Night lighting

[tmcrocker]

I just successfully added LED light strips to the outdoor flying hull.

The lights plug into the battery balancing connector so I didn't have to do any real modifications to the drone's electrical wiring.

I'm using white LEDs. They're very bright and take a total of .1 amp. They're applied in a V formation merging at the front of the hull behind the camera notch.

I made holes for bare "buss" wire through the EPP using a sewing needle. The wires are barely visible before disappearing into the foam. In the cavity under the hull the wires are joined and connected to lead ending at a mating balancing connector. I'm only using the outer two wires because this is where the full voltage of the battery can be found.

The LED strips are the type often used to festoon electric RC aircraft for night flying. I have another strip of blue LEDs and may use them on the indoor hull.

I find the weight added to be negligible.

[jalexartis]

Are you going to show us pictures? We sure would like to see them and welcome a video. Thanks! --jim

[tmcrocker]

Well I guess I'll have to, now that I've been asked.

[jalexartis]

Thanks Tom and welcome to the board. We have interest in how you did it. You may have many adopters. We look forward to it. --jim

[tmcrocker]

OK, I made a "how to" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvPDj7JNQQk

[jalexartis]

EXCELLENT! Thanks Tom. Your video is simple and clear as to how you made the modification. Thanks for sharing--nice mod! --jim

[Symon]

That is awesome, given me some idea's that has. Mmm.....
I need LED's. Mmmm..... Bright ones.

[mobidoc]

That looks fab! I'm a big fan of LED!

Symon there's a place in Southampton that does led lighting - I bought some strips for the shop from there - I'll dig out the invoice for the name!

Such an easy mod! Thank you for the how to video! Great stuff!

[wmmc]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

[nogero]

Great lights! Just think when drones get more popular what will happen at those places people call to report UFO sightings!

[tmcrocker]

You should see it now.
Tapping into the existing lights (because there are solder pads every few inches) a wire runs out along a composite fiber rod to an LED array that is "down firing". This is duplicated on the other side. This mod is entirely with the shell and doesn't affect the main unit.

The purpose of these light arrays (18,000 mcd x 6) is to illuminate the ground so the bottom camera can track the ground enabling "normal" flight at night -- at least as far as automatic station-keeping is concerned.

[Ria Toshniwal]

Excellent Thread!!