Part 107 UAS pilot reported an uneventful flight but was not sure if the Remote ID Broadcast Module was turned on.
Synopsis
Part 107 UAS pilot reported an uneventful flight but was not sure if the Remote ID Broadcast Module was turned on.
Narrative
This morning I arrived on the job site and spoke with my contact. After speaking I began to set up the equipment; verify that my airspace authorization was still valid; perform a site safety assessment; check weather; fill out paperwork and preflight my aircraft. The DJI Phantom 4 that I operate requires an aftermarket remote ID. The make of the remote ID is Holy Stone. In accordance with my operation and requirements I attached the remote ID module and pressed the power button. After thoroughly going over all my other items I checked that the area was clear and I launched. The max flight altitude was 245 feet and it varied for the operation to get videos and stills but never exceeded 245. Max distance from my station at one point was roughly 400 feet. The aircraft was always within visual line of sight. The aircraft was operating near a road and an active construction site. Care was taken not to directly overfly people or moving vehicles. The flight went well; no issues at all. After landing it didn't appear that the remote ID light was on. The battery was fully charged. I cycled the power button on the unit and got a green indication. I'm not sure if the remote ID was not powered on before flight; if it turned off during flight; or if it was on and I just couldn't see the light in the bright sunlight. Weather was clear; very light winds and very bright morning sunlight. Moving forward I will verify the remote ID is on by covering the unit to ensure I see the status light. I will also try to avoid the direct sunlight when preflighting and remove tinted safety glasses. My recommendation for the remote ID units is to not only have a brighter status light but also a tone when the power button is pressed to indicate the unit has received the command. I could see this being useful with any Remote ID Module. I may suggest this to the manufacturer.
NASA callback
The reporter indicated they were still unsure if the Remote ID module was transmitting or not. There is no way to check after the fact with this module. This is not a known issue and the reporter did not find any other data with similar incidents.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.