Discharging smart battery without flight?

It is not necessary to deep discharge any of the current DJI packs (phantom 3 onwards) and doing so will do nothing to calibrate the available capacity percentage. The battery monitoring circuitry does not perform simple coulomb counting, it is significantly more complex. In fact individual cells IR values are measured and tracked in real time so the fuel gauging circuitry can accurately allow for cell aging in determining usable capacity. Instantaneous and average current demand, loaded and open load voltage, temperature and IR are all measured continuously and inform the algorithm to depict very accurately the battery capacity in real time. You might like to update your article- the considerations you mention are of almost no application to current battery management SOC offered by TI and others in our DJI products and most other devices using LiION cells.

Hi withthebirds - thanks for the info. I respect your opinion but won't get into this debate at this point... people can read up, read what DJI recommends and make their minds up. One thing I'll absolutely agree with: all this stuff applies to LiPo batts (which the vast majority of DJI drones use). LiIon is a whole different matter, so drones with LiIon batts (e.g. Spark) have entirely different considerations!
 
Hi withthebirds - thanks for the info. I respect your opinion but won't get into this debate at this point... people can read up, read what DJI recommends and make their minds up. One thing I'll absolutely agree with: all this stuff applies to LiPo batts (which the vast majority of DJI drones use). LiIon is a whole different matter, so drones with LiIon batts (e.g. Spark) have entirely different considerations!
What you may not appreciate is that LiPO batteries are LiION chemistry and the same considerations apply to both. It is only the packaging (rigid vs soft pouch) that is the principal differentiation.

We don't need to have a debate- we should all do what we can to ensure the information posted here is correct and to learn from each other.

If you are interested in your article providing correct information this white paper will probably help you to update it... http://www.ti.com/lit/wp/slpy002/slpy002.pdf
 
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I really appreciate the responses to my question about discharging dji batteries without actual flight, but I must say, I am so confused now because of the responses conflict with each other. Seems to me that there should be only one true answer here. Me not being versed in all the technologies, am having a difficult time trying to decide who has the correct answer because they all seem to have merit. I need something very elementary without all the other stuff that I am not familiar with. So who is right here, and is there actually a good or proper way to discharge the batteries without having to fly the bird, or should I just leave it to the battery set for 2-3 days and let it go at that? The articles posted here are much do deep for me. I have electronic background at all. Wondering if any other folks are in the same boat that I am in?
Please don't take me wrong, I am grateful for all the help here. Thanks so much.
 
I really appreciate the responses to my question about discharging dji batteries without actual flight, but I must say, I am so confused now because of the responses conflict with each other. Seems to me that there should be only one true answer here. Me not being versed in all the technologies, am having a difficult time trying to decide who has the correct answer because they all seem to have merit. I need something very elementary without all the other stuff that I am not familiar with. So who is right here, and is there actually a good or proper way to discharge the batteries without having to fly the bird, or should I just leave it to the battery set for 2-3 days and let it go at that? The articles posted here are much do deep for me. I have electronic background at all. Wondering if any other folks are in the same boat that I am in?
Please don't take me wrong, I am grateful for all the help here. Thanks so much.

Unfortunately, you'll find a lot of areas in the drone world to be very... gray and with conflicting information. Don't even get me started on drone laws.

However, if all you do is set your batteries to auto discharge in 2 - 3 days, you should be fine. That's probably what a majority of DJI owners do. You may or may not get a slight increase in battery life by following some of the more specific instructions, but the auto discharge works great. It's easy and puts them at a percentage they can stay at for a while. The most important rules that pretty much everyone here can agree on, are try to not fly the drone past 20-25% and don't leave the batteries sitting for long at full charge. Follow that and you should have a lot of fun!
 
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Buy a charger that has the "discharge" function. Problem solved.

That is unnecessary and solves what problem? The batteries will start discharge themselves down to recommended storage level, after the period (days) specified in the DJI app. Recharge fully before flight. Keep it simple.
 
Is there any particular reason you need to discharge the batteries immediately?

Why not just let them discharge on their own per the 5 or 10 day schedule?

AD
Thanks for the link,I know this is an old post , however has it been working well for you ? And also what type of connector do Iget for this unit ? Or do you have a photo of your set up ? Thanks for any info !
 
Only reason for a "hurry up" discharge for me would be if taking my drone on a commercial aircraft.. Son and I have been doing that between Oregon and Colorado. As many times as we've done this, never checked or had an issue with airport security.
 
Only reason for a "hurry up" discharge for me would be if taking my drone on a commercial aircraft..
And that's not a reason anyway because the idea of discharging a battery to travel is a forum myth.
No airline or air safety authority asks for or recommends it.
 
And that's not a reason anyway because the idea of discharging a battery to travel is a forum myth.
No airline or air safety authority asks for or recommends it.

Emirates asked me about my LiPo Powerbanks. Air baltic also asked about any battery items and what charge state. Both informed me that safe discharged level required.
Whether it is in their rules - makes no odds when you are checking in. Argue and you may not fly. They have that option.
 
I really appreciate the responses to my question about discharging dji batteries without actual flight, but I must say, I am so confused now because of the responses conflict with each other. Seems to me that there should be only one true answer here. Me not being versed in all the technologies, am having a difficult time trying to decide who has the correct answer because they all seem to have merit. I need something very elementary without all the other stuff that I am not familiar with. So who is right here, and is there actually a good or proper way to discharge the batteries without having to fly the bird, or should I just leave it to the battery set for 2-3 days and let it go at that? The articles posted here are much do deep for me. I have electronic background at all. Wondering if any other folks are in the same boat that I am in?
Please don't take me wrong, I am grateful for all the help here. Thanks so much.

KISS ....

Set auto discharge days to suit your regime. Forget about ANGELS and all that kerfuffle. Enjoy the simple approach.
 
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And that's not a reason anyway because the idea of discharging a battery to travel is a forum myth.
No airline or air safety authority asks for or recommends it.
Common sense would dictate that one does not take a fully charged
Li-Po onto an aircraft.

Jerry
 
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Common sense would dictate that one does not take a fully charged
Li-Po onto an aircraft.

Jerry


Think the operative terms here : Common Sense !!
 
What you may not appreciate is that LiPO batteries are LiION chemistry and the same considerations apply to both. It is only the packaging (rigid vs soft pouch) that is the principal differentiation.

mmmmm risking wrath of ye gods ... not strictly true.

LiIon and LiPo share foundation but the electrolyte form veers of to each separately. The softy or hard container can be found for BOTH in fact depending on its use.

According to expert online ... this is pasted from QUORA :

"On the basis of chemistry used for ions carrying electrolyte material, Lithium battery can be classified into Lithium ion and lithium Polymer.
Lithium ion battery uses liquid lithium ion as electrolyte while lithium polymer use solid or gelatin like polymers as electrolyte."
 
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Common sense would dictate that one does not take a fully charged Li-Po onto an aircraft.
Think the operative terms here : Common Sense !!
If it was such a commonsense thing, you'd expect the IATA to include it in their guidelines (that all airlines base their battery safety rules on).
You'd also have to apply it to every passenger carrying a laptop, an iPad, a mobile phone or a camera etc.
And you certainly wouldn't have charge points in every seat so passengers could keep their devices charged during the flight.
But the airlines and air safety authorities don't seem to think it's such an important safety issue.
Common sense?
Perhaps you should enlighten the IATA, FAA, CAA and all the airlines.
 
If it was such a commonsense thing, you'd expect the IATA to include it in their guidelines (that all airlines base their battery safety rules on).
You'd also have to apply it to every passenger carrying a laptop, an iPad, a mobile phone or a camera etc.
And you certainly wouldn't have charge points in every seat so passengers could keep their devices charged during the flight.
But the airlines and air safety authorities don't seem to think it's such an important safety issue.
Common sense?
Perhaps you should enlighten the IATA, FAA, CAA and all the airlines.
I'm not Sheeple....
I try to use common sense to protect me and my surroundings.
By all means let us know when you go on a plane with fully charged
high capacity Lithium Polymer batteries and I will avoid boarding that
flight. Might as well put the chances on my side.

Jerry
 
If it was such a commonsense thing, you'd expect the IATA to include it in their guidelines (that all airlines base their battery safety rules on).
You'd also have to apply it to every passenger carrying a laptop, an iPad, a mobile phone or a camera etc.
And you certainly wouldn't have charge points in every seat so passengers could keep their devices charged during the flight.
But the airlines and air safety authorities don't seem to think it's such an important safety issue.
Common sense?
Perhaps you should enlighten the IATA, FAA, CAA and all the airlines.


Please remind me of recent FAA guidelines and rulings regarding the operation of Boeing Max 8 Aircraft ??
 
By all means let us know when you go on a plane with fully charged high capacity Lithium Polymer batteries and I will avoid boarding that flight. Might as well put the chances on my side.
You don't have to worry about me and my batteries.
Almost everyone else on your plane is going to have fully charged lithium batteries with them.
Read post #36 again and think about it.
Please remind me of recent FAA guidelines and rulings regarding the operation of Boeing Max 8 Aircraft ??
I fail to see how that is at all relevant.
Seems you didn't get anything from post #36 either.
If you have so much more commonsense than the airlines and aviation safety authorities, you should get with their experts and give them the benefit of your wisdom.
 
Meta4 :>

Enlighten ?? Relevance ?

1. I gave specific examples that happened to me personally about questioned at Check-In regarding batterys. I can also add that go through many airports such as Dubai and you will see notices warning about batterys and carriage on flights.

2. Your comment "Perhaps you should enlighten the IATA, FAA, CAA and all the airlines. " .... is silly and was shown to be so by my reply regarding the Max 8 Boeing. FAA had been 'enlightened' by physical evidence of crashes and STILL avoided the issue until international pressure was exerted.

We are all entitled to our views, opinions and comments as long as they do not insult or belittle anothers. I did not cross that line.
 

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