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The Germans Are Always miles Ahead Of Us

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  • Member since
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  • From: Richmond, VA
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Posted by carl425 on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 1:37 PM

-E-C-Mills
So what would be the counter measure? Paint balls? Rubber bullets? A goup gun?

That's an easy one. Video Cameras sending a live feed back to headquarters.

I have the right to remain silent.  By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:22 AM

I have my doubts that the use of delivery drones will lower the cost of shipping. DHL´s parcelcopters have a payload of less than 3 lbs. and need two people to operate it. If you increase the payload to where it will be economical, these beast will grow as big as an elephant, requiring air traffic control to monitor the flight.

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Posted by BATMAN on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:15 AM

-E-C-Mills
I can see this might be good especially for deliveries to more remote locations.

I live on a dead end road out in an rural agricultural area. My neighbour works out of his house and the only thing that breaks the silence out here is the dozen courier trucks that rumble up and down the street every day going to his house. I would gladly welcome a drone instead. It is a 12 kilometre round trip for these couriers to come out here and they rarely have another stop along the way. I have asked them about that. It would save a lot of oil and air pollution and labour cost to boot.

Make it so!

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by -E-C-Mills on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 8:22 AM

About a year ago when Amazon was in the news about considering using delivery drones, I really didnt give it much thought.  However for some reason this morning, I got to thinking about this  (uh oh!)  Looking back and here, it seems people are either excited by it, or laughing it off, or hostile to it.  My thoughts are this:

What if the technology is able to reduce shipping costs and increase shipping speeds?  I can see this might be good especially for deliveries to more remote locations.  Surely those in more dense areas are subsiizing a delivery van and driver to deliver a small package to someplace out in the country?  If this lowers overall shipping costs for everyone, that should be a good thing.

Is the hostility a privacy or noise issue?  What if the drones fly at high enough altitude to not be noticed or heard, then vertically drop to the delivery point and quickly leave?  Whats the difference between this and a UPS truck lumbering down the street and a delivery person running up to your front door?

My previous post I put myself in the shoes of the shipper.  There probably will be vandals and thieves shooting and trying to damage my equipment or steal my cargo.  I dont think you could lethally arm the delvery drones or escorts.  So what would be the counter measure?  Paint balls?  Rubber bullets?  A goup gun?

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Posted by Kyle on Monday, September 29, 2014 5:19 AM

On a slightly more serious note with very similar technology already available to all off the shelf, I can see any regulatory moves opening a big can of worms.
Perhaps I should trade in the shot gun for one of these..........
 

Or a SeaWiz.

On second thought, the SeaWiz is a whole lot better (and I mean a lot) than those Pom-Pom guns.

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Posted by "JaBear" on Monday, September 29, 2014 4:52 AM
On a slightly more serious note with very similar technology already available to all off the shelf, I can see any regulatory moves opening a big can of worms.
Perhaps I should trade in the shot gun for one of these..........

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by Kyle on Monday, September 29, 2014 4:46 AM

Hobbu companies have been selling quadcopters that can carry cameras.  Some of nicer, ie more expensive ones, basically are drones.  You can create a flight path using GPS waypoints, they can hover in a fixed position, and fly back and land where you took from even with the remote turned off.  

I have seen at an airshow that the US Army and Marines now have drones about the size of a large model airplane, that can be launched from a small field.

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Posted by Kyle on Monday, September 29, 2014 4:24 AM

-E-C-Mills

Delivery drone with armed escort drones...

 

Awesome, more targets Smile, Wink & Grin! Need to get more ammunition Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaughLaugh

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Posted by Kyle on Monday, September 29, 2014 4:20 AM

Geared Steam

That would last about 10 minutes around here, especially during duck season.  Laugh

 

It's duck season!

No, it's rabbit season! 

No, it is drone season!

Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaugh

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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, September 28, 2014 7:28 PM

JaBear!LaughLaughLaughLaughLaughLaughLaugh

Thanks!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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Posted by -E-C-Mills on Sunday, September 28, 2014 6:00 PM

Delivery drone with armed escort drones...

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Posted by Geared Steam on Sunday, September 28, 2014 11:07 AM

That would last about 10 minutes around here, especially during duck season.  Laugh

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein

http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/

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Posted by charlie9 on Sunday, September 28, 2014 10:25 AM

From the people who brought you the Hindenburg.   Gotta get me one of those.  Would make it easy to drop road kills into my neighbor's pool.

Charlie

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 28, 2014 10:17 AM

It´s like an Orwellian nightmare, but for the folks living on those remote islands in the Wadden Sea it´ll be a big help getting urgent medications to them without the need of chartering a helicopter each time. I have my doubts that Deutsche Post will be granted the permission to use it all over Germany.

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Sunday, September 28, 2014 10:01 AM

RideOnRoad

After the piece on 60 Minutes about Amazon using drones to deliver packages, there was an editorial cartoon with two guys outside, one with a gun. The conversation was,

"Are you going hunting?"

"No, Christmas shopping."

Followed by going to jail for theft?  It will be interesting to see how that all goes!

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by RideOnRoad on Sunday, September 28, 2014 9:28 AM

After the piece on 60 Minutes about Amazon using drones to deliver packages, there was an editorial cartoon with two guys outside, one with a gun. The conversation was,

"Are you going hunting?"

"No, Christmas shopping."

Richard

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Posted by BATMAN on Sunday, September 28, 2014 9:15 AM

Now where's my shot gun.Whistling

 

Well at least I'll know who to blame if my new BLI Steamer shows up and leaks all over the layout.GrumpyLaugh

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by steemtrayn on Sunday, September 28, 2014 8:32 AM

Now where's my shot gun.Whistling

 

Seriously, Bear, would you shoot that thing down after it just delivered your ammunition?

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Posted by "JaBear" on Saturday, September 27, 2014 8:25 PM

Now where's my shot gun.Whistling

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

  • Member since
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  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
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The Germans Are Always miles Ahead Of Us
Posted by BATMAN on Saturday, September 27, 2014 8:03 PM

How often when your working on the layout do you need to run out to the store to get something so you can carry on with your work. Well for me PWRS is just a few KMs down the road. I usually punch my order into the computer and it is ready for me when I get there. Firing up the 7.3 LTR Diesel in the F-350 kills me for a short trip like that. I just need to convince Dan to get with the Program like the German Post Office has done. I would never have to leave home.Big Smile I would be a little worried about having it deliver my new BLI loco that I got on last minute clearance though.Laugh

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/09/26/germanys-post-office-beats-amazon-and-google-with-launch-of-worlds-first-drone-delivery-service/?__federated=1

 

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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