USB-C PD on mini 2 works! (25W charge)

quemazon · Dec 4, 2020

I purchased a portable battery bank with the purpose of charging the mini 2 while backpacking. The battery only supports usb-c PD (and regular USB-A), while the mini 2 would appear to only support qualcomm QC 3.0. Since my battery pack doesn't support QC 3.0, I figured it would default to a slow charge rate. But my battery monitor indicates that it's charging at 25W. So, in case you were wondering, the mini 2 appears to support USB-C PD.

John Locke · Dec 5, 2020

That's good to know. I have a 6amp USB super charger for my phone. I was wondering if the MM2 batteries would take a faster charge. At 6A that's 30W, and since the battery is a 17ah battery, I'm guessing it would take about 35min to charge to full from zero, assuming the battery can take a full 30W charge rate.

Has anyone else tried to charge at a 30W rate through USB C?

DanMan32 · Dec 6, 2020

I suspect QC and USB-C PD are similar protocols, except PD allowing for more power. But then some QC systems can utilize 20v.

quemazon · Dec 6, 2020

DanMan32 said:
I suspect QC and USB-C PD are similar protocols, except PD allowing for more power. But then some QC systems can utilize 20v.

Yes, they're similar, and with the latest versions I think they are somewhat interchangeable. It's hard to say if the drone is using full PD protocol or if it's QC 4.0 (which appears to be compatible with PD). Either way, I can fast-charge the drone from a power bank, which means that it's practical to carry only 1 or 2 DJI batteries.

edit: according to wikipedia, QC 4.0 can charge at a maximum of 27W when connected to a PD charger--which is exactly what I'm seeing.

DanMan32 · Dec 6, 2020

If anyone's curious, QC selects the power voltage by applying small voltages on the data lines. I was able to find this by Googling. I posted about it months ago so its here somewhere.

John Locke · Dec 10, 2020

quemazon said:
Yes, they're similar, and with the latest versions I think they are somewhat interchangeable. It's hard to say if the drone is using full PD protocol or if it's QC 4.0 (which appears to be compatible with PD). Either way, I can fast-charge the drone from a power bank, which means that it's practical to carry only 1 or 2 DJI batteries.

edit: according to wikipedia, QC 4.0 can charge at a maximum of 27W when connected to a PD charger--which is exactly what I'm seeing.

Have you timed charging your MM2 batteries at 27W? It should be around 37min. Just curious.

quemazon · Dec 10, 2020

John Locke said:
Have you timed charging your MM2 batteries at 27W? It should be around 37min. Just curious.

I didn't time it. I monitored it occasionally, and it stayed pegged at about 26W until was almost full, then it dropped down to about 7W. I'm pretty sure it was under an hour, but I didn't get the exact time.

SecureHttp · Dec 11, 2020

quemazon said:
I didn't time it. I monitored it occasionally, and it stayed pegged at about 26W until was almost full, then it dropped down to about 7W. I'm pretty sure it was under an hour, but I didn't get the exact time.

I already have fly more combo, but I like to just zip around, so I'm wanting to get more flight time. I'd love to find out actual charge time numbers from you, because it will influence whether I buy an extra battery or just a PD power-bank.

vili · May 6, 2021

Anybody can link a good powerbank, which can charge my mini2 battery inside the drone in 30-40 minutes while hiking?

John Locke · May 6, 2021

vili said:
Anybody can link a good powerbank, which can charge my mini2 battery inside the drone in 30-40 minutes while hiking?

Yes, great idea. I use a 20ah powerbank in my backpack all the time for that purpose, works great. After I fly I'll swap batteries and fly again while the spent battery is in the charge cradle recharging. I can fly a couple hours that way if needed.

vili · May 6, 2021

Cool! But you have to wait if used battery is hot, right? How much, few minutes?
Also, how do you charge the used battery? Which charger?
I only have one battery (got the drone yesterday

and like to fly 20 minutes, then go to next place, while charging in the drone with a powerbank, and fly again 20 minutes.

DJayI · May 6, 2021

vili said:
How much, few minutes?

I would assume until it is not hot or not very warm to the touch. The battery will not allow itself to be charged if it is too hot. It is a good practice to let batteries cool prior to charging, goes for all RC related battery chemistries I have used through the years.