Safest low operating temps

[Attroll]

I live in western Maine and the temps have been in the teens lately. It does get below zero at times.
What is the recommendation for lowest temp I can safely fligh in?

Rick

 

[TwoSticks]

The maximum and minimum operating temperatures of DJI Mavic Series, DJI Air Series, DJI Mini Series, DJI FPV, and Phantom 4 Series are 40°C and 0°C, respectively (the minimum operating temperature of DJI Mavic 3, DJI Mini 3 Pro, and Mavic Air 2 is -10°C).

That is from DJI.

 

[Lets Fly]

I think you should ask AKDRONE about that.

 

[akdrone]

Last week I was flying at -35F. Actually I had a very brief flight at -40F. I have tested my original Mavic 3 at -40F and timed it at 15min. At -20F larger drones like the Mavic series are only marginally affected by the cold temps as the battery is always heating itself and is "contained" in a housing. Smaller drones, even those that have an enclosed battery are affected more significantly and it's best to test your drone at low temps, keeping them nearby. If you get a Low Battery Temp warning, as I have at -25F with my drone out at some distance (still VLOS) then obviously bring it back quickly. Most affected are small drones whose batteries are not enclosed like the Avata 1. At -20F you might get 7min from that drone so I rarely fly the small drones in the cold. I did, however fly my Mini 5 Pro last week at -30F and it was just fine for the 10min flight. Typically in cold temps the air is dry but if you have -any- moisture in the air make the first flights short or bring them back after a short time to check for icing on the props. that can be a real issue. At 0F you don't really have to be concerned at all except for those with batteries that are not enclosed. Smaller drones will have some diminishment in flight time but it won't be dramatic. Do some testing and take notes for your drone at varying temps.
It's hard to hear him but he says "15min battery time". I had very thin polypro glove liners my hands were getting chilly - actually were getting quite painful as we'd been out for a bit so I cut the video right away . -29F locally at the moment...

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[JoelP]

Last week I was flying at -35F. Actually I had a very brief flight at -40F. I have tested my original Mavic 3 at -40F and timed it at 15min. At -20F larger drones like the Mavic series are only marginally affected by the cold temps as the battery is always heating itself and is "contained" in a housing. Smaller drones, even those that have an enclosed battery are affected more significantly and it's best to test your drone at low temps, keeping them nearby. If you get a Low Battery Temp warning, as I have at -25F with my drone out at some distance (still VLOS) then obviously bring it back quickly. Most affected are small drones whose batteries are not enclosed like the Avata 1. At -20F you might get 7min from that drone so I rarely fly the small drones in the cold. I did, however fly my Mini 5 Pro last week at -30F and it was just fine for the 10min flight. Typically in cold temps the air is dry but if you have -any- moisture in the air make the first flights short or bring them back after a short time to check for icing on the props. that can be a real issue. At 0F you don't really have to be concerned at all except for those with batteries that are not enclosed. Smaller drones will have some diminishment in flight time but it won't be dramatic. Do some testing and take notes for your drone at varying temps.
It's hard to hear him but he says "15min battery time". I had very thin polypro glove liners my hands were getting chilly - actually were getting quite painful as we'd been out for a bit so I cut the video right away . -29F locally at the moment...

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I once tried flying in the snow at temperatures somewaht above what you quoted, and my hands were too cold to feel confident in my ability to control the drone. I wore glove liners with conductive fingertips, but that was not enough. Perhaps there are gloves with conductive fingertips and a pocket for a chemical hand warmer.

 

[Ralph thompson]

We get pretty cold temperatures in Montreal throughout Jan and Feb. Rotor blade icing is not likely to be a problem outside the range +2 to -20c (36 to 0 F). As akdrone says time of flight can be dramatically reduced. Biggest problem I’ve had was using older, well used battery, in a M2P, in particular a single cell voltage dropped rapidly after only a few minutes in the air at -20c, prompting multiple warnings to land immediately. I keep all batteries in trouser pockets until needed but I no longer use older batteries. Also be aware that the plastic body of the drone can become brittle in very cold conditions, I cracked the body of a M2 enterprise dual trying to remove the battery. Luckily DJI replaced it under their care programme.

 

[JoeShmoe]

In a FLIR camera, most drones appear hot in flight, heated by battery and motors. As long as these parts are not frozen, there is little to no risk of malfunction.

 

[MikeReidPhotography]

I went up along Mendenhall Glacier at -10 and up along Bearpaw Mountain at similar temps

 

[Robw_z]

I live in western Maine and the temps have been in the teens lately. It does get below zero at times.
What is the recommendation for lowest temp I can safely fligh in?

Rick

While this has already been implied in other posts, the initial temperature your battery is at before flight will make a large difference in your experience. Once a load is put on the battery it will generate heat, having the battery already at room temperature is important.

I am speaking more from experience with lithium-ion camping batteries than actually having flown drones in the cold. But lithium-ion does not like being below the freezing point of water, trying to charge the battery at that temperature can damage it for example.

-Rob