If reading the Police1 article about the drone of your dreams helped you implement a UAV program and you have selected your drone or drones of choice, it’s time to choose the appropriate accessories to go with them.
Purchasing drone accessories
Many agencies allow P-card purchases of consumables and accessories, which speeds up the process versus purchasing through a multiple-bid process.
Even if you think you thought of everything when implementing your drone program, you may have missed some accessories you later found out are mandatory, nice to have, or you read about what another agency is doing and thought, “Great idea, I need one of those.”
While many manufacturers of LE-specific drones don’t sell on the platform, Amazon is one place where you can use your P-card. There are hundreds of accessories that are not drone-specific, but even those that only fit a specific model are still valuable since many agencies use lower-cost drones to test candidates for entry into their program or use them for training.
Just one tip – be very careful that you don’t order counterfeit or third-party parts that are key to your drone’s operation, especially batteries, memory cards, and props.
Cases, anti-collision lights, lanyards, and landing pads are okay to buy from third parties if they are high quality – one reason to check the star ratings and comments carefully before any purchase.
Drone/UAV accessories can be broken down by mandatory, nice to have and “gee, isn’t that cool?”
Mandatory drone accessories
Spare batteries and chargers
Check your UAV’s specs for how long a battery lasts under different flight conditions, how long it takes to charge and whether multiple battery chargers are available. Faster chargers might shorten battery life so do your homework before making a commitment.
These are some essential questions you must answer:
- How many charges is the battery rated for?
- Is one discharge pattern better than another?
- How many hours a day is each UAV expected to be in the air?
- Will your UAVs be out and about or stored at a central site?
- Do you need one or more stationary or portable chargers?
Nothing says, “oops” like not having a charged battery when you are initiating a mission or are in the middle of a mission.
- DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise advanced battery
- Mavic 3 Series intelligent flight battery
- DJI Mavic 3 Series 3-battery charging hub
- DJI 65W portable charger
Several companies are working on autonomous charging systems where the drone lands on a special pad and charges without intervention – something like a robot vacuum or smartphone charging pad.
Memory cards
High-resolution cameras on UAVs create megabytes of video in a very short period. Some UAVs only stream lower-resolution video to the controller while the high-res video is stored on the local memory card. Ensure that whatever card you buy is sized for the mission and is fast enough to store video at full speed.
- SanDisk Extreme 256GB V30 A2 memory card with reader
- Western Digital 256GB smart video surveillance card
- Kingston Canvas Go Plus 512GB drone card with reader
Spare propellers
Props can break if the UAV accidentally hits something or if the pilot isn’t careful when mounting or removing them. They are usually proprietary, and some UAVs have different part numbers on the front, rear or sidearms. Ensure that you have at least two spares of each part number.
Anti-collision lights
Per FAA regulations, operational anti-collision lights that can be seen for 3 statute miles and have a flash rate “sufficient to avoid a collision” are required for night flights. Therefore, if you have nighttime flight operations, they are mandatory. Many agencies also use red and blue alternating lights on their drones.
- VIFLY Strobe 5*3W Hi-intensity LEDs
- SYMIK Drone Strobe Lights (3 Pack)
- Lume Cube - Drone Strobe
- ARC “V” Infrared Strobe for tactical ops
Even if you do not fly at night, anti-collision or navigation lights let the pilot or support staff quickly scan the skies for a UAV. Support personnel can look for a UAV in flight and provide the pilot with navigational input and if your drone gets hung up in a tree, lights might help you locate it.
Drone bags, cases and accessory kits
There is a tradeoff between protection and weight. A lighter case is easier to carry over longer distances but may not protect the UAV if it is dropped.
These are some essential questions you must answer when shopping for a drone case:
- Will staff carry UAVs and accessories in vehicles, on motorcycles, bicycles or on their backs into the wilderness (rangers, SAR)?
- Does the case need to be drop-proof, waterproof?
- How many and what types of accessories need to be in the same case as the UAV?
Depending on the type of drone, the mission profile, where your drone is stored, and how far you need to carry it, you can use a soft or hard case. Many manufacturers sell cases which are customized to their drones with specific accessory packages.
- All-weather hard case with customizable foam
- Pelican Vault V550 hard case
- Convertible carrying bag for Mavic 3
- DJI Mavic 3 Series fly more kit
Tool kit
Screws can come loose, and you might need to change accessories mid-mission. A portable tool kit with the right bits, and possibly a torque wrench, should be high on your accessory list.
- Fix It Sticks 15-65 Inch-lb all-in-one torque driver kit
- Fix It Sticks 4 torque limiters and 16 bits
- iFixit Manta driver kit
Nice to have drone accessories
Upgraded controller
Some UAVs come standard with a tiny controller that uses your cellphone as a display. Upgrades might include a custom mount for a larger screen and sunshade or an upgraded controller with a screen designed to be used in bright sunlight. Depending on the drone, it may default to being controlled from a smartphone or tablet. A dedicated controller most certainly will be much easier to use.
- High-performance remote for DJI Mavic 3 and DJI Air 2S
- Standard remote for DJI Mini 3 Pro, Mavic 3/Cine/Classic and Air 2S
Controller lanyard
Holding a drone controller for a long period of time can be tiring. A neck lanyard can help take the weight off and let you use your hands for other things without putting down the controller.
- Lanyard Neck Strap for DJI Mini 4/3 Series
- RC Lanyard Neck Strap for DJI Mini 4
- RC Transmitter Lanyard for DJI Phantom 4 Pro
Landing pad
Many modern drones have enough intelligence built-in to land on their own storage case or even in the pilot’s hand. Some need a much larger landing target, or perhaps you are taking off from a dusty or muddy area where you don’t want to put your UAV directly on the ground. Dozens of different sizes and designs are available including packable and weighted pads.
- Hoodman 24” Weighted Landing Pad (sizes up to 8’ available)
- STARTRC 20” Double-Sided Landing Pad (folds to 6.4” square)
- Reflective night drone landing pad (20” or 25”)
Lens and filters
Depending on your mission profile, you may need to add neutral density or polarizing filters. Some manufacturers offer lens covers that modify the built-in lens length to telephoto or wide angle.
Mountable accessories
Some UAVs have mounting points and connectors on them for accessories, while you can use Velcro or gaffers’ tape on others. Some available accessories are spotlights, speakers and night vision cameras. A remotely operated release kit can be used to deliver a negotiating phone, keys, first aid or bleed kit or even spare magazines and ammunition. One vendor offers an accessory that will let a UAV secure a low-weight mount which can be used to haul a climbing line into place.
Prop guards
While some UAVs are advertised as being “crash-proof,” accidents can happen – even to experienced pilots. If prop guards are available for your UAV, it might be nice to have a set available if needed, even when flying outdoors. If you are flying a mission indoors or need to break through a window, prop guards can help keep your drone out of danger. As a drone’s props get close to a wall, they will be sucked into it due to the Bernoulli effect.
Isn’t that cool?
VR headset
Talk about getting your head in the game. Drone racers have used VR goggles since drone racing became a reality, but to control your drone with a VR headset is still very new for the everyday drone user. Some headsets have built-in screens while you slip your own smartphone into others. As you move your head around, either the camera or the drone moves with you. Because US law requires direct line-of-sight to your drone while it’s in the air outside, you either can use VR goggles to fly inside or apply for a Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight (TBVLOS) waiver to use VR goggles outside.
Landing gear extensions
Some UAVs sit close to the ground and pilots might want them to be higher for takeoff and landing. Some pilots would say that if the UAV really needed to sit higher, the manufacturer probably would have designed it that way.
- Mavic 3 Pro/Mavic 3 Pro cine landing gear (note: Must be installed before each flight)
- DJI Mavic Pro/Mavic Pro platinum landing gear
Remote ID
Drones that are required to be registered, including those flown for recreation, business, or public safety, must comply with FAA Part 89—Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft. Since current drones have RID built in, you only need to retrofit older drones in your inventory, possibly your training drones.
Skins
Several companies offer vinyl skins custom cut for specific drones. Available designs come from pop culture, movie franchises and famous artists. Perhaps an X-wing fighter skin might make your public relations or search and rescue drone look more friendly to the public.
GPS tracker
Most drones have built-in GPS, but what happens if your drone crashes and the battery pops out? You might want to consider a lightweight GPS tracker for your drone.
Range extender
While it sounds like a gimmick, several options are available if you need to boost the drone control and/or video reception signal. Some of these are parabolic metalized reflectors that slide over your controller’s antennas, directional replacement antennas and signal boosters which attach in place of your existing antennas and have amplifiers that can boost the signal in both directions.
Summary
The accessories that you need will depend on the missions you need to fly, your staff and your budget. Lack of some accessories can put missions in jeopardy, while missing others only makes missions inconvenient or more stressful. And some accessories just make your drone program more tacticool without adding actual value. Safe flights!
This article, originally published on October 10, 2021, has been updated.
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