P4 Battery Life myth (24 mins with xtra time, 45mph, no hovers here but the end)

[Jussaguy]

**rule on this thread is if you are posting range and/or battery experiences it must be with some sort of proof! I NEVER if you glance at my records on this iPad, make long flights. A battery use for me are a few flights usually (continua though). I try and land around 20% usually.

*If you don't want to read my extended post, essentially I woke up this morning and read the range and battery life thread and some just rang out as not right to me so I decided to test out my 2 bats and post the results. I have no dog in the race. I don't care either way but the results refuted everyone for sure about the battery life (and the range seems fine to me) but for resons explained below I couldn't go further than 1.5 miles without endangering the bird because I would be in a second valley out of sight but it did that 1.5 like it was 100 yards and I feel I could go forever if I wanted. Both came back with 19% and 26%. If my telemetry is a couple numbers off, it is only because of a bad memory but it's pretty close or e exact on everything.

I'm not a great pilot. I have been learning for years and am still not nearly as good as my mentors.

Because of my business needs and financial pool (both personal and business), I'm afforded the ability to own most of the entire line of DJI products and I don't and haven't sweated any loss of distance but battery power grabs my attention a little. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on the cliff like some because of the supposed discrepancies in produced specs and perceived and I'm sure at times ACTUAL differnence.

On vacation at a B&B mansion that looks over Simi Valley. In fact I'm flying directly over the valley so far as air conditions are concerned, whatever is better or worse (forget), I'm at about 6500 feet after going over the valley (30 feet from my homepoint).

Each of my two flights were one after the other, and the first with a battery that had 7 total cycles, and the maiden bat flight on the last flight.

In my efforts to try and mimick real life scenarios, I flew often in sport mode, used intelligent modes and practiced several RTHs just to be sure after that scare I had the other day. Open area valley (I will upload both vids) and by the way, I was shooting continually on the last flight but I accidentally only brought the stock card, so it was 16, all my 32s and 64s are at the studio so it cut out but as you can see that camera was also running for the majority.

The first flight returned with 19% and th second with 26% left in the bat. So I will let those objective metrics speak for themselves. *The logs attached but I'm on my mini which I still haven't synchronized so it only has a flew flights listed.

As for how the camera looks va. the P3, I believe the P4 is better (albeit negligible), naturally but once I figure out my initial setting, I keep it as a macro and that's what it starts at so it makes no difference to me.

As for distance, I flew in P mode I would guess about 1.5 miles in VLOS from one side of the valley to the next and it did it in unreal time. Once you get a straight away with a tailwind, you are flying. I now believe the guy that said he went 75mph. At one point I slowed down because I was afraid of flipping the bird (double entendre notwithstanding).

Do the math from take off to landing with constant movement and all the stuff above with 19% and 26% left. I'm sure you guys realize that they post specs for the entire battery which is fair.

It's fine, of course, if you are having different results or experiences but to discuss your own stuff, you can't mention it in this thread without the proper proof. Discuss the other stuff at will, that way people using these threads to make decisions can look at objectivity rather than just hear what you have to say. Sure, I could have just sat there and let it hover so there is a little honor here, but I can't possibly understand why someone would lie about such a thing.

I'll upload my telemetry cache (assuming it's still there). The app is wonky and always has been IMO. I will definitely upload the video. I don't have a computer (that I own) and off the cuff I don't think I can upload the vid until I'm home Sunday or Monday but I believe I can screen capture the telemetry from the flights which I will do a little later. Family is already yelling at me because I'm not in the infinite view spa which I am now going to do.

Do the math! I am finding no lies on my bird. Can't fully comment on range with the last two flights but the battery myth, appears to be just that, unless I happen to have gotten two great batteries. DONT FORGET THAT the final flight had more than 25% left so the math brings you nicely over 28% and that's without even "breaking in the battery" which I believe is a crock anyhow, but that's another discussion. For your viewing truth:

The above telemetry metadata as from the second flight, brand new battery and 26% remaining so add 4.8 or so minutes to that.

First flight

 

[Jussaguy]

Happy Easter!!!

A couple pics.

Me, my niece, my brother and mother in law

Finally, one of the general area I was flying. I'll upload all the video and stills when I get home.

 

[launchpad26]

The screen shot of my log shows 28 flights but that seems to include better than a dozen times I turned the aircraft on and off at home as well as two previous flights on the first Phantom 4 returned due to a camera issue. So today was the first time out the door with this P4. My third time out flying. I am new so I am still in beginner mode.
It was rather a cold 50 degrees with a wind at about 10 mph. I flew for a total of 23 minutes on a new battery landing with 24%. I was flying into the wind,down wind, quick ups and downs and all over the field.I was not using video for these flights. Set on P mode, set on beginners.
After warming my hands I put my second battery in and flew 3 flights with the exact same flying conditions but used video most of the time and even tried tracking for a few minutes. I landed with total time 21 minutes and 20% battery.
It should be noted that both batteries were fully charged. Range was not considered as I was wanting some experience before going any further.
Noted problems? Well I was flying a bit aggressive but yet spending some time with the menu's trying to confirm my home position, camera settings, etc. Right off the bat I had troubles with radio signal. I was in and out of "CANNOT FLY" because I had poor radio signal while on the ground. I was not in an ideal area but I had fantastic radio on the first P4 at the same spot. I was in the same spot on the parking lot as before and not near anything. I had no changes between the settings on either of my Phantoms. None I made anyways. GPS was strong at all times.
I don't really know what any of this means but I am not unsatisfied thus far and I figure I have to figure out what I could have done to better the radio strength.

 

[Jussaguy]

Well so far, I would say it's safe to say the battery is, at a minimum, delivering truth.

What I find strange, is that as we find objective proof that the battery not only gets what it supposed to, but looks like it would actually exceed and that's with a lot of movement and stuff.


I'm sure, if we came back with evidence that the batteries only got 11 minutes without full charge that there would be 11 pages discussing it. Is this place no better than the regular media?

Battery is giving exactly what is says it should or more. Range, we will discuss later.

 

[ianwood]

I wonder how may of the people who are experiencing shorter flight times are in cold environments.

 

[Jussaguy]

I wonder how may of the people who are experiencing shorter flight times are in cold environments.

I flew 23 minutes tonight (with 11% left on the bats 3rd run here with very little sport mode and it was pitch black (and about 40-45F and like an idiot I left the gimbal lock on. I keep doing stupid things. It seems to be working fine but do you guys think I might have done some future, currently unforseeable damage.

Suggestion box: on the p5, make the bird have an internal gimbal lock that lets itself loose when you power up. Idiotic problem solved. As I came in to land and I saw it. Again, in pretty much instrumentation and line of site flight, I was sure it had to be broke but it seems fine.

We shall see. So far anything dumb I've done on there has been my fault sans one. I got out pretty far today.

Question, how long do you guys let it go out of sync before turning around? Like I'll get a RC or video break and then it will reconnect but I'm nervous after that. If will RTH if it get no reception for a certain amount of time right?

Tomorrow with my bat that has about 7-9 flights, I plan to do about 1.5 miles whether permitting and then I'm gonna bring it in until about 7% and land just to try and get this 28 minute time for people that can't do the math.

Abyone notice the loudest and angriest people about the P4 are the ones that aren't getting it because of X or Y. So transparent. Of course some people are truthful and just want to wait because not everyone has 2k to review down for a slightly better version of something they already own.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I wonder how may of the people who are experiencing shorter flight times are in cold environments.

Not me!

 

[Jussaguy]

Not me!

Well explain why I'm getting on par or better flight times in sub par conditions???

My metadata is above, I will screen crapture the whole flight and post the video tomorrow.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Well explain why I'm getting on par or better flight times in sub par conditions???

My metadata is above, I will screen crapture the whole flight and post the video tomorrow.

I'm not arguing with you. Just stating the fact that my three P4 flights of 16 minutes, 15 minutes, and the last of only 12 minutes to 7% remaining, starting at 95% remaining, were all at 65-75° F, so a cold environment was definitely not a factor in the significantly less than 28 minute flight times!

 

[CaptainDrone798]

Well explain why I'm getting on par or better flight times in sub par conditions???

My metadata is above, I will screen crapture the whole flight and post the video tomorrow.

Disclaimer... I don't own a P4 but I do own a P3

I live in Ottawa, Canada and fly in cold to frostbite cold weather 4 months a year. Cold air is more dense than non-cold air. A Phantom will fly effortlessly in cold air and use less power. The downside is that if it is massively cold, the battery will drain faster unless you hit the sweet spot.

The sweet spot occurs when you fly in cold weather with a warm battery on a sunny day. The sun will warm the craft and the battery temp won't fall as fast leading to 20+ min flights before battery hits 30%.

My point above is that P4 owners will all experience different flight times in different climates.

 

[Jussaguy]

Disclaimer... I don't own a P4 but I do own a P3

I live in Ottawa, Canada and fly in cold to frostbite cold weather 4 months a year. Cold air is more dense than non-cold air. A Phantom will fly effortlessly in cold air and use less power. The downside is that if it is massively cold, the battery will drain faster unless you hit the sweet spot.

The sweet spot occurs when you fly in cold weather with a warm battery on a sunny day. The sun will warm the craft and the battery temp won't fall as fast leading to 20+ min flights before battery hits 30%.

My point above is that P4 owners will all experience different flight times in different climates.

That's a true comment for every pilot, in every location whether RC or not. But yes.

 

[Pogopilot]

**rule on this thread is if you are posting range and/or battery experiences it must be with some sort of proof! I NEVER if you glance at my records on this iPad, make long flights. A battery use for me are a few flights usually (continua though). I try and land around 20% usually.

*If you don't want to read my extended post, essentially I woke up this morning and read the range and battery life thread and some just rang out as not right to me so I decided to test out my 2 bats and post the results. I have no dog in the race. I don't care either way but the results refuted everyone for sure about the battery life (and the range seems fine to me) but for resons explained below I couldn't go further than 1.5 miles without endangering the bird because I would be in a second valley out of sight but it did that 1.5 like it was 100 yards and I feel I could go forever if I wanted. Both came back with 19% and 26%. If my telemetry is a couple numbers off, it is only because of a bad memory but it's pretty close or e exact on everything.

I'm not a great pilot. I have been learning for years and am still not nearly as good as my mentors.

Because of my business needs and financial pool (both personal and business), I'm afforded the ability to own most of the entire line of DJI products and I don't and haven't sweated any loss of distance but battery power grabs my attention a little. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on the cliff like some because of the supposed discrepancies in produced specs and perceived and I'm sure at times ACTUAL differnence.

On vacation at a B&B mansion that looks over Simi Valley. In fact I'm flying directly over the valley so far as air conditions are concerned, whatever is better or worse (forget), I'm at about 6500 feet after going over the valley (30 feet from my homepoint).

Each of my two flights were one after the other, and the first with a battery that had 7 total cycles, and the maiden bat flight on the last flight.

In my efforts to try and mimick real life scenarios, I flew often in sport mode, used intelligent modes and practiced several RTHs just to be sure after that scare I had the other day. Open area valley (I will upload both vids) and by the way, I was shooting continually on the last flight but I accidentally only brought the stock card, so it was 16, all my 32s and 64s are at the studio so it cut out but as you can see that camera was also running for the majority.

The first flight returned with 19% and th second with 26% left in the bat. So I will let those objective metrics speak for themselves. *The logs attached but I'm on my mini which I still haven't synchronized so it only has a flew flights listed.

As for how the camera looks va. the P3, I believe the P4 is better (albeit negligible), naturally but once I figure out my initial setting, I keep it as a macro and that's what it starts at so it makes no difference to me.

As for distance, I flew in P mode I would guess about 1.5 miles in VLOS from one side of the valley to the next and it did it in unreal time. Once you get a straight away with a tailwind, you are flying. I now believe the guy that said he went 75mph. At one point I slowed down because I was afraid of flipping the bird (double entendre notwithstanding).

Do the math from take off to landing with constant movement and all the stuff above with 19% and 26% left. I'm sure you guys realize that they post specs for the entire battery which is fair.

It's fine, of course, if you are having different results or experiences but to discuss your own stuff, you can't mention it in this thread without the proper proof. Discuss the other stuff at will, that way people using these threads to make decisions can look at objectivity rather than just hear what you have to say. Sure, I could have just sat there and let it hover so there is a little honor here, but I can't possibly understand why someone would lie about such a thing.

I'll upload my telemetry cache (assuming it's still there). The app is wonky and always has been IMO. I will definitely upload the video. I don't have a computer (that I own) and off the cuff I don't think I can upload the vid until I'm home Sunday or Monday but I believe I can screen capture the telemetry from the flights which I will do a little later. Family is already yelling at me because I'm not in the infinite view spa which I am now going to do.

Do the math! I am finding no lies on my bird. Can't fully comment on range with the last two flights but the battery myth, appears to be just that, unless I happen to have gotten two great batteries. DONT FORGET THAT the final flight had more than 25% left so the math brings you nicely over 28% and that's without even "breaking in the battery" which I believe is a crock anyhow, but that's another discussion. For your viewing truth:

The above telemetry metadata as from the second flight, brand new battery and 26% remaining so add 4.8 or so minutes to that.

First flight

shorter !

 

[Jussaguy]

Ok, the words speak for themselves. Random captures of my telemetry. My wind was off so I was flying into wind when I thought I had a tail, it's cold and very very high because of the valley and I hit the 23 minute mark with a little time to spare and traveling upwards of 45mph and travelled a mile on one stretch. Far enough for me. Could have gone farther but I'm not gonna become an idiot YouTube video for an Internet forum.

 

[Jussaguy]

Please FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, explain to me why there is absolutely no discussion on the OBJECTIVE FACT WITH PROOF of the battery power I'm showing on the P4 (videos to coke from the minimal amount of storage I accidently bright to follow) but 40 threads that are completely contrary to people who are "happy I didn't get a phantom 4".

You see those pics up there, would be buyers and upgraders, unless you think I photoshopped it, that's a 24 minute flight at speed ranges of up to 50mpg in S mode, plenty of P mode and I even through in some ATTI for fun. And the camera gimbal was on, I could have turned it to fpv for longer time.

Plus I'm high and it's not ideal conditions so WHATS THE PROBLEM HERE?

God bless and Happy Easter to all you fine people.

 

[RussRamz]

Don't hover. Accelerate through ETL and you'll need less power.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I'm sorry but I am not following the methodology or conclusions of your test.

The thread title talks about "24 minute flight times, not hovering, 45 mph," yet I see only one 24 minute flight in the data provided. All the others records were less, a couple of 22 minute flights with the rest in the teens. Also the flight record screen shot provides only limited information regarding each flight. You need to develop a consistent method of testing if the results are to be meaningful. In conducting a test you cannot arbitrarily decide, "The battery had x% left so it has to be good for at least another 5 minutes."

I did a controlled test of this nature with my P4 last week. The three videos are online & available @ YouTube. I flew all three packs from full down to 15%. This was the third cycle for the packs. The first two flights were limited to P & A modes. The last flight was pure Sports Mode, full-out the entire flight. As you can see, the P4 never came close to 28, or even 24 minutes, in these tests. Only in the straight hover test have I achieved 24 minutes of flight time, though of what practical purpose hovering a few feet above ones launch point is unclear?

Flight 1 - 18:20 - (P & A modes)
Flight 2 - 17:43 - (P & A modes)
Flight 3 - 14:12 - (Sports Mode balls-to-the-wall)

Hover Test - 24:35 - (Straight hover, P-mode, CA off, Recording 4K)

Note: I have managed to achieve one flight of 21:39 & another of 20:30. Both were in P-mode. Most flights are in the mid to upper teens.

 

[Jussaguy]

Cc Ccc ccccc c Ccc cc. Ccccc

I'm sorry but I am not following the methodology or conclusions of your test.

The thread title talks about "24 minute flight times, not hovering, 45 mph," yet I see only one 24 minute flight in the data provided. All the others records were less, a couple of 22 minute flights with the rest in the teens. Also the flight record screen shot provides only limited information regarding each flight. You need to develop a consistent method of testing if the results are to be meaningful. In conducting a test you cannot arbitrarily decide, "The battery had x% left so it has to be good for at least another 5 minutes."

I did a controlled test of this nature with my P4 last week. The three videos are online & available @ YouTube. I flew all three packs from full down to 15%. This was the third cycle for the packs. The first two flights were limited to P & A modes. The last flight was pure Sports Mode, full-out the entire flight. As you can see, the P4 never came close to 28, or even 24 minutes, in these tests. Only in the straight hover test have I achieved 24 minutes of flight time, though of what practical purpose hovering a few feet above ones launch point is unclear?

Flight 1 - 18:20 - (P & A modes)
Flight 2 - 17:43 - (P & A modes)
Flight 3 - 14:12 - (Sports Mode balls-to-the-wall)

Hover Test - 24:35 - (Straight hover, P-mode, CA off, Recording 4K)

Note: I have managed to achieve one flight of 21:39 & another of 20:30. Both were in P-mode. Most flights are in the mid to upper teens.

Well, I guess you didn't read the OP. I woke up one morning (on the first day of my family Easter vacation) and read the thread about ranges and batteries not getting what they say and from there decided to do my own tests and instead of all the conjecture and BS being thrown around these P4 forums, I decided to do actual tests. I don't normally do that, hence the few flights with lesser minute flights. IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO READ the posts, then don't comment on them because I find myself repeating the same info over and over again around here. It's all in there.

The first two flights on day one of my wonderful little family Easter break (one at 10:24 and the other at 10:46) had flight times of 19 and 22 minutes. The 19 minute video returned with 19% battery power left on a brand new bat. The 22 minute video was returned with 26% battery life left and I wanted to keep flying on that one but the family was yelling at me to come in. You don't have to be a genius to extrapolate that info. 10% of 22 minutes. is 2.2 minutes which means you can 4.4 minutes to that at 20%, add the additional 6% or 26% and you can add 26% at that movement and speed and if you ran it down to 1% you would have flown for (using that math) almost exactly 28 minutes (in fact a little over). This was all explained in the OP if you read it. I am spelling it out a little more for you here because you're not getting it for some reason

I did a controlled test of this nature with my P4 last week. The three videos are online & available @ YouTube. I flew all three packs from full down to 15%. This was the third cycle for the packs. The first two flights were limited to P & A modes. The last flight was pure Sports Mode, full-out the entire flight. As you can see, the P4 never came close to 28, or even 24 minutes, in these tests. Only in the straight hover test have I achieved 24 minutes of flight time, though of what practical purpose hovering a few feet above ones launch point is unclear?

Why was your test any more controlled than mine? I was not home and could not, and did not want to spend more time on this but I wanted to take a snap shot of the telemetry of the 22 minute video so you can see that I went all over the place including something like a mile away (which I don't normally do in areas I don't know (over a humongous valley in the chilly air) and decided hovering wasn't the best example because that's not what we do. It appears to me that hovering might even use more battery than not because of other people testing. *I did hover once I was at 10% because I am no going to lose my bird to show you knuckle-heads that 28 minutes is a doable and provable fact. The flights before the first 19 minute flight (again you would know if you would spend the time reading instead of posting) were just prior flights and I usually land multiple times during a regular battery and when I am not testing battery times. So either, I have a better P4 than yours, you were in a worst spot, or whatever type of flying you were doing drains more batteries. But again, I used every mode including S, P, and ATTI and you can see by showing the MPH that I snapped a shot of that you were asking about. on the 24 minute flight, at one point I was going, AS YOU CAN SEE, 50mph and the yellow line going all over the place shows you I wasn't just hovering I don't know how more to explain this to you.

Flight 1 - 18:20 - (P & A modes)
Flight 2 - 17:43 - (P & A modes)
Flight 3 - 14:12 - (Sports Mode balls-to-the-wall)

Sucks to be you. Look at my 24 minute telemetry which you got hovering.

Hover Test - 24:35 - (Straight hover, P-mode, CA off, Recording 4K)

I did not do a hover test but I did get to the 24 minutes you got hovering. Again, can't tell you how to fly, but learning about tailwinds, headwinds, and proper physics to suck the most out of your battery is important. In fact, on my 24 minute vid, I said, I accidently reversed Hovers wind direction was going against the wind when I thought I was getting pushed.

Now for the coup de gras, your very first statement makes me wonder why I am even giving you this info since you just looked at pictures and didn't read anything.

The thread title talks about "24 minute flight times, not hovering, 45 mph," yet I see only one 24 minute flight in the data provided. All the others records were less, a couple of 22 minute flights with the rest in the teens. Also the flight record screen shot provides only limited information regarding each flight. You need to develop a consistent method of testing if the results are to be meaningful. In conducting a test you cannot arbitrarily decide, "The battery had x% left so it has to be good for at least another 5 minutes."

Yes, it talks about 24 minute flight times because I had one and showed the log for it. Not sure what you are saying about hovering but I hovered at the very end of course because I am not going to lose my bird. And yes, I got one 24 minute flight. A couple "of 22 minute flights" with me telling you how much power I had left which I said you would have to trust my honor on that one because I don't have a screen capture utility to show the moving telemetry but I will do it off of quicktime now that I'm home later.

Yes, you are correct, the flight record screen shot only gives you limited info, one of those being speeds and battery power and proof that I was flying all over the place if you couple the logs with the time of day and the telemetry image.

To the underlined part, you are obviously not a scientist. There is no such thing as a fact in science. I'm sure anyone here that has some intelligence knows that a fact can only be proven, not dis-proven making facts in science an absolute impossibility. To go to the extreme, that the sun will come up tomorrow is a theory based on the fact that for as long as we've all been alive, that has happened for all the reasons it does, the earth's rotation etc. Every day, that theory is proven by the sun coming up again. Doesn't mean it will come up tomorrow. Just means you can guess it will.

So based on the several flights I made that were 22, 22, and 19 and the amount of time left on them, I can VERY EASILY and scientifically extrapolate those numbers and figure out what it would be if I ran it to zero. That is not arbitrary, I literally just did the math for you a couple quotes up.

I am not sure why I am doing this anymore. It's like banging my head against the wall. This place is a pissing contest and not a discussion of what is what. What we should be discussing is why I am getting such better results than your "controlled study". What made it controlled? Because you hovered? Well my control was the opposite, real-life situation (flying in all the modes, using the intelligent modes, using camera, gimbal movement and exact numbers.

HOW CAN YOU CALL THE MATH THAT I JUST DID ABOVE ARBITRARY?!?!?

And the reason the videos aren't up yet is because I just walked in the house and if you read the OP, which I sort of hope you didn't even though it's rude to make me regergitate the same info because you didn't read IS BECAUSE I was in a mountain view villa with my family and I didn't even have a computer to dump my videos. If you look at the logs you can see when my card filled up. That my friend is why I don't have the vids up yet, which I will with the animated telemetry or maybe I won't because no matter what I do, someone bitches and complains about it and I'm about frustrated beyond words. READ READ READ and then comment, please. Arbitrary after 4 successful tests? LOL! Seriously.

The thing I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND is that you don't even need to read my post but look at the pictures to tell what's happening. This is not difficult to understand and there is absolutely nothing arbitrary. Help them lord, for they cannot see.

 

[Wibble]

I see you didn't record any video for the longer flights. Could it be that the video recording eats up battery? Or did you record and the log is wrong?

 

[Jussaguy]

I see you didn't record any video for the longer flights. Could it be that the video recording eats up battery? Or did you record and the log is wrong?

Are any of you guys reading the OPs?

I forgot to bring my cards. I have tons of 32s and 64s but I only had the 16 that came with the bird in it because I forgot to pack cards hence, since I wanted to record the whole time on each test, I was running continuously but at the 15 minute mark of one of the flights the card was full and I couldn't record for the rest of the weekend.

So far each one of my responses is in my OP.

 

[Wibble]

I am sorry but it is rather late in the UK and I didn't read all of the posts. My feeble brain can't take in that much info in one go....