Phantom Batteries Maintenance
- Thread starter Numone
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Capacity was increased and I got 2 more minutes for flight time. I did a comprehensive thread on it on DJI forums with pictures etc of my battery stats from airdata.
One year with my 4 batteries (P4) and about 50 charges, I never discharged at 8%, I try to land at 20% sometime less cuz we all have a few more pics to take because the sun is just right. I store (50%) with dji hub after cooling and charge to 100% on fly day and sometime it may take 2 days to fly my last battery. I get the same results today as the first week I flew, I fly for about 20 minutes @ 30 mph and can cover over 40,000 feet and land at 20%, sometimes less distance but always around 20 minutes for 20% bat, when I get less time I was pushing the sticks and wind hard. My lowest battery life is at 96%. At this rate I hope these batteries will fit in a P5.
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I do believe that the batteries controller will change the available power readings if you always shallow drain your batteries. I think that a full drain and charge will not give you more power in the battery but will give you access to the available power it has. If the battery software thinks it only has x amount of mah than you will get a critical warning and you may shut down regardless of the actual mah available. A full deep cycle may reset the batteries internal firmware to really see what is available. I said I sometime go bellow 20%, at times I even had to cancel auto land as I was coming in to land (maybe once per bat), this may be the reason they still give me the same output from a year ago. I have seen other post where the battery had almost no mah and with a full cycle they reset. There is many many variables that affect battery life so lets' share and learn.
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Having done some more research into this, DJI state in their current battery guidance notes for the Mavic, Inspire 2 and the Phantom 4 that you should cycle the batteries every three months. Even more odd therefore, that this advice should've been changed for the P3 - maybe it it was just an print omission after all.
Anyone have an opinion? I ask, as given they are all the same intelligent technology, this seems to contradict current thinking on the P3 batteries?
msinger
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I think DJI is just recommending you use the battery once every 3 months. If they wanted you to cycle the battery, they would probably recommend you discharge it down to 8% or until it shuts off (like they used to recommend).
Thanks Mark. I'm not so sure that, quote "Fullly charge and discharge the battery at least once every three months" actually means use it, does it? I guess that given the statement is about as ambiguous as you can get, means its all about ones own interpretation. Wonder why the didn't give the same advice for the P3 batteries?
msinger
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Sorry Mike...!Mike
You asked for opinions
That's true, I did. If only we had some facts from DJI as it's a bit of a contradiction. All I want to do is ensure the £500 worth of batteries I have last as long as possible.
I would read that (discharge the battery) as use it.
I have no other way to discharge mine other than in the bird.
