Battery life with Zenmuse H3

[adamski...]

Just installed my H3 gimbal onto my Phantom and it works great, only problem is i'm only getting about 2 minutes of flying time before the batteries die. Kind of a buzz kill after spending all that $$ on the gimbal. Any tips on extending battery life? I also have a naza gps installed which obviously isn't helping.

 

[malachor]

Wow, im guessing you haven't upgraded anything else?

The very first flight I ran with the gimbal was really short so I assumed it was a slightly diminished battery pack, a fresh battery fixed it. With upgraded motors, it lasted about 5-10 minutes. I haven't really kept track of the time though.

Are you using the upgrade kit? That could conserve power.

Also, Using a fully charged GoPro could help extend the life as well.

Worse case, you could always upgrade to a dual battery pack rig but the added weight will make it slower and less maneuverable.

 

[MrMediaGuy]

Make sure the GoPro is fully charged before flight or else it will suck battery, and make sure you have a fresh pack that's been properly stored and charged. If you store your packs fully charged for more than a few days, or discharge them too much, or charge them too fast (or lots of other things) they will lose capacity pretty rapidly.

You should get about 7-8 minutes with that setup if you are not also running a video transmitter. That will take away another minute or two.