Only genuine batteries?

[joet]

And - since we are in a litigious society - if you have a problem and your drone falls from the sky and kills or injures someone - will the aftermarket battery be used as evidence of negligence on your part?

I'm all for saving a few bucks, but I'd rather do it on things that aren't related to safety. If it's for an RC car, likely the worst that can happen is it stops in place; maybe catches on fire. I'm much more likely to take a chance there.

Buy a cheaper bag/case, sun shade, etc.. There's ways you can save some money elsewhere. For me, it's DJI batteries and props for a few thoughtful, considered reasons.

 

[solentlife]

Its only dangerous advice if the 'stories' of AC falling out of the sky dead as dodo's is true ... which I personally don't believe.
Searches online - I have found no first hand substantiated events as falling out of the sky due to 3rd party batterys. I have found second ... third hand possibles with NO link to actual events... which are as valuable as the grafiti on walls.
Funny thing is I did find one report - again unsubstantiated of a DJI battery failing in flight !!

The P3 is designed that on significant voltage drop to land out ... before that point - it will RTH ...

As to recc'dg a battery - I did .... go back a ways and you'll find I did exactly that.

It will not be long also before I actually show how to 'replace' a LiPo in the pack to produce a pack that is reliable and on 'budget'.

Nigel

 

[N017RW]

Use the batteries you want.

Why argue about it?

After 2-3 'laps' around the argument table points are made and minds are set.
Swapping LIPo cells is no biggie and has been done and talked about before. If you can solder than you likely have the skills required so it's only a matter of desire.

 

[msinger]

Why argue about it?

Who is arguing? We're just sharing pros/cons of both here. I think some good points have been made.

 

[solentlife]

Link again ...

kuentl on eBay

As to replace cells ... NO17RW .... can you let me have a link to anyone who has done it - so far people I talk to reckon they couldn't get the board to recognise the new cells. Second the DJI cells are strange dimensions and do not conform to normal LiPo shape etc.
Genuinely interested ... maybe best to message me ....

Nigel

 

[solentlife]

And - since we are in a litigious society - if you have a problem and your drone falls from the sky and kills or injures someone - will the aftermarket battery be used as evidence of negligence on your part?

I'm all for saving a few bucks, but I'd rather do it on things that aren't related to safety. If it's for an RC car, likely the worst that can happen is it stops in place; maybe catches on fire. I'm much more likely to take a chance there.

Buy a cheaper bag/case, sun shade, etc.. There's ways you can save some money elsewhere. For me, it's DJI batteries and props for a few thoughtful, considered reasons.

RC car ? When I mentioned car above - I meant the one you - your wife and children ride in to work - shopping - school etc.

As to falling from the sky - PLEASE provide the real evidence of this.

Second are you telling me that the P3S is more dangerous than my 1.6m 3.2kg Zlin Z50 :



with over counter 3rd party 6S LiPo ... 15x10 prop etc.

Or my FW190 with 70 4 stroke up front with 12x8 prop ....



Or my two SE V2 450 Heli with 3rd party LiPo's ... (just one to show is enough)



In fact this is my hangar some years back and then only part of it ... today it is over 50 models all ready to fly ...



The only model I have that any mention is of using Proprietary batterys is DJI ....

I do not support dangerous activities or advise such.

Nigel

 

[joet]

RC car ? When I mentioned car above - I meant the one you - your wife and children ride in to work - shopping - school etc.

I was referring to an RC car - which is not nearly as dangerous as an aircraft if the battery craps out, catches on fire, etc. I wasn't quoting or referring to your statement.

As to falling from the sky - PLEASE provide the real evidence of this.

If your battery dies, and there's no/insufficient power, what other possibility is there?

Second are you telling me that the P3S is more dangerous than my 1.6m 3.2kg Zlin Z50 :



with over counter 3rd party 6S LiPo ... 15x10 prop etc.

Or my FW190 with 70 4 stroke up front with 12x8 prop ....



Or my two SE V2 450 Heli with 3rd party LiPo's ... (just one to show is enough)



In fact this is my hangar some years back and then only part of it ... today it is over 50 models all ready to fly ...

...Depending on your definition of "dangerous", yes. If you lose all battery power on a fixed wing model aircraft, it will/may glide for a distance before it crashes, and may even retain enough power to operate the control surfaces to a point that it can be crashed more safely.

If you lose all power on a quadcopter, it's pretty much dropping like a stone with no real control possible at all. Also, I dare say that a Phantom is likely much heavier than many styrofoam constructed model aircraft - which, if true, certainly affects the danger quotient.

The only model I have that any mention is of using Proprietary batterys is DJI ....

Which I have no issue with. Most RC LiPo batteries are essentially generic, and most RC aircraft aren't as sophisticated as a DJI drone, with sensors that are susceptible to voltage discrepancies and the like. About the only caveat I'd mention is that a manufacturer may have tested certain brands and certified them from a quality perspective, and that would carry some weight with me.

DJI batteries are custom designed for the particular drone and are much more intelligent than a standard RC LiPo. There may very well be a third-party battery that is just as good as theirs; I don't know. I know that I am not planning on being the test pilot to prove it, and anyone who takes on that role should exercise due caution in how they do so.

 

[solentlife]

What's that saying ?

There's none so blind as those that cannot see ?

Oh well ... so be it ...

Oh ... here's a flight with a 'crap' 3rd party battery ...

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

From the source I linked to above ... the flight time actually was slightly longer than my original DJi battery ...

Nigel

 

[Loz]

I read this whole thread with great interest and learned a few useful things. I fly a p3a and p3p, have 7 DJI batteries, and one 3rd part no name battery, which came with one of the Phantoms I bought second hand locally.

Problem is the DJIGO app detected the battery was non DJI & would not allow me to start motors, let alone takeoff. So my conclusion is JUST talking about 3rd Party batteries and their merits is incomplete and misleading as whilst battery MAY be fine, if firmware / app disallows its use, user will be disappointed / misled. My birds are out of warranty and new batteries are very expensive here (Australia) - like $250, reliable 3rd party batteries would be very attractive if I could get em to work.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[solentlife]

It would actually do all a favour if such batterys that get locked out ARE identified as to seller and source / ebay / online ... etc.
Then we can avoid them.

It would also be good if SUCCESSFUL 3rd party batterys were identified as I did earlier ... then we know we will get a working variant.


I am extremely interested in this locked out battery. Pity we live opposite ends of the world - I would LOVE to get my hands on it to see what I could do with it ...

Nigel

 

[Dazzauk]

What's that saying ?

There's none so blind as those that cannot see ?

Oh well ... so be it ...

Oh ... here's a flight with a 'crap' 3rd party battery ...

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

From the source I linked to above ... the flight time actually was slightly longer than my original DJi battery ...

Nigel

Nigel how come you had weak controller signal 1st time and then after turning around and setting off again you flew fine at a massively extended range? Was it height? Are you flying a standard?

 

[L3thalB3ard]

Nigel.. you're RTH settings are a bit scary on that no?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[solentlife]

Nigel how come you had weak controller signal 1st time and then after turning around and setting off again you flew fine at a massively extended range? Was it height? Are you flying a standard?

Height is always your friend ... as you get further away the angle subtended by you and the AC gets less. That means trees / houses / whatever has more effect. So CLIMB !!

Yes its a Standard.

Argtec Antenna system
Icarus 27dbm power mod

I have had her out to 2493m on a good day. Average now is about 1500m

Nigel

 

[solentlife]

Nigel.. you're RTH settings are a bit scary on that no?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Why ? I have pushed my Standard to its limits and beyond ... I am reasonably confident that it will return home. I watch all tell tale signs ... I am ready to fly her home manually if needed.

I think the difference is that I have been flying Helicopters, Multi-rotors for years before GPS etc. hit them. I have pals who fly serious FPV ... so picked up other stuff from them.

Before I fly - I am as sure as I can be my model is good to fly. Over 50yrs of model flying ....

Nigel

 

[L3thalB3ard]

I was more referring to its altitude.. I always set mine to come home at a higher altitude to make sure it avoids potential obstacles. Seemed like the first time it narrowly missed a tree..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[solentlife]

I have 30m set for RTH ... but what you probably saw was when I often fly manually ... then I do cut it close at times ...

Nigel

 

[Travisimo]

I just wanted to say that I received my Phantom 3 battery from this Ebay seller today and it appears to be a genuine DJI battery as advertised. It came with DJI paperwork (manual and safety warnings), and it has the Phantom font on the side as pictured. It does, of course, have the extra Chinese writing as well, but I think we've speculated that the reason for that is that it's an internationally branded SKU. At any rate, it's not as inexpensive as the 3rd party batteries, but in the absence of a sale from DJI, I didn't think $110 was too bad. I haven't had a chance to fly with it yet, but everything appears normal on the LED's and in the GO app. NOTE: I am not at all affiliated with the seller.

DJI Phantom 3 Intelligent Flight Battery - 4480mah - For the Phantom 3 PART 133

 

[L3thalB3ard]

I just wanted to say that I received my Phantom 3 battery from this Ebay seller today and it appears to be a genuine DJI battery as advertised. It came with DJI paperwork (manual and safety warnings), and it has the Phantom font on the side as pictured. It does, of course, have the extra Chinese writing as well, but I think we've speculated that the reason for that is that it's an internationally branded SKU. At any rate, it's not as inexpensive as the 3rd party batteries, but in the absence of a sale from DJI, I didn't think $110 was too bad. I haven't had a chance to fly with it yet, but everything appears normal on the LED's and in the GO app. NOTE: I am not at all affiliated with the seller.

DJI Phantom 3 Intelligent Flight Battery - 4480mah - For the Phantom 3 PART 133

Are the LEDs any dimmer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Travisimo]

Are the LEDs any dimmer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is no discernible difference that I can see when comparing the LEDs on the battery itself or the LED brightness of the P3S when its turned on. As I said, I haven't flown with it yet, so this is feedback based on charging the battery, inserting it into the Phantom, and turning everything on. The Go app is reporting normal voltage, and there are no battery errors. The only difference that I have found is the extra Chinese writing on the side, which I knew ahead of time by looking at other comments here and the pictures on Ebay.

 

[anotherlab]

Checking back in with the eBay battery purchase. The battery arrived today and appears to be an actual DJI Part 133 battery in the DJI packaging. I put it in the AC and it seemed to work OK. It came about 30% charged with 2 charge times recorded. The pictures in the listing match what I received. I ordered it on Thursday for $110 (total) and it arrived today (Monday).

It's listed on eBay as DJI Phantom 3 Intelligent Flight Battery - 4480mah - For the Phantom 3 PART 133

Placed next to the original battery, there is just a minor difference in the text.