How to check for interference?

[Maddy]

I'm considering the use of led lights mounted to the skids of my P4P v2 but first and foremost want no mishaps. In another post I asked the question about the application and a concern that came up was antenna interference. Thus this question... Is there a way to check for any radio interferences prior to flight with such setup turned on? Could I simply start the drone and lights, check resources on the controller, walk a distance away and check again?

 

[Fly Dawg]

I'm considering the use of led lights mounted to the skids of my P4P v2

This really depends on the type of light you plan to use. I don't know of anyone who has experienced any issues with them, I use cree strobes on the front and rear gear, and have used Lume Cubes in the past, and have never experienced an issue. It is possible to generate interference from the strobes, but not very likely. There is really no way to pre-check any possible effects.

 

[skymonkey]

I'm considering the use of led lights mounted to the skids of my P4P v2 but first and foremost want no mishaps. In another post I asked the question about the application and a concern that came up was antenna interference. Thus this question... Is there a way to check for any radio interferences prior to flight with such setup turned on? Could I simply start the drone and lights, check resources on the controller, walk a distance away and check again?

I have a P4P+V2 and use the Firehouse leg mounts DJI Phantom 4 Strobe Light Leg Mounts for Dual Strobes (set of 2) and the strobe spotlights Drone UAS UAV Quadcopter LED Strobe Light on the rear legs with one facing forward and the to the rear. I have yet to experience and radio interference.

 

[Deleted member 62848]

It's possible your vps if on could detect ,I did have minor issues with p4 but once vps was off I was ok..and I had some lights,,this was one example,,only place I never go near is top of the shell,,first days of flight I had torches cable tied to skids but vps needs to be off,,no lumb cubes they just to heavy for my liking,,,,yes as above mentioned firehouse technologies for one brand but these are good, I use on the p3s at moment ,one on each side at the rear (these red and bright)built in batt with usb charge,,,,lights in first pic are phantom headlight set x 2 ,,,,,,ps some strobes and lights will be picked up in cam shots or vid so don't be shy to experiment different locations for your drone

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[Maddy]

Thank you all for your input. I think I'll go ahead with my plan and give it a shot. With the snow on the ground it could make some interesting photos.
I should recieve the led light strip today and might have time to work it out tomorrow.

 

[David_Cambridge]

The drone system uses very high frequency radio. It would be expensive and without purpose having any electronics running any where near that frequency. As suggested by others, screwing up the positioning and obstacle avoidance sensors is far more likely.

If you have a Mac laptop you can get an ap that will use the Mac’s wireless receiver to graph any radio sources that are hitting the location of the laptop, and their strength.

 

[Maddy]

I put the light rod together last night, not yet mounted to the drone, which will be done with zip ties. For the rod I used a graphite fishing rod which is a little under 3' long. The taper of the rod worked in my favor as the battery mounted on the thinner side of the rod helped to better balance weight and getting close to the same length extending out from the sides of the skids. Total weight of the light system is 135 grams, including battery.
Please give your thoughts of the setup regarding safety and stability.
Your input is greatly appriciated!

 

[Maddy]

First flight tonight came off without a hitch as far as any interference goes. Stability however is a bit lacking as the bird was shacking quite a bit, I'm thinking that the flex in the fishing rod is a bit too much with the prop wind hitting it, kind of like a car antenna when it gets some ice build up on the highway.
I did get some cool photos though! You can see them on the photo page.

 

[MotorCycle-Man]

I agree 100%......and the longer the fishing pole is... the great the shake...." more leverage " !..... Now im gonna take a look at the posted pictures.

 

[jimlips]

The drone system uses very high frequency radio. It would be expensive and without purpose having any electronics running any where near that frequency. As suggested by others, screwing up the positioning and obstacle avoidance sensors is far more likely.

If you have a Mac laptop you can get an ap that will use the Mac’s wireless receiver to graph any radio sources that are hitting the location of the laptop, and their strength.

Technically, no. Not VHF. DJI drones use either the 2.4GHZ or 5.8GHZ radio band, which is considered MICROWAVE. Microwave covers 300 MHz to 300 GHz. The more common range used by engineers to refer to Microwave is 1 GHz to 300 GHz. VHF is 30 MHz to 300 MHz.

 

[Fun Flyer]

Here’s what I’ve come up with. Quite suitable for the type of flying I do. Foam board, elastics, Velcro and a light kit from eBay. The lights have three strobe settings.

 

[Fun Flyer]

Here’s another fun thing I’ve done. Two high intensity micro flashlights, couple of elastics and good to go. Have not gotten any type of interference from either this setup or the one in my previous post.