Dead/Defective Batteries

[mikesmiley]

I have no problem (now) with how DJI is handling these Chinese knock-off batteries. They are dangerous and shouldn't be allowed in the country in my opinion. I have witnessed 1st hand and have posted here about the knockoff battery issues. I won't buy another.

You ever seen a Phantom come apart and fall from the sky all by itself? Should Phantoms not be allowed in the country?

 

[mikesmiley]

It is clearly stated in the Battery Safety Guidelines manual that you should "Never use Non-DJI batteries".

So in this light, you either did not read the manual (understandable) or you decided to go ahead and disregard an important safety issue. So your argument that you were never told that you could not use 3rd party batts is at best weak.

All OEMs discourage the use of aftermarket anything, and have for like 50 years. Because profit. Duh.

He was NEVER told that he could not use 3rd party batteries. He was told that DJI did not want him to.

 

[AeroVisionz]

All OEMs discourage the use of aftermarket anything, and have for like 50 years. Because profit. Duh.

He was NEVER told that he could not use 3rd party batteries. He was told that DJI did not want him to.

So how do you interpret that line in the Safety Guidelines ? Seems pretty black and white to me. Or are you implying that he was never verbally told ?

 

[Tenly]

It is clearly stated in the Battery Safety Guidelines manual that you should "Never use Non-DJI batteries".

So in this light, you either did not read the manual (understandable) or you decided to go ahead and disregard an important safety issue. So your argument that you were never told that you could not use 3rd party batts is at best weak.

Moving forward, you seem to conclude that the 3rd party batteries are fully compatible with the OEMs. Did you know this before you bought it or was price the driving force?
Honestly, you and I know that they can never be the same.

Now your main gripe is about the way that DJI handled the use of 3rd party batts. I will admit that that would piss me off as well, but just for a microsecond, consider DJI's point of view (I know it may be quite difficult for you). They are putting out a product that could very well EASILY kill people. They may have received numerous reports of birds falling out of the sky caused by 3rd party battery failure (how do you know they haven't). They choose a swift and unpopular response (your opinion) ... IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY.

Summing up......a hypothetical question for you....how would you feel if, god forbid, the bird you were flying, encountered a fault in the battery that DJI specifically stated not to use, dropped out of the sky and killed an innocent child. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes then. All for the sake of a few dollars which you can clearly afford based on your vast inventory of gear that you posted earlier. Take it on the chin and move on. Too much time wasted hear instead of in the air.

You're extremely naive if you believe this is solely or even mostly about safety.

You and some others refer to "third party batteries" as if they are a single thing. They're not. There are several different manufacturers. My statement does not generalize as yours does. Mine states that "some" of them "meet or exceed" DJI requirements.

There are standards organizations that test batteries and award safety certifications. This is not somethings that DJI is obliged to police.

A guideline is not the same thing as a hard and fast rule. Guidelines are recommendations. To be covered on the documentation side, DJI should have put something in the Operations Manual that stated the use of third party batteries is prohibited. Not simply recommending that they not be used to prevent fires under the Safety Guidelines. They should also have announced on their website that - coming soon, flight would be restricted to OEM batteries only. That restrictive software in the firmware does not appear overnight. This was probably in the works for months. An announcement on their website early on would have prevented many people from purchasing third party batteries in the 2 months leaded up to the firmware rollout. Not warning customers was rude and inconsiderate to say the least. Not doing anything to minimize the damage to their customers shows just how much they value those customers.

Your hypothetical question is an attempt at fear mongering and completely invalid - at least it is for me - and it should be for everyone. The situation you describe could never happen to me because I never fly overtop of people - so whether it falls out of the sky or not - there is no risk of personal injury.

The only thing that has kept this thread going is the insistence of some people to:
- propagate lies and misinformation about after market batteries,
- tell me I have no right to be upset by anything that has happened
- defend the way that DJI has treated existing customers

Several people have told me that I should be out flying instead of replying to this thread but here are the reasons that that advice is no good:
- I now have 40 minutes less flying time than previously
- can't fly after dark
- can't fly in the rain
- I type very quickly so it doesn't take nearly as long as they might think for me to bang out a reply
- I take frequent smoke and coffee breaks and I'm able to multi-task so I reply while I'm on a break
- can't fly a drone that's on the bottom of a lake (I have another one now - but for 3 days, I had nothing)

Did I miss anything? Oh yeah - did I know after market batteries could be just as good as OEM before my purchase? Absolutely. I've been buying electronics for years. I also know that after market batteries can be crap and most importantly I know how to tell the difference!

Another thing to clarify is that there is not "a safety issue" with existing after maker batteries - there is a "possible safety issue". DJI's statement is "we can't be sure of the quality of an aftermarket battery". But this is what the safety and standards certification organizations are for. The only reason DJI chooses to take such a hard stance here is to sell more batteries.

Oh - and it's hilarious the way some people will defend DJI's right to make a profit. They imply that if aftermarket batteries are allowed to operate, DJI will not make enough profit to survive! Never mind the fact that 90% of people will still choose OEM batteries or that DJI is making 400%+ in profit margin on those batteries. I think that it's extremely short-sighted for DJI to damage their customer relationships for the sake of capturing 100% of the battery market instead of being happy with 90% - or
reducing their prices on the batteries so that it doesn't make sense to anyone to buy after markets to save 6 or 7 dollars, Do you ever wonder why DJI batteries are priced more than 50% higher than aftermarkets of the same quality? So - it's not just 100% of the market that they want - it's 100% of a market in which they can charge any arbitrary markup at all and people have no choice but to pay it.

In any case - I'm just about done with this thread. If people will just stop jumping in to post misinformation - I'd have nothing to reply to. I believe I have done a good job making my point to those capable of understanding it - and that no amount of further explanation will help the others to see the reality of the situation. Those ones simply lack the facilities needed to process the data so I'll be leaving them with their misinformation, their incorrect assumptions and the opinions that they have arrived at based on all that incorrect data.

Wish me luck. Tomorrow is search and (hopefully) recovery day!

 

[Tenly]

Does anyone have any experience with one of these...or know where I can buy one in Canada?

SEAWOLF SPORT | TTRobotix

 

[AeroVisionz]

You're extremely naive if you believe this is solely or even mostly about safety.

You and some others refer to "third party batteries" as if they are a single thing. They're not. There are several different manufacture. My statement does not generalize as yours does. Mine states that "some" of them "meet or exceed" DJI requirements.

There are standards organizations that test batteries and award safety certifications. This is not somethings that DJI is obliged to police.

A guideline is not the same thing as a hard and fast rule. Guidelines are recommendations. To be covered on the documentation side, DJI should have put something in the Operations Manual that stated the use of third party batteries is prohibited. Not simply recommending that they not be used to prevent fires. They should also have announced on their website that coming soon, flight would be restricted to OEM batteries only. That software in the firmware does not appear overnight. This was probably in the works for months. An announcement on their website early on would have prevented many people from purchasing them in the 2 months leaded up to the firmware rollout. Not doing so was rude and inconsiderate to say the least. Not doing anything to minimize the damage to their customers shows just how much they value those customers.

Your hypothetical question is an attempt at fear mongering and completely invalid - at least it is for me - and it should be for everyone. The situation you describe could never happen to me because I never fly overtop of people - so whether it falls out of the sky or not - there is no risk of personal injury.

The only thing that has kept this thread going is the insistence of some people to:
- propagate lies and misinformation about after market batteries,
- tell me I have no right to be upset by anything that has happened
- defend the way that DJI has treated existing customers

Several people have told me that I should be out flying instead of replying to this thread but here are the reasons that that advice is no good:
- I now have 40 minutes less flying time than previously
- can't fly after dark
- can't fly in the rain
- I type very quickly so it doesn't take nearly as long as they might think for me to bang out a reply
- I take frequent smoke and coffee breaks and I'm able to multi-task so I reply while I'm on a break
- can't fly a drone that's on the bottom of a lake (I have another one now - but for 3 days, I had nothing)

Did I miss anything? Oh yeah - did I know after market batteries could be just as good as OEM before my purchase? Absolutely. I've been buying electronics for years. I also know that after market batteries can be crap and most importantly I know how to tell the difference!

Another thing to clarify is that there is not "a safety issue" with existing after maker batteries - there is a "possible safety issue". DJI's statement is "we can't be sure of the quality of an aftermarket battery". But this is what the safety and standards certification organizations are for. The only reason DJI chooses to take such a hard stance here is to sell more batteries.

Oh - and it's hilarious the way some people will defend DJI's right to make a profit. They imply that if aftermarket batteries are allowed to operate, DJI will not make enough profit to survive! Never mind the fact that 90% of people will still choose OEM batteries or that DJI is making 400%+ in profit margin on those batteries. I think that it's extremely short-sighted for DJI to damage their customer relationships for the sake of capturing 100% of the battery market instead of being happy with 90% - or
reducing their prices on the batteries so that it doesn't make sense to anyone to buy after markets to save 6 or 7 dollars, Do you ever wonder why DJI batteries are priced more than 50% higher than aftermarkets of the same quality? So - it's not just 100% of the market that they want - it's 100% of a market in which they can charge any arbitrary markup at all and people have no choice but to pay it.

In any case - I'm just about done with this thread. If people will just stop jumping in to post misinformation - if have nothing to reply to. I believe I have done a good job making my point to those capable of understanding it - and that no amount of further explanation will help the others to see the reality of the situation. Those ones simply lack the facilities needed to process the data so I'll be leaving them with their misinformation, their incorrect assumptions and the opinions that they have arrived at based on all that incorrect data.

Wish me luck. Tomorrow is search and (hopefully) recovery day!

I still don't see how you can tell if a 3rd party battery exceeds that of the OEMs. You mention standards organizations. Okay. Did the ones you buy come certified for safety ? Is there any accompanying documentation saying that they are functionally the exact same as the OEMs ? As far as 3rd party batteries are concerned, we are specifically talking about Phantom 3 specific smart batteries am I correct ? You don't need to generalize it into all 3rd batteries as I don't think anyone here has broadened it into that scope.

Even if DJI's motive contained a minute hint for safety considerations I would still consider their actions valid. Don't you consider safety an important issue even though it may not have been the overwhelming reason for their action ?. If you don't then that's another story.

My hypothetical question is exactly that but that doesn't mean that it cannot come true. You and I both know it can. And it is pretty naive of you to think that when a drone loses control it just drops out of the sky, it can go anywhere, it is out of control.

Flying in the dark? Flying in the rain ? Really ? It is clearer now that safety may not be the utmost consideration when you fly.

Did I miss anything ? Probably heaps, but I can't be bothered replying to each and every point that you have repeated ad nauseum throughout this thread.

I still keep in the back of my mind the original purpose of your post. I still tend to agree with you there, but that is where it stops.

Good luck in your search and fly safe.

 

[Tenly]

I still don't see how you can tell if a 3rd party battery exceeds that of the OEMs. You mention standards organizations. Okay. Did the ones you buy come certified for safety ? Is there any accompanying documentation saying that they are functionally the exact same as the OEMs ? As far as 3rd party batteries are concerned, we are specifically talking about Phantom 3 specific smart batteries am I correct ? You don't need to generalize it into all 3rd batteries as I don't think anyone here has broadened it into that scope.

Even if DJI's motive contained a minute hint for safety considerations I would still consider their actions valid. Don't you consider safety an important issue even though it may not have been the overwhelming reason for their action ?. If you don't then that's another story.

My hypothetical question is exactly that but that doesn't mean that it cannot come true. You and I both know it can. And it is pretty naive of you to think that when a drone loses control it just drops out of the sky, it can go anywhere, it is out of control.

Flying in the dark? Flying in the rain ? Really ? It is clearer now that safety may not be the utmost consideration when you fly.

Did I miss anything ? Probably heaps, but I can't be bothered replying to each and every point that you have repeated ad nauseum throughout this thread.

I still keep in the back of my mind the original purpose of your post. I still tend to agree with you there, but that is where it stops.

Good luck in your search and fly safe.

I realize I write long messages - but that's no justification for skimming the specific points that you're going to reply to. I really dislike having to repeat myself because somebody can't be bothered to read what I've actually written - and it happens so often.

Flying in the dark, flying in the rain. You call out those points as reasons that I'm not concerned with safety - but if you'll take a moment to re-read and check context - those items are in a list of reasons why I am posting on the forums instead of out flying.

When you start with a negative attitude and are looking for negative things to say - it's easy to misread context. Skimming instead of reading magnifies that.

How did we get from a battery failing to an out of control drone? When batteries fail. The drone drops. It doesn't flyaway or start zigzagging out of control - so no - your scenario can't happen as a result of a failed battery if people are obeying the safety rules of not flying directly over people.

I was generalizing the discussion to include all aftermarket batteries - but if you want to keep it limited to specifically the phantom 3 batteries - that's fine.

I mentioned early on in this thread that the aftermarket batteries had the exact same specifications as the DJI batteries. At the time I made this statement, it was not meant to be a statement that they were functionally identical or even that they use the same cells and same internal circuitry. It meant what most people mean when they talk about battery specifications - the advertised specifications - 4480 mAH, 68kWh and 15.2 volts in an operating environment of 0-40C. My point at the time was that it was advertised as an equivalent replacement for the OEM battery as opposed to having reduced capacity or extended capacity. I have a friend who is an electronics technician (as I used to be) and he has access to a lot of testing equipment. He is also a Phantom owner. He purchased one of these batteries at my request, ran it through a series of lab tests, then disassembled it and examined the workmanship. He then ordered 3 of them for himself and told me that these batteries are at least as good as the OEM batteries with the only question mark being how long it would last compared to the OEM (12 months? 18 months? 24 months? Etc) but he said he has no reason to suspect that it is in any way inferior to the OEM battery. Prior to this, he had purchase a different aftermarket battery and ran it through the same gamut of tests and declared it to be "unsuitable". The plastic was cheaper and brittle and he had trouble balancing the cells. I asked him to write it up and post it but he declined because he was was not supposed to he using company equipment for personal reasons - but anyhow - I don't see how any of that matters. People should be able to make their own decisions and suffer the consequences based on their own appetite for risk.

What does the manual say about props? Is it a guideline that you should only use DJI props? Or are users prohibited from using 3rd party props?

You avoided commenting on DJI's failure to notify users in a timely manner that new restrictions were coming. They knew that customers were purchasing after market batteries, and they knew that in 2 months their new firmware would be out and render those batteries useless. They knew this and they didn't issue an advisory or a warning or a notice. It was rude, inconsiderate and maybe even negligent of them to keep quiet about it - and again - this is what I'm really angry about. Not the fact that aftermarket batteries can't be used - but the way they treated existing customers before, during and after the firmware restrictions were rolled out. And anyone that claims that they did everything perfectly and customers who purchased after market batteries have no right to complain is just being a smug, arrogant jerk - but that's okay - Karma has a way of giving these people what they deserve - and when something similar happens to them - they'll be the first ones here on the forum crying that it's not fair! lol

Thanks for wishing me luck. Hopefully in 8 hours I'll be back reporting success and chronicalling my dry-out attempt...

Planning to wash in distilled water, rinse in alcohol, disassemble, towel dry, blow dry and then put parts in zip lock bags with rice and/or silica desiccant. Leave it for a week, then reassemble and see what happens.

But I'm ahead of myself. The first step is fining it. And most important of all will be determining root cause of the crash!

 

[AeroVisionz]

I realize I write long messages - but that's no justification for skimming the specific points that you're going to reply to. I really dislike having to repeat myself because somebody can't be bothered to read what I've actually written - and it happens so often.

Flying in the dark, flying in the rain. You call out those points as reasons that I'm not concerned with safety - but if you'll take a moment to re-read and check context - those items are in a list of reasons why I am posting on the forums instead of out flying.

When you start with a negative attitude and are looking for negative things to say - it's easy to misread context. Skimming instead of reading magnifies that.

How did we get from a battery failing to an out of control drone? When batteries fail. The drone drops. It doesn't flyaway or start zigzagging out of control - so no - your scenario can't happen as a result of a failed battery if people are obeying the safety rules of not flying directly over people.

I was generalizing the discussion to include all aftermarket batteries - but if you want to keep it limited to specifically the phantom 3 batteries - that's fine.

I mentioned early on in this thread that the aftermarket batteries had the exact same specifications as the DJI batteries. At the time I made this statement, it was not meant to be a statement that they were functionally identical or even that they use the same cells and same internal circuitry. It meant what most people mean when they talk about battery specifications - the advertised specifications - 4480 mAH, 68kWh and 15.2 volts in an operating environment of 0-40C. My point at the time was that it was advertised as an equivalent replacement for the OEM battery as opposed to having reduced capacity or extended capacity. I have a friend who is an electronics technician (as I used to be) and he has access to a lot of testing equipment. He is also a Phantom owner. He purchased one of these batteries at my request, ran it through a series of lab tests, then disassembled it and examined the workmanship. He then ordered 3 of them for himself and told me that these batteries are at least as good as the OEM batteries with the only question mark being how long it would last compared to the OEM (12 months? 18 months? 24 months? Etc) but he said he has no reason to suspect that it is in any way inferior to the OEM battery. Prior to this, he had purchase a different aftermarket battery and ran it through the same gamut of tests and declared it to be "unsuitable". The plastic was cheaper and brittle and he had trouble balancing the cells. I asked him to write it up and post it but he declined because he was was not supposed to he using company equipment for personal reasons - but anyhow - I don't see how any of that matters. People should be able to make their own decisions and suffer the consequences based on their own appetite for risk.

What does the manual say about props? Is it a guideline that you should only use DJI props? Or are users prohibited from using 3rd party props?

You avoided commenting on DJI's failure to notify users in a timely manner that new restrictions were coming. They knew that customers were purchasing after market batteries, and they knew that in 2 months their new firmware would be out and render those batteries useless. They knew this and they didn't issue an advisory or a warning or a notice. It was rude, inconsiderate and maybe even negligent of them to keep quiet about it - and again - this is what I'm really angry about. Not the fact that aftermarket batteries can't be used - but the way they treated existing customers before, during and after the firmware restrictions were rolled out. And anyone that claims that they did everything perfectly and customers who purchased after market batteries have no right to complain is just being a smug, arrogant jerk - but that's okay - Karma has a way of giving these people what they deserve - and when something similar happens to them - they'll be the first ones here on the forum crying that it's not fair! lol

Thanks for wishing me luck. Hopefully in 8 hours I'll be back reporting success and chronicalling my dry-out attempt...

Planning to wash in distilled water, rinse in alcohol, disassemble, towel dry, blow dry and then put parts in zip lock bags with rice and/or silica desiccant. Leave it for a week, then reassemble and see what happens.

But I'm ahead of myself. The first step is fining it. And most important of all will be determining root cause of the crash!

I'm done. You had my support at the beginning of the piece. Now you can take your batteries and your verbal diarrhea and shove it where the sun don't shine.

 

[Tenly]

I'm done. You had my support at the beginning of the piece. Now you can take your batteries and your verbal diarrhea and shove it where the sun don't shine.

And what changed your mind? I didn't think I said anything offensive except maybe my complaint s that you slammed me about safety for no reason (because you misread my message) - but most of my comments about content being misread was meant to be generalized to apply to others. If you thought it was all directed at you - I'll go ahead and apologize for that - although it's an apology that I expected to see from you when you realized you had incorrectly convicted me of being unsafe.

Nothing else in my message should have been offensive. I answered all your questions, countered all your points - politely and accurately. I was actually starting to think - hey here's someone who disagrees with me but at least is willing to discuss it with an open mind.

I honestly don't know what I said to make you withdraw like that - but whatever it was - it wasn't intentional.

All of my arguments on these topics have been logical, accurate and well reasoned. If you have different opinions - that's your prerogative but it doesn't turn mine into verbal diarrhea.

 

[Tenly]

I'm done. You had my support at the beginning of the piece. Now you can take your batteries and your verbal diarrhea and shove it where the sun don't shine.

Oh! I think I see it. You thought I was calling you a "smug, arrogant jerk". I wasn't. You already acknowledged I had a right to be upset about the way DJI treated me - so that section of the message didn't apply to you.

 

[CCDD]

Unless we all support Tenly in his efforts to discredit DJI for not having the right to disable use of aftermarket batteries, then we're all idiots. In addition, we should all see his point that DJI should somehow make him "whole" by either reimbursing his purchase of such batteries or provide some sort of discount on their replacement with an OEM product. Undoubtedly this member demonstrates significant entitlement issues and the more he writes, the more evident it becomes. Just when one thinks he's said enough and perhaps realizes that perhaps he might have made a serious misjudgment, he fires off his pure arrogance expecting more support only to find that more and more members are quickly seeing right through him. Lets end this foolishness and move on.

 

[DPD]

I realize I write long messages - but that's no justification for skimming the specific points that you're going to reply to. I really dislike having to repeat myself because somebody can't be bothered to read what I've actually written - and it happens so often.

Flying in the dark, flying in the rain. You call out those points as reasons that I'm not concerned with safety - but if you'll take a moment to re-read and check context - those items are in a list of reasons why I am posting on the forums instead of out flying.

When you start with a negative attitude and are looking for negative things to say - it's easy to misread context. Skimming instead of reading magnifies that.

How did we get from a battery failing to an out of control drone? When batteries fail. The drone drops. It doesn't flyaway or start zigzagging out of control - so no - your scenario can't happen as a result of a failed battery if people are obeying the safety rules of not flying directly over people.

I was generalizing the discussion to include all aftermarket batteries - but if you want to keep it limited to specifically the phantom 3 batteries - that's fine.

I mentioned early on in this thread that the aftermarket batteries had the exact same specifications as the DJI batteries. At the time I made this statement, it was not meant to be a statement that they were functionally identical or even that they use the same cells and same internal circuitry. It meant what most people mean when they talk about battery specifications - the advertised specifications - 4480 mAH, 68kWh and 15.2 volts in an operating environment of 0-40C. My point at the time was that it was advertised as an equivalent replacement for the OEM battery as opposed to having reduced capacity or extended capacity. I have a friend who is an electronics technician (as I used to be) and he has access to a lot of testing equipment. He is also a Phantom owner. He purchased one of these batteries at my request, ran it through a series of lab tests, then disassembled it and examined the workmanship. He then ordered 3 of them for himself and told me that these batteries are at least as good as the OEM batteries with the only question mark being how long it would last compared to the OEM (12 months? 18 months? 24 months? Etc) but he said he has no reason to suspect that it is in any way inferior to the OEM battery. Prior to this, he had purchase a different aftermarket battery and ran it through the same gamut of tests and declared it to be "unsuitable". The plastic was cheaper and brittle and he had trouble balancing the cells. I asked him to write it up and post it but he declined because he was was not supposed to he using company equipment for personal reasons - but anyhow - I don't see how any of that matters. People should be able to make their own decisions and suffer the consequences based on their own appetite for risk.

What does the manual say about props? Is it a guideline that you should only use DJI props? Or are users prohibited from using 3rd party props?

You avoided commenting on DJI's failure to notify users in a timely manner that new restrictions were coming. They knew that customers were purchasing after market batteries, and they knew that in 2 months their new firmware would be out and render those batteries useless. They knew this and they didn't issue an advisory or a warning or a notice. It was rude, inconsiderate and maybe even negligent of them to keep quiet about it - and again - this is what I'm really angry about. Not the fact that aftermarket batteries can't be used - but the way they treated existing customers before, during and after the firmware restrictions were rolled out. And anyone that claims that they did everything perfectly and customers who purchased after market batteries have no right to complain is just being a smug, arrogant jerk - but that's okay - Karma has a way of giving these people what they deserve - and when something similar happens to them - they'll be the first ones here on the forum crying that it's not fair! lol

Thanks for wishing me luck. Hopefully in 8 hours I'll be back reporting success and chronicalling my dry-out attempt...

Planning to wash in distilled water, rinse in alcohol, disassemble, towel dry, blow dry and then put parts in zip lock bags with rice and/or silica desiccant. Leave it for a week, then reassemble and see what happens.

But I'm ahead of myself. The first step is fining it. And most important of all will be determining root cause of the crash!

Hey Tenly, I see this argument about the batteries isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but I was reading this post and saw that u were talking about drying out phantom that went for a swim. But then I read a little more and I see u haven't retrieved it yet, I jumped the gun a bit. How are u going to get it? I fly over water sometimes, because it is hard to find wide open spaces were I live. I also have ordered one of those Getter Backs, do I need 2on the bird? As far as this subject about batteries it seems opinions are like ******** everyone got one. I wish u the best of luck with everything..


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Tenly]

Hey Tenly, I see this argument about the batteries isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but I was reading this post and saw that u were talking about drying out phantom that went for a swim. But then I read a little more and I see u haven't retrieved it yet, I jumped the gun a bit. How are u going to get it? I fly over water sometimes, because it is hard to find wide open spaces were I live. I also have ordered one of those Getter Backs, do I need 2on the bird? As far as this subject about batteries it seems opinions are like ******** everyone got one. I wish u the best of luck with everything..


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

Ha ha! Yeah - I'll say! It's not even much of an argument. I just started the thread to vent a little but there sure doesn't seem to be any shortage of people who don't want that to happen. Everybody wants to tell me I have no right to be upset or to vent! If they'd just stop responding - or stop presenting incorrect information in their responses and stop misquoting me - there would be nothing left to say and this thread would end.... But even though none of them are obliged to read it, it seems to offend them greatly that it still exists!I Some of them respond just to tell me to stop responding! It's actually getting pretty hilarious at this point....!

I fly over water about 80% of the time. I haven't received my GetterBacks yet but they had 2 attached to the drone in the video and so I ordered two. If you only have one and the drone came to rest on top of it - or with it butted up against some sort of obstacle, I imagine it might have trouble firing. With two of them installed kitty corner to each other, you'd have a much better chance of at least one of them having an unobstructed path to the surface. It might also help with the balance of the drone during regular flight. I don't think that having just one would throw your balance off too badly - but at $16/each, I thought that 2 would be the right call...

Let me know when you get yours! Did you see that link I posted a few messages back for the Sea Wolf submarine? The cheapest version of it is $999 USD and then you still have to add your own camera - but I'm seriously considering picking one up! Would love to get some feedback first though from someone who's actually used one....

Be careful about ending a public message to me without at least implying I'm a moron. If people see you conversing civilly with me, they may shun you! lol

PS: It's too windy at the moment to begin the search operations. I'm hopeful the winds will calm down a little later.

 

[DPD]

Ha ha! Yeah - I'll say! It's not even much of an argument. I just started the thread to vent a little but there sure doesn't seem to be any shortage of people who don't want that to happen. Everybody wants to tell me I have no right to be upset or to vent! If they'd just stop responding - or stop presenting incorrect information in their responses and stop misquoting me - there would be nothing left to say and this thread would end.... But even though none of them are obliged to read it, it seems to offend them greatly that it still exists!I Some of them respond just to tell me to stop responding! It's actually getting pretty hilarious at this point....!

I fly over water about 80% of the time. I haven't received my GetterBacks yet but they had 2 attached to the drone in the video and so I ordered two. If you only have one and the drone came to rest on top of it - or with it butted up against some sort of obstacle, I imagine it might have trouble firing. With two of them installed kitty corner to each other, you'd have a much better chance of at least one of them having an unobstructed path to the surface. It might also help with the balance of the drone during regular flight. I don't think that having just one would throw your balance off too badly - but at $16/each, I thought that 2 would be the right call...

Let me know when you get yours! Did you see that link I posted a few messages back for the Sea Wolf submarine? The cheapest version of it is $999 USD and then you still have to add your own camera - but I'm seriously considering picking one up! Would love to get some feedback first though from someone who's actually used one....

Be careful about ending a public message to me without at least implying I'm a moron. If people see you conversing civilly with me, they may shun you! lol

PS: It's too windy at the moment to begin the search operations. I'm hopeful the winds will calm down a little later.

What's up Tenly. When I first joined this site everybody had good information and was very cordial to each other, but now it's getting to the point where people just want to argue with each other. It's not enough for people to just say I'd rather use OEM batteries that's just my preference they have to argue. Well it's back to work for me for the rest of the day. I will check out that link you were talking about, and definitely not flying over water till I get my Getter Back installed. Have a good day moron. LOL....


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[Storm]

Newby here, I noticed on YouTube that you need to update firmware on batteries as well as phantom and controller, maybe that would fix the aftermarket battery problem. Remember, I'm a newby so, be nice, lol

 

[Tenly]

Newby here, I noticed on YouTube that you need to update firmware on batteries as well as phantom and controller, maybe that would fix the aftermarket battery problem. Remember, I'm a newby so, be nice, lol

Welcome Storm - thanks for the suggestion - but there's nothing to fix. They're not broken. DJI is able to recognize when their own battery is installed and they have decided that unless they detect their own battery, they will not allow the drone to fly.

It still powers up okay and you can navigate all the menus, calibrate the compass and gimbal and IMU. Take pictures and videos, etc. you can do EVERYTHING except fly!

I suppose I could make a harness for it and use it with my aftermarket batteries as a 12MP point and shoot? Or a 4K camcorder?

LOL - if you see a guy at Niagara Falls walking around wearing a Phantom as a necklace - odds are that its me!

 

[Tenly]

Hey Tenly, I see this argument about the batteries isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but I was reading this post and saw that u were talking about drying out phantom that went for a swim. But then I read a little more and I see u haven't retrieved it yet, I jumped the gun a bit. How are u going to get it? I fly over water sometimes, because it is hard to find wide open spaces were I live. I also have ordered one of those Getter Backs, do I need 2on the bird? As far as this subject about batteries it seems opinions are like ******** everyone got one. I wish u the best of luck with everything..


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My GetterBacks arrived yesterday....

 

[RocketBrew]

I suppose I could make a harness for it and use it with my aftermarket batteries as a 12MP point and shoot? Or a 4K camcorder?

Strap it to your car, makes a great dash(roof)cam!

 

[Tenly]

Strap it to your car, makes a great dash(roof)cam!

Ha! That would look pretty badass!

 

[RocketBrew]

Ha! That would look pretty badass!

Not the best photo, but you get the idea!