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[Steelgtr]

What's the ideal altitude for distance flying over water?

bob

 

[digdat0]

I think a lot of it have to do with most of us having the clip mod see you doing more with less. The exception of you and dig and Big Chuck there hasn't been many actual direct mod Mavics on the board.

You know, doing the power mod is a service I would offer to people. I wouldn't on the p3 because the shell is hard to open without damaging some way, but the mavic is so easy and the mod straight forward it's a cake. For only one million dollars ... muahuhuahha lol

But seriously I think someone is gonna do this before too long. Not sure I'd wanna offer rc mods, but the aircraft is way easy.

 

[CyberNate]

You know, doing the power mod is a service I would offer to people. I wouldn't on the p3 because the shell is hard to open without damaging some way, but the mavic is so easy and the mod straight forward it's a cake. For only one million dollars ... muahuhuahha lol

But seriously I think someone is gonna do this before too long. It sure I'd wanna offer rc mods, but the aircraft is way easy.

Yes, I need to do it as well. It just occurred to me that my 4000mah batteries are blocking thrust from propellors. I think DirtyBum is on the right track with mounting underneath. There's a reason why the arms and body are slender. Not a good idea to stick huge batteries along side the body which block a significant amount of thrust off the props. On top could work as well, but my battery mod gets in the way.

 

[digdat0]

Yes, I need to do it as well. It just occurred to me that my 4000mah batteries are blocking thrust from propellors. I think DirtyBum is on the right track with mounting underneath. There's a reason why the arms and body are slender. Not a good idea to stick huge batteries along side the body which block a significant amount of thrust off the props. On top could work as well, but my battery mod gets in the way.

i hadn't even thought about that .. I was going more aero dynamic, well and frankly visually appealing. The battery on the top is ugly .. sides looks cleaner I think. Bottom could be the way to go.

Db - how did you attach the big battery to the bottom? 3m? Lots of white tape ?

 

[dwallersv]

Yes, I need to do it as well. It just occurred to me that my 4000mah batteries are blocking thrust from propellors. I think DirtyBum is on the right track with mounting underneath. There's a reason why the arms and body are slender. Not a good idea to stick huge batteries along side the body which block a significant amount of thrust off the props. On top could work as well, but my battery mod gets in the way.

That's some good analysis, and it got me thinking about it a bit too... Another advantage is when pitched forward, the batteries are more in the shadow of the body so present less drag. It doesn't have to pitch forward much to get most of the battery out of the direct head-on airflow.

In contrast, the side mount does the exact opposite -- increases the forward surface area normal, and therefore drag.

More free-running thought while I'm typing this: The side-mounts will act to some degree like wings, creating some downward thrust when pitched forward. You have to then fight this with prop thrust from the rotors, wasting power.

Who knows how much, if any, these quick ideas really bear any fruit when you actually fly, but they at least make sense. And it all goes away with the battery mounted underneath.

It will be quite interesting to see what difference it makes for you Nate, if you try it.

 

[GooniesNeverDie]

i hadn't even thought about that .. I was going more aero dynamic, well and frankly visually appealing. The battery on the top is ugly .. sides looks cleaner I think. Bottom could be the way to go.

Db - how did you attach the big battery to the bottom? 3m? Lots of white tape ?

If you look closely you can see it's sticky Velcro tape! Lol.

Looks like a loose attachment to me

 

[Phxbird57]

If you look closely you can see it's sticky Velcro tape! Lol.

Looks like a loose attachment to me

you have never used this stuff then. holds 10lbs per 3 inches.

 

[dirtybum]

i hadn't even thought about that .. I was going more aero dynamic, well and frankly visually appealing. The battery on the top is ugly .. sides looks cleaner I think. Bottom could be the way to go.

Db - how did you attach the big battery to the bottom? 3m? Lots of white tape ?

The same way I strapped all my big batteries on different birds, 3M double lock and then some white electricians tape two times around the bird. With the Mavic and the way that I have it strapped on, you couldn't really get a full lock with just 3M, so a little piece of 3M on the front really just keeps it from sliding back-and-forth after I lock it in with the strap of electricians tape(I originally started using white because that was the color of the phantom shell, but also the white doesn't leave a residue when you pull it off like the black does) I was one of the first to stop using battery wings on the phantoms and just start using electric tape to strap them on to the legs, every bit of weight I could save helped. I can tell you one thing, long before I ever owned a Mavic, I could never understand why people would put the battery on the top, just didn't make sense for many reasons.in case you missed it, here's how I had it strapped on

 

[Ed209]

Did you convert your Multistar 4S 10AH battery to a 3S 7500mah? That would be a really great size for the Mavic, reducing weight by having only 1 set of battery wires which are also shortened. That's a really slick setup.

Edit: I bet you also charged the cells to 4.35V to put right at around 8500Mah.

1). I don't think the Mavic would carry a 10.0. my motors were very warm after that flight! At least it wouldn't carry it for too long/too many flights.
2). I don't know that I would ever get rid of or alter my MultiStar 10.0 LIHV 4S battery, for all I know it's the last one on earth, I've put feelers out there for used ones and I don't know of anybody that has one.
3). when you cut the 10.0 down to 3S, it's still going to run at about 600 g.
i'm sure someone would be willing to try it, but to me, 600 g would be the death of a Mavic! Plus look how big it is on there

Also @CyberNate, if you reduce a 10,000mAh to 3S it's still a 10,000mAh battery. Each cell is 10,000mAh. Most standard battery packs are soldered in series so the voltage increases with each cell... 4S1P = 4 cells connected in series with 1 parallel connection.

Example: 4.35v x 4 = 17.4v. So if you removed 1 cell, you have 3S1P 4.35 x 13.05v.

 

[dirtybum]

Also @CyberNate, if you reduce a 10,000mAh to 3S it's still a 10,000mAh battery. Each cell is 10,000mAh. Most standard battery packs are soldered in series so the voltage increases with each cell... 4S1P = 4 cells connected in series with 1 parallel connection.

Example: 4.35v x 4 = 17.4v. So if you removed 1 cell, you have 3S1P 4.35 x 13.05v.

Hello Ed209!

ladies and gentlemen, 209 is a very imporntant member/pioneer of the distance flying community, as well as an in valuable member of the battery mod community who is contributed much knowledge as well as trial and error in the external battery mod field. he's been on a short hiatus since the golden era, and like many of us don't have as much time these days to test and report like we used to.
for me, it's always nice to read when he checks in.[emoji41]
he has a much more vast understanding of batteries and how to build/solder them, and has help me understand much of what I know, as little as it is. again hello Ed

 

[Ed209]

Hello Ed209!

ladies and gentlemen, 209 is a very imporntant member/pioneer of the distance flying community, as well as an in valuable member of the battery mod community who is contributed much knowledge as well as trial and error in the external battery mod field. he's been on a short hiatus since the golden era, and like many of us don't have as much time these days to test and report like we used to.
for me, it's always nice to read when he checks in.[emoji41]
he has a much more vast understanding of batteries and how to build/solder them, and has help me understand much of what I know, as little as it is. again hello Ed

**** Mike that's quite an introduction! Thank you and it's very humbling. I like how you referred to it as "The Golden Era" lol it was a nice time. We certainly broke through many barriers with the P3 over and over. Looks like the Mavic is on the fast track due to all of the knowledge gained from the P3 days. Hopefully, I can fire up the Mavic and stretch its legs soon . I've been sitting on some batteries since last year and just starting to get the "itch" to try them out. I have all the materials to do the direct power mod but ended up lazying out and ordering the clip. I'll probably eventually do the direct mod once I get sucked back in lol.

 

[TTFullTimer]

That's some good analysis, and it got me thinking about it a bit too... Another advantage is when pitched forward, the batteries are more in the shadow of the body so present less drag. It doesn't have to pitch forward much to get most of the battery out of the direct head-on airflow.

What about the air flow and heat build up in the heat sink on the bottom?

In contrast, the side mount does the exact opposite -- increases the forward surface area normal, and therefore drag.

More free-running thought while I'm typing this: The side-mounts will act to some degree like wings, creating some downward thrust when pitched forward. You have to then fight this with prop thrust from the rotors, wasting power.

Mount the batteries so when the Mavic is pitched forward in flight the angle of the bottom of the battery is in line or even a slight cant upward. Be careful on non NACA profiles because flow is not smooth and the vortices are real drag inducers. Perhaps a nicely whittled piece of balsa on top of each side battery in a nice NACA profile could provide a little lift and reduce drag a lot.

A nice profile like a fighter pilot bubble to house the batteries would make a top nount both aero and aethetically pleasing

Who knows how much, if any, these quick ideas really bear any fruit when you actually fly, but they at least make sense. And it all goes away with the battery mounted underneath.

It will be quite interesting to see what difference it makes for you Nate, if you try it.

 

[GooniesNeverDie]

**** Mike that's quite an introduction! Thank you and it's very humbling. I like how you referred to it as "The Golden Era" lol it was a nice time. We certainly broke through many barriers with the P3 over and over. Looks like the Mavic is on the fast track due to all of the knowledge gained from the P3 days. Hopefully, I can fire up the Mavic and stretch its legs soon . I've been sitting on some batteries since last year and just starting to get the "itch" to try them out. I have all the materials to do the direct power mod but ended up lazying out and ordering the clip. I'll probably eventually do the direct mod once I get sucked back in lol.

What's disadvantage of the clip versus a direct mod...

 

[Ed209]

What's disadvantage of the clip versus a direct mod...

I don't know without testing it but just the way it is connecting is not as secure for starters. It works,but you're counting on those contact points being solid and not shorting out. Also, not sure if the resistance of the copper plating is much different from using your own wires soldered directly to the power on the board. Seems like the numbers are good with the clip not only for the Mavic but for the P4 too.

So without any tests I'd just say having a direct and secure connection for power is the main reason why direct mod is favored. When you're pushing to the bleeding edge, eliminating points of failure are important.

 

[GooniesNeverDie]

I don't know without testing it but just the way it is connecting is not as secure for starters. It works,but you're counting on those contact points being solid and not shorting out. Also, not sure if the resistance of the copper plating is much different from using your own wires soldered directly to the power on the board. Seems like the numbers are good with the clip not only for the Mavic but for the P4 too.

So without any tests I'd just say having a direct and secure connection for power is the main reason why direct mod is favored. When you're pushing to the bleeding edge, eliminating points of failure are important.

Good answer... also not taking your bird apart and being able to play is fun too.

 

[GooniesNeverDie]

So guys what's the verdict for a newbie wanting to try this battery business?

•LIPO
•LIPV
•How big?
•How many?

I know this is about experimenting... I've never attempted a battery mod, but I really want too.

What do you think?

 

[Ed209]

Good answer... also not taking your bird apart and being able to play is fun too.

Yeah forgot the obvious answer lol.

 

[GooniesNeverDie]

Yeah forgot the obvious answer lol.

For someone that's modded remotes and never a bird side mod, my issue is this... I don't have batteries and chargers laying around.

So I kind of would like some help in the "essentials" needed to get going?

A few 3000mah 3S Lipo's? A decent charger?

 

[Ed209]

For someone that's modded remotes and never a bird side mod, my issue is this... I don't have batteries and chargers laying around.

So I kind of would like some help in the "essentials" needed to get going?

A few 3000mah 3S Lipo's? A decent charger?

Yeah I'd start light and don't try and go for the gusto off the bat. Run some smaller batteries to get a feel for the handling and performance. I use a Skyrc D100. There are cheaper chargers out there but I don't have any first-hand experience with them.

 

[digdat0]

So guys what's the verdict for a newbie wanting to try this battery business?

•LIPO
•LIPV
•How big?
•How many?

I know this is about experimenting... I've never attempted a battery mod, but I really want too.

What do you think?

I prefer lihv .. the tech seems solid and better times than regular lipo. Size depends on distance, either. 3000, 4000 or 5200 mah 3s battery probably good to start. You will also need power clip or power mod. Don't forget a charger for the lipo/lihv. Can't ever have too many batteries haha so a few