DJI say the mavic is not for use in cold conditions. Very surprised as I thought that those into snow sports would be keen to own a Mavic. I see there are a few discussions about the PH4 in the snow and to keep the batteries warm. Do the PH4 have a lower operating temp than 0 degrees c? I am spending Christmas in Canmore Alberta and wanted to use it there. -10 and a good day. Any hints?
Mavic and Snow sports
- Thread starter Roncom
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2016
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 2
- Age
- 32
It appears that the DJI Mavic Pro and the Phantom 4 have the same operating temperature range(32° to 104° F or 0° to 40° C).
DJI give these guidlines when it comes to flying in the cold.
I know some people have suggested keeping a hand warmer in the bag with the drone before flight and that the battery tends to last for less time in the cold
DJI give these guidlines when it comes to flying in the cold.
I know some people have suggested keeping a hand warmer in the bag with the drone before flight and that the battery tends to last for less time in the cold
I have flown my P3P in -15 weather, kept the batteries in by pocket till i was ready to fly. I wonder if DJI will honour any warranty issues that may arise on cold temps.
Yeah, it's all about the battery. Lithium battery output is horrible in cold conditions, just ask any electric car owner.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2015
- Messages
- 1,669
- Reaction score
- 571
- Age
- 57
I would say if you are flying within the specified limits of the Mavic you will have no problem. If you aren't they probably still will but if could be a hassle.
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
That's my only concern about buying it, it's already below 0 here and it's hard to spend almost $2000 on a drone if I'm going to have to fight for support if needed.
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2015
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 0
- Age
- 54
I'm thinking of having the batteries in individual lipo storage bags then placing them bags in a thin thermal sleeve then inside my backpack also keep the Mavic inside a thermasilk sleeve then inside the water bottle pouch I have purchased. All these would be loose inside my backpack. The body heat that comes through my jacket when I'm riding the skibike is a lot and goes into the backpack as well.
It would be interesting to do some tests to see how cold it gets in my backpack when riding this season
It would be interesting to do some tests to see how cold it gets in my backpack when riding this season
I live in Colorado and fly in the Winter. While I didn't own my Inspire last Winter, I will fly it below 59F and have already. I've flown it a week-ish ago when it was 45F and there were no perceivable issues like dramatically shorter flight times. Multicopter Warehouse is located in Castle Rock Colorado and they fly all their Drones during the Winter including the Inspire. They recommend using the battery "insulation" pads and the battery warmer. Here's a shot of them flying the Inspire in January
Last Winter I owned a P3S and P3A, I flew them in temps as low as 19F (-7C) with no issues. I didn't time the flight times as I was out for specific shots but it wasn't like flight times were cut in half. I plan on getting a Mavic and will fly it during the Winter, because there are definite winter activities I want to capture. When I fly in Winter, I keep the batteries warm till I'm ready to use them When I say "warm", thats a relative term. Meaning warmer than the surrounding temps and warm may only be 60 degrees. (I'll actually check the temps with my exergen this winter). I always used a fully charged battery and ensure I was heading to my home point with 40% left.
Regarding "snow sports", If you are talking activities such as Snowboarding and Snow Skiing at "resorts". All the ones I frequent have banned drones. To get footage or video, you have to go "back country".
Last Winter I owned a P3S and P3A, I flew them in temps as low as 19F (-7C) with no issues. I didn't time the flight times as I was out for specific shots but it wasn't like flight times were cut in half. I plan on getting a Mavic and will fly it during the Winter, because there are definite winter activities I want to capture. When I fly in Winter, I keep the batteries warm till I'm ready to use them When I say "warm", thats a relative term. Meaning warmer than the surrounding temps and warm may only be 60 degrees. (I'll actually check the temps with my exergen this winter). I always used a fully charged battery and ensure I was heading to my home point with 40% left.
Regarding "snow sports", If you are talking activities such as Snowboarding and Snow Skiing at "resorts". All the ones I frequent have banned drones. To get footage or video, you have to go "back country".
Electronics and motors generally seem to work in cold temps but batteries not so much. I place batteries in inside pockets (as close to my body as possible) when hiking to remote locations. I have never had issues as long as I do this. Another concern is condensation on camera lenses. For that reason, you don't want any sudden temperature/humidity changes on the camera and don't really want to insulate the drone much if any.
Here is what the manual says about low temp
Low Temperature Notice:
1. Battery capacity is significantly reduced when flying in low temperature (< 0°C) environments.
2. It is not recommended that the battery be used in extremely low temperature (< -10°C) environments.
Battery voltage should reach the appropriate level when operating environment with temperatures
between -10°C and 5°C.
3. End the flight as soon as the DJI GO app displays the “Low Battery Level Warning” in low temperature
environments.
4. Keep the battery indoors to warm it before flying in low temperature environments.
5. To ensure optimal performance of the battery, keep the battery temperature above 20°C.
6. The charger will stop charging the battery if the battery cell’s temperature is not within the operating
range (0°C ~ 40°C ).
In cold environments, insert the battery into the battery compartment and allow the aircraft for
approximately 1-2 minutes to warm up before taking off.
Low Temperature Notice:
1. Battery capacity is significantly reduced when flying in low temperature (< 0°C) environments.
2. It is not recommended that the battery be used in extremely low temperature (< -10°C) environments.
Battery voltage should reach the appropriate level when operating environment with temperatures
between -10°C and 5°C.
3. End the flight as soon as the DJI GO app displays the “Low Battery Level Warning” in low temperature
environments.
4. Keep the battery indoors to warm it before flying in low temperature environments.
5. To ensure optimal performance of the battery, keep the battery temperature above 20°C.
6. The charger will stop charging the battery if the battery cell’s temperature is not within the operating
range (0°C ~ 40°C ).
In cold environments, insert the battery into the battery compartment and allow the aircraft for
approximately 1-2 minutes to warm up before taking off.
Similar threads
