Extremely experienced pilot, lost my Mavic

[sar104]

I can't be completely certain that it was the battery (could have been some kind of short on another part of the Mavic) but I can 100% confirm that there was a sudden battery drain. Note that my Mavic was like new, very well maintained, in a salt-free area and had never been crashed before.

I haven't looked at the log yet (just the flight record) but I'll check it tomorrow.

I'll be interested to hear what the log says.

 

[NRRTRAINS]

sorry to here about your bad experience as we all know the feeling , you can build a RC plane for two years , put the best parts in it ,then on the first flight a $250 servo that everyone will say is the best goes south and you go into the ground motor first or dose the toilet bowl spin . you fly RC planes you know the best pilots crash every once and awhile ,don't blame your self s--- happens , the only way it dose not is if you don't fly .

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

Uh they were, at least on Amazon. Note that my friend might have used Amazon.ca, but that would surprise me.

I think you and/or your "friend" may have been confused and now are conflating US and CA dollars. Historical price charts show no increase in the OEM DJI batteries on either Amazon site for June.

At this point I will repeat my previews advice: Do not use non OEM batteries or props in DJI products. You're asking for trouble, as your experience clearly illustrates.

Please understand I'm not "telling you how to fly", but I'm telling you to be prepared to accept the consequences if you use a knock-off battery and fly WELL beyond VLOS.

 

[MiniPalourde]

I think you and/or your "friend" may have been confused and now are conflating US and CA dollars. Historical price charts show no increase in the OEM DJI batteries on either Amazon site

That's exactly what I said in my previous post. My friend might have used Amazon.ca instead of Amazon.com.

At this point I will repeat my previews advice: Do not use non OEM batteries or props in DJI products. You're asking for trouble, as your experience clearly illustrates

My experience illustrates nothing. A lot of people had sudden battery drains with OEM batteries, and the reviews of the Powerextras clearly show that they're not all faulty.
But I agree that pilots should go with OEM batteries. I only took the risk because it was a gift, but that was a mistake as I keep saying.

Historical price charts? Never heard about those?

 

[Rodkat]

Going out 4km isn't risky. I frequently do it and always have around 35-50% when I come back to the home point.

I was unlucky and got a faulty battery. The sudden drain could have happened at 1km distance, and I would have lost the Mavic whatsoever.

Agreed, I've flown out 5.25km and returned with 19percent left. Was in a valley near an old NASA tracking station so if I did need to emergency land I'd just have to go for a walk and get it but gives me confidence when flying elsewhere. An electronic or mechanical failure can happen at any time, as happens with meticulously maintained manned aircraft, it goes with the territory.

 

[KeithLa]

I respectfully disagree with the conclusion against non-OEM batteries, at least Powerextra, specifically. This incident notwithstanding, there seems to be no data against their reliability vs. DJI batteries, on this forum or Amazon, only fearful supposition.

On the contrary, there is data in support of their reliability, in Amazon reviews plus at least one reputable engineer tear down (i.e. Drone Valley on YouTube).

And nothing against OP's sense of what happened, but I'd really like to see what the flight data has to say before assigning this incident to battery failure.

 

[sar104]

My experience illustrates nothing. A lot of people had sudden battery drains with OEM batteries, and the reviews of the Powerextras clearly show that they're not all faulty.

I'm not sure that's correct. As I mentioned earlier, the only "sudden battery drains" that I've seen in countless power-related incidents that I've looked at have been due to taking off with a partially discharged battery. I've can't recall any anomalous behavior apart from that.

 

[GavieboyDji]

I had a battery die on me but mine went from 6% and dropped like a stone straight onto concrete from about 60feet right in front of me. Getting mine fixed nice 300 pound damage.

 

[sar104]

I had a battery die on me but mine went from 6% and dropped like a stone straight onto concrete from about 60feet right in front of me. Getting mine fixed nice 300 pound damage.

It should not even be in the air at 6% - that's much too low.

 

[ac0j]

I had a battery die on me but mine went from 6% and dropped like a stone straight onto concrete from about 60feet right in front of me. Getting mine fixed nice 300 pound damage.

Battery percentage shown is pretty much an estimate. You cannot look at that number like you do the fuel gauge in your car. With a battery you dont have full power till the percentage is 0% it gradually loses voltage as you fly, the lower the voltage gets, the faster the remaining power gets used.

 

[ac0j]

I'm not sure that's correct. As I mentioned earlier, the only "sudden battery drains" that I've seen in countless power-related incidents that I've looked at have been due to taking off with a partially discharged battery. I've can't recall any anomalous behavior apart from that.

Maybe the OP should post his flight logs so he can prove us all wrong?

 

[GavieboyDji]

It should not even be in the air at 6% - that's much too low.

Yeah I realised now that's why I'm 300 quid out of pocket absolutely my fault. I will never go under 30 % battery after that crash.

You see these flying with 0 % battery and always get away with doing it.

 

[sar104]

Yeah I realised now that's why I'm 300 quid out of pocket absolutely my fault. I will never go under 30 % battery after that crash.

You see these flying with 0 % battery and always get away with doing it.

I've never seen that, and if it happens, then it is an error in the battery reporting.

 

[GavieboyDji]

I've never seen that, and if it happens, then it is an error in the battery reporting.

Loads on YouTube doing these distance runs.

 

[sar104]

Loads on YouTube doing these distance runs.

Are they running auxiliary batteries, or just stock?

 

[cornz]

aol dialup,lol

You'd get a better signal with 9 inches of wet string.

 

[Aerial West]

The battery drained itself from 100% to 0% in 12 ******* minutes. I can usually do at least 21 minutes. No, there was no wind.

I use cheap china batteries in my GH5 camera, but nothing that flies. Just not worth it.

 

[iamquestar]

I have 2 batteries, with 58 flights total on my Mavic. (Admittedly, that nothing compared to many of you). One of those batteries is a PowerExtra, and I can confidently say that half of those flights were with that battery (I alternate batteries each flight). I bought it for $60 on Amazon. I was tempted to get the 2-pack, but wan't willing to drop that much on an untested (by me) battery.

At any rate, I haven't seen any difference in performance between the PowerExtra, and the original battery, and have been very pleased, and will buy another in the near future. Does that make me foolish? I don't think so. Every manufacture, including DJI, ships out a lemon from time to time.

 

[Aerial West]

I have 2 batteries, with 58 flights total on my Mavic. (Admittedly, that nothing compared to many of you). One of those batteries is a PowerExtra, and I can confidently say that half of those flights were with that battery (I alternate batteries each flight). I bought it for $60 on Amazon. I was tempted to get the 2-pack, but wan't willing to drop that much on an untested (by me) battery.

At any rate, I haven't seen any difference in performance between the PowerExtra, and the original battery, and have been very pleased, and will buy another in the near future. Does that make me foolish? I don't think so. Every manufacture, including DJI, ships out a lemon from time to time.

It's never the first 58 flights, it's the last flight.

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

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