Strobe light

[Spark 317]

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[adonati]

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Okay, will try that.. the strobe at the rear is a pretty good location if you’re just mounting 1 module. You can see it great when flying to the left, right, or in front of your viewpoint. I would say coming home from a far distance is the only drawback, but you could always fly backwards if you wanted to... personally, I just use the map to find my way home.

 

[ol' Sparky]

Don’t mount at the bottom... disrupts with the vision system. Mount either on the sides or at the back near the battery button. On top??? You will never see it mounted at the top unless you plan on flying downward from the top of a hill or mountain.

I can see mounting on the bottom near the front would interfere with the sensors. I'm thinking between or behind / between the little rubber pads or the 4 metal squares on the battery should give it enough separation from the sensors. That or on the rear like yours.

 

[weeessss]

I think I need to get one or two. There are some good mounting ideas but I may look at the possibility of mounting them to modified prop guards because that is a solid mount and is not in the way.

 

[Spark 317]

I think I need to get one or two. There are some good mounting ideas but I may look at the possibility of mounting them to modified prop guards because that is a solid mount and is not in the way.

That is where I have mine mounted as well.

The strobe is about the same size as the locking tabs of the stock prop guards and fit perfect with a good all weather velcro type fastener.

 

[SPark_South_Oz]

Flew mine with the FHT Duals on the weekend.
I tried the red left / green right this time, have them mounted just under and behind the front arms with velcro on the sides.
I chose this position because they are very out of the way here, and visibility is good all round.

Used hook on the strobes and loop on the aircraft, they velcro inside the hard case liner I have to store in transit like that.

Front, left, right views . . .



View on the ground showing red status lights, red strobe, green strobe . . .



Short video in flight here . . .

In this position, they are obviously brightest with a direct side on view, but are easily seen from directly in front or behind too.

I have 2 Dual in white too, the brightest of the LEDs they supply, so if you want VLOS mostly, get white for any position.
For sure the ARC II are much brighter, but for the size of the Spark the Duals are a nice size.

Whatever you get will make a difference, but the Duals are far better than single Strobon cree.
Pricing is similar ?

 

[Spark 317]

Short video in flight here . . .

The strobes make the Spark look so much like a "real" aircraft when flashing with the double tap sequence.

It makes it tricky to hand catch the Spark at night because the strobes are at eye level and I tend to see spots if I don't pay attention.

Thanks for sharing the strobe demo.

 

[weeessss]

Ordered one Firehouse to use for my Spark and Tello to see how well it works.

 

[SPark_South_Oz]

The strobes make the Spark look so much like a "real" aircraft when flashing with the double tap sequence.

It makes it tricky to hand catch the Spark at night because the strobes are at eye level and I tend to see spots if I don't pay attention.

Thanks for sharing the strobe demo.

As I had a nav pack (2w, 1r, 1g), I thought I'd try the red / green on the Spark for that very reason, they are considerably less bright than white.
FHT say white is brightest, then red, then green.

I don't fly the Spark far (as I would my M1P) so figure the less severe flash would be ample. It is.

I did a test with the ARC II in public safety series too, the red / white one, has 2 cree in each colour, flash alternately.
Here are a couple of photos showing the rear status green, then the red flash, then white, the difference in brilliance is obvious.

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

The bottom of the battery doesn’t affect the vision system at all? I know at the bottom center (right in front of the battery” causes the drone‘s status lights lumimate solid red, affecting the vision
system I believe?

I've had no issues at all... Its towards the back of the craft, seems to be fine. I always hand land, and I never really rely on the VPS much, so not a problem.

 

[ol' Sparky]

Went with this one

It's in the mail

 

[msinger]

That's a nice choice brightness wise. And it has lots of good reviews. The only downside is it's one of the largest strobe lights available (even more so since it's in case).

 

[ol' Sparky]

Yeah... There are plenty out there that are bigger and heavier, yet not as bright. Main concerns were brightness and, quite honestly, didn't like the open circuit board look of the lighter ones. The casing was a selling point for me. Seemed a little less fragile and looks better. That and the Curved glass for 360 degree coverage We'll see how it goes...with all the sensors on the M2 Zoom... the only plce to really mount it is on top or on the arm and will try underneath on Ol Sparky. May end up getting a lighter one for her and using this one for my Zoom.

 

[SPark_South_Oz]

Went with this one
View attachment 12898
It's in the mail

I bought quite a few of these when I got my Duals and ARCIIs.
Mostly I got for other Aussie pilots, brother in law has one on his Air.

It suits the Air quite nicely, BIL has velcro on each battery (loop) and hook on the strobe, easy to swap out with battery changes.

This was a grey overcast sky, the auto exposure on the phone video filming up into that would have toned that down a lot.

It is same 600 lumen output as the ARCII, so no lightweight in that dept.
The acrylic dome throws light at good angles.

 

[Spark 317]

It is same 600 lumen output as the ARCII

Are you happy with the ARC II?

I'm going to purchase an ARC II soon.

I like one the comments I read, " Waaaay brighter than the original."

I have the cree white and haven't had much luck with the two red crees I have purchased.

They have stopped working.

 

[SPark_South_Oz]

Are you happy with the ARC II?

I'm going to purchase an ARC II soon.

I like one the comments I read, " Waaaay brighter than the original."

I have the cree white and haven't had much luck with the two red crees I have purchased.

They have stopped working.

Spark 317, the ARCIIs are superb, though I use them on my M1P mostly, preferring the Duals on the Spark.
Size mostly, while both are small, the Duals are like a very small postage stamp, the ARCII almost double in size.
I feel best for the smaller ones for the following reasons . . .

The Duals are much less bulk, less wind interference, hardly weigh anything (4g vs ARCII 6g), and obviously easier to fit in a lot more spots (post 26).

Sparks aren't usually flown far, I personally think the ARCIIs are overkill, the Duals give more than enough output to get a quick fix in the sky, when you look up for the aircraft position.

I have a 4 set of Duals, 2 white, 1 red, 1 green, and am happy with the red (left) green (right) positioning.
If I really wanted the best VLOS if going a lot further out, I'd just use whites, and that's what I'd recommend to you.
They are by far brightest (post 29).

Which ones do you mean ?? > "I have the cree white and haven't had much luck with the two red crees I have purchased.
They have stopped working."

 

[Spark 317]

Spark 317, the ARCIIs are superb, though I use them on my M1P mostly, preferring the Duals on the Spark.
Size mostly, while both are small, the Duals are like a very small postage stamp, the ARCII almost double in size.
I feel best for the smaller ones for the following reasons . . .

The Duals are much less bulk, less wind interference, hardly weigh anything (4g vs ARCII 6g), and obviously easier to fit in a lot more spots (post 26).

Sparks aren't usually flown far, I personally think the ARCIIs are overkill, the Duals give more than enough output to get a quick fix in the sky, when you look up for the aircraft position.

I have a 4 set of Duals, 2 white, 1 red, 1 green, and am happy with the red (left) green (right) positioning.
If I really wanted the best VLOS if going a lot further out, I'd just use whites, and that's what I'd recommend to you.
They are by far brightest (post 29).

Which ones do you mean ?? > "I have the cree white and haven't had much luck with the two red crees I have purchased.
They have stopped working."

Thanks for the feedback.

I didn't realize that the ARC II was almost twice the size. I thought it had three more LED's crammed into the same board.

I'm not sure why the red strobes ( purchased two different times) quit working.

The white one I purchased a couple of years ago still works fine.

The red ones I purchased were these.

RED - Strobon Cree by Flytron Strobe Light for DJI MAVIC PHANTOM INSPIRE 1 2 MATRICE SPARK Drones FAA 107 … - - Amazon.com

I'm sure it's a fine product.
I guess red is not my vibe. ?

 

[SPark_South_Oz]

Thanks for the feedback.

I didn't realize that the ARC II was almost twice the size. I thought it had three more LED's crammed into the same board.

I'm not sure why the red strobes ( purchased two different times) quit working.

The white one I purchased a couple of years ago still works fine.

The red ones I purchased were these.

RED - Strobon Cree by Flytron Strobe Light for DJI MAVIC PHANTOM INSPIRE 1 2 MATRICE SPARK Drones FAA 107 … - - Amazon.com

I'm sure it's a fine product.
I guess red is not my vibe. ?

Yes, the Duals have 2 of the high intensity Cree leds, the ARCII has 4, I'll take a pic of mine side by side . . .



You'll see the Duals on the side of my Spark post 26 photos, I find that a great place for them . . . imagine nearly double that size.
The video same post shows Duals and flying the spark around at all angles, I am surprised how well I can see them even from front or rear on when the strobes are at pretty much 90 degrees to me.
Sure, you could velcro an ARCII to the battery(ies), and that would give excellent vision when flying pretty much all round (4 white leds).

I'm pretty sure @msinger would have an arm mount in his store for either Duals or ARCII, so maybe that's another option, maybe one front left arm, one rear right arm for balance, see it from front, rear, and mostly sides too.
Again if not setting up navigation lights, I'd just run white.

Flytron Strobon cree strobe is single led, yes been proven far less visible than FHT duals as you'd expect . . . but for people flying very close, say up to 400m - 600m, would probably be fine.

(Edit right link !! Check the comments on youtube.)

If you get either Dual or ARCII, you'll be wrapped I'm sure.

 

[SPark_South_Oz]

Whoops posted wrong link initially last post, hope you saw the testing above by Aerial Pixel.

 

[Spark 317]

Thanks for the comparison photos.

I think I'll go with the dual vs the ARC II for the Spark.

The Spark is small and I tend to lose it if flying below the tree line even when it's close to me.

I hear it, I just can't see it right away when looking up from the tablet.