Drone Strobe Recommendations 2021 Edition - Mavic 3

[Aerial-Pixel]

Hey fellow pilots! I know I've been absent lately, for that I apologize, things have been nuts lately with new product releases. I've been getting a lot of questions about when the Mavic 3 strobe mounts will be available, they are on the WEBSITE now. But on the topic of strobes, one of the most commonly asked questions I receive is which strobe lights I recommend, It has been 2 years since my last strobe light recommendation video so I've done this update video, let me know if you have questions.

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[TnDronePilot]

Hey fellow pilots! I know I've been absent lately, for that I apologize, things have been nuts lately with new product releases. I've been getting a lot of questions about when the Mavic 3 strobe mounts will be available, they are on the WEBSITE now. But on the topic of strobes, one of the most commonly asked questions I receive is which strobe lights I recommend, It has been 2 years since my last strobe light recommendation video so I've done this update video, let me know if you have questions.

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I have the Arc V on my MA2 and ho lee crap is that thing is bright. I can't wait to be able to use it on a night flight. Thanks for the update as I like to see what else is currently out there.

 

[TheParaPilot]

great review thanks, question? do you find when using strobes it interferes with video / photo taking?

 

[Trippp]

Ideally I'd want the ability to turn the strobe on/off while in flight. I don't necessarily want people to see the drone while flying, but if I need to I could turn it on to help me maintain VLOS. Someday maybe drone makers will have them built in and controllable. I didn't catch how long these strobes typically last once turned on, can you let me know that please, T

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

great review thanks, question? do you find when using strobes it interferes with video / photo taking?

You can only see the strobe light under certain atmospheric conditions, thick fog or mist for example. If your props are in view you could see the light reflecting on the bottom of the props, but props in view would ruin your shot anyway. And obviously if you got too close to your subject, the light would shine on your subject, similar to a flashlight.

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

Ideally I'd want the ability to turn the strobe on/off while in flight. I don't necessarily want people to see the drone while flying, but if I need to I could turn it on to help me maintain VLOS. Someday maybe drone makers will have them built in and controllable. I didn't catch how long these strobes typically last once turned on, can you let me know that please, T

ARC V is 6 hours of run time.
ARC II is 6+ hours of run time.
ARC XL is 5 hours of run time.
Firehouse Dual is 2-2.5 hours of run time.
Vifly is 4 hours of run time.
Flytron Standalone C-1 is 2+ hours of run time.
The above times are directly from the manufacturers, I have not personally tested the run time, they all seem to last forever.

 

[Trippp]

Thank You!

 

[vindibona1]

Ideally I'd want the ability to turn the strobe on/off while in flight. I don't necessarily want people to see the drone while flying, but if I need to I could turn it on to help me maintain VLOS. Someday maybe drone makers will have them built in and controllable. I didn't catch how long these strobes typically last once turned on, can you let me know that please, T

I don't think there is anything on the market that you can switch on and off remotely and I don't think you'll see anything like that soon.

 

[Mark107]

What is the correct or proper configuration of strobes on our drones? Red in the Front / Green in the Back? Red on the Right / Green on the Left? White on top and bottom? I like the Firehouse Arc V's but just not sure how to mount and configure them on the Mavic 3.

 

[vindibona1]

What is the correct or proper configuration of strobes on our drones? Red in the Front / Green in the Back? Red on the Right / Green on the Left? White on top and bottom? I like the Firehouse Arc V's but just not sure how to mount and configure them on the Mavic 3.

White on top and bottom for sure. You can do R/G front back or Right/Left on the front arms. The red and green are helpful for orientation. I currently have the Arc V's mounted on the front arms of my M2P, but I have smaller R/G Firehouse strobes that I mount front and back. I think its a little easier to identify orientation with a a front/rear configuration. If you want to try arm mounting you might try using elastic hair bands. They work great and are dirt cheap. Firehouse does have a "headlight" mount for it's ARC II strobe which you can get a red strobe.

One more thing... Do not use the velcro supplied bye Firehouse. It's great for a few times mounting and unmounting, but it loses its grip after a few uses. 3M Dual lock or heavy duty velcro is more reliable. I lost an Arc V because of the worn velcro. The $35 loss was painful and unnecessary. All the Firehouse supplied velcro has been replaced- with no issues.

 

[flippnbits]

White on top and bottom for sure. You can do R/G front back or Right/Left on the front arms. The red and green are helpful for orientation. I currently have the Arc V's mounted on the front arms of my M2P, but I have smaller R/G Firehouse strobes that I mount front and back. I think its a little easier to identify orientation with a a front/rear configuration. If you want to try arm mounting you might try using elastic hair bands. They work great and are dirt cheap. Firehouse does have a "headlight" mount for it's ARC II strobe which you can get a red strobe.

One more thing... Do not use the velcro supplied bye Firehouse. It's great for a few times mounting and unmounting, but it loses its grip after a few uses. 3M Dual lock or heavy duty velcro is more reliable. I lost an Arc V because of the worn velcro. The $35 loss was painful and unnecessary. All the Firehouse supplied velcro has been replaced- with no issues.

Do you know, for a top mount on the M3, is anywhere on the top all right? I don't want to interfere with GPS or any other sensors.

 

[vindibona1]

Do you know, for a top mount on the M3, is anywhere on the top all right? I don't want to interfere with GPS or any other sensors.

Sorry for the delayed reply. I don't have a Mavic 3, but my Mavic 2 has no issues with the top mounted strobe. I would suggest some LOS testing to make sure, but I'm pretty certain that there wouldn't be an issue.

 

[dmcgrew]

Those of you that use strobes on a Mavic 2 or 3.. how many strobes do you use? Which directions do you have them facing? Can you see the lights blinking in photos or video?

 

[vindibona1]

Those of you that use strobes on a Mavic 2 or 3.. how many strobes do you use? Which directions do you have them facing? Can you see the lights blinking in photos or video?

On my M2P I either go with 3 or 4 strobes. 4 strobes at night because I want one on the top for collision avoidance so that aircraft can see it from above. One clear one below so *I* can see it as it goes out, day or night. For convenience I have red and green mounted on the arms. On my Mini 2 I now often place red and green on the front and back which is harder to do on the M2 because of sensor location.

The only time I see the pulse of the strobes is if there is fog, or if I'm close to an object that has some sort of reflectivity. But in general the strobes are not seen in stills or video.

FWIW I almost never fly without strobes. They make it so much easier to keep my eye on it or identify where it is when I lose sight of it in the sky.

 

[flippnbits]

I'm dismayed that DJI hasn't accessorized strobes. Having something that is built for the aircraft and uses the same battery would have been icing on the cake.

 

[Conkris]

Has anyone experienced any GPS interference on Mavic pro ??? I'm thinking of 2 white, Firehouse V's, one on top of the body, as far forward as possible, or furthest point back on battery or above DJI logo. Another on bottom behind camera ahead of alum fins or above the status light on the rear panel below DJI logo. Also on front legs or arms a Red light and a Green light for orientation .....