with time, so you'll need to do less and less research before/after you buy a pair of shoes. Once you're home, take a look not only at how much the shoe sells for, but what type of leather the shoe is made from, the welt (how the leather part of the shoe is attached to the sole of the shoe), the style of shoe, etc. This isn't just education for your sake; knowing the various properties and * of the shoe will help you describe it better in your selling descriptions on eBay and other sites.Clean the shoes and apply leather conditioner: I'll provide more in-depth instructions, but you'll take time to use leather cleaner (water works in less severe cases) and leather conditioner, along with a brushing with a good horse hair brush to give the shoe some shine and encourage oils to spread throughout the leather. You may or may not want to polish the shoes with shoe polish, but 95% of the time I don't bother. In certain cases, you may want to apply some shoe stain or polish that matches the colour of the shoe to hide scuff marks.List items online: there is no end to what site you can list your goods. For the most exposure, I recommend eBay. There are a number of tips to help you determine a final price, and how to optimize your listings and get exposure.Package and ship them out: I admit I could do better here than I am currently, but I'll share what I currently do to ship out shoes.Profit!Let's begin. Please excuse any mistakes; I'm going to go over this a few times. It's also a bit long, but I haven't added anything that isn't important if you want to take this a little more seriously than others.1. Hitting up a thrift storeThrift stores acquire goods through a number of different sources. Some are donated direct to the store, while other times dry cleaners with past-due clothes will donate the clothing. Those charity boxes where you donate clothes (think for cancer, diabetes, etc.) also give these clothes to thrift stores like Value Village (or are actually owned by the company) and they sell it for a profit.No matter where these items come from, they'll be available to you at a discounted price. Obviously, used goods will be cheaper than brand-new, and shoes are no exception.I live in Canada, so I don't have access to the same number of discount/thrift stores you'll find in the US, however my favourite tends to be Value Village, simply due to the fact that their stores are much larger than other chains, and generally have a well rotated shelf. You can go into a Value Village one day and the next they'll have a few new items to check out.Some tips for thrifting:Go during your work lunch, on your way from work, or early on weekends. Don't bother going at the same time everyone else does, which is sometime after work in the evenings, or later in the day on weekends.Have an understanding of stocking size. Shelves at thrift stores are generally a set size. This means if a shelf can hold a maximum of 20 items, it will only every house 20 items. If a store has a small shelf dedicated to men's shoes and they don't sell many of them or cycle through them, you won't find new items. Check locations with larger shelves/more stock more often and make the most of your time.See how often new items come out, and when. Thrift stores don't usually work like clock work, however there are vague schedules when new items come onto the floor, or when items are rotated in and out. If you're aware that someone stocks new items sometime in the morning before noon, for example, try timing your visits to take advantage of these facts.Go out at least 3 times a week, and not to the same location. Make this a habit. Go when you can, even if it is on a weekend, but use the previous rules to thrifting to make the most out of your time.Don't be discouraged. You will find nothing some times. You will also come back with more than you can managed. Understand that it is all luck, with a little strategy. If you remember this, that there are ups and downs (just like life), you'll do fine.Try to hit up areas with an older, more wealthy population. Thrift stores ship out stock between locations to ensure they have relatively full shelves. However, much of what is donated in an area is kept there to be sold. That means if you go to a thrift store where the populace is older (is more willing to own older or higher-quality goods to some degree) and wealthier (has disposable income and may rotate through old goods quickly), you might have more luck. Areas with a high student population are often picked clean, although sartorial goods aren't always picked through.Give yourself time. Give yourself at least twenty minutes if there is a sizable shelf for shoes. I like to give myself half an hour at a thrift store to check out everything, but if you're just selling shoes, twenty minutes is enough.If you take just one thing away from this sections, it is time. Hit up stores regularly, and don't rush yourself.2. Searching for shoesPlease refer to section 4's 'Beginner Shoe Brand List'. Use that list as a guide to find shoes. Use that same section's 'Signs of Quality' list to understand what some of the hallmarks are of a good shoe. Please, take a look at these shoe brands, take a look at the hallmarks of what makes a quality shoe, and use this information to inform your purchasing habits.Discard your perspective that thrift store goods are filthy and disgusting. Sure, goods like clothing don't smell great (luckily shoes often don't smell), but it doesn't mean they're unwashable/untreatable. You'll never find the good stuff if you let a few off-smells scare you.Look at the men's shoes section, but don't ignore the woman's shoes as well. I don't mean look at all the woman's shoes (unless you want to get into woman's shoes, which is certainly a profitable niche), but look out for mislabeled shoes and boots that could be male. Shoes without heels, are generally larger, and have less feminine features could possible me male shoes, so keep your eye out.Check out the showcase/high-end sections. You can find some good items in these areas, but be careful. They sections are notorious for counterfeit items, but only for the designer/popular brands. When dealing with dress shoes, this isn't as much of an issue, but if you see a pair of Gucci loafers, take into consideration that you might be looking at a fake. Also, although an item might be genuine, it might be priced too high for the risk to be worth it.Dirty or scuffed shoes aren't write-offs. A little dirt might be masking a wonderful pair of shoes underneath. What looks dirty and dull can, more often than not, be restored with a little water, leather cleaner, leather conditioner, or polish. With time, you'll be able to spot what can be fixed, cleaned and restored, and what isn't worth your time. For example, shoes and boots made of chromexcel or 'pull-up' leather can look nearly brand-new after some leather conditioner/oil, and a good brushing. What looks horrible on the shelve will always look better once you've done the bare minimum restoration work.But don't just pickup a pair to take home without checking for less than apparent issues. Check the entire shoe for damage that might discourage buyers.Look at the underside of the shoe; the sole. Is there a visible welt (a line of thread around the perimeter of the shoe)? How worn is it? Is it almost gone, reduced to mere dots of thread? Are the soles showing heavy cracking or damage? Do you see any cork on the bottom of the shoe? Any holes? Are any layers of the sole separating or breaking apart?Look to the sides of the shoes, then the top. Are there any cuts or cracks in the leather (cuts and cracks are different than creases, as this has compromised the leather and cannot be fixed in the vast majority of cases)? Any heavy discolouration that seems to be deeper than surface level? Any heavy scuffing that cuts deeper into the leather? Any marker or paint stains? Have any seams (especially on the back of the shoe) begun to come loose? Did the previous owner step on the back lip of the shoe?Look on the inside of the shoe. Does the inside shoe heavy discolouration (from sweat, pressure, general age, etc.)? Are there any large tears? Anything that looks really off? Is any leather peeling away along any seems?Use your senses when trying to determine if a shoe is worth buying. Many of your purchase decisions will be made by identifying a shoe's brand name and model, but there are times where it's more difficult than that to determine more about the shoe. You'll need to get a feeling of the overall quality, and various unique features of the shoe to tell you more about it. Touch the shoe's leather, see if the inside is lined or unlined, if it has a quality welt...all of these indicators might tell you if your shoe might sell well online by a buyer who knows what they're looking for. Just because its not on eBay, or hasn't sold on eBay, doesn't mean it won't sell.3. Purchasing shoesHonestly, there isn't much to say here. If it's an independent thrift store that allows haggling, feel free to do so. I've dealt with consignment shops that are open to budging a bit, but that's about it.My rule of thumb when buying shoes to resale is to sell the shoe for at least x3 it's original cost. If a shoe costs $20, I should feel confident that I can sell it for at least $60. The pricing on shoes seems to be very haphazard, even at chains, and these companies often price well known designer brands highly, but lesser known ones they have no idea.4. Take them home and do additional researchBefore I get deep into this section, I'd like you to think about how often you see these brands.Aldo, GEOX, Ecco, H&M, Dockers, Old Navy, American Eagle, Steve Madden, Call it Spring, Zara, Rockport, George.These brands are what I generally refer to as 'fast fashion' brands (GEOX and Ecco aren't per se, but you'll find your fair share of their plasticky, misshapen shoes donated, anyways). They really won't make you money unless they're in perfect condition (ideally with price stickers still intact) or are a limited run, disproportionately popular model, part of a collab, or are made in countries associated with higher-quality menswear (Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, etc.)My advice: don't buy them.Okay, fine. So what should you buy?Let's start with the importance of brands in evaluating worthwhile footwear. Brands are important when dealing with men's shoes for a number of reasons.Story: All brands have a history; a story. Some are quite interesting; others...not so much. Some companies will buy the rights to old, historic brands, just so they can say they have over 100 years of heritage (you wouldn't believe how rampant this is in the watch world). Think Viberg, Rancourt, Allen Edmonds, etc.Clout: Especially relevant to designer items, you're paying more for the prestige behind the name. This doesn't always (or often) mean an item is of higher quality. Think Gucci, Prada, etc.Quality: Some brands are known for better quality goods. Quality is subjective, of course, but there are a few markers to watch out for. You can generally expect a shoe from Allen Edmonds (at least their vintage shoes till now) to be of excellent quality compared to what the average consumer wears. Think Vass, Edward Green, etc.Materials: Some materials are simply more expensive to source, purchase, and to work with.Production Location: Brands produce their shoes in various countries. Some are known to only create goods in countries associated with ethical treatment, which increases cost.Production Methods: Some brands make their shoes fully, or partially, by hand (also called 'benchmade'. This increases cost and generally means you're looking at a quality piece of footwear.When a retailer sells you a shoe, the price is based on a combination of these factors. It's just like with purses, clothing...you name it, these factors dictate price and worth to consumers.When you're buying a designer brand of nearly anything, you're usually paying a premium for the story behind the brand and for the clout associated with it.If you see the brands below in good quality (not deep gashes, cuts, heavy discoloration, heavy sole damage, etc.) :A Beginners Shoe Brand ListRed WingsWolverineJohnston & Murphy: If they are vintage are are in good condition, or have a goodyear welt, buy them.Allen EdmondsCole Haan: This one's tricky. If they're not made in India and don't have a rubber sole, they're likely a good purchase.Florsheim: Also difficult. If not made in India, consider them.Salvatore FerragamoHugo Boss: Hit or miss. Some mainline series aren't fantastic, but a few show high-quality construction.AldenCarminaLoakeMeerminHerringBeckett SimononCharles TyrwhittDack's: Generally a good buy if the style isn't too dated.GrensonFryeCommon ProjectsBallyCrockett & JonesTrickersJohn Varvatos: Made in the US or Italy are of higher quality.Aquatalia: Hit or miss, as their shoes quality can be all-over the place.ChippewaGrant StoneChurch'sTod'sRancourtAlfred SargentOak Street BootmakerR.M. WilliamsVassVibergFor the most part, I have excluded items that even if you see, you should consider that they might be replicas. Brands like Gucci and Prada are notorious for this.As great as brands are, there will be some that don't come up very often. Sure, an eBay search can help, but will be times when you stumble upon something incredible, but didn't take the time to look into it. That's why being able to recognize the markers of a quality shoe is so important. When you're searching along a rack quickly to make the most of your time, too many times I find myself searching for a brand. Sure, well known brands make money. But every so often, you find something new that scores you BIG.Consistency, I honestly believe, is the most important factor when hunting for shoes. Sure, a pair of Gucci loafers might sell because of the brand name, but you'll make more money by selling shoes that are well-made and resonate well with the sartorial crowd. The people who buy these shoes aren't often considered with brand name, particularly; they're not hypebeasts.Those one-off mega-finds don't come around too often, so always be on the lookout for quality footwear. You won't regret it.Below are some marks of quality that you should look for. Some of these will jump off the shelf at you, saving you time at the thrift store.Signs of Quality:Stitching: Goodyear welts, blake welts, hand stitching, etc. These welt are sometimes simulated, but are marks of better quality. The soles and the leather upper are stitched together (in different ways depending on the stitch) but the main thing is that they are NOT cemented, or simply glued together. Shoes that are 'cemented' together generally do not last long and are a pain to repair when the upper separates from the sole.Actual, non-corrected leather: Corrected leather often looks and feels plasticky, and has been sanded down to remove any signs of discolouration, poor hides, etc. Hell, even before we talk about corrected leather, you should ensure you're dealing with leather at all (check for 'genuine leather' and stay away from 'made-made upper'), as some simulated leathers can be convincing on first glance. It will take time to understand what corrected-grain leather looks like, but take a look at nearly any typical shoe from ALDO, and you'll have your answer.Clean, even stitching: Sure, mistake happen, but high-quality shoes have very clean stitching that should be the same on both shoes.Layered leather soles: It can be hard to tell if there is simply a wood veneer on the sides of a shoe's soles, however they try to replicate a stacked leather sole, which is multiple layers of leather that are cut and polished. If your shoe actually has these, it's another element that bumps up the cost of the shoe. Shoes that only have rubber soles are very likely of a lower quality.Chromexcel, pull-up, and more durable leathers: Bad for the planet due to the toxic materials used to dye the leather, they offer outstanding durability and develop a great patina with time. It can be hard to tell if a leather is chromexcel or pull-up, but generally they are thicker, have well-faded scrapes or scratches, and sometimes exhibit a lightening of the leather if you press upward on the underside of the leather (why it's called pull-up).Rounded toes vs square/box toes: For the most part, square toed shoes aren't often made by quality manufacturers. I'm not saying they aren't, but many sartorial shoe makers with history or prestige don't make them. 99% of the time, if a shoe has a box/square toe, it isn't worth looking at. Shoes with round toes (and that includes the 'pointy' toes) are a safer bet.Handwritten sizing/details: This might seem a little random, but older shoes, or shoes made by hand, often have the sizing and additional details (like model number) written in some permanent ink by hand. Not all shoes of quality have handwritten details, but those that do are generally benchmade and worth a closer look.Made in a country where production is more expensive: Think Canada, the US, UK, Italy, Bulgaria, Peru, Australia, and, in general, Europe. India, Malaysia, China (with a few exceptions), Sri Lanka, and other countries offer cheap labour and lower quality control. Be aware that countries like Italy still make great shoes, but there are large-scale factories that take advantage of that old-world assumption that Italian goods are high-quality.5. Clean the shoes and add leather conditionerNow for the moment of truth: cleaning the shoes and making them look like a million bucks. Here are my tips for cleaning regular leather (and not suede, which is that fuzzy, nappy leather that isn't smooth and shiny).Brush your shoe well with a horse hair or soft plastic brush. Brushing the shoe, from top to bottom, will remove any dust and large particles, and also result in a less dirty cleaning cloth. Remove the laces and pull the tongue out so it can be brushed and cleaned as well.Lightly dampen and wring a cleaning cloth (preferably cotton) and clean the shoe with circular strokes. Leather doesn't love water, so it's best to use a little while you clean your choose and not to soak them. DO NOT use soap. Leather cleaners can be effective, although try to stick with brands like Saphir, who have a good name with a good reputation, as to not damage your shoes. Cleaning in circular strokes does the trick well, especially when spot cleaning. Use an old soft-bristle toothbrush with a little water to clean where the sole of the shoe meets the upper (the leather body of the shoe).If a shoe is especially dirty, let it dry after a few go-overs. Don't over wet the shoe, as you might end up staining the leather and causing water damage. If there is a significant amount of dirt on the shoe, or if the shoe has excessive polish or stain, resort to a leather cleaner. Most leather cleaners help dissolve dyes and other compounds on the surface of a shoe, and usually don't strip shoe stains much.After the shoe looks pretty clean, let it dry for a few minutes, give it a brush, and apply your leather conditioner. Again, giving the shoes a few minutes to dry is a good idea. Brush the shoes to remain any additional dust or debris that might come from your cloth. Next, get a fine terrycloth (or a cotton cloth this is very fine, or even some woman's stocking or hose) and add a tiny bit of leather conditioner to a section of the shoe. Only apply leather conditioner to non-suede or nubuck leather (again, none of that fuzzy leather, else it will most certainly ruin the texture and colour). My all-time favourite is Saphir Renovateur, which goes for a pretty penny compared to some Amazon brands, but it works wonders. Rub it on in a circular motion until absorbed, and do so until you covered the leather upper of the shoe.Brush, brush, brush. Brushing shoes seems a little odd, but the process helps redistribute the oils naturally present in the shoe, as well as the conditioner we just applied. Under certain conditions (like with Saphir Renovateur, it also adds an excellent shine that makes the shoe pop Brush the shoe until you're uncomfortable, then brush a few moments longer. Brush the technique below:Brush horizontally on a piece of leather, side to side.Then on the same section, turn the brush 90 degrees, brushing up and down.If you brush with this technique, you are brushing the surface of the shoe evenly.If you follow these instructions, you're probably going to end up with a pair of shoes that look quite a bit better than they did initially, especially if they picked up some dust and grime on the shelf at the thrift store.6. List the items onlineIf you only ever listed shoes on eBay, you'd do rather well. However, some shoes, especially if you don't stick strictly to dress/sartorial shoes, will sell better on other platforms. Grailed is a fantastic website for more 'hype' brands and leather sneakers. Some of my favourite or commonly well-loved options include:The Real Real: More luxury brands, plus they take a more significant cutPoshmark: Generally anything, especially mass-market designer itemsDepop: Quirky itemsEtsy: Vintage itemsI don't do much listing of items locally, as I've found I get minimal hits/traffic compared to eBay or Grailed. However, don't discount:KijijiFacebook MarketplaceLetgoCraigslistOther local marketplacesA lot goes into properly listing an item online. There's tons of room for optimization, which I'll be delving into when I work on my first ebook, course, or whatever I end up doing. But I'll give you a few tips below.The more photos, the better. A newer phone camera will do just fine, but high-quality shots help sell items. Try to have a neutral backdrop. Take photos of the top, the sole, and all sides of your shoes. Make sure at least one photo includes the brand logo. Ensure you have a photo of the shoe's sizing, which can be found on the tongue or the inside near the heel. Make sure you take photos in a bright area (natural like is often preferred). Finally, take photos of any damage that might catch someone's attention, like cracks, cuts, or deep craps or nicks. You will need to make note of these.Ensure the title includes the shoe's brand, series/line, colour, size (US and EU, preferably), width (C, D, EE, etc.), and anything else of note are included in your listing. Giving browsers key information immediately will work in your favour.Ensure all fields are filled out (that are applicable) to the best of your ability. eBay has tons of fields, especially for shoes, but be sure to fill out the sizing, material, brand, colour, and description/condition fields. The latter is especially important, as seasoned users will look to you to provide details on the condition of yours shoes, such as damage or wear. Be clear. You do not want to deal with returns, so don't give the customer a reason to prompt one.Start buy using historic 'Sold' prices on eBay to determine listing prices, and start off with 'Buy Now' listings. Do your due diligence and see how much the same brand of shoe has sold for in the past, and try to take an average of those. You can push your listing price to the high end, but you will likely see fewer inquiries. Because auctions with reserve prices (basically your item MUST sell for more than the reserve price, which means you won't accidentally sell an item for $10) cost money to list, I stayed away from them at the beginning and just listed 'Buy Now' listings. I added a minimum offer value, so I automatically refuse offers under a certain value, so low-ballers don't waste my time.Do your research on how to set up shipping, especially to an international audience. I'm still struggling with this myself, but I'd save a good amount of time figuring it out in advance. Nearly all the questions I get ask how much shipping to a certain location will cost, so I encourage you to get ahead of the game and set up a shipping table with eBay. Most of the time you can guesstimate the general weight of the package by weighing the shoes in advance.7. Package the shoes and ship them outWohoo! You sold your first pair of shoes. If you didn't change your default eBay settings, you have about 2 days to ship out your item. You can change this setting to give yourself more time to prepare.Here are a few tips to ensure your shipping goes off without a hitch:Before you buy any boxes, save and use the boxes from your past delivers from Amazon, etc. These boxes are perfectly fine for your shoes, as long as they fit. If you live in a condo or apartment building and have shared recycling, go and grab a few clean boxes and use those. Don't be ashamed; you're saving yourself from paying $2-5 for a damn piece of cardboard. If you need to buy a box, look at which post offices/providers have the cheapest boxes.Invest in a roll of packing foam (by-the-roll variety) or packing paper. I often get enough packaging and wrapping goods from my Amazon orders, but investing in packing material isn't a bad idea. It not only protects the shoes in transit, it also looks more professional. You can order some from a few shipping/logistic companies, and you can even try your luck at a Home Dept or similar store.Use eBay's Shippo to easily print labels. Shippo is eBay's built-in label creating platform that integrates with nearly every courier and delivery service. Go to your sold items section and click on 'Print Label' in the dropdown beside the item. It will take you to Shippo, where you can create an account, attach a payment method and create a label immediately. It will import nearly everything about your listing. The only thing you need to insert is the size and weight of the package, and fill out any customs info. Select the company you would like to use (it will show you the cheapest ones first, but try to use what you advertised in your listing). Pay for the label, print it, and tape the correct section of the label onto your package. Done.At this point, you can drop your package off at the applicable postal office or box. At this point, hold onto the tracking info if you have any, and send it to the buyer. This not only creates trust with the buyer, but you would appreciate it in their position. Just for some piece of mind.8. Profit!If you use eBay, you will most likely have your funds held until the buyer receives their item. Don't despair! You'll get your money soon.As you can also see, I haven't calculated my actual profits or anything. I could, but I just haven't yet. But just like anything with entrepreneurship, you just need to do it. I have excuses, but I'm trying to work past those. I would encourage you to keep records and see how much you spend on buying goods, and your margins after selling.And that's about it! Feel free to ask any questions you have, about thrifting, reselling, and menswear in general. It all comes naturally for me at the moment and I'm sure I've missed a fair bit (although I am saving some of the sauce for my website content in the future).

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