USB port on Mavic 3 Powered?

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I haven't tested this because I can't find my USB Voltage tool. Does the Mavic 3 supply power to the USB C port on the back of it during flight?

 

[msinger]

Yes, the USB port on the Mavic 3 is powered. You can use it to charge devices or to power accessories such as a USB light or a USB fan.

Keep in mind that the USB port is intended for charging devices or powering low-power accessories, and it may not be able to support devices that require a high power draw. It is also important to use only compatible and properly rated devices with the USB port to avoid damaging the Mavic 3 or the connected device.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yes, the USB port on the Mavic 3 is powered. You can use it to charge devices or to power accessories such as a USB light or a USB fan.

Keep in mind that the USB port is intended for charging devices or powering low-power accessories, and it may not be able to support devices that require a high power draw. It is also important to use only compatible and properly rated devices with the USB port to avoid damaging the Mavic 3 or the connected device.

Can that port also be used to add a power brick to the drone for additional flight time, assuming you also found a way to safely mount it?

 

[msinger]

Can that port also be used to add a power brick to the drone for additional flight time

That port can be used to charge the battery, so I guess it would be technically possible. Safely though? Not sure.

 

[karlblessing]

Port can charge the battery yes, but I highly doubt it would allow charging while in flight. Plus the battery charge is much slower than the battery discharge, the drone will end the flight when the internal battery reaches near zero. It's not going to run direct off the USB port.

Your best bet is to just use the extended battery which already gives 40+ minutes flight time safely.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Port can charge the battery yes, but I highly doubt it would allow charging while in flight. Plus the battery charge is much slower than the battery discharge, the drone will end the flight when the internal battery reaches near zero. It's not going to run direct off the USB port.

Your best bet is to just use the extended battery which already gives 40+ minutes flight time safely.

If it will allow any charging of the battery during flight, which was my question, it could extend the flight time, assuming the added mAH exceed the loss in flight time from the extra weight of the charging brick. From past battery mods, doubling the stock mAH with external batteries increased flight time by roughly 50%. Even if the charging was at 50% of the rate of discharge during flight, it could potentially add 25% to the flight time. You can never have enough flight time at your destination, and returning to the launch site, landing and swapping batteries, and returning to the destination doesn't solve that problem very effectively. Adding even 5 minutes to the total flight time could save 4 additional trips, if one only had 1 minute at the destination on one battery.

Certainly worth testing.

 

[karlblessing]

If it will allow any charging of the battery during flight, which was my question, it could extend the flight time, assuming the added mAH exceed the loss in flight time from the extra weight of the charging brick. From past battery mods, doubling the stock mAH with external batteries increased flight time by roughly 50%. Even if the charging was at 50% of the rate of discharge during flight, it could potentially add 25% to the flight time. You can never have enough flight time at your destination, and returning to the launch site, landing and swapping batteries, and returning to the destination doesn't solve that problem very effectively. Adding even 5 minutes to the total flight time could save 4 additional trips, if one only had 1 minute at the destination on one battery.

Certainly worth testing.

You also have to consider the loss of time from adding the additional payload weight, a battery that is going to provide a good flow is typically also going to be heavy. Improvement might be negliable.

But I doubt it would charge during flight , plus I don't know how it might impact the battery performance when doing larger discharges (higher prop speeds, maneuvers,etc) and if it'll do anything temperature wise trying to charge the cells at the same time.

 

[GadgetGuy]

You also have to consider the loss of time from adding the additional payload weight, a battery that is going to provide a good flow is typically also going to be heavy. Improvement might be negliable.

But I doubt it would charge during flight , plus I don't know how it might impact the battery performance when doing larger discharges (higher prop speeds, maneuvers,etc) and if it'll do anything temperature wise trying to charge the cells at the same time.

Already considered, as I alluded to, from adding external batteries in parallel in the past on the P4 and P3P: "doubling the stock mAH with external batteries increased flight time by roughly 50%."

Rather than doubt or speculation, let's first confirm it works. It may, in fact, be a way of adding external batteries.

 

[vasekdvor]

I have the same opinion as karlblessing. The temperature will rise (even in flight where there is wind flow, which can cool the battery). I think too, that the drone doesn't allow to charge batttery during the flight, but you can test it, it would be nice to find out if this would work or not. Please let us know.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I have the same opinion as karlblessing. The temperature will rise (even in flight where there is wind flow, which can cool the battery). I think too, that the drone doesn't allow to charge batttery during the flight, but you can test it, it would be nice to find out if this would work or not. Please let us know.

I experiencing a similar heating issue on an iPhone connected to a charging brick, while using it continuously for video. It overheated the iPhone to where the display went black, and would not record until it cooled down.

So you both make a good point about the continual charging generating additional heat to an already hot battery during flight. It's quite different than two batteries in parallel, where neither is charging the other, in the traditional external battery addition.

Still haven't tried it, but I'm less enthusiastic about it now, even if it is possible, which seems even less likely now. DJI is pretty good about anticipating these sorts of adverse events and prohibiting them.

Still, good to know it can be used powering external devices during flight!