Phantom 3 Pro Catastrophic Battery Failure

[ghinson]

I will add to this thread (instead of starting my own). I just got a "RTHF" reply from DJI US support offering me 30% off a replacement. I think this is unacceptable. In my case, I attempted to fly with a battery that had been last charged 5-8 days earlier. I foolishly trusted the 4 LEDs on the battery and the app's 92% charge readout. I took off, hovered without much load for about 20 seconds, and then began to ascend and fly out over the ocean. At 38 seconds, with the app's flight log still showing 92% and the sticks doing as I described, and no additional warnings, all power failed and it crashed in to the ocean. I was able to retrieve it, but not revive it.

There is an interesting thread ongoing at the DJI forums where some of these tests are taking place. (DJI Forum|The head-scratcher's battery tests and thoughts.) I wish I had seen it before hand. But DJI needs to make a statement about this and make some changes in their tutorials and manuals. It is NOT okay to take off as long as the readout says 50% battery!

 

[Doug G]

Tell them you want 50 off!!. I did and they gave it to me. Also call them very first thing in the morning.. Call every morning and they will submit

 

[Doug G]

They won't go less than 50 percent

 

[MoOriginal]

I have a battery that tends to always show cell 1 deviation on a particular battery at always around 30%- its a new battery as it came with the drone which is new... is this something i should worry about ?
HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters

 

[bobmyers]

I have a battery that tends to always show cell 1 deviation on a particular battery at always around 30%- its a new battery as it came with the drone which is new... is this something i should worry about ?
HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters

.01 is within the normal range-- anything over .05 with no load should be monitored-- under load you may have a greater than .05, but if that equalizes under no load, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Ohary]

Thread is interesting. I was out about a mile from my takeoff point and at 58% but suddenly I got a low/critical battery warning. My video transmission immediately died, but fortunately it was continuing to report it's position. I'll admit I was pushing the throttle at 100%, but after the dead battery warning, I hit RTH and she came back at about 20 mph.

These battery failures have got me nervous.

 

[TheRealNick]

Thread is interesting. I was out about a mile from my takeoff point and at 58% but suddenly I got a low/critical battery warning. My video transmission immediately died, but fortunately it was continuing to report it's position. I'll admit I was pushing the throttle at 100%, but after the dead battery warning, I hit RTH and she came back at about 20 mph.

These battery failures have got me nervous.

Did you also hold up on the left stick to keep it from descending? I didn't think return to home worked at critical battery warning I thought it auto landed....

 

[Ohary]

Did you also hold up on the left stick to keep it from descending? I didn't think return to home worked at critical battery warning I thought it auto landed....

I can't remember, but from what I do remember, I noticed the elevation was at about 400-500' above my take off altitude and when I got the warning, I believed the craft appeared to be at a stable (could have possibly been slowly descending) and when I hit the RTH, it flew back at about 21 mph and maintained altitude, as opposed to the full throttle (33 or so mph) I had been flying out to my destination at.

The ambient air temperature was about 40 deg F, but the battery was considerably warm when it landed, probably about 110 deg F (best guess). I wonder if there is a battery temperature threshold?

 

[Ohary]

Also, FWIW, I remember my battery was at about 92-93% when I took off. It had been fully charged and put away from the last flight about 5 days earlier. It had been in the air flying full throttle for about 8 minutes when I suddenly got the warning with the battery level at about 58%, but apparently there was still plenty of battery to bring it home and landed about 5 minutes later at about 32%