a little bit of cutting, hacking, soldering etc and I came up with a way to hook up standard Lipos so no more having to deal with DJI crappy batteries.
Batteries.. Look what I did
- Thread starter tccraiger
- Start date
What firmware is your P2 running? Curious if the system will let you run non-DJI batteries on newer firmware.
a) right now only getting about 10 minutes with old 2200mah batteries
b)not really expecting a weight difference.. mostly did it to be able to use cheaper aftermarket batteries and properly balance charge them so they last longer.
c)using latest firmware; still using the top part of the battery, so the phantom and the computer manager software both think it is just a regular battery.
b)not really expecting a weight difference.. mostly did it to be able to use cheaper aftermarket batteries and properly balance charge them so they last longer.
c)using latest firmware; still using the top part of the battery, so the phantom and the computer manager software both think it is just a regular battery.
After checking the weights of 2 lipo batteries, h3-3d gimbal (which he isn't using), TX, iOSD and GoPro (which he isn't using) the total weight with the equipment we have would weigh between 1691 and 1700 grams. Mine with extension landing gear comes to total of 1361 grams.
Now he blames his 10 minute flight on old batteries. If a P2 with all the equipment we have installed I do not think we would manage more than 15 minutes that a new DJI battery would give. The saving difference between this mod and a smart battery is 20 dollars which to me isn't much of a savings..
I just weighed my bird; 1272g... my flight time is less mostly because I am only using a total of 4400mah batteries vs the stock 5400mah.
So far my cost of this mod has been zero because I had everything in my garage. So instead of having to buy new batteries for $100 each I can use all the existing batteries I already have at a cost of zero.
I can purchase two 3000mah batteries for around $80 and be able to properly balance charge them individually so they last more than 50 cycles.
No one is saying this is for everyone; but for the many people that have been having issues with DJI batteries it is an option.
So far my cost of this mod has been zero because I had everything in my garage. So instead of having to buy new batteries for $100 each I can use all the existing batteries I already have at a cost of zero.
I can purchase two 3000mah batteries for around $80 and be able to properly balance charge them individually so they last more than 50 cycles.
No one is saying this is for everyone; but for the many people that have been having issues with DJI batteries it is an option.
Love your work. DJI P2 OEM batteries are horrid. None I've heard has exceeded 100 cycles. At least you can properly balance the cells with this mod. I still don't know how DJI balances 6 half cells in the P2 batteries with its so called "smart battery".
My weight calculation was off by 200 grams total weight. Yours may only weigh 1272g but your not carrying the same weight most of us are. At a weight of 1361g using a new OEM 5200 mah battery I'll get 15 minutes flight time till it autolands at 15%. Now depending on which 2 lipo batteries to use a 3300 or 2200 the total weight would increase to between 1420 and 1550 grams. At those weights one would be lucky to get 12 minutes at maximum. Plus a stock dji battery 5200 mah is is $89 so by your price you'd save $9 not a big advantage. In my opinion it's not a very sound modification to even consider.
they're not properly balancing them, thats why the failure rate is so high and the number of cycles for most people so low. There is no way to balance two, three cell packs that are wired in parallel.. impossible.
Hi, thats a great mod to use cheaper standard lipos. Can you post a wiring diagram for the connections for the balance leads and power leads to the dji smart battery top.
Quit blaming the way the batteries for using parallel circuits for without that type circuitry you wouldn't be able to get your craft off the ground. Adding batteries containing more mAh will only add more weight and less flight time .
Yes those batteries cost less but will not give you more flight time. Limefuel sells a 6000 mAh battery weighs a few grams more then a DJI stock battery and give more flight time all by by use extra parallel circuits to generate more current.
Yeh great, but i still dont know how to wire the smart top to a standard 3 cell lipo. Cant make out the wiring/connections in your pics.
Doing that mod is the biggest waste of time and money to gain absolutely nothing in flight time do to weight you would be adding to the quad.
not after flight time bud, just something equal to stock at a third of the price.
N017RW
Premium Pilot
Not sure what your concern or issue with this is???
Until you reach 300 [calculated] cycles the re-used 'intelligent' battery cap/interface will work fine to circumvent the DJI battery closed-loop eco-system.
HOWEVER... doing these types of mods require experience as LiPos are dangerous.
Many place blame on the 3S2P scheme for poor battery life but I am more concerned with the apparrent incorrect charging algorithm. LiPos use a CC/CV profile which the stock set-up does not provide.
Some users are reporting as little as a 100 cycles on these very expensive batteries (£100 GBP in some sellers). When my batteries finally crock which shouldnt be for a while as my P2 V3 is only 2 weeks old, i would like the option of marrying a 5000-6000 lipo to the smart battery top. The only negative point for me with the DJI Phantom is the monopoly that they have on batteries. Knockoffs are likely to have inferior smart tops, using the original top with another lipo could be the answer.
Without that 3s2p scheme you would be able to lift a P2 loaded with gimbal, camera, tx and iOSD off the ground without current scheme that today's batteries have. My point with this mod is that you would be adding more weight and gaining less flight time in return. Yes the 300 cycles could never be reached whether or not it is because of a poor charging system dji is using compared to other systems.
N017RW
Premium Pilot
I see.
You're judging against your personal values.
There is no other 'system' to charge LiPos other than CC/CV. That is the profile.
To some modding a 2+ y/o a/c to avoid WAY overpriced batteries at the near-end of it's expected lifetime is satisfying.
Do you ever see a day when P2 batteries will not be available from DJI?
I cannot invest further in platforms that require proprietary batteries.
This is a way forward for some until the P2 is retired to the man-cave wall.
You're judging against your personal values.
There is no other 'system' to charge LiPos other than CC/CV. That is the profile.
To some modding a 2+ y/o a/c to avoid WAY overpriced batteries at the near-end of it's expected lifetime is satisfying.
Do you ever see a day when P2 batteries will not be available from DJI?
I cannot invest further in platforms that require proprietary batteries.
This is a way forward for some until the P2 is retired to the man-cave wall.
