Suggestions for a light for night flights?

Strydr · Sep 13, 2023

Does anyone have any suggestions for a light for the Lite+?
I do property inspection and it's now night time for a lot of it. While I have some local lighting, I also have areas without adequate lighting and I'd like to be able to see in those areas. I've tried one of those 6g, 3 LED lights that double as a strobe, but it's not bright enough.
So, apparently, I need one of the bigger setups but I'm not sure how much weight this little bugger can handle without having issues.

Any suggestions?
Thank you!

Edit: I would like to avoid the $500 versions used in rescue missions.

Edit2: It appears that this light, with a strap should work. Total weight should be running about 65g. Total cost about $65. With my testing, it appears that the Lite+ can handle 55g just fine but 114g is too much. We'll see.

Amazon.com

This appears that it would work as well: Amazon.com Total cost $26
There seem to be several options, I'll have to try a couple of them.

ps: I'm looking to shine a light in dark areas, not light up the entire property so spot lights like this should work fine.

pedals2paddles · Sep 13, 2023

Your expectations are outlandishly unrealistic. Nothing exists that will meet those requirements.

EBERLS · Sep 14, 2023

Firehouse Technology

motorcycle speakers

www.firehousetechnology.com

pedals2paddles · Sep 14, 2023

EBERLS said:
Firehouse Technology

motorcycle speakers

www.firehousetechnology.com

Whom makes nothing that would do what the OP is asking for.

EBERLS · Sep 14, 2023

pedals2paddles said:
Whom makes nothing that would do what the OP is asking for.

Apparently you haven't reviewed their website.

I really like smart a** that don't know what they are talking about. Especially when they talk like an idiot

pedals2paddles · Sep 15, 2023

EBERLS said:
Apparently you haven't reviewed their website.

I really like smart a** that don't know what they are talking about. Especially when they talk like an idiot

Ah the irony. I own several of their products. So, yeah apparently I have. They do not make anything that would do what he asked, which is providing lighting for property inspections. Their small sub $500 "spotlights" are not going to do that, and none of them are designed for the Evo.

Squigly · Oct 25, 2023

I'm also in the market for search lights for the lite+

Have you had a chance to find something suitable?
I thought of strapping two search lights to each side of the drone, facing down in ~45°.
If you tested this, can you share some pictures and overall experience?

Thanks

Achernar · Oct 25, 2023

Strydr said:
Does anyone have any suggestions for a light for the Lite+?
I do property inspection and it's now night time for a lot of it. While I have some local lighting, I also have areas without adequate lighting and I'd like to be able to see in those areas. I've tried one of those 6g, 3 LED lights that double as a strobe, but it's not bright enough.
So, apparently, I need one of the bigger setups but I'm not sure how much weight this little bugger can handle without having issues.

Any suggestions?
Thank you!

Edit: I would like to avoid the $500 versions used in rescue missions.

Edit2: It appears that this light, with a strap should work. Total weight should be running about 65g. Total cost about $65. With my testing, it appears that the Lite+ can handle 55g just fine but 114g is too much. We'll see.

Amazon.com
This appears that it would work as well: Amazon.com Total cost $26
There seem to be several options, I'll have to try a couple of them.

ps: I'm looking to shine a light in dark areas, not light up the entire property so spot lights like this should work fine.

Did you end up finding a workable lighting solution?
I ran across this...

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805199057483.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

pedals2paddles · Oct 25, 2023

Achernar said:
Did you end up finding a workable lighting solution?
I ran across this...

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805199057483.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

I'm sorry but nothing that costs $6.00 on ali express is going to do anything useful for any purpose at all. Did you read the page describing the product? It's junk.

Strydr · Oct 27, 2023

Squigly said:
I'm also in the market for search lights for the lite+

Have you had a chance to find something suitable?
I thought of strapping two search lights to each side of the drone, facing down in ~45°.
If you tested this, can you share some pictures and overall experience?

Thanks

The form factor of 2 search lights pointed down packages that I've found have been too heavy so I haven't started that search yet.
I've tried:
Landing gear -this is somewhat of a joke. Very low light levels.
Strobe -fantastic low weight strobe. 'Always on' mode not enough light for night.
Search light -Nowhere near enough light.
ARC V -Not enough light, may suffer from limitations discussed below.
ARC V version 2 from Firehouse. Almost but deceptive advertising.

So far, I've determined that I need more than 1000 lumens and preferably something like 2500 lumens.

The latest version of the Firehouse ARC V lights had the best promise. The newest ones offer 1200 lumens each and are smaller than the original ARC V lights.
Unfortunately, the company practices deceptive advertising. Although they offer 4 modes and mention that you will get up to 4 hours in strobe mode, they don't bother to mention that their 'Always On' mode only works for about 5 minutes! I'd love to know what moron decided that 5 minutes was a feature worth having or even mentioning. In conversations with Firehouse, they are absolutely mystified why I'm upset! So the next step is to find out if I can set the flashes to compliment each other but I don't have much hope. Pretty much a waste of money, so far, but it was sooo close!

After my experience with the latest ARC lights, I'm pretty sure that 2 of the original ARC's (1000 lumens) would have worked but I didn't realize that they went into 'low light' mode after 5 minutes so by the time I got to the dark parts of the property, it was probably already in low power mode. I mean, seriously?!! Wtf were they thinking?!!
So, while the ARC lights are bright enough, Firehouse nuked their usefulness for anything except a strobe. There are plenty of light weight, very bright strobe lights available for less money. What a waste.

So, the the next step is to try the 2 search light style but it looks like it's going to be difficult to find one under 100g.

Does anyone have a genuinely useful explanation of how a 5 minute light would help someone flying at night? As far as I can think of, there is not a single use for such a feature. 5 minutes is barely enough to get it launched and to location.

I'll post again when I've got something new.

Strydr · Oct 27, 2023

Achernar said:
Did you end up finding a workable lighting solution?
I ran across this...

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805199057483.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

See my reply to Squigly.
That is one of the packages that I was looking at. I have been unable to determine the lumen output of the lights and, at over 100g, that's going to be at the limit of the weight capabilities of the Lite+. 120g has a real impact on flight, I would imagine that 100g would as well. I was wondering how the weight and light would be running 1 or 2 of the lights but haven't spent the money to find out, yet.
The packages that I've found that would definitely be bright enough are also too heavy so I don't have high hopes.

Achernar · Oct 27, 2023

Instead of getting all MacGyver with your Lite+, maybe purchase a EVO Pro II v2? Autel is running a sale and I think it includes a spotlight Designed to work with the drone.

Autel EVO Pro II v2 enterprise is on sale. EVO II Pro Enterprise V2

pedals2paddles · Oct 27, 2023

Strydr said:
Does anyone have a genuinely useful explanation of how a 5 minute light would help someone flying at night? As far as I can think of, there is not a single use for such a feature. 5 minutes is barely enough to get it launched and to location.

Because that is not what the device is for. Its intended and designed purpose is a flashing beacon, which is exactly what it does best. It is what it is advertised for. The ability to have a steady-on mode is an ancillary function that nobody is buying it for. And nowhere does it say the battery will last any amount of time in steady mode. I'm sorry you failed to research this matter and made unreasonable assumptions. That's not the product's fault.

Like I said in my first reply to this thread, your expectations are not realistic. The amount of light you need, and the power required to produce it, is not reasonable or realistic for small consumer UAS.

Strydr · Oct 29, 2023

pedals2paddles said:
Because that is not what the device is for. Its intended and designed purpose is a flashing beacon, which is exactly what it does best. It is what it is advertised for. The ability to have a steady-on mode is an ancillary function that nobody is buying it for. And nowhere does it say the battery will last any amount of time in steady mode. I'm sorry you failed to research this matter and made unreasonable assumptions. That's not the product's fault.

Like I said in my first reply to this thread, your expectations are not realistic. The amount of light you need, and the power required to produce it, is not reasonable or realistic for small consumer UAS.

You sound like an Autel employee.
I notice that you do not mention any use for such a mode. So the main purpose for mentioning such a mode is to sucker people like me who are looking for a light that has an 'always on' mode. The fact that it only lasts 5 minutes is irrelevant to the marketers looking to scam, as technically it does have an 'always on' mode. So I can't ding them for false advertising, can I? Very effective scam technique used by shady companies. Denying it is pure BS and is usually only done by employees or fanboys.
Thank you for showing your affiliation, your commentary is suspect and garbage.

Since you are accusing me of not doing my research, please show me that page that tells the potential buyer that this mode lasts 5 minutes. Or stop pushing this slimy marketing garbage.

Last, if they had a slightly larger battery, I would have what I need. So it's definitely possible. Whether it's made or not is a different question. Ironic, since Firehouse advertises that they are making needed things that no one else makes, lol. What a joke.

pedals2paddles · Oct 29, 2023

No, no, and no. I'm sorry but this is on you. Your expectations and assumptions for every aspect of this entire thread are unrealistic and you're the only one experiencing it.

Achernar · Oct 30, 2023

Strydr said:
You sound like an Autel employee.
I notice that you do not mention any use for such a mode. So the main purpose for mentioning such a mode is to sucker people like me who are looking for a light that has an 'always on' mode. The fact that it only lasts 5 minutes is irrelevant to the marketers looking to scam, as technically it does have an 'always on' mode. So I can't ding them for false advertising, can I? Very effective scam technique used by shady companies. Denying it is pure BS and is usually only done by employees or fanboys.
Thank you for showing your affiliation, your commentary is suspect and garbage.

Since you are accusing me of not doing my research, please show me that page that tells the potential buyer that this mode lasts 5 minutes. Or stop pushing this slimy marketing garbage.

Last, if they had a slightly larger battery, I would have what I need. So it's definitely possible. Whether it's made or not is a different question. Ironic, since Firehouse advertises that they are making needed things that no one else makes, lol. What a joke.

Don't let pedals2paddles get under your skin. If you take a look at pedals2paddles post history, they are mostly inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic attempting to provoke and emotional response.

pedals2paddles post history

Squigly · Dec 4, 2023

My 2c:
I've 3D printed a special Gopro mount that hooks to the front folding arms and attached two (one on each arm) dual-light I got on Aliexpress.
Each package is 66 so 132 in total.
Evo lite+ can handle this without any problems (I've tested it also in winds of ~10 knots).

It creates two beams of light with ~25% overlap in the center between the two beems.
It works surprisingly well and with super-night mode it is useful search light (depending on height of course).

The only downside you should be aware (and this is true regardless of your solution) is that these are FIXED in position, so movement forward, unless very very slow, will push the light back and out of sight for the duration of the movement (since the drone leans forward).

See some images here: