Start a New Conversation: Phantom 2 naza software and battery problem?

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Hello guys,

I have been in the hobby for about a year now. Recently I bought a second hand phantom 2 vision+ without a camera that I converted to a normal phantom 2 with H3-3D and Gopro. I bought it from the secondhand section of a webshop that sells drones. The lipo had 24 chargers on it when I got and had a life percentage of 91%. The smart lipo was a little puffy on the sides (shows the previous owner had no clue how to take care o his lipo's, with 24 chargers no lipo should be puffy but OK).
Today I flew the phantom and the battery went flat pretty quickly, I started off with a 99% battery and after 11 minutes it was at 1 bar and my "Low Battery level" is set to "Go Home". Before it even hit 25 m of the return to home altitude it started descending rapidly because it jumped into the "Critical Battery Level" state. It made like a smash landing and tipped over. What's up with my drone? Bad battery at 35 chargers and 89% life health?

Kind regards
Caden
 

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Yea. Puffy battery is a sign of poor maintenance. I wouldn’t worry about the drone itself.
 
+1

I like to ignore the "battery life" percentage because it does nothing for me other than mislead me.

Not sure what you mean regarding the voltage. The 3 cells voltage equal the total voltage.

But yes, a puffy battery will have odd characteristics that don't make sense. I've got one that likes to autoland at 29% for no particular reason other than it's puffy. I do notice the temp of that battery rises dramatically towards the end of the flight and while it's autolanding. So I don't use that one much, but if I do, I am on the ground at or before 50%.

Also, don't get sucked into believing the batteries will auto discharge themselves when fully charged and left on the shelf. The P2 batteries don't do that and will end up puffy unless you fly or discharge them manually.
 
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Yea. Puffy battery is a sign of poor maintenance. I wouldn’t worry about the drone itself.
Thanks for your reply!
If my battery displays a health of 89% it should last according to the Naza software still 89% befor its exhausted.
 
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That life data is a calculation. It does account for some aspects of battery condition such as internal resistance, depth of discharge, and storage practices.
Being it’s a P2 batt it could be years old.
 
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+1

I like to ignore the "battery life" percentage because it does nothing for me other than mislead me.

Not sure what you mean regarding the voltage. The 3 cells voltage equal the total voltage.

But yes, a puffy battery will have odd characteristics that don't make sense. I've got one that likes to autoland at 29% for no particular reason other than it's puffy. I do notice the temp of that battery rises dramatically towards the end of the flight and while it's autolanding. So I don't use that one much, but if I do, I am on the ground at or before 50%.

Also, don't get sucked into believing the batteries will auto discharge themselves when fully charged and left on the shelf. The P2 batteries don't do that and will end up puffy unless you fly or discharge them manually.
Thanks for your reply. I think in going to buy a new lipo and take care of it this one ill use until 50%. Have a smaal question. At a certain point it looked like my phantom didnt have the power to lift the h3 3d and gopro so it smashed a little uncontrolled with its landing gear on the ground. Was that a battery problem you think?
 
I think it's possible it was a battery problem, yes. A healthy battery shouldn't have a problem lifting that weight.
 
Thanks for your reply. I think in going to buy a new lipo and take care of it this one ill use until 50%. Have a smaal question. At a certain point it looked like my phantom didnt have the power to lift the h3 3d and gopro so it smashed a little uncontrolled with its landing gear on the ground. Was that a battery problem you think?

A barebone P2 has a takeoff weight of 1000g but with the added gear of a gimbal, camera, video transmitter and iOSD it now has a weight of around 1338g which heavy for a P2. Because of the takeoff weight, you now have it is not the fault of your batteries but the extra weight. You could change the props from the original 9443 to the newer 9450 which were designed for lifting more weight. Those 9450 props came out before the redesigned P2 v2 with new lifting motors for the same reason extra weight of all that added gear.

As for the other, you are having with the batteries that came with the P2. Batteries have both a current rating as well as voltage rating for the 3 cells. The most important is the three current ratings Design. Full and Current Capacities.

Before charging
Barttery #2 before charging.jpg


After charging
Barttery #2 after charging.jpg


Now, this battery would have a flight of probably 4 - 6 minutes or just quit altogether and cause a crash. My advice would be to buy replacements either originals or aftermarket. I like many others use aftermarket batteries without any flight problems but finding the new PH2 original batteries is going to be hard to find. From what batteries I have seen for sale are the older batteries with model # 733496 whether they are copies it's hard to say.
 
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A barebone P2 has a takeoff weight of 1000g but with the added gear of a gimbal, camera, video transmitter and iOSD it now has a weight of around 1338g which heavy for a P2. Because of the takeoff weight, you now have it is not the fault of your batteries but the extra weight. ...
My understanding was that a P2 series AC with a sound battery could handle the weight of a H3-3D gimbal and Gopro camera. After all, the installation vid is right there on the P2 page.

Phantom 2 - The Spirit Of Flight
 
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Yes. That is how the first variants were sold.
My P2 ‘sport flyer’ is one of these... no camera or any support hardware PCBs.
Love flying it in the manual-mode.
 
My understanding was that a P2 series AC with a sound battery could handle the weight of a H3-3D gimbal and Gopro camera. After all, the installation vid is right there on the P2 page.

Phantom 2 - The Spirit Of Flight

I didn't say with the extra weight that it couldn't liftoff but liftoff with that extra weight is slower and using the 9450 props would help. Of course one must believe everything in print is correct when in reality it isn't. Like for instants 25minute flight time but with the extra weight actual flight time is 15 minutes and autolanding with 7% battery life with a new battery.
 
A barebone P2 has a takeoff weight of 1000g but with the added gear of a gimbal, camera, video transmitter and iOSD it now has a weight of around 1338g which heavy for a P2. Because of the takeoff weight, you now have it is not the fault of your batteries but the extra weight. You could change the props from the original 9443 to the newer 9450 which were designed for lifting more weight. Those 9450 props came out before the redesigned P2 v2 with new lifting motors for the same reason extra weight of all that added gear.

As for the other, you are having with the batteries that came with the P2. Batteries have both a current rating as well as voltage rating for the 3 cells. The most important is the three current ratings Design. Full and Current Capacities.

Before charging
View attachment 90603

After charging
View attachment 90602

Now, this battery would have a flight of probably 4 - 6 minutes or just quit altogether and cause a crash. My advice would be to buy replacements either originals or aftermarket. I like many others use aftermarket batteries without any flight problems but finding the new PH2 original batteries is going to be hard to find. From what batteries I have seen for sale are the older batteries with model # 733496 whether they are copies it's hard to say.

Phantom 2 battery's are expensive. I recently saw this video that converts a Multistar 5200 mah 3s to a phantom battery a multistar battery only costs around 20€ and an old phantom 2 battery I can get for free.
I did a flight test today and the battery holds up for 11 min and 50 seconds fully loaded with gimbal and SJCAM before red lights start flashing the battery ended on 13% are +- 12 minutes a good result?

How come is your battery's full capacity so much lower then my battery's full capacity? I hit 40 flights today and it hasn't gone down any from 4861 mah.

Here's the video:
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Phantom 2 battery's are expensive. I recently saw this video that converts a Multistar 5200 mah 3s to a phantom battery a multistar battery only costs around 20€ and an old phantom 2 battery I can get for free.
I did a flight test today and the battery holds up for 11 min and 50 seconds fully loaded with gimbal and SJCAM before red lights start flashing the battery ended on 13% are +- 12 minutes a good result?

How come is your battery's full capacity so much lower then my battery's full capacity? I hit 40 flights today and it hasn't gone down any from 4861 mah.

Here's the video:
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

When those photos were taken that battery was 1 1/2 years old in fact they were the original battery that came with the P2 in March 2014. Needless to say, I posted those so you could see what current levels before and after.

You flight time was a bit short for a 5200mAh battery but then it depends on how you flying it. I generally got 15 minutes and letting the P2 land itself meaning 8 - 7% and my warning setting were 1st 20% and 2nd at 15%. With today's software, you can no longer change the low battery warnings nor can they be set back to factory specs. Of course many do not fly until the battery is exhausted.

I have done the same battery modification but since aftermarket batteries cost anywhere's from $48 on up here in the states I have been using those instead.

Allot depends on how the batteries are stored.
 
When those photos were taken that battery was 1 1/2 years old in fact they were the original battery that came with the P2 in March 2014. Needless to say, I posted those so you could see what current levels before and after.

You flight time was a bit short for a 5200mAh battery but then it depends on how you flying it. I generally got 15 minutes and letting the P2 land itself meaning 8 - 7% and my warning setting were 1st 20% and 2nd at 15%. With today's software, you can no longer change the low battery warnings nor can they be set back to factory specs. Of course many do not fly until the battery is exhausted.

I have done the same battery modification but since aftermarket batteries cost anywhere's from $48 on up here in the states I have been using those instead.

Allot depends on how the batteries are stored.

Can you share a link or so with reliable aftermarket batteries? I think having a set of new aftermarket batteries is a good idea. The price of the modification costs a little bit less than buying a new aftermarket battery so then why not just spend the bit extra and have a battery made for P2 :)
 
Can you share a link or so with reliable aftermarket batteries? I think having a set of new aftermarket batteries is a good idea. The price of the modification costs a little bit less than buying a new aftermarket battery so then why not just spend the bit extra and have a battery made for P2 :)

If you live stateside here a good price $48.99 on Ebay that's $20 cheaper than Amazon.

11.1V 5200mAh Lipo Battery For DJI Phantom 2 Vision Intelligent Flight Battery | eBay
 
Thanks I will order one with a new set of carbon props, my props ever chipped at the very end so i cut it straight again but I did a bad job so some props have a whole different form at the tip. Big chance that played a roll in the sudden descend of my phantom.
 
Thanks I will order one with a new set of carbon props, my props ever chipped at the very end so i cut it straight again but I did a bad job so some props have a whole different form at the tip. Big chance that played a roll in the sudden descend of my phantom.

You'd be better off using DJI stock props. Cutting the damaged tips off your props did not help the balance at all.
 

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