Recommendations on a strobe please

[FireAnt]

Hey everyone

So I've got my mini 3 pro finally, and was wondering what strobes I should get? I've heard a lot of good things about the Firehouse strobes on here, so was thinking should I get them?

If I did, where did you guys position them, and did you get one, two or three of them?

I've seen them available in tri colour and also in white. I'm guessing the tri colour ones have an option to set a specific colour of cycle through all three?

What are your opinions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Were no fan of Velcro , so we use a Compression Band as its so easy to work with and we can add lights or move them with ease to another drone.

The Firehouse strobe is what I would recommend with the 5 Lights , the downside with the Band is we loose a light but we dont miss it.




Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mini 3 in the rain
.

 

[thispilothere]

Firehouse are great but, for the price of 1, you can get a 3 pack of (search amazon for "VIFLY Drone Strobe Light") plus they sell mounts for the mini3.

They aren't Firehouse, but they're pretty bright and far cheaper.

 

[MS Coast]

Velcro attachment has worked fine for me. Firehouse and VIFLY both work well. VIFLY is lighter, less expensive, and fine for most uses. I use a single light, mounted on top. White provides the best visibility.

 

[FireAnt]

Thanks very much for the quick replies.

Another question, (sorry for all the questions by the way).

If I put a strobe on top, that'd be harder to spot from below wouldn't it, and only good enough for aircraft looking at it from above?

Do any of you have more than one strobe on the drone?

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Unless your right underneath your drone , you will be able to see that flash coming from your drone as you fly .

If your further out and cannot see it ,all you to do is tilt the drone down to see
Those lights are blinding ,and never needed more than 1 light

Flying under the Radar is the Preferred way. to many lights and UFO are reported. lol

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain. Land on the River.

 

[MS Coast]

All that follows is simply one person's opinion. You'll find that others have different ideas.

My main concern is being visible to manned aircraft, so I use a single white light mounted on top. Other folks add multiple strobes with different colors or blink patterns to help with understanding the drone's orientation. I've found that the normal lights built into the drones I fly are adequate for that.

I don't like to hang a lot of extra gear on the drones, so I usually stick with one light and use velcro to attach it. It's light, simple, cheap, and reliable. I have occasionally used small rubber bands to temporarily attach a VIFLY light on one of the motor arms facing rearward when flying where there are a lot of distant lights in the area (street lights across the bay) to make the drone easier to keep track of.

I'm remembering that the Pilot Institute has a good free online video that deals with night flying. You might want to have a look at that for some tips.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

If I put a strobe on top, that'd be harder to spot from below wouldn't it, and only good enough for aircraft looking at it from above?

This comment makes me think you want this purely for seeing it in the sky daytime when flying (?).

If you only want this for VLOS making it easier to keep an eye on when you've been using the device screen, and look up to find the drone, then place it on the side or underneath.

I would avoid larger strobes for this, you simply don't need that much light for VLOS use.
Get a smaller on (or two) Vifly, or FHT Dual, Velcro (3M Dual lock) is fine for these small strobes, never lost one in ~ 4 years using them, and I use it for ARCII larger 4 led strobes too.

Get white, single Vifly or FHT Dual, 3M Dual Lock one to the underside somewhere and you will find it when you look up.
Of course, use your screen telemetry / map, orientate your direction on the ground towards the drone, use the altitude to get an idea of where to look in the sky to find it quickly.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

Firehouse w/velcro here. Velcroed to the battery(s), which could mean buying a little more velcro at the store or having a battery(s) w/o velcro to not use at night.

 

[StantonZ]

Thanks very much for the quick replies.

Another question, (sorry for all the questions by the way).

If I put a strobe on top, that'd be harder to spot from below wouldn't it, and only good enough for aircraft looking at it from above?

Do any of you have more than one strobe on the drone?

There will always be some place you can't view the strobe from, but I put mine on the back so you can see it from above and below...assuming you are looking at the back (a simple rotate is easier than a tilt)
I have a Firehouse with double-sided tape (never take it off--just turn it off).

 

[MS Coast]

Firehouse w/velcro here. Velcroed to the battery(s), which could mean buying a little more velcro at the store or having a battery(s) w/o velcro to not use at night.

All my batteries have velcro strips for mounting batteries. The velcro causes no problems when a light is not attached.

 

[Lister]

All my batteries have velcro strips for mounting batteries. The velcro causes no problems when a light is not attached.

Yup. Me, too. The only time I don't have my bottom-mounted Firehouse is when I'm flying low over still water (strobe reflections in footage) or when I forget.

I lost one, bought two more.

 

[mobilehomer]

Also be aware, with the weight of the Mini 3 being so close to the 250 limit, ANY strobe will likely put you over.

 

[offtheback]

Were no fan of Velcro , so we use a Compression Band as its so easy to work with and we can add lights or move them with ease to another drone.

The Firehouse strobe is what I would recommend with the 5 Lights , the downside with the Band is we loose a light but we dont miss it.

View attachment 160400


Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mini 3 in the rain
.View attachment 160401

View attachment 160402

I've used this type for a few years with no failures.

 

[zeusfl]

I have the Firehouse ARC 5 on my Mavic 3 and I really like it.

 

[cmarines]

Strobe Light The weight is only 3g

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08ZCTL9SY/?coliid=I1ZG2A333Z4ANT&colid=3OGV9K9B05TFK&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[zeusfl]

The important strobe lights are the one on top. This is for another aircraft view. The one under or side is more for the Remote Pilot In command benefit.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

The important strobe lights are the one on top. This is for another aircraft view.

Definitely important if flying at night (where permitted in various country regulations).

I feel with most countries not allowing night flight, the then obvious only important strobe position, and naturally the use for a strobe at all, is underneath, or on the side(s), or on the back, to help maintain VLOS.
Especially so if you want to sight the drone at any particular time, a manned aircraft might be approaching in the distance, or if asked where your drone is (by someone in authority for example).

Most pilots would look at their screens when flying, composing photos, shooting video, very hard sometimes to just look up and see it with various backgrounds (ground or sky) that it may blend in with.

 

[Dbez1]

I use Vifly. One white on top, one red on front left arm, one green on right rear arm. If I see green, it’s going away, red means it’s coming towards me. If I’m in a hurry, I only use the one on top. Check out this thread from a couple weeks ago…

Green and Red Strobe Plus one White Strobe on top

Hi guys soon I will be getting this; Strobe Light Mounts My question is do I put one Strobe Red facing Front and another Strobe Green facing Backwards? or would it be vice versa? I will also be putting one White Strobe on top. I want to try and follow what a Manned aircraft Navigation lights...

mavicpilots.com

 

[Deleted member 170519]

Hey everyone

So I've got my mini 3 pro finally, and was wondering what strobes I should get? I've heard a lot of good things about the Firehouse strobes on here, so was thinking should I get them?

If I did, where did you guys position them, and did you get one, two or three of them?

I've seen them available in tri colour and also in white. I'm guessing the tri colour ones have an option to set a specific colour of cycle through all three?

What are your opinions?

Thanks in advance.

I got the firehouse micro, two with just the wrap, and one in the hard case. little smaller than the V but it works for me. I put the hard case on top between the sensors. A lot of people will talk about velcro...
I am using a clear dual lock from 3m. A whole lot better than normal velcro.