Battery Log Form

[Amckim2084]

I only have two batteries but I kept forgetting which one I was using and how much they were getting used so I decided to create a battery log form for me to throw in the box and carry with me every time I go flying so I don't have to log on my account everytime to check or stick in each battery to check. I labeled my batteries 1 and 2 for easy ID and also added the sticker number on the form as well. I attached the form here so you can check it out. If you would like to use it too, I attached another form with my numbers removed. For those with more than two batteries, you can edit on Paint to add additional batteries. Hope this can help some people to keep track of battery info on the field.

 

[flpholt]

dji go app tells you all that info

 

[Amckim2084]

dji go app tells you all that info

I know that but who wants to stick in each and every battery and go through the connecting process to check each one or log onto their account? I'm talking about quick access to information on how many charges and how much used by logging it. If you have multiple batteries, logging will help level out use so one doesn't die out quicker than the other. Nobody wants to sit there switching out batteries checking each one before picking one to use. Head on out, open up the box, see your log, stick in the best battery and take off.

 

[flpholt]

have mine with numbers on them 1 thru 6 start with first one then on from there

 

[Amckim2084]

have mine with numbers on them 1 thru 6 start with first one then on from there

How do you know which one gets more use than the others? I'm talking about how they get used and the percentage of battery life. You have different flight times, different speeds , everything is different each time you fly. Yea, all the batteries will say 100% charged but I'd rather use the one with the highest percentage of life. I'd rather use a battery with 94% life for farther distance and one with 80% life for short distance. Now, when I go fly, I open the box and there's my log telling me which battery is best for how I want to fly.

 

[flpholt]

oldest is number 1 newest is number 6 just fly them in order which puts a rotation on them

 

[Amckim2084]

oldest is number 1 newest is number 6 just fly them in order which puts a rotation on them

I understand what you are saying but battery life will not drain evenly with the rotation. It will drain based on how they are used. You can fly for 20 minutes 6 times in a row and based on how you fly and weather conditions, battery number four can work harder than battery number two and therefore drain the life quicker. Someday you'll be a mile out scratching your head wondering why your battery level dropped so fast saying to yourself "But its only been 15 mins. It was 20 the other day."......well yea, on a better battery. Not trying to hate or argue or anything. Just don't use it.

 

[kevinm]

@amckim2084 I see what you're saying. Diligently rotating the batteries is better than nothing but it has its limitations. I was out flying the other day and the battery dropped from 57% down to 8% instantly! Super scary.

What quad/ground stations do you normally fly with? Depending on that, there's some apps out there that could help you automate the battery logging process.

 

[RedHotPoker]

I only have two batteries but I kept forgetting which one I was using and how much they were getting used so I decided to create a battery log form for me to throw in the box and carry with me every time I go flying so I don't have to log on my account everytime to check or stick in each battery to check. I labeled my batteries 1 and 2 for easy ID and also added the sticker number on the form as well. I attached the form here so you can check it out. If you would like to use it too, I attached another form with my numbers removed. For those with more than two batteries, you can edit on Paint to add additional batteries. Hope this can help some people to keep track of battery info on the field.

View attachment 52192 View attachment 52195

Having them numbered 1-4 is all this one really needs, & as stated the app does all the pertinent thinking for you. ;-)
But if charting your course makes you feel alright, all the power to you bro. A nice pie chart would be tasty as well. Hehe

I see by your chart, that you never bothered with a soft break in, of your intelligent flight batteries?
I wonder how that will play out in the end game...

RedHotPoker

 

[Amckim2084]

@amckim2084 I see what you're saying. Diligently rotating the batteries is better than nothing but it has its limitations. I was out flying the other day and the battery dropped from 57% down to 8% instantly! Super scary.

What quad/ground stations do you normally fly with? Depending on that, there's some apps out there that could help you automate the battery logging process.

Phantom 3 Standard. I've been using litchi waypoints lately but other then that, just normal use with GO. Distance tests are full speed flies and just getting shots are nice and easy flies. I do check the batteries with the app and on my account but this is just a written log for when I go out to fly and as soon as I open the box, there's my log and I know which to use for what I want to do.

 

[Amckim2084]

Having them numbered 1-4 is all this one really needs, & as stated the app does all the pertinent thinking for you. ;-)
But if charting your course makes you feel alright, all the power to you bro. A nice pie chart would be tasty as well. Hehe

I see by your chart, that you never bothered with a soft break in, of your intelligent flight batteries?
I wonder how that will play out in the end game...

RedHotPoker

It does have some benefit. If I'm doing waypoints which normally go out of my signal range, I would feel better using a battery that has 99% life then a battery that has 95% life. I did the same mission twice one day both starting at 100% and my 99% battery life landed at 30% while the 100% battery life landed at 36%. Gives me an idea of how to plan future missions.

 

[Amckim2084]

I see by your chart, that you never bothered with a soft break in, of your intelligent flight batteries?
I wonder how that will play out in the end game...

RedHotPoker

This is a new hobby for me. I was a bit rough starting out. I'm assuming you are referring to how there were only 6 charges on battery one and it already has 99% life left. I pushed it hard for distance tests at the beginning. By the time I got the second battery a few months later, I had calmed down a bit which is why the second battery still says 100%.

 

[RedHotPoker]

Soft break in, It has been suggested by some, to only fly new batteries down to 50% the first ten flights. And to deep cycle them after every twenty full charges, drain to 8% then charge back to 100%.
Not everyone follows this rule or suggestion, I did with all 4 mine.

I may never know for sure if it made any difference to actuall battery longevity. Time may tell. . . Or-not. ;-)

RedHotPoker

 

[Amckim2084]

Soft break in, It has been suggested by some, to only fly new batteries down to 50% the first ten flights. And to deep cycle them after every twenty full charges, drain to 8% then charge back to 100%.
Not everyone follows this rule or suggestion, I did with all 4 mine.

I may never know for sure if it made any difference to actuall battery longevity. Time may tell. . . Of not. ;-)

RedHotPoker

I guess that would make sense. When I started this, I only learned how to fly and use the different features but I never paid attention to learning about the batteries. I'm only just now starting to care about the batteries. I realized that someday, I may be out there and the % may drop on me with no time to get home lol.

 

[RedHotPoker]

Hopefully your drone will land safely and not take a nose dive, or tank into the deep drink, as others have experienced recently. You can always top your batteries charge up, before going out to fly. You might have to turn a battery on first, before applying the charger, if it's at 94% or above.
That's a good reminder for me too, before I leave today. I always bring my drone with me, when I go off on a journey or mission. ;-)

RedHotPoker

 

[Amckim2084]

Hopefully your drone will land safely and not take a nose dive, or tank into the deep drink, as others have experienced recently. You can always top your batteries charge up, before going out to fly. You might have to turn a battery on first, before applying the charger, if it's at 94% or above.
That's a good reminder for me too, before I leave today. I always bring my drone with me, when I go off on a journey or mission. ;-)

RedHotPoker

Funny you mention the deep drink. This is my second P3S. Over Christmas, I visited family 1000 miles away. Got carried away and clipped a tree branch. Immediately lost signal and it drifted out over a lake. It was a slow motion moment. Hit the water only 10 feet out from the dock at about 6 feet deep. 30 degree weather so I couldn't go in. Couldn't fish it out either. Had to go home without it. Still there now. My brother will try to get it back when it warms up. I don't expect it to work anymore. I just want the SD card in hopes to get the video.

By the way, I took off at 94% but it turned on at 100%. I had just gotten Litchi so I was messing with the settings and doing some close range flights before starting the mission that day.

 

[RedHotPoker]

Ah, that makes sense. Well, just be aware of the voltage in the top right corner, keep an eye on that from time to time, and remember it only shows the lowest cell. ;-)

These drones are a lot of fun, and quite easy to fly, but there is plenty of responsibility that goes along with piloting any drone, be it micro or majestic.

The Phantom forums are a great place to share, learn and enjoy the hobby together. Plenty of bright folks with years of experience for us rank amateurs to look up to, admire and bump elbows with at the flying fields. Haha

RedHotPoker

 

[kevinm]

@amckim2084 If you primarily use Litchi, you should consider checking out Healthy Drones. It gives you some cool battery analytics using the flight logs from Litchi. Could be what you're looking for.

I'm also trying to do something similar at trydash.nvdrones.com. Feel free to check it out and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Best of luck with your flying!

 

[Amckim2084]

@amckim2084 If you primarily use Litchi, you should consider checking out Healthy Drones. It gives you some cool battery analytics using the flight logs from Litchi. Could be what you're looking for.

I'm also trying to do something similar at trydash.nvdrones.com. Feel free to check it out and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Best of luck with your flying!

I do have Healthy Drones account. Signed up as soon as I got Litchi. It was then when I looked at the battery stats and decided to do a written log on charges and percentage. It does help alot to have these stats. I never realized the whole voltage thing and deviations. I still don't understand some of it. Battery 2 does show red on cell 1 on one flight but was fine on another flight a few days before. Here it is:

 

[kevinm]

@amckim2084 The deviations are useful to possibly predict the health of your battery and future performance. If you're seeing an increasing trend of higher cell deviations it could be a sign of a deteriorating battery. If you only saw these deviations for one flight then it's probably something you should keep your eye on but not necessarily jump to any conclusions yet.

If you're seeing these deviations on a consistent basis then it's probably a sign of an underlying problem affecting your battery health.