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      News — Phantom

      Action Gear – SUP Year End Function

      Action Gear – SUP Year End Function

      By Cam "Cambo" Kernes

      This year my husband, Warrick, decided to host an out-of-the-ordinary SUP year end function for all his staff at Action Gear which I was very pleased to be able to join in on the action.

      Warrick has a good relationship with a company called Star-board who teach people to Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) at Emmerentia Dam in Johannesburg and so in discussions with them he decided to host his year end function there. Star-board have an 8 person SUP which is perfect for a group of people to have fun learning to SUP together and for the more ambitious there are single SUP’s available too.

      I arrived at Emmerentia Dam for the function a little late as I could only join after work so I was a bit worried I might have already missed out on all the fun. However, I was in luck as I arrived literally as the team were coming back to the start point which meant I could join the next group heading out on the 8 person SUP.

      Paddling the 8 person SUP is a lot harder than I expected and it requires each team member to paddle in sync.


      Photo by Action Gear DJI Phantom Drone

      We quickly learnt that you also need to balance out the strengths of each member as at one point we couldn’t get ourselves to go in a straight line as the one side was paddling harder than the other.

      You definitely get an all-body workout doing this sport as you are not only using your arms and shoulders to paddle but also your core to keep yourself upright on the board which is great.

      All in all, my whole SUP experience was a lot of fun and I can see why it is fast becoming a very popular sport.


      For more photo’s from this fun event click here.

      Cam's blog: Cambo Adventures

      Christmas Gift Guide

      Christmas Gift Guide

      By Diane Shearer

      If you’re looking for gift ideas for the ultimate gadget enthusiast in your life then Action Gear is the place to go. We have chosen our top 15 Christmas gift ideas that we think will be right up your alley. Now you can see exactly what you can get your hands on in our store this Christmas.


      1. REACH FOR THE SKY


      DJI PHANTOM 3 SERIES


      Reach for the sky and capture professional-quality footage from a new perspective with the DJI Phantom 3 range. This intelligent flying camera is easy to fly and engineered to let everyone take to the sky. With its crystal-clear camera and real-time HD video display you can create footage fit for the screen. 

       

      2. TAKE IT TO THE TRAIL


      SUUNTO AMBIT 3 WITH FREE POWERTRAVELLER



      The Suunto Ambit 3 is your ideal companion when you go off the beaten path. The built in GPS and compass and its incredible battery life will keep you exploring the wilderness on foot or bike for hours. For a limited time get a free PowerTraveller solar charger with your Ambit 3.


      3. BE A HERO


      RED BULL GOPRO HERO 4 BUNDLE


      The GoPro Hero4 range of action cameras are without doubt the best you can buy. With 3 models to fit your needs and budget, the Hero4 is your ideal adventure partner The GoPro Hero 4 makes it easy to capture and share your world through your eyes. HERO 4 helps you capture photos and videos that make you look like just that: a HERO. For a limited time, we are offereing a FREE 32GB Samsung Evo MicroSD Card as well as a Red Bull 4 Pack with every GoPro Hero4 Bundle.

       

      4. TON O' FUN


      HUBSAN X4


      Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand but comes with a ton of fun. This is a perfect toy for flying around the house, practicing your skills or having fun with friends.


      5. NO POWER? NO PROBLEM!


      RED-E RS70 SOLAR POWERBANK


      Whether you are trying to keep in touch with your mates while on a hiking trip or just being caught during load shedding. The 7000mAh powerbank can be charged directly from a wall socket or through the built in solar panel and can charge your iphone over 2.5 times.


      6. MUSIC TO YOUR EARS


      OUTDOOR TECH ORCAS WIRELESS


      The Orcas wireless earphone are music to an active persons ears! Completely wireless, sweat proof and so light you will forget you have them.

       

      7. THE CAMERA THAT DOESNT LIE


      TOMTOM BANDIT BASE PACK


      Now you can instantly share a video to your friends while still in the midst of adventure. Simply shaking your smartphone device will create an instant edit of the video you've recorded. Sensors in the camera pick up and tag the big moments like maximum speed, jumps and tricks. The Bandit can shoot up to 4K at 15fps and take 16mpx photos.


      8. ALL IN ONE


      OUTDOORTECH BUCKSHOT PRO



      Everything you need in the palm of your hands. The Buckshot Pro is a wireless speaker, flashlight, strobe light, camp-light, and powerbank. Yeah, that's impressive!

       

      9.MOTION WITHOUT BLUR, ACTION WITHOUT SHAKES


      DJI OSMO


      The DJI Osmo helps you record videos like never before. Whether standing still for a stationary timelapse or moving through the world for a hyperlapse, you can create smooth videos easily with this stabiliser and gimble. Imagine motion without blur and Action without shakes! The Osmo can shoot up to 4K at 30fps and take 12mpx photos.


      10. HIGHLIGHT THE NIGHT


      EXTREME LIGHTS XPH HEADLAMP


      The Extreme light XPH Headlamp offers unprecedented freedom for nocturnal thrill-seekers. If you like surfing after sunset, riding at midnight and trail running at night the remarkable little device will highlight the night. This versatile Headlamp uses a rechargeable Li-ion battery or 3 AAA batteries. The 670 Lumen torch will last 2.5 hours using the built in battery, ensuring that you never run out of juice in the wild.


      11. SEVEN HEAVEN


      RED-E 7 PORT USB CHARGING HUB


      Never run out of power with the Red-E 7 port USB charging hub. It is a must have power adapter for any tech savvy adventurer. It enables you to charge all of your USB devices at once through one wall socket.


      12. NEW PB?


      BLACKBURN ATOM SL BIKE COMPUTER

      The Blackburn computer is perfect for the cyclist that wants to know how far and how fast they’ve gone. The Blackburn computer will help you get your new personal best.

       

      13. EASY RIDE


      EZ WHEELS BALANCE WHEEL


      Balance Wheels are the latest craze to take over the internet! These easy to ride 'hoverboards' can get you from A to B in style, with almost no effort. The EZ wheels has a maximum speed of 10km/h and a range of 15km. Riding this mini segway is simple, just lean in the direction you want to go. These boards have been used in many different situations, such as personal transportation, by photographers for stabilization and smooth shots, for shopping, warehouse staff, or just as a toy.


      14. YOUR TRAVEL COMPANION


      SENA SMH5-FM RADIO DUAL UNIT



      Share music or a conversation while on your breakfast run with the Sena SMH5-FM Radio Dual Unit. It is a Bluetooth stereo headset with a Bluetooth intercom and built in FM turner for motorcyclists. The SMH5-FM allows you to call handsfree on your Bluetooth mobile phone, listen to music or instructions from your GPS wirelessly.

       

      15. UNDER, OVER


      GODOME HOUSING


      With this dome housing, getting the elusive under over shot has never been easier. The GoDome Housing used a 160mm Dome, made from the highest quality acrylic, this massive dome pushes the waterline away from the lens, creating a space that allows you to capture the split in the water line with unbelievable ease.

      How Drones will Improve Farming

      How Drones will Improve Farming

      By Warrick Kernes

      Flying cameras seem like something out of the movie Back to the Future but the future has now arrived as Drones are now readily available and they will make your life easier on the farm.

      We have already seen Drones being used practically by South African farmers for various reasons such as aerial game counts, crop assessments, monitoring irrigation pipes, perimeter fence checks, looking for trespassers, searching for game to hunt and even to see what the children are up to. We know of a group of farmers in the Northern Cape who have turned to this new technology to assess their crop fields and in doing so they’ve changed a previously tedious task into a breeze. They have set up their Drone to fly to predetermined GPS coordinates to check respective crops so in the morning all they need to do is turn it on and send it off, 20 minutes later the drone returns and lands itself back on the patio and they can now watch the video back on their tablet to see how each of their crop fields are doing. These GPS way-points can be set up as you like to assess fences, kraals, staff villages or whatever you choose. The Drone will fly to the pre-set point and can even be set to a particular height and to point the camera the way you want.

      In another situation we helped a farmer who desperately needed to capture and relocate his three black rhinos. These animals had come to know the sound of vehicles and helicopters and disappeared into the thicket before they could be located however the sound of the Drone was not threatening to them so we were able to fly the camera in a grid until we located the animals and could radio to the chopper and vet to fly in. As the animal heard the heli rotors in the distance it darted for cover but we followed its position easily just meters above the tree tops and we could then direct the vet into position to dart the animal.


                      

       

      The world’s leading commercial Drone company is DJI with their most popular range being the Phantom 3 Drones which come with a built in camera and GPS receiver. The included remote holds your phone or tablet to show a live view of what the camera is seeing while it is up in the air. Controlling the Drone is surprisingly simple especially because you can fly in GPS mode which means that even if you let go of all the controls the Drone will hold its position in the sky and not move until signaled to. The intelligent battery will last up to 25 minutes and will automatically return home and land where it took off from if it calculates that its battery power is too low. The distance at which you can control the Drone is an incredible 2km from the remote controller but if you are flying by way-points the distance can be much further as it can fly at speeds of up to 56km/h.


      Taking aerial photos and videos is now easier than ever before with these types of Drones. Mapping your land and looking for lost animals couldn’t be easier than it is with a Drone but this is really just the beginning of how Drones will be adopted in the farming industry. We have already seen tests being carried out for Drones which will automatically perform your required crop dusting and will determine how much pesticide to spread over an area by factoring the type of crop, the predicted precipitation and even the wind. Spreading of new seed will be an easy function for Drones in the future and we’re also fairly close to having commercially available Drones fitted with thermal imaging cameras which can scan your land continuously and alert you of any trespassers on the property. It will SMS you a picture of the person with the exact time and coordinates and if you send the command it will follow the person until you arrive. Further down the road we expect to see that these Drones will be fitted with solar power so that they will only need to return to land once every few weeks for simple maintenance.

      While this futuristic view of what Drones may become seems like far off science fiction, so did the idea of flying cameras – but this is now reality and instead of dismissing this new technology we can embrace it and use it to our advantage.

      For use on a farm it is recommended to buy extra batteries, spare propellers and a protective case. This can all be found at a terrific deal price on the Action Gear website in the deal called the Farmers Drone Bundle. If you would like to find out more contact Action Gear (tel: 011 781 1323 / email: sales@actiongear.co.za).

      Drone Sales Take Flight

      Drone Sales Take Flight

      Written By Elzette

      We like taking things to the next level and you can imagine our excitement when we started selling the DJI Phantom quadcopter in 2013. The fact that this little gadget could take footage to new heights and lower production costs really got us on board. Sales across the nation rapidly increased in 2014 and before long – those little eyes in the sky weren’t all that unusual.

      But the quadcopter situation in South Africa has been getting a lot of attention, especially from the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). 

      What is a Quadcopter or drone?

      Also classified as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), drones or quadcopters are aircraft that fly without a pilot and can be controlled remotely by someone on the ground. Strap a GoPro or other camera to it and you have the capability of capturing some amazing aerial footage – without taking to the sky yourself. With the introduction of the Zenmuse 3D Gimbal, the DJI Phantom quadcopter even has the capability to allow remote control of roll, pitch angling. The sky is the limit! Or is it?

       

      Model aircraft policy for drones in South Africa


      Despite the ban which was announced in the beginning of June (which is only applicable to commercial and not personal use) , we have seen a 200% increase in sales over the past few weeks The biggest we've seen yet! But it seems the SACAA has come back stating it is NOT illegal and NOT banned (yet).

      The SACAA states: “Currently there are no regulations in place to enable and regulate operations of UAS in South African civil airspace. In accordance with the Civil Aviation Act, 2009 (Act No. 13, of 2009).

      The SACAA would once more like to reiterate that currently there are no guidelines or regulations that can help define and as such regulate the use of unmanned aircraft systems. This is a concern that the organisation is working towards addressing as soon as possible. Further, the SACAA has made an undertaking to have an interim guidance document as a provisional solution to enable restricted operational approval of UAS on a case-by-case basis until regulations are in place. It is envisaged that the interim document will be completed before 31 March 2015, or sooner.

       

      The interim document in question will address most of the issues that have been raised not only in south Africa, but are under consideration globally, for instance by the ICAO UASSG, and other international bodies. The SACAA is part of this ICAO Work Group.

      In the meantime, the Regulator appeals to all stakeholders to err on the side of caution rather than risk unintended aviation disasters. Notwithstanding, we remain receptive to ideas that would contribute to the rapid development of a widely accepted regulatory framework.”