Phantom 4 battery long term storage.

[jimbob81]

At $160 apiece, I obviously want my batteries to last as long as possible. What is the best way to store them if not to be used for a while? I see DJI has a charging hub with a storage mode. Do you just leave the batteries plugged in and they get trickle charged? Also, what is the lowest percentage a battery should be discharged to. The app warns you at 30%, but that setting is adjustable. Is there a recommended setting? And lastly, I heard that you shouldn't take off with a partially charged battery and you should use a fully charged battery for each flight. Is this true? I really don't see why there would be a problem with taking off with a battery at 50% charge as long as you pay attention to the low battery warnings when they come up. If there is a reason why I shouldn't do this, please let me know. Thanks.


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[Phantomix]

depends if for a month or less store them at 50% if 2-6 months then every few weeks charge it up to 100% and bring it back down to 50% if you cant do that then just store it at 65%

 

[msinger]

What is the best way to store them if not to be used for a while?

DJI recommends storing batteries between 30%-65% charged. The battery auto discharge feature will start discharging the batteries down to 65% after 10 days (per the default setting in DJI GO). It'll take 2-3 days beyond that 10 days to discharge a full battery down to 65%. Pressing the button on the battery at any time during this process will cancel the auto discharge and reset the 10-day timer.

Check out DJI's Battery Safety Guidelines for more details.

I see DJI has a charging hub with a storage mode. Do you just leave the batteries plugged in and they get trickle charged?

You keep the batteries connected to the hub until they are charged or discharged to the storage level. If a battery is being discharged, it'll most likely take several hours for that process to be completed. It would be easier to just let the batteries auto discharge on their own.

Also, what is the lowest percentage a battery should be discharged to.

The battery will auto shut off when the first cell reaches 3.0V. So, you don't need to worry about discharging it too low.

The app warns you at 30%, but that setting is adjustable. Is there a recommended setting?

The default 30% and 10% settings work well for most people.

I heard that you shouldn't take off with a partially charged battery and you should use a fully charged battery for each flight. Is this true?

That's what DJI recommends. It's a good habit to get into.

I really don't see why there would be a problem with taking off with a battery at 50% charge as long as you pay attention to the low battery warnings when they come up.

You can do it if you're careful. It's also important to watch the voltage in the lowest battery cell.

 

[Phantomix]

well msinger is much smarter than me so id listen to him

 

[msinger]

Phantomix made a good point about long term storage. You need to keep an eye on your batteries if you're storing them for more than 2 months. If the second light is blinking or not illuminated, you should charge the battery up until the 3rd light starts blinking.