Recommendations for LED Strobe

[supcarlos]

Hi!

I'm looking for some recommendations to increase the visibility of my Mavic 2 Pro at night. Anyone have something they can recommend?

pics/vids are very much appreciated!

 

[paulatkin73]

may i only ask - why and when do you need to fly in the dark?

 

[BigAl07]

Firehouse Strobes are pretty much the industry leader for recreational operations. There are some heavier/brighter and more expensive units for larger aircraft but for the bang Firehouse Strobes are pretty amazing. Here's a quick search that might help you some:

Search results for query: strobes

mavicpilots.com

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Hiya supcarlos,
You can't go past Firehouse Technology (FHT) strobes for size, weight, output, got to be best for smallest, lightest, brightest for performance.
The ARCII are the pinicle of the bunch, but you can actually blind yourself if you look at them !!

drone strobe lights

drone strobe lights

www.firehousetechnology.com

That said, there are a few others people use, a search here does bring up many recent threads where you could easily glean all the info you want for peoples input.

Search results for query: strobes

mavicpilots.com

You can set your M2P up for night flying in different ways.

Technically you should make it visible to others, and yourself, by placing lights as planes do for night orientation.
A red to left front, a green to right front, and one or two whites to the back.
If you only wanted to find your drone easily at night, you could just mount one bright white to the rear, and simply turn your aircraft slowly to see strobing, or, in combination with your map, just align your red arrow so it's facing away from you, then use the map to get final direction.
You should be roughly facing your bird anyway, to keep goo signal, so the map is good to use there anyway.

I'd say of the FHT strobes are in order of brightness ARCII, Dual, or perhaps the little "Spark" strobe they make.
I have all of these (bought recently) but yet to get up in the air to test them.

drone strobe

drone strobe light

www.firehousetechnology.com

Drone UAS UAV Quadcopter LED Strobe Light

Fully self contained high intensity drone DroneUAS strobe light for quadcopters hexcopters uas rc and uav use.

www.firehousetechnology.com

(In RED/WHITE)

and the little Spark strobe . . .

best drone strobe light

Strobe light for drones faa 107

www.firehousetechnology.com

You can get ARCII and Duals in sets / various colour combos, the ARCII are available in the RED/BLUE and WHITE/RED colours, very bright too, but without a doubt, colours in order of brightness (highest - lesser) white, red, green, blue.

While you can fly at night as a hobbyist, without restrictions (as yet), even part 107 pilots can't without a special waiver.
FAA overlooked this, but pretty sure they will fix it very soon, and night flying will only be available to part 107 with waivers.

 

[Thomas B]

I use 4 of the ARC2s on mine... really increases VLOS in daylight But especially at sunrise/set. For night flying to see subject I use dual Litralights.
Here’s a couple of heads up comparison to other brands of strobes:

And my M2P:

 

[paulatkin73]

While you can fly at night as a hobbyist, without restrictions (as yet), even part 107 pilots can't without a special waiver.
FAA overlooked this, but pretty sure they will fix it very soon, and night flying will only be available to part 107 with waivers.

https://www.faa.gov/uas/public_safety_gov/media/Law_Enforcement_Drone_Programs_Brochure.pdf

it states quite clear - Other limitations include not flying over people or at night. Your agency may apply for waivers to certain rules. To request a waiver, visit faa.gov/uas/ request_waiver

note the name of the document. if you get into a conversation with police, it may be difficult to argue the way around it.

 

[supcarlos]

Dear
MAvic_South_Oz


Thanks a bunch for the info!!!

 

[BigAl07]

https://www.faa.gov/uas/public_safety_gov/media/Law_Enforcement_Drone_Programs_Brochure.pdf

it states quite clear - Other limitations include not flying over people or at night. Your agency may apply for waivers to certain rules. To request a waiver, visit faa.gov/uas/ request_waiver

note the name of the document. if you get into a conversation with police, it may be difficult to argue the way around it.

You're not stating that comment in it's FULL CONTEXT....

That stipulation is for Part 107 or the sUAS Rule...

It states:
"The sUAS Rule:
Most drone pilots operate under the sUAS rule, which is commonly known as PArt 107 after the designated section of the federal code. Part 107 defines requirements for drone pilots and drones, and it sets operational limits for drone usage."

It then goes to state Part 107 requirements.... it says nothing about Hobby/Recreational requirements.

Hobbyist CAN LEGALLY fly at night (as of right now) with no waiver or anything else. Part 107 require a Waiver... COA holders require it to be written into the COA how they operate.... Hobbyist just fly and fly within all the other hobby rules and fly safely.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

https://www.faa.gov/uas/public_safety_gov/media/Law_Enforcement_Drone_Programs_Brochure.pdf

it states quite clear - Other limitations include not flying over people or at night. Your agency may apply for waivers to certain rules. To request a waiver, visit faa.gov/uas/ request_waiver

note the name of the document. if you get into a conversation with police, it may be difficult to argue the way around it.

Paul, that doc is for part 107, and I'd argue about their line in there "Most drone pilots operate under the sUAS rule, which is commonly known as Part 107 . . . "
More use of drones by part 107 vs hobbyists ?? Big call on the part of whoever wrote that !!

FAA rules are what matters.
There was another thread here recently (last couple of days) and I commented thinking FAA recently changed rule for hobbyists at night (outright ban), BUT others said still ok.
I checked FAA site, and sure enough, still not a rule for hobbyists, they can fly at night but must consider other rules like VLOS (strobes) and height restrictions.

I see BigAl07 beat me

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Hobbyist CAN LEGALLY fly at night (as of right now) with no waiver or anything else. Part 107 require a Waiver... COA holders require it to be written into the COA how they operate.... Hobbyist just fly and fly within all the other hobby rules and fly safely.

Crazy hey ?
FAA surely overlooked this, as they did hobbyists vs part 107 with 400' rule.
I think the 400' rule now applies to both categories (without 107 waiver) ???

 

[BigAl07]

BigAl07 beat me

And that's not easy to do sir LOL! You're a quick one

I have the advantage of being "immersed" in this sUAS stuff 24/7.

 

[Thomas B]

Good points all... but back to advising the OP on lighting for his/her drone....

 

[BigAl07]

Crazy hey ?
FAA surely overlooked this, as they did hobbyists vs part 107 with 400' rule.
I think the 400' rule now applies to both categories (without 107 waiver) ???

Yes 400' is a HARD limit for hobbyist with no (currently) way to Waiver it.

It's important to note that the Hobby exception is still somewhat "fluid" and almost a moving target in many instances. It will get better (we hope) in time.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Yes 400' is a HARD limit for hobbyist with no (currently) way to Waiver it.

It's important to note that the Hobby exception is still somewhat "fluid" and almost a moving target in many instances. It will get better (we hope) in time.

Only a matter of a short period of time before US hobbyist (no) night flying is a firm rule, like here in Australia and in the UK.

It's just weird that they don't close it much faster, as it seems just wrong having trained part 107 not being able to do something as it freely as a complete novice is allowed, and night flying is more complex with its own series of issues.

 

[ZX14-R]

What range are the Strobes visible to ?
They could also be used during daytime to assist with VLOS ??

 

[paulatkin73]

Hobbyist CAN LEGALLY fly at night (as of right now) with no waiver or anything else. Part 107 require a Waiver... COA holders require it to be written into the COA how they operate.... Hobbyist just fly and fly within all the other hobby rules and fly safely.

i spoke to our town local cop i personally know about it, other day, so he told me that they have instructions to confiscate the drone if they see one flying at night over town central streets. they obviously do not care much of what happens far away from there. but, what to do after that - i guess they can give it back after you spend enough time arguing with them later - find out for yourself if you need. i bet if one is looking for a trouble - one will find it.

is there a current legal document where it is written with those words hobbyist, night, drone all used in the same sentence? you can present one in a printed format for your defense during a conflict with a LEO at the middle of the night? the best assumption one can have - that it is still in the 'open for an interpretation' phase for LEO - but, why to get into such situation?

and about 'overlooking' - really, it is a bit childish to presume that an absence of the specific sentence in the FAA document language will warrant your activity in the eyes of any judge, if it will make it to the court of law. the spirit of the regulation is very clear and it is as stated in the document link to which i provided. it is just what i think about this. not all that is not explicitly forbidden is actually allowed - it is just one of such cases.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

What range are the Strobes visible to ?
They could also be used during daytime to assist with VLOS ??

YES !!
Many reports of them being fantastic for day use . . . the ARCIIs especially so.

Very excited to try mine, just either working or when read to go fly it starts raining (last few days).

Trouble is, you can't get them here in Aus directly from FHT, I got mine through a niece re-forwarding them from NJ over there.

They can be got from Drone Shop Perth (PDS), but $$$ . . . like AUD$72 for one of the ARCII RED/WHITE, when they are US$33 (= AUD$49) from FHT.
Nice folk at PDS, but I had a choice to go direct through the forwarding, so did as I bought like US$200 worth, so couldn't afford to go local distributor.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

i bet if one is looking for a trouble - one will find it.

is there a current legal document where it is written with those words hobbyist, night, drone all used in the same sentence? you can present one in a printed format for your defense during a conflict with a LEO at the middle of the night?

That is VERY true.
Unless you are an avid photographer, and want to do a night shot of a cityscape lights, some long traffic exposures etc . . . from a safe place etc, and following the other rules . . . then there really isn't much point to flying at night.

If I were able to do this in Australia, it'd be a planned shot from one point, a park etc with loads of room around, no people or trees nearby etc . . . straight up, take the shot(s), down, not too high, try and keep it to maybe 200', use a strobe visible from the ground, keep an ear out for helis which will probably be the only aircraft possible at that altitude to worry you really.

Have a look around here, you might find a link to the printed hobbyist rules in a page format . . . this has all the current rules listed.

Recreational Flyers & Modeler Community-Based Organizations

www.faa.gov

 

[Thomas B]

That is VERY true.
Unless you are an avid photographer, and want to do a night shot of a cityscape lights, some long traffic exposures etc . . . from a safe place etc, and following the other rules . . . then there really isn't much point to flying at night.
.......

My Litralights have changed that for me. Close in shots are now a reality.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

My Litralights have changed that for me. Close in shots are now a reality.

Maybe post up some examples in a new thread Thomas ?
It'd be interesting to see some of your photos under spots lighting.

Personally I avoid taking (general) photos using a flash at all cost, rather use natural light and steady hand, hence wondering what sort of shots and effect yours might have.