Battery care advice needed!

[DJI DelBoy]

Yes, I’ve read different threads about battery care but I need specific advice regarding my circumstances.

I’ve got 4 batteries for my Mavic 2. However, due to family and work commitments I only get to fly once or twice a week. Erratic weather where I live also sometimes prevents me from flying on my days off.

Sometimes I’m lucky and fly for a couple of consecutive days but sometimes circumstances conspire against me and it could be anything between 1-2 weeks in between flights. I’ve got all my batteries set to auto discharge but what I want to know is if say:

I’ve flown on one day, used up approximately 80% of each of my 3 batteries but didn’t touch the 4th. What would be the best way to care for them?

Do I charge all 3 up when I return home - not knowing when I’ll be flying again? Or should I let them auto-discharge to as low as possible before charging them back up to 100% the day before I know I’ll be flying?

And what about the 4th? I’ve noticed if it’s fully charged and I try to charge it 24hrs later it won’t charge. It’s as if the battery won’t charge if it has say 95% battery life remaining (I’m not sure of the exact percentage but it won’t light up on the charger) - which is annoying because I’d like the full 100% ready when I need it.

Also, what’s the best advice for battery care when you don’t fly for 1-2 weeks? Do I charge them up to 100% and let them auto-discharge or do I let them discharge and then recharge them the night before I’m due to fly? I’m asking because I obviously want to prolong the lives of my batteries.

Thanks in advance for taking time out to read my questions and respond.

 

[deleted member 877]

It is inadvisable to make a habit of using the auto-discharge capability. With the fourth fully charged battery - just leave it in the switched on drone and let it discharge to approximately 65% which is the best level for storage.

Charge the batteries to 100% on the day or day before flying - don't let them sit around at full charge. Doing so will ultimately cause the batteries to wear out faster than if they were properly cared for.

 

[WithTheBirds]

If you had read a few threads you would find all the answers- your circumstances aren’t unique.

You can easily top off an almost full battery- turn it on before connecting to the charging power supply and it will force start the charging process.

As to draining batteries in your drone as suggested that is Unlikely to provide any measurable benefit. You might be roasting the boards in your Mavic though. Electronic component life is significantly reduced by operating at higher temperatures.

 

[old man mavic]

i have 5 batteries,and if i am out flying, and i know that i will not be flying again soon, i fly all 5 down to 50 per cent, this will give me around 16 mins flight time per battery, then the batteries are all at a safe storage level till the next time i want to fly.only charge them up if you plan to fly next day, and depending on what your plans are just charge up say two out of the four you have, if that will be enough flight time, you should also make sure you number them and use them in sequence

 

[deleted member 877]

There is plenty of advice out there that supports using the drone to discharge the battery back down to the recommended storage level - approximately 65%. The cooling fan will activate when necessary - you won't roast the circuit boards.

For those who don't want to spend the money to acquire 5 batteries it's totally OK to fly the drone until the batteries are at about 20%, but then make sure to charge them back up to the recommended storage level of 65% after the flying session.

 

[WithTheBirds]

There is plenty of advice out there that supports using the drone to discharge the battery back down to the recommended storage level - approximately 65%. The cooling fan will activate when necessary - you won't roast the circuit boards.

For those who don't want to spend the money to acquire 5 batteries it's totally OK to fly the drone until the batteries are at about 20%, but then make sure to charge the them back up to the recommended storage level of 65% after the flying session.

40% is a better storage SOC for LiION chemistry than 65%. 65% will give some safety margin for power drain from the SOC (yes the batteries do use some power to monitor the cells even when off) and self discharge for people who rarely check on their packs.

If you come home with a pack at 20% and will be flying within a week or so leave it without fear. Bringing it up to 65% is wasted effort for no benefit.

If you really feel the inclination to discharge packs before the auto discharge function kicks in the USB power adaptor that will let you power/charge another device with the battery is probably a much better option or hover the drone rather than sit idle. Im not saying you should expect your drone to fail while used as a discharger however you should have an expectation that the service life is being impacted. Electronics do have a shorter lifespan when run at elevated temperatures. That is well established fact.

 

[msinger]

Do I charge all 3 up when I return home - not knowing when I’ll be flying again?

If you're definitely going to fly again in within the next several days, you can keep them as-is. If you don't know when you're going to fly again, charge them up until the 3rd battery light starts blinking. That will put them all at about the level where they auto discharge down to.

And what about the 4th? I’ve noticed if it’s fully charged and I try to charge it 24hrs later it won’t charge.

You can let the 4th auto discharge down to the storage level.

In the future, it would be best to only charge the batteries you plan on using. If you're not sure how many batteries you're going to use each time, then rotate the batteries so the unused battery is not always the same battery.

what’s the best advice for battery care when you don’t fly for 1-2 weeks?

Follow the these tips:
HOW TO: Maintain and store your DJI Mavic batteries

 

[deleted member 877]

40% is a better storage SOC for LiION chemistry than 65%. 65% will give some safety margin for power drain from the SOC (yes the batteries do use some power to monitor the cells even when off) and self discharge for people who rarely check on their packs.

If you come home with a pack at 20% and will be flying within a week or so leave it without fear. Bringing it up to 65% is wasted effort for no benefit.

If you really feel the inclination to discharge packs before the auto discharge function kicks in the USB power adaptor that will let you power/charge another device with the battery is probably a much better option or hover the drone rather than sit idle. Im not saying you should expect your drone to fail while used as a discharger however you should have an expectation that the service life is being impacted. Electronics do have a shorter lifespan when run at elevated temperatures. That is well established fact.

There is a lot of content already on this forum to dispute what you're suggesting and, to repeat what was previously mentioned, the cooling fan on the drone (when idle) is there for a reason - to prevent elevated temperatures.

And BTW the O.P. is referring to the Mavic 2 which uses LIPO - not LiION batteries.

Battery Care - OK to keep on charger?

Hi, I have a question regarding battery care which I would like to have some inputs on. Being a Dad of three with limited time to go and fly I often plan to get some flight time so charge up the batteries only to find the trip cancelled due to family, weather, etc. This then results in the...

mavicpilots.com

 

[DJI DelBoy]

If you're definitely going to fly again in within the next several days, you can keep them as-is. If you don't know when you're going to fly again, charge them up until the 3rd battery light starts blinking. That will put them all at about the level where they auto discharge down to.


You can let the 4th auto discharge down to the storage level.

In the future, it would be best to only charge the batteries you plan on using. If you're not sure how many batteries you're going to use each time, then rotate the batteries so the unused battery is not always the same battery.


Follow the these tips:
HOW TO: Maintain and store your DJI Mavic batteries

Thanks Msinger. I can always count on sound advice whenever you’re around. How do I charge up till the 3rd blinking light without having to keep an eye on things? It would be pretty time consuming having to keep an eye on 4 batteries each reaching the 3rd blinking light stage.

 

[DJI DelBoy]

Also, what discharge option would you guys recommend? Or should I not use it? (Sorry, I’m not near my Mavic 2 at the moment so I’m not sure if it’s possible to completely turn off the discharge option)

 

[DJI DelBoy]

40% is a better storage SOC for LiION chemistry than 65%. 65% will give some safety margin for power drain from the SOC (yes the batteries do use some power to monitor the cells even when off) and self discharge for people who rarely check on their packs.

If you come home with a pack at 20% and will be flying within a week or so leave it without fear. Bringing it up to 65% is wasted effort for no benefit.

If you really feel the inclination to discharge packs before the auto discharge function kicks in the USB power adaptor that will let you power/charge another device with the battery is probably a much better option or hover the drone rather than sit idle. Im not saying you should expect your drone to fail while used as a discharger however you should have an expectation that the service life is being impacted. Electronics do have a shorter lifespan when run at elevated temperatures. That is well established fact.

Won’t the motors wear out faster if you have it flying to discharge as opposed to it sitting on the ground/table idling with its internal fan on??

 

[DJI DelBoy]

If you had read a few threads you would find all the answers- your circumstances aren’t unique.

You can easily top off an almost full battery- turn it on before connecting to the charging power supply and it will force start the charging process.

As to draining batteries in your drone as suggested that is Unlikely to provide any measurable benefit. You might be roasting the boards in your Mavic though. Electronic component life is significantly reduced by operating at higher temperatures.

People say different things in different threads. I haven’t read every single one otherwise I’d be stuck on my phone most of the time. Some members speak like experts but at the end of the day it’s hard to tell who is giving the right advice. I tend to go with the advice that the majority agree on.

 

[old man mavic]

battery care is a big part of drone ownership,because of the nature of the type used in drones,they do pack a considerable punch for their size and can be very dangerous if not given,the respect they need ,if they are damaged somehow from say a crash or are punctured they can explode and cause a fire ,under normal use they do not pose any issues,you just need to be aware of what those issues are, very hot or very cold conditions are the biggest killers of the chemistry used in lipos

 

[msinger]

How do I charge up till the 3rd blinking light without having to keep an eye on things?

You could use the RCGEEK Mavic 2 battery charger. It has a switch on the side that allows you to choose to charge the batteries to 100% or 65%. The 65% setting is what you'd want to use to get the batteries back up to the proper storage level.

 

[DJI DelBoy]

You could use the RCGEEK Mavic 2 battery charger. It has a switch on the side that allows you to choose to charge the batteries to 100% or 65%. The 65% setting is what you'd want to use to get the batteries back up to the proper storage level.


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Thanks but it’s not available in the UK unfortunately. The US version probably won’t work because of it being 120v whereas the UK uses 240v . Any other solutions?

 

[msinger]

Any other solutions?

Not that I know of.

 

[WithTheBirds]

There is a lot of content already on this forum to dispute what you're suggesting and, to repeat what was previously mentioned, the cooling fan on the drone (when idle) is there for a reason - to prevent elevated temperatures.

And BTW the O.P. is referring to the Mavic 2 which uses LIPO - not LiION batteries.

Battery Care - OK to keep on charger?

Hi, I have a question regarding battery care which I would like to have some inputs on. Being a Dad of three with limited time to go and fly I often plan to get some flight time so charge up the batteries only to find the trip cancelled due to family, weather, etc. This then results in the...

mavicpilots.com

LiPO is LiION chemistry- it employs soft pouch packaging rather than a rigid enclosure however a LiPO is a LiION battery.

All the mavics use HV LiPO cells.

Dispute what?

Ideal storage level is 40%? Read some of the cell manufacturers literature for LiPO- they should know. 65% recommendation could be considered a healthy safety margin to allow for self discharge during extended periods of storage.

As to the electronics issue- you may like to familiarise yourself with the application of Arrhenius equation to predicting the effect of temp on service life of semiconductors. 10degC increase in operating temperature = 1/2 lifespan. The effect is more pronounced on other components, particularly electrolytic capacitors. Do what you like however my interest in in maximising the chance that my DJI toys will have maximum reliability in flight. I won't be using them as discharge devices unless flying.

 

[WithTheBirds]

Won’t the motors wear out faster if you have it flying to discharge as opposed to it sitting on the ground/table idling with its internal fan on??

You will struggle to find threads on worn out motors.

 

[parkgt]

It is inadvisable to make a habit of using the auto-discharge capability. With the fourth fully charged battery - just leave it in the switched on drone and let it discharge to approximately 65% which is the best level for storage.

Charge the batteries to 100% on the day or day before flying - don't let them sit around at full charge. Doing so will ultimately cause the batteries to wear out faster than if they were properly cared for.

What voltage is 65%?

 

[parkgt]

40% is a better storage SOC for LiION chemistry than 65%. 65% will give some safety margin for power drain from the SOC (yes the batteries do use some power to monitor the cells even when off) and self discharge for people who rarely check on their packs.

If you come home with a pack at 20% and will be flying within a week or so leave it without fear. Bringing it up to 65% is wasted effort for no benefit.

If you really feel the inclination to discharge packs before the auto discharge function kicks in the USB power adaptor that will let you power/charge another device with the battery is probably a much better option or hover the drone rather than sit idle. Im not saying you should expect your drone to fail while used as a discharger however you should have an expectation that the service life is being impacted. Electronics do have a shorter lifespan when run at elevated temperatures. That is well established fact.

What voltage is 40% on these batteries?