Mavic Mini draining phone battery after short flight

[angushaggis]

Was out flying yesterday with the Mini. Flights x 2 maybe 10 minutes each.
All good except when was reviewing images on the phone after noticed my charge had gone from approx 65% down to 5%.
This is second time this has happened. Bit cold but nothing that should cause the phone to lose this much charge under these conditions.
No idea what is going on.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Sounds like your Phone is charging your controller. It's acting like a USB battery pack for the controller.
This happens on the Mavic Pro & 2 Pro range too. The Go4 app has a switch to turn this function off for iPhone, but that switch doesn't work for Android devices.
My Android phone has a setting ... Settings / System / Developer Options ... "Always prompt when connecting to USB". With that function switched on, I get a pop-up window each time I connect the controller to my (Huawei P10), phone, and I just select the 'Data only' option - which stops this charging taking place.

 

[angushaggis]

THanks dude.
Will give that a look.

Sounds like your Phone is charging your controller. It's acting like a USB battery pack for the controller.
This happens on the Mavic Pro & 2 Pro range too. The Go4 app has a switch to turn this function off for iPhone, but that switch doesn't work for Android devices.
My Android phone has a setting ... Settings / System / Developer Options ... "Always prompt when connecting to USB". With that function switched on, I get a pop-up window each time I connect the controller to my (Huawei P10), phone, and I just select the 'Data only' option - which stops this charging taking place.

 

[chriscuk]

I've TRIED to charge my controller with my phone but every time I've selected it the phone just asks again which option I want. I'm using a P30 Pro.

 

[W5CI]

Why would the controller drain the battery in my IPhone

 

[FoxhallGH]

Why would the controller drain the battery in my IPhone

I don't know the controller app' for the Mav' Mini - but the Go 4 app' for other Mavics, has an option to turn the charging function off. That works for iPhone - but not Android. I don't know if this feature exists in the MM app' - or if it does, where to find it - sorry.

 

[DanMan32]

Phone can't charge the controller in any version. More likely the app is putting a heavy load (CPU, GPU, Screen) on the phone's resources. Cold weather could also reduce phone battery capacity, making the drain more apparent.

Now Android phone will drain controller battery. For iOS, charge from controller can be switched off in Go, it is always off in Fly (not controllable).

 

[Detritalgeo]

Just to see if it is the phone, sit outside when it is similar temp and watch a movie for 20 minutes at full brightness.. See if the battery falls again.

 

[paulatkin73]

Sounds like your Phone is charging your controller. It's acting like a USB battery pack for the controller.
This happens on the Mavic Pro & 2 Pro range too. The Go4 app has a switch to turn this function off for iPhone, but that switch doesn't work for Android devices.
My Android phone has a setting ... Settings / System / Developer Options ... "Always prompt when connecting to USB". With that function switched on, I get a pop-up window each time I connect the controller to my (Huawei P10), phone, and I just select the 'Data only' option - which stops this charging taking place.

it is pointless and does not stop phone charging. at least on all android devices i have this developer option selection does not alter anything at all and remote keeps pumping power out.

 

[DanMan32]

It is known that an Android will take power from the RC, but some are suggesting the RC is taking power from the phone. The latter is not happening. Instead, the app is resource intensive. Playing a video at full brightness will begin to demonstrate this, but the app will also be accessing GPS and internet for map and other things, as well as streaming large amounts of data over USB which video playing won't be doing.

 

[angushaggis]

actually that worked once I figured out where it was.
flew twice today with no real power loss problems.
thanks for the tip dude.

Was out flying yesterday with the Mini. Flights x 2 maybe 10 minutes each.
All good except when was reviewing images on the phone after noticed my charge had gone from approx 65% down to 5%.
This is second time this has happened. Bit cold but nothing that should cause the phone to lose this much charge under these conditions.
No idea what is going on.

 

[CareyL]

It is known that an Android will take power from the RC, but some are suggesting the RC is taking power from the phone. The latter is not happening. Instead, the app is resource intensive. Playing a video at full brightness will begin to demonstrate this, but the app will also be accessing GPS and internet for map and other things, as well as streaming large amounts of data over USB which video playing won't be doing.

Use an otg y. power bank and maintain power in everything. I also just bought an iCan F2002PD. It will do the aforementioned as well as recharge your flight batteries at 12V. The ad doesn't say but it is QC 3. Welcome - Canada Computers & Electronics

 

[DanMan32]

I just don't trust your setup. You seem to be backflowing current into the RC, overpowering its sending 500mA out. That could damage RC components.
Now if you had data leads connecting between RC and Android (RC connection as OTG) but sent power from power bank to Android, ignoring power leads in RC, that may be OK.

Still, all that is awkward in the field.

 

[CareyL]

Clearly you do not wish or do not think it important to help solve the problem of the Mavic Mini sucking power out of your mobile device. "backflowing current into the RC, overpowering its sending 500mA out " is an uniformed statement. Power is moving from the phone to the MC whether or not there is a power bank involved. So far my MC stays at 100% and my phone loses about 50mA/h. This is in the field. Picture is in the house and shows lower MC after a bunch of testing.What's your drain?

 

[DanMan32]

Again, you have it backwards. The phone sucks from the RC, not the RC sucks from the phone. It's the RC providing the phone 500mA if the phone wants it.
A phone's SoC goes down because the power consumed by the app resources exceeds the 500mA/2.5W the RC provides.

I would be interested in limiting current to the phone, but I would want to do so safely and simply. Forcing current into a device sending power out is never a good idea. But it's your RC, take the chance in damaging it if you want.