Ulanzi DR-02 Strobe?

[Rigle]

I too am 'in the market' for the brightest strobe I can find.

Firstly be careful about claims as to how far away the strobe can be seen as sometimes this is at NIGHT.

Most do NOT which state how many lumens (brightness) they emit and some state something like 3W (watts) CREE LED (eg Firehouse Dual Cree) which equates to only 270 lumens.
The LUME CUBE claims 500 lumens at about $US55
I have seen a ULANZI DR-02 listed as 10W (watts) which equates to 900 lumens so very bright at about $US55
The Firehouse Arc 'V' at whopping 1000 lumens at about $US66
Strobon (brand) strobes (mentioned elsewhere somewhere here) don't seem to list watts or lumens and as they are quite cheap I would not think they are very bright although they claim visibility at 3 miles AT NIGHT.
Also WHITE strobes are said to be the brightest.

Hope this helps.

I got my Ulanzi DR-02 lights on ebay for $15 US. So you should check there before spending $55.

As far as their claims they say these can be seen from 3nm at night. And interestingly the little pamphlet that came in the box says these are specifically made for the mavic air 2.

Also in the US you only need lights on your drone at night so it doesn't really matter if they can be seen during the day. At least from a legal standpoint.

 

[Thomas B]

Too bad about the cost... I love my Firehouse ARC XLs and the alarm at 96dB if you crash is reassuring. I use 4 mounted in aircraft fashion to aid visualization of the orientation of my drone. 11 second video below:

 

[Rigle]

Too bad about the cost... I love my Firehouse ARC XLs and the alarm at 96dB if you crash is reassuring. I use 4 mounted in aircraft fashion to aid visualization of the orientation of my drone. 11 second video below:

This is how I plan to use mine. I might buy one more just so each leg has one but Im thinking a red and green on the front and the 2 white ones on the back legs.

 

[Thomas B]

This is how I plan to use mine. I might buy one more just so each leg has one but Im thinking a red and green on the front and the 2 white ones on the back legs.

Yep... arranged like this:

 

[jarnie]

I know that 'lights' are required after dark in the USA but the main reason I want a strobe light is so that I can find it in the DAYTIME and as such the brighter the strobe the better.

I also thought of a red strobe for the starboard and green so that I could visually tell which direction the drone was pointing.

I got my Ulanzi DR-02 lights on ebay for $15 US.

You are very fortunate. The best I can get one on Ebay (Australia) is around $US24. The $US55 was direct from Ulanzi.
Here in Australia we are RIPPED OFF on many things. Would you believe here the MA2 costs the equivalent of $US1050 (using the latest exchange rate) including 10% tax. I think in the USA it is $US799!
As it is manufactured in China you can't take freight costs into consideration (USA is just as far from China as Australia) or import duties as all countries have that. Also postage/shipping from the USA to Australia usually costs twice if not 3 times the cost of the item to be shipped so that is not an option either.

 

[Rigle]

I know that 'lights' are required after dark in the USA but the main reason I want a strobe light is so that I can find it in the DAYTIME and as such the brighter the strobe the better.

I also thought of a red strobe for the starboard and green so that I could visually tell which direction the drone was pointing.

You are very fortunate. The best I can get one on Ebay (Australia) is around $US24. The $US55 was direct from Ulanzi.
Here in Australia we are RIPPED OFF on many things. Would you believe here the MA2 costs the equivalent of $US1050 (using the latest exchange rate) including 10% tax. I think in the USA it is $US799!
As it is manufactured in China you can't take freight costs into consideration (USA is just as far from China as Australia) or import duties as all countries have that. Also postage/shipping from the USA to Australia usually costs twice if not 3 times the cost of the item to be shipped so that is not an option either.

For the lights can you just get them on ebay from a seller in China? From our ebay we have Chinese and US Sellers and both say free shipping. I would think the chinese seller offers free shipping everywhere.

 

[jarnie]

Yes some Ebay sellers offer free postage but usually not from USA unless a very small and light article.
For personal reason right now I do not want to purchase from Chinese sellers even if the item is manufactured there PLUS the postal system there leaves a lot to be desired. Purchases in the past have often taken 4 to 8 weeks to arrive.

Also please note the $US15 strobe listed on (USA) Ebay doesn't appear to be a Ulanzi.
The genuine one looks like this

and the one listed on USA (Ebay) at $US15 looks like this

and it only has ONE cree led whereas the other one shows TWO cree leds? Also it is listed as UNBRANDED so probably not a Ulanzi? I haven't seen a single CREE LED with a light output of 1000 lumens before.

 

[Rigle]

Yes some Ebay sellers offer free postage but usually not from USA unless a very small and light article.
For personal reason right now I do not want to purchase from Chinese sellers even if the item is manufactured there PLUS the postal system there leaves a lot to be desired. Purchases in the past have often taken 4 to 8 weeks to arrive.

Also please note the $US15 strobe listed on (USA) Ebay doesn't appear to be a Ulanzi.
The genuine one looks like this
View attachment 119364
and the one listed on USA (Ebay) at $US15 looks like this
View attachment 119365
and it only has ONE cree led whereas the other one shows TWO cree leds? Also it is listed as UNBRANDED so probably not a Ulanzi? I haven't seen a single CREE LED with a light output of 1000 lumens before.

Ive never seen that one before.

I got this one from a US seller. But Im not sure if they ship to AUS.

Ulanzi DR-02 LED Drone Strobe Lighting Night Flight Searchlight For Mavic Air 2 | eBay

1X Ulanzi DR-02 Drone Night Light. Type: Drone Night Light. Light source Settings: fast strobe light, slow strobe light, constant light. The light source has passed FAA (federal aviation administration of the United States) lighting standards.

www.ebay.com

 

[lee82gx]

I know that 'lights' are required after dark in the USA but the main reason I want a strobe light is so that I can find it in the DAYTIME and as such the brighter the strobe the better.

I also thought of a red strobe for the starboard and green so that I could visually tell which direction the drone was pointing.

You are very fortunate. The best I can get one on Ebay (Australia) is around $US24. The $US55 was direct from Ulanzi.
Here in Australia we are RIPPED OFF on many things. Would you believe here the MA2 costs the equivalent of $US1050 (using the latest exchange rate) including 10% tax. I think in the USA it is $US799!
As it is manufactured in China you can't take freight costs into consideration (USA is just as far from China as Australia) or import duties as all countries have that. Also postage/shipping from the USA to Australia usually costs twice if not 3 times the cost of the item to be shipped so that is not an option either.

Daytime strobe lights - You're gonna need something extremely powerful. For example I have a full 10W Cree XML-T6 strobing, a DIY hack I made myself.

This, could only get me about 1km in under cloudy conditions.

 

[lee82gx]

In case you guys are interested, a good way to test your light intensity is by applying the 256ND filter or some other stepping ND filter. That way you can see which light is being dimmed all the way to nothing. Just your regular naked eyeball is going to kill some of your optical nerves eventually, I'm sure.

 

[jarnie]

But Im not sure if they ship to AUS.

Thanks but they don't ship to Australia.

You're gonna need something extremely powerful.

Yes as mentioned before the one Rigle mentions as available for $US15 in USA is listed as having 'power' (whatever that is) of 10W (watts) and the Firehouse Arc 'V' is listed as have 1000 lumens and the XML-T6 CREE LED is listed at 8000 lumens and needs some DIY skills as mentioned by lee 82gx. It would be great if he could post the circuit diagram and where he source the LED (I can only find flashlights with the LED installed) that would be great. Also the battery he used and how long it lasts during use. XML-T6 specifications

Anyway they are the brightest ready made strobes and standalone LEDs I am aware of and if they don't "cut the mustard" in daylight (I'm sure they would be visible for the distances I am prepared to fly - eg max 500 metres) then nothing will.

 

[lee82gx]

Thanks but they don't ship to Australia.

Yes as mentioned before the one Rigle mentions as available for $US15 in USA is listed as having 'power' (whatever that is) of 10W (watts) and the Firehouse Arc 'V' is listed as have 1000 lumens and the XML-T6 CREE LED is listed at 8000 lumens and needs some DIY skills as mentioned by lee 82gx. It would be great if he could post the circuit diagram and where he source the LED (I can only find flashlights with the LED installed) that would be great. Also the battery he used and how long it lasts during use. XML-T6 specifications

Anyway they are the brightest ready made strobes and standalone LEDs I am aware of and if they don't "cut the mustard" in daylight (I'm sure they would be visible for the distances I am prepared to fly - eg max 500 metres) then nothing will.

I actually just dismantled a T6 torchlight, one with strobing function. I then connected it to a small 3.7V lipo pack, maybe 100mAh. On slow strobe, it lasted about 2 hours. For fun I also wired a single cell USB charging BMS between the cell and the load. This takes care of low power cut off, and charges the battery easily.

Torchlight cost USD4, Battery varies (I salvaged mine from some gadget), battery BMS US$0.50, a mechanical switch to cycle through the modes (you definitely don't want permanent ON) USD0.10. So if you are Macgyver inclined it can be done for cheap!

I'm sorry I don't have further instructions.

 

[lee82gx]

DIY my own Cree XML strobe light (estimated 3W)

I want to share my side project which I've been working on for some time. This comes from my crash a few months ago, due to my own foolishness (95%) but also due to lack of visibility at night (5%). lu In Malaysia, we don't have access to Firehouse, Strobon or even Lumecube. I bought a "3W...

mavicpilots.com

 

[lannes]

I'm not absolutely sure you'll see any of these strobes in the bright Australian sun.

 

[jarnie]

Well there is nothing else and worth the chance. Surely they will work on cloudy/overcast days and also early morning/late afternoon when I prefer to fly.
I just remembered I purchased a cheap high powered torch a few years ago and it has a single CREE T6 LED and boy is it bright. I will use it to test capabilities for distance in daylight next time I fly and consider making my own strobe after removing the LED and tiny circuit board. Also I have a small 3.7v 400Mah lipo battery in my toy drone.

 

[lee82gx]

Well there is nothing else and worth the chance. Surely they will work on cloudy/overcast days and also early morning/late afternoon when I prefer to fly.
I just remembered I purchased a cheap high powered torch a few years ago and it has a single CREE T6 LED and boy is it bright. I will use it to test capabilities for distance in daylight next time I fly and consider making my own strobe after removing the LED and tiny circuit board. Also I have a small 3.7v 400Mah lipo battery in my toy drone.

400mah may be overkill in terms of weight, but its nothing that the MA2 can't handle for sure. The key to doing this is keeping the weight down, of course.

 

[jarnie]

On slow strobe, it lasted about 2 hours.

Just wondering how you got it to 'slow strobe'. I have a T6 torch which is very bright and has a strobe/flash mode which flashes at a rate I would estimate at 4-6 strobes a second.

 

[lee82gx]

Just wondering how you got it to 'slow strobe'. I have a T6 torch which is very bright and has a strobe/flash mode which flashes at a rate I would estimate at 4-6 strobes a second.

I think you have to get those with 5 modes. When you browse in the e commerce sites there are those with 0, 3 or 5 modes. I assume you know that a quick on-off cycles the modes.

 

[Hi-Flyer]

Close up of LED's. No idea if these are the good ones or not. Im guessing for $15 they are not.

Where did you get $15 from? I just saw them on Amazon at $24.95, and with shipping $34.30. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08H8M55MN/ref=pe_2313390_561856350_em_1p_0_lm#ace-7448806443

 

[jarnie]

I think you have to get those with 5 modes. When you browse in the e commerce sites there are those with 0, 3 or 5 modes. I assume you know that a quick on-off cycles the modes.

I couldn't find any listings on Ebay for T6 torches with 5 modes HOWEVER I did notice that when I press and hold the button on the torch it strobes slower but not with a steady strobe eg maybe strobe, 1 second, strobe, one second, then three quick strobes etc. Better than nothing I guess.
Also I have yet to test it in daylight but hoping I can see it up to say 200 metres away.