Ulanzi DR-01: Drone RGB Anti-Collision Strobe Light

Drone strobe light review

When it comes to night flights, adding extra light to your drone is a must-have. The solution could come from Ulanzi. Their DR-01 drone strobe light is self-powered and easy to install. Furthermore, it can be bright in 3 different colors if you share the flight space with multiple drones.

My first drone light was a camera-type flash strobe. It was lightweight and super-bright, but it required wiring. Thanks to the built-in 3.7V/250mAh battery, the Ulanzi DR-01 drone strobe can work standalone without needing to be wired to the drone’s main battery. If you ever had a flyaway, you probably know how hard it is to find your drone. As the DR-01 remains active, even if your drone battery is disconnected during a collision with the ground, it will be a real help in the rescue mission.

Ulanzi DR-01 review

Disclosure: I received this drone light in a product review collaboration with Ulanzi. Although the product was free, all the opinions in this review remain my own.

Whats included with Ulanzi DR-01

While I expected to receive only one light, I found in the package 3 pieces of them. Thanks for this! Each light comes individually packed with a USB Type-C charging cable, two mounting Velcro pads, and a tiny user manual.

Ulanzi DR-01: Tech specs

  • Light color: red, green & white;
  • Light set: quick flashing, slow flashing, and constant lighting;
  • Power: Built-in 3.7V/250mAh battery;
  • Battery life: up to 20 hours for flashing mode and 2 hours for continuous lighting;
  • Charging socket: USB Type-C;
  • Mounting: 3M self-adhesive Velcro;
  • Size: 1.7 * 1 inch;
  • Weight: 14 grams.

At a glance

The DR-01 feels nicely built and sturdy. The top lid is completely transparent, so the mainboard with all electronic parts is visible. There are 6 RGB (3 x 2 rows) LEDs inside. The drone strobe measures about 1.7 x 1 x 0.7 inch and weighs just 14 grams.

Design of Ulanzi DR-01 drone light

USB Type-C charging socket and Power/Mode button are found on the bottom of the device. While by long-pressing the button you can power On/Off the strobe light, by short pressing you can toggle between white, red, and green. Each color has 3 states: slow flashing, rapid flashing, and always on.

Compatibility

Personally, I tested it with my new Manic Mini. During night flights it helped a lot, especially since the Mini comes with only a rear status LED. Using the included self-adhesive Velcro pad, attaching to the fuselage was very easy.

Drone strobe on Mavic Mini

Practically, the Ulanzi DR-01 navigation strobe light can be used on any drone, which can take an extra weight of 14 grams and has a flat area of 2 x 1″ where you can attach it. Note: before starting your flight, always double-check if the light is firmly attached to the drone and that it is not in the “action” zone of the propellers.

IMHO, for best visibility, the DR-01 drone light should be installed on the belly or tail of the drone. Unfortunately, my MINI has space only on top, during high-altitude flights the visibility was poorly improved.

Strobe light test on Mavic Mini drone

Price and Availability

You can buy this DR01 drone light for $24.95 directly from its manufacturer – either from popular online RC retailers like Banggood (where it is even cheaper!).

Verdict

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Price/value ratio
Design and build quality
Light power
Drone compatibility
Senior editor and co-founder of FirstQuadcopter.com. Everything started about 4 years ago when I purchased my first drone. I still own that Syma X5C . Since then I have had the luck to review and test more than 100 drones.
drone-strobe-light-ulanzi-dr-01-reviewSurely, for $24.95, the Ulanzi DR-01 is not the cheapest drone strobe light. Instead, it is one of the most versatile tested so far. Can be configured with 3 different colors and provides a total of 9 working modes. Being self-powered, it allows easy wire-free installation. <br> Pros<br> +Lightweight and easy to install;<br> +Self-powered (up to 20 hours working time);<br> +No wiring required;<br> +3 colors (white, red & green);<br> +3 operation modes (fast flashing, slow flashing, and constant lighting mode);<br> +Standard USB Type-C charging port.<br> <br> Cons<br> -For best visibility, needs to be installed on belly or rear;<br> -Quite expensive;<br> -For easy access, the mode button could be on top.<br>

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