Options for lights you can see

[cameraz]

I recently install a Lucorb Smart Touch Strobe Light on top of my Mavic Mini, and went downtown last night at dusk to take some photos of my city. The multi-colored strobe has reflective partitions between the LEDs, designed to make the lights more visible from 360 degrees around the drone. However, once the drone is 50 feet up in the air, you really can't see anything.

It wasn't before long that I completely lost sight of my drone. I was thinking of mounting the light on the bottom of my drone, but this would require me to launch and land it from my hand, as the light would hit the ground.

Anybody have any other suggestions?

 

[vindibona1]

Absolutely... Definitely mount it on the bottom. You'll want to get a bit creative. As you can see from the photos I have mounted female velcro around the power indicator lights and power switch. Male heavy duty velcro is on my strobes. I have a piece of female velcro on top of the drone too and I if I'm not mounting a light on it, I use that piece of velcro to "park" my strobe so I can have it handy to install after I turn the Mini's power on.

You will see from the second photo that you will also want to have landing gear. On a Mini it's a good idea anyway, unless you're in a country where you are severely restricted to stay under 250 grams. If you haven't registered your Mini you should do so so you don't have to worry about going a few grams over the "magical" 250 gram limit. Without landing gear it's too easy to turn your Mini into a weed whacker when it lands in any grass.

P.S... Based on only 3 LED's two of them colored, and no lumens rating, I have to question whether in fact they do in fact meet FAA requirements as advertised. The Firehouse ARC II strobes at 500 and ARC V strobes at 1000 lumens have 4 and 5 LED's respectively with single color per strobe. On a practical note, at night I've been able to see my ARC V strobes as far as 10,000 ft but no further.

 

[cameraz]

Absolutely... Definitely mount it on the bottom. You'll want to get a bit creative. As you can see from the photos I have mounted female velcro around the power indicator lights and power switch. Male heavy duty velcro is on my strobes. I have a piece of female velcro on top of the drone too and I if I'm not mounting a light on it, I use that piece of velcro to "park" my strobe so I can have it handy to install after I turn the Mini's power on.

You will see from the second photo that you will also want to have landing gear. On a Mini it's a good idea anyway, unless you're in a country where you are severely restricted to stay under 250 grams. If you haven't registered your Mini you should do so so you don't have to worry about going a few grams over the "magical" 250 gram limit. Without landing gear it's too easy to turn your Mini into a weed whacker when it lands in any grass.

P.S... Based on only 3 LED's two of them colored, and no lumens rating, I have to question whether in fact they do in fact meet FAA requirements as advertised. The Firehouse ARC II strobes at 500 and ARC V strobes at 1000 lumens have 4 and 5 LED's respectively with single color per strobe. On a practical note, at night I've been able to see my ARC V strobes as far as 10,000 ft but no further.

Thanks! I have a detachable landing gear that I use during the day. It would be very easy to attach my LED light to it. However, I'm concerned that it would put my Mini into payload mode and cut my flight time.

 

[vindibona1]

Thanks! I have a detachable landing gear that I use during the day. It would be very easy to attach my LED light to it. However, I'm concerned that it would put my Mini into payload mode and cut my flight time.

It depends on how heavy your landing gear is. I fly my mini all the time with landing gear, a lens hood, two small lights on the front arms and either an ARC II or ARC V (which weights 13 grams) and only once or twice gone into payload mode. Interestingly, when it did that I landed my Mini, started the motors again and payload mode was no longer engaged. I want to say my Mini 2 comes in somewhere between 262 and 270 grams. No big deal. Over the weekend I had my Mini 2 out over the lake and took it out 5300 feet against the wind, fully loaded except I used the ARC II on the bottom rather than the ARC V because the ARC II is what I had in the case at the time. Two strobes on the arms, plus hood and landing gear. Even after coming back from the mile journey I still had plenty of battery left that I could fly around longer before bringing it in to change batteries.

 

[G Randy Brown]

What about extension legs?

 

[vindibona1]

What about extension legs?

It's a little unclear what you're asking specifically Randy. If I don't get it, please elaborate on what you need to know. Landing gear and leg extensions are pretty much the same thing, though leg extensions generally refer to individual pieces that fit over the legs to lift the body of the drone higher off the ground. "Landing gear" includes leg extensions, but includes other designs that accomplishes the same thing. On my Mini 2 I typically use folding leg extensions (left image) because I can leave them on when it goes in the case. I'll use the connected "landing gear" for times when I know I'm going to have to do a hand catch. It gives me something that I can grab onto as I shut the Mini 2 down. The connected ones are actually a tad lighter than the folding ones, but I suspect would be more susceptible to wind, so I don't use them that often. They cost $5 so I thought would be good to add to my kit. On my Mavic 2 the front extensions are fixed and the rears are folding. I have both long and short versions for the M2- longer if I'm in taller grass.

 

[Joethedrone]

I recently install a Lucorb Smart Touch Strobe Light on top of my Mavic Mini, and went downtown last night at dusk to take some photos of my city. The multi-colored strobe has reflective partitions between the LEDs, designed to make the lights more visible from 360 degrees around the drone. However, once the drone is 50 feet up in the air, you really can't see anything.

It wasn't before long that I completely lost sight of my drone. I was thinking of mounting the light on the bottom of my drone, but this would require me to launch and land it from my hand, as the light would hit the ground.

Anybody have any other suggestions?

I got these for my Mavíc 2 Pro, well made and work really well.

 

[Joethedrone]

But definitely get the landing gear extensions.

 

[G Randy Brown]

It's a little unclear what you're asking specifically Randy. If I don't get it, please elaborate on what you need to know. Landing gear and leg extensions are pretty much the same thing, though leg extensions generally refer to individual pieces that fit over the legs to lift the body of the drone higher off the ground. "Landing gear" includes leg extensions, but includes other designs that accomplishes the same thing. On my Mini 2 I typically use folding leg extensions (left image) because I can leave them on when it goes in the case. I'll use the connected "landing gear" for times when I know I'm going to have to do a hand catch. It gives me something that I can grab onto as I shut the Mini 2 down. The connected ones are actually a tad lighter than the folding ones, but I suspect would be more susceptible to wind, so I don't use them that often. They cost $5 so I thought would be good to add to my kit. On my Mavic 2 the front extensions are fixed and the rears are folding. I have both long and short versions for the M2- longer if I'm in taller grass.

View attachment 132967

Actually I'm not asking anything, it was a suggestion...I've never heard them called landing gear, only extension legs... my bad, carry on ?

 

[vindibona1]

I have these for my Mini 2. PGY-Tech. About $15 though you might find them cheaper. I like them because they fold up and I have slightly modified my cases so they don't really ever have to come off. 18 grams

 

[G Randy Brown]

I have these for my Mini 2. PGY-Tech. About $15 though you might find them cheaper. I like them because they fold up and I have slightly modified my cases so they don't really ever have to come off. 18 grams

View attachment 133001

I have PGY also for my MA2 but they don't fold making them a bit of a pain...it would def be nice to be able to just leave them on as they don't seem to effect flight at all.