Novice Pilot needing recommendations

[6 String Fan]

Being new to this hobby I've only been flying for a week now with overall good results.

I haven't crashed hard yet although I DID hit a tall weed accidentally when my RC fixed wing training caused me to pull back stick to rise....And, naturally, opposite effect....oops...

After flying perhaps 5 flights total now I'm discovering items that I would like to add and I'm counting on 'seasoned' pilots recommendations to help me purchase the right things.

#1 I'm still using my cell phone with the controller.
Although it has a fairly bright screen it's still tough to see in bright sunlight. I'd really enjoy adding a 'hood' to make it easier to view. I'd love to get YOUR thoughts on what you think is best to buy?

#2 Strobe light addition
I found out that the grey color and small size of the 'mini' that I am flying makes it easy to lose sight of it if I look down to the monitor, and then back into the sky.
I'd love to know about a GOOD light weight stick on strobe recommendation that would help me find it quickly again.

So....5 flights and 2 questions so far....I'm sure that I'll have more questions as they arise.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Carl in Southern Oregon

P.S. I'm also new to navigating 'forum' web pages too.
My questions could be redundant and already answered elsewhere but I'll apologize for my ignorance....

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Hoosier Heartland 6 String Fan.

I have a DJI Spark and have these small Flytron strobes that work well and are in compliance with the FAA three Mile visibility rule.

Amazon.com : strobon cree

The Firehouse technology strobes are the same and come with 1, 2, or 4 LEDs.

I would suggest the single for the mini.
The dual strobe is a little bigger and the 4 strobe will be too big.

I used a 3m heavy duty fastener so that they can be easily removed.

I haven't come up with a phone shade for the MA2 yet but I have a four sided hood for the Spark and the mini4 that works well.

I'm still new to the MA2 and have more accessories to purchase.

Good luck and welcome to the Forum. ?

 

[old man mavic]

Being new to this hobby I've only been flying for a week now with overall good results.

I haven't crashed hard yet although I DID hit a tall weed accidentally when my RC fixed wing training caused me to pull back stick to rise....And, naturally, opposite effect....oops...

After flying perhaps 5 flights total now I'm discovering items that I would like to add and I'm counting on 'seasoned' pilots recommendations to help me purchase the right things.

#1 I'm still using my cell phone with the controller.
Although it has a fairly bright screen it's still tough to see in bright sunlight. I'd really enjoy adding a 'hood' to make it easier to view. I'd love to get YOUR thoughts on what you think is best to buy?

#2 Strobe light addition
I found out that the grey color and small size of the 'mini' that I am flying makes it easy to lose sight of it if I look down to the monitor, and then back into the sky.
I'd love to know about a GOOD light weight stick on strobe recommendation that would help me find it quickly again.

So....5 flights and 2 questions so far....I'm sure that I'll have more questions as they arise.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Carl in Southern Oregon

P.S. I'm also new to navigating 'forum' web pages too.
My questions could be redundant and already answered elsewhere but I'll apologize for my ignorance....

@6 String Fan i myself at my age find a phone much to small for me to use to fly by,i use a 2018 6th gen 9.7 WIFI only Ipad ,which combined with a hood gives me a great view of whats going on, i use it for both my drones with no issues
you could put a bright coloured skin on your MM ,for strobes i have tried a lume cube anti collision light which i affix to the body of the drone with a velcro strap i made myself ,if it is put under the drone then you also need some sort of landing gear extension, as it is deeper than the existing legs i only use it for flying at dusk as all the combined weight knocks about 5 mins off the flight time the problem with fitting it to the top of the drone is it makes it hard to see ,i suppose you could have two lights , one on each arm held on with velcro ,but as stated the size of the MM plus the added weight is the biggest drawback

 

[6 String Fan]

Thanks very much for the quick replies to my inquiry about visibility issues and possible strobe attachments.
Because it IS a 'MINI' that I'm flying I'm sure that I don't want to weigh it down by adding a lot of accessories.
A small strobe on the under belly would do wonders for finding it quickly when I look away momentarily, then back skyward again.
As far as investing in an IPad Mini I may do that too, although, maybe I suggest it to the wife as a Christmas wish or something.

You folks who responded I thank you much for your suggestions!

Carl in Southern Oregon....
Yeah...where the fires have been out of control last week...
Now died down but still choking smoke in the Rogue Valley...
Enough to keep me grounded for now though....cough....

 

[dronerdave]

I feel Firehouse Arc-II white strobes are a good choice. Lightweight, brighter than most, size for size, and the batteries last a long time 2-4 hrs. between charges.

Monitor wise I use a Crystal Sky monitor because my phone is just too hard to see with my bad eyes. Some of the newer phones have brighter screens than older phones like mine. Hoods are a bit bulky but work. I just don't need them.

 

[Thomas B]

I use a CS most times, rarely my SC. I use Firehouse strobes on all my drones....ARC2s and now ARC XLs as they are the brightest available and if you crash it begins sounding a 98dB alarm to help you find it. Tried other strobes and wasn’t satisfied.

 

[Starz]

This one will be worth a look. Just don’t look directly at it close up.
I think it’s brighter than the firehouse. No, I have no scientific proof, but I’m not buying anything else when I need more.

Amazon.com: Drone Strobe, 5 White Cree LEDs Drone Strobe for Night Anti Collision, Fits All Multirotor Quadcopter Drones Like DJI Phantom, Mavic, Spark, DJI Inspire 1 2, Matrice, 3DR Solo, Matrice: Toys & Games

Buy Drone Strobe, 5 White Cree LEDs Drone Strobe for Night Anti Collision, Fits All Multirotor Quadcopter Drones Like DJI Phantom, Mavic, Spark, DJI Inspire 1 2, Matrice, 3DR Solo, Matrice: Toys & Games - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[JoelP]

Let me add my endorsement to the Firehouse strobes. I have permanently glued these to leg extenders which are also a good idea to get your drone a bit further from dust and dirt. I have two different color strobes. With one color on the back right and a different color on the front left it is also easy to see which way your drone is facing even you lose connection with your drone.

I bought two different hoods, but rarely use them since I find these a bit confining. Instead I seek out a tree to stand under. Sometimes I put a clamp-on umbrella on a lawn chair. In addition, I bought an iPhone 10R which is an LCD screen and not the 10S or 11A with an OLED screen since the LCD is noticeably better to see in bright ambient.

 

[theDRONEranger]

1st and foremost: Welcome to the forums. You are a rare breed to be requesting assistance to help you become the best pilot you know. As you have learned, old habits may not always work in new environments. As a newcomer, and as time goes by, questions and comments are willingly accepted and responded to.

Since I do not know which drone you pilot, I will inform you if your drone is the Mavic Mini, it does not need to be registered if, and only if, it remains under the 250g weight limit. If it at any time is over 250g then yes it must be registered. Easily accomplished on the FAA.org web site.

There are numerous apps available to assist you in determining when and where you may fly. AIRMAP is one such popular app, available for IOS and Android. There are more.

Strobe lights are used by many pilots to assist in maintaining VIsual Line Of Sight, VLOS. A search of the forums will help you decide which strobes you desire. There is no rule of how many or placement or color. Many people follow the same placement as manned aircraft.

Many folk have a keen eye, but many need assistance with their vision. Some have tried larger cell phones, larger iPads, or even dedicated controllers (not available for all aircraft). Again, a search of the forums will help with this quest.

Members of the Forum are plentiful and many are extremely knowledgeable and well experienced. You undertook a brave first step by asking questions. Commendable! Many wait until their drone has crashed and been destroyed, I urge you to continue the fun and excitement of being a drone pilot. Peruse the FAA.gov site in the DRONEzone arena, many questions can be answered there. If not, the forums will provide a plethora of responses.

Do NOT hesitate to search through the forum using key words for various subjects you wish to learn of. Many good folks are here, ready, willing, and extremely knowledgeable who are simply waiting and willing to assist you and everyone else.

Again welcome to the wonderful world of drones. I wish you the very best in all your flights.

R,
Jeffrey

 

[SpitFire]

Welcome to the forum from Chicago the Windy City.
You are getting very good advice, from all seasoned pilots. I encourage new pilots to under stand RTH feature. As its name suggests, this Low Battery RTH is trigged when the intelligent Flight battery is depleted to the point that it may affect the return of the aircraft. when this happens a prompt will appear on your screen in the DJI Go 4 app. And the drone will automatically begin to ascend to then set RTH height and return, if no action is taken after a 10 second countdown. If the battery is critically low, then the drone will auto- land itself, and this can't be cancelled by the pilot. This type of RTH is one to best avoided. Just like a airline pilot never wants to see the fuel line blinking.
Thats your decision to make, some pilots regardless of the risks, use that feature but not this pilot. Any way Please read your manual, double check me for accuracy, just want to keep you and your bird safe. To late, when things go wrong. Fly Safe and you can have fun with knowledge and experience.

 

[julius13]

Being new to this hobby I've only been flying for a week now with overall good results.

I haven't crashed hard yet although I DID hit a tall weed accidentally when my RC fixed wing training caused me to pull back stick to rise....And, naturally, opposite effect....oops...

After flying perhaps 5 flights total now I'm discovering items that I would like to add and I'm counting on 'seasoned' pilots recommendations to help me purchase the right things.

#1 I'm still using my cell phone with the controller.
Although it has a fairly bright screen it's still tough to see in bright sunlight. I'd really enjoy adding a 'hood' to make it easier to view. I'd love to get YOUR thoughts on what you think is best to buy?

#2 Strobe light addition
I found out that the grey color and small size of the 'mini' that I am flying makes it easy to lose sight of it if I look down to the monitor, and then back into the sky.
I'd love to know about a GOOD light weight stick on strobe recommendation that would help me find it quickly again.

So....5 flights and 2 questions so far....I'm sure that I'll have more questions as they arise.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Carl in Southern Oregon

P.S. I'm also new to navigating 'forum' web pages too.
My questions could be redundant and already answered elsewhere but I'll apologize for my ignorance....

Welcome to the forum. You will find a lot of members here to help. You will also find some who are jerks and trolls too. Ah, the internet. When I started out I discovered quickly that a cell phone used as a monitor wouldn’t work for me. I started out with an IPad 10.5” mounted to the controller with a MavMount. I upgrade to an IPad 12.9 but it’s too bulky for my taste when mounted to a MavMount. So since I usually use the rear of my SUV (trunk) I set up the IPad and connect to a 6’ USB cord. I can then move the IPad around to shade it from glare. I also carry an old black blanket I throw over the open tailgating glass to create a dark space to view the monitor. Polar Pro makes a great strobe that is visible from at least 3 nautical miles. It’s pricy at around $50 but essential if you plan to do any “legal” dusk/dawn flights. A quick thing you can do is get a roll of aluminum duct tape and make your own skin. I’ve done this on my Mavic Pro. I put it on the rear so I can see it as it flys away. If I lose sight of the drone, I rotate it so the sun will reflect of of the aluminum tape. It also aids in seeing what direction you are going should you lose connection to the controller.
Hope this helps. Happy droning.

 

[6 String Fan]

1st and foremost: Welcome to the forums. You are a rare breed to be requesting assistance to help you become the best pilot you know. As you have learned, old habits may not always work in new environments. As a newcomer, and as time goes by, questions and comments are willingly accepted and responded to.

Since I do not know which drone you pilot, I will inform you if your drone is the Mavic Mini, it does not need to be registered if, and only if, it remains under the 250g weight limit. If it at any time is over 250g then yes it must be registered. Easily accomplished on the FAA.org web site.

There are numerous apps available to assist you in determining when and where you may fly. AIRMAP is one such popular app, available for IOS and Android. There are more.

Strobe lights are used by many pilots to assist in maintaining VIsual Line Of Sight, VLOS. A search of the forums will help you decide which strobes you desire. There is no rule of how many or placement or color. Many people follow the same placement as manned aircraft.

Many folk have a keen eye, but many need assistance with their vision. Some have tried larger cell phones, larger iPads, or even dedicated controllers (not available for all aircraft). Again, a search of the forums will help with this quest.

Members of the Forum are plentiful and many are extremely knowledgeable and well experienced. You undertook a brave first step by asking questions. Commendable! Many wait until their drone has crashed and been destroyed, I urge you to continue the fun and excitement of being a drone pilot. Peruse the FAA.gov site in the DRONEzone arena, many questions can be answered there. If not, the forums will provide a plethora of responses.

Do NOT hesitate to search through the forum using key words for various subjects you wish to learn of. Many good folks are here, ready, willing, and extremely knowledgeable who are simply waiting and willing to assist you and everyone else.

Again welcome to the wonderful world of drones. I wish you the very best in all your flights.

R,
Jeffrey

I really appreciate all the replies from everybody who have shared some experiences that I can draw from.
Yes, I'm flying the 'Mini' and know that it's just under the register limit. But, if I add a strobe the weight must surely rise enough to weigh in above 250 grams, so then does that force me to register it then? I am thinking that accessories such as strobes, prop cages and the like should NOT suddenly cause me to be flying illegally.

 

[6 String Fan]

Let me add my endorsement to the Firehouse strobes. I have permanently glued these to leg extenders which are also a good idea to get your drone a bit further from dust and dirt. I have two different color strobes. With one color on the back right and a different color on the front left it is also easy to see which way your drone is facing even you lose connection with your drone.

I bought two different hoods, but rarely use them since I find these a bit confining. Instead I seek out a tree to stand under. Sometimes I put a clamp-on umbrella on a lawn chair. In addition, I bought an iPhone 10R which is an LCD screen and not the 10S or 11A with an OLED screen since the LCD is noticeably better to see in bright ambient.

With at least four people endorsing the 'Firehouse' strobes I feel that is the way I should go....
My thanks to all who submitted their choices!

 

[theDRONEranger]

I really appreciate all the replies from everybody who have shared some experiences that I can draw from.
Yes, I'm flying the 'Mini' and know that it's just under the register limit. But, if I add a strobe the weight must surely rise enough to weigh in above 250 grams, so then does that force me to register it then? I am thinking that accessories such as strobes, prop cages and the like should NOT suddenly cause me to be flying illegally.

Anything added to the initial weight that causes it to exceed the 259g weight thusly produces cause to register. I believe it’s only $5 for three year period. You are actually registering yourself as you can have multiple recreational drone under your name with a single registration. Part 107 is different as each drone is registered! For $5, it’s not a bad deal. Especially if you upgrade to something else in the future. It’s truly not a bad expenditure.

 

[macfawlty]

With at least four people endorsing the 'Firehouse' strobes I feel that is the way I should go....
My thanks to all who submitted their choices!

Another recommendation for firehouse. I’d get one that has an audible signal in the event of a crash so you have a better chance of locating it in the woods. I say this because I’ve crashed in wooded areas twice (as recently as last week) with my Mavic 2 Pro and my P3 in areas with virtually no cell service, no satellite view and no way to read flight data from my device and wished I had something with both visual and audible. I got lucky in both instances, but I ordered one this week.

 

[6 String Fan]

Anything added to the initial weight that causes it to exceed the 259g weight thusly produces cause to register. I believe it’s only $5 for three year period. You are actually registering yourself as you can have multiple recreational drone under your name with a single registration. Part 107 is different as each drone is registered! For $5, it’s not a bad deal. Especially if you upgrade to something else in the future. It’s truly not a bad expenditure.

Yeah, five bucks isn't going to break me so I'm guessing that it'll be a good idea to register, even if I don't have to.

 

[theDRONEranger]

Yeah, five bucks isn't going to break me so I'm guessing that it'll be a good idea to register, even if I don't have to.

I just posted an excellent article by Attorney Jonathan Rupprecht re: why it is better to obtain a Part 107 license than to remain a hobby flier.

His web site is:-
A whole lot of great free knowledge and legal foresight.

 

[RuudF]

Being new to this hobby I've only been flying for a week now with overall good results.

I haven't crashed hard yet although I DID hit a tall weed accidentally when my RC fixed wing training caused me to pull back stick to rise....And, naturally, opposite effect....oops...

After flying perhaps 5 flights total now I'm discovering items that I would like to add and I'm counting on 'seasoned' pilots recommendations to help me purchase the right things.

#1 I'm still using my cell phone with the controller.
Although it has a fairly bright screen it's still tough to see in bright sunlight. I'd really enjoy adding a 'hood' to make it easier to view. I'd love to get YOUR thoughts on what you think is best to buy?

#2 Strobe light addition
I found out that the grey color and small size of the 'mini' that I am flying makes it easy to lose sight of it if I look down to the monitor, and then back into the sky.
I'd love to know about a GOOD light weight stick on strobe recommendation that would help me find it quickly again.

So....5 flights and 2 questions so far....I'm sure that I'll have more questions as they arise.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Carl in Southern Oregon

P.S. I'm also new to navigating 'forum' web pages too.
My questions could be redundant and already answered elsewhere but I'll apologize for my ignorance....

Hi Carl,

I am a Mavic Pro pilot, so I am not sure about the mini like yours with regards to the strobe light.
My Mavic has 2 red lights on the front legs and a blinking green on its tail.

I do however own a nice hood for over my phone.
It's by Freewell and I got it online, I think on Ebay but I am not sure anymore, it could also have been on Amazon. But it's been one of them because it was sent to me from the USA together with some ND lenses.

The hood has 2 elastic bands that go around the back of my phone and a strap to hang the controller/phone/hood combo around your neck.
I am quite pleased with is because it still allows you access to the phone with yous fingers.

Bye

Ruudf

 

[6 String Fan]

Because I'm flying a 'Mini' I can't really load it up with a lot of strobes.
I just bought a single strobe for $25 that should do the trick.
It'd be nice to have the colored ones on the legs like you mentioned but something like that would cut my flight time to about 5 minutes I'm guessing.

As far as a hood, I got a cheap one that I'm going to try as soon as the Southern Oregon smoke clears out. The Rogue Valley has been socked in for 9 days now.

I'll examine the 'Freewell' hood to see if it could help.

Thanks for taking the time to drop a line!

Carl

 

[Wozza]

Hi Carl,

I am a Mavic Pro pilot, so I am not sure about the mini like yours with regards to the strobe light.
My Mavic has 2 red lights on the front legs and a blinking green on its tail.

I do however own a nice hood for over my phone.
It's by Freewell and I got it online, I think on Ebay but I am not sure anymore, it could also have been on Amazon. But it's been one of them because it was sent to me from the USA together with some ND lenses.

The hood has 2 elastic bands that go around the back of my phone and a strap to hang the controller/phone/hood combo around your neck.
I am quite pleased with is because it still allows you access to the phone with yous fingers.

Bye

Ruudf

I'm wondering why the lights aren't set up as per commercial aircraft and boats. That is red on port, green on starboard and white up front. It would help visualising the drone orientation in some conditions.