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Cheap turn flags
#1
Hi!
If you are a scrooge like me you will eventually find a way to make the things you need without spending a ton of $$.

[Image: MqTcr2U.jpg]

Case in point, the cheapest turn flags you will be able to do without breaking a sweat.
You will need:

1 travel fishing pole (3 or 4 meters)
1 pound shop flag (the biggest you can find the better material you will have)
1 stapler

That's it!
I got my travel fishing pole in Decathlon for a whooping 2.99£ and the flag for 1£ from some poundland shop. I managed to make 6 turn flags from just one flag.

Step 1
Grab your pole firmly and gently extended it while securing it with both hands. 
You will find that once it's fully extended it becomes bendy but still quite hard.
[Image: IeNeOnO.jpg]


Step 2
Cut the flag or fabric in a banner shape like thingy.
[Image: ag7twV7.jpg]

Step 3
Fold ever so carefully, a full edge of the flag or fabric as to create a tight tunnel where you will be inserting your hard, rigid, extended pole.
If you are good at sewing and have nothing better to do with your life, sew it. I used a stapler
[Image: hGVZriF.jpg]


Step 4
It's time. Gently, but firmly thrust your fully extended pole into the flag crevice forcing it all the way through.
Zip tie (or staple) the end so as not to perforate the end of the flag hole.


Take a break.
You deserved it.

[Image: MqTcr2U.jpg]


If the flag is not sticking to the ground because you spend too much time sitting in your couch doing these DIY and not exercising and you are not able to push it in enough do not to worry. Get an old fiberglass section off an old tent (or a stick in the woods) and stick it in the floor. The pole unscrews from the bottom and you can push the pole in the stick and secure it that way. Get that stick on stick action if that is your thing.


BUT WAIT
Are you so poor you can't afford milk, yet you really one of these flags?

No problem.
Time to break out that old tent you have laying around in your garage since 1983 that you told yourself that you are definitely going to use next year when it's warmer but you "never got around to it".

I'm sorry to tell you but, it's time to deface that tent!
Use the same process as above for the fabric and you will probably be able to get a gate out of it as well!

Old crappy tents normally have two fiberglass spars that break down into smaller sections with a elastic that secures everything together.
These are much weaker then a fishing pole so you won't be able to make such a large turn flag.

- I cut the elastic and rethreaded it with only 3 sections. Each section was 50cm which means my flag is 1.5m
- I used the other spar as a gate. If you have old tent fabric you can cut and roll it around the spare it to make it stand out (or you won't be able to see it) otherwise use a piece of flag.

NOTE: If money is not a problem and you are used to splurging in fancy restaurants like McDonalds and buying only the finest materials from Primark you might also consider purchasing replacement fiberglass camping poles from THE eBay.

Here's the result after f'ing up a lot of tents!
[Image: uohfnqQ.jpg]




If you have some extra cable laying around you can also use it to secure the gates in a windy day.
[Image: W963SvC.jpg]

And for extra stabilization, use an elastic band from your grandma trousers to better secure each end of the gates to the floor.
[Image: fMcVz2s.jpg]



Here is the whole thing packed and ready to use.
[Image: CFLtRyv.jpg]



And this is what it looks like racing them!
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#2
Great write-up!  Thanks for turning us on to this.   Big Grin
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#3
Got to try this soon Big Grin thanks for sharing!
Don't be a LOS'er, be an FPV'er :)  My Gear - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
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#4
This weekend I was at the local Decathlon just to see how much the pole costs, but while I was checking one of the poles I managed to destroy literally the last part... it's not that strong. 
The 300cm pole here is 5.99€. I think it's best to buy the 500cm and removing the last two parts, just to make it more robust, but it costs 11.99€. Considering that the HobbyKing flag costs 24€ more or less, I don't know if the DIY is a good way to go this time, you have to buy also something to fix the flags to the ground.

How do you fix the poles?
 
We have done some DIY Gates with a flexible and foam coated tube, used to do plumbings in the house. I made some white flags to make the gates visibile. We usually fix the tube to the ground using two iron poles (1cm diameter) and inserting the tube in the poles. The cost for 25m tube is around 25€, and you can make at least 4 gates. This is how they looks (in this video we used just some A4 white paper sheets to make them visible in flight):
 


Anyway, the checkerboard flag is nice.  Tongue
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#5
Fixing the poles is indeed the hard part, specially now in summer.
You can go cheap with a 4 point rope, stuck to the ground on all ends (just make it as low as possible), or just use ground spikes for umbrellas.
Or dig a hole in the ground and get it stuck there Smile

Also, I carry everything in my backpack so I always tend to make everything as foldable and light as possible so big foam things is out of my reach and I wouldn't be able to carry it due to volume.
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#6
I have an old cheap 8-people tent waiting for me in the garage. 4 long carbon fiber foldable rods included. The tent literally has 12 years and I'd be afraid to sleep inside... will make great gate to crash into Big Grin
Find me on Youtube and Instagram. I currently fly: DRC Aura, NOX5R, Minimalist 112 and drive a scrap RC car
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#7
There are also these fiberglass arcs at the Decathlon, they are used to repair the fiber rods included in the tent: https://www.decathlon.it/kit-archi-tenda...49969.html
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#8
Good one Raid! I got mine from ebay a they were cheaper Wink
I now updated the main post with a few better pictures of the gates with the fabric.
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#9
(22-May-2016, 03:41 PM)Carlos Costa Wrote: Good one Raid! I got mine from ebay a they were cheaper Wink
I now updated the main post with a few better pictures of the gates with the fabric.

Well done!! I really like the checkerboard on them
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#10
Cheers!

Got a little video showing what it looks like to race these Smile
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#11
(23-May-2016, 02:58 PM)Carlos Costa Wrote: Cheers!

Got a little video showing what it looks like to race these Smile

As expected they have a great visibility! Thumbs up!
Reply


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