Keeping Mobile Devices/Monitors Warm in Winter

[Brian1259]

I have a newly installed iPhone 6 Plus battery. Replaced the year-old battery because it dies in like 8-10 minutes on a full charge if exposed to freezing temps. The new one does the same thing, lol. Conclusion, cold eats lithium-ion batteries and I need to figure out a way of keeping that device warm/comfortable while I fly. I need at least 40 minutes of use for a solution. 8-10 minutes of battery life makes this hobby way too stressful.

Anyone have a similar issue and figure out how to hike in for 10-15 minutes, set up, launch, then fly for 15 minutes without losing the video monitoring device? How cold, 34 to 20 Fahrenheit (AKA Mild Winter normal temps.)

I thought there would be a way to use the "DJI's Battery to Power Bank Adapter" but that simply charges your device via the same port I need to connect to the controller. I need to keep the phone charged "while I fly" and IOS devices only have one input and I need it to be connected to the controller.

So now what? I heard hand warmers strapped to the back of the phone might work? Some say use an iPad but I hear those die fast too (aluminum). I am not trying to debate the drone batteries, I got those covered but the phone is impossible to keep from exposure. I need it to see the camera image.

Does anyone have experience with this issue and a workable solution/workaround that keeps portability in mind?

 

[WV. Rootman]

Yea, batteries die real fast in cold weather. I metal detect in the snow and hand warmers work well. Don’t laugh, you should see the rings I have. Glove and cold weather work great to loosen up rings. Any way you can, keep batteries warm.

 

[JoBe]

I have a newly installed iPhone 6 Plus battery. Replaced the year-old battery because it dies in like 8-10 minutes on a full charge if exposed to freezing temps. The new one does the same thing, lol. Conclusion, cold eats lithium-ion batteries and I need to figure out a way of keeping that device warm/comfortable while I fly. I need at least 40 minutes of use for a solution. 8-10 minutes of battery life makes this hobby way too stressful.

Anyone have a similar issue and figure out how to hike in for 10-15 minutes, set up, launch, then fly for 15 minutes without losing the video monitoring device? How cold, 34 to 20 Fahrenheit (AKA Mild Winter normal temps.)

I thought there would be a way to use the "DJI's Battery to Power Bank Adapter" but that simply charges your device via the same port I need to connect to the controller. I need to keep the phone charged "while I fly" and IOS devices only have one input and I need it to be connected to the controller.

So now what? I heard hand warmers strapped to the back of the phone might work? Some say use an iPad but I hear those die fast too (aluminum). I am not trying to debate the drone batteries, I got those covered but the phone is impossible to keep from exposure. I need it to see the camera image.

Does anyone have experience with this issue and a workable solution/workaround that keeps portability in mind?

plenti of posts about cold batteries here in the ac and in the phone. i think the iphone 6 specficially had os issues with the battery about a 1-2 years back. not the recent issue with throttling that led to super cheap battery swpas from apple. this was something about not reporting battery levels correctly when cold.

 

[embayweather]

Try looking for a DJI Phantom glove on your Amazon. Fur lined, warm, comfortable. Pop in hand warmers and you could almost cook breakfast in them. First time my hands have been warm all winter.

 

[Sagebrush]

I did a commercial shoot last winter of a cross-country skier. The temp was pushing 10ºF if I recall.

I attached two chemical hand warmers to the back of my iPad Mini with electrical tape and no problem.

SB

 

[Brian1259]

Well, I could not resist trying a new strategy today. I decided to cut a paper towel into pieces that fit the back of my iPhone. I cut about 4 rectangles for a bit of insulation. I placed the phone face down on saran wrap. I stacked the 4 pieces of paper towel on the back, then carefully folded over the saran wrap on the back to hold the paper towel material to the back of the phone. Worked like a charm. Battery survived. It was 20F outside. I was outside the vehicle with the iPhone exposed for about 20 minutes (15 of actual flying). The iPhone kept 87% life. Not too shabby.

 

[JoBe]

Try looking for a DJI Phantom glove on your Amazon. Fur lined, warm, comfortable. Pop in hand warmers and you could almost cook breakfast in them. First time my hands have been warm all winter.

so this helps keep your phone battery warm too?

 

[JoBe]

Well, I could not resist trying a new strategy today. I decided to cut a paper towel into pieces that fit the back of my iPhone. I cut about 4 rectangles for a bit of insulation. I placed the phone face down on saran wrap. I stacked the 4 pieces of paper towel on the back, then carefully folded over the saran wrap on the back to hold the paper towel material to the back of the phone. Worked like a charm. Battery survived. It was 20F outside. I was outside the vehicle with the iPhone exposed for about 20 minutes (15 of actual flying). The iPhone kept 87% life. Not too shabby.

cool af. so just that helped keep the phone warm? doesnt a phone case keep it warm enough?

 

[embayweather]

so this helps keep your phone battery warm too?

Sorry for the late reply been quite ill. Yes it does keep the phone or even the iPad warm depending on which size you use. It needs a bit of arrang8ng to get it to feel right for you but once done it’s great.

 

[JoBe]

Try looking for a DJI Phantom glove on your Amazon. Fur lined, warm, comfortable. Pop in hand warmers and you could almost cook breakfast in them. First time my hands have been warm all winter.

so this helps keep your phone battery warm too?

Sorry for the late reply been quite ill. Yes it does keep the phone or even the iPad warm depending on which size you use. It needs a bit of arrang8ng to get it to feel right for you but once done it’s great.

i'm still not getting this one. you are saying that using a fur lined glove keeps your mobile device warm? are you saying to put the glove on your device?

 

[embayweather]

No it’s not a glove per se, that is just the description. Have a look here to see what I mean

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_s...om&rh=i:aps,k:Fur+lined+glove+for+DJI+Phantom

It is on my amazon but you should be able to find it on yours.

 

[JoBe]

No it’s not a glove per se, that is just the description. Have a look here to see what I mean

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Fur+lined+glove+for+DJI+Phantom&rh=i:aps,k:Fur+lined+glove+for+DJI+Phantom

It is on my amazon but you should be able to find it on yours.

oh now i understand. sorry for being slow on the uptake with that one.

 

[embayweather]

Worry not. I thought it was a pair of fancy gloves at first. With the weather that is on its way here this week I might get more chance to use mine!

 

[solentlife]

Its actually interesting this - as Smartphones are notorious for being 'heaters' when on ... I have various and all get 'warm' backs when on.

You can buy small heaters for batterys ... designed to be placed into bags / LiPo sacks etc. Easy enough to tape to back of phone / tablet and power from a small battery tie-wrapped to controller handle.

Items such as this :

HobbyKing Universal Heater System

It has a pad that can be taped to back of phone and you have a temp. control ...

Nigel