Part II : Pole Research Team

[spf33]

can't find the image right now, but i did some tests a while ago and found any titling
east\west didn't really affect that crossbeam shadow.  revisiting that scene, with the proper tilt, is on the list. 

i'm having bigger problems with both pics15 and 13\14.
the drone isn't matching light and shadow angles very well, if at all.

fairly busy with work, so things are extra slow going.

[10538]

I was thinking about the path of the drone.



Seems to me if real it may have been interested in electrical power.  Notice how it follows the light rail tracks (light rail is electric), goes to pole 15 then follows the power lines (the power lines from pole 15 go down Kennedy) to pole 16/17 and then leaves.

[spf33]

in response to frank's tree height email, fwiw:



don't know if this helps at all as most of the avalon trees look to be about the same height.

this is based on 528 being the building with the drain.

but the deeper i look into this, combined with considering the level of error tolerance, that drain could be on any of the bldgs that are oriented the same as 528.

i'm beginning to think there is not enough shadow info in pic14 to accurately predict which building. and there are too many slight angle variables between reality and what i end up looking at filtered through google earth, google maps, live.maps and finally 3ds max, if that makes any sense.

[10538]

Makes perfect sense to me Spf.  I came to the same conclusion, too much room for error in the shadows.  My analysis points to bldg 512 but I'm not sure.

[Avalon]

I was thinking about the path of the drone.

 

Seems to me if real it may have been interested in electrical power.  Notice how it follows the light rail tracks (light rail is electric), goes to pole 15 then follows the power lines (the power lines from pole 15 go down Kennedy) to pole 16/17 and then leaves.

Interesting thoughts about the possible trajectory. I suspect it was a little different though. I drove down Kenney today and in Raj's last picture there is a type of tree that has pine type needles. I'll drive down Kennedy again, but today when I did I only noticed one such tree that may have been that tree and that was all the way toward the end of the street almost where it meets Winchester. When I looked at the pictures and considered the lay out of the street, I had the impression that the craft had taken off over Winchester.

Edit to fix quote box

[10538]

Knowing the exact spots of all the photos, this representation of the path of the drone is pretty accurate.  The only adjustment I would make would be the last photo pic 18.  The drone may not be as far away as the freeway.

One curious point is it appears to go toward the light rail station then follows the light rail lines, then follows the power lines and then returns in the direction it came.

[Avalon]

I see now.

What is fairly interesting is that you can probably track the course of Raj as well now. Like I was saying, you there are only three exits to the complex, and where he snapped the first two pictures is about as far from any of the exits as you can get. He would have had to run about a city blocks worth before he took the next picture.

Anyway, great work. Thanks for helping to catch me up.

[onthefence]

What is fairly interesting is that you can probably track the course of Raj as well now. Like I was saying, you there are only three exits to the complex, and where he snapped the first two pictures is about as far from any of the exits as you can get. He would have had to run about a city blocks worth before he took the next picture.

I think that we have come to a conclusion in other threads here that the photographer must have been on a bicycle or motorized vehicle to explain the timing between each of the shots defined in the photo EXIF. The speed for running those distances is that of an Olympic athlete, and even if "Raj" was such an athlete, I'm not so sure he could stop and turn around to take the picture then run to the next spot.

[BigFnTuna]

I think that we have come to a conclusion in other threads here that the photographer must have been on a bicycle or motorized vehicle to explain the timing between each of the shots defined in the photo EXIF. The speed for running those distances is that of an Olympic athlete, and even if "Raj" was such an athlete, I'm not so sure he could stop and turn around to take the picture then run to the next spot.

I'm glad you brought this up as I was just now trying to figure out how much time it would take to get from spot to spot...  There is the train station right there, would it be possible for someone to snap a photo, hop on the train, get off at Kennedy Ave and continue on?  Also that station(Winchester) has trains stop every 10-15 mins, which also is connected directly to Lockheed and Moffett Field.

Tuna

[onthefence]

There is the train station right there, would it be possible for someone to snap a photo, hop on the train, get off at Kennedy Ave and continue on?  Also that station(Winchester) has trains stop every 10-15 mins, which also is connected directly to Lockheed and Moffett Field.

Here are some details of the train times:
  http://droneteam.com/drt/index.php?topic=534.msg5313#msg5313

[BigFnTuna]

Here are some details of the train times:
  http://droneteam.com/drt/index.php?topic=534.msg5313#msg5313

Thanks, I didn't even see that thread.  Maybe a coordinated effort?  Someone inside the complex and someone on Kennedy Ave?

Tuna

[Avalon]

I think that we have come to a conclusion in other threads here that the photographer must have been on a bicycle or motorized vehicle to explain the timing between each of the shots defined in the photo EXIF. The speed for running those distances is that of an Olympic athlete, and even if "Raj" was such an athlete, I'm not so sure he could stop and turn around to take the picture then run to the next spot.

I'm glad you brought this up as I was just now trying to figure out how much time it would take to get from spot to spot...  There is the train station right there, would it be possible for someone to snap a photo, hop on the train, get off at Kennedy Ave and continue on?  Also that station(Winchester) has trains stop every 10-15 mins, which also is connected directly to Lockheed and Moffett Field.

Tuna

Good thinking about the train, but actually it wouldn't have worked. As Raj took photo's 13 and 14 to his back is about a 12 foot, Ivy covered wall blocking the train from the complex. The next stop even if he got over is righ around campbell ave. which would have put him about the same distance away from photo 15 as he was when he boarded the train.

I think a fairly obvious hypothesis that we have over looked is that he snapped 13 and 14 and hopped into his his car and drove to kennedy to snap pictures 15. In fact, when I think about the lay out of the apartment, and knowing which apartments face the direction the drone was supposed to have flown in from, I've wondered why he would have run all the way to spot 13 to take the picture, but a plausible explanation is that he ran their because he was trying to get to his car in the parking lot...

Edit: Every time I think I've added a new piece of info I read somewhere else only to discover its already been thought of!

[BigFnTuna]

Edit: Every time I think I've added a new piece of info I read somewhere else only to discover its already been thought of!

Same here!  There is a lot of brain power at work though!  But keep posting your thoughts, you never know when one could end up leading somewhere...

Tuna

[onthefence]

Thanks, I didn't even see that thread. 

A few new threads have been released without announcing to show up in recent postings, all of them in this forum:
http://droneteam.com/drt/index.php?board=41.0

Maybe a coordinated effort?  Someone inside the complex and someone on Kennedy Ave?

The EXIF implies one camera only, but that is not proven because no serial number was supplied with the EXIF.

[MarsAve]

Nekitamo/ spf33 and all............the 2 Private Investigators...

This is absolutely amazing..............you scored big time for the total investigation that you did. I would never had the patience, nor the expertise on a computer, to even think of this stuff....being over 50yrs old,,I feel like a Dunce - from what all of you all have accomplished. Excellent stuff,,,,,,,

Admins: any chance this will be picked up by the news channels and interviews being done...Follow up interviews from the original stuff on TV? Maybe it'll bring more ideas or witnesses.....

Any comments from LMH or she out of the picture on this?
MarsAve