What's up with DJI's lipo Guide?

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So being a heli flyer first and a noob with DJI, I've learned just about my fill with handling and caring for lipos. So the basics....

1. Don't fly past 3.7 (or experience LVC)
2. Charge to 3.85 when storage for long periods.
3. Never pull more than 80% from a lipo or you can permanently damage your pack.
4. Checking the IR can tell you if you have damaged a cell and the over all health of your pack.
5. Don't let a fully charged pack sit for more than 24 hours or puffing and degrading can occur.

But then with DJI, they say to cycle your lipo every 20 charges down to 8% and then fully charge (yes I know they no longer mention this in some manuals). But that would be almost at a critically low voltage, and goes against everything I've herd towards keeping a healthy lipo

Second, they let their smart lipos discharge back to 3.85 but after 10 days! Some say just letting a fully charged lipo sit for a couple of days can damage the capacity.

Third... They then pack a 2s 6000 mha lipo in the TX and don't offer anyway to remove or discharge it!

Is this just a ploy to get returned service on dead lipos....? Are these some special new kind of lipo material that needs this kind of abuse? Or am I missing something?

Please enlighten me..... Because this goes against everything lipo basics have taught me!
 
then with DJI, they say to cycle your lipo every 20 charges down to 8% and then fully charge (yes I know they no longer mention this in some manuals)
I don't think this recommendation is in any of the current manuals. There's no need to attempt it unless the battery cells are really out of balance when the battery is fully charged.

they let their smart lipos discharge back to 3.85 but after 10 days
10 days is the default, but you can change this in the DJI GO app.

They then pack a 2s 6000 mha lipo in the TX and don't offer anyway to remove or discharge it!
TX batteries rarely need to be replaced.
 
I don't think this recommendation is in any of the current manuals. There's no need to attempt it unless the battery cells are really out of balance when the battery is fully charged.


10 days is the default, but you can change this in the DJI GO app.


TX batteries rarely need to be replaced.
They give have the instructions on how to discharge the battery on the dji website.
DJI Support - Phantom 3 Standard

8. How do I discharge the battery?
Slow: Place the Intelligent Flight Battery into the Phantom 3 Standard's battery compartment and turn it on. Leave it on until there is less than 8% of battery remaining, or until the battery can no longer be turned on. Check the battery level in the DJI GO app. Fast: Fly the Phantom 3 Standard outdoors until there is less than 8% of battery remaining or until the battery can no longer be turned on.
 
I don't see it in the P3S FAQ. Got a link?
 
I don't see it in the P3S FAQ. Got a link?
DJI Support - Phantom 3 Standard
8. How do I discharge the battery?
Slow: Place the Intelligent Flight Battery into the Phantom 3 Standard's battery compartment and turn it on. Leave it on until there is less than 8% of battery remaining, or until the battery can no longer be turned on. Check the battery level in the DJI GO app. Fast: Fly the Phantom 3 Standard outdoors until there is less than 8% of battery remaining or until the battery can no longer be turned on.
 
Right -- that's one way to discharge the battery. They are not recommending you cycle it though.
 
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Discharging and cycling are not the same thing. I guess you know that though ;)
 
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Discharging and cycling are not the same thing. I guess you know that though ;)
Is there any documentation that says it is a bad thing? I see DJI likes to make videos on how to not fly, if it was such an issue wouldn't there be some sort of disclaimer not to? HealthyDrones recommends it, I know they aren't DJI but a lot of people use that website and I assume a lot of people follow their advice.
 
Yes, sir. The tool itself is quite useful for certain things.
 
I think it's best to use the phrase "deep discharge" to avoid confusion.

The evolution is, DJI once recommended "deep discharge." But many old school RC guys said deep discharge was harmful to the lipo battery. But just as many said DJI engineers were smarter than the old school pilots.

Then one day we started seeing the deep discharge recommendations disappear from manuals. No reason was ever given. So it appears the naysayers were correct all along.

Currently, it's understood that a deep discharge may repair your battery if you have a cell balance problem, but otherwise it's probably best not to do it.
 
A lipo is still a lipo. There is no difference from a Graphine lipo from a HV lipo to a regular. The only difference is that the smart lipo that DJI is using is tied to a circuit that helps monitor it.

My point was that even with changing the "return to storage mode" in the software, the suggested handling is not optimal for long life. And about the transmitter..... Still a lipo and no way of discharging it, or servicable.

Granted, I'm a Noob when it comes to DJI, but have been handling lipos with rc heli's since 2011 and yes we are pushing some major demands from the lipo in the heli setup and its possible that the Phantom does not demand as much from their lipo.... But still, I demand a long lived lipo when it's over $100
 

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