Koop

SkyHigh,
Did Putfile up there MB for uploads? I checked that site way back in the day and I could have sworn they only let you have like 2MB. Anyway, I've put my video on there side so you can view it on a larger scale. If I would have known they let you have 25MB I wouldn't have downsized the file as much. It still looks all right though. Here's the link http://media.putfile.com/VibeLights Once the rain stops I'll give it another shot with someone holding the camera next time. Enjoy!!!

Hooch,
What color EL Wire did you get? I decided to go with the lime wire simply becauses it was the brightest of all of them. BTW, the transformer is most of the weight so use a mini deans plug or something of the sort so you can take it on and off. I'm sure you've already thought of it any way, but I figured I've give my two cents on the subject.

Koop

Hooch

I actually let the wife pick the color, she picked PURPLE hehe, but it really didn't look to bad on the pictures so I am sure it will be ok. I figured I got a toy, might as well let her decorate it LOL. Thanks for the tip on the plug. So I guess just adding some LED's on top of this probably wouldn't add too much weight then. I would like to still have either the bar lights going through the tubes or at least just some LED's on each bar. But will figure it all out in time.

TheHindmost

Great video, Koop, and you, too, Madean! Thanks for posting those!

Will

Sky High

This is some recent aerial footage of the new SAVS in flight at night with nav lights!


[link=http://www.jefcommunications.com/asx/helo/rcu/DFI/montage/MONTAGE3.asx]SAVS Lights Night Flight[/link]

Sky High

Here are few more images.

madean

Great pics and video, Sky! Thanks for the posts.

Mike

Sky High

Thanks madean. I can't wait to get a landing light kit and then add tube lights like yours! Can you get into a clearing or just fly higher to show your tube lights better from underneath?

madean

I'll just lay it upside down on the table and take a couple of stills.

I have a couple of 12,000 mcd white LEDs that I plan on aiming down on either side of the body to create landing lights. The problem I had when night flying was not being able to see a safe (low grass) landing zone. I hope these 2 additional LEDs will take care of that.

Sky High

Well, I really want to see those lights when it's overhead. My latest night flights that you just saw were about 30-45 minutes before dark and I could see the ground fine. Be sure to spin while climbing out! You better hurry before I beat you to it.

Sky High

Koop, that fiber lighting is too cool. You and madean are just making my decision harder to choose which one to do first, if not both! As I mentioned to madean, The next time you fly, could you do it right before dark when the sky is a deep blue? The contrast of that and your lighting would just be beautiful! Thanks.

Koop

SkyHigh,
I would love to be able to take some more video, but once again my DF has been possessed. It's on its way back to Mike so hopefully I will see it again soon. BTW the Pelican 1600 case is a perfect fit for the DF. I tried to post some pics last night, but something was wrong with the upload. I'll give it another try this evening. If you have to make a choice I would highly recommend the vibe lights.

Koop

detroitdr

1) Tools you need: 4 x nylon Multipurpose Ties 11" UV Black / 1 paper clip / 1 small drill bit / wire snips
2) Attach zip tie as shown.. ITS very important that it is oriented the way you see it as we will be twisting it the SAME direction on all 4 sides.
3) put the tie on the frame and drill a hole through both as low as you can go (I used the ejection mold snip as a guide on all of them... you can see this in the picture to the left of the hole.. it's some plastic that is left over from the mode.
4) This is how far from the end I drill the hole on the zip tie
5) cut your paper clip just about that size and use it to tie the zip tie to the base.
6) use the wire cutters to clap or a pair of needle nose pliers
7) MAKE SURE you put the zip tie on the INSIDE of that leg so the tie starts from the motor end on the "far" size of the carbon rod and finishes by the circuit board on the "close" side of the carbon rod on the leg support. you must do this the exact same on all side to ensure it is stable and will be level!!!
8) To strengthen it, drill one more hole through both the tie and the base as close to the "top" as possible as in picture
9) another shot of the hole
10) Do the same for the other three. AGAIN make sure its always going the same way for level reasons when you flip the DF over.
11) Voila

detroitdr

20) I used Polyethylene tubing 1/4" and cut two slits on the end as in the picture
21) inserted a LED from Flightlights.com, cut the tubing to length I needed
22) Did two more slits at other end to hold second LED and used Heat Shrink to keep them in. Notice the ARC, i used a heat gun to soften the tubing and molded it. this allows me to shoot these UP on the rotor.
23) attached with small zip ties and angled the leds up at the rotors (which the arc helps a lot also with the vibration they won't move now!)
24) another shot
25) my "Neon" Tubes are more tubing with a led inserted in each end. Again I used the heat gun to soften the tube up and inserted the LED, once it cools.... it's in there for good! These tube are on the left and right size going parallel to the direction of travel.
26) Two strobes at the back and now I can see easily what direction I'm going in, the red leds at front help light up the red front rotor as well.
27) picture of bottom. I used a 9volt battery... is there anything lighter?
28-31) more views.

I hope this helps someone else with landing gear and NAV lights

coptercaper

Detroitdr,

Great Post and thanks for the pics! Everything about this is clever, right down to using a kleenex box as a Draganflyer test stand. I'm impressed. [8D]

TheHindmost

Thanks for the detailed how-to, Detroitdr! That's great stuff...clever design and well executed. I'm not quite confident enough to go about drilling holes in my DF yet, but I'm getting close!

Will

detroitdr

AJC3487,

thank-you very much... Yes the Kleenex box works very well as the plastic sides hold it very securely as your working on it. Just put your antenna in the box so you don't bend it too much.

detroitdr

TheHindmost,

Thank-you, and go for it!... it's not that hard.. and the holes are SO small (just get a drill bit the same diameter of the paper clip)

Sky High

detroitdr, thanks for the detailed how-to. I have been using a small box for my DF stand. Maybe it's time for someone to make a custom DF maintenance stand with grips and notches to hold it steady.

Sky High

detroitdr, I was wondering why you are using a seperate 9v power source for your lights. Are you doing it that way so if you crash at night and the DF fuse blows your lights will still burn and you can find it? An independent power source did save my DF from being lost [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3746141]one time[/link]. If not, that battery adds a lot of unneeded extra weight that can affect flight characteristics not to mention shorten flight times. You can easily power your light controller from the board with a custom cable or the stock DFI cable that is free.

detroitdr

Skyhigh,

Yes I want to have the lights not go out in a crash also I didn't have that cable.... but not sure how much the 9v weighs... anyone know?

Sky High

You could use three 3v 2016 button cells for a much lighter power pack instead of the heavier 9v. Or you could get a lipo button cell or several of them and use that over and over. 2016's are around $3.75 for a two pack!

Lipoly Button Cells - Part Number: KOK145T
http://www.fmadirect.com/detail.htm?...949&section=33 button cells with far less weight.[/color]

TheHindmost

Not to mention, as someone else pointed out, the nice little RF pulse you probably get when the capacitor discharges into the strobe!

Will

Sky High

What are you referring to Hindmost?

TheHindmost

I'm referring to [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3926560]this posting[/link], plus my own knowledge of how a Xenon strobe works. In flying real aircraft, it was not at all unusual to get RF glitches when the strobes fired (just tiny ones; no issue for voice communication or even navigation, but a definite problem for RC), and those radios and strobe systems were shielded against it. So imagine what one of those, even scaled down, firing on a DF with its completely unshielded radios and dependence on good contact with the transmitter would do...

Will

TheHindmost

Oops, I see the confusion...sorry. I was replying to [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3851698]this posting[/link], which is a rather old one in this thread. For some reason I thought it was more recent! My bad...

Will