Strobe location

[Rick243]

Is this a suitable location for a strobe? It’s really close to one of the bottom cameras but it seems to be the only spot available on the bottom.

 

[vindibona1]

Yes. That's where I have mine located on my M2P. I think it's the best place to stay clear of the sensors.
At night I will run with 4 strobes. The ones on the arms are red and green for orienation. If there was a better front/back location for these I'd have red in the front and green on the back. But on the arms works. While I do have velcro holding the strobes onto the arms, I also have elastic hair bands for reinforcement. Truth be told the elastic bands are good enough by themselves. Fortunately the M2 has enough power that 4 strobes don't have any impact on speed or handling. Perhaps they cut the battery life a bit. But I've had this thing out 10,000 ft and back with no issues.

 

[MA2 317]

While I do have velcro holding the strobes onto the arms, I also have elastic hair bands for reinforcement.

Check these out.

3d printed

I fly with four ARC V's on my Mavic Air 2.

Red / green on the front and two whites on the back.

The 3-d printed holders work well and are easy to install / remove.

There are slots cut out for the power switch and charging port.

I haven't taken the strobes out of them since I installed them.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I stuck one on the rear of the drone on top of a mount of molded epoxy putty.

Vindi how on earth do you see to switch all those off and not get blinded?

 

[MS Coast]

Is this a suitable location for a strobe? It’s really close to one of the bottom cameras but it seems to be the only spot available on the bottom.

If it's to provide visibility to other aircraft, it ought to be on the top.

 

[vindibona1]

MA2 317" data-source="post: 1420250" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Check these out.

3d printed
I fly with four ARC V's on my Mavic Air 2.
Red / green on the front and two whites on the back.
The 3-d printed holders work well and are easy to install / remove.
There are slots cut out for the power switch and charging port.
I haven't taken the strobes out of them since I installed them.

That works. But the way I see it is that the plastic adds weight and weight can change balance, though ever so slightly as well as make the drone work harder, thus shorter flight time. Good velcro works just fine. Not the stuff that Firehouse provides. It sucked losing a $35 ARC V because their velcro failed. One of the things about velcro is that I can use strips of velcro to "park" a strobe or two on top of the drone for storage or to keep it out of the way until it's time to use it. The strobes on the arms stay on all the time and I've modified the cutouts in the case so I don't have to remove them. The Mini 2's mount is on the bottom just behind the gimbal, so I had to be creative with the female velcro to keep the switch and level lights clear until the Mini was turned on, when I could then mount the strobe there.

If it's to provide visibility to other aircraft, it ought to be on the top.

Correct. The strobe on top is for other aircraft. The strobe on the bottom is for the pilot to keep track of the drone. Also, keep in mind that a 3 mile "rating" doesn't mean that the strobe can actually be seen 3 miles away. It's small, so that in spite of brightness the light's size limits the distance. Again, the max distance I've gone, with 4 strobes, is 10,000', at night, over water with no obstructions before I couldn't see it any more.

The other thing that I experience regularly is that once I lose visual of the drone, even with the strobe, reacquiring visual contact can be extremely difficult and may require reeling in the drone even several hundred feet before I can see it again. Just saying.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

For pilot VLOS assistance, underneath is probably best, as mentioned above for other aircraft to see on top is a better option.
I have mine on the front arms (Duals from FHT in red / green) and an arcII on the back in combo red / white.
A quick turn finds the arcII no problems for VLOS against tough backgrounds.

 

[Starz]

Velcro. Never had one come off. One front, one rear.

 

[vindibona1]

Velcro. Never had one come off. One front, one rear.View attachment 147867

Vifly???

 

[Starz]

Vifly???

Yes.

 

[vindibona1]

Vifly???

Yes.

I’m sure you recognize it as well. The vifly punches way above its price point. While it isn’t as bright as the ARC V I find it to be as bright as the ARC II, but more versatile because you can dial in red green or clear on the same strobe. I’m not sure because I haven’t tested it, but 51 drones says it doesn’t have the longest battery life. As I don’t try to make my strobes last six hours without a charge I don’t find it a problem at all even if it has less strobe time before recharge.

 

[Eagle Eye 62]

If it's to provide visibility to other aircraft, it ought to be on the top.

Agreed, the top is the proper location for a strobe.

 

[Rick243]

Thanks for all the replies. I can see that 1 strobe is not going to be enough. For now, I’m mounting mine underneath so I can see it better.

 

[Lets Fly]

I have red and green Arc II in front, two white in back and one white on the bottom of my M2Z, all flashing. All have Velcro on and never have a problem of them coming off, in fact you still have to pull them with quite a tug to get them off. I hadn't seen the need for a top strobe, if a plane is looking down on me, there's no need to see me, I have them for my VLOS. If I hear and see a plane or helicopter, I drop lower anyway even if below 400AGL. At night it would appear to the uninformed like a UFO and I can see it for a very long distance.

 

[Starz]

51 drones says it doesn’t have the longest battery life

I’ve not seen that issue. I listen very little to what he claims ever since his claim that you could solve the precision landing issue that the small DJI drones had by doing an IMU calibration. I don’t remember if it was the mini1 or the Mavic air. Doesn’t really matter. I believe what I see, not what I hear.

 

[vindibona1]

@Starz Yeah... He's not one of my favorite sources either. I think Vic and Henrik from Europe are better sources. I can't believe how good their English is! Unless you're too lazy to charge your gear, who needs 6 hours of strobe batttery life? I mean, if you have 3 or 4 drone batteries that get 20 minutes of flight time....? If you don't charge your stuff properly only you are at fault when it fails.

 

[CaptainMavic]

The Vifly are good for 3-4 hours on strobe. Constant on is less time. I bought the three pack and like the small size and being able to choose what color they flash. Plus they are much less expensive than the other ones being sold. Am totally happy with them. I put them on the rear arms and have the white one on the top.

 

[drone_dh]

Guys, I mounted a white strobe on the top for visibility to my drone from any other aircraft. What I did, instead of putting another light on my drone, was get a strobe that has a red and green cover and I put this on my launch/home pad. This made it visible to my camera where I was during the flight. I found it way better than putting another light on the drone. Hopefully that helps....