Does DJI know if I use a 3rd party bat charger?

[Mavic626]

Hi, I have a mavic with the Refresh care package. Reading the clauses of refresh it says it does not cover damage from 3rd party battery's or chargers. I want to get one of the cheap dc chargers, mainly to save space in my bag. Does anyone know if DJI can tell if I charge their battery with an aftermarket charger or the oem one? I don't want to void the warranty but I like other designs better.

 

[msinger]

Does anyone know if DJI can tell if I charge their battery with an aftermarket charger or the oem one?

DJI would not know this unless you told them.

 

[EsiMavic]

But if do it as the main charger I guess it will reflect how many times it was charge??

 

[msinger]

The battery tracks how many times it has been charged. It'll do that regardless of how you're charging it.

 

[EsiMavic]

I thought that the intelligent battery knows if it charge by the Dji supplied charger??

 

[msinger]

I thought that the intelligent battery knows if it charge by the Dji supplied charger??

Got more details you can share about that?

 

[EsiMavic]

No I'm just asking if MP's battery knows it is charged by Dji and doesn't count if it is charge by 3rd party charger

 

[msinger]

No I'm just asking if MP's battery knows it is charged by Dji and doesn't count if it is charge by 3rd party charger

Ah. Like I said, the battery doesn't know what kind of charger you're using.

 

[Mavic626]

I was looking at the pinouts of the oem batt charger and it looks like there are 4 negs and 4 positives. I dont see a signal wire so it looks like each batt cell is has its own contact.

I know phones know when you dont plug the oem charger in them so i was curious if DJI was that crafty, it seems like they know everything else that is going on with the craft lol! But it looks like i can use an aftermarket charger!

 

[Kilrah]

There are no data connections on the DJI chargers, so no communication or log.

The battery WILL however log any abmormal situations like if it shut down due to excessive charge current or voltage so hopefully your aftermarket charging solution of choice behaves correctly.

 

[Mister Lee]

The smart batteries ain't that smart I guess.

 

[Jenee]

Hi, I have a mavic with the Refresh care package. Reading the clauses of refresh it says it does not cover damage from 3rd party battery's or chargers. I want to get one of the cheap dc chargers, mainly to save space in my bag. Does anyone know if DJI can tell if I charge their battery with an aftermarket charger or the oem one? I don't want to void the warranty but I like other designs better.

I think the main thing you need to be careful of is that the charger has to not only charge but balance the cells as well. A very cheap charger may not do that. Not sure if you are familiar with charging lipos but they all have a charge plug and a balance lead and both are connected to ensure charging and balancing is done. The Mavic battery is different and I don't know whether it is the intelligence in the battery that ensures balancing and charging or whether there is also some intelligence in the charger.

 

[Lelantos]

I read somewhere that the batteries can get firmware updates, if true, then there is definitely a data connection.

 

[EsiMavic]

I read somewhere that the batteries can get firmware updates, if true, then there is definitely a data connection.

If there's an update on mavic It gets updated when it is used.

 

[mark_t]

I think the main thing you need to be careful of is that the charger has to not only charge but balance the cells as well. A very cheap charger may not do that. Not sure if you are familiar with charging lipos but they all have a charge plug and a balance lead and both are connected to ensure charging and balancing is done. The Mavic battery is different and I don't know whether it is the intelligence in the battery that ensures balancing and charging or whether there is also some intelligence in the charger.

Balancing is not a function of the charger with these smart battery packs, no need to worry about that.

 

[mark_t]

I read somewhere that the batteries can get firmware updates, if true, then there is definitely a data connection.

Yes, there is a data connection, but not to the charger...

The packs have a data connection to the aircraft and that is how it passes the information you see in the the Go 4 app relating to cycles, cell voltage etc. and how the firmware is updated.

The charger does not use that data connection nor does it even have the pins for it connected...

 

[Lelantos]

The charger does not use that data connection nor does it even have the pins for it connected...

Not implying that you are wrong, but how do you know?

 

[mark_t]

Not implying that you are wrong, but how do you know?

Look on the back of your Mavic charger, there is a little pinout diagram showing the positive and negative pins (2-9) and pins 1 & 10, the data pins are shown as 'NC' which is 'not connected'.

 

[Kilrah]

I have cut my charger cable to either use the battery to power other stuff or to charge it differently and there is nothing besides the 2 power wires.

The data connection is used on the aircraft and on the charging hub but not on the charger.