New P3 World Record 8.065 miles

[GadgetGuy]

It was explained like this in a Webinar by one of the Vendors-- The 8% discharge is intended to recalibrate the Smart Battery. Those individual cell readings is telemetry obtained from the Smart Battery circuit. They recommended flying the P3 down to 20 % and landing it. Take the battery out and let it cool down. Take the props off the P3 and let the battery discharge to 8% idling. Then recharge. The difference being that the battery is not discharging to 8 % under maximum discharge. The high amperage discharge is what damages the cells when they reach the low voltage ( when it is in flight).
I have done the discharge to 8% on two of my five batteries and both recharged and still show 100%. So based on the information in the Seminar and my personal experience with the two batteries I have already "deep cycled", it looks like a proven practice and this deep cycle discharge at reduced amperage does not damage the cells.

With the latest DJI GO, with the bird idling on the ground to run the battery down, once it hits 10%, it "autolands" and then shuts off the motors, since it is already on the ground, so you have to patiently wait for the last 2% needed to drain down to 8%, with the motors off, as you cannot start or restart motors with only 10% remaining battery.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Battery life is one of my biggest issues for the kind of videos I do. I'm looking into doing this mod myself on one of my P3's. It takes up to 30% of the battery just to get to the target on some of my shots. I would love to be able to spend more time once there to explore instead of worrying about the automatic RTH interrupting a shot (which happens frequently

The premature automatic RTH interrupting the shot can be altered in two places, if you know your battery is capable of staying longer than DJI GO "thinks" based on current conditions:
1. Turn off the "Smart Return to Home" feature in DJI GO, which is way too conservative, but can remind you that remaining battery power may not get you home, unless you know better
2. Lower your "Low Battery RTH" setting to 10% so you are fully in control of when you want it to start honking and turning the lights from green to red.

Unfortunately, DJI GO no longer allows lowering the Critical Battery autolanding setting below 10%, even if you want to. You'll have to counteract the Autolanding at 10% with left stick full up, while maneuver maneuvering with the right stick to safety.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I guess something to consider, doing the mod to the battery only at the high mod cost is ive found the lifespan of these batteries very short when flying straight throttle long dist, & running them down to 0-5% every run!

Now I understand your statement. If the DJI battery has to be prematurely replaced, you also lose the mod, while if the mod is done instead to the aircraft (unless you lose the bird), the mod stays intact, and you just replace the DJI battery at half the cost of another modded battery (plus 2 new 1600's).
Hmmm. So, ignoring the included 1600's in the DJI battery mod kit and the included 1300's in the aircraft mod, the aircraft mod costs roughly $300 in labor and shipping, while the battery mod costs $150 in labor. So you can buy two battery mods for the price of one aircraft mod, and you get four 1600's and have two brand NEW DJI batteries that you pay for, but will need eventually, either way! Also, if you lose the modded bird, you lose a $150 DJI battery and the $300 mod and two externals, so it costs $450 to restore, plus the bird cost. If you lose the bird with the modded DJI battery inside, your cost of restoration is only $300, plus the bird cost, since the lost DJI battery is included. Saves $150. Lastly, if you lose your unmodded bird without the modded DJI battery inside while flying with a regular battery, your cost to restore the mod is ZERO! If you lose the modded bird without using the external batteries in a normal flight, you are still out $300 to restore the mod! It's pretty clear that the Modded DJI battery is the way to go! Just buy TWO!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Thanks Tony.
You get 30 minutes with these batteries? Can you give us some specs? I was happy with my 23 minutes, but 30 - wow!
And how would you optimize props? You mean by balancing them?

I think he means by replacing them with stiffer carbon props, instead of the stock plastic.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Wh


Why don't you drive closer to your destination & you will have more time to do your photography

I'll get my coat...

Driving in traffic leaves less time for photography. Traffic at dusk is a *****! It would literally take me 30 minutes by car each way during the golden hour to reach my destinations that I can reach in 5 minutes with the quad, flying directly as the crow flies! That's the advantage of a copter! Plus, if I am 3-5 miles away, who's going to tell me I can't fly there? Home is my helipad!

 

[GadgetGuy]

With Version 2 kit FPVLR and no amps you can do this

Being far away from your subject has its perks. Keeps you safe from haters if you choose your launch location carefully!
BTW this flight was accomplished with this simple system, without amplifiers
V.2 KIT for I-1/P3 - FPVLR

Exactly! If they can't find you because you are 3-5 miles away, they also can't tell you that you can't fly there!

 

[GadgetGuy]

18 minutes, max, with stock battery. 23 minutes with dual 4s 1300.
And I see little difference between hovering the whole time or flying all over the place.
I just got 1800 4s'es which I'll try soon.

Thanks. It helps to benchmark the stock battery with your type of flying for comparison. The most efficient flights are straight out and back, but your hovering results are encouraging. 5 more minutes would be great. 10 more minutes would be killer!

 

[GadgetGuy]

With Version 2 kit FPVLR and no amps you can do this

Being far away from your subject has its perks. Keeps you safe from haters if you choose your launch location carefully!
BTW this flight was accomplished with this simple system, without amplifiers
V.2 KIT for I-1/P3 - FPVLR

So the DJI GO app algorithm for calculating the remaining battery power needed to return home (Smart Return to Home) clearly doesn't recognize the extra battery capacity of the mod, as the yellow circle with H in the middle at the top on the line is showing a negative battery condition (not enough battery to get home---no green to the left of the yellow H and a very large gap instead), despite the 61% remaining battery power that the app can see and display, which ought to be plenty to turn around and make it home. It is apparently still only basing that calculation off the remaining charge in the original smart battery itself, and ignoring the contribution of the two supplemental batteries. Can you confirm?

Oh, and is the weight savings from removing the micro SD card that significant to achieving this distance?

 

[dirtybum]

Im guessing removing the sd card is about as helpful as removing gold stripes & landing gear pads!! But one might say that recording the trip would use some battery

 

[GadgetGuy]

Im guessing removing the sd card is about as helpful as removing gold stripes & landing gear pads!! But one might say that recording the trip would use some battery

Probably even less so. His flight was without an SD card, so I thought I'd give him a hard time about it!

 

[Rocket_Aus]

Probably even less so. His flight was without an SD card, so I thought I'd give him a hard time about it!

In all seriousness tho better off removing the vps module as its dead weight anyway....Not sure tho what the goapp would report if anything without it attached.

 

[bobmyers]

In all seriousness tho better off removing the vps module as its dead weight anyway....Not sure tho what the goapp would report if anything without it attached.

Part of that module controls navigation for the P3, I don't think removing it is an option. Might want to check that out.

 

[Rocket_Aus]

Part of that module controls navigation for the P3, I don't think removing it is an option. Might want to check that out.

Ahh was just a thought

 

[happydays]

On stock single battery, I have had quite a few 19 minute flights, landing at 24% or thereabouts.

 

[Jeff48920]

Completely Stock bird and battery I average around 17 minutes with a landing voltage average of 32%. These are long distance flights
This is when the wind speeds at altitude are below 5 mph.
Higher windspeed kills battery life.

 

[FredzMaxxUAV]

So with stock mod + 2x 1300 mAh I get 23 minutes.
With stock mod + 2x 1800 mAh I get... 23 minutes.

I did fly the 1800s with DJI carbon props though. Weight 1300 mAh: 145 gram. Weight 1800 mAh: 175 gram. The 1800s flight did have one other item added, a tracker weighing 37 grams. But still; I though there would be a lot of difference.
Links: ZIPPY Compact 1800mAh 4S 25C Lipo Pack (EU warehouse)
Turnigy nano-tech 1300mAh 4S 25~50C Lipo Pack (EU Warehouse)

Will try again, I also have Nanotechs 1800s around, but they are heavier than the Zippys.

 

[Jeff48920]

So with stock mod + 2x 1300 mAh I get 23 minutes.
With stock mod + 2x 1800 mAh I get... 23 minutes.

I did fly the 1800s with DJI carbon props though. Weight 1300 mAh: 145 gram. Weight 1800 mAh: 175 gram. The 1800s flight did have one other item added, a tracker weighing 37 grams. But still; I though there would be a lot of difference.
Links: ZIPPY Compact 1800mAh 4S 25C Lipo Pack (EU warehouse)
Turnigy nano-tech 1300mAh 4S 25~50C Lipo Pack (EU Warehouse)

Will try again, I also have Nanotechs 1800s around, but they are heavier than the Zippys.

Were the wind speeds aloft similar for the tests?

 

[Fanti]

Can you post a link for the batteries pls ? Cant find it on hobbyking

 

[Fanti]

Thanks Tony. I meant those batteries though:

 

[Fanti]

I thought those are the special ones with great flight times.