Strobe lights

[MavicChopperPilot]

I’m looking for strobes that won’t break the bank, I’ve looked at firehouse strobes but to me they seem expensive for what they are. Any suggestions?

 

[msinger]

I’ve looked at firehouse strobes but to me they seem expensive for what they are

Perhaps. But, all of the commonly used strobe lights are in that price range.

Any suggestions?

If you're looking for decent lights, don't buy the cheapest lights you can find on Amazon/eBay.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

FHT are no doubt best bang for buck, the ARC II are more than adequate, thought little duals are good for in close (or shorter range wifi drones).

Best value is the navigation pack in 3 or 4 strobes.
The 4 strobe pack is usually 2 white, 1 of each green and red, US$99 or so.
4 hours run time, more than enough for a good 4 batteries, then usb recharge is fast.

Used in the mounts on the arms is easiest, and you'll see it as far as you can reasonably fly it VLOS (and well beyond).

Others like Strobon (single cree) or Lumecube are out there, but one's far less visible, the other bulky and a lot heavier.

 

[Starz]

Firehouse. Anything else will be sub-standard. The two led works fine.
And you can use any Velcro product and save some $ for now.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Firehouse. Anything else will be sub-standard. The two led works fine.
And you can use any Velcro product and save some $ for now.

True, I use velcro on my M1P and Spark, no arm mounts.
And I guess @MavicChopperPilot should let people here know what drone.

If it's a mini, Id say only use the Duals, it shouldn't be going far, and the size of the Duals is perfect for a smaller drone.
I use them on the Spark.

ARCIIs are great on larger aircraft, rear panel of the M1P is perfect for one.

The main reason I suggested arm mounts is the M2 for example, has so many sensors, can't really put one on the back, sides is awkward too.
Other models have spots to put them in either ARCII or Dual.

 

[MavicChopperPilot]

True, I use velcro on my M1P and Spark, no arm mounts.
And I guess @MavicChopperPilot should let people here know what drone.

If it's a mini, Id say only use the Duals, it shouldn't be going far, and the size of the Duals is perfect for a smaller drone.
I use them on the Spark.

ARCIIs are great on larger aircraft, rear panel of the M1P is perfect for one.

The main reason I suggested arm mounts is the M2 for example, has so many sensors, can't really put one on the back, sides is awkward too.
Other models have spots to put them in either ARCII or Dual.

Mavic pro

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Mavic pro

M1P like mine, I use ARCII on the back, dual lock velcro, between rear vents and lower status light.
Front I use Duals red / green on the outer arms, velcro again, just under the motor on the top of the legs, so they angle out a bit (away from the camera area).


Shows the ARC II public safety series white / red below

.. ..

Front

 

[johnsctt78]

Firehouse. Anything else will be sub-standard. The two led works fine.
And you can use any Velcro product and save some $ for now.

im new to any night flying for recreational,how is the placement of the firehouse stobes on the mavic pro, also what light combo did you use red/green white/red etc im going to purchase them today

 

[Starz]

White will be the brightest.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Yep, white is by far brightest, then red, then green.
See white vs red in my post #7 pics above.
Many use red (left) / green (right) on front arms for standard navigation setup, white on back lime the ARCII is good.

If you wanted only VLOS, the white on front and back on the M1P / MPP is best.
Apparently even the larger / brighter ARC XL don't affect front camera in white.
ARCII white on these should be more than enough for most people and VLOS.

 

[BarrySDCA]

I’m looking for strobes that won’t break the bank, I’ve looked at firehouse strobes but to me they seem expensive for what they are. Any suggestions?

I went through a few lower cost strobes and ended up spending more than if I got the right strobes the first time. I just couldn't see them at any reasonable distance.

I ended up getting these from Amazon. They are not available any longer but you can probably find them elsewhere:

Amazon.com : DS-30A-1 White Lightning Drone Strobe Light : Camera & Photo

Amazon.com : DS-30A-1 White Lightning Drone Strobe Light : Camera & Photo

www.amazon.com

They are just strobes with wires. I cut the wire short and attached a 9V connector. I put velcro on the bottom of the light, both sides of rechargable 9V batteries and another on top of the mavic pro battery. it sits there great during the flight and I can actually see it. More importantly, other aircraft can see it too!

 

[Thomas B]

Tried several. Ultimately Firehouse is cheaper. Here’s my drone with ARC XLs in daylight. Notice the ground below. Never any camera interference except in fog.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[pelagic_one]

Notice the ground below.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Your videos are the reason why I just used up an Amazon gift card for ARC XLs and mounts. Now I understand why they offer really dark shades for the Moverio glasses.

 

[Reelman67]

True, I use velcro on my M1P and Spark, no arm mounts.
And I guess @MavicChopperPilot should let people here know what drone.

If it's a mini, Id say only use the Duals, it shouldn't be going far, and the size of the Duals is perfect for a smaller drone.
I use them on the Spark.

ARCIIs are great on larger aircraft, rear panel of the M1P is perfect for one.

The main reason I suggested arm mounts is the M2 for example, has so many sensors, can't really put one on the back, sides is awkward too.
Other models have spots to put them in either ARCII or Dual.

Amen to your comment on the Mavic 2 strobe placement on the rear. Noted the sensors and lack of a surface to mount, therefore I will use the arm mount solution.

 

[JohnnyD913]

Firehouse or strobon bud...
You have seen mine and they are firehouse mounted with scotch 3m Velcro..
No chance of falling off cause I can barely pull them off.,
Lol

 

[dronerdave]

Well I did lose one when I hit a power line. Oops. The strobe fell to the ground along with my MP but both survived. Had to crawl down into the gulch to retrieve the strobe. But these strobes are quite bright. Here is a crappy video of mine:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[mavic53]

I purchased a lume cube strobe but was worried about interference with the video. It is mounted on top at the very front of my Zoom . There was no flashing on the video at all but I was able to see the drone from a distance. The light must drop off very quickly and does not spread in anyway.

 

[CarltonNYC]

I found these at Walmart. I bought 2 for less than $40!

ulanzi DR-01 Mini Drone Strobe Light 3 Lights Color(White/Red/Green) 9 Lignting Modes Lightweight Built-in Battery -collision - Walmart.com

Free 2-day shipping. Buy ulanzi DR-01 Mini Drone Strobe Light 3 Lights Color(White/Red/Green) 9 Lignting Modes Lightweight Built-in Battery -collision at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

 

[JohnnyD913]

How’s is the distance

 

[CarltonNYC]

How’s is the distance