Battery life

[Grimfever]

Just wondering if anyone knows how many times roughly you can use the same battery before it's done. I've had my P3A for almost a year now and have a few batteries and while the original is still solid, just how long will that be the case. And I know it's not a solid number as different people have different variables but just kinda looking for a ballpark number.

 

[FantomFlier]

Just wondering if anyone knows how many times roughly you can use the same battery before it's done. I've had my P3A for almost a year now and have a few batteries and while the original is still solid, just how long will that be the case. And I know it's not a solid number as different people have different variables but just kinda looking for a ballpark number.

If you treat your batteries properly, balance them regularly and store them properly, there is no reason why you shouldn't get at least 300 charge cycles out of them.

 

[Grimfever]

I cycle them to about 10% every 15 or so flights and store them safely when not in use. Wow 300, I've got plenty of flights left if that's the case.

 

[alokbhargava]

Carry out deep discharge charge cycle when battery capacity degrades by 10% of previous capacity. This way you will recover lost capacity and will also know how is your battery degrading.

 

[FantomFlier]

I cycle them to about 10% every 15 or so flights and store them safely when not in use. Wow 300, I've got plenty of flights left if that's the case.

I'm don't believe it will make a huge difference, but conventional wisdom suggests down to 20-25% normally and down to 8% every 20 cycles.

 

[Grimfever]

I've got other batteries but as this is my first Phantom, I was just being curious and cautious. I tend to fly over water and falling out the sky is not on my agenda

 

[LK8472]

I've got other batteries but as this is my first Phantom, I was just being curious and cautious. I tend to fly over water and falling out the sky is not on my agenda

I do the same and I just looked up this thread because I was having the same question. I have 4 batteries with about 60-45-8-8 charges respectively.

I also use HealthyDrones to monitor my batteries. I find this metric very reassuring.

 

[DronerLee]

DroneU has a very good podcast up on their YouTube all about batteries, check it out.

Sent from my LG-H810 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Mark The Droner]

I'm don't believe it will make a huge difference, but conventional wisdom suggests down to 20-25% normally and down to 8% every 20 cycles.

Re the deep discharge, DJI changed that. They even removed it from their online manuals. Apparently the naysayers were right and the DJI groupies like myself were wrong. But I think the deep discharge is still useful if you want to try to balance the cells of a battery that has a balance problem.

I had done a fair number of deep discharges early on, and while it does help with cell balance, I've noticed it robs mAh, which is not a good thing. In other words, it makes a battery weaker. While I'd rather have a balanced battery with lower mAh over an unbalanced battery with high mAh, the best scenario would be a balanced battery with high mAh which is why I suspect a deep discharge should be avoided unless it's necessary.