Headlights

Carbon

Elemental Madness
Night flying. I want to try it!
LEDs seem to be the best route. I just want something that can illuminate the ground from say 30 ft away, and help my spotter find it in the sky. Here is the catch: it has to run off of a reciever port. So, 5v.
Can it be done?
 

colorex

Rotor Riot!
Mentor
30' for a 5v LED, probably not - unless it's focused by a reflector. Get some HK LED strips instead to make your plane visible, and mark out your runway with some garden kerosene torches or garden lights.
 

Fishbonez

Active member
Night flying is a blast. Night combat is even better. I found that night flying is a different challeng all its own. I reccomend 2 different colors to differate left and right and or something on the bottom to know if you are inverted. Colorex is right the best and easiest way to light a plane is with LED lights. You can also point the led into the plane and the plane itself will glow. My experience with headlights were not very good to hard to see. Here is a quick look at Night combat to which I lost but...Had a blast

Edit: OOPS I see now you were looking for FPV night flying...I will now be quiet
 
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UndCon

UndCon
Like I did to my Swift II


White is internal in the wing, red and green is outwards making them directional


For aid in landing I have a green laser mounted on a tripod in the landing area.
The beam is actually the landing area and it is mounted pointing downwards. Simply land between the start and end of the Laser.

I have a permit for my laser for this purpose, (up to 500mW)

LED's on the plane does not help when flying FPV ;)


Now that we enter the darke period here in Sweden I can start using this for night flying - it does not do much when there is still some light. more darkness = better visibility on the green laser.
 
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Carbon

Elemental Madness
^That was exactly what I was looking for. Can I make a smaller board that isn't water cooled though?
 
Hi Carbon

It will depend on how hot your array gets. I think you will need to run some bench tests. You don't want your foamy melting mid flight.

Cheers

Jason
 

Carbon

Elemental Madness
Not on a foamy. As long as it won't melt plastic, it should be ok. I just ordered some 5v super bright LEDs . I assume 8i have to wire them in parallel right?