Never Fly on a Partially Charged Battery?

[dronezone1010]

Hi

I've just read on a forum with regards to flying the Phantom the following advice:

'Always take off with a fully charged battery, if you stop flying do not use the pack again for another flight use a fresh fully charged one.'

I only have one battery pack, and charge it to 100% before going out with drone (I often leave battery lying in drone for around a week.)

I don't fully discharge the battery in one flight. I like to move from location to location, taking short films. So during my first flight the battery will be at 100%, my 2nd flight 90%, 3rd flight 80%. I repeat this process of moving location until the battery flashes the 'low battery' alert (around 20-30%,) and then recharge it.

In a nutshell I am totally going against the advice 'Always take off with a fully charged battery.'

I'll be honest I really can't afford to buy 8 different batteries, so I can take off with full charge at several different locations.

Is they way I'm using my Phantom jeopardising my drone or battery?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Richard R]

The main thing that you are risking is an unexpected and seemingly premature low battery state that might trigger an emergency landing. and those usually occurs in the most inopportune time an at the most inconvienent locations. Risk possibly loosing bird. Save up a bit and get, at least one more battery.

 

[dronezone1010]

Thanks. When the battery gets lowish (under 50%,) I normally fly it close to me. Often directly above my head for still shots only, just in case it decides to return to earth unexpectedly.

 

[Crack The Sky]

I agree with Richard R. Try to get yourself one more battery. Also, set your battery(s), to somewhere between a 3 day & 5 day auto discharge. Re-charge them to 100% before flight.This will keep them happy & healthy. After 20 charges, run them down to 8% and do a full charge.

 

[jim81]

Can you explain why you are running the battery down to 8%. I fly regular electric RC airplanes that all have Lipos for the main motor control. In our forums people advise to not go down to 8% as Lipos don't develop a 'memory' like Ni-cads. I have killed Lipos by forgetting that I left the battery in the on position when changing my flying to a different airplane. I don't know exactly where the cutoff is but sometimes the Lipo will die if left in a low discharge stage. There is a reason DJI has programmed their batteries to only discharge to about 20%.
There's a 'battery' section on many of the regular radio control forums. Read that information for a bit and you'll be able to decide for yourself how low you want your $100 Lipo to go.

 

[Crack The Sky]

Can you explain why you are running the battery down to 8%. I fly regular electric RC airplanes that all have Lipos for the main motor control. In our forums people advise to not go down to 8% as Lipos don't develop a 'memory' like Ni-cads. I have killed Lipos by forgetting that I left the battery in the on position when changing my flying to a different airplane. I don't know exactly where the cutoff is but sometimes the Lipo will die if left in a low discharge stage. There is a reason DJI has programmed their batteries to only discharge to about 20%.
There's a 'battery' section on many of the regular radio control forums. Read that information for a bit and you'll be able to decide for yourself how low you want your $100 Lipo to go.

These LiPos have internal software that need to be re-initialized, and deep cycled, periodically.

Basic Battery Service

Triggered by any of the following:
Charges: 20 Times the battery was charged since the last Basic service
Flights: 20 Number of flights with this battery since the last Basic service
Airtime: 200 Total airtime in minutes with this battery since the last Basic service
Recommended Service Items:

Battery Deep Cycle Discharge

When you deep cycle the battery, it also re-initializes the battery's internal software. Always allow a LiPo battery to cool completely before any recharge to help protect your battery and extend its life.

• 
  Slower Deep Cycle Method:
  1. Fly until battery level reaches 25%-30%
  2. Allow battery to cool completely to room temperature
  3. Put battery back in and turn on aircraft (optionally starting motors with no propellers) and allow battery to discharge until it gets down to 8%, or until the battery can no longer be turned on. Launch the DJI GO app to check battery levels.
     Important: NEVER fully discharge the battery to 0% - it can cause permanent damage
     Tip: With engines stopped, the battery seems to drain about 1% every 5 minutes or so
  4. Allow the battery to cool completely again to room temperature
  5. Recharge battery normally

 

[Steve7777]

These LiPos have internal software that need to be re-initialized, and deep cycled, periodically.

Basic Battery Service

Triggered by any of the following:
Charges: 20 Times the battery was charged since the last Basic service
Flights: 20 Number of flights with this battery since the last Basic service
Airtime: 200 Total airtime in minutes with this battery since the last Basic service
Recommended Service Items:

Battery Deep Cycle Discharge

When you deep cycle the battery, it also re-initializes the battery's internal software. Always allow a LiPo battery to cool completely before any recharge to help protect your battery and extend its life.

• 
  Slower Deep Cycle Method:
  1. Fly until battery level reaches 25%-30%
  2. Allow battery to cool completely to room temperature
  3. Put battery back in and turn on aircraft (optionally starting motors with no propellers) and allow battery to discharge until it gets down to 8%, or until the battery can no longer be turned on. Launch the DJI GO app to check battery levels.
     Important: NEVER fully discharge the battery to 0% - it can cause permanent damage
     Tip: With engines stopped, the battery seems to drain about 1% every 5 minutes or so
  4. Allow the battery to cool completely again to room temperature
  5. Recharge battery normally

A useful post, so thanks, Crack the Sky - some of it I already knew and some of it I didn't - although some here have said that a periodic discharge is not required and this recommendation was, but is no longer in the Phantom manual. I did a Google search of parts of your post and found at least one place where similar info to this is posted. For battery electronics recalibration purposes, it seems to make sense to me though.

Am I right in thinking that it's a good move to have a portable cooling fan playing over the drone as you discharge with motors on and with props off? I'm sure I've seen it recommended here a few times, just to be on the safe side, thus preventing any possible motor overheating problems.

 

[Crack The Sky]

A useful post, so thanks, Crack the Sky - some of it I already knew and some of it I didn't - although some here have said that a periodic discharge is not required and this recommendation was, but is no longer in the Phantom manual. I did a Google search of parts of your post and found at least one place where similar info to this is posted. For battery electronics recalibration purposes, it seems to make sense to me though.

Am I right in thinking that it's a good move to have a portable cooling fan playing over the drone as you discharge with motors on and with props off? I'm sure I've seen it recommended here a few times, just to be on the safe side, thus preventing any possible motor overheating problems.

I'll be candid here. The method I posted is what I use. I log my flights on Airdata, and this method comes directly from them. Where they came up with it, I do not know. I have read many, many differing opinions on the "correct" use, & storage of LiPos. I kind of gave up and settled on one that works for me.
As far as the cooling fan during rotor-less discharges, I can't imagine that you would need to. Your going from 20% to 8%, during that phase and I have not personally felt any appreciable temperature by feeling the case. I have had much warmer cases, (hit a battery high of 138F on one 27 minute flight), after aggressive or long flight.
I think setting the batteries to 3-5 day auto-discharge for storage, may be the most important thing that we can do. But again, that is only based on my experience and not scientific study.
I'm sure some others will chime in here to further help and/or confuse you.
I am certainly not the battery guru, on this site.

 

[Steve7777]

I'll be candid here. The method I posted is what I use. I log my flights on Airdata, and this method comes directly from them. Where they came up with it, I do not know. I have read many, many differing opinions on the "correct" use, & storage of LiPos. I kind of gave up and settled on one that works for me.
As far as the cooling fan during rotor-less discharges, I can't imagine that you would need to. Your going from 20% to 8%, during that phase and I have not personally felt any appreciable temperature by feeling the case. I have had much warmer cases, (hit a battery high of 138F on one 27 minute flight), after aggressive or long flight.
I think setting the batteries to 3-5 day auto-discharge for storage, may be the most important thing that we can do. But again, that is only based on my experience and not scientific study.
I'm sure some others will chime in here to further help and/or confuse you.
I am certainly not the battery guru, on this site.

I have my batteries set to start discharge after 1 day and given that discharge may take a day or two, the battery should settle down (with no button pushing) to the dji-chosen level after about 3 days. I haven't flown much recently and tend not to charge my batteries up to 100% until I'm sure I will be flying. If that takes a while, then I top up to 2+1 battery flashing lights as necessary.

I'm not a battery guru either, btw....

Getting back to the OP, @dronezone1010 's original question. I only fly from a 100% battery, but may land without stopping the motors to check something/have a rest, and then almost immediately take off again at a lower-than-100% battery level. So I don't turn the motors off, perhaps to relocate, and then start up and take off again on the same battery. I've very much enjoyed my flights so far (1 year of flying) and only have 2 batteries. I usually fly each battery down to about 30%

 

[Crack The Sky]

I have my batteries set to start discharge after 1 day and given that discharge may take a day or two, the battery should settle down (with no button pushing) to the dji-chosen level after about 3 days. I haven't flown much recently and tend not to charge my batteries up to 100% until I'm sure I will be flying. If that takes a while, then I top up to 2+1 battery flashing lights as necessary.

I'm not a battery guru either, btw....

Getting back to the OP, @dronezone1010 's original question. I only fly from a 100% battery, but may land without stopping the motors to check something/have a rest, and then almost immediately take off again at a lower-than-100% battery level. So I don't turn the motors off, perhaps to relocate, and then start up and take off again on the same battery. I've very much enjoyed my flights so far (1 year of flying) and only have 2 batteries. I usually fly each battery down to about 30%

I have done the same thing. I'll land with 70% battery, relocate and take off again. I've done this a few times in the same flight and never experienced a problem. I don't think I would be comfortable taking off with less than 50%.

 

[HWCM]

These LiPos have internal software that need to be re-initialized, and deep cycled, periodically.

Basic Battery Service

Triggered by any of the following:
Charges: 20 Times the battery was charged since the last Basic service
Flights: 20 Number of flights with this battery since the last Basic service
Airtime: 200 Total airtime in minutes with this battery since the last Basic service
Recommended Service Items:

Battery Deep Cycle Discharge

When you deep cycle the battery, it also re-initializes the battery's internal software. Always allow a LiPo battery to cool completely before any recharge to help protect your battery and extend its life.

• 
  Slower Deep Cycle Method:
  1. Fly until battery level reaches 25%-30%
  2. Allow battery to cool completely to room temperature
  3. Put battery back in and turn on aircraft (optionally starting motors with no propellers) and allow battery to discharge until it gets down to 8%, or until the battery can no longer be turned on. Launch the DJI GO app to check battery levels.
     Important: NEVER fully discharge the battery to 0% - it can cause permanent damage
     Tip: With engines stopped, the battery seems to drain about 1% every 5 minutes or so
  4. Allow the battery to cool completely again to room temperature
  5. Recharge battery normally

False

 

[With The Birds]

False

While I suspect most would agree there is no benefit to the LiION chemistry to perform a deep discharge cycle the prescribed procedure certainly could (and probably does) provide for the battery smarts to measure the mah put into the pack during charge with increased accuracy of the actual recorded capacity and remaining percentage indicators.

 

[Crack The Sky]

False

Intelligent comment. As I stated, this was copied directly from Airdata's website for battery maintenance. I also stated I am no battery guru, and have given up on reading all of the preferred methods for maintaining them. Perhaps you would care to enlighten us, since you obviously know the right way.

 

[With The Birds]

Intelligent comment. As I stated, this was copied directly from Airdata's website for battery maintenance. I also stated I am no battery guru, and have given up on reading all of the preferred methods for maintaining them. Perhaps you would care to enlighten us, since you obviously know the right way.

Some have reported an increase in the life percentage and higher last recorded capacity after the deep cycle routine. This strongly suggests some form of calibration by the battery smart circuitry.

 

[Crack The Sky]

Some have reported an increase in the life percentage and higher last recorded capacity after the deep cycle routine. This strongly suggests some form of calibration by the battery smart circuitry.

Thank you. It seems to work for me.