#I have no idea what kind of handoff pilots do with each other

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Giving Report with the Healthcare Boys (LU in Healthcare snippets)

What patient handoff and/or shift change looks like for some of the boys!

Wild stretched as he entered the staff lounge and caught sight of a coworker getting on shift. His feet were sore and he had a headache, but overall he felt pretty good despite the chaotic day.

"How was today?" his coworker asked.

Wild shrugged. "Busy."

His coworker smirked. "Well at least you're actually mostly in uniform today."

Wild looked down at his black scrub bottoms (that he absolutely didn't steal from Twilight), light blue polo, and sleeveless black jacket. "Yeah, I guess so."

"What kind of adventures did you have today?"

Wild laughed. "Only one, thanks. We eventually found MRI."

"How long did it take for you and your patient to find MRI?"

"Um," Wild shifted awkwardly. "Maybe twenty minutes? Didn't mess up her appointment, so it was fine. Besides, she got to see the ambulance bay and a friend of mine showed her the back of the ambulance, which she thought was really cool."

"That sounds like way more than twenty minutes!" his coworker laughed.

"We had fun and got there eventually," Wild shrugged as he crossed his arms. "That's all that matters."

When his coworker continued to guffaw at the entire situation, Wild rolled his eyes exasperatedly and clocked out. He was ready to have some of the dinner that he'd made for himself yesterday, and he was excited to get home and relax.

XXX

"I just fueled her up, she should be set to fly for you tonight," Sky said as he pat his hand against the helicopter with a warm smile. "The only thing I can think of is that you need to watch the cyclic; it's a little jerky if you adjust it too fast. I was going to see if maybe I could look it over but we kept getting calls."

Belari nodded. "Got it! I'll take a look at it with the shift checks. Sorry you were flying all night, though."

Sky shrugged. "It wasn't too terrible. But I'm definitely ready to go to bed."

Belari laughed at that. "Sky, you're always ready to go to bed."

XXX

Twilight grabbed a clipboard and his finger slid down across different names of patients. "So these two are the ones who have been the biggest ones to look out for. Airway issues for this kid, and the parents aren't in there, so just keep an ear out, especially if her nurse is busy. The other is on seizure precautions, everything's set up but he's already had one seizure today."

The tech he was handing off to sighed. "Poor kid. I thought they'd gotten that under control."

"Yeah, we all thought that," Twilight remarked sadly before continuing with his report. "This one here is a standby with one assist, usually uses a bedside commode for toileting. This one in room 12 needs a sitter, you might get stuck there a bit. He's not really bad, just developmentally delayed and likes to throw things. He's nonverbal, but he understands more than you think, so just redirect him. Loves to listen to Barney, so I've literally just been playing it on repeat all day. Kept him pretty preoccupied. Rooms 1, 3, 4, and 5 are night baths. The 24 hour QCs have been done, I think you'll just have to do the EKG machines."

"Is the lift still broken?" his coworker asked with dread.

Twilight grimaced. "Uh, yeah. But the only one you'd need it for is room 8, and she's pretty light."

His coworker crossed her arms. "Yeah, light to you, Mr. I-Can-Bench-Press-the-Planet."

Twilight couldn't help the laugh that escaped him, and then he spluttered to try and compensate when she waved him off.

"Get out of here, Twi," she said exasperatedly. "It's gonna be a long night and you don't need to be here for it."

XXX

Wind settled beside his preceptor as the night shift respiratory therapist pulled up a chair. He shifted nervously, knowing that Daphnes had said he would be giving report for one of the patients; this was Wind's first time even attempting to give report.

"All right, go for it," his preceptor's relief said, ready for report.

Wind swallowed and nodded. "Okay, so room 12 is a 54-year-old female, post-op day 1 for a CABGx3. She's still intubated because they can't get a good neuro on her, I think? Like for us she's been fine, breathing spontaneously on the vent, but they're afraid she can't protect her airway if we extubate."

Daphnes held out a small piece of paper to Wind, who jumped, realizing what he'd forgotten. "Oh! Right, her last gas looked good, but her lactate was high so that's another issue she's got going on. She's got a 7.5 ETT, 23 at the lips, cuff's fully inflated and intact. She's on 30% FiO2, PEEP of 8, pressure support."

"Tolerating the vent? Suctioning, any secretions you're getting out?"

Wind's heart skipped another beat as he felt like he was messing everything up. "She's tolerating it, yeah. Hasn't really bucked it all. Because, you know, no neuro and the like. She isn't following commands or anything. They're not sure what's wrong. She doesn't have a lot of secretions, last time I went in she was good. Lung sounds are clear, a little diminished in the bases."

The respiratory therapist finished scribbling notes and then nodded. "Okay, sounds good."

Wind leaned back heavily in his seat as his preceptor gave report on the other two patients they'd been caring for. When he was finished, Daphnes put a hand on Wind's shoulder.

"Good job on report," he said with a smile.

Wind watched him uncertainly. "I thought it sucked."

Daphnes laughed. "It's your first report. You went over the broad strokes. You'll get there, Wind. Good work today."

Smiling, Wind perked up and nodded. "Thanks."

XXX

Hyrule tried not to feel overwhelmed when he brought the stretcher into the large room filled with people waiting for him. He could do his job and take care of the patient, but giving report always made him nervous.

He caught sight of Legend in the corner, who gave him a smile and a nod.

Taking a deep breath, Hyrule stood beside the stretcher alongside a tech while Mo and another nurse moved to the other side of the hospital bed where they'd lined up with the stretcher, grabbing the sheet under the patient.

On three, the four slid the patient from the stretcher to the bed, and people swarmed around her as Hyrule stepped back.

"71-year-old female, stroke alert, last known normal was two hours ago at 1945," Hyrule started loudly so both Legend and the physician could hear him as they worked. "She's got right sided facial droop and arm weakness, as well as aphasia. No neglect or vision changes to my knowledge. She hasn't changed for us over transport, she's just been like this since we got on scene. She can follow commands, can't really say anything but she'll track your movement. Vitals have been stable throughout transport, glucose was 112. I've got bilateral 18s in both ACs, one's saline locked and the other's KVO. Sinus rhythm on the monitor. History of TIA and hypertension. Any questions?"

"Does she have family coming?" Legend asked as he labeled blood samples pulled from one of her IVs.

Hyrule nodded. "Daughter's on her way."

The charge nurse walked in. "CT 3 is ready for you guys."

Legend nodded. "Thanks, Roolie. We'll see you later."

With that, Hyrule stepped out of the room as Legend and a few others guided the patient's bed out of the room and headed off to get a head CT. He blew out a deep breath of relief and made his way to his partner, who was cleaning the stretcher.

"Well that was exciting," Mo commented.

Hyrule had to laugh. "Yeah, no kidding. Maybe we can sleep the rest of the night."

"You really think so?"

"...No."

"Me neither."

XXX

"Well you took your sweet time," Legend grumbled as Warriors plopped into a seat beside him.

"I can't help that morning huddle took an eternity," Warrior fired back, rolling his eyes. "I'm not charge today, and the one who is just stood there for like a solid five minutes figuring out where everyone should go. So what do you have for me?"

"In the twenty years it took you to get here, I discharged one of the patients," Legend explained, getting a good-natured chuckle out of his friend. He pulled up the other patients' charts. "You only have two to worry about. Room 28 is a 24-year-old female, A/Ox4, stable, she's here for generalized body aches, they're doing a flu workup for her so she's on droplet precautions. She's been stable, no known medical history, she's fine in there. I took care of all the orders for her, we're literally just waiting for results."

Warriors nodded, reviewing the chart briefly before Legend moved on to the next patient. "Okay, this other one is the issue. Roolie brought him in about an hour ago, respiratory distress CHF patient, was on CPAP with Roolie and then we intubated him here; he's on propofol for the sedation. He's gotten 60 of IV Lasix and 2 inches of nitro paste, got a Foley in and it's put out like 150 so far, so mostly responsive to the Lasix. But they did an echo on him and his EF is absolute garbage, so even though we're getting fluid off it isn't doing much. They're talking about putting him on a milrinone drip, I've got the tubing and stuff ready if they decide to do it. Big surprise, he's been consistently hypertensive for me, started out at 220/136 now his systolics are lingering in the 160s. He was tachycardic and I think the nitro didn't do him any favors for that, but the good thing about milrinone is that you got reflex bradycardia with it, so hurray."

Rubbing a hand over his face, Warriors grumbled, "You always manage to bring me such great patients, don't you?"

"Hey, I got rid of a stroke patient earlier, you should thank your lucky stars," Legend retorted. "Stroke alerted her and she went straight to surgery. These two are all you got. They're working on getting this one up to the ICU as soon as possible. You've got an 18 in the left AC and a 20 in the right upper arm. Your propofol is going at 30 in the AC. The tube is a 7.0 and it's 21 at the lips. They're alive. End of story."

"Well, that's all that matters, anyway," Warriors muttered, perusing the patient's chart before glancing at his friend. "You okay?"

Legend huffed. "Am I okay? Yeah, sure, we got our asses kicked last night. But it's over. Just going to stay a bit to catch up on charting and then I'm getting the hell out of this nightmare."

"Charting," Warriors said with as much disgust as he could muster. "I hate charting."

"You and me both. Good luck, Wars."

XXX

In the ICU it was typical to have only one to two patients. On a day like this, where staffing was short, however, it was surprising and rarely a good sign when one was lucky enough to be singled with a patient.

It usually meant the patient was a mess.

Four sighed as he grabbed his report sheet and his multicolored pens and sat down beside the nurse who he would be receiving report from. After pulling up the patient's chart, he gave his coworker an affirmative nod that he was ready.

"This is a John Doe, just got up to the unit at 1545 from the OR. He is approximately somewhere in his 30s. Involved in a motor vehicle crash, vehicle versus a tractor. He got extricated and flown here. He was awake and lethargic on scene, apparently, got RSI'd in the field when he couldn't really protect his airway from bleeding with facial trauma. Got 2 units of RBCs in the air, another in the ED, and another in the OR. CT showed right femur fracture, skull fracture with intracranial hemorrhage, multiple facial fractures, rib fractures, and cardiac contusion with tamponade. They placed a bolt in the OR, he v-fib arrested and they shocked him twice. We've given 1L crystalloid for more fluid resuscitation and 1 unit FFP. He's kind of vasoplegic but not by much, still he's on epi at 3 and Levo at 5. Still getting a fluid bolus right now. Ready for systems?"

Four scribbled feverishly, and then he paused. "Wait, who was the surgeon?"

"Time."

Four smiled. Good. That meant the team would be keeping a close eye on the situation. "Okay, I'm ready for systems."

"Neuro, he's a RASS -3 with a goal of -4. He's no longer paralyzed, it was reversed at 1600. He's got the bolt, it's subarachnoid. His ICP has been steady in the..."

The longer the nurse talked, the more Four realized this was going to be a long shift. But he'd get through it. They went through neurological, respiratory, cardiac, gastrointestinal, genioturinary, musculoskeletal, and skin individually before reviewing lab work, and then Four wrote down what points of access he had, including a central line, an arterial line, and three peripheral lines, as well as all the different medications going in through them. After finishing handoff with the other nurse, Four sat in his chair for a moment and just took a deep breath.

Time to get to work.

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editor’s Note: This post is another entry in the Prepper Writing Contest from Vermont Prepper. If you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly win a $300 Amazon Gift Card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today.

The concept of preppers utilizing unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for forward surveillance and other situations is not new.  Until recently, the technology has been unattainable except for those with deep pockets. In recent years a decent consumer UAV with desirable features would cost thousands of dollars to achieve what DJI has done for a fraction of the cost in designing the DJI Mavic Pro.  Out of the box, the Mavic Pro is extremely easy to fly, has collision avoidance technology, and a 4.3 mile range (the longest range offered by a DJI – even more than their most expensive UAV).   If you combine this aircraft with a $22.00 app by Litchi Software, it adds an ability to pre-program a flight plan with waypoints, while varying your altitude, speed, and camera orientation to focus on points of interest (POIs) along its route.  Additionally, if in the event that you lose signal, the Mavic can be programmed to hover in place or automatically “go home”, or to wherever the controller may be – if you happen to be on the move.  The bottom line is that this craft is not a toy and with proper training, it has some serious tactical applications.  I have detailed a series of flight testing below to show that the Mavic can successfully drop a small payload via parachute for very little cost.

//

Before I continue, I want to quickly get two things out-of-the-way.  First, I have no connection at all to DJI and receive zero in return from them for writing this article. Secondly, you may be asking yourself, why do I keep referring to these machines as UAVs?  The simple answer is that I believe the use of the word “drone” does not do a UAV justice.  A drone can be a form of AI (a robot), or some other ground based machine or gadget.  Back in the mid to late 80s, prior to the adoption of the term Unmanned Air Vehicle, the pioneers initially used the term “Remotely Piloted Vehicles”, or RPVs.  I will use both RPV and UAV interchangeably as I believe these terms better define the Mavic.  That said, I realize most people refer to them as drones as do I in other content that I produce.

Much like most advanced technology, the consumer use of UAVs was born from the pioneers in the US Government that began using them for surveillance and lethal applications in the late 1980s/early 1990s.  The technology was cutting edge at the time, but rudimentary by today’s standards.  Think of the difference between the first cell phones versus the smartphones of today.

Additionally, the concept of using UAVs to many in the Government was scary.  In the beginning, they were inherently unstable and a lost signal would result in a crash.  They could only be tested on military ranges or large swathes of private land, primarily with the sanction of generous landowners in the Southwest.  As an added obstacle, some in the Government lacked foresight into the program capabilities and wanted to cut off funding as they believed these vehicles could never be stable or reliable enough to use in tactical situations.  Thankfully, the ragtag team of pioneers persevered and were able to eventually produce one of the first stable

DJI Mavic Pro Fly More Combo: Foldable Propeller Quadcopter Drone Kit with Remote, 3 Batteries, 16GB MicroSD, Charging Hub, Car Charger, Power Bank Adapter, Shoulder Bag

UAVs of its kind known as the gas-powered EXDRONE (I never liked the name).  Launched from a rocket, or as I refer to it as a big bottle rocket, the EXDRONE had a rudimentary autopilot, with a fraction of the accuracy built into the Mavic Pro, that has a built-in GPS.  It also had a real-time video feed, mostly unheard of at the time.  Basically, a heading could be programmed into its system, but the EXDRONE required some old school flight planning including wind calculations.  With some bright communication experts on hand to fine tune the antennas, the RPV range was extended from about 20 miles to 50 miles, and teams along the route could be deployed along high points to keep line of sight for the real-time video feed and take control as necessary utilizing a regular Futaba controller, which was the prevalent RC aircraft controller at the time (and still now to a certain extent).  Each team would have its own portable base unit and use a 4×4 Sony video screen to navigate along the flight path.  As a note, prior to the autopilot, the teams would need to fly it manually from the start and practice handing it off by giving notification to the forward team that they were turning off their Futaba in “3, 2, 1”….  At the same time the forward team would turn their controller on when the countdown ended.  This “handoff” was the time when the RPV was at most risk.  Lost communication would result in a crash.  Again, the technology was rudimentary, but it was shown that forward surveillance could be achieved via UAV.

These pioneers had no idea that what they were doing would eventually provide a huge impact in keeping the world safe from terrorism.  Given the limited technology, support, and budget, it was hard for them to see the eventual development of RPVs such as the Predator and its use of hellfire missiles to take out terrorist targets.  In my view, we are still in the infancy of the UAV revolution.  The technology is advancing faster than ever and there are still many yet untapped uses for these vehicles.

Some preppers may still be hesitant on the utility of RPVs such as the Mavic Pro.  With a cost of $1000, it is not inexpensive, but given the possible uses in a SHTF scenario, it may be the best money you ever spent.  Let’s first take a brief look at some of the specific features of the Mavic and why I think it gives you the best bang for the buck.  I will follow with some tactical uses with a specific design I am testing to deploy a small payload.  I am sure some of the smarter readers can think of other uses and I would be happy to see them in the comments.

Features of Mavic Pro – base cost $1000

27 Minute Flight Time/4.3 Mile Range – The Mavic comes with one battery that gives a 27 minute flight time after a full charge.  This time is a little better than the average UAV.  The 4.3 mile range is one of the furthest ranges out there in the consumer market.  A reasonably priced special antenna boosting apparatus ($13.99/Amazon) can be used to boost the range of the transmitter, though given a 27 minute flight time limitation, flying out too far may drain out the battery on the return trip.   In contrast, the DJI Matrice 100 has a 40 minute flight time, but it is over triple the price of the Mavic.  Additionally, the range of the Matrice 100 is less than 3 miles.  If budget permits, it would be optimum to obtain a few extra batteries, which cost $89 each.  One benefit of using the Litchi software is that it will give an estimated flight plan time (assuming no wind) to prevent the battery from fully draining.

Lightweight, Foldable Arms and Props – The Mavic arms and props fold up nice and neatly to easily fit in a small backpack for deployment.  Alternatively, there are many hardshell cases available on Amazon if better protection for the RPV and its accessories are required.

Software – The Mavic can be controlled using free DJI GO software or via Litchi.  With DJI GO, there is currently no autopilot capability except auto takeoff and land.  I enjoy the use of this software when just flying around the vicinity to have fun.  It is not, however, recommend it for mission style sorties.  For missions, the Litchi software is highly recommended.  As mentioned above, a flight plan can be programmed into the aircraft so that you can concentrate on the real-time video feed to gather intelligence.  As mentioned previously, altitude changes, POI camera focus, loitering, and speed changes are all standard Litchi features.  In my view, Litchi is superior to the DJI app in with the exception of not having the ability to “Go Live”, namely on Facebook or YouTube (DJI allows live broadcasts).  You can also store missions for future repeat use.  Lastly, the software provides real-time verbal telemetry feedback (altitude, distance, battery power, etc.), which comes in handy if you might be focusing your attention on a POI.  The Litchi learning curve is helped with tons of YouTube instructional videos.

Collision Avoidance – The Mavic, unlike many similarly priced competitor UAVs, has a collision avoidance system built-in.  Even if you tried to manually fly it into an obstacle, the Mavic avoidance system would first beep as a warning and then stop.

Insurance – It is highly recommended to purchase DJI insurance ($99.00) which even covers damage from crashing into water.  It can be used twice.

Limitations

No Thermal Camera Capability – At the time of this writing, I do not know of any plans by DJI to offer a version of their Zenmuse thermal camera on the Mavic Pro.  In my opinion, a thermal camera offering would put this RPV at the top of the heap for first responders and the military, giving them the ability to conduct night search and rescue operations.  While the thermal cameras are not inexpensive (6-12k) for an average consumer, it would be a lot cheaper than using helicopters with FLIRs, and the Mavic noise signature would be virtually undetectable from above.

Payload Limited (not really built for payload deployment) – The Mavic is really not built to carry a payload.  DJI has other UAVs for this purpose, but they are triple or quadruple the cost.  

Battery Life is Average – With a 27 minute battery life between charges, any mission would be limited to a short-range, especially if you decide to embark on the payload experiment detailed below.

Tactical Applications for a Drone

Tactical Use Caveats – all uses assume a SHTF environment.  My scenarios also assume you have a DJI Mavic Pro, not some toy that hovers 100 feet in the air.  Additionally, keep in mind the FAA has an altitude limit of 400 feet above ground level (AGL), no fly zones, and it is illegal to fly at night:

Threat assessment for specific location(s) – The Mavic can provide valuable intel if you might be concerned of a specific location in your vicinity.  With a preprogrammed flight plan, the UAV can circle the area from a safe distance and orient itself towards the POI.  It can be programmed to remain there as long as the battery limit permits (approximately 27 minute flight time per charge).

Avoid/Monitor Civil Unrest – In a SHTF scenario, it is quite possible there would be civil disturbance as people run out of food, water, and medical supplies.  Prior to making supply runs, the Mavic can scout ahead to determine if there are pockets of unrest blocking your route.

Avoid Capture by Hostiles – Much like the civil unrest scenario, the Mavic might provide some help in trying to avoid captors.  In this scenario, you might have a further standoff or climb to a higher altitude to minimize UAV detection.  The Mavic is pretty quiet and cannot be heard and is hard to see at 400 feet AGL.  In a SHTF environment, if the altitude limits go out the window, it would allow for an even further standoff.

Zombie Horde Herding/Redirection – I actually have to give my 16 year son credit for this one.  Given zombie affinity for sound, if flown low enough, the Mavic RPV could redirect a zombie horde away from you.  In all seriousness, I am sure there are some readers that can think of real life diversionary tactics that might be applied utilizing the Mavic (I mean no offense to Zombies).  I can see some kind of small battery operated sound generator, maybe on a timer, being attached and used as a diversion prior to an offensive (or defensive) operation.

Scout for Water/Food Supplies/Vehicles – Food, water, and other supplies will become harder to find in a disaster scenario.  While large bodies of water might be easier to identify, the Mavic may be able to assist in finding some lesser known streams or tributaries.  Additionally, while drones cannot be used for hunting, all bets are off in a survival situation.  The Mavic can help to possibly locate wildlife and even herd them towards your location.

Disaster Surveillance (Inaccessible Area) – A survival situation can occur not only from nefarious individuals/governments, but also from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados, and hurricanes.  In August of 1992 I was at ground zero in S.W. Miami Florida in my house with my mother and brother when Category 5 Hurricane Andrew hit.  For anyone that was there, they would remember that it hit landfall at 4:30 AM and the worst of it lasted for about two hours.  It was a relatively small hurricane, but it left $23 billion in damage in its aftermath (As a memento, I framed the front page of the August 25th Miami Herald publication, titled “Destruction at Dawn”, where the picture taken was about a mile from my house).

It was almost like a nuclear bomb hit, and it was this event that spurred me into a prepper mindset in my 20s.  Communities were reduced to rubble.  There were many dishonest people both within and from out-of-state who swooped in and took advantage of the less fortunate.  It was sickening to see blocks of ice being sold for $50.00, and $300.00 generators being sold for thousands.  The roads were not navigable due to flooding and debris.  I think back quite often as to how a Mavic Pro could have helped us avoid a lot of dead ends, obstacles, and gridlock in trying to get out of the city, which would not restore full power for 6 months.

Small Payload Drop – In certain scenarios, small amounts of food, medical supplies, or communications can be dropped from a Mavic.  By my best estimates, the Mavic has between a 1-2 lb. payload capability.  I am currently flight testing it for payload stability and experimenting with a payload drop mechanism that does not require the addition of any electronics.  If you use the idea below, I just ask that proper credit for the theory be given (a link to this article would be greatly appreciated).  I have not seen too many YouTube videos with Mavic payload experiments, so I will share my idea as I believe we all benefit if someone has success.  Here is a YouTube link to the maiden voyage where the Mavic drops a 1.5 lb. ham radio.  It is recommended you have a detailed plan and be sure to consult some flight testing reference material.  If you decide to experiment on your own, perform tests in small increments at low altitudes.  Keep good notes, develop a flight test checklist, and be aware of your area.  Most of all, expect that things will not goes as planned and both major and minor adjustments will be required:

  Eight Design Payload Deployment Criteria

Low cost, material readily available

Max 2 LB payload (actual payload weight will be determined during flight testing)

Use of parachute to drop from high altitudes, protecting the payload

No servos or other added electronics

Aircraft stability

Avoid prop wash

Simple to Fabricate

Reusable

Theory – Before you crack up laughing at some of the materials, keep in mind that I have a method to my madness and an Aerospace Engineering degree with some UAV flight testing experience.  Before the current technological revolution in UAVs, in the late 80’s and early 90’s, the pioneers activated certain features during flight by extreme altitude drop (free fall).  The solution offered below utilizes this same premise, mixing old theory with the new technology demonstrated with the DJI Mavic Pro.  All of the items were purchased on EBay for less than $20.00.  Keep in mind I have seen payload release systems that range from $100-$1000, all of which are servo actuated.  These are great, but I do not know of any application that uses a payload mechanism without having to add some kind of electronic actuation.

Design – A Tupperware container will be attached to the four UAV arms via fishing line and zip ties.  Eye hooks will be fastened to the four corners of the container, hung from the arms via four pieces of fishing line, each cut to 2 feet.  The end result would be that the container with payload will fly approximately 2 feet below the UAV to avoid prop wash.  Four lines were used for flight stability purposes.  The payload will be attached to a parachute via zip ties and placed in the container.

A trap door will be fabricated at the bottom of the container with a release mechanism that uses gravity to release the payload.  You can buy a 36” flare parachute on eBay or fabricate a parachute from bedsheets (36” is the size needed to safely drop up to a 2 LB payload – there are templates online).  The payload will be dropped by using its own weight first by vertically rising at the fastest rate possible, then descending quickly to break the bond of the release mechanism.  The trap door “release will be fabricated from a black office clip, zip ties, and an electrical connector.  The trap door was made by cutting out three sides of the bottom part of the container, leaving one short side intact.

The reason for leaving one side intact is that it will act as a “hinge” to allow the payload to fall through.  I also put duct tape around the edges of the cuts so the parachute would not get snagged.  The free side of the trap door will be attached to the side of the container utilizing the zip ties, the electrical connector, and office clip.

The idea is that the weight of the payload, combined with a sudden upward or downward movement, will cause the electrical connector to release from the office clip, allowing the payload to deploy through the trapdoor at the bottom of the container.  The payload I used is a Baofeng BF-F8HP ham radio.   I attached it with the antenna via zip ties to the chute.

Photo 6 shows the whole contraption attached to the UAV. A radio was chosen as a payload to illustrate a real live first responder scenario, where communications might be desired with individuals in an area rendered inaccessible due to a natural disaster.

Challenges/Risks

The payload may be too heavy for the container and deploy before desired

Wind may cause the payload to prematurely deploy

The fishing line could break and get tangled into the props, causing catastrophic failure

Sudden RPV turns or altitude change can prematurely deploy the parachute

The setup may cause unstable flight

Flight time most likely shortened

Undue strain on electrical system

The key to success is to find the optimum payload weight so that the UAV can fly stable without premature deployment.

If it is too heavy, the payload will be deployed before it is desired since the mechanism works via gravity.  If too light, it would not deploy at all.  Once the optimum weight is found, quarters can be added or removed to balance it out depending on the payload.

As you can see, though the Mavic cannot carry huge payloads like some of its older brothers and sisters in the DJI line up, I believe you get the most bang for the buck if you want to utilize it in a SHTF scenario or even as a First Responder.  With a little bit of ingenuity, I am sure others can come up with a fancier/prettier payload release for the system.

The post DJI Mavic Pro Unmanned Air Vehicle – The Ultimate Prepper X-Factor appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag