So many different opinions. Is there really a proper way?
Sent from my SM-T113 using PhantomPilots mobile app
Sent from my SM-T113 using PhantomPilots mobile app
Proper battery discharge
- Thread starter Spitfire 66
- Start date
I think most people over think this. I have three batteries and have them set to the 10 day discharge (default). I keep my batteries fully charged and if I don't fly within those 10 days they discharge like they are designed.
I have over 30 charges on each of my three batteries and have had no issues what so ever.
I usually fly until they are around 20% to 30%.
I have over 30 charges on each of my three batteries and have had no issues what so ever.
I usually fly until they are around 20% to 30%.
I fly till 20% let cool then charge to 50% with dji hub and the day I fly I charge to 100%, if I can't fly that day I leave them at 100% till I can fly or they will discharge in 10 days. I live in northern Ontario and the weather sucks and it's getting real cold so I fly when my bird and I will survive the cold so I leave 2 of my 4 batteries ready or almost ready to go. Long term storage is just around the bend for me so 50% is coming soon, dang!
If you should suddenly need to fly and the batteries are at 50% storage can you make a short flight?
msinger
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50% is very low for starting a flight. You could technically do it, but you'd want to watch the battery voltage very closely.
Thanks for your quick response, just thinking come home and see a great sunset or something go up and get the shot and come back, nothing long distance.
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Every body is different. I personally fly my 5 batteries from full to around 15% then charge them later that day to either a full charge if i am going to be flying again over the next few days or charge them to about 50% storage charge if its uncertain when i will be out again
This is exactly what I do, if I know I'm not flying for a week or more. The charge hub is very convenience because in "storage charge mode" it stops charging the three batteries at 50-60%, which is ideal for storing a while. Then, since they are half charged, topping them off to 100% doesn't take as long.
I have 4 batteries. I baby 3 with my charging/storage hub. The 4th is my "yard" battery and I keep that charged all the time. It may not last as long.
Now that will be an interesting study, how many cycles have they done so far and can you notice any difference in the flight times yet between the "yard" battery and the others. It would also be interesting if you choose to use one of your babied batteries for many less flights than the other 2. As the batteries aged (time not cycles) the one that was cycled less could become the one you depended on for maximum flight time. All that careful planning could of course be undone by variations due to manufacturing tolerances but it would still be an interesting study.
I have them labeled 1,2,3 and yard and they are all about the same age so I should get that data over time. I'm lucky and have a nice west mountain view and quite often fly it up 300 feet from my patio and just hover messing around with camera settings for 15 mins or so if the sky looks interesting. Neighbor's think I'm nuts and that's why I fly up 300 so they don't have to listen to the bee swarm noise.
I'm using this one Buy Phantom 4 Series - Battery Charging Hub | DJI Store. There are some aftermarket hubs but some don't have the storage mode.
Each person sets as they see fit. I had mine set to 10 days but thought this was a little long. It takes several days to discharge. So at 10 days, 11 days... batteries will still be near 100%. I _think_ it might take another 7 days or so to get down to 60%. I figured that's 10-17 days that the battery has more charge then it needs. I also figured if I was not flying within 3 days of charging, I could simply place them on the charger for an hour before they were needed. That is, I just set them at 3 days as I should not need to store them longer then that and not be able to invest an hour before flying. Just my 2 cents.
Yes I would not expect to have any problems at 30 cycles, I would like to see at least 200 or 300 before some significant capacity drop and even 400 to 500 before the dreaded 20% life left is reached.
The 2 downsides to your system are,
Firstly you are cycling the batteries without actually flying them even if it is only a half cycle. Since the number of cycles is the best indication of battery life, I would always like to use those cycles to fly not just dissipate into heat.
Secondly, battery life is reduced during the time they are fully charged (especially if they are also above 30 Deg C or 86 F), that is a worthwhile sacrifice if you are about to fly but why reduce your battery life if you are not about to fly.
The Intelligent Flight Battery and charger is a very smart bit of kit but it can't read minds or weather (just like us!!) so it chooses the program to maximize the battery availability irrespective of whether it is a weekend, a sunny still afternoon or a no chance of flying time.
However it can only follow the DJI (or your) instructions and by knowing (or at least guessing) when the next flight is going to be we can extract a bit more useful life from our batteries without any sacrifice on our own behalf.
Hah, let them think what ever they want, you haven't got bats in your belfry, just bees!!!
Have you considered using one of your 3 babied batteries much less than the other two, just to see if a variation in capacity happens there. If it did as I would expect then as the other 2 gradually lost capacity the less cycled one would hold its capacity better and in the future become the battery to use if you wanted maximum flying time (or least risk) on a particular flight.
I only have two batteries and I will "baby" both of them but use one more than twice as often as the other to see what I can observe. The only variation is that one of mine came with the P4 and the other separately via DWI and they have very different serial numbers. That may or may not mean anything, we shall see.
When not in use, I leave my three batteries on the DJI charging hub on storage. Is there any
time limit for leaving them on storage? I check periodically to be sure they are cool, and they always are. Sometimes I do not fly for a couple of weeks before
charging them up.
Comments will be appreciated.
time limit for leaving them on storage? I check periodically to be sure they are cool, and they always are. Sometimes I do not fly for a couple of weeks before
charging them up.
Comments will be appreciated.
msinger
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The storage mode is used to discharge the batteries down to 50%. When the led turns blue on the charging hub, that battery is done discharging and you can remove it from the charging hub.
FYI, the batteries will auto discharge on their own if you do not press the battery button. That function is built into the battery.
FYI, the batteries will auto discharge on their own if you do not press the battery button. That function is built into the battery.
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