How long do you wait to swap batteries? Pecentage

[muhupower]

Hey,

Whenever my battery starts flashing red at 30% I get kind of nervous... so I say to myself one more little flight and I am swapping batteries to be safe.

So at like usually 25% is the lowest I have gone.

I am just wondering what experience flyers do on this forum? Does 30% start to scare you and you swap? Or do you wait till like 10% or 5%...

Having another 5 minutes of flight time would be nice but I just figure better to be safe then sorry.

Thanks,
-O

 

[Mal_PV2_Ireland]

Safe rather than sorry. I'm normally home around 25% and 18% as a personal minimum. Remember to always drain your batteries to 8% or till it turns off every 20 battery charge cycles to prolong battery life. If you get a battery that starts to fail, normally a battery warning will come up on your phone app when its above 30% when you give it full power you need to mark that battery with a sticker so you know the ones to watch. I have 2 such batteries which I still fly with but I never push them hard.

 

[Catalina36]

I fly until I get the first battery warning and then head for home. If I am at altitude it is going to take a little bit of time to get down anyway.

 

[RedRyderMedia]

I don't like to hear that horn, so I seldom take them to 30%. I have three flight batteries and prefer to just bring the Phantom in and change batteries.

 

[happydays]

I fly until I get the first battery warning and then head for home. If I am at altitude it is going to take a little bit of time to get down anyway.

Me too. I have drained the batteries down to 8% by just hovering for a while. Needs a fair old dollop of left stick to keep it level once the second stage alarm kicks in!

 

[Dirty Bird]

While I will head for home at first alert (30%), sometimes sooner if I am distant, I seldom land before 15%. I have the second alert set at 12%.

 

[DCGOO]

Like DB, when I get the 30% horn, I head for home, especially if I am ways out. When I get back, I horse around near the LZ, until I am near a forced landing. I am still set to 15%, but will probably lower that to 12% soon. (I keep forgetting to do that. I generally do not have my laptop with me at the field.)