Almost Thirteen Hundred Lumen Tricopter

Cyberdactyl

Misfit Multirotor Monkey
Just finished adding a removable rack of four 320 lumen, 12V 3000mA driver driven CREE LEDs to my tricopter.

You may have seen my video of my quad of the LIDAR test with two of the same LEDs without reflectors. With four LEDs and reflectors to help direct a healthy percentage of the light forward, I've kicked it up several notches and the illumination has GREATLY increased. With the lights on in total darkness I can read a printed page at 200 feet. :cool:

Everything on the rack comes in at 154g.

I'll try and get some video tomorrow.

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Cyberdactyl

Misfit Multirotor Monkey
I work in an office with several USAR and FEMA guys, so if the sheriff comes to the house I'll claim it's research for search and rescue. :rolleyes::p

But yes, it's for fun only. The cool aspect so far was. . . last night was a little foggy and I was flying over the woods that back up to my property, the bands of light coming down through the trees looked like some practical effect in a Spielberg flick. I really wanted to use a servo and be able to pivot the lights down and up, but that will have to wait.
 

Tritium

Amateur Extra Class K5TWM
You need to add some flashing color too! I used to hang out at CandlePowerForums.com for a few years before coming here and I have MANY leds of all power ranges and colors. I even established an account with several manufacturers to get the cheapest prices. I have a lot of early Luxeon's and Crees including insanely bright blue and UV.

Thurmond
 
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Cyberdactyl

Misfit Multirotor Monkey
Hopefully I'll come up with a better pattern, but my idea for 'ME' to see the tri at night (I can't see the CREE LEDs at all from behind), will be a 'saddle' of sorts. Foam board, or possibly extra thin plywood with an array of strip LEDs to keep with the idea of easily removable.

I've learned with cameras and other delicate "experiments", it's ALWAYS better to not let stuff ride along if it's not going to be used. Not only for the unnecessary extra weight, but having to replace or repair it in a crash or flyaway.

I'll do port (red) and starboard (green) panels. Which is wrong in this render. :rolleyes:

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JasonEricAnderson

Senior Member
This is awesome. I can see a rash of UFO sighting reports popping up on your local news. Are the red/green panels something off the shelf or is that a PCB that you're building?