REVIEW: Potensic ATOM 3-Axis Gimbal 4K GPS Drone

Potensic ATOM 3-Axis Gimbal 4K GPS Drone

Welcome drone enthusiasts and newcomers alike!  Thanks for clicking this review.  I hope you find this helpful and informative, as I have had many adventures and misadventures with four of these “under 249 gram” drones now!   This little craft do not require a license to fly.  Let me run you through my backstory with three previous drones, which you can click for more information.

The Ruko’s superior camera was a marked improvement in my drone video quality, no matter how hard they were to fly.  I thought about upgrading my Potensic.  Why not?  You only live once.

One thing about the old ATOM SE’s camera was that it didn’t have a fancy 3-axis gimbal.  What’s that mean?  It means that it couldn’t keep a level picture, with the horizon always…horizontal.  When the drone was flying in wind, it needed to tilt to compensate and stay stationary.  Most of my old ATOM videos have a visibly crooked horizon.  But that’s just the obvious difference.  The 3-axis gimbal gives it an unprecedented smoothness.  All my old videos had jerky movements.  Not anymore.  This camera is like an aerial steady-cam.

It wasn’t all smooth flying.  I had some issues out of the box.  I think one was caused by an uncalibrated controller.  It was veering off to the right upon takeoff, much like the Ruko used to do.  A calibration of the joysticks seemed to fix this.  It also defaulted to a “beginner mode” that I failed to notice and caused some confusion at first.

My second issue happened after a windy flight in Tiverton, Ontario.  I decided to bring the drone down after a few seconds, as the wind was unusually strong.  After a drive home, I was not able to re-connect the drone to the controller.  The drone was acting up, and wouldn’t power down without removing its battery.  I spent days trying to get the two devices to pair.  After a desperate email to Potensic, the problem revealed itself.  They advised me to try a number of things including re-pairing the devices without a memory card inserted.

The drone came with a 64 gig micro CD card (a surprise in itself!) but I decided to use a Gigastone 128 gig card instead.  It was actually my second Gigastone.  The first one failed right out of the box and wouldn’t format.  It turns out, the second Gigastone also failed sometime in the car between Tiverton and Lorne Beach.  Upon removal, the drone and controller paired immediately without issue.  Who knew that the memory card, which is used to store images and videos, was critical to the proper operation?  I mean, you can fly without one.  But throw a bad one in there by mistake, and you will stay grounded.  So there’s a tip for you:  if you’re having issues with your drone, take out the memory card as a first step.  Two Gigastones failed one after another!  Another tip is not to buy a Gigastone 128 gig card.

Once we got all these little details ironed out, the Potensic flew steady and true, just as my original did.  I’ve started to discover new features.  The camera has a zoom!  Pinch and zoom; it’s that simple.  This is going to improve my video making abilities over Lake Huron.

I ordered the option with three batteries.  No matter which version you choose, you will get the equipment you need (minus the micro SD card which only came with the three battery option).  In addition to the controller and all the cables, this version comes with the three batteries (32 minutes life each), and a charging block to simultaneously charge all three batteries and your controller at once!  It all comes in a handy carrying case, with handle.

There are lots of features for me to play with that I haven’t touched yet:  6km transmission distance, visual tracking, pull-away shots, boomerang shots…lots to try out, though I always prefer manual controls.

Check out the videos below and be sure to check back as more are added.  The new Potensic drone is going to drastically improve my video making abilities in 2026.

5/5 stars

 


Calibrating: “SMC” by Def Leppard


Sunrise Test Flight: “Mighty Morris Ten” by Episode Six


High Wind Test Flight: “Next Summer” by Arkells


Final Test Flight & All Bugs Worked Out: “Michigan Left” by Arkells

Mental Health For Metalheads: A Self-Help Book By Metalheads For Metalheads Is Now Live For Sale On Amazon
Mental Health For Metalheads: A Self-Help Book By Metalheads For Metalheads Is Now Live For Sale On Amazon. 50% Of The Profits Go To The Sophie Lancaster Foundation Charity.

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: You’re Gonna Love Our Maiden Bootleg Collections!

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode: You’re Gonna Love Our Maiden Bootleg Collections!

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK bonus episode

If we knew only one thing about Harrison, it is that he loves live music.  Like many fans of live music, Harrison has attained quite a collection of Maiden bootlegs.  Simply put, Harrison’s goal (and Mike’s as well, though not nearly as complete) is to get a live album or bootleg from every Iron Maiden tour.  In the perfect world, we’d both own live versions of every Maiden song ever played live.  There are many, such as “Caught Somewhere In Time”, that were played live but never recorded or released live.  And that where bootlegs come in.

In this episode we look at our “Maiden boots”, all CD unfortunately.  We always like to have a variety of audio formats to show you, but this time all we have is CDs.  But a lot of them, we do have!

Please join us for the premiere – we love to interact in the comments!  See you tonight.

Friday May 29 at  7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

SHOW NOTES:  We only have a couple episodes left to do, but will be taking a break from 50 Years of Iron Maiden for a short time.  Grab A Stack of Rock will continue regularly, and 50 Years of Iron Maiden will return as soon as possible.

 

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

 

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

 

Unboxing Mental Health for Metalheads: The new book by James Neeson (with Johnny Metal)

Have you ever thought about seeking help for any kind of mental health issue, but hate self-help books?  Do you ever feel depressed, sad, lonely or hopeless, without a place to turn?

Fellow music fans, have I got the book for you.

Please join Johnny Metal and I, as we look at the new book Mental Health for Metalheads, by James Neeson.  Folks in these parts might remember “Jimmy” when he was known as kingcrimsonprog here on WordPress.  James has returned, but now with a real published book under his belt.  A book geared towards people like me – folks who love heavy music, but also want to care for our minds.

James Neeson has written a mental health guide book, specifically meant for people like us, who live eat breath sleep music!

Check out the unboxing video below with Johnny Metal!

 

🅻🅸🆅🅴 50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 34: The Book of Souls: Live Chapter – May 22 Show #2

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 34:  The Book of Souls: Live Chapter

A special 🅻🅸🆅🅴 episode

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK episode 149

Harrison and Mike are racing to the end of 50 Years of Iron Maiden!  After the Book of Souls studio album, Iron Maiden reliably provided us with a Live Chapter to mull over.  Featuring a host of new songs and a clutch of classics, The Book of Souls: Live Chapter is a fine retelling of these stories in the live setting.  This one was released in audio and video form, but Maiden declined to release a DVD or Blu-ray.  Instead the live show was given to us for free on YouTube.  Still, we have already had so many live albums and videos to discuss.  What will this Live Chapter offer us this time?

As usual, Mike and Harrison will break down the album track by track.  Harrison will discuss the tour, what songs were played, dropped and never seen again.  Expect our usual thorough approach and maybe a surprise too!

Join us live in the comments – we always appreciate your participation!


Friday May 22 at  7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

 

Handy YouTube Playlist:

 

 

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Science Fiction, UFOS and the Paranormal with author Violeta M Bagia – May 22 Show #1

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Episode – Special Morning Broadcast!

Episode 148:  Science Fiction, UFOS and the Paranormal with author Violeta M Bagia

Please welcome our newest guest!  From Australia, it’s author Violeta M Bagia of Melbourne, who has written a number of science fiction books including her Hart of Darkness series and more.  She is a UFO and paranormal buff and it is our pleasure to host her this morning on Grab A Stack of Rock!

This is a show we have been wanting to do for several years, but circumstances never lined up until now.  The goal was always to do a show about ghosts, UFOs and the unexplained, at the cottage, before it’s light.  We’ve finally found the right guest, and the right time!  For her it’s evening in Australia, but for us, the world is yet to wake up.  We will be live at 6AM sharp, which is 8PM Melbourne time.  We’ve seen and heard some weird stuff in the woods at night.  Now it’s time to share that special hour with the world.

On the schedule for this morning’s show:  The books of Violeta, Area 51, ghost sightings, Bob Lazar and Majestic 12, UFO sightings and much, much more.

This will be a show not to miss.  We still have a live episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden for evening viewers!  Please check it out, and join us live if you’re able!

 

Click above for the link to the show!

Friday May 22 at  6:00 AM EST, 8:00 PM Melbourne.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

#1244: NHL Rock-Paper-Scissors: A New Game I Invented

RECORD STORE TALES #1244: NHL Rock-Paper-Scissors: A New Game I Invented

Jen is deep into the NHL playoffs.  As a Leafs fan, she is unwilling to cheer for the only Canadian team left, the Montreal Canadiens.  She is cheering for Colorado…or something.  She has her justifications, but being forced to watch all these NHL teams that I don’t care about turned into a spontaneous, fun game.

I asked her how the newest team, Utah did this year.  The Utah Mammoth – I love that name!  What a suitable animal for a winter sport.  The mighty Mammoth would stoMp on a Penguin, or a Leaf, and especially a Duck.  Do ducks even do winter?  Do they fly south?  Who thinks of these stupid names?  Sharks don’t survive on snow and ice, they’re a sea animal!  What is so intimidating about a Senator?  Will he give me a paper cut?

“Let’s play a game,” I announced.  “NHL Rock-Paper-Scissors.  I name two NHL teams, and you tell me which one wins, and why.  Like Big Bang Theory but with hockey.”  She eagerly agreed.

The first match:  Oilers vs. Flames.  She thought about it and originally picked the Oilers.  “Why?” I asked.  “Because the oil is the fuel!  It makes the flames bigger…oh wait!  The Flames win!”  She understood the assignment.

Flames vs. Leafs?  Flames burn the Leafs and advance.

Flames vs. Senators?  Senator grabs a fire extinguisher off the wall and advances.

Senators vs. Sabres?   Easy win here for the stabbing Sabres.

Sabres vs Golden Knights?  Knights win due to armor.

Knights vs Sharks?  Knights don’t do well in water and tend to sink.  Shark eats the Knight and advances.

You can see how this was starting to become fun.  This is the kind of thing I think about when Jen’s watching hockey.  How stupid and un-intimidating so many of the team names were.

Sharks vs Kraken:  Jen struggled a bit here first, reasoning that the Shark would eat the Kraken, before realizing that a Kraken had a massive size advantage.  It would swallow the Shark in one bite.  Kraken advances.

From here, the Kraken would demolish most of the NHL.  Goodbye Penguins, Ducks, Panthers, Islanders (what a stupid name – basically just saying, “We’re the New York hockey team from Long Island!”), Canucks (another stupid name – we’re the Canadian team from Vancouver!), Bruins, Kings, and so on.  Very few teams could beat the Kraken, but one.  Certainly not the Hurricanes.  The Kraken would just slip beneath the tempest.  Same if attacked by the Jets.

Kraken vs Lightning:  Lightning electrocutes Kraken and advances.

Lightning vs the Stars:  Stars win easily due to being out of range, and advance.

Stars vs the Blue Jackets:  You can use the jacket to block out the stars.  Jackets advance.

Blue Jackets vs the Blues:  (I set that one up for her on purpose)  She picked the Blues because there is a lot more blue stuff in the world than just jackets.

We had only one simple rule.  You had to be able to explain who wins in one sentence.  With some matchups, Jen was making it too complicated, taking in such considerations as travel time from Seattle to California.  Simplifying it with the one sentence rule made it a lot of fun.

Today we might try it in Major League Baseball.  I don’t think many teams named after birds or socks will do well.  Try your own variations with your favourite league!  Enjoy the fun.

 

#1243: Checking Things Off the List: Creative Works in Early 2026

RECORD STORE TALES #1243: Checking Things Off the List: Creative Works in Early 2026

I have been relatively silent in Spring 2026. Like many of us in these uncertain times, I have been paralyzed when trying to think of the future. This is rare for me. In the past, when I have found myself unable or unwilling to create, I tended to throw the towel in and cry “I quit”! Then more sober minds gently remind me that talking about music is something I’m pretty good at. They tell me it’s OK to take a break without nuking everything. So, this time I haven’t freaked out. I’ve just created at my own pace, and focused what juice I do have on videos. Videos are a different creative process and it feels more immediate to me at the moment.

Every year, twice a year, I try to do something “new” creatively. This could be writing, cooking, or video making.  I can rarely plan ahead or field creative suggestions.  Something new always comes along.  It just happens organically every summer.  Some future summer, I swear, I will take up meat smoking at the cottage, but not this year. This year, a new investment has been made and new equipment acquired in another direction.

Drones came into my life in 2024 when I accumulated enough Amazon points through my work to buy one. I chose the Potensic Atom SE, a great drone for beginners but not with the 4k 3-axis camera that a better drone carries. It was not until I tried both that I appreciated what the better camera can do. In 2025, I had a misadventure with the Ruko company and not one but two of their drones.  While I loved their 4k camera with brushless 3-axis gimble, I didn’t enjoy that their drones are prone to crashing.  My more primitive Potensic didn’t seem to have that weakness.  If only it took better pictures, I mused.

Welcome to 2026, my new Potensic 4k drone with brushless 3-axis gimble.  I upgraded.  My parents enjoy my photos and want to see what I can do with a better camera.  They made it happen.  You can really see the difference.  You’ll see how the horizon is always perfectly level.  That’s the 3-axis gimble.  Thank you mom and dad!

New thing #1 in 2026:  New improved drone.  Check ✔


Music: “SMC” by Def Leppard


Music: “Mighty Morris Ten” by Episode Six, featuring Ian Gillan and Roger Glover of Deep Purple

My summer creative goals are usually cottage goals.  The drones are a perfect example.  You could not ask for a better camera in the most perfect setting.  I’m all about “set” and “setting”, as they say in psychology.  Mindset, and physical setting.  The cottage is the setting that gives me the best conduit to my creative side.  I used to do a lot of animation videos from the lake, and I’d like to return to that.  Since those days, live streaming from the lake is a creative highpoint.   I started in 2020 using a primitive phone and Facebook Live, and they got better year after year, with 2026 being hopefully one of the best.

Because I love the night up at the cottage, and also because strange things have been seen and heard there, I have always wanted to live stream from the spooky dark.  The ideal topic would be UFOs and the paranormal, I reasoned.  I put the idea on the shelf as one that I hadn’t fully formed.  Something to do someday, sometime, if the right circumstances came to be.

In 2025, while in a hospital emergency ward waiting to be seen for a rib injury, I spent my idle time reading the dystopian science fiction of Australian author Violeta M. Bagia.  I remember complimenting the book and comparing it positively to Firefly in tone.  Since that time I’ve learned that Bagia is not only a Blaze Bayley & Wolfsbane fan, but a UFO and paranormal enthusiast.  Due to her location in Australia, her best time happened to fall at 6 AM EST, while the cottage in the woods is just waking up from the pitch black dark.  It became obvious that I had my special guest and my setting for the UFOs and Paranormal episode.  Please welcome to Grab A Stack of Rock on Friday May 22 at 6:00 AM EST:  Violeta M. Bagia!

New thing #2 in 2026:  Finally doing the UFO and Paranormal episode from the cottage.  Check ✔

Coming May 22: Sci-fi, UFOs and the Paranormal with author Violeta M Bagia

But that’s not all.  Harrison and I still have 50 Years of Iron Maiden to wrap up, and we’re so close!  We are ready to cover The Book of Souls: Live Chapter, and as usual we do live albums as live episodes.  Not wanting to delay 50 Years of Iron Maiden another week, I decided to do two shows in one day, at two extremes of the day:  sunrise and sunset!   This isn’t a goal I knew I had, but I’m excited to do it.

New thing #3 in 2026:  Sunrise and Sunset Hour Shows in One Day.  Check ✔

Two Live Show Announcement for May 22 2026

I have a long long weekend coming.  Feeling the strain, we’ll be taking some extra time at the lake that weekend which will give me plenty of time to prepare and do two really good shows.  That always makes me happy.

It’s already late May.  That is rather late in the year for my creative side to start percolating, but start it has.

 

 

 

 

NEW Grab A Stack of Rock theme video – Updated with Joey Suto, Alexploitation, Rob Daniels & more

A long held Grab A Stack of Rock tradition has been to have a theme video with every guest that has ever been on a show.  Today, 56 humans and several animals have appeared on Grab A Stack of Rock, either live or pre-recorded.  The theme video has been updated with newest guests Joey Suto from Rock Show Critique, Alex Winter from Tainted Decibels, and a cool shot of Rob Daniels piloting a Rebel Snowspeeder.  The complete list of all 56 cast members is below (plus the next!).  Thank you for watching as we prepare to wrap up 50 Years of Iron Maiden!

Enjoy the video.

Music & vocals by Tee Bone, remix and guitar solo by Tim Durling.  Writting by M Ladano, J Ladano, T Erickson

  1. Blaze Bayley
  2. Harrison Kopp
  3. Mike Ladano
  4. Eric “Uncle Meat” Litwiller
  5. Aaron KMA
  6. Tim Durling
  7. Rob Daniels
  8. John T Snow
  9. Marco D’Auria
  10. Grant Arthur
  11. Brian Richards
  12. Joelle M&H
  13. Kevin Simister
  14. Dr. Kathryn
  15. Jen Ladano
  16. Grace Scheele
  17. Jex Russell
  18. Spencer “Spenny” Rice
  19. Nurse Kat
  20. Peter Kerr
  21. John Clauser
  22. Erik Woods
  23. Jason Drury
  24. Pierre-Luc Allard
  25. Len Labelle
  26. Reed Little
  27. Metal Roger
  28. John the Music Nut
  29. Mike Slayen
  30. Pete Jones
  31. Todd Evans
  32. James Kalyn
  33. Angie Moon
  34. Ryan Gavalier
  35. Chris Preston
  36. Dan Chartrand
  37. Glen “Archie” Gamble
  38. bicyclelegs
  39. Davey Cretin
  40. Melissa Nee
  41. Sidney George Cini
  42. Ashley Geisler
  43. Martin Popoff
  44. Bert Blotto
  45. F Lee Harvey Blotto
  46. Bowtie Blotto
  47. Broadway Blotto
  48. Jake Not From State Farm
  49. Bob Cesca (Camp Chaos)
  50. Lana Teramae
  51. Robert Lawson
  52. Harper (with Oscar)
  53. D’Arcy Briggs
  54. Alex Winter
  55. Joey Suto
  56. and (briefly) Max the Axe

And next:

57. Violeta M. Bagia

Rock Daydream Nation: Building the perfect Iron Maiden setlist!

Harrison and I have two shows to promote today!  Premiering this morning with Rock Daydream Nation, we join Peter Kerr to discuss our “perfect” Iron Maiden setlists!

We approached this from a fun perspective.  We picked personal favourites from our Maiden wishlists, and went from there!  Realism was not our concern.  How did we do?  We look forward to your feedback!

Premiering Friday May 15 at 10 AM EST!  Join us!