2019 Underwater Drone GLADIUS Mini 4K ROV Review - Part 3 - [In-Depth OCEAN TEST, Pros & Cons]

[@WW2HistoryHunter]

The Gladius Mini is one very good exploring tool for sure. It is probably so far the ONLY underwater ROV for consumers that actually keeps what it promises. We have used it now for some time and it is just FANTASTIC. Thanks for sharing.

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

Thank you for the kind words! We are doing our best to create quality marine products

[@chuckmorton5730]

I made mine even more stable by wire tying a snap swivel to the rear vertical fin and another to the tether so that the pull was directly behind the Mini as opposed to pulling on the top. This also takes the strain off of the connector in the event you had to pull it back manually.

[@WINTERMUTE_AI]

Is the FAA going to regulate this thing too? Never know, a plane could crash into the ocean and run into it... Scary shit!

[@DustinDunnill]

😂 love it. Likely the coast guard and DLNR here in the US. You never know... a little sub like this could sink the Titanic 🙄

[@Sam-cp6so]

Just wait until a broken communications line ends up in a law enforcement boat prop

[@seangreene64]

Stop being dicks.

[@djjoshua007]

The DNR told me no problem here in Utah. just keep the ROV away from inlets to the lake and use my best judgment ie keeping to away from active boats etc.

[@isailwind3471]

Dustin Dunn strap a stick with some beef jerky on it, you'd get some really good fish shots i bet.

[@joseluisbranconunes]

Dustin! Loving your videos... I got a gladius mini for testing and a powerray from powervision! Thanks for your videos? Props from Portugal!

[@Icantdrive55]

Been missing your reviews, nice to see you are back at it. You have such a beautiful place to fly with drones and dive with subs. 🤙

[@hfxdronepilot9022]

Ive been looking around for an underwater ROV and I wasn't impressed what Ive seen for the prices but this one looks great and awesome video....Thanks so much! AND I subscribed cause want to see more videos.....I live in canada and this is something I would use up here come summer...I also fly a Mavic 2 Zoom :)

[@BBooka]

I think this is another great submarine. You have also great places for shooting great videos, reviews.

[@gdhall5311]

Beautiful Dustin, the best yet. Maybe a gimbal similar to the Parrot Anafi with the camera in closed that can move all of the way up and down.

[@JoeMicalizziMPC]

Especially appreciated your picture in picture and good narrative while shooting. Good production value.

[@brentmadison2173]

Subscribed! We're here on the Big Island and can think of all sorts of practical applications for it. Would the lens cover fit filters? Like all unfiltered video, as soon as you're under about 6 feet you gotta love blue... Thanks and looking forward to seeing more.

[@DustinDunnill]

Thanks. I don't think this one has filter attachment yet but the software is getting better at color filtering and you can also manually control settings in app and in post.

[@IzakGt]

I have no need for an underwater drone but I stayed here until the end and that is some pretty cool tech.

[@mrguitman99]

Like you said, by far the best sub video and stability wise. Not to mention you are an awesome pilot also. Great review. 2 thumbs up in my book.

[@bugged120]

Incredible review and location to do so. I love Hawaii and you show us how impressive it is in the air and underwater. Keep up the great content!

[@joecarnes9174]

Wow that turtle! He totally came and checked you out ha ha that was too cool! Thank you for another great video and review!

[@AquaMarine1000]

Use the light to colour balance the image. The red spectrum from sun light is filled out through the first inches of water, that's why underwater footage looks blue. I hope this helps.

[@MnPaul1]

I looks quite good. It will be interesting to see what it does in calm water. I think the fish were attracted by the colors/shape of the sub. It also moves in a similar manner.

[@davieb68]

Is this a full time gig? Very cool under water shots . Might look into one of these this coming up summer off the pontoon boat 👍

[@comedyshane123]

Great review Dustin but what I think would be great on that sub and other subs is a camera on the belly looking straight down. You could switch between the 2 cameras and even split screen

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

That's been discussed for future models

[@MrBofB]

The cost is $1500. The clarity is top notch. I never saw stick movements on the controller so I'm assuming it's like a drone. I can see where this is a useful tool and a lot of fun for a hobby. Thanks for sharing Dustin!

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

its pretty much just like flying a drone underwater

[@RYNUS-vc9cw]

@@ChasingUnderwaterDrones With a tether

[@ConceptNull]

Guys please answer me this. Is there possibility to change stick input mode like in DJI drones... I fly Mode 3 which is like you swap left and right stick on regular drone(Mode 2).. I that possible on MINI S??? So i need roll and pitch on left stick, and yaw and up/down on right stick.. @@ChasingUnderwaterDrones

[@raybone3]

Nice video! As a 15 year veteran with work class subs, I am impressed with this mini. I like the positive buoyant tether (especially when flying around all that coral), which is not possible on deepwater work class subs. The tether tug could be greatly reduced if there was a swivel or knuckle at the connection joint. A tether reel would be great, since you are introducing "turns" in your tether as you are paying it out. However, a tether reel would not be very cost effective in this price range because it would require a "slip ring" connection to prevent twisting of the tether when paying out and hauling in. But, I still want one!!! Thanks again for the video!

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

Thanks for your comments and suggestions!

[@andrescamacho3937]

I am looking for a tether reel solution. What is a slip ring?

[@hfxdronepilot9022]

Enjoying your videos of the GLADIUS MINI

[@phantomse3jockey392]

use it to find all the lost Mavics ;-)

[@the.original.throwback]

Wow! I haven't tried my Gladius Mini yet but your reviews are reassuring that I made a wise purchase. I hope to get some Puget Sound footage and will share it, too. By the way, superb helpers are hard to find and are worth lots of ice cream. You're a lucky dad. Jess

[@RachelBEaston]

We bought one for Puget Sound exploration too. So far its been great!

[@grahamhardy4698]

Very in-depth as usual, brilliant,thanks Dustin 😀.

[@Ihaveausernametoo]

Good review, nice to see when it's a bit of a current. Seems the longer the tether the bigger risk of it pulling? Only logical. The weight of the cable in relation to the weight of the ROV. They are sending you these for review right? You're not buying them?

[@crd1105]

gr8 video ...like always ....big fan!!....hey dustin did u find ur drone u lost?

[@DustinDunnill]

Not yet but still looking 😂😌

[@frankygoestocanada]

Very nice review. I'm glade to have find your chanel. By the way, a fishing net would help you to grab the sub from a rocky "beach" like that, no?

[@KenKneknaneek]

Great video thanks for sharing it. Make yourself a spool with a winding handle like a fishing reel and see how easy it is to wind the line in and pay it out with no problems. Trying to wind that line back on that stick is going to cause so many loops in the line. Happy Fish Finding lol

[@davidhronowski5114]

Awesome, great place to do an real underwater test. Looks like a lot of fun.

[@michaelgoetz9405]

Santa brought us a Gladius last week and we received both the old light control box everyone's been critical of, and a new improved heavy duty control box. Thanks for listening and upgrading, Chasing!

[@vr30hip]

This is actually awesome. I think I’ll get one for myself

[@RG-zs9xn]

For perspective relative to the remote unit, can you share what size tablet you were using please? Thanks much for the excellent review of the Gladius Mini!

[@DustinDunnill]

its a 10inch ipad air2

[@hfxdronepilot9022]

Hey Dustin.....I decided to buy the Gladius Mini with extra tether and the backpack.... Waiting on delivery now...cant wait...so pumped...Thanks for all the video you have done on the mini, they made me decide this purchase

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

thanks for your support. If you have any questions feel free to let us know or join our facebook group you can find lots of useful info there

[@adamwatson3029]

Thank you for the video, some of the most incredible pictures,,,you live in paradise 👍

[@ChrisFredriksson]

Thank you for this wonderful video! Love the turtle, so amazing to see. Sure you have Animal Planet, KZbin and whatever.. but nothing this "private" and personal. Awesome video!!

[@didactylos4diddy474]

That's far and away better than anything to date especially given the shallow water turbulence around the coral. And it's such a small package. This would be great for a boat club for inspecting moorings, boat hulls and just for fun.

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

Exactly the direction we are heading. Vertical commercial applications.

[@10Lifeorg]

Very cool. You should have had mask, snorkel, and fins in case that tether got snagged. It would probably do better if it has side propulsion to prevent drifting.

[@sassmate879]

So if I wanted to use it in a place with no current, I won’t need the tether? Right?

[@MrKosyag]

Hi! Nice review! What can you recommend to buy today: this one or PowerRay (and why)?

[@darkshadowii4765]

Great review, I've been waiting for this one since the unboxing a while back and the tank test. Now I want one!! Is $1800 the best price on these? (from their site)

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

The price is $1499.00 for 50m tether and $1599.00 for 100m tether

[@filiped7298]

Best Subnautica graphics I've ever seen!

[@DustinDunnill]

Sanaiya loves that game 😂

[@Thunderbyrd.]

Very cool, I like the way the telemetry is laid out on the screen.

[@ResoRonnie]

That's so beautiful. But you live in Hawaii. I don't think I would have the same experience in So Cal oceans.

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

There are places in California that are almost as beautiful. Tide pools along the coast are great places to dive and explore

[@cawaynesti]

Hi Dustin, I’m on the Big Island and this video makes me want to give it a try. It looks like you’ve tested a few underwater drones, which one do you prefer?

[@eastaronline2504]

It is amazing underwater world!Thanks for sharing👍

[@lh9824]

Wow! Great review,. Maybe you could go through all the pros and cons of this model vs the others but I kinda of did it myself after watching this. Thx!

[@isabellecarbonell2109]

Dustin - GREAT review. Thanks so much! I have a question for you or anyone else: could I stick a GoPro 7, which is much more stable, on top of the drone to get additional video? I want to film some jellyfish blooms from below, pointing straight up to the water surface, so I need another kind of angle than the Gladius offers, but I still want to use something like the Gladius for other shots. Do you think the Gladius could support the weight of a gopro? I would probably use a combination of attachments - industrial velcro/a sticky/and tie the gopro to the drone as a backup in case it came off.

[@DustinDunnill]

Yes you can. Since the mini has depth hold and stabilization it will work with a GoPro attached at the expense of a little more power usage for the added weight and surface area.

[@alibostanmusic1964]

Wow. Thanks man. Never seen such a thing. It was cool. Great video.

[@JSKCKNIT]

Great review! The shots of the turtle sold me on getting one!!

[@DenonGregory]

Coolest freaking video! This is amazing! I really enjoyed this. Thanks Dustin!

[@DustinDunnill]

Thanks. I always have so much fun making my sub ocean reviews 👍

[@GARE0HIO]

Dustin do you ever encounter weeds ? How do you handle it if you do ?

[@DustinDunnill]

Not where I dive, but I hear you don't want to be near them or they really clog the propellers on any ROV 🍻

[@metamera]

Really great review. have you been using it more? I mean this video is about two years old now. Does it still work? Have you found any drawbacks? I'm actually looking to buy a new ROV. I have a Powerray, but I'm not really happy with how it performs, so the Gladius Min is what have caught my eye. Do you know if there has come out any better options since this was released? A lot of questions, but I hope you can answer some of them. Thanks /Marten

[@DustinDunnill]

The mini is an excellent choice just stay out of sand. My only maintenance was removing motors to flush fine sand out as it will interfere with the rotation 🍻

[@MrAllenMo]

Great vid, but did I miss how long the tether is? Definitely a no go on the NY/NJ coast, unless you like green water😁 Great job Senaia 🤙 Keep it up Dustin, and thank you 🤙

[@DustinDunnill]

2 options on tether length up to 100meters

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

@Justin Voluck Its not as frustrating as it seems. Our spool at this point isn't the best option but it works decently. Lots of guys are using rolling spools for garden hoses.

[@z5teve]

I wonder if you could mount a HERO 7 Black on top then you would have some image stabilisation.

[@DustinDunnill]

Definitely possible 👍

[@codylee1682]

Cool ROV. I operate commercial rovs offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Cool to see a small one like this.

[@TechyRodsWire]

I love this! I bet off a boat can get some beautiful underwater footage

[@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen]

Interesting bit of kit. I'm not sure how confident I would be using one of these in the place we are heading out to in a couple of weeks - Shark Bay :)

[@oliverwilkinson5773]

Be great to get shots of the basking sharks :)

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

I would be totally confident. Sharks are more curious than looking to eat the drone

[@DaisyHe-p5g]

Dustin, You live in a beautiful place! May I know the quality and resolution of Mini’s images and videos?

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

Mini resolution specs. 4k @30 1080@ 24, 30, 60, 120

[@kellydollinger3403]

I’m curious why the tether? Couldn’t it be more like a flying drone? Cool vid! Awesome sub!

[@DustinDunnill]

Interesting idea. I wouldn't want to have to worry about the battery of tether drone that's flying though 😂👍

[@ChampagneCAPO]

scottykardos couldn’t they mimic the same communication technology that subs use or is that too advance and not ready for the consumer market?

[@HendersonHookin]

whats your feeling on the gladius mini? seriously considering one. You have a hook for yours? I also see in some videos I see a reel for the tether

[@DustinDunnill]

There is the new Chasing M2 out now which can have a grabber arm and auto reel for tether. I'll hopefully be reviewing it soon. You may want to have a look at it 🍻

[@MrJohnnybalboa]

Beautiful video and great review as always!

[@rockinrowdy13]

Hey Dustin...just curious here...you do all these tests/reviews..do these companies let you KEEP what you are reviewing??? :-) If so you must have a TON of toys!

[@DustinDunnill]

Some I can keep, some they require me to send back. It's all negotiable 🍻

[@mattdelisle817]

All your Vids are Great!! Well explained and Great Footage!! Thanks

[@paulfoley8524]

thanks for a great video..I'm shopping for a sub..sold me on this one

[@digibreakthe1st12]

How is the picture quality of the camera ..this look epic

[@weld4200]

one thing u have not done that i have seen so far is a nite time vid on one of ur rov.s maybe u should do that for the people that look for the lighting aspect. sometimes the darkness of night can be your friend

[@AusMarineRobotics]

folding a half loop in the tether near the gladius with a small length of flexible rubber attached to each side may increase stability (need to be careful of snagging though).

[@IrmasDemais]

Very cool. I love it! Thanks for sharing the experience.

[@mulbahkollie3158]

Hi

[@jimj6916]

If the line was cut by a boat going by....would the sub return to the surface ? Great video...

[@DustinDunnill]

It should depending on how deep it is.

[@jimj6916]

Take it down 30 ft and cut the power off and let me know.....if it does not float to surface.....i would add something to it to return to surface....to much money to lose on a guess ....

[@jacobdavidcunningham1440]

8:18 this is awesome one day I hope to work with autonomous underwater drones (not saying that's what's in the video) I just like the underwater exploring/mapping aspect 20:20 wonder if they could apply those color correcting algos make the photo look more vibrant 21:53 damn that's a mouthful "humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa" wonder if it has dynamic ballast, I imagine much quieter than thrusters

[@sv9102]

Hey Dustin, do you think it would be possible to have the drone come to the surface of the water whilst tilted up at a 45 degree angle to capture things above the surface of the water? I'm just thinking about cinematic reveals, coming from the depths up to show the surface - I'd need the camera to come just above the water. Thank you!

[@DustinDunnill]

Only for a brief second. Although you could mount another camera on top for that if you wanted 🍻

[@unverifiedbiotic]

Wonder how often these will get eaten after they'll become more widespread. Shark repellent included?

[@jasonmachula1472]

Could you make a floating rig to help keep the tether above the ROV? Maybe that would help with the tug from the tether.

[@DustinDunnill]

The tether is automatically slightly buoyant 🍻

[@emotodude]

Awesome review! could you put the receiver in a watertight floating box and let the drone just pull it along for long range exploring? obvious dangers not-withstanding?

[@DustinDunnill]

You definitely could. Might give a few hundred feet distance but once out of WiFi range and disconnected... Your lifeline is gone.

[@emotodude]

@@DustinDunnill what is the failsafe behavior if the RC link goes down?

[@DustinDunnill]

Good question. The sub disarms motors after a few seconds and tries to reconnect. So depending on your boyancy module, it will float up or sink. Which can be tested at any depth with depth lock turned off 👍

[@DougEfresh.]

very cool Dustin you get to have all the fun lol

[@accqpqp2339]

i am loving the pitch and PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO ! PHOTO !

[@frankg5639]

Nice underwater footage!

[@jshrawder49]

Great review thanks. You gained another subscriber!!!

[@weld4200]

dustin were are you from my dude? if i may say i live in the islands as well and also an rc fanatic i have lots of models ..id like to meet you in person maybe a public place ...do some rc videos or some sort .im not a youtuber . but i do have alot of rc models from this year i think you should review

[@michaelpryor2981]

WOW nice toy :D Awesome video. Thanks! ☺

[@DroneHDTV]

I am on the island of Crete Greece and I wish I had this sub drone man. Very cool

[@chuckmorton5730]

So which do you like the best the Gladius Mini or the Fifish V6? I've watched all your videos and the Mini seems more stable. I've got a lot of suspended seagrass in my area fo the Gulf Of Mexico and the Mini seems more streamlined than the Fifish and maneuvers better than my Power Ray..

[@DustinDunnill]

I need to test the V6 again. QySea tells me that the issues were due to my unit not being a final production version. They are sending a final with new reel and 100m tether so I'll test again when it arrives 👍. I do like the Gladius mini but I think the V6 will be better with some updating. We shall see 🙂

[@chuckmorton5730]

@@DustinDunnillThanks for the reply. I'm concerned with the protrusions of the prop housings and the lack of screens snagging the suspended grasses in our waters the unit. Other reviews have indicated this problem in inland waters where there was hydrilla which we also have here in Florida. Offshore I've had grasses snag on the tether and cause lot of drag. If you are on a boat recommend "flying" off the stern of the boat to minimize the chances of hanging up in the prop or rudder of the vessel and having a tether monitor as your daughter is for you. I do reef monitoring and hope to be giving a presentation of using ROV's for reef monitoring at the 2020 Artificial Reef Conference. I only wish our water was a 'gin' clear as yours is; I'm 50 nautical miles north of Tampa and we have a lot of seagrasses.

[@KubotaManDan]

Beautiful under sea critters, even though you sounded more put off on the tether tug, the video was great. Maybe you should have another channel with under sea adventures. I'd subscribe.

[@ChasingUnderwaterDrones]

Tether tug is going to happen in a water area with currents and swell

[@matts2494]

Great Video, impressive drone

[@robstone370]

great review, and looks a great sub !

[@codylee1682]

What kind of power supply do you need to run this thing? Do you add weights for ballast? Can you have any other axillary instruments?

[@thombrittenaustin6400]

Great video, thanks. Given the price difference between the Nemo and the Gladius, which one would you recommend?

[@DustinDunnill]

I still need to put Nemo through the same testing 🙂

[@bearsist]

Great video like always maybe you'll find your old mavic you're so lucky you have beautiful weather I live in the suburbs of Illinois it's -4 way too cold to fly but anyways take care God bless

[@DustinDunnill]

Hope it warms up for you soon 👍

[@chan_2024ccc]

your profile photo looks like Dustins' haha why

[@rc_addict_marc7714]

Very cool i need one lol keep up the great work bro!!!

[@TheAdadadada]

Beautiful! I can see it as adding some great advantages to fishing the Florida Keys! Until, Billy Bob and Mylo run over the cable with their prop! Thankz!

[@CharlieFaulk]

Awesome video. And beautiful yellow trumpet fish at 44:50

[@DustinDunnill]

Thanks Charlie. Always an adventure. Love seeing what will show up every time I review a sub 👍

[@Hawkeye-AS24]

Did you hear that power vision is releasing a wireless sub in a few months? The Power Dolphin?

[@DustinDunnill]

Yes, looks interesting 👍

[@classix789]

I know it's needed, but i hate the restrictions by the cable. It's working but it's still limiting movement. Also if they already use cable, why not also exchanging power and data through it? So you could change battery and keep going.. Still impressive where tec is going! I've played the subnautica video game. Diving with this thing here imagining a shark grabbing it kinda reminds me of scary moments within that game :D As mentioned before.. I'm not too much into RC myself. But i can't stop watching your videos to see that amazing place you live in :)

[@raybone3]

ClassiX, I am guessing that all of the control data for the sub is done with fiber optics and a MUX/DEMUX converter. adding copper wires large enough to supply the voltage and amperage required to operate the thrusters would probably make the tether too heavy and it would sink, which adds lots of problems with operations due to snagging your tether on rocks, coral, etc.

[@hfxdronepilot9022]

Another Question: Im on their website and wondering which one...GLADIUS Advanced Pro or GLADIUS mini? Is the mini the newer model? I like the controller setup...specs are closely the same on both with a few variants. And did you get the extra length tether also? I see it doesn't come with a bag you have to buy one separate for the mini

[@DustinDunnill]

Yes, the mini is the newest and has the 3rd rear vertical motor for pitch lock

[@hfxdronepilot9022]

Does it have changeable ballasts like the pro for salt water and fresh water or it doesn’t need it? Thanks again for the info. Trying to make a buying decision 👍

[@DustinDunnill]

Yes which I mentioned in all my videos 😂. You may want to watch them through if your spending the coin 😉

[@hfxdronepilot9022]

Dustin Dunnill thanks bro 👍

[@theblade66]

Wow cool I've never seen anything like this before

[@ChimpFromSpace]

I actually prefer the tether. My horrible aerial drone skills have cost me enough money in lost drones to buy one of these!

[@rayrussell2735]

having spent 8 years building uv's this is way cool. not bad for the price...

[@janeblogs324]

What price...

[@DustinDunnill]

Link in description under video

[@daneabes9471]

Ray Russell pangit

[@kennywheelus6857]

Bro,definitely loving this one the best dustin, its kool how your kids help out with when you do your reviews while piloting crafts,so on amazon this is going for like 1600.00,but worth the money.

[@Charlie55193]

Considering buying a sub drone for scouting diving locations. Out of all the subs you’ve tried, which was your favorite?

[@DustinDunnill]

This one is probably my favorite from what I've tested so far 👍

[@Charlie55193]

Thanks.

[@thetute59]

Just out of curiosity: how much did that sub cost?Also, whats the point of the wireless, when its connected to a 100m cable anyway?

[@DustinDunnill]

The link for pricing and info is in description under video. Having a WiFi link from pilot to tether has a few advantages. 1. The freedom of not having a cable getting in the way of pilot's close proximity. 2. Gives the ability to use any handheld smart phone/tablet/VR Glasses which can run the app. 3. Allows for phone to be placed in universal VR headset without a cable dangling. 4. Allows the wifi module to be attached to a crank reel without the issue of tether getting twisted up.

[@thetute59]

Am I maybe not able to see the price because Im in a "non-direct selling country"? I guess thats where the pricelabel would be. Oh alright, didnt think of that. It just seemed odd, I guess a cable makes sense (cuz water) but Im wayyyy to used to wireless stuff.