When to charge your Batteries

RealSting · Apr 16, 2022

Q1. Can one charge their batteries (and still maintain excellent battery health) the day before, say 12-18 hrs before flight?, as I've been charging them on the day of flying which is a pain!

Q2. How can one know when the controller is FULLY charged? mine just FLASHES the four green lights - I was under the impression they all GO OUT when its reached its maximum charge?

Thanks.

ThatBeardedDroneGuy · Apr 16, 2022

I don't have an A2S but with my Mini 2 I've noticed that the batteries usually start around 95-96% when I charge ahead of time. I'm thinking of doing a full charge and then a quick top-off charge before heading out the door.

My controller lights go off when it's done charging.

StantonZ · Apr 16, 2022

RealSting said:
Q1. Can one charge their batteries (and still maintain excellent battery health) the day before, say 12-18 hrs before flight?, as I've been charging them on the day of flying which is a pain!

Here's what I do, and have managed Lithium-based batteries (including my car) for many years.
1) Charge batteries day/night before to full for a flight the next day.
2) Store around 50% charged (2 lights--blinking or not) before next flight. Note: hover for a few minutes if you have to.
Rinse and repeat.

A couple of tips:
1) Whenever possible, avoid charge/discharge when "hot" (e.g. don't charge right after a flight...or fly right after charging)
2) Rotate batteries when possible; it doesn't hurt for a battery to sit idle for a few weeks at time...just don't do it when full or empty (less than ~20%)

snowghost · Apr 16, 2022

Here's a great article done by Mike Singer of the forums.

HOW TO: Maintain and store your DJI drone batteries

Follow these tips to maintain your DJI Phantom, Mavic, or Spark batteries and ensure they are being properly stored when not in use: Don’t charge your batteries unless you’re going to fly. The batteries are programmed to automatically discharge after left unused, so there is no need to fully...

www.djidronenews.com

EricJT · Apr 17, 2022

StantonZ said:
Here's what I do, and have managed Lithium-based batteries (including my car) for many years.
1) Charge batteries day/night before to full for a flight the next day.
2) Store around 50% charged (2 lights--blinking or not) before next flight. Note: hover for a few minutes if you have to.
Rinse and repeat.

A couple of tips:
1) Whenever possible, avoid charge/discharge when "hot" (e.g. don't charge right after a flight...or fly right after charging)
2) Rotate batteries when possible; it doesn't hurt for a battery to sit idle for a few weeks at time...just don't do it when full or empty (less than ~20%)

I live just outside Toronto so my flying season ends late November and begins again in late April. Over those non-flying months I perhaps once or twice charge them back up to 100% and then discharge them to the storage level.

StantonZ · Apr 18, 2022

EricJT said:
I live just outside Toronto so my flying season ends late November and begins again in late April. Over those non-flying months I perhaps once or twice charge them back up to 100% and then discharge them to the storage level.

That's a good idea. I'm usually able to find a couple of days (in Texas) during the winter to fly, which helps keep everything "calibrated". I notice people have had trouble with their IMU/compass/etc. when they don't fly for several months.