Changed all my 3 batteries to “2 days”

[GadgetGuy]

It’s difficult to know how much this really matters there’s so many divergent opinions.

That’s pretty much what I do. Is there any actual data about how much this really affects the battery life? I mean like testing data not just Internet wisdom?

I haven'y seen any degradation by doing so. All my older batteries (even older P3P packs) are still fully functional, and only show a 10-20% reduction in original flight time after 50-100 charge cycles. Our own anecdotal data is good enough for me. I've never yet had to replace battery because it's useful life was exceeded. I only buy new ones when the flight times become unacceptably short for my use, even though the batteries are still perfectly usable for shorter flights.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

I haven'y seen any degradation by doing so. All my older batteries (even older P3P packs) are still fully functional, and only show a 10-20% reduction in original flight time after 50-100 charge cycles. Our own anecdotal data is good enough for me. I've never yet had to replace battery because it's useful life was exceeded. I only buy new ones when the flight times become unacceptably short for my use, even though the batteries are still perfectly usable for shorter flights.

That’s been my experience as well. I have a phantom four from 2016 and the batteries still charged 100% and they've got decent flight times.
All I’ve really done is charge them and use them as much as you described.
But the So-called experts make it sound like you need some kind of complicated procedure which quite frankly I just wouldn’t follow.
Another thing I do is I have all my batteries numbered and use them in rotation.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

BU-808: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries

BU meta description needed...

batteryuniversity.com

Interesting it seems keeping Them in the refrigerator is the best plan.

 

[new2mavic]

After flying I will charge the battery to 50% and leave it like that before charging it to full the night before the next flying day.

 

[GadgetGuy]

That’s been my experience as well. I have a phantom four from 2016 and the batteries still charged 100% and they've got decent flight times.
All I’ve really done is charge them and use them as much as you described.
But the So-called experts make it sound like you need some kind of complicated procedure which quite frankly I just wouldn’t follow.
Another thing I do is I have all my batteries numbered and use them in rotation.

Same here! The so-called experts are completely obsessed over battery care, rather than capturing aerial images and video, and don't take into consideration that the batteries, regardless of condition, have little or no value when the aircraft they specifically are designed for becomes obsolete, and is replaced with a newer model, which requires new and different batteries. In the DJI world, this happens at least every other year, if not annually. As long as the batteries last throughout the useful life of the drone, any other prolongation, at the expense of missing photo opportunities, is overkill.

 

[GadgetGuy]

After flying I will charge the battery to 50% and leave it like that before charging it to full the night before the next flying day.

Photo opportunities are often spontaneous and can't always be planned for. A gun without ammunition in the chamber Is of no use for self defense. A drone with a battery that needs 3 hours notice to charge can't be flown. You can't take a photo unless the camera is with you, and has a useable battery. I go by the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared! Each to their own, though!

 

[new2mavic]

Photo opportunities are often spontaneous and can't always be planned for. A gun without ammunition in the chamber Is of no use for self defense. A drone with a battery that needs 3 hours notice to charge can't be flown. You can't take a photo unless the camera is with you, and has a useable battery. I go by the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared! Each to their own, though!

For me taking aerial photos is always a planned thing because I have a lot of other things to do, many are more important. I am sure the same goes for many people.

 

[gnirtS]

As a compromise thing i generally keep 1 battery charged and allow the others to self-discharge (and alternate these).

For me the best images come from unplanned flights when something unexpected happens, the light suddenly becomes amazing and so on.
Planned drone-days are often a major let done due to weather conditions or similar!

 

[GadgetGuy]

As a compromise thing i generally keep 1 battery charged and allow the others to self-discharge (and alternate these).

For me the best images come from unplanned flights when something unexpected happens, the light suddenly becomes amazing and so on.
Planned drone-days are often a major let done due to weather conditions or similar!

Exactly! I carry my 4 battery kit with me whenever I leave the house for any reason, in case a photo/video opportunity presents itself on the way home, and if there is still light, I want to be able to fly multiple batteries from multiple locations along the way, or beyond! My other 8 M2 batteries at home can discharge, until they are in the active rotation. The kit needs four fully charged batteries at all times! That's about the power limit of the RC and my iPad anyway.

 

[mraroid]

I just received my first drone, the Mavic Mini. I charged up all three of my batteries on day one (it took several hours). I found nothing in the paperwork on how to discharge the batteries. Did I miss something? Could someone post a message on how to properly discharge the batteries? Thanks so much.

mraroid

 

[GadgetGuy]

I just received my first drone, the Mavic Mini. I charged up all three of my batteries on day one (it took several hours). I found nothing in the paperwork on how to discharge the batteries. Did I miss something? Could someone post a message on how to properly discharge the batteries? Thanks so much.

mraroid

Fly them! That's the quickest way, and their sole purpose. However, if you don't fly them, they Auto-Discharge, at the end of the set period for auto-discharge, to a storage level over a couple of days. No worries.

 

[mraroid]

Thank you for the help GadgetGuy.... So if I understand you correctly, if I charge up all three batteries on day one, two or three days later, the batteries will auto discharge on there own?

I am going to fly in a few hours. I charged up all three batteries three days ago. I guess I will charge them again today and then go fly.

Should I not charge up all three batteries if I am unsure when I am going to fly next? Perhaps it is better to charge my batteries the day or night before? In an ideal world, do I want to keep my batteries about 1/2 way charged?

Thanks again for helping me. I am new to drones and the proper care of the Mavic Mini batteries. I bought the Fly More kit, so I have the charger and batteries that came in the kit.

mraroid

 

[GadgetGuy]

Thank you for the help GadgetGuy.... So if I understand you correctly, if I charge up all three batteries on day one, two or three days later, the batteries will auto discharge on there own?

I am going to fly in a few hours. I charged up all three batteries three days ago. I guess I will charge them again today and then go fly.

Should I not charge up all three batteries if I am unsure when I am going to fly next? Perhaps it is better to charge my batteries the day or night before? In an ideal world, do I want to keep my batteries about 1/2 way charged?

Thanks again for helping me. I am new to drones and the proper care of the Mavic Mini batteries. I bought the Fly More kit, so I have the charger and batteries that came in the kit.

mraroid

Correct. If you can plan your flights the day before, best practice is to charge up fully the night before, or immediately before flight, to recover from a storage state. Always charge up your batteries after use, after first letting them cool down, as leaving them at less than 50% charge will degrade them, especially at 25% or below, which would be a normal landing percentage. Happy flying!

 

[mraroid]

Thank you GadgetGuy. I will follow your advice re the batteries. Good to know.
mraroid

 

[Christianpeso]

Fly them! That's the quickest way, and their sole purpose. However, if you don't fly them, they Auto-Discharge, at the end of the set period for auto-discharge, to a storage level over a couple of days. No worries.

Mavic Mini batteries do not auto-discharge.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Mavic Mini batteries do not auto-discharge.

Somehow, I doubt that. Why would DJI remove that feature?

 

[mraroid]

My three mostly new Mavic Mini batteries (about a month old) still show 100% charge after more then 2 weeks. Bad weather in my area restricts my flying.

What is the proper way to take care of my batteries?

And what about the battery in the controller?

Thanks so much.

mraroid

 

[DanMan32]

Somehow, I doubt that. Why would DJI remove that feature?

Then you would be doubting the downloadable DJI manual for the Mini. Manual says avoid leaving the battery fully charged for more than 10 days, and states it does not automatically discharge.

However the MM batteries are metal can LiIon as opposed to LiPos. Li-ions are more resilient.

In general don't keep lipos fully charged and in warm environments such as trunk of a car. It's the combination that probably does them in.

Last summer there were a rash of M2 batteries that showed signs of swelling. Three of mine did to various degrees. The charge capacity appeared unaffected on any of them but they couldn't be trusted to stay fully latched.

 

[DanMan32]

The controller batteries have the same general concerns that exists for any LiPo/Li-Ion, but the power demand on them is way less than what the AC demands.

Two ways you can discharge the MM batteries: fly or idle the MM down to about 60%
Use the hub as a power bank to charge your phone/tablet. Note though that the hub will completely discharge one battery before moving on to the next so only have one installed at a time.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Then you would be doubting the downloadable DJI manual for the Mini. Manual says avoid leaving the battery fully charged for more than 10 days, and states it does not automatically discharge.

However the MM batteries are metal can LiIon as opposed to LiPos. Li-ions are more resilient.

In general don't keep lipos fully charged and in warm environments such as trunk of a car. It's the combination that probably does them in.

Last summer there were a rash of M2 batteries that showed signs of swelling. Three of mine did to various degrees. The charge capacity appeared unaffected on any of them but they couldn't be trusted to stay fully latched.

Thank you for the correction. My bad. Didn't realize DJI had switched from LiPos to Li-ion on the Mini. Don't own a Mini yet. Li-ion are what is used in all the DJI RC's, and obviously do not auto discharge, and can be left fully charged without major issues. I haven't seen any issues on any of my now four year old RC's, which I let bleed off on their own to 50% and then top off.

I, too, have now seen M2 battery swelling, which affects the latching, and only gets worse during use, as the internal temperature rises further!