Battery Management

[Pe11e]

Well, just bought the third battery, and started thinking about the battery management. It's highly irritating. Why?
First, you must PREDICT will you ground your Spark for couple of weeks, to keep your batteries between 25 and 75% (per recommendation). In my case that is not gonna happen simply because I always finish the flight around 15-20% of battery left. So I guess I must charge the batteries up to 50%, and put them in the bag? And when I want to fly, take them again and charge them to 100%? That's just idiotic if you ask me, but again, Li-Po technology is old.
So, you either land the Spark around 30%, or fly as usual and charge them to 50ish % after the flights, in the case you will not fly for few days or weeks.
Also, there was a couple of times when I planned to fly the next day, charged the batteries to 100% the night before, and for some reason I couldn't fly (bad weather, errands, etc). So how I discharge the batteries to 50ish % to keep them healthy? I know the batteries have some kind of automatic discharge, but it is obviously way to slow. After few days I checked them, all were still 100%.

How do you fiddle with battery management? Should I care a lot, or they are indeed intelligent that much?

 

[DesertWindAero]

Well, just bought the third battery, and started thinking about the battery management. It's highly irritating. Why?
First, you must PREDICT will you ground your Spark for couple of weeks, to keep your batteries between 25 and 75% (per recommendation). In my case that is not gonna happen simply because I always finish the flight around 15-20% of battery left. So I guess I must charge the batteries up to 50%, and put them in the bag? And when I want to fly, take them again and charge them to 100%? That's just idiotic if you ask me, but again, Li-Po technology is old.
So, you either land the Spark around 30%, or fly as usual and charge them to 50ish % after the flights, in the case you will not fly for few days or weeks.
Also, there was a couple of times when I planned to fly the next day, charged the batteries to 100% the night before, and for some reason I couldn't fly (bad weather, errands, etc). So how I discharge the batteries to 50ish % to keep them healthy? I know the batteries have some kind of automatic discharge, but it is obviously way to slow. After few days I checked them, all were still 100%.

How do you fiddle with battery management? Should I care a lot, or they are indeed intelligent that much?

I just charge them up the night before I know I am going to fly. No problems with them at all.

 

[Reed Adams]

DJI says that it's fine to leave the batteries charged because after they sit over 10 days they'll automatically go into storage mode and discharge themselves. Dji didn't state to have the battery partially discharged if stored. The manual just says that if the battery is charged and not used, it will go into storage mode and discharge itself to a healthy level for storage.

 

[Pe11e]

Thanks for clarifying! So the best way is to keep them charged or uncharged after flying?

Listen from 33:12:

 

[DesertWindAero]

Thanks for clarifying! So the best way is to keep them charged or uncharged after flying?

Listen from 33:12:

It's up to you.

 

[Pe11e]

I know it's up to me, just want to make sure what is the best way to keep the batteries healthy.

 

[msinger]

just want to make sure what is the best way to keep the batteries healthy

My DJI batteries have held up very well over the years by maintaining them like this.

 

[Pe11e]

Thanks, that sums it up.

 

[Adrianvert]

These batteries are intelligent and can maintain themselves. As already stated they have in built safety features for you to get the most out of you expensive batteries. Check page 27 here;

https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&s...FjAHegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw1GEwXKa2RabwxYT_c4Yohj

 

[Hddeuce03]

I always charge mine fully after each flight. Never know when I'm going to fly again and want to be ready. If it's been longer than 10 days, I charge them up fully again.

 

[Lolo780]

Set the auto discharge for 1 or 2 days, then if your plans change they'll self discharge slowly.

 

[Wanderer]

So, you either land the Spark around 30%, or fly as usual and charge them to 50ish % after the flights, in the case you will not fly for few days or weeks.

That's what I usually do since it takes 10 days until the batteries are discharge by themselves. This means stressing the batteries for 10 days which I want to avoid.

Back in the days of the Phantom 2 there was a handy little discharger available on Ebay. It had a little light bulb to discharge the battery and - that was real nice - a little button. If this button was pressed, discharging automatically stopped at 60%-70% of charge.

I wish such a tool was available for the Spark, too, which would automatically charge or discharge a Spark battery until the third LED is blinking, then stop by itself.

 

[mimixtz]

2 things should be adjustable:
- time after discharging would start
- level where circuits in the battery would go off.

This last one could be automatic:
- 3.85 V per cell
- if V per cell is lower and if time adjusted has expired, circuits should go off automatically instead of staying on and slowly draining baterry for the next 10 days.

 

[n16dun]

Set the auto discharge for 1 or 2 days, then if your plans change they'll self discharge slowly.

Can you explain how to do this please?

 

[THE WOMBLE]

I charge the batteries to 100% and just leave them to start to discharge themselves after 10days. Don't "test" because that starts the 10 day cycle again.

 

[Wanderer]

But this practice would still shorten the battery life since it takes 10 days until auto discharge kicks in. This means almost two weeks of unnecessary stressing the batteries. Doesn't seem a perfect solution for me.

There are so many chargers around for the Spark - I really wonder why there isn't one that offers an optional feature to automatically charge or discharge the battery to 60%. This would make things so much easier.

 

[THE WOMBLE]

But this practice would still shorten the battery life since it takes 10 days until auto discharge kicks in. This means almost two weeks of unnecessary stressing the batteries. Doesn't seem a perfect solution for me.

There are so many chargers around for the Spark - I really wonder why there isn't one that offers an optional feature to automatically charge or discharge the battery to 60%. This would make things so much easier.

That was the advice given to me when I had a chat with DJI SUPPORT. I would think there would be more stress on the batteries when flying. Batteries just "sitting" would have a very little stress in my option.
I suppose you could recharge till 3 green lights show and then store.

 

[msinger]

Set the auto discharge for 1 or 2 days, then if your plans change they'll self discharge slowly.

Unfortunately, the 10-day setting is hard-coded when flying a Spark. It would be nice if DJI exposed this setting in DJI GO so we could decrease it to 1-2 days.

 

[Pe11e]

I think it's hard-coded in the battery itself.
I'm still not sure should I charge them to 50ish % after every flight. The fact that I need to charge the batteries TWO times before any future flight is concerning. Number of charges will reduce the battery life span too.

 

[msinger]

I'm still not sure should I charge them to 50ish % after every flight.

There's no need to charge the battery after flying if you're going to use the battery again in a few days or it's still about 40% charged.