Dual Battery Mod

[WilliamM]

Have a quick question, and I'll start off saying I have not read through all 116 pages, yet. But I do see people talking about buying a LiPo (14.8 volt) battery as an external, and not a LiHV (15.2 volt) battery as the external. But why does this seem to be the path people chose since the stock DJI battery is a LiHV running at 15.2 volts. The price difference is not much, or is it the weight? It's would seem for a layman's point of view you would want both batteries (internal + external) to match.

 

[dan84uk]

I use 14awg.. I think it's more than enough Amps to carry dependent on your wire length.. Try and keep length to a minimal. I am actually going to take some length out of my Y harness this week.. I may even lengthen the battery wires and just solder both positives together from both my packs, and both negatives together , then put 1- xt60 on the end of them.. This way I'm eliminating 2 other connectors which are only rated at around 50amps I believe.. This should help a lot to minimize resistance and will increase the amps/voltage going from both packs to the quad. Thus bettering my performance and flight times. Right now in total I prolly have 8-10" total in 14awg wire.. I'm hoping to cut that in half as well as eliminate 2- xt60 connectors all together.

Has anyone ran both 12awg and 14awg? Did you see any change? I would think 14awg would be plenty.

How many amps is the p3 esc, does anybody know?

And sorry to hear about your quad dirtybum I was lucky to recover mine 12k feet away when I went 40k.. Just happened to find a safe landing zone minutes before I was forced to land which in turn saved my quad. For now on I don't fly long distance with out picking out safe landing spots/routs on my return flight first.. This way if I run into trouble I make sure I'm directing my quad in the path of my safe spots.

This little extra planning prior to flight can for sure help save your quad in a jam.


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oem cable is 16awg, so up to around 22 amps ish. Which sounds about right(but borderline) when calculating the flight times vs oem battery capacity.

 

[dan84uk]

Have a quick question, and I'll start off saying I have not read through all 116 pages, yet. But I do see people talking about buying a LiPo (11.1 volt) battery as an external, and not a LiHV (15.2 volt) battery as the external. But why does this seem to be the path people chose since the stock DJI battery is a LiHV running at 15.2 volts. The price difference is not much, or is it the weight? It's would seem for a layman's point of view you would want both batteries (internal + external) to match.

save yourself time, somewhere between page 95 and here someone has written a FAO guide on it all.

 

[WilliamM]

save yourself time, somewhere between page 95 and here someone has written a FAO guide on it all.

Thanks very much, found it on page #103. Very simple to understand. But still have one unanswered question if you or anyone else would know. There's a wire that's called a "balance connector" that I understand has to do with the batteries discharging equally. Please correct me if I'm off here, that's needed when using more than one external battery? Or is it also needed if going with just one external battery?

 

[mandalay]

Thanks very much, found it on page #103. Very simple to understand. But still have one unanswered question if you or anyone else would know. There's a wire that's called a "balance connector" that I understand has to do with the batteries discharging equally. Please correct me if I'm off here, that's needed when using more than one external battery? Or is it also needed if going with just one external battery?

The balance connector is only needed when you split an external battery since it's used for balance charging. I would recommend the power clip, which can be made easily or bought from DJI Phantom 3 Battery Clip. You don't need to open up the shells or the batteries to solder the wires.

 

[dan84uk]

Thanks very much, found it on page #103. Very simple to understand. But still have one unanswered question if you or anyone else would know. There's a wire that's called a "balance connector" that I understand has to do with the batteries discharging equally. Please correct me if I'm off here, that's needed when using more than one external battery? Or is it also needed if going with just one external battery?

No its not needed. They will discharge roughly equally.

Based on all 117 pages i read, ive gone for....

5200mah 15.2V multistar from hobbyking.
Use an external Turnigy 6 LIHV charger to charge it.
Dont split the battery.
Either solder directly to aircraft board, the aircraft connector or output of the battery (or use the clippy things the guy mentioned above, OMG i just saw the price of the clip who on earth would pay that! Make your own) Ive gone for direct to craft board so i dont have to modify every battery.

 

[WilliamM]

The balance connector is only needed when you split an external battery since it's used for balance charging. I would recommend the power clip, which can be made easily or bought from DJI Phantom 3 Battery Clip. You don't need to open up the shells or the batteries to solder the wires.

Thanks for the help. Think I'm going with just one battery mounted under the battery compartment.

 

[WilliamM]

No its not needed. They will discharge roughly equally.

Based on all 117 pages i read, ive gone for....

5200mah 15.2V multistar from hobbyking.
Use an external Turnigy 6 LIHV charger to charge it.
Dont split the battery.
Either solder directly to aircraft board, the aircraft connector or output of the battery (or use the clippy things the guy mentioned above, OMG i just saw the price of the clip who on earth would pay that! Make your own) Ive gone for direct to craft board so i dont have to modify every battery.

Thanks for the reply. Never thought I'd need a extra battery with a P3S, but now after running a DBS powered by three amps and a set of 2.4 GHz dipoles on the AC, the stock battery is now the weak link in a range test. I'm having to turn around once I get to 55% (that's my personal limit) so to land with 10%.

 

[dan84uk]

Thanks for the reply. Never thought I'd need a extra battery with a P3S, but now after running a DBS powered by three amps and a set of 2.4 GHz dipoles on the AC, the stock battery is now the weak link in a range test. I'm having to turn around once I get to 55% (that's my personal limit) so to land with 10%.

Same here, im only using a standard, which is going to be beneficial for range i believe. Good fun.

 

[NoBiffBetter]

So my plan is to Permanently solder together my 2 venom flu 2300 lihv battery's using my existing Y harness to do so. I will leave the female end that plugs into my battery clip (obv) and cut off the two xt60 male plug ends that would typically go into my external venom battery's. If I do this, I would be eliminating 4 connectors all together which is a lot of un-needed resistance. And would loose around 1" of wire.. (Also good) I already paracharge my battery's so charging them once joined perminiently will be no big deal.. Because the concept will still be the same.. Charging both battery's at once with a paraboard..is the same as charging 2 battery's which have been solderd together in parallel (one big 4s pack.)

I'm hoping to gain maybe around 1min more flight time due to less resistance from the externals to the internal..

What do you guys think..

The only real issue I see is that I'll need to do this to every set of venom flys that I buy.. This way they are all the same and consistent .. And I'll prolly make one more spare Y harness just incase I wanna use sombody else's battery's on my quad - cuz sometimes I will use my friends battery's and visaversa

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[dan84uk]

Completed the mod and got 36 minutes to 10% on the first flight (P3 standard) Im going to shift the camera and battery forward to put the center of balance back to where it is normally as the mod has upset the handling. Both the external and internal battery discharged in perfect sync. Both have 10% charge remaining. Indicated percentage in litchi was spot on, and of course dropped a lot more slowly.

I connect the main battery first, wait until im ready to fly and then quickly connect the external and takeoff. I then hover for 30 seconds to make sure the main battery hasn't gone into charge mode.

 

[WilliamM]

Completed the mod and got 36 minutes to 10% on the first flight (P3 standard) Im going to shift the camera and battery forward to put the center of balance back to where it is normally as the mod has upset the handling. Both the external and internal battery discharged in perfect sync. Both have 10% charge remaining. Indicated percentage in litchi was spot on, and of course dropped a lot more slowly.

I connect the main battery first, wait until im ready to fly and then quickly connect the external and takeoff. I then hover for 30 seconds to make sure the main battery hasn't gone into charge mode.

I'm getting ready to do a similar mod putting my battery in approximately the same location as yours. You say that it through the center of gravity off the drone, may I ask how much your battery weighs and the amperage?

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[mandalay]

Completed the mod and got 36 minutes to 10% on the first flight (P3 standard) Im going to shift the camera and battery forward to put the center of balance back to where it is normally as the mod has upset the handling. Both the external and internal battery discharged in perfect sync. Both have 10% charge remaining. Indicated percentage in litchi was spot on, and of course dropped a lot more slowly.

I connect the main battery first, wait until im ready to fly and then quickly connect the external and takeoff. I then hover for 30 seconds to make sure the main battery hasn't gone into charge mode.

Good flight time there. Is that with MS 5200 LiHV battery? I always charge DJI battery to full prior to going out and go through the same procedure connecting external battery like you do.

 

[dan84uk]

I'm getting ready to do a similar mod putting my battery in approximately the same location as yours. You say that it through the center of gravity off the drone, may I ask how much your battery weighs and the amperage?

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The 5200 multistar, i think they are 10c and about 420grams? yes the drone has a tendency to try pull backwards when ascending. Im about to test it again now ive pushed the camera forward 25mm / 1inch.

 

[WilliamM]

The 5200 multistar, i think they are 10c and about 420grams? yes the drone has a tendency to try pull backwards when ascending. Im about to test it again now ive pushed the camera forward 25mm / 1inch.

Did you push the camera forward by using one of those kits I've seen for sale or did you do it yourself.

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[dan84uk]

Did you push the camera forward by using one of those kids I've seen for sale or did you do it yourself.

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myself, i extended the cable and moved the frame forward attaching it with car molding tape. Very strong. Ill probably get some acrylic to push it further forward and make it look nice.

 

[Deleted member 27337]

Hey guys I'm selling my dual battery kit.

Take a look: DJI P3 Fly Far Package

 

[dirtybum]

Been experimenting w/ the 10.0 multi star. It handles like crap, aircraft gets blown around and catches lots of wind, like having a sail attached. But does make for some interesting flight times, possibly even 50 minutes. You have to stop and turn with caution.
This way doesn't fit.

Only like this

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[dan84uk]

Been experimenting w/ the 10.0 multi star. It handles like crap, aircraft gets blown around and catches lots of wind, like having a sail attached. But does make for some interesting flight times, possibly even 50 minutes. You have to stop and turn with caution.

LOL brilliant, you are the guy who inspired me to see how much range i can get. Pushing the camera forward really helped with stability, i also velcro the battery in that orientation to get the weight further forward and as low as possible too.

I dont think im going to try 10,000 though, the 5200 catches the wind enough as is lol.

 

[WilliamM]

Completed the mod and got 36 minutes to 10% on the first flight (P3 standard) Im going to shift the camera and battery forward to put the center of balance back to where it is normally as the mod has upset the handling. Both the external and internal battery discharged in perfect sync. Both have 10% charge remaining. Indicated percentage in litchi was spot on, and of course dropped a lot more slowly.

I connect the main battery first, wait until im ready to fly and then quickly connect the external and takeoff. I then hover for 30 seconds to make sure the main battery hasn't gone into charge mode.

Understand the principle of waiting initially before flying off to make sure main battery does not go into charging mode. But does this ever happen mid-flight and if it did, would the drone continue to fly on the axillary battery or with the FW shut things down because it's not a genuine DJI battery.

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