Dual Battery Mod

Strat · Dec 5, 2016

mandalay said:
I got the LIHV version since they were on sale.

Have you checked it actual weight?

The non lihv version is listed as 320g

mandalay · Dec 5, 2016

Strat said:
Have you checked it actual weight?

The non lihv version is listed as 320g

I don't have a scale so I don't know its actual weight. I just go with the listed weight from HobbyKing; 345g for 4000mAh vs 418g for 5200mAh.

Atlantic Surfer · Dec 5, 2016

Mine are 365 g with maybe 2/3 g for velcros and the second one 363 g. Ms 5200 is 435 g. Weight listed by Hobbyking are undervalued by about 20 g (or my scale false by the same amount

, but I don't think so)

dirtybum · Dec 6, 2016

solsystem said:
Thanks Chazz, I am using a 6600 split right now, but I purchased it already split. Thinking of trying the split on the 8000, but want to make sure I know what I'm doing

Digdat0 said:
Why split it though?? Balance/weight? Seems leaving single would give best results.

Every bat that I've had Horizon split for me actully lost minutes over the original form. It apparently has a lot more resistance once its split. Please share your flight time results after its split

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dirtybum · Dec 6, 2016

chazz said:
I wish someone would get one and give it a true test with a straight out flight and back with or without a camera...I personally can't seem to find a good flat location...too many mts in PA...Maybe we find that the 6.6 is better but at least it would be known...My longest flight is only around 36000 and back then going in circles (which I know uses more energy) to drain the battery...40min to 10% . I tried a similar flight with a 6.6 and it wasn't as good...

Seng me yours and I'll take it way out and back, post results, then send it back to ya.

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Atlantic Surfer · Dec 6, 2016

Yeah , let's this test happen !

Digdat0 · Dec 6, 2016

re-posting this here .. I'm compiling a list of good external batteries for the phantom, I encourage others to add to it! Google Doc is open for editing. The 8.0 looks good, maybe dirtybum has tried it?

Lipo/LIHV Battery Inventory List (4s)

KyleMaxxUAV · Dec 6, 2016

Hey @dirtybum & @Digdat0 and everyone.

This is a little off topic, but do any of you guys have a p4 modded (I think you do DB) and if so what kind of times are we averaging (I know it's not as good as the p3 just need some info for something I'm working on)

Long time no see to a lot of you beauties in here !! Hope all is well !!

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NoBiffBetter · Dec 6, 2016

Sorry I'm just catching onto this thread.. Are you guys actually adding external battery's to get more flight time? If so, how exactly did you go about wiring external batts in while still keeping the stock batts in its place as well?

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Digdat0 · Dec 6, 2016

NoBiffBetter said:
Sorry I'm just catching onto this thread.. Are you guys actually adding external battery's to get more flight time? If so, how exactly did you go about wiring external batts in while still keeping the stock batts in its place as well?

hey NoBiffBetter, welcome! Yes, we are adding more batteries to get more flight time.I made an easy FAQ if you want some of the basics in an super easy to consume manner. Heres the google doc: Battery Modification for DJI Phantom 3 FAQ

Digdat0 · Dec 6, 2016

and big thanks to the thread creator, Rocket_Aus, as he linked my FAQ to that first post as well

KyleMaxxUAV said:
Hey @dirtybum & @Digdat0 and everyone.This is a little off topic, but do any of you guys have a p4 modded (I think you do DB) and if so what kind of times are we averaging (I know it's not as good as the p3 just need some info for something I'm working on)

i dont have one .. but if it were me I would go to the p4 leaderboard and look at the times guys are posting in their screenshots. that should give ya a good distribution of times i would believe

Official P4 Range Leaderboard

Procharged97 · Dec 8, 2016

mandalay said:
When are you going to post the video? I'm looking forward to it. Thanks.

Just have to find some time to load it on pc and edit. Crazy busy this time of the year!

Procharged97 · Dec 8, 2016

chazz said:
With instruction from Procharged97 I split my MS8 battery...Thanks PRO...It wasn't too bad...The shrink tube I got was too heavy and not good for this application IMO...I ordered different tube- 80mm flat - 50mm diameter from E bay and I hope its a little thinner...I ended up having to add aprox 50mm to the balance leads that were originally 150mm long when I purchased them...The fist pic is what I saw when I opened it up...The last pic is an almost finished split battery...Hopefully she don't crash and burn next flight View attachment 70031 View attachment 70032 View attachment 70033 View attachment 70034 View attachment 70035

Looks real good Chazz!!! 80mm shrink is the way to go!!

mandalay · Dec 8, 2016

Procharged97 said:
Just have to find some time to load it on pc and edit. Crazy busy this time of the year!

I hear you

NoBiffBetter · Dec 8, 2016

Sounds awesome thanks for the info !! Does adding the extra battery's still allow you to monitor the correct batt level? I would assume so? But does it actually still give you an accurate rth yellow bar of when tho should head home and such? Or will you not be able to go by this anymore once running more than one batt.. Also with running two batts.. Or 3, one on each arm and one original, how are they being wired? In series? So we are just adding the mah and the voltage stays the same I take it which is why we arnt burning up escs and such correct?

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Strat · Dec 8, 2016

My battery finally arrived from HK.. only took Australia post 3weeks to deliver it from Sydney to Melbourne.

So far i have pulled the battery apart.

This is the MS 4000mah hilv with stock weight 352g listed on HK as 345g.

Atlantic Surfer · Dec 9, 2016

NoBiffBetter said:
Sounds awesome thanks for the info !! Does adding the extra battery's still allow you to monitor the correct batt level? I would assume so? But does it actually still give you an accurate rth yellow bar of when tho should head home and such? Or will you not be able to go by this anymore once running more than one batt.. Also with running two batts.. Or 3, one on each arm and one original, how are they being wired? In series? So we are just adding the mah and the voltage stays the same I take it which is why we arnt burning up escs and such correct?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have only 6 flights with battery mod so I'm not an expert but from what I have understand and experienced :
1- Dji go app give you a good level of the overall % battery and V/cell but the time remaining is out. You'll never see more than 25 mn because that's why the Phantom 3 is programmed for ! So don't rely on time remaining but on % and V/ cell
2- The RTH yellow bar is a pretty good, may be a little pessimistic so you can push a little more further ( some here push a lot more !) but of course depend on the wind, head wind when you go back kill your range
3- Battery are wired in parallel so you add mah and not Volts

My advice is : look at some video here or YouTube, some people have put flights with screen recorder, so you can see exactly what's happen in your sofa ! And try step by step ...

Hope this help and the " pros" here will correct me if I'm wrong and add their own advice

Strat · Dec 9, 2016

Did the battery split on the MS 4000mah lihv but might need to shorten my balance lead as i made it to long..went out for a quick test which was mostly hover and was fairly windy today... landed at 15% with 28min 23sec flight time.

final weight after split was 352g

mandalay · Dec 9, 2016

Strat said:
Did the battery split on the MS 4000mah lihv but might need to shorten my balance lead as i made it to long..went out for a quick test which was mostly hover and was fairly windy today... landed at 15% with 28min 23sec flight time.

final weight after split was 356g

View attachment 70405 View attachment 70406 View attachment 70407

Good job on the split. I guess time is expected to be lower than a single. But hopefully you'll get better time with calm or no winds. Is the wiring correct for split batteries? Any pointers?

CaptainNemo · Dec 9, 2016

chazz said:
MS8 LIHV = 630 grams and MS4 LIHV = 353 x 2 = 706 grams...I have a scale so those weights are accurate and I don't know why my MS4's are slightly lighter then yours...I purchased two of them because that was what I originally had planned...I also have two MS8 my first one has a Cell that is slightly weaker then the rest and Hobby king sent me a replacement and that's the one I'm going to test splitting...

This MS4 LiPO is 320g. I take it you are wanting to use a LiHV though?
Multistar High Capacity 4S 4000mAh Multi-Rotor Lipo Pack