How long does a Spark last?

[daviwph]

I have yet to hear someone say that their Spark has worn out. For such a hard working little guy, it would seem that something eventually would succumb to natural causes.

The areas that come to mine would be the motor bearings and battery contacts.

Then there's the battery pack. How many charges before it looses capacity?

All this, assuming no crashes or harsh conditions.

I would be interested in what's the record for Spark longevity.

 

[Haggi]

Well, here is my Spark's status:



4 batteries, all charged 80-ish times. All batt's are 2 years old, as my Spark.
Capacity reported to be in the low 90%, which should give me half a minute or so less flight-time.
Have not notice any degrading of RC battery yet.

Edit: Added metric screenshot

 

[Scooped]

Nice report. I am just over 100 flights and no issues what so ever.

 

[Rick W]

I have had to replace Sparky's batteries after a year and probably 100+ cycles. I try to store the batteries at 30-50%. I was starting to notice that my flight times were getting progressively shorter so I replaced the batteries after a year. I am from South Florida and it has been very hot and humid this year. The batteries and Sparky are usually very warm at the end of a 12 minute flight. I am also very hot and humid after a flight so Spark and I try to find air conditioning or shade when possible to chill between fights.

I think the life of a Spark will be determined by the level of care you provide. Dust and moisture have to shorten Sparky's life spans. Allowing Sparky to cool down between flights and storing him in a cool dry area are all important to preserving his life. All in all, it seems to be very well built and will last me until the next model with features I really have to have become available.

 

[pmshop]

Can't really say because if you crash or have a warranty issue, you get exchanged for a different unit.
Mine are getting close to 8 hours @ 66 flights for Sparky and almost 22 hours @ 182 flights for Sparky II.
There are so few hours on Sparky because that one was exchanged January 2019 for that crash in Las Vegas.
I got the two Mavic Air in March and April.
I fly those primarily now but still take the Sparks out for a spin from time to time.

As far as batteries...still the original 6 from between October 2017 and December 2017
No issues

 

[Rendlesham UAP]

Well, here is my Spark's status:

View attachment 11672

4 batteries, all charged 80-ish times. All batt's are 2 years old, as my Spark.
Capacity reported to be in the low 90%, which should give me half a minute or so less flight-time.
Have not notice any degrading of RC battery yet.

Holy **** - impressive

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

Can't really say because if you crash or have a warranty issue, you get exchanged for a different unit.
Mine are getting close to 8 hours @ 66 flights for Sparky and almost 22 hours @ 182 flights for Sparky II.
There are so few hours on Sparky because that one was exchanged January 2019 for that crash in Las Vegas.
I got the two Mavic Air in March and April.
I fly those primarily now but still take the Sparks out for a spin from time to time.

As far as batteries...still the original 6 from between October 2017 and December 2017
No issues

Most people lose their shirts in Vegas, not their Sparks ?

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

Have not notice any degrading of RC battery yet.

Nice stats. It is reassuring, I have got about half as far as you, so I know I can wait for Spring before I go M2 or some other brand!

 

[twickers14]

Hey guys. How can I produce a report like the ones above. They’re awesome. On the main point I was going to ask the same question today-two “great” minds thinking alike. Presume parts and batteries will wear before inner workings?

 

[Mtntrogger]

Hey guys. How can I produce a report like the ones above. They’re awesome. On the main point I was going to ask the same question today-two “great” minds thinking alike. Presume parts and batteries will wear before inner workings?

That's a screen shot from airdata uav. The best flight data app out. If you don't use it your sleeping ! There's a free version but the paid options are well worth it. Syncs flights no matter what platform your flying on, Litchi, dji go, drone harmony, etc. Can even tell you wind speeds and gusts during your flights. Serious indispensable

 

[Mtntrogger]

Well, here is my Spark's status:

View attachment 11672

4 batteries, all charged 80-ish times. All batt's are 2 years old, as my Spark.
Capacity reported to be in the low 90%, which should give me half a minute or so less flight-time.
Have not notice any degrading of RC battery yet.

Wow ! Your stats are super impressive. Especially your top speed. How the crap did you get it over 40 mph ?!! I was so proud of my top speed of 35. Full tilt with the wind at your back ? Or modded ?

 

[twickers14]

Right. I’m ashamed not to know about it. Off to the App Store. Thank you kindly.

 

[Mtntrogger]

Right. I’m ashamed not to know about it. Off to the App Store. Thank you kindly.

No app store. It's a web site. Best used from a computer

 

[NJSpark]

Nice stats! That’s crazy distance good for you man. It’s good to know we can get a lot of life out of the spark if we’ll cared for.

 

[twickers14]

No app store. It's a web site. Best used from a computer

Have downloaded the App and am buying a subscription from the Airdata website which gives me a coupon code. Will that not work on my iPad once I’m up and running?

 

[Haggi]

Have downloaded the App and am buying a subscription from the Airdata website which gives me a coupon code. Will that not work on my iPad once I’m up and running?

I think I downloaded Litchi and bought the app a couple of years ago.
Which gave me 30% discount on the annual fee at Airdata..

Link

 

[Haggi]

Hi @twickers14
A subscription at Airdata is not restricted to only one platform or OS.
DJI is supported directly, other drone models are supported via token key.
You will find these settings in the menu at Airdata.

In my screenshots, you will notice a plan limit at 400, which is the HD360 plan.

If any questions, do not hesitate asking.

 

[Haggi]

Wow ! Your stats are super impressive. Especially your top speed. How the crap did you get it over 40 mph ?!! I was so proud of my top speed of 35. Full tilt with the wind at your back ? Or modded ?

In the early days, I modded some parameters (like attack angle etc) and reached this top speed.
With stock setup, it's more like 33-35 mph or 52-55 km/h.
Have not been parameter modded for the last 12 months, don't wanna wear and tear this beautiful bird too soon.
You will also see very high altitude, I do not go high like this any more either.
On the other hand, parts are available on ebay. Maybe some day I will be a trill seeker again.
Within local regulations, sure!

 

[daviwph]

Well, here is my Spark's status:

View attachment 11672View attachment 11696

4 batteries, all charged 80-ish times. All batt's are 2 years old, as my Spark.
Capacity reported to be in the low 90%, which should give me half a minute or so less flight-time.
Have not notice any degrading of RC battery yet.

Edit: Added metric screenshot

Well, I would say that answers my question! Thank you Haggi. Your demonstration prompted me to buy AirData.

I'm having a little trouble with AirData identifying my batteries correctly. Using the .DAT flight log files, it's saying my batteries are generic but, it's returning some information about their status anyway. Using the .TXT logs, it's reporting the maximum temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit which is incorrect.

So, my question is are you uploading .DAT files or .TXT? In my case the files are coming from an Android phone with the latest DJI Go APP.

 

[Haggi]

....my question is are you uploading .DAT files or .TXT? In my case the files are coming from an Android phone with the latest DJI Go APP.

No manual uploading required.

• Firstly sync your flight logs in GO 4 app. This will sync your logs with DJI servers.
• Open Airdata web page and log in with your Airdata credentials.
• Tap "My account" in top right area of Airdata web page.
• Find "Dji login" in the left side menu.
• Log in with your official DJI account credentials. Maybe a confirmation about success will popup.
• Tap "Sync All" to force a manual sync. This can take a minute or so if there is many logs to sync. Auto-sync will be done on daily basis.
• You are now all set and done!

Other 3.part apps will have to use your unique generated token. Litchi and such..