Lights

[Max Headroom]

Could members recommend a light to put on the Mini 2 SE that wont take it over 249g i am not after something for night flying just something that'll make it a little easier to see when flying, i am in the U.K so as far as i know there are no rules or regulations to worry about, please correct me if that is wrong.

Thanks in advance.

 

[GFields]

The drone weighs 246 grams as it is. I use the Firehouse ARC V Drone Strobe Light on my drones but it weights 4 grams itself which would put the Mini 2 SE over but just a tad.

 

[mavic3usa]

Maybe take a look at the strobe light from ViFly.

 

[Cafguy]

Honestly, The light won't make the drone easier to see. trust me. It will just blind you with its flash when you stare at it. lol There is not much on the market that will make your Drone easier to see. If they could make it a little "black" when flying it could be a little easier really. Bright colored Skins won't make it any easier either BUT they do look really cool on the pad.

 

[Max Headroom]

Bright colored Skins won't make it any easier either BUT they do look really cool on the pad.

And they wont take it over 249g

 

[AeroJ]

Honestly, The light won't make the drone easier to see. trust me

I would beg to differ there. One of the biggest problems mini pilots have is that the small size of it means if you ever look down at the screen it can be tricky trying to find it in the sky again, and I would argue that a strobe would certainly help in that regard. But I don't think OP will find one that doesn't take his craft over the 250g let alone a strobe + a couple of navigation lights that would seriously help with VLOS extension.

It's really very frustrating that a) DJI have built nav lights into its later mini series drones, but inexplicably (and non-optionally) disables all of them (rather than just the ones up by the camera) whenever the camera is recording and b) that the law over here is not flexible enough to accommodate what would rather obviously be a big upgrade in safety and visibility for a minuscule addition in mass.

 

[tstr14]

b) that the law over here is not flexible enough to accommodate what would rather obviously be a big upgrade in safety and visibility for a minuscule addition in mass.

Que Mr. Bureaucrat: "Well, the weight limit is law and cannot be changed, but we are all for safety so reduce the size of the battery to make up for the weight of the lights!"

So now the mini loses flight time from having a smaller battery that is also powering lights.

 

[mavic3usa]

I would beg to differ there. One of the biggest problems mini pilots have is that the small size of it means if you ever look down at the screen it can be tricky trying to find it in the sky again, and I would argue that a strobe would certainly help in that regard. But I don't think OP will find one that doesn't take his craft over the 250g let alone a strobe + a couple of navigation lights that would seriously help with VLOS extension.

It's really very frustrating that a) DJI have built nav lights into its later mini series drones, but inexplicably (and non-optionally) disables all of them (rather than just the ones up by the camera) whenever the camera is recording and b) that the law over here is not flexible enough to accommodate what would rather obviously be a big upgrade in safety and visibility for a minuscule addition in mass.

I agree the law (in both countries and other applicable country) should provide an exception when attaching a strobe light to the drone for the purposes required by law. The 250g limit should not count the weight of one strobe light attached to the drone. Not sure why this is a problem when it is mostly known that strobe lights can't be so heavy as they would put the 250g limit in serious jeopardy and also it is said many times here in the forum that officers don't have scales and don't weigh drones so a g or two shouldn't be a factor.

 

[AeroJ]

also it is said many times here in the forum that officers don't have scales and don't weigh drones so a g or two shouldn't be a factor.

That's true, and of course it must help to a degree that these things actually have sub-250g written on them which might lead to them just assuming it is the case, but if they ever consider themselves to have reason to confiscate the craft, they will invariably weigh it back at the station !

 

[Max Headroom]

I would beg to differ there. One of the biggest problems mini pilots have is that the small size of it means if you ever look down at the screen it can be tricky trying to find it in the sky again, and I would argue that a strobe would certainly help in that regard.

This is my problem i lose sight of it if i glance at the screen and have to then use the screen to get it back where i can see it which is no ideal.

As Gfields said above the drone weighs 246g its going to be near impossible to get a strobe light that will keep it under 249g

 

[Felix le Chat]

This is my problem i lose sight of it if i glance at the screen and have to then use the screen to get it back where i can see it which is no ideal.

As Gfields said above the drone weighs 246g its going to be near impossible to get a strobe light that will keep it under 249g

I have a similar concern (minor niggle really) about putting my mini 3 pro over the 250g threshold, but with these wrens: situational awareness is a factor when they're as little as a few hundred feet away. That's why I'll cast an eye about for a standout landscape feature close by the TOAL and use that as a marker to aim the drone at if I do lose line of sight (I don't have maps on-screen because I fly LDM).

 

[tstr14]

This is my problem i lose sight of it if i glance at the screen and have to then use the screen to get it back where i can see it which is no ideal.

As Gfields said above the drone weighs 246g its going to be near impossible to get a strobe light that will keep it under 249g

I haven't had a drone for a long time, but I've yet to see someone from the government come out and weigh my drone. If I wanted a light, I would get the firehouse unit and not worry about the weight.

 

[mavic3usa]

I haven't had a drone for a long time, but I've yet to see someone from the government come out and weigh my drone. If I wanted a light, I would get the firehouse unit and not worry about the weight.

Watch at your own risk. Not me or my video:

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[Max Headroom]

Watch at your own risk. Not me or my video:

I have started the video at the point weight is mentioned they dont weigh it.

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[AeroJ]

Although @mavic3usa makes a valid point, we do have to remember that people from that channel fly extremely provocatively, in areas where they know it will cause concern / annoyance / worry, and thereby police regularly attend their flights. In 11 of years of flying I have never once had the police called on me, so if you are flying sensibly and responsibly it is not likely to be a problem unless you are exceptionally unlucky.

I typically resist watching DJ Audits vids, but occasionally get roped into it by threads like these. On both occasions I have succumbed so far I have been pleasantly surprised by how reasonably and cordially both the pilots and the police have behaved with each other.

Like in the National Trust-poking video I saw by them the other day, in this one, to the pilots credit, whilst he is passive-aggressively needling the officers he is at least doing it calmly and politely, though I still hate the behaviour regardless because a) there is just no need to fly in places like that and b) because of the high risk it will lead to sub-250g rules being canned because people regularly abused them to make videos like that.

 

[Max Headroom]

If I wanted a light, I would get the firehouse unit and not worry about the weight.

Light and Mount weights 15 grams and does not impact the minis flight times or dynamics

 

[mavic3usa]

I have started the video at the point weight is mentioned they dont weigh it.

Correct, the drone ultimately doesn't get weighed.

 

[Max Headroom]

I dont think i have read any threads about drones being weighed in the forums so its a gamble i guess if you do most of your flying away from people no one is going to bother.