those here who mislead about how to handle lithium-ion batteries

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elsewhere, a world authority wrt lithium-ion batteries reports
do NOT discharge 100%.....:

Tesla battery researcher shows new test results pointing to batteries lasting over 2 million miles - Electrek



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It used to be recommended by DJI (and was reported here in the past) to discharge your batteries down to the lowest level possible but only every now and then and subsequently recharge to 100%, to help 'balance the cells', I think they said.

Apart from total neglect it should be almost impossible to fully discharge a DJI battery in normal everyday use anyway, as the battery protection cut-off circuitry should prevent it - I'd never 'stoop so low', but I think it cuts in on a P3 at about 12%.

I can't remember if it shuts everything off after landing but surely only a fool would leave everything running after a low-battery auto-land?
 
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The Tesla gurus say for the longest battery life keep the charge between 20% and 80%. Those are lithium-ion batteries.....ours are lithium-polymer but the 20%-80% might also apply favorably to us. I've always been cautioned to only fly when battery is charged to 100% .....even topping it off if the battery was charged to 100% the day before without being used.
 
The topic means really nothing new. If anybody drains batteries down to 0% he/she need the new drone after each such flight. LOL.
 
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I don't recall anyone ever suggesting to discharge 100% .. maybe people asking if it is ok to which the responses are NOT to. Please supply the link to the responses claiming it's a good idea....
If you look back far enough yes it’s discussed a lot and I have done it starting with my first P2V through all my others and never had any issues. Just from habit I still do it with my Mavics when I think to.
Sorry I don’t have time to look back for you a link at the moment but
it has been covered. Been several years since I have seen it brought up though.
 
The topic means really nothing new. If anybody drains batteries down to 0% he/she need the new drone after each such flight. LOL.
Wrong.
 
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Let me clarify that. Yes if it’s in the air when it hits 0 as the motors shut down but not forcing it
to 0 on the ground.
 
It is my understanding that with our Lithium-Polymer battery packs, when they are fully charged each cell is 4.2 volts and when completely discharged each cell is 3.7 volts. If a pack is left unattended it will gradually auto-discharge to 3.7 volts. If allowed to....because of neglect ....the cells will actually continue to discharge below 3.7 volts. When this happens the pack is often damaged and cannot be recovered. The DJi Go app is actually telling you that the battery is at 0% when the cells reach 3.7 volts. This is done to keep from damaging the batteries.
 
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It is my understanding that with our Lithium-Polymer battery packs, when they are fully charged each cell is 4.2 volts and when completely discharged each cell is 3.7 volts. If a pack is left unattended it will gradually auto-discharge to 3.7 volts. If allowed to....because of neglect ....the cells will actually continue to discharge below 3.7 volts. When this happens the pack is often damaged and cannot be recovered. The DJi Go app is actually telling you that the battery is at 0% when the cells reach 3.7 volts. This is done to keep from damaging the batteries.
Yes 0 really isn’t a completely drained battery but the motors do stop
when it says 0 in app. That’s where I always took mine. Would just make it keep spinning on the ground like trying to make it take off.
 
It is my understanding that with our Lithium-Polymer battery packs, when they are fully charged each cell is 4.2 volts and when completely discharged each cell is 3.7 volts. If a pack is left unattended it will gradually auto-discharge to 3.7 volts. If allowed to....because of neglect ....the cells will actually continue to discharge below 3.7 volts. When this happens the pack is often damaged and cannot be recovered. The DJi Go app is actually telling you that the battery is at 0% when the cells reach 3.7 volts. This is done to keep from damaging the batteries.
Not quite true. When I reach around 30% of battery the cells always come under 3.7 V. It comes under 3.6 V even and the drone is still in the air. Must be around 3.3 V to reach the cut off point.
 
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LiPo cells are at 0% at 3.0V and at 100% at 4.2V. Most third party multi chargers are set so low cutoff is at 3.2V per cell. The 3.7V level is known as the nominal voltage of a LiPo cell and is the voltage you see listed on battery packs. A 1P3S pack has a nominal voltage of 11.1V, or a 1P4S pack is 12.8V. Storage voltage for LiPo cells is at 3.8V to 3.85V per cell depending on the specs set in the charger.
 
those here who mislead about how to handle lithium-ion batteries
I Find that misleading.
 

You are misunderstanding. Nobody ever said to "discharge 100%." If they did, THEY were misquoting the directions for battery maintenance. IN THE APP (ANY DJI App), you discharge the battery to 0%. 0% in the app is NOT zero voltage. The app is on a scale that shows the user 0%, even when the battery has voltage (3.34v / cell if memory serves). Think of it as a gas gauge that shows your tank as empty when you still have 1/4 tank of gas left.

Your drone will automatically turn itself off a 0% if you let it sit on the kitchen table powered up with or without the props spinning. Again, this is NOT 0 volts. So that clarification made...

If you DO run a LiPo battery down to 0% VOLTAGE, then, yes, you will damage the battery.

Glad to clear things up.

D
 
Okay in the past I have been involved in many battery discussions! And the mavic 2 is the worst as far as batteries go! I have my Maverick Pro I had six batteries and all of them are still good for some reason so I do the same thing with those as I do with all my other batteries so I don't think it has anything to do with how we are treating our batteries but more of a manufacturing defect!

So also to add on to this my Phantom Pro for obsidian had two batteries go bad in one day and I have no idea what the ( Mod Removed Language )that was about but that's $400

I'm starting to wonder if DJI is turning into a company like HP whereas they don't charge you much for the actual unit but they get you for the consumables after the fact

I do have a general question about anybody that has had their batteries die about how many charges were done before it died
 
I do have a general question about anybody that has had their batteries die about how many charges were done before it died
Then start a thread on it let’s not change lanes in this one now. ?
 
Hi All! So as it was said above the Phantom series uses LiPo (lithium polymer) Batts and not Li-ion. They are quite different. Lipo's have the great power with RC pilots need to power the motors and receivers and electronics in our model aircraft. We do use certain techniques to make our Lipo's last as long as possible. Such as ''exercising'' the pack when we first get them, cycling the pack after so many uses or when we see a diminished MaHours when charged or to rebalance a pack etc.... If you would like to know more about how modelers with tons of battery experience care for there Lipo's you can search things like ''how to cycle lipo batteries''. hangtimes.com has a lot of info on battery technologies used in model aircraft. For instance, A123 batteries are now used a lot in fixed wing and that is what I use in my 30% gas sBach to power the servos and electronics etc.....The stock charger that comes with the dji stuff does not have cycling features. But you can manually cycle them. Make sure you dont discharge your lipo's below the safe limit, which I have written down on my charge bench. All the technologies, lipo, li ion, A123 (LIFE), have different safe discharge levels and you dont want to mix them up, thats why i have it written near my charge bench and dont rely on my memory (A-G-E) LOL. Never discharge lithium batts to 0volts unless you are recycling them.
Using proven methods of battery care will make you batts last the longest they can!
Best of luck!
 
For all those above who maintain that the battery shuts off at 0% remaining battery, as displayed in the app, it is only when any single cell also drops to below 3.0V per cell that shutoff occurs on the Phantoms. On the Mavic 2, 0% remaining still leaves two full minutes of flight available, before voltages drop below 3.0V, and battery damage becomes likely. At the first display of 0% remaining, all cells are still well above 3.5V per cell, and no harm occurs on the Mavic 2.
 

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