Extraction of battery - damaging to gimbal?

[aljames]

I find the battery very tough to get out of a phantom. Does anyone have advice or tips to make this process easier?

More worrying is the kick back to the gimbal when removing a battery. It takes some shudder. The tightness of the battery seems ludicrously badly designed in that respect. Anyone worried about damage to gimbal with that?

Al

 

[N017RW]

See if I can explain...

>Set phantom on flat surface
>Grab battery cover with thumb (on top latch release) and forefinger (on bottom) of each hand
>Rotate wrists so they sort of pry it out against the Phantom body and motor arms to 'break' friction
>Then slide it out.

No recoil!

 

[ProfessorStein]

Have to agree with N017RW.
While my battery is tough to get out at times, I've never experienced any sort of recoil or shudder for the Phantom itself.

I'd rather have a battery that's tough to get out, than one that's so loose it falls out... during flight.

 

[Happyflyer]

See if I can explain...

>Set phantom on flat surface
>Grab battery cover with thumb (on top latch release) and forefinger (on bottom) of each hand
>Rotate wrists so they sort of pry it out against the Phantom body and motor arms to 'break' friction
>Then slide it out.

No recoil!

+1
Works great. There is a video on it, but I can't find it.

 

[N017RW]

Really?

Not that I ever thought I was the only one who has tried/adopted it.

 

[Pacific Barbarian]

I grab it with thumb and for finger as said until the catch mechanism is free. Then I grab it on the sides and gently work it loose from side to side until its free.

 

[BlackTracer]

+1 I watched that video a while back and it is the expert way to remove the battery. As far as I am concerned there is no other way.

 

[MadMitch88]

I'm glad I found this dude's video after I bought my Vision+ --- I agree the battery is a VERY tight fit and this method is the only sensible way to extract it.

I also use a very light spread of Vaseline on the top and bottom of the batteries where the latches scrape and catch --- it really does make it easier to pull them out !! :mrgreen:

The Phantom 3 needs to have a better design for locking batteries into place. Some kind of twist lever perhaps? I can't see dainty women with long nails being able to pull out these Phantom batteries easily.


[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIperEc05Ls[/youtube]

 

[N017RW]

A picture is worth a thousand words!

 

[AndysAdventures]

I'm glad I found this dude's video after I bought my Vision+

That's my video.

I'm glad you found it to be helpful.

 

[aljames]

With the battery latch lock I can't imagine a situation where the battery would fall out. Nevertheless, I'll give that side to side method a go. And thanks for your advices.

 

[MadMitch88]

Friendly British boozehound Simon Newton made a good video about these tight batteries. I used Vaseline on a couple batteries and it really helped, but I found that it eventually wore off after a few insertions/extractions. So you end up needing to carry around a tube of lube (although some of you already do this with your hyperactive love lives).

I still think Andy's two-handed technique works well in any situation (is that another sexual joke?).


[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCq9eKYeWto[/youtube]

 

[AndysAdventures]

I still think Andy's two-handed technique works well in any situation (is that another sexual joke?).

Two handed and dry, that's me alright.

My grandfather was a two handed dry man, my father was a two handed dry man. It's the family way. :shock:

 

[ProfessorStein]

This... thread... has... suddenly taken a VERY unexpected turn.

 

[MadMitch88]

This... thread... has... suddenly taken a VERY unexpected turn.

Tight-fitting insertions .... two-handed extractions .... to lube or not to lube .... yep, we're talking about Phantoms!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Happyflyer]

Simon comes up with many great ones, but grease all over my power plant, no. I will stick with the thumbs and arms method.

 

[Pull_Up]

Each to their own - if you watch the video the amount of grease used is tiny, just enough to fill the small channel on the battery, and the viscosity means it stays put. I don't even have any on my backpack flight case after putting the batteries in and out... And I can say it's still an easy one-handed operation without any reapplication required. The DJI latch does its job, and my thumbs are looking forward to a much easier winter than they had last year...

I might have "Friendly British Boozehound" as my epitaph - I like that one!

 

[Happyflyer]

Each to their own - if you watch the video the amount of grease used is tiny, just enough to fill the small channel on the battery, and the viscosity means it stays put. I don't even have any on my backpack flight case after putting the batteries in and out... And I can say it's still an easy one-handed operation without any reapplication required. The DJI latch does its job, and my thumbs are looking forward to a much easier winter than they had last year...

I might have "Friendly British Boozehound" as my epitaph - I like that one!

Agreed. (not the name, the each his own)
As for your winter, I once could watch security cameras from a company North and East of London for a couple of years and rarely saw any snow on the ground. Even though you are much farther North than I am. So I guess it only gets cold there?

 

[Pull_Up]

We don't get much snow down here, but we can get periods of below freezing with great frosts and really clear air -great for filming, not for fingers... Especially for those of us cosseted by the Gulf Stream most of the time.

This is why when there is a small flurry most of the transport network just falls over. Cold we can do, snow not so much. After much finger numbness last year I'm keeping my gloves on and greasing my batteries. (although a freshly discharged lipo did make a reasonable hand warmer once it had been wrestled out)

 

[Happyflyer]

I should send you some of mine.
Pull the battery and drop it: Lost until Spring.
Now back to topic......