Unplugging the Flight Battery: Suggestions for Women Pilots?

[Basspig]

I've been going over the entire flight procedure with my wife, who will be using this P4P v2.0 in the Philippines in August.

The one thing she has not been able to do is remove the battery for charging. She simply can't exert enough squeeze on the top/bottom buttons to release the battery. My daughter tried it and she can't do it either. For me, even with arthritis, it is easy. But I'm a body builder and have strong hands.

So the question is, how can she remove the battery after a flight? Is there a tool or aid that those with less hand strength can use to assist in removing the battery? This is a real problem for her if she cannot change batteries while on this trip.

 

[ryantrax]

I've been going over the entire flight procedure with my wife, who will be using this P4P v2.0 in the Philippines in August.

The one thing she has not been able to do is remove the battery for charging. She simply can't exert enough squeeze on the top/bottom buttons to release the battery. My daughter tried it and she can't do it either. For me, even with arthritis, it is easy. But I'm a body builder and have strong hands.

So the question is, how can she remove the battery after a flight? Is there a tool or aid that those with less hand strength can use to assist in removing the battery? This is a real problem for her if she cannot change batteries while on this trip.

Instead of doing a squeezing motion try pushing on the top pressure point until it un-clicks the pull up on the bottom pressure point until it un-clicks then slide it out.

 

[WetDog]

Yeah, they really clamped it on this time. From top and bottom. A pair of welding vice grips with some sort of attachment to keep the plates from sliding off (VHB tape? Double sided tape? Sugru-type stuff?

It IS a design deficiency. I'm pretty strong and have problems getting the battery out on occasion. My wife would never be able to do it.



Edit: Another approach might be to build up the press tab area by using Sugru or similar so that the operator's opposing fingers would not start out about half way compressed. You lose quite a bit of mechanical advantage from starting half open.

 

[dirkclod]

Not a 4 but have seen some remove them like this .maybe be of help .

 

[Deleted member 109724]

I've been going over the entire flight procedure with my wife, who will be using this P4P v2.0 in the Philippines in August.

The one thing she has not been able to do is remove the battery for charging. She simply can't exert enough squeeze on the top/bottom buttons to release the battery. My daughter tried it and she can't do it either. For me, even with arthritis, it is easy. But I'm a body builder and have strong hands.

So the question is, how can she remove the battery after a flight? Is there a tool or aid that those with less hand strength can use to assist in removing the battery? This is a real problem for her if she cannot change batteries while on this trip.

The P4P V2.0 has a better battery click system to keep it from disconnecting, a notorious problem for the P4s. They might have done too good a job IMO.

 

[Basspig]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll have her try the fulcrum approach of bracing against the arms of the Phantom while twisting, as shown in the video above. We have a few weeks to solve this. I'm also going to give her a rubber ball to squeeze so she can strengthen her fingers.

 

[RunningWithScissors]

Or, you could buy her a P4P V1.0 to use. Word on the street is that the battery comes out of that model very easily. Problem solved.

 

[WWK888]

Not a 4 but have seen some remove them like this .maybe be of help .

I would worry about too much stress on the arms and possibly causing cracks.

 

[dirkclod]

I can't say on the P4p as it might have an egg shell body but when I saw that video way back I tried it and if done properly
I saw no issues on the P3's . Don't have a P4 and really don't know how hard they are to get out .
Was just a thought .

 

[WWK888]

You know what could help is using one of those rubber grippers used for opening jars.

 

[ChrisLX200]

Wearing rubber gloves will improve grip, but the strength required to release the catches obviously remains the same. I would also recommend, if you are finding the procedure strenuous, only removing the battery with the gimbal supports in place in case of accidents

 

[Basspig]

We went for the P4P 2.0 because of the better camera, otherwise I would have gotten the Mavic Pro, which she originally wanted until I showed her the image quality from the P4P.

I think she's able to push in the catches, but she can't pull and squeeze down at the same time evidently.

We'll try some rubber sheets and see if that helps.

 

[Loz]

Or, you could buy her a P4P V1.0 to use. Word on the street is that the battery comes out of that model very easily. Problem solved.

Lol ouch - I have one of these & was just starting to get over my paranoid checking the battery is locked in, after so many reports [emoji6]

 

[RunningWithScissors]

We'll try some rubber sheets and see if that helps.

We're still talking about removing P4 batteries, right?

 

[Basspig]

Uh, yup. P4P 2.0 to be precise.

 

[Harleydude]

Yeah, they really clamped it on this time. From top and bottom. A pair of welding vice grips with some sort of attachment to keep the plates from sliding off (VHB tape? Double sided tape? Sugru-type stuff?

It IS a design deficiency. I'm pretty strong and have problems getting the battery out on occasion. My wife would never be able to do it.

View attachment 99822

Edit: Another approach might be to build up the press tab area by using Sugru or similar so that the operator's opposing fingers would not start out about half way compressed. You lose quite a bit of mechanical advantage from starting half open.

Stole the idea right out of my head.

 

[lickitysplit11111]

We went for the P4P 2.0 because of the better camera, otherwise I would have gotten the Mavic Pro, which she originally wanted until I showed her the image quality from the P4P.

I think she's able to push in the catches, but she can't pull and squeeze down at the same time evidently.

We'll try some rubber sheets and see if that helps.

Did you ever think that the V2 could be part of your Crystal sky problem , perhaps It still has a few bugs that need to be worked out . I’m surprised you left that detail out of the other thread

 

[Basspig]

No, and the reason I believe that is because DJI Go 4 ran perfectly with a flawless record on my Galaxy Note 5. It wasn't til the purchase of the Crystal Sky Ultra that I started having problems with the video feed, sluggish interface, and app freezes. The only reason I switched was because the screen was too small and way too dim to see anything in the daylight hours.

 

[Omokjoe]

No, and the reason I believe that is because DJI Go 4 ran perfectly with a flawless record on my Galaxy Note 5. It wasn't til the purchase of the Crystal Sky Ultra that I started having problems with the video feed, sluggish interface, and app freezes. The only reason I switched was because the screen was too small and way too dim to see anything in the daylight hours.

I use the long handle pliers with adjustable jaws ( can’t remember proper name) easy.

 

[Brother Dave]

I use the long handle pliers with adjustable jaws ( can’t remember proper name) easy.

Channel Locks?