(Drone)
With travel preparations in full swing, and night shift to be worked, it’s surprising that I actually have any time for a life. However….
Our house needs some serious work on the roof. Sadly this is not some new revelation, but rather a piece of knowledge that has been a goad for over a year. The main obstacle has been identifiying someone able (and willing) to undertake the job.
With a four story building on a busy main street and no rear vehicle access, (and no skylight), I suspect a great many of the roofers we have contacted have either driven by, and not stopped, or just looked at google maps, and said “Nope!”
There was a time when I would have contemplated going out the top dormer window to investigate myself (I have done some roof work, {and fallen off}), however;
a/ I am no longer so flexible and agile as I once was.
b/ The lovely Chris would not approve one tiny bit.
c/ While I can comprehend the acrobatics necessary to get out on the roof from the bay (only the middle opens), I can only too well imagine that I’d never be able to face the drop for the return, and then would have to be embarrassingly rescued (we would at least be able to use the fire engine ladder to check out the leaks).
Happily, we have finally located a promising builder, and one of his first acts was to get a drone survey of the roof. Less happily, this did not reveal anything good.
Now I had considered that approach, but had asssumed this would need a high end sort of device, however the survey was conducted by a youngster(20+) with a drone which was little more than a toy (as against some tank destroying beast from Ukraine). I was more than a little surprised by the utility of what was clearly a low end piece of kit. So when I saw an offer for a cheap one, I thought, “why not”. (Chinese online market site, which I have made the odd purchase from; the pocket monocular – amazing. The glass cutter blade – rubbish – but it’s all pretty cheap.)
It arrived today. So far, my success is getting it to pair with my phone, (camera image is surprisingly good). I have flown it into; the candelabra in the dinning room (take it outside stupid), the back of the house (further away from the building..), the building at the other end of the garden (overadjusted), the building in the next garden (it’s ok, I can climb over this wall to get it back), a tree, another tree, a string of lights, both of the tall garden side walls, and one of the bird feeders.
Fortunately it’s tougher than it appears (just as well!), it’s also been really good exercise. I suspect that night shift will not allow further drone exploration before Japan, but I can forsee all kinds of trouble I can get into, long before I can manage to do anythng useful. What a bargain!
Next week on IaDL: D -1
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 