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Late July drone videos Pt 1

The two videos below were taken with my new Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus drone.  There are more coming that I need to edit!

The first video features an altitude record of about 380 feet.  The second video was taken while Jen was swimming!

PRODUCT LINK:  Get yours on Amazon today.

 

MUSIC:  Memory of Water (Big Beat Mix) by Marillion

MUSIC:  Everybody Wants To Rule the World by Tears for Fears

This video below was made using my light Potensic Atom 4k drone.  I wanted to do some “stunt flying” which you shouldn’t really do with a pro drone when people are around.  The Potensic is perfect for that feeling of flying!

MUSIC:  Traveling Riverside Blues by Led Zeppelin

 

 

 

 

REVIEW: Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus drone

PRODUCT LINK:  Get yours on Amazon today.

RUKO F11PRO 2 Plus drone

Are you ready to level up your drone videos?  If you have been wanting to fly higher, further, faster and capture amazing videos while doing it, then the Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus might be the perfect fit for you.  All you need to get started is a micro SD card (to record video) and a phone.  This drone is 360 grams, so you will also need to register it, which can be done in minutes.  Check your local regulations.

The drone comes with two batteries which give you a flight time of 35 minutes each, depending on conditions.  This is longer than the average drone, usually good for 20 to 30 minutes.  You will also receive all the cables for any phone connection, spare propellers, and replacement tools.  Not to be underrated, the drone also comes with a paper manual instead of a PDF file.  The included controller is sleek, with a small digital screen feeding you information about battery life, GPS connection strength, distance and altitude.  It is easy to learn how to fly, and once calibrated, the drone is extremely stable.  If you take it straight up, you can bring it straight down with minimal drift.  The running lights make it easier to spot in the sky.  In hand, it feels strong, sturdy and robust.

If you’re already familiar with drones and their features, you probably want to know all about the camera.  The videos in this review (at bottom) are their own testimony.

Video and photo quality are unparalleled.  With photos at 8k UHD, and video footage at 4k and 30 fps, you will capture smoother, sleeker, clearer images than ever before.  The camera offers a 5X digital zoom as well.  When you take these videos and play them on a high definition display, it will feel as if you are flying.  The three-axis brushless gimbal is key to the smooth feel of these videos.  Whether you are maneuvering your drone, adjusting the camera angle, or doing both at once, the videos are completely smooth and always level.  Even in windy conditions, you won’t notice any shake on video.   The drone will remain steady as you capture the images with all your creativity unleashed.  The special sauce might actually be the Sony lens, for top colour reproduction and light capturing.  The videos demonstrate this incredible life-like colour reproduction.

The drone has many features you can access through the phone app.  Taking off and landing in one touch?  Got it.  The controls include a high powered “sport mode” with extra responsive controls, to handle higher wind situations.  If it loses signal or a battery runs too long, it will automatically “return to home” (a point you can set) and land.  Range?  10,000 feet!

Features aside, one thing you can’t appreciate about this drone by reading specs and manuals is just how fun it is to fly.  There is so much satisfaction in pulling the sticks back and starting the motors.  Then pushing the stick forward and watching the drone rise.  Feeling the controls and seeing the response from the drone, as it responds precisely to every movement.  Then letting it loose, and watching it speed confidently away, but always under complete control.  Release the stick, and the drone hovers still, awaiting your next command.

Equally as fun is working with the flawless videos you will capture.  No more editing around shaky moments.  Every detail becomes clear.  In particular, I enjoy discovering details that I didn’t notice while flying.  Whether it’s an accompanying seagull or the vivid deep blue of water, every flight seems to reveal new details about the world around us.

We could talk about the night mode, where you can capture better images in the dark.  We could discuss the Optical Flow Positioning feature, which allows the drone to navigate by its own built-in cameras when the GPS goes out.  There’s even an infrared sensor to measure distances for low-altitude flight.  There’s a GPS follow feature, programmable routes, and more.  Still, there is no topping the sheer satisfaction you get from performing a perfect, flawless manual landing.

After a thorough series of flights, there is only one feature that I wish this drone had.  I love the 5x zoom feature, but I wish there was an external control for it.  You have to tap a button, select “zoom”, and adjust it via the phone screen.  A zoom dial on the side would have been perfect!

If you are ready to take your drone flights to another level (literally) and come back with brilliant 4K footage, then the Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus is what you need.  When you fly it yourself and see the results, you’ll understand.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Ruko U11MINI 4K(RC3) drone

PRODUCT LINK:  Get yours on Amazon today.

RUKO U11MINI 4K(RC3) drone

Interested in flying a drone, but don’t know where to start?  What you need is something easy and intuitive, that doesn’t require registration, and comes with everything you need to get going, in one package.  I present to you the new Ruko U11MINI 4K(RC3) drone.  In one handy case, you can get flying in minutes without having to use your phone.  Because this drone is under 250 grams, you don’t need to register it.

Let’s unpack the convenient carrying case.  Inside you’ll find a paper user manual (always superior to PDF files), your drone, some spare propellers, charging cables, batteries, and the secret weapon:  the RC3 controller with built in 5.5″ screen.  With no need to connect and pair with a phone, the controller connects to the drone automatically on startup.  The antennae fold away neatly, and the controller offers programmable buttons along with the standard controls.  No more worrying about your phone battery, or the phone overheating.

Once you have everything charged to full, you’re ready to get flying.  The drone has a range of up to 6 km, and is able to capture 8K photo resolution and 4K video recording.  Speaking of video, you get a crisp 3-axis brushless gimbal for stable, smooth, and high-quality footage.  You can see a sample video below.

The U11MINI 4K features a cruise control function for easy flying.  It works just like your car – just hit it, and the drone will continue along that flight path and speed.  There is an advanced positioning system, with GPS, a barometric altitude hold, optical flow positioning and TOF positioning for times when the GPS signal is weak.  You’ll achieve more stable low-altitude flight, and smoother landings, as I did on my first flight.  The drone has three speeds:  low, medium and high (“sport mode”).  The sport mode can be used in windier conditions, to give the drone more responsive power.  There is an automatic return to home feature, if the drone loses signal or the battery runs low.

There are several intelligent flight modes.  GPS follow is a common one, allowing the drone to automatically follow your position on the ground.  There are also programmable routes, and an image follow feature.  You can have the drone follow an object that you select on the touch screen.  You can also have it circle around a point of interest.

You can choose to store your video footage on a micro SD card (not included), but you don’t have to.  Videos can be stored on the controller, which can be connected to a Wi-fi network.  From there you can upload your footage to a Google drive account, without having to worry about cards.  This makes the drone extremely attractive for beginners who don’t have extra micro CD cards sitting around.

One of the most underrated features of this drone is the camera zoom feature.  With a simple dial on the side, you can quickly zoom in and out, as demonstrated in the video below.  The simplicity of this control makes you wonder why every drone doesn’t have one.

For beginners, this drone is the ideal, logical launching point.  Grab one on Amazon today, and you’ll be in the air in no time.

5/5 stars

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

VIDEO: INCOMING!!! Mega Mail & a Holy Grail!!

After my ill fated dumpster dive, I cheered myself up by opening some mail!  In this video, you will see my surprise as I open:

  • One parcel from Australia, courtesy of the Mad Metal Man, containing bonus tracks and a Holy Grail CD I have wanted since 1999.
  • One parcel from Amazon, featuring a new release that dropped from $30 to $20.
  • A science fiction book by an Australian author.
  • A surprise from Mr. Durling!  A band that he recently published a new book on…

You can hear in my voice how my injured body is weakened…but not defeated!

 

#1222: Replacement Ruko

RECORD STORE TALES #1222: Replacement Ruko

Earlier in 2025, I was sent a new drone to test.  I was very excited to receive my U11Mini 4k drone from Ruko, but struggled to keep it flying straight.  I crashed it once in the summer.  I thought my issues were due to user error, weather, or bad calibration.  I didn’t think it was due to a faulty drone.  I tried it once more in early October.  The flight started well enough, but I lost control of the drone during the return. It started veering to the left and losing altitude. I managed to bring it back to the beach and land it in the sand, but I thought for sure it was going to hit the water or trees.

I figured three strikes and you are out – I didn’t plan to fly the Ruko again, despite its awesome 4k camera and ability to hold a level image even if the drone is flying on a 35 degree angle.  I packed it up.  My dad talked me into changing my mind.

“Why don’t you just contact their customer support?” he asked.

“Because this drone was a free review copy,” I answered simply.   “I did the review and gave it a passing mark.”  As a creative individual, I like to make my own videos, and edit them how I please.  Working with Ruko, they encouraged me to film different landmarks and objects from the drone.  I prefer working independently on my videos, so I didn’t really want to go back to them.  Yet, my dad was right.  What harm could come from submitting a ticket for customer support?

Ruko came through.  All they asked for was the flight log for the most recent video where I encountered troubles. You can see in the video below, I flew fine and straight for the outbound flight. Upon my return, the drone started veering off to the left, and losing altitude. I could not control it, but barely managed to land it in the sand without hitting the water, rocks, or trees. Ruko had a look at the flight log and determined that it was not user error. They offered to send me a new drone!

“Just the bare drone,” they said, and I agreed.  I didn’t need new batteries, a new case, or a new controller.  Just the drone itself.

Two days later, there was a parcel!  And it wasn’t just the bare drone.  It was the whole package – cables, case, batteries, controller, and everything else you need.  I now had two complete drone sets, one that didn’t work and one that was brand new out of the box!

The only unfortunate thing is the time of year.  I let Ruko know that in Canada, it was fall turning into winter, and the window for good flying days was over.  They said “no problem”.

While I still have not had a chance to test the new Ruko drone, I can give their customer service a 5/5 star rating.  Fast, hassle-free and helpful.  Hopefully I will get a chance to fly again before the spring.  If not, thank you Ruko and we’ll see you next year!

 

CRASH!  Language!

REVIEW: Ruko U11MINI 4K Drone

Buy yours on Amazon!

Ruko U11MINI 4K Drone

Are you ready to level up in your photography or drone flying game?  The brand new Ruko U11MINI 4K is the drone for you.  Best of all, it weighs under 249 grams, which means you don’t need a license to fly it.  Just open the package, read the manual, charge the batteries and launch.

Opening the box, I was delighted to find not one, but two paper manuals!  The full User Manual, and a Quick Guide.  This is a huge step up from having to read a pdf file on your screen.  The inclusion of a paper manual will make all the difference to some users.  Also included are two batteries (roughly 32 minutes flight time each) and all the USB cables needed to charge and fly, no matter what kind of phone you use.  The controller is sleek and features two comfortable and detachable control sticks.  It comes in a handsome and sturdy carrying case for storage and transport.  It also has a plastic camera cover to protect the 4K camera (EIS with gimbal, like a 3-axis brushless gimbal with EIS).  You will be able to capture 8K pictures and 4K@30fps video.  All you need to provide yourself is a smartphone and a micro SD card to record all that lovely video you’re going to get.  And don’t forget to download the appropriate app to your device!

An important step is to make sure your phone is set for USB file transfer mode.  Google the steps for your phone to do this.  Your phone mounts sturdily to the controller, and connects via the included USB-C cable.  You can transfer photos and videos straight to your phone.  When powering on and pairing, be sure to calibrate the GPS and gyroscope.  Give it time for the GPS to lock on.

With this powerful camera at hand, you can record hi-definition video or photos at the touch of a button.  Thanks to the camera’s clever gimbal, it will always take level photos no matter the wind conditions.  No need to straighten and crop videos or photos with this drone.  It can even record audio!

For what I have been used to, this drone is far more powerful, and I am not talking about the camera.  The motors are faster and can go way further:  394 feet altitude, which is double what I’ve flown before.  Without obstructions, it can transmit a signal up to 20,000 feet distance.  I will be able to fly further, and see clearer, than ever before!  There is even a 5x digital zoom available.  It is far faster than my old drone, so be careful with your velocity!

With the app on your phone, you will unlock a multitude of features for this drone.  GPS follow, and path planning are two such features.  Auto return and setting your own custom maximum altitude and distance will help keep your drone safe as you learn.  You can also have it return to a safe home point when the battery is low.  You can even program a path with up to 16 checkpoints.  Feeling uncertain about landings?  This drone has an AI takeoff and landing system (using GPS, barometric altitude hold, optical flow, and TOF positioning) for smooth takeoffs and landings.  Like all drones, one must be careful in heavy wind.  Due to unseasonable bad weather here in Canada, I have not had many great days to fly safely in the spring of 2025.  As I fly the drone and experiment with its abilities, I will add more videos to this space.  Bookmark it and check back for more videos.

Some tips:

1. Keep the drone in sight when flying to avoid getting lost.

2. Don’t fly too close to the surface, to water, or to trees.

3. Use a large open area to fly in, with good GPS reception.

People are loving my drone footage from the Ruko U11MINI 4K!  From Owen:

“You’ve really got me considering purchasing this drone, Mike. I love your footage in both videos, it’s under 249g. Beautiful shots, Mr. Ladano.”

Take it from me, you’re going to love the Ruko U11MINI 4K drone.

Get one today on Amazon!

5/5 stars

Check back for more videos to be added this summer.

Adventures in Epilepsy – Special Re-Formatted Episode – Tonight Jun 13 7:00 PM EST

Originally broadcast on Oct 2, 2020 as two streams totaling 2 hours and 12 minutes.  This new version has been re-focused down to a perfect 50 minute show.

In October of 2020, right in the thick of the pandemic, Jen had a seizure at a local fast food restaurant.  She fell and broke her arm.  We decided to make that week’s episode of the LeBrain Train all about epilepsy awareness.  While we did our best, we had technical difficulties that night, and the episode didn’t turn out like we hoped.

It’s funny to go back and watch live streams from five years ago.  So much has changed since then.   The original 2020 show was split into two live streams as some viewers reported that the Facebook feed was freezing, so we stopped and re-started.  Additionally, the original show was live and off the cuff, and was interrupted several times.  This new edit has all the epilepsy content in one stream.  As such, Adventures in Epilepsy episode has never been presented as one cohesive video before.

Hear all about missing out on a free U2 concert, having to leave movies and shows early with no refunds, and nearly walking into traffic!  Also hear the lighter side of seizures.  We learned early on, if you can’t laugh at these things, you’re doomed.

Join us tonight as we educate and illuminate living with epilepsy.  Though a lot has changed since 2020, the experiences remain raw and true.  Health has improved since then, which we also touch on with additional narration recorded in 2025.

Jen herself appeared in this episode, as good a sport as any.  Good friend and author Aaron Lebold joined the show that night to discuss his own experiences with epilepsy, which he seems to have grown out of in his adult life.  Rob Daniels from Visions in Sound and Kevin Simister from Buried On Mars also joined the show at the end to say hello.  Though most of their parts were cut to shorten and focus the episode (some unboxings and other outdated content were cut), we always appreciate their support.

Check out this special re-amplified episode tonight at 7:00 PM EST on the Grab A Stack of Rock live streams.

Top three musicians with epilepsy

1. Prince.  The royal single-monikered one was born epileptic and suffered a lot of taunting at school.  He obviously came a long way from there

2. Adam Horovitz.  This Beastie Boy is sensitive to flashing lights, which I am sure they use in their stage show.  It certainly didn’t seem to hold him back from massive success.

3. Neil Young.  He was medicated for epilepsy as a child, but didn’t like the side effects of the meds, which can go all over the spectrum depending on you and your meds.  Neil chose to make lifestyle changes instead, and has lived without medication since!  And, obviously, rocked the world.  Good on you Neil.

#1170: The Smaller the Better – Christmas 2024

RECORD STORE TALES #1170: The Smaller the Better – Christmas 2024

2024 was one of our smallest Christmas gatherings, both in budget and in population, but it was certainly one of my happiest.

Sometimes everything just feels right, and this year’s Christmas Eve was held back at the old family home once again.  It was the first Christmas Eve there in over a decade, but that’s my happy place at Christmas.  A place I can feel comfortable.  After all, it was my home for 29 years.  I settled in with my dad and watched Superman the Movie while Jen made cookies.  We awaited the arrival of my mom, Dr. Kathryn, and a few dogs.

Jen knit custom gifts for the dogs (shawls, mittens and hats).  She also knit custom shawls for the ladies, and toques for the men.  I love mine.

As an introvert, I do well in small groups.  Dinner was the traditional beef fondue (or chicken or schnitzel), with bonus vegan options.  I brought over some special flavoured salts and hot sauces to sample.

We did that Christmas “white elephant” game, or whatever you want to call it.  The “$10 gift game” is another name for it.  Initially, I won this cool set of chocolate “coffee bombs”.  I made it very clear how happy I was with it, and that I intended to make myself a coffee as soon as I got home.  I spotted one with little marshmallows and relished the idea of it.  Then my mom went next and stole it.  I stole it back when I had the chance, and then she stole it again at first opportunity.  The funny coda to this story is that after Jen and I got home, we put on a “Best of Saturday Night Live” show and there was a sketch featuring the exact same game.  One character was complaining that it was a mean-spirited game, because he had received the perfect gift for himself, and someone stole it.  I called my mom to laugh about that.  The story doesn’t end there.

Christmas day featured some sleeping in and some Marvel What If? on Disney+.  SPOILER this episode featured a Kiss song as an integral part of the story, and even had a line of dialogue from Howard the Duck explaining that the song was written by Kiss in 1979.

I won the $25 Amazon gift card at the “Christmas pickle” game.  I wasn’t even going to participate, but after seeing Jen and Dr. Kathryn getting nowhere, I entered the fray.  I quickly boxed Dr. Kathryn into a corner, where she was unable to see the front of the tree, where my mom had announced the pickle to be.  Once spotted, I used the pickle to order the new Van Halen For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge box set.  It’ll be here Saturday.

There were some really cool items in my grab bag this Christmas.

I had hoped someone would get me Brothers by Alex Van Halen, and Dr. Kathryn came to the rescue there.  It’s a beautiful looking book, and emotional too from what I have read while skipping through.

Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys has a new album out with standards new and old:  Longhauler: The Best of Bubbles and the Shitrockers.  If you need to ask, don’t.  I was surprised that the album was produced and engineered by Eddie Kramer!

Queen’s A Night at the Odeon (1975) is another album that came highly recommended.  I wishlisted it and it magically appeared in my stocking thanks to my parents.  It looks like a winner.

Finally, some anniversary editions from Jen:  Judas Priest’s Rocka Rolla, and Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry.  Rocka Rolla is probably the best album remix I have heard in my life.  Tom Allom pretty much just made the album sound like itself, but beefier.  As if you had always heard it distant and muffled, and now you can hear it fully for the first time.  As if you just got a new stereo and are hearing this music properly for the first time.  As for Twisted, I find it funny that I already own the 30th anniversary edition, with a very different set of bonus music.

Of interest:  this is probably the 3rd time I have received Rocka Rolla for Christmas.  It is my 2nd for Stay Hungry at Christmas time.

As usual, I received some treats and games, including two more editions of Uno to play at the cottage this summer.  My mom got me some Trailer Park Boys pickle flavoured chips, and who knew that such a thing existed?

As for my mom, she used to do this thing when we were kids, where she would take a larger box of candy and split it up into smaller gifts that could fit into stockings.  She did that for me this year…with her chocolate coffee bombs that she got the night before.  She gave me one of each flavour, since I had called about the Saturday Night Live sketch.  Thanks mom.  You win this time.

Hope everyone had as merry a Christmas as we did!

VIDEO: “Bang!” It took Mike 35 years to get this rock CD…

Some albums just fall by the wayside.  Here’s a CD that came out 35 years ago, and I just never got around to.

This album, from a new hard rock band, was on my radar due to involvement from some people in the circles of Bon Jovi.  It was scarce in these parts, either unseen on the shelves of local stores, or left sitting in favour of other purchases.

Another thing about the summer of 1989 is that there were few quality record stores at the cottage 35 years ago.  Now, I just have to find what I want on Amazon, and new music is on its way to me while I wait for it on the front porch.  Absolutely amazing.  Tell that to 17 year old Mike in July ’89!