Transmitter Battery Indicator

[srandall25]

How safe is it exactly to fly with the Transmitter until the warning sound indicates? Am I sure to have enough juice to finish a 25 minute flight in the event the batteries go low? What method do people use to determine when to change the batteries? Thanks.

 

[IrishSights]

I use freshly charged 2900mah batteries on every outing, plus a spare pack fully charged in the backpack

Sent from my Galaxy Note 8

 

[N017RW]

How safe is it exactly to fly with the Transmitter until the warning sound indicates? Am I sure to have enough juice to finish a 25 minute flight in the event the batteries go low? What method do people use to determine when to change the batteries? Thanks.

I wait for the Tx alarm.

The Tx draws about 100ma.
A 'coppertop' has about 2200ma at that discharge rate.
In a perfect world that would be 22hrs. run time on a set of new batteries.

The Tx uses a voltage regulator to 'condition' the supplied power (typically down to ~3.3v or so).

There is no advantage to change prior to this alarm as the Tx is receiving full regulated power.

However, if it gives you peace of mind to change sooner, then TEHO.
Peace of mind can be priceless or at least worth more than a new set of batteries.

 

[AIR BOSS]

On pg 24 it will tell you about the batteries. If people would just read the manual, they would find the information they need to avoid the problems they are having.

 

[Dirty Bird]

How safe is it exactly to fly with the Transmitter until the warning sound indicates? Am I sure to have enough juice to finish a 25 minute flight in the event the batteries go low? What method do people use to determine when to change the batteries? Thanks.

The controller batteries apparently last a long time, because I have 55 flights and I am still using the factory-supplied Panansonic alkalines included with the aircraft. When they become low, the controller light will change from green to red, and it will emit a slow beep. I'm sure there will be sufficient power left to return home and land. Even should the batteries fail completely, the Phantom will simply perform a RTH. When the batteries are totally spent, the controller light will be red, it will beep rapidly, and then shut itself off.

 

[Cocoa Beach Kiter]

On pg 24 it will tell you about the batteries. If people would just read the manual, they would find the information they need to avoid the problems they are having.

Gee that's helpful...

The manual does describe the remote's battery indication functions but I believe the question was more about technique from experienced users, which is a good question and deserves a "proper" reply. What the manual does not state and I believe is the heart of the question is how fast does the controller go from the initial battery low warning to the critical battery low warning which will force the controller to shut off after 3 seconds. And do you have the time to return after you receive the first warning before the second occurs.

Since others have mentioned the draw rate, and their personal experiences... I will only say I have not changed mine in 50 flights and am sure they may be close to being needed to be replaced. I will probably wait until I get the alarm as I do not regularly fly great distances away. But I too agree there is something to be said for peace of mind.

 

[Tails_Up]

Thanks for the discussion about this, I've wondered if it was regulated to a lower voltage or whether the transmitter output circuit operated on the full battery voltage. It's still not a bad idea to throw a voltage meter across the battery pack every few flights to see what it reads. New batteries should read 6 volts, I think I'd feel ok down to about 5.5 volts or so. Turn the transmitter on while measuring - you should see a drop of about one-tenth of a volt with it on.

Slightly off topic, I had several instances where the battery cover came off during transport or getting ready to fly. If it came off during a flight and one of the batteries slipped enough to break connection, you've got a problem on your hands. Sure, RTH should bring it home, but you may have cardiac arrest before then. Since I discovered this, I've put a piece of tape on the cover to hold it in place. On my newest Phantom, the cover has a more secure locking tab and a solid 'click' when closing.

 

[srandall25]

On pg 24 it will tell you about the batteries. If people would just read the manual, they would find the information they need to avoid the problems they are having.

Gee that's helpful...

The manual does describe the remote's battery indication functions but I believe the question was more about technique from experienced users, which is a good question and deserves a "proper" reply. What the manual does not state and I believe is the heart of the question is how fast does the controller go from the initial battery low warning to the critical battery low warning which will force the controller to shut off after 3 seconds. And do you have the time to return after you receive the first warning before the second occurs.

Since others have mentioned the draw rate, and their personal experiences... I will only say I have not changed mine in 50 flights and am sure they may be close to being needed to be replaced. I will probably wait until I get the alarm as I do not regularly fly great distances away. But I too agree there is something to be said for peace of mind.

I couldn't have said it any better... Thank you for intelligently reading my post and kindly reinterpreting the intent. Pretty much all of the replies (except for one... lol) were most helpful. Thank you. It's nice to know that there is ample time to bring the phantom back once the alarm goes off... can't say I will have total faith in that, but the responses provide some comfort.