BATTERY CHARGING AND STORAGE

[E90RAW]

Is anyone using LiPo storage bags when charging or storing their batteries? Is this necessary with DJI batts? I have been cavalier and just leaving them on the shelf when I charge them and in a carrying case for storage, but as I read about LiPo batts I am wondering if this is crazy. What are people doing out there.

 

[old man mavic]

the only time you will get issues with lipos if if they are mishandled or stored incorrectly
the main things to be aware of, are they are at their most potent, with regards to when they are being charged or allowed to get to hot when fully charged
thats why you should not leave them unattended during charging ,or allow them to become very hot such as in a vehicle in direct sunlight,
i keep mine in my storage cases when not in use and check them once a week if i am not flying for a long period,
if you see one that has started to swell then thats the time to get it out side, away from pets and children, as it means the chemical reaction going on in the battery has become unstable

 

[Aussiemike]

Been studying up on litium batteries recently and have been told they should not be kept at full charge.
I took them out of the charger and found having them loose in the bag was not the ideal storage. I was also informed not to keep them in the charger either.
So I put them back in the multiple charger but did not push them home. What I did was layed a toothpick across the top of the batteries just in front of the terminals for charging. They fitted perfectly and where held firmly. I then push the test light button and not lights came on so there was not connection.
Would someone more electrically educated then myself care to comment. Maybe DJI might come in here as the could build the charger in such a way that they would not be connected if needed.
Cheers Mike

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Maybe DJI might come in here as the could build the charger in such a way that they would not be connected if needed.

I'm pretty sure all or most DJI batteries might have the same characteristics of my M1P and Spark intelligent batteries.
Now I don't do this (leave them connected to the charger), but I believe once they are charged and the light goes out, the charger won't keep them topped up, if they have auto discharge, they will still do this after 10 days or whatever they might be set to auto discharge at (some models).

To make them charge again, you need to turn off the charger at the power point (mains) and on again, or take the battery off the port and replace it into the charger again.
It will then recharge a battery.
Note: if you have a 12v vehicle charger with batteries connected, restarting a vehicle would probably activate the charge cycle again.

I personally don't think DJI batteries give pilots here much grief.
It's mostly lipos used for FPV drones, as they are not so well made (in the intelligent fashion) as DJI makes theirs, their chargers can be a lot more damaging if not monitored / run correctly, and they get a lot more hammering in flight to extremes.
As heat plays a major part in lipo life and stability, those type of lipo packs do seem to have the majority of cases of 'thermal runaway' causing lipo fires.

All my batteries (6 for M1P, 5 for Spark) are up to 4-1/2 years old, no swelling, still get around same flight times as original.
I charge mine night before (or morning before) flights, usually land with 20% or so remaining, charge them up to 2 bars solid (or let them discharge to 50% automatically if not used that flight), and just store them in their own compartments in their respective drone bags.
I keep them cool at home or travelling by vehicle (air cond cabin), and we don't usually go touring in the heat of summer here, which could be a problem if left in a vehicle cabin for hours etc.

Lipos are also very susceptible to catching fire from damage, you put a screwdriver through one and it'll probably go up.
Plenty of YT vids showing this, and again usually tested on lipo packs for FPV, more easily damaged like this.
DJI hard case is very good protection, but a crash might see damage like a cracked case, or shattered hole in a case causing a fire.

Our drone batteries are more comparable to how you treat your laptop lipo, or phone lipo (whoops, of course plenty of iphones have combusted in peoples pockets in recent years !!)

 

[Aussiemike]

I'm pretty sure all or most DJI batteries might have the same characteristics of my M1P and Spark intelligent batteries.
Now I don't do this (leave them connected to the charger), but I believe once they are charged and the light goes out, the charger won't keep them topped up, if they have auto discharge, they will still do this after 10 days or whatever they might be set to auto discharge at (some models).

To make them charge again, you need to turn off the charger at the power point (mains) and on again, or take the battery off the port and replace it into the charger again.
It will then recharge a battery.
Note: if you have a 12v vehicle charger with batteries connected, restarting a vehicle would probably activate the charge cycle again.

I personally don't think DJI batteries give pilots here much grief.
It's mostly lipos used for FPV drones, as they are not so well made (in the intelligent fashion) as DJI makes theirs, their chargers can be a lot more damaging if not monitored / run correctly, and they get a lot more hammering in flight to extremes.
As heat plays a major part in lipo life and stability, those type of lipo packs do seem to have the majority of cases of 'thermal runaway' causing lipo fires.

All my batteries (6 for M1P, 5 for Spark) are up to 4-1/2 years old, no swelling, still get around same flight times as original.
I charge mine night before (or morning before) flights, usually land with 20% or so remaining, charge them up to 2 bars solid (or let them discharge to 50% automatically if not used that flight), and just store them in their own compartments in their respective drone bags.
I keep them cool at home or travelling by vehicle (air cond cabin), and we don't usually go touring in the heat of summer here, which could be a problem if left in a vehicle cabin for hours etc.

Lipos are also very susceptible to catching fire from damage, you put a screwdriver through one and it'll probably go up.
Plenty of YT vids showing this, and again usually tested on lipo packs for FPV, more easily damaged like this.
DJI hard case is very good protection, but a crash might see damage like a cracked case, or shattered hole in a case causing a fire.

Our drone batteries are more comparable to how you treat your laptop lipo, or phone lipo (whoops, of course plenty of iphones have combusted in peoples pockets in recent years !!)

Thanks for the reply but my subject matter was really being able to use the charger as a storage space without any connectivity with the charger current/drain. By putting the toothpick in there I was a little worried if there would be sufficient isolation from the charger circuitry itself.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Thanks for the reply but my subject matter was really being able to use the charger as a storage space without any connectivity with the charger current/drain. By putting the toothpick in there I was a little worried if there would be sufficient isolation from the charger circuitry itself.

Yes, if the power source needs a power reboot to start charging again, or the batteries need to be refitted to the charger to do the same . . . you can probably leave them on there all the time, no toothpick.
Mind you, if the power goes off at the grid and comes back on, that will also start the recharge, so probably having the toothpick there works to cover that.

Personally, I feel just leaving them in the drone bag / lipo bag etc after a flight outing is simpler.
Take out to recharge a few hours before next flight.

 

[Aussiemike]

Just find the drone bag gets a little cluttered. Was only a space saving issue so as to not have loose batteries flopping around in the bag. aS THE CHARGER IS AN IDEAL STORAGE SPACE THOUGHT IT EASIER TO KEEP IN THERE. jUST TRYING TO AVOID HAVING THEM IN THE CHARGER CONNECTED TO THE INTERNAL CIRCUITRY . hENCE THE TOOTHPICK.