Firehouse Arc V Pro and Micro Pro

[mavic3usa]

....Firehouse claims 3 mile visibility...I find that a bit of a stretch,

At least for the Arc V, I can verify it is easily seen at 2 miles on flat ground with drone at 300. For sure with white but could also make our green and red. From what I saw, I'm pretty sure 3 miles is doable as well. It's actually that bright...at dawn/dusk. But yeah, not going to happen during daylight hours.

 

[Torque]

At least for the Arc V, I can verify it is easily seen at 2 miles on flat ground with drone at 300. For sure with white but could also make our green and red. From what I saw, I'm pretty sure 3 miles is doable as well. It's actually that bright...at dawn/dusk. But yeah, not going to happen during daylight hours.

You may be able to see flashing strobe in the dark at 2 miles, but do you have actual situational awarness at that distance in the dark?

 

[mavic3usa]

You may be able to see flashing strobe in the dark at 2 miles, but do you have actual situational awarness at that distance in the dark?

Probably not but I don't use the strobes to maintain situational awareness.

My understanding of the long range strobe is the intent of the 3 mile strobe is so other aircraft can see your drone....so I was only commenting to the point where I actually think it can be achieved by the Arc V although it may seem hard for others to believe. Not having looked for strobe light from an aircraft myself, my only option was from from the ground (which is likely harder because it was very close to ground level at that distance, just above the treeline) and I was quite surprised myself that you could indeed see these strobes from that far. While carrying out this test in Mexico, I could rotate the drone while hovering 2 miles away and see the orientation whether it was facing me (green/red), facing to the side (green only or red only) or facing away (white). This is why I highly recommend FH strobes.

 

[MARK (LI)]

So...it looks like I "spoke" too soon...after a short while of usage...the replacement, too died....it stopped responding to the push button on the module itself, and then it stopped responding to the remote control also...so it is off...and won't turn back on at all...it is fully charged...Husky Tech told me this was a new product, but I think they got a batch of bad units.....despite the problem with the strobe, the seller is a stand up guy....But getting back to the OP of this thread....I would hold off ordering until the bugs are worked out....or they just decide that this model is too problematic and drop it all together

 

[blackbirdsr72]

So...it looks like I "spoke" too soon...after a short while of usage...the replacement, too died....it stopped responding to the push button on the module itself, and then it stopped responding to the remote control also...so it is off...and won't turn back on at all...it is fully charged...Husky Tech told me this was a new product, but I think they got a batch of bad units.....despite the problem with the strobe, the seller is a stand up guy....But getting back to the OP of this thread....I would hold off ordering until the bugs are worked out....or they just decide that this model is too problematic and drop it all together

That's sad

 

[blackbirdsr72]

I went ahead and ordered both of them, arriving tomorrow. On Facebook, Firehouse addressed an issue reported with the Arc V Pro having stuck to red light blinks only when using the RC. They suggested resetting the connection between the unit and RC as a workaround, and interestingly, they also mentioned a smartphone app coming for the Arc V Pro.

 

[blackbirdsr72]

On another note, the Firehouse tech blocked me from their Facebook page because I pointed out that they have images of "Micro" representing the "Micro Pro" product on their website, along with wrong images of "Arc V" shown as "Arc V Pro", and suggested correcting it several times. Great way to show how attentive they are towards customer feedback and recommendations.

 

[blackbirdsr72]

Okay they have arrived. I will update about these once I get a chance to check both.

 

[blackbirdsr72]

Early impression on the Arc V Pro's RC: It's a gimmick at best. Even with a direct line of sight within around 20-25 feet, the light will not register the RC click sometimes. Moreover, it will disconnect within 15 minutes of inactivity by design, which is not a great idea & hopefully, Firehouse will solve this via their upcoming app. I took the RC apart to see the battery type, it uses a CR 2032.

The lights are okay, and given the size difference between them, you will certainly notice the Micro Pro being the brightest one.