Low battery voltage warning with 20% battery left?

[Buel]

Hi all,
as above - getting this message with 20% battery still left? I came home to be safe but am curious - which do I believe? The warning or the 20% left?

 

[Bob in Savannah]

I would think voltage definitely. Never go with percentage. Just my opinion.

 

[FLDave]

Hi all,
as above - getting this message with 20% battery still left? I came home to be safe but am curious - which do I believe? The warning or the 20% left?

I don't think the two warnings are mutually exclusive. Best to believe both, Pilot judgment is also critical as the pilot is the one who understands current weather and wind conditions. The pilot's understanding of the terrain is equally important in case of a battery forced landing.

 

[Ty Pilot]

The crash assistance forum is full of pilots' stories where the battery percentage was treated like fuel remaining in the tank on a car. They almost never end well. There is a reason that fuel (battery) levels of aircraft need to be respected and treated differently than many are used to.

 

[MS Coast]

20% is a low battery level. At that point, you should be very close to landing, considering both safety and not degrading your batteries.

 

[Cafguy]

20 percent is a pretty good RTH point as MS Coast said To keep your batteries at there best you ideally shouldn't take them below 15 percent thats what I try to do with my Batteries

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

The RTH charge level is dependant on where the drone is in relation to the home point, it IS NOT a fixed percentage and changes as the drone's position and height changes. It increases with height and distance.
From memory in Go4 this was display clearly across the top of the app.

 

[Buel]

Brilliant guys. Thanks.I didn't know this about 20% for RTH!

 

[Trackerputnam]

Just then, you are distracted by something, anything. It takes you a second to get back to the drone. Then you are on here the next day, whining and wondering what happened!

If I do a traffic study, where I am straight up and just hovering, I will allow myself to land at 21 to 20 percent. I have my low battery set at 25 percent. Typically, I land in or near 30%.

One time, and one time only, I was distracted, a bear came running by. I looked. Not something you see everyday. When I looked back, I was at 17%, with a very hard landing ahead of me, down through the trees. I made it but not without a little prop damage, weaving around the tree limbs in the way to a successful landing, while the drone is trying to land itself , buzzing and beeping, and remember the bear? I was so lucky that only one prop was replaced.

At 20% you should be on the ground already. Give yourself some margin for distraction. Don’t let the bear bite you in the ***!

 

[akdrone]

I often come back before 20% simply because I often do a little flight here and there but I have a friend who regularly pushes the envelope and has often flown/landed when the battery was at 0%, blowing off more than one auto return to home efforts. I've noted that it is even possible to fly for a minute or so even with the battery at 0%. I realize that's not smart for the battery. I shake my head and chuckle but he has gotten away with it many times although more than once was forced to scurry back to a road and then drive over and pick up the drone by the side of the road. Not my cup of tea. Flying yesterday with 25mph winds and gusts to 30 I was super glad I turned my mav 3 around to head back when with decent battery life as my return flight was at 4-5mph with full power, sometimes dropping to one or two mph. While filming I had to constantly keep my right stick pulled to side as the wind was so strong with such strong gusts that it was hard to keep the subject in view. The 7x tele made it more difficult but sheesh.... Landing with 20% is a pretty good rule.

 

[Capt KO]

You can change the % battery warning in the app, but I don’t. As said, 20% is usually enough to RTH but app will warn beforehand if too far to return with available battery. First warning is preset at 30%. Pay attention and fly safe.

 

[pommy]

You can change the % battery warning in the app, but I don’t. As said, 20% is usually enough to RTH but app will warn beforehand if too far to return with available battery. First warning is preset at 30%. Pay attention and fly safe.

Note - that’s only in the old drones:

Mavic Pro, Mavic 2, Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic Air, Spark, Phantom 4 Advanced, Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 V2.0, Inspire 2, and Matrice 200-210 RTK​

They use the Go4 app - The Fly App has no settings for that, never has As someone mentioned, the battery level is dynamic and in relation to the drones distance from the home point.

 

[Photobobhunt]

After replacing two of my Air2s Batteries, I've binged on any battery related article and YouTube video.
These intelligent batteries have a lot of differences, related to use and storage, when compared to the Lithium batteries used in cameras, power tools and other devices.
I'm learning a lot, but in small doses and with some contradictions. But most of the information parallels info found regarding electric autos.
I read the manuals on my DJI Drones (Air 2 & 2s) and they do mention some suggestions on " care and feeding" of the intelligent battery, but I wish the information was directly stated like published safety info.
This thread provides more "learned" information,,,,,,,,,,,,,, someone should write a book .

 

[Cafguy]

After replacing two of my Air2s Batteries, I've binged on any battery related article and YouTube video.
These intelligent batteries have a lot of differences, related to use and storage, when compared to the Lithium batteries used in cameras, power tools and other devices.
I'm learning a lot, but in small doses and with some contradictions. But most of the information parallels info found regarding electric autos.
I read the manuals on my DJI Drones (Air 2 & 2s) and they do mention some suggestions on " care and feeding" of the intelligent battery, but I wish the information was directly stated like published safety info.
This thread provides more "learned" information,,,,,,,,,,,,,, someone should write a book .

I also wonder why D.J.I. won't supply better chargers that have a switch to charge to storage level 60 and full charge I have bought countless battery's for my Air 2s Due simply from wearing them out doing security work I can guarantee longer battery life if they are brought home at 15, Stored at 60, and charged the day you use them when possible. I have seen it and I go thru these batteries by the dozens. ( constant perimeter checking all day every day at times will put a huge dent in your wallet lol but if they simply included this ability and information they would probably sell a lot less batterys.

 

[Photobobhunt]

I also wonder why D.J.I. won't supply better chargers that have a switch to charge to storage level 60 and full charge I have bought countless battery's for my Air 2s Due simply from wearing them out doing security work I can guarantee longer battery life if they are brought home at 15, Stored at 60, and charged the day you use them when possible. I have seen it and I go thru these batteries by the dozens. ( constant perimeter checking all day every day at times will put a huge dent in your wallet lol but if they simply included this ability and information they would probably sell a lot less batterys.

A good point about the charger. I tend to fly to 15-20% then try to charge to 30-40% .
It seems like it would be easy to limit the charge for storage, or possible to have the battery provide an audible signal through the charger, when storage level is reached and then require another setting or action to complete charging.

 

[Melvoid]

Just then, you are distracted by something, anything. It takes you a second to get back to the drone. Then you are on here the next day, whining and wondering what happened!

If I do a traffic study, where I am straight up and just hovering, I will allow myself to land at 21 to 20 percent. I have my low battery set at 25 percent. Typically, I land in or near 30%.

One time, and one time only, I was distracted, a bear came running by. I looked. Not something you see everyday. When I looked back, I was at 17%, with a very hard landing ahead of me, down through the trees. I made it but not without a little prop damage, weaving around the tree limbs in the way to a successful landing, while the drone is trying to land itself , buzzing and beeping, and remember the bear? I was so lucky that only one prop was replaced.

At 20% you should be on the ground already. Give yourself some margin for distraction. Don’t let the bear bite you in the ***!

I set my alarm for 40% just to stay on top of things. It's just a reminder that I should be wrapping it up soon.