Recommendations for In Car Charger?

BrAinZ · Dec 11, 2017

I am looking for a way to charge my Mavic batteries while out and about in the car.

Does anyone have any experience of any of the 3rd party car chargers?

Or should I just get an original DJI car charger?

noseeum · Dec 11, 2017

Get a small inverter, 100 watts or so and use your regular Mavic charger.

msinger · Dec 11, 2017

The Anbee car charger is about half the price of the OEM DJI car charger.

BrAinZ · Dec 11, 2017

I did look at the Anbee one, but not sure about trusting my Mavic batteries to anything too cheap. (hence why I am asking for opinions

).
Anbee does sound like a name that I should recognise, so I guess more trustworthy than some unbranded thing.

Also... I'm slightly worried about turning the engine off while a battery is still on charge, so do people connect a permanent feed?

msinger · Dec 11, 2017

It's actually manufactured by "Yx" (the company that makes the blue battery charger that everyone always raves about).

Rnl · Dec 11, 2017

I've been using it and it works just fine.

Zonian · Dec 11, 2017

noseeum said:
Get a small inverter, 100 watts or so and use your regular Mavic charger.

^ ^ ^
This.

Anthony · Dec 11, 2017

Look for someone selling the DJI car charger from the flymore kit ... I have it and it works just fine. Just a thought ...

The one the msinger has linked is a good budget option as well.

Xtreme Drone Pilot · Dec 11, 2017

Inverter + 5-in-1 charger for $40. If you're going to use DJI 110/220V charger with an inverter, make sure the inverter is not modified sine wave, it won't work. I have a 300W Bestek pure sine inverter for 30 bucks or so, works great. DJI 12V charger is useless, unless you want to idle your car one hour per battery, it doesn't work with engine off.

Dman2012 · Dec 11, 2017

BrAinZ said:
I am looking for a way to charge my Mavic batteries while out and about in the car.

Does anyone have any experience of any of the 3rd party car chargers?

Or should I just get an original DJI car charger?

Like some previous comments mentioned i would go with a car power inverter. There are a ton of them on amazon and the two that i have below are both under $30 and have hundreds/thousands of positive reviews (I personally have the $16 one and it works great)

https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-...8&qid=1513046457&sr=8-3&keywords=car+inverter

https://www.amazon.com/Foval-Power-...8&qid=1513046457&sr=8-4&keywords=car+inverter

BrAinZ · Dec 12, 2017

Xtreme Drone Pilot said:
DJI 12V charger is useless, unless you want to idle your car one hour per battery, it doesn't work with engine off.

Is the original DJI 12v charger not seem as a good product then?

And surely using anything including the inverters would require the vehicle to keep running to power the 12v?

Xtreme Drone Pilot · Dec 12, 2017

BrAinZ said:
Is the original DJI 12v charger not seem as a good product then?

Xtreme Drone Pilot said:
DJI 12V charger is useless, unless you want to idle your car one hour per battery, it doesn't work with engine off.

BrAinZ said:
inverters would require the vehicle to keep running to power the 12v?

No, unless voltage drops to about 11.4V.

Qoncussion · Dec 12, 2017

noseeum said:
Get a small inverter, 100 watts or so and use your regular Mavic charger.

Beware of modified sine wave inverters. These are the more popular and far less expensive inverters. I have an 1100W modified sine wave inverter in my car. It works great for almost anything, but my Black Pearl FPV monitor has trouble charging on it. The monitor continuously shuts off during the charging cycle. Otherwise, it was a good investment.

GlenT · Dec 12, 2017

I use the DJI car charger often.
Find it great, charges faster than the mains powered hub too and it's tiny.
I charge while on the go. And you only need to leave the ignition on if you're not driving, not necessary to have the engine idling. Same applies with inverters.
I don't drain my batteries below 30% and more often only down to 40-50% so charging is rather quick.

OzoneVibe · Dec 12, 2017

What @Xtreme Drone Pilot said, and the highlighted point about engine running for DJI.
Was a total pain on my 3 month holiday! Had an inverter with me, for other things ... but only had the DJI car charger.

OzoneVibe · Dec 12, 2017

GlenT said:
... charges faster than the mains powered hub too ....

That it does, in fact.

GlenT · Dec 12, 2017

Xtreme Drone Pilot said:
Inverter + 5-in-1 charger for $40. If you're going to use DJI 110/220V charger with an inverter, make sure the inverter is not modified sine wave, it won't work. I have a 300W Bestek pure sine inverter for 30 bucks or so, works great. DJI 12V charger is useless, unless you want to idle your car one hour per battery, it doesn't work with engine off.

Strange, my DJI car charger works with all three of my vehicles with the engine off. Just turn the ignition to accessory (or to the ON position, depending on vehicle) and use one of the 12V power outlets.
If your vehicle battery voltage drops so low when charging the charger will probably switch off, but your 12V battery must be small or past it's use by date to do that while charging a small Mavic battery.

Xtreme Drone Pilot · Dec 12, 2017

GlenT said:
And you only need to leave the ignition on if you're not driving, not necessary to have the engine idling.

This is car specific, some cars have 12V outlets that are always on, don't require ignition on. Car battery can run DJI 12V charger for a short period of time while its voltage is at its top.