DJI Mini 3 - Strobe Light Works; Ordered External Remote ID Module

I got a bit of twilight flying last night.  It was fun, but I got eaten alive by mosquitos to the point that I was flinching a lot while trying to concentrate on flying and also watching the drone.

The strobe light works good but since it's on top of the drone, I don't see it (yeah, I get it...it's supposed to be for manned planes to spot).  I'm thinking of getting two more lights (red and green) and putting them on the front arms of the quad.

I thought the strobe light would affect handling dyamics of the quad, but I didn't notice any control issues.

I also found that Remote ID was broadcasting, although I couldn't see it within my phone's WiFi applet.  I did see an indication within the RC's menu (buried two levels into the menu - you'd think this would be one level down at a max menu depth, or at least showing Remote ID status on screen somewhere.

Initially, I thought that the Plus battery wasn't activating the Remote ID broadcasting - it was, but it wasn't noticeably apparent.

I also bought an external Remote ID broadcast module because it was cheap ($30) and because it would enable me to use the non-Plus batteries, which I really don't want to sell.

With both the strobe light and the Remote ID module, the drone is somewhat weighed down...I'm not really sure about adding the additional two red/green lights, although I'm sure the Mini 3 can handle it.

I got some good pictures last night but only one 10 sec video.  I thought I had more video footage found that one of the two files was corrupted.  I'll probably try again tomorrow, plus there's Labor Day weekend coming up, too!  I've also been adjusting EV settings in the photos and videos, too, although it's sometimes difficult to determine how much to adjust.  In one case, I dialed down EV for the one video I captured.  The sun was below the horizon but was still throwing out it's last light.  On the RC screen, it showed that some of the clouds were reflecting a lot of sunlight, showing the reflection as a "mask" of pixels.  I interpreted that to mean that I needed to dial down the EV and when I did, the "masking" disappeared!

I'll upload some screenshots to my server and will post the picture here (will do this tomorrow).

Although I love night flying, unless you've a specific focus, it gets boring really quick, as it's difficult to see things when it's not so much ambient lighting.  

Status on Night Flying

I've yet to fly the Mini 3 with it now being registered.  I received the Plus battery yesterday evening and it was raining here, so I'm currently in a hold pattern for flight.

I did test the Plus battery, though.  Mine is NOT a DJI branded Plus battery, but it still shows extended capacity.  One thing that threw me is that I was trying to determine if Remote ID was enabled and broadcasting.  I did notice that the Flight Checklist shows, "Remote ID functionality normal (code: 1B080003)" within the remote controller UI.  I also tested to see if that disappears when I use the normal batteries - it does.  Based on that, I'm assuming that the Remote ID is being broadcasted.

As well, I went ahead and bought a Remote ID broadcasting module so that I can use the non-Plus batteries.

I've noticed that it's clear skies right now and it's 5 PM EST, so it looks like I'll be able to conduct a dusk test flight today!

I'll Be Registering My Quad Drone with the FAA

Most folks don't care for registering drones.  I get it - folks don't believe in over-regulation.

For me, I don't want fines and there are times when Murphy's Law fucks with me, so I want to ensure that if a LEO visits me, I'm doing things legally.  I don't think the current regulations in the US are over-bearing and you won't catch me doing the stupid things that many non-licensed drone pilots do. (Flying beyond VLOS, flying in fog, flying at 1000 ft, harassing wildlife, etc...)

I want to fly at night.  I've seen videos of folks flying during fireworks displays, and the footage looks incredible.  Even non-fireworks night footage looks very crisp.  

I want to give night flying a shot.  The only thing is, to fly at night, I need a strobe.  After researching, the lightest strobes I can find are 6 grams.  My drone, a Mini 3, is 248 grams.  The legal limit for non-registered drones is 249 grams.  So, to fly at night, and because a strobe will but the drone over the 249g limit, I need to register the drone.

This isn't a huge deal to me.  Flying is a privilege, not a right.  I've no problem registering the drone.

Because I'm registering the drone, that means I can use the Plus (51 minute) rechargeable battery.  I'd been avoiding that battery because it would've put me over the weight limit, as it's heavier than the normal Mini 3 battery.  

So, I bought a strobe and a Plus battery.  The strobe is arriving tomorrow.  The battery is arriving Monday.  I can register the drone tonight and be flying with the strobe tomorrow night!

UPDATE (8/22/2025):  I've registered the drone (at the FAA Dronezone website).  It was a bit tricky, as I registered it before the Plus battery arrives (which is tomorrow), which meant the Remote ID on the RC display would not show.  Dronezone was asking for that bit of information.  Remember, the Remote ID is only activated when using the Plus battery.  DJI has RID support documentation that helped me get through the process.  This was more clear than any of the other (many) janky web pages that explained the process, as most of those pages were outdated with erroneous details.  I basically had to use the device's serial number when registering the drone with the FAA (the serial number IS the Remote ID).  I paid a $5 fee for 3 years of registration, which is the standard fee and duration.  I used a label maker to create a label that has the registration number; I stuck it to the side of the drone.  One thing, though:  I can no longer use the non-Plus batteries (they're not cheap, either), or buy an external RID module, which costs more than one battery.  I can sell the batteries to recoup funds from having to buy another two Plus batteries, I guess.

Mac Mini - USB/Mouse Issue?

Maybe two or three months ago, the mouse that I use with my Mac Mini stopped working when I unplugged it and plugged it into the Mac again.  It's a Corsair Dark Core RGB SE gaming mouse.  I've had it since the pandemic (not long, as far as mice go).

No matter what I did, the mouse wouldn't work.  I've a spare micro-USB to USB-A cable (that's what it uses), so I thought I'd try to see if swapping out the cable would fix the issue.  It did not.   I then tried other mice and they worked - these were just Dell wired mice.  When I tried the Corsair mouse again, it worked.

 Today, the Corsair stopped working again...same deal - I unplugged it and tried to plug it into a different USB-A outlet.  I tried all the same things and it eventually started working again.  Then I purposely unplugged it again.  It stopped working and will not activate again.

Right now, I'm using a wired EVGA X17 mouse as a temporary solution until I can get another Corsair.

Either my Corsair's battery (it's a wireless mouse that has wired capability) is dead or there's something internally wrong with it.  I'm leaning toward it being the battery - maybe it needs a charge to work, even when wired?  Batteries are finite items.

Maybe I won't get another Corsair wireless mouse, because if I do, this will happen again.  I also have a Corsair wireless mouse at my cubicle at work...it's the same age and it hasn't died.

I'm unsure what to do.  I don't want to use the Dell wired mice - those feel disposable.

UPDATE (8/22/2025):  I forgot that I've some cheaper but just-as-nice-as-Corsair mice.  One that I love is the Venus Pro RGB MMO wireless mouse.  They're cheap ($30) and have lots of buttons.  I just now ordered another one to replace the Corsair Dark Core.