Beware of Battery LED indicators

[Philltayl]

Rather Rude Phil... why would I be pissed...?

I don't think you are seeing the point, yes 4 binary bits can represent numbers from 0 to 15, but only if each of the bits can be turned on or off individually.

How often have you seen the first LED on your battery and the third LED switched on at the same time...... NEVER unless the battery was faulty.

Aassuming that the first LED which could light up is on the right hand side of the row ( we will call that LED 1 and the last or fourth LED that could light up when the battery is fully charged is on the left, and further assume that all of the LED's are switched "On" you would have a representation of the decimal number 15 ie 1 1 1 1 in Hexidecimal notation.

On a DJI flight battery you will not get a tri-state representation, because all of the LED's only light up or flash sequentially from the first LED to the last LED.
So you will not see LED 1 "On" LED 2 "Off" LED 3 "OFF" LED 4 "On" eg 1001 the Hex notation for the Decimal number 9.

If DJI had arranged it so that the LED's were able to switch on individually, you could get 0 1 1 0 = decimal 6, but they have not done so, how further confusing would it have been if DJI had allowed for example, 0 1 1 (0) but the last LED the one in () was flashing.

Look at the " Battery Protection LED Display" chart in the manual, where individual LED's can flash on and off to display a type of error code, Would it not further confuse an OP if the LED's flashed in a non sequential order.

Phil I'm not raining on your parade... I see that you do understand Hex notation and Tri-State conditions, but I think you are missing the point, DJI have used a SIMPLE code to visiually indicate the charge state of the battery, so exactly what was your meaning in #7 of this post, enlighten me please.

Waylander

You sort of miss the point......... I never said that's what it did........It was my view on how it might work.

 

[120CCPM]

You sort of miss the point......... I never said that's what it did........It was my view on how it might work.

Guys, it does not work like that, so arguing on how it might/should/could work is a bit pointless, isn't it? Look at the chart posted by @msinger: that's the way DJI decided to go. LEDs can display 9 levels of charge, each indicating a 12.5% range, period.

 

[Waylander]

Guys, it does not work like that, so arguing on how it might/should/could work is a bit pointless, isn't it? Look at the chart posted by @msinger: that's the way DJI decided to go. LEDs can display 9 levels of charge, each indicating a 12.5% range, period.

Which is what I said... 0 0 0 0 to 1 1 1 1

 

[solentlife]

Guys the permutations of LED's for charge / life indication are more than just a few ... but what does it matter ? There is a chart in the manual if anyone really needs it.

The thread was started to show those who are new to the P3 (and some who should know better !! ) that the LED's should only be read as a general idea of charge and especially at 4 solid LED's not assumed to be 100%

C'mon guys ...

Nigel

 

[Waylander]

Guys the permutations of LED's for charge / life indication are more than just a few ... but what does it matter ? There is a chart in the manual if anyone really needs it.

The thread was started to show those who are new to the P3 (and some who should know better !! ) that the LED's should only be read as a general idea of charge and especially at 4 solid LED's not assumed to be 100%

C'mon guys ...

Nigel

Yep you are correct, I got carried away with the fine detail, not to worry I've got much more interesting things to do now.... just got an email to say my DJI goggles will arrive today, after 6 weeks wait, I wonder what LED's.... NOooooo ! ha ha only joking.

Have a good day

Waylander

 

[Tarkington Studios]

Just to complete the voltage story ... two flights just now and I compared GO with Litchi for display ..

GO showed a voltage of 3.60V and 30% when landing. Just as it was touching down - my low battery alarm went which I have set for 30%.

Litchi landed similarly about 30% but strangely the voltage shown under the % was 4.26V which is wrong ! It never changed.

Videos on my channel if anyones interested..... "solentlifeuk"

Nigel

Subscribed [emoji106]

 

[pomonabill220]

I'm unusual - I will download manuals for gear BEFORE buying and study them

not THAT unusual.... I do that also so I KNOW up front what I need to do and what to expect... eliminates alot of "surprises"!

 

[pomonabill220]

Also.. to stretch the point.. not ALL people that buy Phantoms can count in binary/hex, so I think DJI just tried to make the display as simple as possible.. BUT you STILL need to READ the manual to decipher the flashes.
Unless it was a numeric display where there is NO question, any type of "bar graph" display would need interpretation.

 

[gunslinger]

Keep it civil please...

-Gil

 

[solentlife]

Keep it civil please...

-Gil

Bit late with that aren't you ?? Things have already quietened down ..

Nigel

 

[gunslinger]

Bit late with that aren't you ?? Things have already quietened down ..

Nigel

I was reacting to a complaint from a fellow member. Also... I don't need unnecessary derogatory comments. If you'd like a short vacation, please continue...

-slinger

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

My whole point was to try and get the new owners who come here to understand that just checking LED"s on the battery does not actually give a straight exact answer.

But it does, exactly as the owners manual chart indicates.

I'm only responding because you are telling people that the LEDs are not to be trusted ("Do not trust the LED's"), which is incorrect and you still don't seem to have owned up to that. For those of us that have read the manual, we see that chart and trust that our batteries will be within well documented ranges.

You're also indicating that DJI is doing something wrong ("DJI is not being completely upfront I'm afraid"). Their range chart, documented in the manual, could hardly be more upfront.

Maybe they should add this to a caption on the chart: "WARNING: 4 SOLID LEDs CAN POSSIBLY INDICATE SOMETHING LESS THAN 100%", but that would be redundant info, since the chart already tells us that.

Chris

 

[solentlife]

Oh dear ...

New owners - I actually had this exact item with a new guy in the field which prompted the original idea to post - are not the best Manual readers and one who then picks up his battery ... presses the button and sees 4 LED ... Oh that's fine - batterys fully charged - I'll go fly.

Guy in the field was adamant that 4 LED's meant battery fully 100% charged.

If you are a reader of manual and understand the chart - fine ... no argument. But many new owners do not the read charts as well as you.

As to DJI - this is one of many items that they 'skid over' ...

Again I say - the LED's are not exact values. You say it yourself - they show a RANGE ... which is my whole point ! FOR NEW OWNERS !!

Nigel

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

No, a responsible thing is to tell new owners is to READ THE MANUAL.

In your first post of this thread, you seemed shocked and surprised that 4 solid LEDs did not necessarily mean 100% charge. Did you not read the manual before flying, or did you simply forget this part?

Look, this isn't rocket surgery. Those battery indicators are working the same way on all of my appliances that have just a few LEDS to indicate values between 0-100.

They don't all fly in the sky ("watch out, a beard trimmer is buzzing us at the park!"), but the ALL COME WITH MANY WARNINGS ABOUT READING THE INSTRUCTIONS. They sometimes go so far as to put the QUICK GUIDE with warnings taped to the top of the inside box, which have to remove and ignore before you can get inside to the product.

But just in case a new drone owner hasn't shaved or used a kitchen appliance yet, they still have a brand spanking new owners manual with their new UAV. What the heck are they doing while charging their first battery?

If you are a reader of manual and understand the chart - fine ... no argument. But many new owners do not the read charts as well as you.

They should. It's nobody else's fault if they don't.

And it's certainly not DJI skidding over any damned thing.

Oh dear indeed.

 

[Philltayl]

Calm down.........I suppose I started it by suggesting that it might/could/should have been a digital display with 16 states indicated....

 

[solentlife]

And where is that "they still have a brand spanking new owners manual with their new UAV" ....

Sorry but the Manual has NEVER been in the box !!

And I have been flying / using RC for over 50 years ... Multi-Rotors - to give their proper name - for quite a few years .. certainly a lot longer than you and I have been on this forum.

If you cannot accept that even ONE incident saved by my pointing out to new guys - then sorry - not my problem.

World is not perfect and if a post can help prevent an 'event' ...

Nigel

 

[solentlife]

Calm down.........I suppose I started it by suggesting that it might/could/should have been a digital display with 16 states indicated....

Phil .. not at all ... just a guy who wants to make a point at my expense.

Nigel

 

[magicj23]

who cares just buy another battery to replace the low one after use, geezzz

 

[solentlife]

who cares just buy another battery to replace the low one after use, geezzz

What has that got to do with the LED indicators ?? We are not talking about replacing battery pack !

And "geezzz" ... if that's a sign of discontent at the thread - don't read it ... scroll on past .. especially since it seems you have subject wrong !!

Nigel

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Sorry but the Manual has NEVER been in the box !!

They don't come in the box anymore? They did for mine. I have a folder full of hard copies to prove it.

To anyone: is there nothing in the box at all these days, not even a quick start guide that gives you a URL for downloading the manual?

Speck.