Dual Battery Mod

[Ed209]

thanks guys. i pulled off the power lead on the switched side, i don't get any power on the unswitched side (the middle one).

when you plugin an external to that, do you have to use the button on the board to 'turn it on' or does LED lights come on on their own?

Still need to use the button... The unswitched side is where the OEM battery is connected to so by connecting your XT60 to it, you're essentially making whatever external battery you connect, the DJI battery. So it needs to be powered on by the button. Look at the board...Battery connected to unswitched side...Switch side has the leads that go to the DJI connector...When you power on the battery, the switched side becomes "live" which is what turns on your bird.

 

[Digdat0]

Still need to use the button... The unswitched side is where the OEM battery is connected to so by connecting your XT60 to it, you're essentially making whatever external battery you connect, the DJI battery. So it needs to be powered on by the button. Look at the board...Battery connected to unswitched side...Switch side has the leads that go to the DJI connector...When you power on the battery, the switched side becomes "live" which is what turns on your bird.

okay, so this is what i've done and i cannot get any power to that power lead. its like its dead. nothing happens when i hit the button, charge, etc. I think i killed this board :/

 

[Ed209]

okay, so this is what i've done and i cannot get any power to that power lead. its like its dead. nothing happens when i hit the button, charge, etc. I think i killed this board :/

If your balance lead was done wrong you probably fried the board. You would have seen a quick spark when connecting the balance plugs together if you did it wrong...How do I know all this? Because I did it myself! Next one I used the meter on the wires to identify which end was pos...

 

[Digdat0]

If your balance lead was done wrong you probably fried the board. You would have seen a quick spark when connecting the balance plugs together if you did it wrong...How do I know all this? Because I did it myself! Next one I used the meter on the wires to identify which end was pos...

I will not publicly admit that i saw sparks, but i did .. and maybe a little smoke it was VERY clear that i had the ground on the wrong side LOL. oh well, it was extra.

 

[petermeter]

hello! very interesting thread, (esp. after the antenna builds i did)
if i understand correctly,
it is possible to carefully remove the cells of a used worn out stock battery,
and conncect a 4s highvoltage lipo, e.g. a "multistar lihv 5200 4s battery" like this:
- main leads of the ms5200 to the unswitched side of the smart board,
where the internal cells had been connected,
- balancing wires from smart board:
5 black wires to the balancing plug of the ms5200 (checking polarity first)
any other things to do? (besides of mounting the pack)
can i charge this frankensteinbattery with the dji charger?

another version:
add a ms5200 to an intact stock battery,
main leads to unswitched side,
does it make sense to split the balancing wires from the smart board
and also connect them to the ms5200 balancing plug?
(i´ve seen a 5 wire cable coming out a modded stock battery with original cells
still in place, on a photo somewhere in this thread)
could this combo then be charged by the dji charger?

 

[maxwell smart]

The best way to carry the Multystar battery, is under the VSP sensor. And then run a XT60 connector to a good DJI battery. The XT60 connector is then soldered to the DJI battery on the unpowered side. That would be where the battery plugs in to the bird.

E="petermeter, post: 923838, member: 65056"]hello! very interesting thread, (esp. after the antenna builds i did)
if i understand correctly,
it is possible to carefully remove the cells of a used worn out stock battery,
and conncect a 4s highvoltage lipo, e.g. a "multistar lihv 5200 4s battery" like this:
- main leads of the ms5200 to the unswitched side of the smart board,
where the internal cells had been connected,
- balancing wires from smart board:
5 black wires to the balancing plug of the ms5200 (checking polarity first)
any other things to do? (besides of mounting the pack)
can i charge this frankensteinbattery with the dji charger?

another version:
add a ms5200 to an intact stock battery,
main leads to unswitched side,
does it make sense to split the balancing wires from the smart board
and also connect them to the ms5200 balancing plug?
(i´ve seen a 5 wire cable coming out a modded stock battery with original cells
still in place, on a photo somewhere in this thread)
could this combo then be charged by the dji charger?[/QUOTE]

 

[maxwell smart]

Can we see your antenna mods ??

 

[petermeter]

The best way to carry the Multystar battery, is under the VSP sensor. And then run a XT60 connector to a good DJI battery. The XT60 connector is then soldered to the DJI battery on the unpowered side. That would be where the battery plugs in to the bird.

ok, thanks! why the unpowered (switched) side?
ive read the thread to page 44 till now, not here on page 96 already.. still dont understand why,
sorry for noobish questions.
8if the hot side is used, it might be charged with the dji charger, isnt it?)
besides that, do the external cells "share" the balancing wires with the internal ones?

the other version without dji cells but only skeletton and board seems to work fine,
as i see proven in your video nice antenna mast btw
do you use the powered or unpowered side in this mod?
is there any specific order required when plugging in, turning on?

Can we see your antenna mods ??

sure, just some diy helicals and cloverleafs for my p3s, greatly improved range.
also did the infamous ce-fcc 27db scriptmod, but only to 24dbm because of reported overheating issues

 

[maxwell smart]

The idea is to use a DJI battery and a MS battery together. You charge the MS battery with a non DJI charger.This has been the best setup so far.
You will have a plug on the DJI battery to plug in your external battery. You power the P3 up with the DJI battery and then you plug in the MS battery. The DJI battery will make the P3 think it is OK, and running on a DJI battery. A member here has got a lot of flight time out of this setup. He is Dirtybum and is on vacation ,sort of. Look for his post in this thread. Go back to post 70 or so.

 

[petermeter]

thank you for clarification, im only on page 63 now...,
still dont get it why the horizon mod allows charging via dji charger,
despite the main leads of the aux batts are connected to the unpowered side, where also the charger is connected, so the (dumb, unmanaged) charger voltage is directly connected to the aux battery cells, which cant be good. ? the balancing wires are also connected rbut how can they prevent overcharge when the charger is also connected directly to the cells??? is there a diode added?

in your quite entertaining video, with the "empty" dji battery, did you connect the external battery on the powered or unpowered side of the smartcapboard?
i ask because i like the idea of just using old dji batteries to harvest the smartboard and use any single or split hv-lipo pack as a easy accessible, dji-independent replacement

 

[DENGLISH]

The idea is to use a DJI battery and a MS battery together. You charge the MS battery with a non DJI charger.This has been the best setup so far.
You will have a plug on the DJI battery to plug in your external battery. You power the P3 up with the DJI battery and then you plug in the MS battery. The DJI battery will make the P3 think it is OK, and running on a DJI battery. A member here has got a lot of flight time out of this setup. He is Dirtybum and is on vacation ,sort of. Look for his post in this thread. Go back to post 70 or so.

ok so im going to get this battery mod - Phantom 3 Power Mod V3

question is would i be ok to change the 4s external lipos to bigger ones using this setup ? using the dji charger to charge the dji lipo and the 2 external lipos at the same time, using the split 5200 4s lipos would get me extra 7-10 mins i think,but only issue would be the weight increase/extra flight time gains.

 

[maxwell smart]

Yes on that big battery I had solder to the power side, or the center of the board. It was an exsperament that I thought would not work, but it works great. The trick to that one is getting the balance leads right. And dont ask, I just got lucky on that part.

QUOTE="petermeter, post: 924089, member: 65056"]thank you for clarification, im only on page 63 now...,
still dont get it why the horizon mod allows charging via dji charger,
despite the main leads of the aux batts are connected to the unpowered side, where also the charger is connected, so the (dumb, unmanaged) charger voltage is directly connected to the aux battery cells, which cant be good. ? the balancing wires are also connected rbut how can they prevent overcharge when the charger is also connected directly to the cells??? is there a diode added?

in your quite entertaining video, with the "empty" dji battery, did you connect the external battery on the powered or unpowered side of the smartcapboard?
i ask because i like the idea of just using old dji batteries to harvest the smartboard and use any single or split hv-lipo pack as a easy accessible, dji-independent replacement[/QUOTE]

 

[DENGLISH]

Yeah man just mod the battery if you'd like, a light pair of Maxamps 2000's Will get you 30 minutes

hi bud,

would i be ok to add larger 4s external lipos than the split 5200mah 4s lipos that this battery mod comes with - Phantom 3 Power Mod V3

also issue with the weight increase/flight time gains, No issues with adding higher/bigger 4s lipos on the setup above ?

thanks

 

[maxwell smart]

ok so im going to get this battery mod - Phantom 3 Power Mod V3

question is would i be ok to change the 4s external lipos to bigger ones using this setup ? using the dji charger to charge the dji lipo and the 2 external lipos at the same time, using the split 5200 4s lipos would get me extra 7-10 mins i think,but only issue would be the weight increase/extra flight time gains.

I did my own battery mods. Every thing you need to know about the different battery mods are in this thread. And there are 3 or 4 different ones.
And I cant keep up with them any more. Too much to keep up with. And there is a weight limit. The pros on hear have it worked out, 500grms, is about it.

 

[Silverwingflinx]

just ordered 2x3500mahX4480(Dji)= 11,480 mah hope to see some good fly time maybe 40/42 mins??? 2x265gr=530gr beats the split 6600 at 580gr!!

 

[Silverwingflinx]

ok, thanks! why the unpowered (switched) side?
ive read the thread to page 44 till now, not here on page 96 already.. still dont understand why,
sorry for noobish questions.
8if the hot side is used, it might be charged with the dji charger, isnt it?)
besides that, do the external cells "share" the balancing wires with the internal ones?

the other version without dji cells but only skeletton and board seems to work fine,
as i see proven in your video nice antenna mast btw
do you use the powered or unpowered side in this mod?
is there any specific order required when plugging in, turning on?



sure, just some diy helicals and cloverleafs for my p3s, greatly improved range.
also did the infamous ce-fcc 27db scriptmod, but only to 24dbm because of reported overheating issues

View attachment 64098 View attachment 64099

That's quite the set up!! Here are some 2.4ghz antennas from ready made RC (IB crazy)take a look! Always wanted to try these but the itelite MAXX works!!

 

[petermeter]

That's quite the set up!! Here are some 2.4ghz antennas from ready made RC (IB crazy)take a look! Always wanted to try these but the itelite MAXX works!!

thank you, i like the look of readymade ibcrazy antennas very much (of course the function is more important), and used his tutorials to build the antennas.

It's sloppy right now but if it works I'll neaten it up. I know I read about this months ago and if I remember correctly, the people abandoned it due to the issues I mentioned above. But I am off this week so have time to tinker and see for myself.

hi, any news on that?
back then the conclusio was, the board wont let more than dji stock mAh through it no matter how much more mAH the cells could deliver,
and it also wants some charging going through it to the cells before letting out power again sometimes, and resetting by disconnecting balance plug etc seemed n o t to help.

possible solution: use 5200 (or less mah) hv pack as replacement for dji cells, solder it to unswitched, connect balancing wires like maxwell,
and then add an external 5200 or 6600 or whatever mah, or a fuel cell, soldererd to the switched pins of the "smart"board or into aircraft, as usual.
i will try this as soon as my dji battery becomes weak, or i can recruite a old/crashed etc dji bat somewhere, and report back.


BIG question for me now, didnt find the answer in 96 pages (finally i got through, also not other threads, please guys, has someone any idea:
? how to to wire the dji battery (intact one with original cells etc) so u can use the dji charger to charge external lipo-hv battery through it, (like in the horizon mod ) ?

 

[Tenly]

But the DJI manual says to only use DJI batteries...doesn't it?

Since this thread discusses batteries, I thought it might be helpful if I were to share and recap some of the information I learned from other forum members on various threads here over the past 8 months. Some of these are counter-intuitive so it's good that we have these forums available to us and so many members that are smarter than us and willing to share their knowledge!

- You are guaranteed to crash if you use non-DJI batteries

- DJI will go bankrupt and fail as a company if they are not allowed to sell ALL of the Phantom batteries that people want to buy - at $150 each.

- using non-DJI batteries causes a greater likelihood that any crash will land on and seriously injure a person - most likely a child.

- when using non-DJI batteries you are 12 times more likely to crash land in a school yard during recess as you are to land anywhere else. (This is somehow true even on weekends and during summer vacation.)

- only people with low-IQ's that don't understand how warranties work would even consider using a non-DJI battery

- it is impossible for any company to build a better battery than DJI

- when a DJI battery fails, the drone drops out of the sky straight downwards, but when an aftermarket battery fails, the drone flys away and is drawn to the largest congregation of people within a 7 mile radius and will crash into the center of them

The scariest thing is that only one or two of the above "pearls of wisdom" are completely made up by me. The rest were either implied or stated explicitly to be true by one or more of our fellow pilots....


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Digdat0]

View attachment 64142 just ordered 2x3500mahX4480(Dji)= 11,480 mah hope to see some good fly time maybe 40/42 mins??? 2x265gr=530gr beats the split 6600 at 580gr!!

I've been eyeballing those thunder power for some time, please do report back on how they work. They, for the weight/mah almost seemed too good to be true. Their 7000mah lihv weighs as much as the multistar 5200 lihv. Do report back silverwing!

 

[Digdat0]

BIG question for me now, didnt find the answer in 96 pages (finally i got through, also not other threads, please guys, has someone any idea:
? how to to wire the dji battery (intact one with original cells etc) so u can use the dji charger to charge external lipo-hv battery through it, (like in the horizon mod ) ?

I had the horizon modded battery and used it to charge the split 5200 via Dji charger. It never would power the external past 4.25v and ended up damaging a cell and breaking the battery. Had to send back to Horizon to fix, he had to strip the Dji battery down and rebalance each cell individually. I stopped using that method, I will only power via my proper charger now.