Strobes and power banks...

[PeteGSW]

Hi. I have a couple of questions from a newbie.. 1. Can I charge a Mini 3 pro battery with a power bank? (I am thinking whilst I am hiking it could charge in my pack - plus spare batteries are impossible to get right now) Any recommendations? 2. VLOS - A few flights in and I see how easy it is to lose visual contact, this happened touch today when flying from a viewpoint near me, yes i can bring it back closer and did - but I'd rather have it easier to spot over trees and fields etc - do strobes help and would that put it over 250g? Thanks!

 

[MA2 317]

I'm sure a power bank will charge the batteries if strong enough.

I have a large one that I used years ago that would charge my Spark batteries.

This a newer version of the one I have which is only 27000mAh/99.9 Wh

RAVPower AC Power Bank 30000mAh 100W(150W max) AC Outlet

RAVPower - Stay Powered RAVPower is the one-stop power charging solution for millions of customers from around the world. Outstanding in fast wireless charging thanks to our groundbreaking HyperAir technology, our wide variety of portable chargers and charging accessories provide a reliable way...

www.ravpower.com

Strobes will help when flying during the day.

I have 4 ARC V's on my MA2 that makes it easier to see when below the tree line.

Depending on the strobes, they may push you past the takeoff weight which means it should be registered with FAA.

No big deal. $5 US and the numbers look cool.

FAADroneZone

faadronezone.faa.gov

Here is a link to Firehouse Strobes and Aerial-Pixel mounts to get you started down a rabbit hole.

drone dji strobe lights spot lights

DJI drone strobe lights spotlight uas unmanned aircraft faa 107.29 mavic Inspire matrice phantom spark yuneec typhoon h parrot

www.firehousetechnology.com

3d printed

Products by drone pilots for drone pilots. In 2013 we started Aerial-Pixel as a drone photography and videography service. Since then we have grown to also provide vinyl graphics, apparel and 3D printed products for the drone industry.

www.aerial-pixel.com

Good luck.

 

[akdrone]

Yes you can but if your powerbank is only charging at 1.5A or something minimal like that it will take a long time. This charger Amazon Charger says it will charge at 20Watt. When your Mini 3 is charged with a 30Watt charger it takes 1.5hrs so even with this charger it will take over two hours per battery and I haven't done any calculations on how many times that battery charger might charge a Mini 3 .... I think the Mini battery is something like 2450mAh so that battery might charge 4 times? I'd look for the largest, fastest (in watts) charger you can find.
I did a google search for 30watt portable charger and found many better options than the one I posted.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

2) a useful strobe will put the Mini 3 over 250g, anything self powered and light enough to not do that <1?g will be useless.
One powered off the drone's battery might be strong enough to be useful but I haven't seen such a strobe.
Being honest, if you lose sight of a small drone because of distance and then lose all sense of where it is, it is difficult to spot a strobe, i.e. you need to know where to look.
That was my findings with
the Strobon cree STROBON Cree® Standalone .........4g
and
the firehouse Arc VFirehouse Technology. Arc V. professional LED drone strobe light (white). : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games ..........14g
I wouldn't put an arc v on a Mini xyz.

With a mini 2, my sight limit is around 600m background depending, the strobon might have increased that a bit but if you note the "might" you might deduce that I do not use the strobe on a regular basis, infact I would struggle to remember the last time I used it for anything other than a test.

Incidentally if you do get a strobe be carefully where you are looking when
a) you test it or switch it on, or
b) when you are trying to switch it off or
c) have the drone close with the strobe facing you.
I ......now........put my thumb over the LEDs during switch on/off and do not look at the strobe with the drone in flight i.e. the drone is pointing away from me.

Looking at the strobon was bad enough, the arc v is much worse and left me seeing spots for quite some time.

 

[old man mavic]

@PeteGSW ,apart from the obvious weight penalty a strobe would put on the Mini 3, there is also the issue of placement ,these small drones are not really meant to be flown great distances ,what they offer, especially the Mini 3 ,with its very quiet noise levels in flight ,is the opportunity to fly over many more places ,than a heavier drone would be able to do ,and that also means that when it comes to filming wildlife ,there is much less chance of disturbance to that wild life,for me adding anything to the Mini 3 while it is in flight would just ,negate all the benefits of the drone .
of course this is my personal opinion and others are free to disagree with me

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

@old man mavic, is the noise reduction really that significant compared to say the Mavic Mini or Mini 2?
Being deaf I am in no position to judge and had regarded any youtube comments/noise tests with sceptisism, your post makes me wonder.

 

[old man mavic]

@Yorkshire_Pud well i can honestly say that compared to previous minis ,it is significantly,quieter,
even if you are coming in to land with the wind ,it gets much closer before you actually hear it

 

[PeteGSW]

2) a useful strobe will put the Mini 3 over 250g, anything self powered and light enough to not do that <1?g will be useless.
One powered off the drone's battery might be strong enough to be useful but I haven't seen such a strobe.
Being honest, if you lose sight of a small drone because of distance and then lose all sense of where it is, it is difficult to spot a strobe, i.e. you need to know where to look.
That was my findings with
the Strobon cree STROBON Cree® Standalone .........4g
and
the firehouse Arc VFirehouse Technology. Arc V. professional LED drone strobe light (white). : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games ..........14g
I wouldn't put an arc v on a Mini xyz.

With a mini 2, my sight limit is around 600m background depending, the strobon might have increased that a bit but if you note the "might" you might deduce that I do not use the strobe on a regular basis, infact I would struggle to remember the last time I used it for anything other than a test.

Incidentally if you do get a strobe be carefully where you are looking when
a) you test it or switch it on, or
b) when you are trying to switch it off or
c) have the drone close with the strobe facing you.
I ......now........put my thumb over the LEDs during switch on/off and do not look at the strobe with the drone in flight i.e. the drone is pointing away from me.

Looking at the strobon was bad enough, the arc v is much worse and left me seeing spots for quite some time.

Thanks - it's not just distance but background! I can see where it is on a map and look in that direction(so i know where to look - it's not totally lost - more hidden!) hence thinking a strobe might help. Any strobe would put it over just 250g annoyingly. Reflecting more, it's partly practice and planning - i look down to see the photo for too long and I move the drone and then I look up can't see it.

 

[PeteGSW]

Yes you can but if your powerbank is only charging at 1.5A or something minimal like that it will take a long time. This charger Amazon Charger says it will charge at 20Watt. When your Mini 3 is charged with a 30Watt charger it takes 1.5hrs so even with this charger it will take over two hours per battery and I haven't done any calculations on how many times that battery charger might charge a Mini 3 .... I think the Mini battery is something like 2450mAh so that battery might charge 4 times? I'd look for the largest, fastest (in watts) charger you can find.
I did a google search for 30watt portable charger and found many better options than the one I posted.

I was thinking of this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0899Z4...&colid=8AIFEBSAVGW&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

It's 18W. I'd probably only want to it up between flights and maybe one longer charge... Like on a day out out it gives more options..

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Thanks - it's not just distance but background! I can see where it is on a map and look in that direction(so i know where to look - it's not totally lost - more hidden!) hence thinking a strobe might help. Any strobe would put it over just 250g annoyingly. Reflecting more, it's partly practice and planning - i look down to see the photo for too long and I move the drone and then I look up can't see it.

Go for either a firehouse tech ‘dual’ or ‘arcII’ then, or the much better value ‘vifly’ off Amazon.
These are the best bang for buck in power / visibility vs size / weight around.
I use FHT dual on my Spark, white is what you want for vlos.
Vifly will do what you want too.
Just put one each side with 3m dual lock velcro and you should see them from almost any angle, or with a very slight yaw.

Some that have weighed their mini drones with one of these smallest / lightest strobes fitted have commented here in the past their minis are still under 250g, but registration as mentioned is a minor penelty.
You are in though ?
You need to know exactly how it will affect where and how you can fly as the sub 250g thing might be more detrimental to drone rule obligations / licensing ?

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Thanks - it's not just distance but background! I

I know, I mentioned back ground "With a mini 2, my sight limit is around 600m background depending, th....",
Regarding the rest of the post, I think you are going to be surprised how quickly and easily a invisible drone can be moved away from the patch of sky upon which your attention and eyes are fixed.
Once it is out of that patch of sky the chances of finding it are greatly reduced strobe or no strobe, that's is my experience a Mini carrying the Strobon and an M2P/Z carrying a Firehouse Arc v.

 

[PeteGSW]

I know, I mentioned back ground "With a mini 2, my sight limit is around 600m background depending, th....",
Regarding the rest of the post, I think you are going to be surprised how quickly and easily a invisible drone can be moved away from the patch of sky upon which your attention and eyes are fixed.
Once it is out of that patch of sky the chances of finding it are greatly reduced strobe or no strobe, that's is my experience a Mini carrying the Strobon and an M2P/Z carrying a Firehouse Arc v.

Cheers - that's helpful to know!

 

[PeteGSW]

Go for either a firehouse tech ‘dual’ or ‘arcII’ then, or the much better value ‘vifly’ off Amazon.
These are the best bang for buck in power / visibility vs size / weight around.
I use FHT dual on my Spark, white is what you want for vlos.
Vifly will do what you want too.
Just put one each side with 3m dual lock velcro and you should see them from almost any angle, or with a very slight yaw.

Some that have weighed their mini drones with one of these smallest / lightest strobes fitted have commented here in the past their minis are still under 250g, but registration as mentioned is a minor penelty.
You are in though ?
You need to know exactly how it will affect where and how you can fly as the sub 250g thing might be more detrimental to drone rule obligations / licensing ?

Yes in the UK over 250g means I have to stay 150m away from residential, industrial, commercial etc... so basically anywhere that's populated! and I would have to take an exam. (As far as i understand the cryptic laws here) I want to be able to photograph abandoned/old buildings so best keep it 250g or under.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Yes in the UK over 250g means I have to stay 150m away from residential, industrial, commercial etc... so basically anywhere that's populated! and I would have to take an exam. (As far as i understand the cryptic laws here) I want to be able to photograph abandoned/old buildings so best keep it 250g or under.

I did a quick search and found a couple of mini weight threads, there may be more tucked away . . .

Adding Weight to the Mini 2

With the Mini 2 weighing 249 g out of the box, does adding any weight (light, landing gear, etc) causing it to weigh 250 g or more, take it out of Recreational Satus? Yes No. Any drone up to 55 pounds may be flown recreationally in the US. Any drone over 250g must be registered with the FAA...

mavicpilots.com

If only there was a little more weight allowance after 250g!

So near, but yet so far. I understand the calculations that some mathematician made to determine the 250g drone weight limit cutoff that so many countries have adopted. With just a little more weight leeway there would be SO much more flexibility without (IMO) sacrificing an immeasurable...

mavicpilots.com

Check the mini 3 pro weight on the local post office small scale, they should be calibrated.
Then check weights of the FHT Dual and Amazon Vifly.
(Amazon link to FHT Dual above, I REALLY dislike the FHT website, never easy to find some things.)

I think the Dual will be lighter than the Vifly.

I can help you with weighing the FHT Dual on some digital kitchen scales, can check vs my digital paint weighting scale (measures 2 drops) also, to see if consistent.
Maybe someone with a Vifly strobe can do the same.

Many of the sites selling these put packed weight with velcro (which you will have to include) and packaging, so best to test independently.

Oh, and here is the FHT Dual in green / red on opposite sides of my Spark . . .

Keep in mind white IS much brighter for vlos, so go with white for sure, day or night.

 

[Starz]

Skip the firehouse.
You won’t be disappointed. And skip the mount products. Velcro works fine.

ViFly Strobe Anti Collision Drone Light

VIFLY Strobe uses 5 3W Hi-intensity LED which provides the greatest range available for a mini strobe. 360º 3+ mile visibility satisfies all FAA guidelines, a must-have accessory for your safe flying at night. Each color has 3 modes, strobe, slow flash, and solid. You can use 3 white LEDs for...

www.racedayquads.com

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Skip the firehouse.
You won’t be disappointed. And skip the mount products. Velcro works fine.

ViFly Strobe Anti Collision Drone Light

VIFLY Strobe uses 5 3W Hi-intensity LED which provides the greatest range available for a mini strobe. 360º 3+ mile visibility satisfies all FAA guidelines, a must-have accessory for your safe flying at night. Each color has 3 modes, strobe, slow flash, and solid. You can use 3 white LEDs for...

www.racedayquads.com

The vifly is a great product value wise, but if a gram, 2 grams or whatever turns out to be important to the OP to keep them under 250g, then the Dual might just be well worth the extra $.

Next problem might be shipping.
FHT don’t ship overseas directly from their site, but often Amazon you can get sent to most countries.

 

[retiredNH]

Weight? Can't wait to see the drone police carrying around a scale that will accurately weigh 250 grams...

 

[MA2 317]

Weight? Can't wait to see the drone police carrying around a scale that will accurately weigh 250 grams...

Probably already have them on hand for drug arrests.

 

[Starz]

but if a gram, 2 grams or whatever

Above is my reasoning for Velcro.
Somewhat amusing to see all the variations of mounts that just add weight and drag just to attach a bulb.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Above is my reasoning for Velcro.
Somewhat amusing to see all the variations of mounts that just add weight and drag just to attach a bulb.

Yep, I've always used velcro.
The smaller strobes are well secured with it, low profile, fit just bout anywhere.

What I mean with is the FHT Dual is a 2 led strobe, more than bright enough to help reasonable vlos assistance daylight (or at night).
The Vifly 5 leds, which probably puts it at a higher weight than even the FHT ARCII (4 leds).

Vifly state 6g for theirs.
Pretty sure my FHT Dual are 3.5/3.6g . . . those extra g's might make a difference to keeping under the sub 250g rating.
Velcro, even a small tab might be a gram for each piece (?).

Best to check drone weight first, see if the OP has just that little tolerance at all.
If not, not much the OP can do to increase vlos daylight contrast, even a fluro wrap is going to weigh most of what a Dual strobe weighs.