The fake Mavic batteries have arrived.

[Hollow Dog]

The LiPo isn’t the problem, it’s the electronics and firmware.

Ya dji will surely introduce more restrictive firmware in future updates.
I personally prefer to be locked into a manufacturer with no choice of my own,choice can only lead to discontent.
No rest for the wicked.
Crystal ball supplied by Hollow Dog.

 

[HWCM]

I bought a battery a DJI battery at BB shortly after I received my MPP. Paid 79.99 with them price matching Amazon's price.

I just got a mavic battery for $66.00 from eBay. eBay sent me a $15 off $75 code. I used it to buy a fourth battery. I don't need it...

 

[hammick]

I just got a mavic battery for $66.00 from eBay. eBay sent me a $15 off $75 code. I used it to buy a fourth battery. I don't need it...

It will be good to have when your other batteries are used up. I have four batteries and I don't plan on using my Platinum battery much. That way when I sell the MPP down the road I'll have the matching battery with only a few cycles on it.

 

[Skylane]

These batteries have the same Amazon 4 1/2 star rating as the batteries with the DJI logo on them.
Both have 300+ reviews and you can get two for $115.99.
DJI doesn't manufacture batteries. DJI outsources them. (from Chinese battery manufacturers )

 

[Fuzzyreticle]

So you drop around a grand or more on a drone but you can't swing the cost of a spare battery or 3? Who would risk an expensive piece of equipment like a Mavic to save $3?

 

[MavicCF]

There are some new cheaper ones out on Amazon now. $60.00 is still a little to much for me as I would just get it to take apart and see what it's build quality is.

 

[Just_nick]

OEM battery: $78-80 on Amazon. Non-OEM battery: $66. I think it'd need to be around $40 to even contemplate the idea for more than a second.

 

[RayOZ]

So you drop around a grand or more on a drone but you can't swing the cost of a spare battery or 3? Who would risk an expensive piece of equipment like a Mavic to save $3?

there will always be people trying to save a few bucks. otherwise, no one would be making knock-off parts. and scam sites that sells supposedly expensive items for really cheap price.

 

[Qoncussion]

So you drop around a grand or more on a drone but you can't swing the cost of a spare battery or 3? Who would risk an expensive piece of equipment like a Mavic to save $3?

I flew several of the cheaper Chinese batteries in my P2. I dare say they worked brilliantly, every bit as well as the DJI version of the same thing, for half the price. But I also agree that the price point on the Mavic batteries needs to be noticeably lower than OEM batteries before I'd even consider them.

 

[MavicCF]

Yeah it all depends on how well they are made, which is why someone needs to disassemble/test one for us. Anyone...? Anyone...?

 

[Fuzzyreticle]

I get the appeal. I've spent way too much on guns and gun parts in my lifetime. Now I added this expensive hobby to the mix. Buy once and cry once. By the time you buy the cheap knockoff or clones and figure out they are not up to task you end up buying the original anyway. By then you have spent more than you would have originally one the real deal. Just my two cents. Batteries like magazines are consumables and you need to understand that going in.

 

[MavicCF]

I get the appeal. I've spent way too much on guns and gun parts in my lifetime. Now I added this expensive hobby to the mix. Buy once and cry once. By the time you buy the cheap knockoff or clones and figure out they are not up to task you end up buying the original anyway. By then you have spent more than you would have originally one the real deal. Just my two cents. Batteries like magazines are consumables and you need to understand that going in.

That's exactly how I feel! I always go into a hobby starting at the cheap end, but by the time I'm done I'm at the same place I would have been if I had started expensive from the get-go. The sad part is that I bought the Mavic and I haven't been able to expound on it yet.

 

[Mr. Salty]

DJI doesn't manufacture batteries. DJI outsources them. (from Chinese battery manufacturers )

Outsourcing parts to another manufacturer doesn't mean DJI doesn't have a say in quality control.

 

[tjcooper]

has anyone done a tear-down on the $59 battery on Amazon yet? I really want to know who is the manufacturer of the cells and what controller is used inside the battery to balance and maintain battery life/drain. I just bought one of the $59 from Amazon. It is by Powerextra.....they make many batteries for many different systems. I flew a couple of flights with it and a brand new DJI battery. Got same flight times for both flights. I do a lot of RC planes/drones and have over 30 LiPo chargers. I worked for Sony when they first came out with LiPo, and now for Amazon for tablets.

The real truth is that there really only 3 major makers of cells....but they sell under many, many brands. It is the assembler of the pack that makes the difference. I have special chargers that measure internal impedence and the noise in battery charging that tells when there are internal "short term problems". The Mavic Pro is just a simple 3 cell LiPo with an internal controller. I am trying to get an old DJI battery from one of the flyers at our field, and will do a tear down to see what "magic" the DJI system has...probably not much. I really want to see if I can use my fancy chargers to recharge the DJI with the right connector. Then I will be able to measure all the details of the charge cycle. But I want to do this on a "used" cell before I risk a new cell. I have a feeling that DJI has a pulse code signal it sends from the battery computer to the flight controller. This is how they keep "experimenters" from making up their own 3 cell packs for about $30 per battery.

I can live with this. I just want to see how much precision they have in their batteries. Do they balance during discharge? Do they signal the flight controller based on battery discharge and temperature state? Do they have a pressure sensor in the packs to tell if swelling has happened? Does the battery keep track of the number of cycles? or is it kept in the flight controller along with SN of the battery pack?

It is my estimated expectation that the Amazon batteries are probably "after hours" manufacturing in the same factory that does DJI manufacturing so that they can be sold "under the table" at reduced rates. This happens all the time in Chinese factories. If anyone knows for sure, please pass the information along.
tjcooper

 

[Soarmax]

I’m guessing that flying with a non-DJI Battery would invalidate the warranty in the case of a crash or fly-a-way. Wonder what it would show for a Serial Number.

 

[HWCM]

has anyone done a tear-down on the $59 battery on
Amazon yet? I really want to know who is the manufacturer of the cells and what controller is used inside the battery to balance and maintain battery life/drain. I just bought one of the $59 from Amazon. It is by Powerextra.....they make many batteries for many different systems. I flew a couple of flights with it and a brand new DJI battery. Got same flight times for both flights. I do a lot of RC planes/drones and have over 30 LiPo chargers. I worked for Sony when they first came out with LiPo, and now for Amazon for tablets.

The real truth is that there really only 3 major makers of cells....but they sell under many, many brands. It is the assembler of the pack that makes the difference. I have special chargers that measure internal impedence and the noise in battery charging that tells when there are internal "short term problems". The Mavic Pro is just a simple 3 cell LiPo with an internal controller. I am trying to get an old DJI battery from one of the flyers at our field, and will do a tear down to see what "magic" the DJI system has...probably not much. I really want to see if I can use my fancy chargers to recharge the DJI with the right connector. Then I will be able to measure all the details of the charge cycle. But I want to do this on a "used" cell before I risk a new cell. I have a feeling that DJI has a pulse code signal it sends from the battery computer to the flight controller. This is how they keep "experimenters" from making up their own 3 cell packs for about $30 per battery.

I can live with this. I just want to see how much precision they have in their batteries. Do they balance during discharge? Do they signal the flight controller based on battery discharge and temperature state? Do they have a pressure sensor in the packs to tell if swelling has happened? Does the battery keep track of the number of cycles? or is it kept in the flight controller along with SN of the battery pack?

It is my estimated expectation that the Amazon batteries are probably "after hours" manufacturing in the same factory that does DJI manufacturing so that they can be sold "under the table" at reduced rates. This happens all the time in Chinese factories. If anyone knows for sure, please pass the information along.
tjcooper

New Charging Cable Adapter for DJI MAVIC PRO Battery to B6 B6AC Balance Charger | eBay

 

[Robert Granata]

I wonder how non-DJI batteries handle the updates.

 

[Soarmax]

I wonder how non-DJI batteries handle the updates.

That’s a great question.

 

[dewster]

I guess now we should worry about Mavics dropping out of the sky.

 

[kidroc]

I've been using two of the power extra mavic batts for about 3 weeks now i have upgraded down graded the FW no problems at all and it shows up as a dji batt even counts the charges and everything we shall see.. time will tell.