Great video! Mavic Pro owner here that just pulled my drone out of storage after several years only to discover that all three of my batteries are dead and damaged beyond recovery. Had no clue about the need for maintaining the batteries in these drones. Learned an expensive lesson however I now know how to properly care for these LiPo batteries.
Just received my new Mavic yesterday....... I immediately charged my 4 batteries to the max ........ this morning I watched your segment on batteries....... and now I wish I would of not charged them. This is my first drone ever and I watch your segments all the time, I'm learning a lot from you...... thank you.
I had the same question as I charged all mine as soon as I got them. It seems as if they will discharge on their own (according to the vid) but just make sure you keep an eye on them every few months to make sure they dont go completely dead.
I also always fully charge mine. Is this wrong? I need to travel and how should I keep safely them at home? What u recommend to do after charge all before fly and we dont use all remaining 2 batteries sometime fullcharged...
This was a long video, but I have to say that this is the single most informative video that I have seen since a bought my Mavic. Watched it completely to the end, and learnt a great deal. Thank you for taking the time to make it!
Your products just allowed me to bring the Mavic on my flight, thank you! United's website says "Each spare lithium battery in carry-on baggage must be individually protected to prevent short circuits. To do this, you can place each battery in original retail packaging, place each battery in a separate plastic bag or protective pouch, or insulate the batteries by taping over exposed terminals." I don't have the original packaging. The bags and terminal protectors should make this a smooth flight. Thank you for this video!
Got my Mavic 2 days ago..IPad mini 4 last night...first flight tonight after work!!! Rick; YOU are so damn informative I can't stand it. Many of my concerns have been alleviated via your concise explanations. THANK You, Thank You for your assistance!!!!!
CrazyDaveIowa have fun flying it just make sure you are pretty careful when you are gonna land. I crashed my first mavic flying at night. Depth perception isn't the best. Other than that enjoy it, you have a great set up with the iPad.
Dave congrats. Make sure you calibrate before flying all the time. That's the number one mistake that new pilots make. You picked the best tablet using the iPad Mini 4. I can't recommend it enough. I highly recommend getting a "MavMount" www.mavmount.com/ . They have an adapter to fit the iPad Mini 4 with a Otterbox case on. You can configure it in such a way so you can still see the screen of the controller.
CrazyDaveIowa I tried my iPhone 7 plus and an iPod touch and they're too small, so I got an iPad mini 4 exclusively for the mavic. I have seen some mounts for it but I learned they are metal so I'm not sure if that will affect the signal of the controller. How do you plan on mounting your iPad mini?
As of right now I am just fitting it in the grips of the RC. Once I get much more familiar with the Mavic I will probably explore a mount and shade. Rick did a review of one that looked like it might be workable. Since I have used the mini from day one; I could not imagine using anything smaller! And yes, me too, the mini is totally dedicated to the Mavic. PS; I have seen one mount that was 3-D printed.
First and foremost, this is a great write up. Thank you for taking time and sharing this, as I believe it will truly help people prolong their battery life. Second, unfortunately this is a testament to the opportunity DJI needs to address for their battery maintenance. In no way should a 32 minute video be the gold standard of how to properly take care of your batteries. I'd say aside from camera advances, innovating a charging system that can effectly mitigate many of the pain points you've outlined without the excessive steps -- they would for sure ensure their stronghold in the market.
You are an outstanding resource. Your videos are very informative, I am a new drone owner and your videos have really helped my learning curve... Thank You for caring about this hobby so much!
Thorough, as always. Tks. I've found that a blinking LED4 prevents the charger from charging a hot battery. When the battery cools sufficiently, charging begins automatically. Additionally, I stand the battery straight up in order to accelerate cool down - rather than leaving flat on a surface. Again, great tips.
Doug, thanks for the post and that's a great way to cool down the cells quickly. I'm learning something new everyday. Stop back soon I have a lot more content posting. Rick
Wow Rick another EXCELLENT video. I always use LiPo safe bags and wish someone would make a hard case with cutouts for the LIPo safe bags with the battery. I have used 'bare" LiPos for years and don't think you missed anything. Your production values are amazing. BTW two minor technical points. Battery density is measured in cubic inches not square inches. Electrical connectors are gold not copper. One important technical point. Automotive batteries are lithium-ion not LiPos including Tesla. It is important only because LiPos are not stable enough for cars. The danger would be too grave. I hope no one is concerned for the volatility of car batteries when considering an electric car! Nb. Have you seen the recent buzz about glass batteries!
Thanks for the post and you make a great point. Technically both batteries are members of the Li-Ion family and the difference is in their electrolyte. The Li-Ion typically uses a fabric material that is soaked in the electrolyte (could be gel or liquid) and the LiPo uses a more solid polymer electrode. The Li-Ion is much safer in the event of damage and a perfect solution for cars like the Tesla. I am a HUGE fan of electric vehicles and actually built an electric mini-bike for a senior project in high school (a hundred years ago), long before they were commonplace. Imagine zipping through the halls without making a sound. Thanks a lot for the post and I'm glad you enjoyed the clip. Rick
I knew nothing of the proper way to use and care for the lithium batteries, thank you very much for the info, I have a spark and a mavic air, my batteries for my spark have nearly 80 cycles each and there is no noticeable reduction in flight time so far following the tips in this video!! So thank you very much!!
Hi Rick, do you know how powerful you are ? I know you think I am just talking but let me tell you something ,the way you explain things to us ,if we don't understand then something is really wrong with us ,Rick your are like a teacher in some big University or some big learning Institution ,the knowledge that you have is just amazing ,Rick ,what ever you told me in the past has worked every and anything you told me has never failed and that tells me how in-depth you are in what you do,man I admire you so much because as I keep saying ,you guys don't have to teach us anything and we would end up spending so much foolish money doing the wrong stuff and that is why I have so much respect for you guys on youtube that are doing such wonderful work ,from the guys who teach us how to fly to the guys who keep crashing their drones just to show us how you can crashj ,hahahahaaa,we love you all.Well enough said for now ,Rick take care and we love you ,bye bye .
Thanksfor this segment on batteries. It got to be one of the most important aspects of having a drone, but probably of of the most disregarded. Not any more for me thanks to your tutorial. Keep up the good work. It's very appreciated.
Contrary to some opinions, I didn't notice you spending any time talking about things that don't relate to the topic. Every bit of the clip was useful, and a lot of it I hadn't thought about. You've convinced me to go through all four of my batteries right now and check conditions, then go out and fly them all. Since I do use my Mavic to shoot breaking news events on occasion, I do need to keep one battery fully charged, ready to go. But now I know the importance of rotating that battery out. In short, thanks for all the info.
I just got my Mavic 2 Zoom in July of 2020. I was unaware of the proper battery care until about November wth my flight times where only getting to be 11 minuets. Hot up a couple forums and got some tips to get them back to normal. Just watched this video to get more info, and I can't say thank you enough! I'm a 'nerd' as well and always like learning the technical aspects of all my tech. Keep up the fantastic work!
watching this in 2020 and still useful. Great explanations of the details. You covered everything in the manual. I read EVERY word in all those manuals before i flew my mavic 2 pro today for the first time. Gonna buy those battery gaurd. thanks!
Very comprehensive course in battery maintenance. I especially found the tip about totally discharging then recharging the battery as a valuable tip to prolong battery life. Although I fly an X-Star Premium, this information applies. Once again, great job. Thanks
Good info. I would have added that multi battery owners should number their batteries and rotate usage. I have 3 Batteries and I just number 1 through 3. Sometimes I only fly one battery which can rack up usage while the other two just sit. Anyway, thought a fellow nerd would have mentioned that tip! Lol
I use rubber bands to mark my batteries different colors tells me which one I use First metal blast maybe that'll help I don't know if it makes any sense probably does it
The dji software will tell you exactly how many cycles each battery has on it. Just hit the little battery symbol under the equipment icon and you can see all the info related to that specific battery. That way you won’t have to band or markup your actual batteries. Also you won’t have to remember which color or number battery you need to use at any specific time, I’m old and my memory sucks anymore, lol!
Thank you for the in-depth explanation of battery care and technology. You must have a communications major because your explanation is quite easy to follow and understand!! I'm about to fly out of the country and it will be the first time I'll be bringing my Mavic Pro with me. Knowing the characteristics of the battery and what to do to safeguard any sort of issues made me more confident bringing these gadgets along with me. I've bought a Lipo bag for two of my batteries, taping up the terminals with electrical tape and will be placing these inside another separate protective molded case. I hope it will fit with Lipo bags and I hope I don't have to cram the battery in there, otherwise I will just carry them in their Lipo bags separately without using the protective case. I'm also planning on discharging the batteries by flying the quad in one spot until low battery indicator comes on.
I recently ordered three of the lipo charge bags. Next thing on my list is the battery terminal protectors. I let my quad cool down between flights, I never just slap another battery in right after landing. I give it about 5 minutes to cool down first. In the field I always have my extra batteries (usually in the Flymore bag side nets) with button up when it's charged, and button down when it's been used. That makes it much easier to see at a glance which batteries I've already used and which are still fully charged. And I never set my Flymore bag on the ground. I usually have a small backpack that I set on the ground, and the Flymore bag on it.
Great info! I am buying a "barely used" Mavic Pro this afternoon. It's Alpine White, so it's from late 2017 to early 2018, but only shows 4 hours of flight time. I was a bit concerned about the condition of the three batteries, and now thanks to you, I know how to check their health. Thanks for posting this.
What an awesome video. Thanks for all the vital info. I would also suggest numbering each battery 1-2-3... so they can be rotated. You have definitely changed the way I charge and handle my batteries.
Hello Rick, I often think about this video and would like to add something that I find to be very relevant. My first drone was a DJI Mavic Air. I bought it after watching the video you did about the Original Mavic Air. Your break down and excitement was dead on and accurate. I damn near flew my Mavic Air every single day for just over one year. I was able to apply all your battery advice and my drone just kept going. The one time I didn't pay attention to your advise is what finally killed my batteries. I flew in the hot temperatures of a North Vietnam summer. The Mavic Air batteries get hot enough but when starting my flights with the batteries at 90 to 100 degrees already, it didn't take long to blimp out. So no problem, I went to order some new ones because for me, it would be well worth the investment. I was a bit late in the game when I bought the drone and what I discovered was that DJI had moved on to the Mavic Air 2 and Mini lines. Basically, It became next to impossible to find Mavic Air 1 batteries. Here in Vietnam, every shop; even the DJI stores were out of stock and all three of my batteries needed replacing. I literally live 100 miles from the Chinese border and couldn't get any Mavic Air batteries. My point here is if you buy a high quality DJI drone, it would be advisable to buy a second set of batteries or even 2 sets. Keep them stored away as replacement batteries so you can get the fullest life of your drone. I felt as if I still had a perfect $ 1000.00 dollar drone but was no longer able to use it. It is not as easy as just popping on an alternative generic battery back. Smart batteries are specific to DJI drones and you cannot use a alternative. Long story short, I finally found a place in America that still sold them and ordered 2. I plan to order 2 more. This summer I will not fly when the outside temperature is higher than the recommended battery temp. If I could give new drone owners this advise I would tell them. Buy extra batteries to replace your old ones. If the drone is discontinued than all support products will most likely be discontinued as well. Thank God I found a few extra. I have since bought a Mavic Air 2 and a Mini 2 with extra backup batteries. I also did the same for the C-Fly faith 2 drone. So I should be able to fly for several years now. Cheers.
When you say buy replacements, do you mean as keeping them stored until you need replacement? Or rotate them with the old ones like he said on this video?
Hi, I agree with all of your tips, there is only one additional thing I learned using LiPo(Li) batteries the last 10 years: If you mostly you don't go below 25% while using; flying; the batteries life span is much longer.
I absolutely loved the dji training videos online, and of course all the testers and reviews and tips and tricks folks like you have put out there. I didn't fly it for two months after I recieved my pro, at least until snow melted, bogs dried up etc. Used that time on the tutorials and tips and review videos on youtube. Thanks for your vids. Subscribed.
Juan, thanks for the post and I'm glad you enjoyed the clip. Please consder subscribing to the channel if you haven't already so you don't miss anything. Rick
Quick Tips: As per suggestion to not leave battery attached to the quad; I found the landing leg extensions nest nicely in the battery tray of the quad for storage in my Doubi case. They are first on and last off. Secondly. The bag that came with the Fly More combo is now my battery holding bag! Small and easily transfer from car to home to where ever!
Use the accessory charger that you get with the fly more combo to charge your cell phone or tablet if you need to discharge a battery and you can't fly. It will very quickly charge your devices and your not leaving your battery fully charged for to long.
Thank you for the education. I learned a LOT and will put that knowledge to good use. I think you spent the time that was necessary in order to explain WHY one needs to follow each piece of advice. Not just do it because I say so. I am subscribed and going to be going back to see how much more I can learn. This thing and all its extras, was NOT cheap! Better to know, in order to obtain maximum enjoyment versus constant frustration.
Thank you for the valuable notes - I was charging my Mavic 2 Pro batteries straight after use! Thankfuly I've only charged them 5-6 times, so hopfully no impact on their longevity. I will certainly adopt your points from now on...
Thanks for the post and the compliment on the editing. I sure hope you got something more out of that clip since it was chock full of information. Stop back soon, I'll have more content posting. Rick
This is a great video packed full of valuable information. I've taken careful notes that I will keep with my Mavic Pro carrying bag. ONE EXCEPTION: Be very careful putting batteries in your pockets! Use the battery contact covers before dropping a battery in your carrying bag or your pocket. Because we automatically put coin change in our pockets, one coin can damage a battery by shorting it out! It could possibly even start a fire or worse, explosion.
I know this is an older video, but very good and very relevant information. I was always under the assumption that batteries should be stored fully charged. I stand corrected.
Thanks for the great information. I have been flying in cold weather and when placing batteries in the quad i get a message that they are too cold. Been in temps around 0 at night and did not leave my battery well covered.You have sorted all that out for me so thanks again from Sydney Australia.
Very informative video - outside of obvious damage & problems, what clues are there for ultimately changing them out ...i.e. - charge doesnt last as long etc., at the end of their life will they just fail in flight or do you just suffer reduced operating time?
Finished the video, great info. Should I buy lipo bags that only store one batt or are the bags that store 2 or more ok to have? Was thinking about the likelihood of having a problem with a batt? Based on the chances, should I put more than 1 in a bag to lessen the chance of all my batts being ruined?
Rick, thanks for the valuable tips and advices. I never realized my ignorance on such a simple item as a battery. When you suggested to 'visit the battery often' to prevent complete discharge I was a bit confused because I thought DJI made it to prevent such occurrences?
Mighty Chow he talked earlier in the video about natural discharge. So the controller prevent you to drain ALL the capacity but if not charged it will slowly discharge on its own. DJI can't build any protection from that
Nice one Rick, most useful. I was always aware that LiPo's need care and attention but this sets it out very clearly. Thanks & keep up the excellent videos
Great video Rick..I was following most all your suggestions from earlier comments you made so glad to see your post confirmed I did that correctly...I got the hard plastic connection protectors from a suggestion you made earlier on in another video I think, wish I would have seen the rubber ones first. Keep up the great videos, I always make sure to watch your posts to keep my Mavic up and flying. Going next week to take my 107. Cheers.
Great video, it is very informative. I 'd like to believe that I am very mindful of being a safe and smart drone pilot, however this video made me realize a lot of things that I have not thought about before. Thank you for the information, I definitely took notes lol
Thanks for the vid, Rick! I always baby my batteries, and they are all working fine. I get equal time on each by numbering them and cycling through each for flights. I do trust DJI, and therefore rely on the auto discharge of the battery controller for sitting at full charge for 5 or 10 days at full charge. In all the literature I've read on LiPo's there is nothing wrong with storing at full for ten days. long term storage without use is 40%, I believe. I fly the Mavic at least 2-3 times a week, so can't afford predicting flight and charging the morning of......
I number the batteries too. When I pull "1" out of the drone, I put "2" in. When I'm done with "2", I put "3" in. That way, I'm not over-using any one battery. Every few months, use the app to see how many charges each battery has had, and equalize them.
That's a great suggestion and I forgot to mention the rotation tip. A few of the pilots I fly with have "skinned" their Mavic and cells and those skins have numbers on them to help them keep track. Thanks for posting and I hope you stop back soon. Rick
David Rowland I signed up for AirData.com I had no clue that little was recording all that information on flight data. I number my batteries but for some reason battery 3 of mine had a lot fewer flights found that out via airdata.
Thanks for the clip! It is fun to listen and learn What to do with a wet battery my MP crash a branch and fall on a freezing lake Rescue t after 15' the battery light still was blinking Do. You have any ideas how to approach a battery that went on water I have it in rice for now Thanks
Thanks for the information ..I love your channel I understand that if I do not fly for a period of 6 months I must check the batteries durunte this perio of time good!!! ... So, my question is after I fly for how long I can leave the battery without charging ??? Thanks!
I for one love that your using Celsius,,, not many do in these videos,,, thumbs Up... One thing... if Im not using my battery for a week, should I just charge too 50% then fully charge it on the day Im flying?
Should I take the battery off the Mavic after flying? If so..how does the battery discharge every 5-10 days? Thank you fro the great information. I definitely want to make sure my batteries hold charge as long as possible.
Thank you for the the information. I learned a lot. I do the same as when my battery is low by flying. I do not charge it right away. I wait, a few minutes. then charge it, and then I wait a while before I put it in my drone. Just to make sure i am not putting a warm battery on the charger and not putting a warm battery on my drone.
You have good points and advice. You just need to keep them short and straight to the point. Your videos are longgggggg, and I, and others stop viewing them after 5 to 10 minutes, and search for other videos with the same title. I don't care what are made of or what can happens or what can it happend. I just need to know, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, what to do. If you see that most of the videos that are mostly watched, these are short and straight to the point. FYI As a instructor for over 20 years, Adults loss interest one stop retraining information after 15 minutes.
Thanks for the post but with a clip like this one that is densely packed with information critical to the health and safety of the batteries, there was no way to make it shorter. I am shorter on most of my clips but this one took longer because it was one that most people save to review when needed. I just checked and since it's been posted the average viewing time is over 80% of the clip so viewers are hanging in there for the details.
if you have such a low attention span, then train your self to pay attention for greater periods , what the hell are you going to do once life kicks in and you need to pay attention.
Alistair Barclay you must not have a life. I have a life and a family, I don't have time to waste. I want to get to the point and go on with what's important, family and God. You may be old and no life and have all the time to waste. I don't. You have enough time to add a comment to my thoughts. Keep your comments to your self and Spare me your tears. Enjoy your day
quote"As a instructor for over 20 years, Adults loss interest one stop retraining information after 15 minutes." utter crap, I also taught for 30+ years and never had a problem with 15 minutes retention of my students, maybe you subject is boring or your teaching technique need a looking at.
Thanks for all the effort you put into these videos. I've already bought the battery contact protector set from you. They work great, but I'm having to modify my Smatree case that I upgraded to use. The three slots for batteries are too snug to allow these protectors to be used.
Totally true that's the reason why I only had 4 batteries for my Mavic pro on my inspire one and I've learned my lesson big time 2 of my batteries got bubble up and the flight time totally changed only got me 5 minutes flight time.. that was expensive batteries each one cost around $200...
Thanks. I’m learning a lot. I bought my Magic Pro used. I followed along and checked my batteries. Found the controller name to be a bit inappropriate. Guess I will rename it
My Mavic Pro runs hot when I run indoors not taking flight. Just setting my camera settings and checking everything out. My battery runs 31. -34.3 when running. That's running quite warm. Fan comes on tines discharged is 2. I am happy I watched your video. 2883 mAH remaining power total cap. 3802 MAH 34.7 c.Does the battery have an issue? I own the quad for 10 days. Thanks James
Do you have any tips for airplane travel? Should you take the battery out and travel with it separated from the drone? What do you think about ignífugos battery bags?
Excellent review Rick!! When I got my Autel X Star Premium, I read about the battery & couldn't understand why you had to let the percentage get so low. I thought it would damage the battery by doing that. After watching this video, I have a better understanding about it
Is there also a discharge process that we should use for the controller if it's not going to be used for a while, only I see that it doesn't seem to have an intelligent battery installed?
Great guide thanks for taking the time.My brother gave my Dad a Mavic Pro a few years back (Dad was an airline pilot) He was sick at the time and never got to use it. I found it in his stuff recently and tried to power it up but unfortunately the batteries seem dead. As far as I know, they never actually were charged. From watching your clip, I'm thinking that ( bar resurrecting them via force charging) there's no hope for them? What say you ?
I know this is a little off subject, but as you were talking about care and maintenance, I thought it appropriate to ask. Is there a maximum amount of time before the props should be changed? I check mine regulary and all seems fine, but being plastic I imagine they have a relatively short life.
Great info. Anyone else experience this issue and has a solution? Or is the battery gone bad? Stored my Mavic Pro Platinum for three months. Now my battery LED #1 blinks 16 times every seven seconds.
I believe it’s very important to mention that the Lipo batteries should never be totally discharged. I made the mistake of storing a 10ish% battery for about a week and lost it. I was under the impression that storing at a low percentage was healthy but it’s even more deadly the the battery life. Evidently it’s best to keep them between 30 and 60% for long and short term storage is this correct?
Great video! Mavic Pro owner here that just pulled my drone out of storage after several years only to discover that all three of my batteries are dead and damaged beyond recovery. Had no clue about the need for maintaining the batteries in these drones. Learned an expensive lesson however I now know how to properly care for these LiPo batteries.
Just received my new Mavic yesterday....... I immediately charged my 4 batteries to the max ........ this morning I watched your segment on batteries....... and now I wish I would of not charged them. This is my first drone ever and I watch your segments all the time, I'm learning a lot from you...... thank you.
I had the same question as I charged all mine as soon as I got them. It seems as if they will discharge on their own (according to the vid) but just make sure you keep an eye on them every few months to make sure they dont go completely dead.
*would have not
I also always fully charge mine. Is this wrong? I need to travel and how should I keep safely them at home?
What u recommend to do after charge all before fly and we dont use all remaining 2 batteries sometime fullcharged...
This was a long video, but I have to say that this is the single most informative video that I have seen since a bought my Mavic. Watched it completely to the end, and learnt a great deal. Thank you for taking the time to make it!
My subbies bought me a mavic for my channel and I have found your channel to be very helpful thank you. Subscribed.
My God, by far this is the best Drone Dedicated Channel by far !!!
Thanks for the post and I'm glad you enjoyed the clip. Stay tuned as I have a lot more content posting soon. Rick
I will!
Your products just allowed me to bring the Mavic on my flight, thank you! United's website says "Each spare lithium battery in carry-on baggage must be individually protected to prevent short circuits. To do this, you can place each battery in original retail packaging, place each battery in a separate plastic bag or protective pouch, or insulate the batteries by taping over exposed terminals."
I don't have the original packaging. The bags and terminal protectors should make this a smooth flight. Thank you for this video!
Got my Mavic 2 days ago..IPad mini 4 last night...first flight tonight after work!!!
Rick; YOU are so damn informative I can't stand it.
Many of my concerns have been alleviated via your concise explanations.
THANK You, Thank You for your assistance!!!!!
CrazyDaveIowa have fun flying it just make sure you are pretty careful when you are gonna land. I crashed my first mavic flying at night. Depth perception isn't the best. Other than that enjoy it, you have a great set up with the iPad.
Dave congrats. Make sure you calibrate before flying all the time. That's the number one mistake that new pilots make. You picked the best tablet using the iPad Mini 4. I can't recommend it enough. I highly recommend getting a "MavMount" www.mavmount.com/ . They have an adapter to fit the iPad Mini 4 with a Otterbox case on. You can configure it in such a way so you can still see the screen of the controller.
CrazyDaveIowa I tried my iPhone 7 plus and an iPod touch and they're too small, so I got an iPad mini 4 exclusively for the mavic. I have seen some mounts for it but I learned they are metal so I'm not sure if that will affect the signal of the controller. How do you plan on mounting your iPad mini?
As of right now I am just fitting it in the grips of the RC. Once I get much more familiar with the Mavic I will probably explore a mount and shade. Rick did a review of one that looked like it might be workable. Since I have used the mini from day one; I could not imagine using anything smaller!
And yes, me too, the mini is totally dedicated to the Mavic. PS; I have seen one mount that was 3-D printed.
First and foremost, this is a great write up. Thank you for taking time and sharing this, as I believe it will truly help people prolong their battery life. Second, unfortunately this is a testament to the opportunity DJI needs to address for their battery maintenance. In no way should a 32 minute video be the gold standard of how to properly take care of your batteries. I'd say aside from camera advances, innovating a charging system that can effectly mitigate many of the pain points you've outlined without the excessive steps -- they would for sure ensure their stronghold in the market.
You are an outstanding resource. Your videos are very informative, I am a new drone owner and your videos have really helped my learning curve... Thank You for caring about this hobby so much!
Thank you for all that info haven’t been servicing my battery’s but after watching this video I will
Only just catching up with your battery info video, this should be a must see for EVERY Mavic user
Thorough, as always. Tks.
I've found that a blinking LED4 prevents the charger from charging a hot battery. When the battery cools sufficiently, charging begins automatically.
Additionally, I stand the battery straight up in order to accelerate cool down - rather than leaving flat on a surface.
Again, great tips.
Doug, thanks for the post and that's a great way to cool down the cells quickly. I'm learning something new everyday. Stop back soon I have a lot more content posting. Rick
I just ordered the contact cover set from you. Great for going thru TSA at the airport, too.
Wow Rick another EXCELLENT video. I always use LiPo safe bags and wish someone would make a hard case with cutouts for the LIPo safe bags with the battery. I have used 'bare" LiPos for years and don't think you missed anything. Your production values are amazing.
BTW two minor technical points. Battery density is measured in cubic inches not square inches. Electrical connectors are gold not copper. One important technical point. Automotive batteries are lithium-ion not LiPos including Tesla. It is important only because LiPos are not stable enough for cars. The danger would be too grave. I hope no one is concerned for the volatility of car batteries when considering an electric car!
Nb. Have you seen the recent buzz about glass batteries!
Thanks for the post and you make a great point. Technically both batteries are members of the Li-Ion family and the difference is in their electrolyte. The Li-Ion typically uses a fabric material that is soaked in the electrolyte (could be gel or liquid) and the LiPo uses a more solid polymer electrode. The Li-Ion is much safer in the event of damage and a perfect solution for cars like the Tesla. I am a HUGE fan of electric vehicles and actually built an electric mini-bike for a senior project in high school (a hundred years ago), long before they were commonplace. Imagine zipping through the halls without making a sound. Thanks a lot for the post and I'm glad you enjoyed the clip. Rick
I knew nothing of the proper way to use and care for the lithium batteries, thank you very much for the info, I have a spark and a mavic air, my batteries for my spark have nearly 80 cycles each and there is no noticeable reduction in flight time so far following the tips in this video!! So thank you very much!!
Hi Rick, do you know how powerful you are ? I know you think I am just talking but let me tell you something ,the way you explain things to us ,if we don't understand then something is really wrong with us ,Rick your are like a teacher in some big University or some big learning Institution ,the knowledge that you have is just amazing ,Rick ,what ever you told me in the past has worked every and anything you told me has never failed and that tells me how in-depth you are in what you do,man I admire you so much because as I keep saying ,you guys don't have to teach us anything and we would end up spending so much foolish money doing the wrong stuff and that is why I have so much respect for you guys on youtube that are doing such wonderful work ,from the guys who teach us how to fly to the guys who keep crashing their drones just to show us how you can crashj ,hahahahaaa,we love you all.Well enough said for now ,Rick take care and we love you ,bye bye .
If you ever sell a used car and your the original owner, I WANT IT! You take great care of your stuff!!
N'th DEGREE DRONE lol so true. He's the type of guy that you don't have a problem lending your stuff to.
Unbelievable, I was just about to add that I'd definitely be happy buying a used car from Rick.
Thanksfor this segment on batteries. It got to be one of the most important aspects of having a drone, but probably of of the most disregarded. Not any more for me thanks to your tutorial. Keep up the good work. It's very appreciated.
Again, another comprehensive review on tips and tricks....Well done
Contrary to some opinions, I didn't notice you spending any time talking about things that don't relate to the topic. Every bit of the clip was useful, and a lot of it I hadn't thought about. You've convinced me to go through all four of my batteries right now and check conditions, then go out and fly them all.
Since I do use my Mavic to shoot breaking news events on occasion, I do need to keep one battery fully charged, ready to go. But now I know the importance of rotating that battery out.
In short, thanks for all the info.
This had everything you wanted to know about your battery's but was afraid to ask. Thanks for the lesson!
I just got my Mavic 2 Zoom in July of 2020. I was unaware of the proper battery care until about November wth my flight times where only getting to be 11 minuets. Hot up a couple forums and got some tips to get them back to normal. Just watched this video to get more info, and I can't say thank you enough! I'm a 'nerd' as well and always like learning the technical aspects of all my tech. Keep up the fantastic work!
watching this in 2020 and still useful. Great explanations of the details. You covered everything in the manual. I read EVERY word in all those manuals before i flew my mavic 2 pro today for the first time. Gonna buy those battery gaurd. thanks!
Very comprehensive course in battery maintenance. I especially found the tip about totally discharging then recharging the battery as a valuable tip to prolong battery life. Although I fly an X-Star Premium, this information applies. Once again, great job. Thanks
Good info. I would have added that multi battery owners should number their batteries and rotate usage. I have 3 Batteries and I just number 1 through 3. Sometimes I only fly one battery which can rack up usage while the other two just sit. Anyway, thought a fellow nerd would have mentioned that tip! Lol
I use rubber bands to mark my batteries different colors tells me which one I use First metal blast maybe that'll help I don't know if it makes any sense probably does it
I do the same. Makes it easy to rotate in sequence.
The dji software will tell you exactly how many cycles each battery has on it. Just hit the little battery symbol under the equipment icon and you can see all the info related to that specific battery. That way you won’t have to band or markup your actual batteries. Also you won’t have to remember which color or number battery you need to use at any specific time, I’m old and my memory sucks anymore, lol!
I did exactly that, I have 3 batteries and numbered for rotation.
i just did that last night. oem 1 II III
Thank you for the in-depth explanation of battery care and technology. You must have a communications major because your explanation is quite easy to follow and understand!! I'm about to fly out of the country and it will be the first time I'll be bringing my Mavic Pro with me. Knowing the characteristics of the battery and what to do to safeguard any sort of issues made me more confident bringing these gadgets along with me. I've bought a Lipo bag for two of my batteries, taping up the terminals with electrical tape and will be placing these inside another separate protective molded case. I hope it will fit with Lipo bags and I hope I don't have to cram the battery in there, otherwise I will just carry them in their Lipo bags separately without using the protective case. I'm also planning on discharging the batteries by flying the quad in one spot until low battery indicator comes on.
I recently ordered three of the lipo charge bags. Next thing on my list is the battery terminal protectors. I let my quad cool down between flights, I never just slap another battery in right after landing. I give it about 5 minutes to cool down first. In the field I always have my extra batteries (usually in the Flymore bag side nets) with button up when it's charged, and button down when it's been used. That makes it much easier to see at a glance which batteries I've already used and which are still fully charged. And I never set my Flymore bag on the ground. I usually have a small backpack that I set on the ground, and the Flymore bag on it.
Great info! I am buying a "barely used" Mavic Pro this afternoon. It's Alpine White, so it's from late 2017 to early 2018, but only shows 4 hours of flight time. I was a bit concerned about the condition of the three batteries, and now thanks to you, I know how to check their health. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks for the post and for my money, the Mavic Pro is still the best value for the dollar. Enjoy it and be sure to stop back soon! Rick
What an awesome video. Thanks for all the vital info. I would also suggest numbering each battery 1-2-3... so they can be rotated. You have definitely changed the way I charge and handle my batteries.
I'm really glad that you enjoyed the video and it helped with your batteries. I'll have more posting soon so be sure to stop back.
I just learned more about batteries than I ever thought I would :) Thank you, very insightful tips and tricks!
Hello Rick, I often think about this video and would like to add something that I find to be very relevant. My first drone was a DJI Mavic Air. I bought it after watching the video you did about the Original Mavic Air. Your break down and excitement was dead on and accurate. I damn near flew my Mavic Air every single day for just over one year. I was able to apply all your battery advice and my drone just kept going. The one time I didn't pay attention to your advise is what finally killed my batteries. I flew in the hot temperatures of a North Vietnam summer. The Mavic Air batteries get hot enough but when starting my flights with the batteries at 90 to 100 degrees already, it didn't take long to blimp out. So no problem, I went to order some new ones because for me, it would be well worth the investment. I was a bit late in the game when I bought the drone and what I discovered was that DJI had moved on to the Mavic Air 2 and Mini lines. Basically, It became next to impossible to find Mavic Air 1 batteries. Here in Vietnam, every shop; even the DJI stores were out of stock and all three of my batteries needed replacing. I literally live 100 miles from the Chinese border and couldn't get any Mavic Air batteries. My point here is if you buy a high quality DJI drone, it would be advisable to buy a second set of batteries or even 2 sets. Keep them stored away as replacement batteries so you can get the fullest life of your drone. I felt as if I still had a perfect $ 1000.00 dollar drone but was no longer able to use it. It is not as easy as just popping on an alternative generic battery back. Smart batteries are specific to DJI drones and you cannot use a alternative. Long story short, I finally found a place in America that still sold them and ordered 2. I plan to order 2 more. This summer I will not fly when the outside temperature is higher than the recommended battery temp. If I could give new drone owners this advise I would tell them. Buy extra batteries to replace your old ones. If the drone is discontinued than all support products will most likely be discontinued as well. Thank God I found a few extra. I have since bought a Mavic Air 2 and a Mini 2 with extra backup batteries. I also did the same for the C-Fly faith 2 drone. So I should be able to fly for several years now. Cheers.
When you say buy replacements, do you mean as keeping them stored until you need replacement? Or rotate them with the old ones like he said on this video?
Hi,
I agree with all of your tips, there is only one additional thing I learned using LiPo(Li) batteries the last 10 years:
If you mostly you don't go below 25% while using; flying; the batteries life span is much longer.
The authority on drones. Nice job!
Superb Video ON how to store your MP batteries the proper way!!
I just ordered the battery cover kit. Your videos help me tremendously. Thanks and keep them going!!!
I absolutely loved the dji training videos online, and of course all the testers and reviews and tips and tricks folks like you have put out there. I didn't fly it for two months after I recieved my pro, at least until snow melted, bogs dried up etc. Used that time on the tutorials and tips and review videos on youtube. Thanks for your vids. Subscribed.
No-nonsense advice, clear and concise. Thanks.
Juan, thanks for the post and I'm glad you enjoyed the clip. Please consder subscribing to the channel if you haven't already so you don't miss anything. Rick
Quick Tips:
As per suggestion to not leave battery attached to the quad; I found the landing leg extensions nest nicely in the battery tray of the quad for storage in my Doubi case. They are first on and last off.
Secondly. The bag that came with the Fly More combo is now my battery holding bag! Small and easily transfer from car to home to where ever!
Use the accessory charger that you get with the fly more combo to charge your cell phone or tablet if you need to discharge a battery and you can't fly. It will very quickly charge your devices and your not leaving your battery fully charged for to long.
Thank you for the education. I learned a LOT and will put that knowledge to good use. I think you spent the time that was necessary in order to explain WHY one needs to follow each piece of advice. Not just do it because I say so. I am subscribed and going to be going back to see how much more I can learn. This thing and all its extras, was NOT cheap! Better to know, in order to obtain maximum enjoyment versus constant frustration.
Thank you for the valuable notes - I was charging my Mavic 2 Pro batteries straight after use! Thankfuly I've only charged them 5-6 times, so hopfully no impact on their longevity. I will certainly adopt your points from now on...
All you have mastered is that background effect
Thanks for the post and the compliment on the editing. I sure hope you got something more out of that clip since it was chock full of information. Stop back soon, I'll have more content posting. Rick
So grateful for your concise and thoroughly informative video. Good work that man.
Received the battery covers today. Excellent accessory.
Thanks Rick.
Thanks for the post and I'm glad you liked them. I appreciate your business, Rick
One of the best Drone Channel. .
searched for an hour to find this information thank you sir! Frugal AF! subscribed
This is a great video packed full of valuable information. I've taken careful notes that I will keep with my Mavic Pro carrying bag. ONE EXCEPTION: Be very careful putting batteries in your pockets! Use the battery contact covers before dropping a battery in your carrying bag or your pocket. Because we automatically put coin change in our pockets, one coin can damage a battery by shorting it out! It could possibly even start a fire or worse, explosion.
True true
I know this is an older video, but very good and very relevant information. I was always under the assumption that batteries should be stored fully charged. I stand corrected.
Great Video Rick I really appreciate you taking of your time to put these together.
Excellent video. I love the details. You're right, I didn't read the battery manual but will now.
this guy is super thorough, subbed.
Thanks for the great information. I have been flying in cold weather and when placing batteries in the quad i get a message that they are too cold. Been in temps around 0 at night and did not leave my battery well covered.You have sorted all that out for me so thanks again from Sydney Australia.
Very informative video - outside of obvious damage & problems, what clues are there for ultimately changing them out ...i.e. - charge doesnt last as long etc., at the end of their life will they just fail in flight or do you just suffer reduced operating time?
Fantastic. Thanks. Is it ok to keep the battery on the drone?
Hey Rick, i'm getting my Mavic pro tomorrow, and your videos are soooooo helpful... Thanks and continue making great content.
You're like an encyclopedia of knowledge. Thanks for sharing! Very valuable stuff.
Great comments Rick ! thanks for sharing. help to keep the best habits with these guys and have more reliable flight!
My room is pretty cool (not cold) so I'd have my batteries for a long time. Great video man.
Finished the video, great info. Should I buy lipo bags that only store one batt or are the bags that store 2 or more ok to have? Was thinking about the likelihood of having a problem with a batt? Based on the chances, should I put more than 1 in a bag to lessen the chance of all my batts being ruined?
Rick, thanks for the valuable tips and advices. I never realized my ignorance on such a simple item as a battery. When you suggested to 'visit the battery often' to prevent complete discharge I was a bit confused because I thought DJI made it to prevent such occurrences?
Mighty Chow he talked earlier in the video about natural discharge. So the controller prevent you to drain ALL the capacity but if not charged it will slowly discharge on its own. DJI can't build any protection from that
Thanks for the video, it was super informative. I don't think it was too long at all.
Great video and very helpful. I have a Mavic Air 2 and it suppose to have a zoom function. Do you know how to activate it?
Nice one Rick, most useful. I was always aware that LiPo's need care and attention but this sets it out very clearly. Thanks & keep up the excellent videos
Great video Rick..I was following most all your suggestions from earlier comments you made so glad to see your post confirmed I did that correctly...I got the hard plastic connection protectors from a suggestion you made earlier on in another video I think, wish I would have seen the rubber ones first. Keep up the great videos, I always make sure to watch your posts to keep my Mavic up and flying. Going next week to take my 107. Cheers.
Great video, it is very informative. I 'd like to believe that I am very mindful of being a safe and smart drone pilot, however this video made me realize a lot of things that I have not thought about before. Thank you for the information, I definitely took notes lol
Thanks for the vid, Rick! I always baby my batteries, and they are all working fine. I get equal time on each by numbering them and cycling through each for flights. I do trust DJI, and therefore rely on the auto discharge of the battery controller for sitting at full charge for 5 or 10 days at full charge. In all the literature I've read on LiPo's there is nothing wrong with storing at full for ten days. long term storage without use is 40%, I believe. I fly the Mavic at least 2-3 times a week, so can't afford predicting flight and charging the morning of......
I can't say thanks enough for all the great and very useful tips. I always look forward to your videos so helpful.
Great video. I have two batteries now. Thanks for the tips. Always learn when watching your videos. Fly safe.
I number the batteries too. When I pull "1" out of the drone, I put "2" in. When I'm done with "2", I put "3" in. That way, I'm not over-using any one battery. Every few months, use the app to see how many charges each battery has had, and equalize them.
That's a great suggestion and I forgot to mention the rotation tip. A few of the pilots I fly with have "skinned" their Mavic and cells and those skins have numbers on them to help them keep track. Thanks for posting and I hope you stop back soon. Rick
David Rowland I signed up for AirData.com I had no clue that little was recording all that information on flight data. I number my batteries but for some reason battery 3 of mine had a lot fewer flights found that out via airdata.
Great Job very professional . Can't wait to see more on the Mavic 2 Pro. Wish you would do one on the best Mavic 2 Pro settings for Photo and Video.
Thanks for the clip! It is fun to listen and learn
What to do with a wet battery my MP crash a branch and fall on a freezing lake
Rescue t after 15' the battery light still was blinking
Do. You have any ideas how to approach a battery that went on water I have it in rice for now
Thanks
Thanks for the information ..I love your channel
I understand that if I do not fly for a period of 6 months I must check the batteries durunte this perio of time good!!! ... So, my question is after I fly for how long I can leave the battery without charging ???
Thanks!
I for one love that your using Celsius,,, not many do in these videos,,, thumbs Up... One thing... if Im not using my battery for a week, should I just charge too 50% then fully charge it on the day Im flying?
Very informative. Valuable information in your tutorial. Many thanks
Should I take the battery off the Mavic after flying? If so..how does the battery discharge every 5-10 days? Thank you fro the great information. I definitely want to make sure my batteries hold charge as long as possible.
Sir, you are really informed, thanks for your video, your tips, infos and, for giving us a "professional" support.
Thank you for the the information. I learned a lot. I do the same as when my battery is low by flying. I do not charge it right away. I wait, a few minutes. then charge it, and then I wait a while before I put it in my drone. Just to make sure i am not putting a warm battery on the charger and not putting a warm battery on my drone.
Excellent job, good information presented meticulously!
You have good points and advice. You just need to keep them short and straight to the point. Your videos are longgggggg, and I, and others stop viewing them after 5 to 10 minutes, and search for other videos with the same title. I don't care what are made of or what can happens or what can it happend. I just need to know, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, what to do.
If you see that most of the videos that are mostly watched, these are short and straight to the point. FYI
As a instructor for over 20 years, Adults loss interest one stop retraining information after 15 minutes.
Thanks for the post but with a clip like this one that is densely packed with information critical to the health and safety of the batteries, there was no way to make it shorter. I am shorter on most of my clips but this one took longer because it was one that most people save to review when needed. I just checked and since it's been posted the average viewing time is over 80% of the clip so viewers are hanging in there for the details.
if you have such a low attention span, then train your self to pay attention for greater periods , what the hell are you going to do once life kicks in and you need to pay attention.
Alistair Barclay you must not have a life. I have a life and a family, I don't have time to waste. I want to get to the point and go on with what's important, family and God. You may be old and no life and have all the time to waste. I don't. You have enough time to add a comment to my thoughts. Keep your comments to your self and Spare me your tears. Enjoy your day
quote"As a instructor for over 20 years, Adults loss interest one stop retraining information after 15 minutes."
utter crap, I also taught for 30+ years and never had a problem with 15 minutes retention of my students, maybe you subject is boring or your teaching technique need a looking at.
Wow. You are one heck of a nerd and I love it. Means I'm not the only one. As always thank you for the fantastic information.
Thanks for all the effort you put into these videos. I've already bought the battery contact protector set from you. They work great, but I'm having to modify my Smatree case that I upgraded to use. The three slots for batteries are too snug to allow these protectors to be used.
Totally true that's the reason why I only had 4 batteries for my Mavic pro on my inspire one and I've learned my lesson big time 2 of my batteries got bubble up and the flight time totally changed only got me 5 minutes flight time.. that was expensive batteries each one cost around $200...
Fantastic information. Thank you for sharing your experience. I learned a ton today from you.
This is truly great information and I thank you very much!!! Rick your videos are the best, I look forward to each one.Thank You!!!
Great information Rick. Keep up the great work. I haven’t long had my Mavic Pro and your tips are very helpful.
Great great video! Just wondering what we can do with the Remote controllers LIPO battery??
Great episode! A lot I did not know about these batteries.
Thank you Mister. You give so mutch good and precise information. This is very usefull for me and i will follow your recommendations. Have a nice day!
Hi Rick, another Great Video from you again, I really enjoy watching yours, thank you for your assistance !!!.
David, thanks for the support and I'm glad you enjoyed the clip! I'll have more content up soon so be sure and stop back. Rick
Thanks. I’m learning a lot. I bought my Magic Pro used. I followed along and checked my batteries. Found the controller name to be a bit inappropriate. Guess I will rename it
My Mavic Pro runs hot when I run indoors not taking flight. Just setting my camera settings and checking everything out. My battery runs 31. -34.3 when running. That's running quite warm. Fan comes on tines discharged is 2. I am happy I watched your video. 2883 mAH remaining power total cap. 3802 MAH 34.7 c.Does the battery have an issue? I own the quad for 10 days. Thanks James
Do you have any tips for airplane travel? Should you take the battery out and travel with it separated from the drone? What do you think about ignífugos battery bags?
Excellent review Rick!! When I got my Autel X Star Premium, I read about the battery & couldn't understand why you had to let the percentage get so low. I thought it would damage the battery by doing that. After watching this video, I have a better understanding about it
Rick...Excellent video...thanks for all you do....
Loads of great information! Thank you for sharing this video.
Is there also a discharge process that we should use for the controller if it's not going to be used for a while, only I see that it doesn't seem to have an intelligent battery installed?
Great guide thanks for taking the time.My brother gave my Dad a Mavic Pro a few years back (Dad was an airline pilot) He was sick at the time and never got to use it.
I found it in his stuff recently and tried to power it up but unfortunately the batteries seem dead.
As far as I know, they never actually were charged. From watching your clip, I'm thinking that ( bar resurrecting them via force charging) there's no hope for them? What say you ?
I know this is a little off subject, but as you were talking about care and maintenance, I thought it appropriate to ask. Is there a maximum amount of time before the props should be changed? I check mine regulary and all seems fine, but being plastic I imagine they have a relatively short life.
Excellent informative video! Really love your channel, keep up the great work.
Great info.
Anyone else experience this issue and has a solution? Or is the battery gone bad? Stored my Mavic Pro Platinum for three months. Now my battery LED #1 blinks 16 times every seven seconds.
I believe it’s very important to mention that the Lipo batteries should never be totally discharged. I made the mistake of storing a 10ish% battery for about a week and lost it. I was under the impression that storing at a low percentage was healthy but it’s even more deadly the the battery life. Evidently it’s best to keep them between 30 and 60% for long and short term storage is this correct?