I am old and have a hard time finding the spark - particularly when flying it alone. It seems like with all of the advances in led/lcd lighting there must be a very small, very lightweight, very bright light out there that could be connected to the undercarriage of the spark. Before I swing into action researching this I thought I'd see if anyone knew of any such thing.
Light for Spark
- Thread starter Coconut Pete
- Start date
Are you looking for a light to illuminate the ground below or just something that'll allow you to easily locate your Spark in the air?
STROBON Cree strobe lights are perfect for the Spark (since they are so small).
You can attach them to the Spark with Velcro (like 3M dual lock) or use my mounts.
You can attach them to the Spark with Velcro (like 3M dual lock) or use my mounts.
This looks like it is what I want. 3 questions. Obviously I will only be using it during the day so what is the most visible during daylight hours. I'd guess red but your data says white. I'm wondering about the daylight limitation thus the question. How much is shipping? And what is your return policy in case it doesn't work for my old eyes.
Thanks again for all of the information. I will definitely look you up again next time I need something.
Thanks again for all of the information. I will definitely look you up again next time I need something.
White is the brightest color -- followed by red and then green. During the day, most people can see them from about 800-1,000 feet away. YMMV.
Shipping is $3 for the US, $9 for Canada, and $13 to any other location.
I'll send you a full refund if you ship them back to me within 7 days if they are in new condition.
You won't have any trouble finding your Spark with one of these attached - they are very bright and the beauty is that they are self-contained, battery and all. Well worth the investment.
My 66 year old eyes spot them instantly.
Jake
I bought 2 four packs of LED finger lights at the dollar store for $1.50 each. 4 per pack, red, green , blue and white. They come with elastics to hold on a kids finger. Very Bright, actually lights up dark corners for FPV, I use them for inspections. Seem to last forever too. Very visible in daylight or dull days
Attachments
These lights don't flash. Landing gear will work to lift it, not a bad Idea, but just more weight and drag. I just catch mine. A word of note, in the photo the light is over the ground sensors, just needs to be moved back a bit.
Do you have a recommendation if I am looking to illuminate an area rather than just using the light for positioning?
Trust me, they're super bright. I have one. I made the mistake of looking at the LED the first time I turned it on. It was light looking into a camera flash. I was seeing stars for 10 minutes. The only downside to this is that the on/off switch is tiny. It's about the size of the head of a pin. I use my fingernail to turn in on and off.
The way I use mine is: 1) attach it to the Spark, 2) put my finger on the button, 3) aim it away from my face!, 4) turn it on.
The PGYTECH light kit (or something similar) might work for you.
Here's a video showing how it works:
These are really interesting! I wonder how much is the Spark's battery affected by the mount and light? Any major difference?
The Strobons are entirely self contained - battery and all. On a full charge you will get over 2+ hours time. They use no power from the ship and charge with a standard USB cable that you charge your Android phone with. I attach mine with Velcro but Mike's brackets are first class and balance out front, back, and sideways. I use a red/white pair on my Typhoon 500 4K and Mavic Pro, and only one on the Spark......only because I don't fly it that far away from me that I cant tell orientation.
I also use them in daylight just to give me an edge if I glance down at my iPad and then can't relocate the Spark immediately.
Highly recommended.
Jake
Hi Jake, I meant how does the little extra weight and drag from the light and mount affect battery performance. Sorry if my question caused confusion there.
No Problem. The Strobon's weigh in at 4 grams, so it might take 30 seconds off your flight time............. Drag is negligible, if even measurable. Look at a Spark from the front: with the gimbal all exposed there has to be some kind of turbulence and drag created at that point, but it seems to fly fine. The only real aerodynamic surfaces on a Spark are the blades (rotary wings, if you will) so it does better than a brick of equal weight and mass. I personally would sacrifice some flight time to trade off for visibility and safety any time, especially with LOS rules.
I posted a video a while back of my Mavic flying at night with the Strobons. They didn't affect the camera until I got below 3 ' in altitude or hovered behind a car with reflective license plates, so no worries on that front.
Jake
Drone1050
Member
I will fly during daylight. Was thinking of mounting it on the bottom, but is there a place on the bottom that won’t effect sensors?
I have yet to receive my Spark, but am reading everything I can, so I will be up to speed when it gets here.
I have yet to receive my Spark, but am reading everything I can, so I will be up to speed when it gets here.
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