Broken Battery Question

[FLDave]

It is unsafe to use; it is broken.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

Maybe he could someone else's dead battery and use the shell off of it.

 

[Felix le Chat]

I have no idea how, but a couple separator tabs on the battery broke. I flew the drone and the ap reports a normal state. I just need someone who is not guessing to comment. If the wire leads normally held apart is there any risk being close together or even if they touch each other. Or, are those tabs simply providing support for a good contact. The battery has 6 cycles so I hate to toss it.

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I could likely plastic weld something but if the only job of the tab is to hold it in place for connectivity, then I am fine with it as is.

I can offer some insight having recently replaced a 2-cell lipo battery pack in a controller. Pins 1-4 should be "live". Pins 5-8 should be "neutral", the remaining pins should be for battery balancing. There is a very high likelihood that they will be opposite polarities which would create a short. To be honest, if this belonged to me: I'd send these shots to DJI and request a replacement for a faulty product. These batteries are at best an incendiary device waiting for an excuse to go off. What I do know from personal experience is that this plastic is a pain in the arse to repair, especially when a repaired section is constantly placed under stress.

 

[LoudThunder]

The battery has 6 cycles so I hate to toss it. I could likely plastic weld something but if the only job of the tab is to hold it in place for connectivity, then I am fine with it as is.

I read your initial question and immediately wondered why with a battery that has only had 6-cycles would you not be asking about the manufacturer's warranty and be thinking about that first and foremost.

Then I saw the good sound advice that many of our most experienced flyers offered and you do not seem to want it, is it because no one thinks your DIY "repair" is a smart and safe thing to do…

But don't let it bother you that neither degree is in electronics or anything else remotely related…

You want an educated reply, so here it is, I am very well educated with two advanced degrees and I say go for it, you might be the next "Edison" or "Tesla" and your battery may very well be able to send electricity out to the world without wires…

That is the best advice you will receive here and you can take that to the bank: the First Republic Bank, San Francisco, CA; or the Signature Bank, New York, NY; or the Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, CA…

Never mind the fact that every one of these bank have gone belly-up in the last few months…

 

[Cafguy]

Maybe he could someone else's dead battery and use the shell off of it.

I could find way much better uses of my time than actually doing that. It was just a plausible suggestion but I wouldn't try to do it! I haven't the eyes nor the patience nor the skill to pull it off

 

[Walleye Hunter]

I could find way much better uses of my time than actually doing that. It was just a plausible suggestion but I wouldn't try to do it! I haven't the eyes nor the patience nor the skill to pull it off

Now here's the part that I don't understand. OP asked for input from people who knew and were experienced and IMO, is rightfully perturbed that he received a lot of 'insight' from people who weren't knowledgeable and experienced. I am somewhat of a 'fiddler', I like to fiddle with things, see how they work and maybe even fix them if I can. Particularly when something is otherwise dead and not a loss if mutilated. Much of that 'fiddling' would be considered a waste of time to other people but it is my time and whether or not it is wasted in strictly on me. OTOH, I will concede that you merely indicated that you wouldn't do it because you have better things to do with your time, you did not suggest that the OP has better things to do and that he shouldn't do it.

 

[a2tomm]

Since you called this DIY nonsense, do you have some training or a real understanding of what you’re saying?

Sounds like a NO brainer ,folks are using common since ,go with that !

 

[bcfd29]

I have no idea how, but a couple separator tabs on the battery broke. I flew the drone and the ap reports a normal state. I just need someone who is not guessing to comment. If the wire leads normally held apart is there any risk being close together or even if they touch each other. Or, are those tabs simply providing support for a good contact. The battery has 6 cycles so I hate to toss it.

View attachment 163633View attachment 163634

I could likely plastic weld something but if the only job of the tab is to hold it in place for connectivity, then I am fine with it as is.

ANY DAMAGED BATTERY IS UNSAFE!! DO NOT CHARGE OR USE IT...

 

[offtheback]

I have no idea how, but a couple separator tabs on the battery broke. I flew the drone and the ap reports a normal state. I just need someone who is not guessing to comment. If the wire leads normally held apart is there any risk being close together or even if they touch each other. Or, are those tabs simply providing support for a good contact. The battery has 6 cycles so I hate to toss it.

View attachment 163633View attachment 163634

I could likely plastic weld something but if the only job of the tab is to hold it in place for connectivity, then I am fine with it as is.

For a $150 battery not worth this discussion any longer.Replace it.Yours Truly,Expert.

 

[Cafguy]

Now here's the part that I don't understand. OP asked for input from people who knew and were experienced and IMO, is rightfully perturbed that he received a lot of 'insight' from people who weren't knowledgeable and experienced. I am somewhat of a 'fiddler', I like to fiddle with things, see how they work and maybe even fix them if I can. Particularly when something is otherwise dead and not a loss if mutilated. Much of that 'fiddling' would be considered a waste of time to other people but it is my time and whether or not it is wasted in strictly on me. OTOH, I will concede that you merely indicated that you wouldn't do it because you have better things to do with your time, you did not suggest that the OP has better things to do and that he shouldn't do it.

I am just pointing out the fact that what the OP is suggesting is pretty much the same as saying Why buy a new engine block when I can simply cast one myself. I do not wish to say it can't be done Im just saying the time and the result ( a battery you will still have to wonder about) is simply not worth it. If the OP would like to try it- By all means give it a shot.
BUT remember: You are a drone pilot and it is YOUR responsibility to make sure others around you are kept as safe as possible from your activities. Flying with a D.I.Y. repaired battery does NOT pass the checklist for safe flying. Repair it, use it to charge your phone or tablets as another has said, but never fly with it again. To use that battery in flight is simply irresponsible. Also I do not know if the OP is a commercial operator or not, but if so, your insurance company just might have a huge bit of bad news for you when it comes time too pay any damages from a crash not to mention the fine you will receive for operating an unsafe aircraft when the battery connections you fixed fail. buying another battery negates all of this.

 

[HeadShake]

I could find way much better uses of my time than actually doing that. It was just a plausible suggestion but I wouldn't try to do it! I haven't the eyes nor the patience nor the skill to pull it off

I read your initial question and immediately wondered why with a battery that has only had 6-cycles would you not be asking about the manufacturer's warranty and be thinking about that first and foremost.

Then I saw the good sound advice that many of our most experienced flyers offered and you do not seem to want it, is it because no one thinks your DIY "repair" is a smart and safe thing to do…

But don't let it bother you that neither degree is in electronics or anything else remotely related…

You want an educated reply, so here it is, I am very well educated with two advanced degrees and I say go for it, you might be the next "Edison" or "Tesla" and your battery may very well be able to send electricity out to the world without wires…

That is the best advice you will receive here and you can take that to the bank: the First Republic Bank, San Francisco, CA; or the Signature Bank, New York, NY; or the Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, CA…

Never mind the fact that every one of these bank have gone belly-up in the last few months…

Congratulations on your degrees. I also have two advanced degrees, one in business, and the other computer information systems specializing in network security. By the way, phi theta kappa in both degrees. How did you do? Squeaked by?

Really, I get all of the use common sense responses. But let me assure you that I am not participating in this forum to be available for anybody’s BS. I asked a specific technical question. Your best effort was to be condescending. A person with two advanced degrees should have no difficulty comprehending a simple question such as the one I posted. But go ahead, use all of the weight of those 2° and swing it around as though it’s some sort of hammer that allows you to be condescending to somebody in the meantime, demonstrating no technical understanding whatsoever. How is that impressive at all? Don’t answer, that was rhetorical. The only impressive people have been the people who actually responded to the question.

This is turned into a two page thread, only because I have refused to accept joining the club who says just use common sense. And I won’t conform. I am interested in learning and understanding. This thread is in no way the technical thread it was meant to be. It’s just two pages polluted with people trying to force their conformity. Totally ridiculous.

I showed this thread to a friend of mine, and just so you know, Mr. loud thunder, this guy is a doctor so a lot more educated than you since that’s what’s important to you, first, his eyes got big, then he looked at me and we both burst out laughing.

So for anybody who’s reading this, your high degree of passion has been appreciated. I’m sorry for you, that your curiosity level seems muted. I know this forum is full of brilliant minds who love to learn, and are inspired by learning. I just needed one of those minds. And one of those minds has sent me a private message, and generously offered to teach me what I need to understand.

 

[HeadShake]

I am just pointing out the fact that what the OP is suggesting is pretty much the same as saying Why buy a new engine block when I can simply cast one myself. I do not wish to say it can't be done Im just saying the time and the result ( a battery you will still have to wonder about) is simply not worth it. If the OP would like to try it- By all means give it a shot.
BUT remember: You are a drone pilot and it is YOUR responsibility to make sure others around you are kept as safe as possible from your activities. Flying with a D.I.Y. repaired battery does NOT pass the checklist for safe flying. Repair it, use it to charge your phone or tablets as another has said, but never fly with it again. To use that battery in flight is simply irresponsible. Also I do not know if the OP is a commercial operator or not, but if so, your insurance company just might have a huge bit of bad news for you when it comes time too pay any damages from a crash not to mention the fine you will receive for operating an unsafe aircraft when the battery connections you fixed fail. buying another battery negates all of this.

I think all of that was implied, no? The guy is right, anybody who asks a question deserves a response from somebody who chooses to respond to the question. He seems to be the one who understands the source of frustration. He did not suggest that I or anybody else do anything unsafe. As a matter of fact, that very thing was addressed immediately in this thread. I’m stepping out now because all I can do is shake my head. Who said anything about doing anything Unsafe? It was a simple question that asked for a simple response from somebody educated. Everybody got their panties in a knot , because they need their voices to be heard. Let’s be honest shall we, nobody here cares at all about me, or even each other. 0%. All the people that have posted in this thread care about is trying to sound like some mightier than thou source.

 

[HeadShake]

I can offer some insight having recently replaced a 2-cell lipo battery pack in a controller. Pins 1-4 should be "live". Pins 5-8 should be "neutral", the remaining pins should be for battery balancing. There is a very high likelihood that they will be opposite polarities which would create a short. To be honest, if this belonged to me: I'd send these shots to DJI and request a replacement for a faulty product. These batteries are at best an incendiary device waiting for an excuse to go off. What I do know from personal experience is that this plastic is a pain in the arse to repair, especially when a repaired section is constantly placed under stress.

Thank you very much, this is incredibly helpful and I truly appreciate it. This is a Mavic 2 pro battery. Does pin one start on the left do you happen to know?
If they are opposite polarities, that is a problem.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to find reasons to use this battery when I say this. What is impossible to see in the photographs is that the section of the broken plastic is literally gone only at the very tip of the leads. They have 100% thickness, and therefore exactly the same Contact support as every other pin along the battery.

Again, I appreciate you sharing your experience… That was awesome!

 

[Dave Maine]

To completely understand the risks, you need to know what the contacts on either side of the damaged areas are doing. If they are power connectors, a shorted electrical connection will create a serious lithium fire, as the battery melts. If they are signal connections for either monitoring the battery level in flight, or charging the battery safely, the results are quite unpredictable. These batteries have microcontrollers monitoring all the aspects of battery operation. Feeding these minicomputers with either wrong or missing data or worse, intermittent data is really asking for trouble, both for the drone, and anybody property below or nearby, in the case of charging malfunctions.

 

[Cafguy]

I have given the best possible answer, Might I just give you a bit of friendly advice: Name calling and being suspicious of those trying to help you are not good ways of getting the advise you seek. No I do not know you and you might be misunderstood in the way you are seeking information. So perhaps your question is best asked in a forum that has more to do with electronics and battery repair . If you ask a bunch of drone pilots what to do. WELL these are the answers you are going to get. You want it simple plain and to the point here you go ----Making that repair is a WASTE OF YOUR TIME and no good will come from it , You will save almost nothing and you will end up with a battery you can never trust. ----If you want to "save your cells and use them elsewhere NO ONE has stated you couldn't and my advice to you is to seek out an electronics forum.
As far as degrees I too have a few. ( Physics, History, to name just a couple ) that does not make me any more an expert in your particular problem than the high school kid out there flying drones. I am pretty smart when it comes to drones and most of that "Smartness" comes from the people on this forum teaching me things I didn't even know I needed to know.
So there is your answer YES IT CAN BE USED AS A BATTERY If you use your fixed battery in your drone YOU WILL HURT OR INJURE SOMEBODY Thats it..... If you think I am being a little harsh I apologize, but for me the question has been answered a dozen times and I will exit the conversation to make way for "smarter" contributors who can give you a less humorous answer ( my apologies in advance to the Moderators ) on to the next query-------

 

[HeadShake]

To completely understand the risks, you need to know what the contacts on either side of the damaged areas are doing. If they are power connectors, a shorted electrical connection will create a serious lithium fire, as the battery melts. If they are signal connections for either monitoring the battery level in flight, or charging the battery safely, the results are quite unpredictable. These batteries have microcontrollers monitoring all the aspects of battery operation. Feeding these minicomputers with either wrong or missing data or worse, intermittent data is really asking for trouble, both for the drone, and anybody property below or nearby, in the case of charging malfunctions.

And that David, is perfectly said. Hense the question.

 

[HeadShake]

I have given the best possible answer, Might I just give you a bit of friendly advice: Name calling and being suspicious of those trying to help you are not good ways of getting the advise you seek. No I do not know you and you might be misunderstood in the way you are seeking information. So perhaps your question is best asked in a forum that has more to do with electronics and battery repair . If you ask a bunch of drone pilots what to do. WELL these are the answers you are going to get. You want it simple plain and to the point here you go ----Making that repair is a WASTE OF YOUR TIME and no good will come from it , You will save almost nothing and you will end up with a battery you can never trust. ----If you want to "save your cells and use them elsewhere NO ONE has stated you couldn't and my advice to you is to seek out an electronics forum.
As far as degrees I too have a few. ( Physics, History, to name just a couple ) that does not make me any more an expert in your particular problem than the high school kid out there flying drones. I am pretty smart when it comes to drones and most of that "Smartness" comes from the people on this forum teaching me things I didn't even know I needed to know.
So there is your answer YES IT CAN BE USED AS A BATTERY If you use your fixed battery in your drone YOU WILL HURT OR INJURE SOMEBODY Thats it..... If you think I am being a little harsh I apologize, but for me the question has been answered a dozen times and I will exit the conversation to make way for "smarter" contributors who can give you a less humorous answer ( my apologies in advance to the Moderators ) on to the next query-------

You sir are as level and accurate as they come. You are right, this is not a technical forum as it turns out, at least not to the degree that the expertise finds its way to a thread.

I regret the tone of the thread. I do-not recall being at the front of the obtuse turn but surely will not be satisfied as a brunt.

You fields of study are all interesting and i spiring. I would enjoy experiencing what you must after the study. My fields of study were dry by comparison. My career has been fascinating however.

To your point, I never considered for a second doing anything unsafe. I just examined the battery very closely and I could see that the intended purpose of these separators is partially creating contact with the pins in the drone. That function is 100% intact. Question is the pins. It’s not a dramatic query. This thread went sideways with the assumption that there would be unsafe behavior. That was never a reality. If you have never experienced the satisfaction of being able to clearly identify when people are trying to use you , at your expense to make themselves look, somehow superior… And then, refusing to give them that satisfaction, I hope you do get to experience it. It’s not about protecting your ego. I think you’re a smart guy, for example. I mean that sincerely. Chances are in someway just hearing or rather reading somebody saying that to you and genuinely extending you respect will feel nice. If somebody were to say to you that you are ridiculous, I hope that you, like me are not at affect and shove it back down thier throats. In this thread, people were not just expressing their opinion. They made attempt beyond just an opinion.

Again, I can see clearly you are a smart and very nice guy.

 

[SteveMouzon]

I have no idea how, but a couple separator tabs on the battery broke. I flew the drone and the ap reports a normal state. I just need someone who is not guessing to comment. If the wire leads normally held apart is there any risk being close together or even if they touch each other. Or, are those tabs simply providing support for a good contact. The battery has 6 cycles so I hate to toss it.

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I could likely plastic weld something but if the only job of the tab is to hold it in place for connectivity, then I am fine with it as is.

I've never experienced this firsthand, but there's quite a burden of evidence out there that damaged batteries can ignite like a blowtorch without warning and put property and even life at risk. There's no way I'd keep a damaged battery.

 

[Droning on and on...]

I think the point is; Mail the battery back in for repair.
Your DIY nonsense might very well cost you your drone. Thats the point, Im thinking..

Why the mean, hostile rhetoric? I went back and reread his two postings and he was polite, simply seeking help. Perhaps he's very ignorant about the subject, but that doesn't justify this sort denigrating response.

You owe this person an apology. Especially after the way you escalated in later posts.

@HeadShake, don't use this battery. The structure of the plastic around the contacts helps keep foreign objects from accidentally shorting the contacts, and now that risk is increased quite a bit.

Do not think you can count on your own careful handling... as the saying goes, sheet happens. A short can lead to explosion and fire.

So it's not about whether it will work or not... it's about safety.

 

[Droning on and on...]

If you have never experienced the satisfaction of being able to clearly identify when people are trying to use you , at your expense to make themselves look, somehow superior…

Which is what @OJsakila's first response sure looked like, and you were understable in taking umbrage. You asked a simple question in an unoffensive way.

You shouldn't have responded in kind, however, again and again. While I hesitate to get involved, I have because I think you were very poorly treated. Which explains your hostile responses, while not justifying them.