Category Archives: video

Drone Time

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Talking to Potensic Corp

Walking through the endless aisles at this past January’s Consumer Electronics Show I came upon a familiar name Potensic.

Since I have one of their Atom 2 compact drones, I stopped to talk to Dean one of their representatives. I wanted to find out if they had any other accessories that I might use with my device.

The first thing he pointed out were the grey propeller guards.

I asked Dean about these and he said they were for users who fly their drones indoors and protect both the drone and any users from the rotating propellers. They are also useful for added safety when flying near trees or buildings.

While the guards add a few ounces of weight to the drone and require slightly more battery power when taking off and flying they help stabilize flight in windy conditions. Targeted at the beginner drone pilot, the are not required but are helpful when learning to fly the device.

Clip showing the Atom 2 with propeller guards

The second thing he pointed out is their new PTD-1 controller. It has a built-in screen, internal memory for video recording and slot for mini-SD card for expanded storage for movies and photos.

It eliminates the need to use a mobile phone (either iPhone or Android) with their standard controller.

For those interested the propeller guards costs about $30 per set .

The new PTD-1 controller costs about $280.

Not long after I returned home from CES I ended up ordering a set of propeller guards for my Atom 2.

Since I’m closer to a beginner than an advanced pilot I feel more comfortable using the guards.

This afternoon I fired up the drone with the propeller guards to video the roof overhang on our porch. I wanted to see if there was snow up there (it’s still cold here in Michigan). There were a few small spots of snow and you can clearly see the snow on the grass below.

Although the Consumer Electronics Show has been over for two months now, I keep looking back to some of my encounters there with so many interesting electronic devices.

I’m looking forward to CES 2027.

Written by:

Arnie Lee

Better Videos

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with your mobile phone

I enjoy attending the Consumer Electronics Show to see the plethora of different devices that are available to a gadget junkie such as myself. This past January I again walked through the miles of the Las Vegas Convention Center to see what might attract my attention. One of the booths was Hohen.

Hohen makes a series of handheld gimbal equipped devices.

These devices are for enthusiasts and professionals who want to shoot better quality movies by stabilizing their videos. They also have other features such as remote control, built-in lighting, subject tracking and more.

Their representative demonstrated a few of the features for me and I was impressed.

When I returned home, I ended up purchasing the V3 model
It has a builtin tripod, telescoping extension and auxiliary fill light.
This closeup shows the controller which is removable for remote use.
Here my mobile phone is mounted on the gimbal. On the left is a small fill light and the tracking sensor.
This short video demonstrates the tracking capability of the gimbal. The representative has ordered the gimbal to follow the movement of the yellow ball. You can see the camera moving on the gimbal as the yellow ball progresses on the track.

The unit communicates with your mobile phone with bluetooth. The mobile app has multiple templates to make it easy to produce fun and exciting movies. You can add various filters and create slow-motion and timelapse content.

Hohem’s V3 model sells for about $125 and has so far proven to be a good investment. I’ve happily added this gimbal to my photography accessory bag and am hoping that the quality of my movies improves.

The Hohem X3 model lacks the telescoping extension and the builtin fill light but sells for about $65.

Written by:

Arnie Lee

Alison Krauss Concert

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and Union Station

Last night we enjoyed our last outdoor concert of the summer.

The venue was the well-known Frederick Meijer Garden Amphitheater in Grand Rapids. FMG is the Best Sculpture Garden in the USA and its amphitheater host dozens of concerts during the warm weather.

We luckily secured two tickets to the sold out concert for Alison Krauss and the Union Station. Having been a fan for many years, I was eager to hear her voice in the live.

Below are a few of their songs that I was able to capture.

We were sitting on the lawn more than 50 yards away but my compact camera performed well recording the video at a distance with quite good quality audio. Excuse several focus issues and attendees walking in front of me.

Restless
Let Me Touch You For A While
Paper Airplane
Forget About It
Angel Too Close
Gravity
Baby Now That I’ve Found You
Wish I Still Had You

Alison with a long, warm coat. The temperature was about 50 degrees and she has been used to the warmer weather in more southern venues.

Alison Krauss & Union Station

My granddaughter Ezra and myself on one of the lawn chairs enjoying the concert.

With this concert we’ve left the summer behind, having heard the fabulous voice of Alison Krauss and the talented music of the Union Station. This group really takes bluegrass to the highest level.

Written by:

Arnie Lee