Battery Blues

[flyNfrank]

I just had to post and say how it really sux now with how the battery software has effected our flights. It's obvious DJI created the software so that we have to buy batteries more frequently. I have 4 batteries I use in rotation and I don't feel like I would trust flying with any of them over 8-9 minutes. I get either warnings at 50-60% remaining, or get the not enough power RTH OK.

And I know I can shut those features off, but even now I wouldn't trust that the software would still show that I went through the battery in the same amount of time. Makes me wonder more about actual power availability when it shows the battery low. I do have 15-200 flights logged with a flight logger showing power availability. I will now look for any variations from before and now with the new battery software. I hope there is NO difference. If it does happen to show the quad using more juice then before, well.....we'll know there may be a hidden agenda going on with the batteries.

Here is a current situation with a recent flight. I had battery alarm come on 60% exactly while at 50ft distance & 200ft elevation. I put in failsafe and let it go the full landing process on purpose. From 50ft to the point of descending the battery meter dropped to 40%. It then descends and lands itself perfectly. The battery readout now shows 9%. So there ya have it.

Has anyone come up with any reasoning on whats going on?

 

[Dirty Bird]

I suspect this has something to do with temperature. Since the weather has became cold, my batteries are very temperamental, particularly at max load. If I am flying around under heavy load I notice they will often give the low battery alert at 50% or more. If I back off the throttle the alert goes away. Your natural instinct is to bring her home for fear they will shut down in mid flight or she will just go into auto-land mode if the voltage drops sufficiently. Consequently I haven't been flying much, and I would be totally hesitant to send her out on a long range GS mission.

Hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas!

 

[flyNfrank]

Geert, did you send your 4 batteries straight to DJI? Also how long was the return process when you received your new batteries?
Btw, thanks for the link, but that link redirected me to another forum which is not a vPlus forum. Plus it looks to have stopped discussing this issue back in October. It's understandable that aftermarket products from manufactures such as flytrex may work on each type of Phantom, but with OEM parts the vPlus is about 90% different in most areas from the other phantoms. It's because of that very reason why I only visit this forum on pp.com. As I mentioned is the 1st post, I'm just now updating my firmware as well as the remote controller, and more. I never looked at any battery issue related threads in this forum prior to because of not updating. It wasn't until I updated until I had my quad auto-landing on it's own early. I must say, if each phantom version is experiencing the same problem with the battery, it is probably one of the 1st times something wrong has had the same effect.

Dirty Bird, Merry Christmas to you and your family. Seems like forever since seeing you on here.

 

[justin00]

I think its the update has something to do with it.... well partially.
with 3.06 I never had any issues or alerts.. as soon as I put 3.08 on I got battery alerts/errors at the exact same time on both my batteries. around12 mins left from memory.
I took it all apart and cleaned it up etc etc.. Haven't seen the issue again after that; however I find it hard to believe me cleaning it fixed an issue that was reported on both batteries, at the same point in time...

 

[Dirty Bird]

I'm still running 3.0 so I don't believe firmware is the culprit. I can't speak to DJI's updated battery firmware since I have not updated my batteries. Batteries generally have a negative temperature coefficient and perform progressively worse as temperature drops. While the batteries generate heat under load, it doesn't seem to be enough to compensate for the reduced air temperature. The last time I flew my Phantom it was in the 20's, and within only 6-7 minutes I was getting the low battery alert under max throttle. As soon as I backed off the alert would go away. This was flying with a battery fresh out of the house at room temperature. I imagine it would be a lot worse had the battery been outside and began the flight at ambient temps.

Frank - I've been scarce lately because of the move. Between work & getting organized it has been consuming a lot of my time. I moved from a brand new house I had built in 2007 to a house built in 1954. While they have done a lot of aesthetic improvements, there are a LOT of underlying issues that require attention. Things like electrical additions by some quasi-competent boob who added 2-prong, ungrounded electrical outlets all over the basement and, despite having a breaker box with 6 open breaker slots, he connected all those outlets to the mains. So basically you'd need a 100 amp short to trip the main breaker. :shock: There is the family-room addition "ice box," which I discovered was constructed with NO INSULATION WHATSOEVER! :roll: Then there is the cast-iron drain which has been replaced once....with more cast iron...and is now beginning to leak right where it comes down the basement wall and into the basement floor! :x

 

[flyNfrank]

Frank - I've been scarce lately because of the move. Between work & getting organized it has been consuming a lot of my time. I moved from a brand new house I had built in 2007 to a house built in 1954. While they have done a lot of aesthetic improvements, there are a LOT of underlying issues that require attention. Things like electrical additions by some quasi-competent boob who added 2-prong, ungrounded electrical outlets all over the basement and, despite having a breaker box with 6 open breaker slots, he connected all those outlets to the mains. So basically you'd need a 100 amp short to trip the main breaker. :shock: There is the family-room addition "ice box," which I discovered was constructed with NO INSULATION WHATSOEVER! :roll: Then there is the cast-iron drain which has been replaced once....with more cast iron...and is now beginning to leak right where it comes down the basement wall and into the basement floor! :x

Bro, you seriously need to consider a Handywoman to help restore that mess. I had my house built new in 98. I some freakin how have survived a divorce, remarried to different woman, 2 times up for sheriff sale, and a damaging hail storm earlier this year. It will be paid off in under 4 years. I better not die before then!

My wife says every now and again that we need to downsize since my daughter is gone off to college and we don't use 2 of the floors in the house. But I say absolutely not! I plan to be here until my final days. I couldn't imagine going through what you have been. The last trip I took was just down the road from you. I'd gladly help ya if I lived closer.

 

[Skydronik]

Do contact DJI/dealer and tell them your story. If you are lucky they will replace your battery.
DJI replaced all my 4 batteries.

Geert./.

Hi Geert. Did you buy your batteries at a dealer or directly from Dji?

Thanks.