6km range, battery close call

[Member]

Just found this. Close call!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Just found this. Close call!

Landing at 15% remaining is a close call?
Try landing at under 10% with Autoland engaged from a mile away!

 

[Member]

Landing at 15% remaining is a close call?

Yeah I guess it could be worse. But being a mile away with just 3 minutes battery remaining, that's considered a close call for me - I always make sure the drone's ready to land with 5 minutes remaining but maybe I'm too cautious

 

[The Editor]

Yeah I guess it could be worse. But being a mile away with just 3 minutes battery remaining, that's considered a close call for me - I always make sure the drone's ready to land with 5 minutes remaining but maybe I'm too cautious

Good practice.
Since the percentage display is not accurate and is only an estimate, anything below 15% is on borrowed time and depending on the condition of the cells could mean a rapid fall off at any moment - that's just lipo chemistry. No amount of 'intelligent' battery management will prevent that.
Landing at circa 20% (3.4v per cell under load) or greater will not only keep the batteries in good condition but will mean less stress on you knowing your power isn't suddenly going to take a nose dive.
People that regularly fly down to10% or lower won't have their Mavics for very long.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yeah I guess it could be worse. But being a mile away with just 3 minutes battery remaining, that's considered a close call for me - I always make sure the drone's ready to land with 5 minutes remaining but maybe I'm too cautious

Based upon my most recent "safe ditching" of my aircraft on a driving range, when I thought it safer than trying to make it all the way home, the time remaining displayed is to 10% battery, and not 0%. After reviewing the flight, I could easily have made it all the way back, had I known that, as I landed at 6% over a minute later, and diverting to the driving range was just as far off course as the remaining distance to home. The trick is safely fighting the Autoland at 10%, while you keep flying forward until you make it home, where you can let it do its thing! Not recommended for the faint of heart! However, if you ever find yourself in that situation, it helps to know that!