Hello.

I'd like to request the red/green Nav Lights and beacon be separated from one another with regards to activating Discreet Mode on the M3T/E

I use discreet mode during night operations due to people on the ground who become offended at the sight of a drone in the air and use lasers to harass and disable safe flight functions. Activating Discreet Mode is a solution making the drone a much more difficult target to acquire. I'm thankful for the feature so I don't have to tape off my Nav Lights for night flights and I can simply toggle them back on when needed. Unfortunately, Discreet Mode, when active, also disables the required beacon from flashing. As far as I can tell there is no way to independently turn the beacon on or off while the nav lights are off under Discreet Mode. In other words, they're either all on or all off together.

I should add that the beacon is worthless for visibility from the ground up. That's what Navigation/Orientation lights are for. The beacon is a lateral and above position and warning for mostly manned aircraft to see and avoid.

This seems like such a simple firmware fix and I'm happy to volunteer to beta test it.

If not, the solutions for me and my M3T are to forget about the on-board beacon and add a third party strobe that will stay on the entire flight. Or forget about Discreet Mode and tape off (black out) the Nav Lights before each night flight.

I hope that makes sense. I look forward to beta testing this firmware update for DJI.

You are not actually getting the point of the lights and the beacon. I am a fixed wing and helicopter pilot. Those lights are there so we can hopefully see your drone, not you. Electronics aside, most of us still rely on our eyeballs to see hazards. I have hit birds and even a tiny bat once (surprising amount of damage on the leading edge from a 2 gram bat). A drone, which is not squishy, would cause significant damage for its size.

If you have people harassing your drone with lasers, you need to report them to Law Enforcement. Those same twits do it to aircraft and risk blinding the pilots. I would get close and photograph them. The FBI takes a very dim view of "Endangering Aircrew," which can even be extended to drone pilots. So call up the 5-O and let have them put down that doughnut get busy eliminating a threat. To get them more excited, say they are pointing it at Aircraft (which you are) and rotary wing (again, which you are). The fine is $10,000 per occurrence, ie. each time they turn it on and off.

I completely understand the point of navigation/orientation lights and “anti-collision” beacons. I respectfully disagree…partially. The red and green nav lights are data for me and others on the ground but also give manned aircraft data. The anti-collision beacon is what’s intended to grab your eyeballs from the cockpit “see and avoid” right?

My point in my post is that I cannot leave the all important and required for night flying, FAA approved anti-collision beacon ON while discreet mode is activated. That’s all.

I appreciate the reply.

Also. I’m “5-0” as you put it. Even without a donut in hand, addressing every laser incident myself by flying low and close enough to get a suspect ID (at night, no less) doesn’t leave much time on mission. Incidents are reported but countermeasures to prevent a critical incident is preferable to chasing down less than astute individuals with a drone. That’s why I like discreet mode, or at least the potential for it.

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate the time and effort you have invested in providing this suggestion to us. Your feedback will definitely be cascaded to the concerned team for further review. Your understanding is highly appreciated.

Again, without enforcement, the perpetrators of laser stunts are not deterred. I to have the M3T for SAR (as a volunteer, with my own equipment since they cannot afford one) and for my other work, but I am really happy to leave on the lights. Mainly since I do climb into the helicopter and fly it as well as I do with the fixed wing. The other lights do help in orientation. I can slow down and evaluate the distance to a drone in the helo with the other small colored lights. It is really hard to judge distance by flasher alone. I have yet to see one come up on my ADS-B system. Which my system flags and puts id tags on targets. I put laser in the same category as people taking shots at us. Over my career I have now 84 small holes appear in my aircraft. Even in training in Texas we had dimwits that would shoot as us. We were fairly unimpressed with the response of the Corpus Christi sheriff to the incidents. At least overseas, we could return the favor. The FBI is fairly responsive, but they are always late to the party. Without local LE doing the lead, it is usually of no consequence. Experiences color your attitude. I was, for a while, after I transferred my commission to NOAA, an armed fed enforcement  as well. We were, as we called it, the "Fish Police." And yes our aircraft got shot at all the time up Alaska. Lots of support there from local LE!