Really need help with my DJI Mavic Mini

[hurst01]

Hi Everyone, new to the forum. I have a DJI Mavic Mini and have had for several years. It has never been flown. I have only one battery for it until recently when I purchased several more low cycle batteries from Flysafe. I was able to charge the battery the is with the drone but it doesn't last long so I purchased more along with new battery for the RC.
I can't get the newer batteries to come above two lights on the drone. Performing a search I find that each battery has to have a firmware update before it will charge. I tried charging all the newer batteries and after about 20 hours of charging I gave up. I tried downloading the DJI update V2.0 on my Mac but it won't work citing protection from Malware.
Anyway, the firmware keeps failing. Guess that is why I gave up on it years ago. I came very close to tossing it in the trash a while ago due to frustration. When something is this difficult it is no fun. If anyone can help I would most appreciate it. I want to fly this thing but don't understand why I am having trouble. It might even be because the batteries don't have enough charge, but how can I gt it to charge? I ordered a 3 port charger but reading the description it say it takes 270 minutes to even charge with it.

Thanks

 

[RodPad]

Welcome to the forum!

DJI MM1? You bought it new like in 2020?
Never have have flown it?
Have you ever charged the battery?
Have you ever powered it on?
Will power up at all?

Skip firmware, that is last thing you ever try!!

You will get good help here!
If another member sees an error in a post, they will professionally post there thought.

Skipping firmware for now?
If a member disagrees, it be very soon on this thread.

Rod ..

 

[hurst01]

Can't remember for sure when I bought it. I couldn't ge it to do anything back then either so I haven't seen it for a while until I can across it just a bit back.
Explanation: I was a licensed fixed wing pilot until I lost my medical certificate. I have several large RC planes that I am about half-way afraid to try and fly. They DO NOT fly the same from the ground as they do from the cockpit. No similarities what so ever! The people that have the most problems with RC planes are pilots because of the differences. I can fly a simulator all day, landing after landing with absolutely no problem.
The drones really pretty much can take off and land by themselves with a push of a button. I lost interest in it and never thought about it again until a bit back when My Nephew showed up with his Spark and I looked the Mini up. The battery I had eventually charged to 4 lights but runs own pretty quick. Just because it charges somewhat full according to the indicator lights doesn't mean the battery will have any longitivtiy to it. I am afraid of it not knowing how long it will stay charged for fear of losing it.
It indicated it had a full charge but after about 6 minutes it was flashing around 2 lights and I was concerned. I was having trouble finding batteries but found a place called FLYSAFE that had 10 batteries with between 5-10 cycles on them. Still, I don't know their age. I received 3 from them and have another one coming from someone else that should be here Monday.
I actually bought them on Amazon and have initiated a return but thought I would try something else first. I have a DJI Mini 4K coming in the next few days but am really regretting buying it already. I can't tell you how close I came to tossing it in the trash a while ago, but I really would like it to fly.
The thought crossed my mind to take the camera from it and tying to install it in my WACO 60 Biplane using FPV but am concerned about being able to hook it up because of my concentration decline from so many health issues. That WACO is one beautiful plane and I have never flown it either. I let someone fly it once and they hit the ground full throttle straight-down prop first.

 

[360 Guy]

I really don't know what you mean by a low cycle batteries.
Can't get battery out of the drone? Probably because it's swollen, get it out anyway you can and dispose of it,
Let's get back to basics.............buy only a DJI batterie(s) and charge it with you newly purchased charger.
As said" Skip firmware, that is last thing you ever try!!".
If the drone is up and running, you may have to update the drone before flight, that's ok.

Report back please!

 

[Cafguy]

Your batteries sound as if they are gone DO NOT FLY WITH THEM! You need that update and Macs Gatekeeper is keeping you from installing or using it. Go into your security settings and find the assistant click on it and then click -run anyway- if you are unsure how just google how to override gatekeeper on MAC.
Get those planes out of the hanger and go flying! I don’t know how much transmitter time you have But if you can fly a sim you can fly the plane..STAY AWAY from “scale” planes for now such as the Waco and stick to trainers or single high wing models. Learn its characteristics and how to handle that and then move to scale..Scale planes can have strange flight tendencies especially the warbirds don’t try one of those until you have plenty of hours behind you. Bi-planes are really hard to land and most usually are crashed at the runway threshold.
As for the drone once again don’t fly it until the battery problem is resolved and fix the settings on your Mac so you can update the firmware for them.

 

[hurst01]

I really don't know what you mean by a low cycle batteries.
Can't get battery out of the drone? Probably because it's swollen, get it out anyway you can and dispose of it,
Let's get back to basics.............buy only a DJI batterie(s) and charge it with you newly purchased charger.
As said" Skip firmware, that is last thing you ever try!!".
If the drone is up and running, you may have to update the drone before flight, that's ok.

Report back please!

When I say "Low cycle batteries" it means they have been through "X" amount of charges. Charges= Cycles. The batteries are not swollen.

 

[hurst01]

Your batteries sound as if they are gone DO NOT FLY WITH THEM! You need that update and Macs Gatekeeper is keeping you from installing or using it. Go into your security settings and find the assistant click on it and then click -run anyway- if you are unsure how just google how to override gatekeeper on MAC.
Get those planes out of the hanger and go flying! I don’t know how much transmitter time you have But if you can fly a sim you can fly the plane..STAY AWAY from “scale” planes for now such as the Waco and stick to trainers or single high wing models. Learn its characteristics and how to handle that and then move to scale..Scale planes can have strange flight tendencies especially the warbirds don’t try one of those until you have plenty of hours behind you. Bi-planes are really hard to land and most usually are crashed at the runway threshold.
As for the drone once again don’t fly it until the battery problem is resolved and fix the settings on your Mac so you can update the firmware for them.

OK, an update on the batteries. I found a post that someone had made about batteries not charging. It said to put the battery on charge for 5 minutes, unplug the charger, press the power button for 3 seconds and release, press and hold the power button another 20 seconds and release, put back on charge.
I did that to one of the recently purchased batteries last night. Before, it would badly light up two lights on the charge indicator. Now after charging all night it flashes all 4 lights on the charge indicator. I just performed the process again to see if I can get it to a solid 4 lights. If this works I will proceed to the other two.
I ordered a 3 port charger thinking it might put out more power that by charging in the drone. Looking this morning I see I screwed up because it won't be here for another 24 days. Seems it takes an unusually long time to charge the Mini batteries. Everything I have seen says it takes 270 minutes for a charge. That is 4-1/2 hours. I was hoping for something like the later Mini versions with about 70 minutes quick-charge.
I can't find any paperwork for this Mini, I am not sure if when the lights flash all the way across if it is full chargee or if they have to be solid. I am thinking solid.

 

[hurst01]

Another thing... I have received several responses that say to forget the firmware upgrade. Not sure how the firmware upgrade works.

 

[hurst01]

Your batteries sound as if they are gone DO NOT FLY WITH THEM! You need that update and Macs Gatekeeper is keeping you from installing or using it. Go into your security settings and find the assistant click on it and then click -run anyway- if you are unsure how just google how to override gatekeeper on MAC.
Get those planes out of the hanger and go flying! I don’t know how much transmitter time you have But if you can fly a sim you can fly the plane..STAY AWAY from “scale” planes for now such as the Waco and stick to trainers or single high wing models. Learn its characteristics and how to handle that and then move to scale..Scale planes can have strange flight tendencies especially the warbirds don’t try one of those until you have plenty of hours behind you. Bi-planes are really hard to land and most usually are crashed at the runway threshold.
As for the drone once again don’t fly it until the battery problem is resolved and fix the settings on your Mac so you can update the firmware for them.

Cafguy: Another clarification. I said I could fly the simulator all day with no problems. I should have mentioned flying from the cockpit, not from the ground. Every single time I tried flying the simulator from outside the aircraft I "CRASHED AND BURNED". Totally different from inside than outside. It takes all together different coordination.

 

[MS Coast]

OK, an update on the batteries. I found a post that someone had made about batteries not charging. It said to put the battery on charge for 5 minutes, unplug the charger, press the power button for 3 seconds and release, press and hold the power button another 20 seconds and release, put back on charge.

Please let us know how that works out.

I ordered a 3 port charger thinking it might put out more power that by charging in the drone.

The transformer that plugs into the wall is what determines the charging power. If you ordered just a charging hub, that's not going to have any effect on charge time.

I can't find any paperwork for this Mini, I am not sure if when the lights flash all the way across if it is full chargee or if they have to be solid. I am thinking solid.

A Google search for 'dji mini user manual' does the trick. You can read about the charge light indicators there. You might want to read the entire manual before going much further.

Mavic Mini - Download Center - DJI

Learn and download Mavic Mini related apps, software, and manuals at the DJI Download Center

www.dji.com

Read about the update process, too. I don't know if it's true for the original Mini, but for other models there have been cases where each battery needed a firmware update, not just the drone and controller.

 

[360 Guy]

You quoted :Another thing... I have received several responses that say to forget the firmware upgrade. Not sure how the firmware upgrade works.
GOOD, STAY AWAY FROM THAT.

 

[Greatdane007]

I just got a Mavic 4 pro with 3 batteries. One of the batteries would not charge. I had to update the firmware on that one battery to get it to charge. So yes, getting the battery up to date is a thing. It’s a bit of a computer pain to work around the gatekeeper on my Mac but it works if you follow the DJI instructions. It first shows up as malware to my Mac. Then I had to go into settings and select to allow it to open anyways. So yes I would personally update battery firmware.