- Joined
- Oct 26, 2016
- Messages
- 948
- Reactions
- 724
Flight Time per Battery
- Thread starter bkushner
- Start date
swdrafter
Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2017
- Messages
- 13
- Reactions
- 4
- Age
- 52
This probably isn't anything that you don't already know but the factors are practically endless when trying to determine battery life. To extend my battery life I turn off the obstacle avoidance when I'm in an open area. When doing outdoor shoots preplan your route this will keep any unnecessary flight to a minimum. My best times are around 30 mins. But it takes a lot of planning because it is almost impossible to reach the advertised 43 minutes
KI5RLL
Well-Known Member
Mavic 3 also here. I fly around 30 minutes average per flight. Of course wind, hover, speed, altitude and much more factor in.
(ALL looped LOS distances below, NOT radio range distance from controller).
M3: 34 minutes took me 17.5 miles in one flight. Did a few 17.6 mile flights the same also. (Pic below) Less time less miles yes.
Attached profile shot my last few flights. I usually fly far yes.
There is a balance of more distance in time. Too slow is less distance much like too fast is less distance on one charge.
Staying aloft 46 minutes, would mean perfect “lab” conditions at a controlled speed (somewhere in DJI literature) under all perfect conditions. Hover time is less aloft time than forward movement. More hover and you run down the battery faster. 46 minutes they claim would be one hell of a feat.
I have seen no one make that though.
I often flew my MA2 at 28-30 minutes, and did reach 11.5 miles, their max claimed flight distance for that craft. That was done at 6400ft MSL. Have asked on this and other forums for longer attempts also but no replies.
I have not attempted a super-max distance on my M3 yet. Will do that one at altitude also hopefully soon.
Yes there is a long list of techniques I keep for max flight distance on one battery charge.
Final answer: Flying 46 minutes on one charge on a M3, I would be seriously impressed!
30-34 minutes, quite common and easy to fly that.
Safe Flying,
KI5RLL
Attachments
KI5RLL
Well-Known Member
Hawaiian guy named Dustin Dunhill on Youtube often does these waaaaay BVLOS flights straight out.
Link: He did one on the M3 to below 0%. You can watch his total max flight minutes to 0% there to see. Went out across the island like over 8 miles then back. Had to adjust for curvature of earth!
Probably about as accurate a total flight minutes example you can get (to 0 battery, not recommended). And a few other examples too. Is a nail biter video!
Safe Flying,
KI5RLL
Link: He did one on the M3 to below 0%. You can watch his total max flight minutes to 0% there to see. Went out across the island like over 8 miles then back. Had to adjust for curvature of earth!
Probably about as accurate a total flight minutes example you can get (to 0 battery, not recommended). And a few other examples too. Is a nail biter video!
Safe Flying,
KI5RLL
- Joined
- May 25, 2017
- Messages
- 8,476
- Reactions
- 7,964
- Age
- 62
What battery % are you landing with ?
If the usual 20% many try to stick with for their lipo batteries, then 18 mins is fine and to be expected.
If the usual 20% many try to stick with for their lipo batteries, then 18 mins is fine and to be expected.
KI5RLL
Well-Known Member
I go below 10% pretty often on these without issues. I just don’t leave the batteries sitting at that low charge. Soon as they are cooled enough to accept a charge I bring them back up. Land a battery, straight into charger, soon as it accepts the charge it gets it. Have done many flights to 5% the same and never any issues.
(DJI offsets their own ‘shown’ battery percent from what it chemically may be, to prevent 0% skyfalls.). Yes we can watch the shown voltage. Huge Forum discussion on that already.
But I have never flown to 0% I see many people doing lately. Whatever the DJI offset against actual, I won’t encourage anyone to go that low or as low as I go. The M3 battery is still about $200. And toasting one in a test isn’t good sense for anyone. I have never had a Lipo gas out on me or show a failure. Doesn’t mean they won’t.
Long distance flying I am LOS, and under 20% am really close to home point already. If I can’t walk to it under 15-20% I am too far away.
Everyone flies their craft differently and I am by no means considered the “best” way. I just fly really long distances myself.
(DJI offsets their own ‘shown’ battery percent from what it chemically may be, to prevent 0% skyfalls.). Yes we can watch the shown voltage. Huge Forum discussion on that already.
But I have never flown to 0% I see many people doing lately. Whatever the DJI offset against actual, I won’t encourage anyone to go that low or as low as I go. The M3 battery is still about $200. And toasting one in a test isn’t good sense for anyone. I have never had a Lipo gas out on me or show a failure. Doesn’t mean they won’t.
Long distance flying I am LOS, and under 20% am really close to home point already. If I can’t walk to it under 15-20% I am too far away.
Everyone flies their craft differently and I am by no means considered the “best” way. I just fly really long distances myself.
Advertised flight time is actually 46 minutes on the Mavic 3, from 100% to 0%, flying at 15mph, in 0 mph winds, at sea level, according to DJI.
I fly continuously at max speed in Normal mode (32mph) in 10mph winds and easily get 33 minutes per flight, from 100% to between 5 and 10%. Lots of hovering during multiple 360 panos along the way will bring that up to 35 minutes.
18 minutes average is P3P flight times!
You must be continuously flying in Sport mode in 20 mph winds, starting out at 96%, and landing at 35% or higher!
Mavic 3 is easily 50% longer than the Mavic 2 or at least 10 minutes longer.
Mavic 2 advertises 31 minutes but averages 23 minutes for me.
Same ratio: (23/31) x 46 = 34 minutes for Mavic 3
I just bought a used Mavic Air. Came with a battery and I bought a new one. Flew it yesterday. I got ten minutes flying down to 30%. Thought I would get a little more. Is there anything I could do to extended the time?
KI5RLL
Well-Known Member
Need to look up that battery on your controller under settings-battery while paired and see how many cycles it has been charged and what the separate cells voltages are, and what its sitting voltage is at 100% “charged”. Old battery may have already passed its useful life cycle if it has too many cycles, has a bad cell, damage from being ran to 0 too many times, etc.
I will check. The new battery has three cycles. I will check the battery that came with it. Seemed like I got about the same time out of both of them. Is it safe to go to 20% if you are sure you can get it back? I have always used 30%. I read something about turning off rear obstacle avoidance to help save on the battery. Don't know anything about that.
I will check the batteries and post. Thanks
I will check the batteries and post. Thanks
