I'm read conflicting advice regarding the recommended charge percentage for maintaining/storing MM2 batteries. At the bottom of Page 23 in V1.0 of the manual it recommends to discharge the batteries to 30% or lower for transport and storage. Yet the DJI website Support page advises charging to 72%? It also advises to discharge once every three months, but to what level? The manual advises fully charging once every three months. Confusing and conflicting advise or is it me? It's a lot easier with a P4P battery and a Phantom Angel & DJI Charging Hub.
Mavic Mini 2 battery maintenance
- Thread starter K2S
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Crispjon
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For my part I only fully charge just before use. After use I like them to be below 70% and will discharge them to that if necessary after flying. If going on an Air plane then maybe 30% depending on carriers rules. These batteries have large demands put on them and need to use all possible energy even if it is detrimental to them if left fully charged hence the intelligent discharge mode to lessen damage. Only time will tell if my method is the correct one!
The battery should not be fully charged when being stored or it's life will degrade more rapidly. The suitable state of charge ranges from 30% ~ 60% depending on what you read. I think any level within this range is OK.
The advice to fully discharge the battery every 3 months ( or a certain number of cycles ) is to allow the Battery Management System ( BMS ) , the small computer inside the battery to measure the actual battery capacity which degrades slowly over time. The % battery figure indicated by the APP is computed using the battery capacity memorized by the BMS as the denominator. If that number is wrong, the % battery figure will be wrong as well.
The advice to fully discharge the battery every 3 months ( or a certain number of cycles ) is to allow the Battery Management System ( BMS ) , the small computer inside the battery to measure the actual battery capacity which degrades slowly over time. The % battery figure indicated by the APP is computed using the battery capacity memorized by the BMS as the denominator. If that number is wrong, the % battery figure will be wrong as well.
Many thanks.
Fully discharge the MM2 battery? I've been using a P4P for the last 4 years and this goes against all advice for those Intelligent Flight Batteries. You should never fully discharge a P4P battery. Discharge to 8% and fully recharge every 20 cycles and store at 50%
So your advice to fully discharge is conflicting
For your reference : https://batteryuniversity.com/learn...MVJa8aF7Kuyr0XOlD2ZMcxTmKTbjjsuj3yQMQz3b6YW3d
The instructions for an Apple iPad reads: “For proper reporting of SoC, be sure to go through at least one full charge/discharge cycle per month.
I think I'll just to stick the advice given in the manual and DJI's website so I don't invalidate my warranty. Thanks anyway
Well , you asked in your first post " It also advises to discharge once every three months, but to what level?" and you said DJI's instruction is "Confusing and conflicting" so I am just trying to give you some other references.
On my M2P the cell voltage is as high as 3.6 V at 0% stage of charge. That voltage level is very safe.
Crispjon
Active Member
When you say 0% I take it you mean the level at which the battery smart system cuts out to protect the battery? This would not be when the battery is flat ie 0V but at the level the manufacturer has set to avoid damage to the battery. If left at this state presumably it would then slowly self discharge until it is permanently damaged so It should then be charged back to 100% to reset the calibration and used or discharged back down to the safe storage level ? It's a bit of an art, battery maintainance and don't get me going on lead acid batteries!! I'm just very good at destroying them!
It's the battery % shown in the DJI GO app. The app is very conservative and you can hover for close to two minutes after dropping to 0%. This is the discharge curve of my M2P from 100% to below 0 % . Obviously I did not do it on a routine basis but just once for my curiosity :
As can be seen above, 0% corresponds to a cell voltage of 3.6V which is a safe voltage to discharge to. From Lithium polymer battery - Wikipedia) :
The voltage of a single LiPo cell depends on its chemistry and varies from about 4.2 V (fully charged) to about 2.7–3.0 V (fully discharged), where the nominal voltage is 3.6 or 3.7 volts (about the middle value of highest and lowest value).
"Nominal" implies safe right ?
From another reference LiPo Batteries and Safety for Beginners :
A LiPo battery is designed to operate within a safe voltage range, from 3V to 4.2V.
Thats certainly not my practice. I always charge the battery to about 50% or two lights before storage and I charge them to full only on the night before flying. In case the plan changes and I do not fly, I will discharge them to 50% ASAP by various means such as charging my power bank or phone via the provided USB adaptor.
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Crispjon
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ICHOTT
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So in summary,
1. When battery is cool, fully charge to fly
2. when bty has cooled charge upto 2/4 lights, I.e. 50% to store between flights.
3. Before flight repeat 1, then 2.
4. Occasionally, after RTH just hover to 10% then step 2.
if you haven’t flown for 3/4 months battery life is not your concern, sell the drone and take up a new hobby ?
1. When battery is cool, fully charge to fly
2. when bty has cooled charge upto 2/4 lights, I.e. 50% to store between flights.
3. Before flight repeat 1, then 2.
4. Occasionally, after RTH just hover to 10% then step 2.
if you haven’t flown for 3/4 months battery life is not your concern, sell the drone and take up a new hobby ?
This is very useful. I've been wondering how best to keep my batteries long lasting.
A couple of questions?
1. When you say "Occasionally, after RTH just hover to 10% then step 2." - you mean that every now and then (every3 months approx?) we should run the battery down low then charge it up?
Do you mean we should charge it up to max - then if we're storing it run it down to 50%?
Or do you mean hover to 10% then charge up to 50%?
2. Is it a problem if we regularly use up just 30-40% of the battery in a flight then charge it up? Or is it better to not charge it until the battery is more than half depleted?
ICHOTT
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Hi,
1. I mean after hovering to eg 10% then if putting drone away only charge ‘upto’ 50%, ie 2 lights on, it’s all close enough.
note: This is also the level to be at if you are taking your drone as hand luggage on a plane, the drone could be in hold baggage but never put batteries in the hold, should only be in hand baggage charged to approx 50%.
2. Partial charge/discharge cycles used to be problematic with previous technology eg nicad batteries due to ‘memory effect’ but I don’t believe it’s the case at all now.
The battery university website is stuffed with tech info regarding this sort of stuff.
Also, re partial battery, with eg 70/80% left after finishing a flight just leave it and use that battery first on your next flight, only fully charging if you really need 3 full batteries to start with.
So My preference is to occasionally work the battery hard eg down to 10% as mentioned, store at 50, full top up before flight.
However, If you intend to fly within a week it’s ok to charge full after it’s cooled from previous flight and you’ll still be fine. Storage levels are really when you don’t expect to fly for eg 2/3 weeks or longer. It’s science but not so exact, just have a simple routine that you can work to.
Hope that helps ?
1. I mean after hovering to eg 10% then if putting drone away only charge ‘upto’ 50%, ie 2 lights on, it’s all close enough.
note: This is also the level to be at if you are taking your drone as hand luggage on a plane, the drone could be in hold baggage but never put batteries in the hold, should only be in hand baggage charged to approx 50%.
2. Partial charge/discharge cycles used to be problematic with previous technology eg nicad batteries due to ‘memory effect’ but I don’t believe it’s the case at all now.
The battery university website is stuffed with tech info regarding this sort of stuff.
Also, re partial battery, with eg 70/80% left after finishing a flight just leave it and use that battery first on your next flight, only fully charging if you really need 3 full batteries to start with.
So My preference is to occasionally work the battery hard eg down to 10% as mentioned, store at 50, full top up before flight.
However, If you intend to fly within a week it’s ok to charge full after it’s cooled from previous flight and you’ll still be fine. Storage levels are really when you don’t expect to fly for eg 2/3 weeks or longer. It’s science but not so exact, just have a simple routine that you can work to.
Hope that helps ?
This is exactly what I have been doing and was wondering how many people are doing it? You explained it very well,,,
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