Hi Ian, your video has come to our attention. For your information, we will optimize the discharge logic of the battery in future firmware, so it can be discharged within the drone or charging hub. Thank you for your attention.
Compré el Dron Mavic Air 2 y tengo exactamente el mismo problema. Despues de dejar cargadas las 3 baterías comienzan a descargarse hasta llegar a cero en menos de 3 días. Es horrible para viajes!
Wow. Your advice produced an actual response from dji support...I'm truly impressed. That you took the initiative to make the statement and that they replied, admitted the oversight and promised to take steps to resolve it in an upcoming update. That's how shit gets done ladies and gentlemen. 🥱Next! Seriously impressive sir. 🙋
Hi Ian I had downloaded the latest dji mini2 and kn checking my batteries ie one in the hub that I no was fully charged is now 5 wks later is flashing at 3 bars the other two were in there carry case and ar both showing the same charge rate thanks for your time to investigate this matter
Thanks for the mention. It's good that a big channel like yours picked this up. The number of people I can reach is very limited and this needs to be spread. Maybe we should make enough noise that DJI will look into properly addressing this problem.
Thanks for your warning. I picked it up a few days ago on a UK DJI facebook group and removed my batteries from the charger immediately. I'm thinking of putting a pice on plastic about 10 mm thick into the bottom of the charger when it is not in use so that I can store the batteries in the charger without the terminals touching. This means that I can still fit everything into the original DJI case. Is my idea sensible our could it case damage?
@@tonysutton6559 I've seen on one of the Facebook groups that someon has already came up with a 3d printed part to separate the terminals. I feel like turning the batteries around works for me but thera are other options out there.
I caught this the other week on your channel, so I did it immediately. I think it's not helped by the fact that the multi charge hub is such a convenient place to store the batteries, so you naturally just leave them in there. Thanks both for the heads-up though!
Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention Ian. I've got 5 Mini 2 Batteries & like most people, I leave them in the charging hub & the Drone itself, when charged. At £50 each in the UK it's worth looking after them. Thanks again.
I saw another video last week saying the same thing and called DJI up on the fact they didn't mention in the manual the importance of NOT storing the batteries in the charging hub or drone, so they can auto-discharge. They ought to consider adding this guidance ASAP!
Holy cow you're absolutely right! I had my three batteries in the charging hub for about a month during the winter, when I went to check them they were fully charged! So now I took them out of the hub and they're just sitting in the bag! Thank you so much for your informative video
Thanks for that Ian. I have just 3d Printed a little cap to go over the battery terminals on the battery so that they can all stay in the battery brick but not be connected hence saving space in the bag
After months of watching various videos and reading lots of posts, this is the first time I’ve heard of this ‘in equipment’ problem and the solution of storing the batteries separately. I have four batteries = £200. Not just the money but I suppose the reduced time for each flight as the battery efficiencies reduce. Thanks Ian.
Hi Ian. Although you produced this a year ago, it just become relevant to me. Thank you for your informative videos. You are a great communicator. Regards peter from Melbourne Australia
I contacted DJI via email, they asked me to send my complete mini 2 package back to them so they can check it!! Obviously I won’t do this and posted them to your video Ian, hope you don’t mind.
I was just starting to wonder why they didn't seem to go through the self-discharge routine when your video came out. Shame though as the hub is the obvious and sensible place to store them charged, or otherwise. Maybe DJI could make product improvements so that placing in the hub doesn't prevent self-discharge from happening.
Just bought my mini 2 last week and as I already have the P3P and Mavic Pro I was totally surprised and shocked by this. I’m so glad I came across your video !! Thanks so much for putting this info out there for everybody 😉👍🏻
As someone who has multiple “toys” that use lipos, some 2s 3s and 6s….. I’ll say one thing, ALWAYS store your batteries in a lipo bag when not in use. If your batteries ever fail and catch fire or explode a lipo bag will (hopefully) keep your house from burning down
Wow, my Mini 2 arrived today so it's good I watched this video. I've never heard of this battery discharging concept before, and if I hadn't watched this video, the way the Mini 2 comes packed and the way the Hub is presented with the batteries inside there when you unbox it, it feels obvious that they SHOULD be kept in there. Good thing I watched this video!
What a coincidence, last night I was trying to look this up because I knew I won't be able to fly for a couple weeks. A lot of people saying to manually discharge with the USB port and to not press the battery check button but still with no luck. Very helpful that this pops up, cheers Ian! Shame the batteries can't be kept in the charger because it's quite convenient there.
Thanks Ian, nice to DJI are aware reading the reply to you. For now, I've turned my batteries round in the charger, they don't go all the way down, but there's still plenty of room in the bag. Cheers 😁👍
Thanks Ian, they really do become smart when left out the hub. I decided not to fly yesterday after charging them the day before, now they've lost 3% they didn't do that before when left in the hub
I've been using large lipo batteries for years. The general practice is to always charge and store the batteries so they are balanced (all cells charged equally), store the batteries at 3.80V to 3.85V per cell and try to store in a cool place. Some people swear by 3.80V, some 3.85V, some 3.83V and some of the more hardcore people store their batteries in the refrigerator. I'm not that much of a stickler when it comes to storage, I have enough batteries for 3 flights of each model and I land when the battery is around 3.80-3.85V (on DJI models that is anywhere from 47% to 55% on the meter depending on the model) and store them at room temperature. I have some batteries for my helicopters since 2012 and they still work fine. Sizes are 6S 5000mah, 2S 2000mah, 3S 2200mah, 6S 3800mah and 6S 1300mah. Many computerized chargers have a "storage" mode that charges, discharges and or balances multi cell lipo and li-ion batteries to 3.80V-3.85V. Note: "S" is the amount of cells. I believe the Mavic Mini 2 uses 2S 2250mah lipo, the original Mini 2S li-Ion 2400mah (except the battery made for sales in Japan).
Great info - thanks. I tend to keep my batteries in the hub once charged but I don’t leave them ‘clipped’ in - they’re just sitting loose in the slots. Not sure if this will make a difference - will have to check them to see if they are behaving or not.
Hi Ian, What I do when batts are charged, I take them out of the charging hub turn them the opposite way then put them back in the hub, the charging pins are not connected. This is also good for traveling and doesn't take up space. love your videos watch them all.
Ian, it may be worth pointing out that the batteries will fit in the charger if turned around. Its ideal for storage/auto discharge and a reminder to charge before flight
Oooooh very interesting! I saw the note saying they look after them selfs didn’t realise they didn’t in the drone or charger! Good to know! Many thanks Ian!
I have only had my mini 2 for a couple of weeks; after 3 days since last fully charged (last night) I decided to check for firmware updates and battery charge. Firmware update - so updated. But I found they were already way down in charge capacity. The 3 batteries were in the charger hub - now removed. thanks for this for this info
Interesting. Went to the two batteries in the hub, neither used for a good long while now, and both down to 3 lights (that’s good, right?). The one in the Mini 2 was on 4 lights but that had been charged (in the drone) much more recently. Now out of the charger and the drone, just in case! Thanks.
Good you picked this up. I bought a fly more combo and one of my battery just bricked after one use .... The problem is when the electronic in it bricks and you have no access to the electronic in any manner whatsoever so you cannot unbrick them . Kind of annoying but hey no one is perfect. Maybe Dji should add a "storage" feature to the hub . Experienced Rc'ers to conserve the batteries are always discharging their battery using the "storage mode " on our chargers . What the battery charger does is to discharge the battery to a certain level when the current is not degrading anymore and can be easily recharged=Storage mode. :-)
Thanks Ian! I got a lipo safe bag for a few weeks ago but had forgotten to use it. Now I took them out of the charging hub and in to the lipo bag made for mini2 batteries.
Thanks for the information. I like taking my charging case with me in case i require it later in the day so have just turned the batteries around and put into case. You have to push a little harder but seem to fit in fine and have been discharging
Thanks for info, simple and quick solution, I always rotate the batteries, once charged in the hub, partially pull out and put an elastic/rubber band over the contacts, that way I can store them in the hub, just gotta remember to check the charge before I fly.
Speaking as an electronics engineer for over 30 years, it's never a good idea leaving any kind of rechargeable batteries in ANY equipment. You have to remember the 'off' button is only a soft 'off' not a hardware disconnect! A small amount of power is consumed by most equipment these days so the device can detect you've pressed the button to turn it on again, and in some cases to hold up the settings you've programmed into it. (Although these days most equipment uses non-volatile memory for this to eliminate the need for a backup watch style battery). Over a period of time this drains the battery. My camcorder does the same. With the other DJI drones the off button is on the battery itself, and that will cut the power to the drone, but will still be consuming a minute amount of power to drive it's internal battery management electronics. With the mini there's no power button on the battery, so the drone's electronics is 'live' if you store the battery in the drone. Same goes for the charger. The charger electronics is 'LIVE' if you've got a battery in it! This is to power it's circuitry so that you can read out the battery charge level! Don't do it with ANY equipment unless you have to. Killed my camcorder battery, when i forgot one time, and it's hard to recover one if it goes into what is termed 'deep discharge'. It's just not good practice, so fortunately for me, i've not been affected.
I have made a little thing on thingyverse that can be 3d printed so that you can keep your batteries in the charging brick but not connected to save space in the Bag. The thing number on thingyverse is 4824231. I have also posted a thread on the DJI forum explaining the issue with a link to my thing. All free to download and print if you have a printer.
@@Silverado1222 No not selling as such but get yourself an Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer (£150 from Bangood) you will have hours of fun. I can send you 2 if you want assuming you are in the UK and you send me your address some how and paypal me say £2 to cover the postage etc. Not sure how you send messages on here perhaps let me have your email address somehow
Thanks Ian, I have not used the drone for months now. In the hub they were all flat as a pancake but now charging and using your advice. PS I did see a tip where a bloke used an elastic band between the batteries and the hub.
Thanks for sharing this important information, Ian. I have now taken the battery out of my drone and I am storing all three in the charging hub, BUT I am using a small elastic band around each battery at the terminal end. This is cheap and easy - it stops the terminals making electrical contact with the "brick" but it takes up a lot less space than turning the batteries upside down. Best wishes and stay safe.
@John Irvine, I’ve just bought the Mini 2 Fly More Combo. I’m going to pinch your elastic band idea to allow space-efficient storage of the 3 batteries in the charging hub but stopping the battery / hub contacts from touching. Thank you.
Thanks for the useful tip! Also, I notice that if one of your batteries fails to get to full charge in the hub, it won't move on to charge the others. Really annoying to find my batteries not charged this morning.
Great advice Ian, I've been doing what it seems most of us do which is to leave the batteries in the charging hub as it's neat and convenient to do so. I will be changing this practice immediately
a good tip is simply to flip 180' the battery in the hub so that they dont connect with the hub. You have to wiggle it a bit for it to fit (because of the groove in the hub) but the fit is just enough to be able to put it all back in the drone case.
Hi lan; I can't speak for the exact batteries you reference too, but DJI did confirm to me that the batteries for the mini 3 pro can be stored in their charger and will discharge as normal with no worries.
Thanks Ian, advice taken and acted on.....though mine do seem to have discharged somewhat whilst in the charger/drone. But over a matter of months, not weeks.
Thank you so much for this info! I stored mine in the hub about 2 weeks ago and they still had a full charge. Hope they will be OK, I've since taken them out.
Charged my battery full today, I was wondering if I should leave the battery in the drone. Got to my computer and searched in Google and it lead me to your video Ian. Thanks, my doubt was not being stupid, turns out it is good to take it out the battery from the drone.
Hi Ian , what I would like , is some kind of terminal cap for the batteries that you could still store them in the charging hub but not connected cause the charging hub is still a nice place to keep them , at least in my opinion . Take care Ian .
Very excellent video.. I wondered why mine were not at least discharging some when I have not flown for a while... I always take my three Autel Evo batteries out of their area and will keep my mini 2 batteries out of the hub or drone now too.. Thanks..
Ian, a bit further on the batteries. I take any fully charged batteries out of the charger, then charge up any discharged during flight. They say the batteries only last so many cycles and I don't know if tossing a discharged in with two charged counts against all three or if it just slightly degrades the almost fully charged batteries. I also wonder if the batteries are not discharging because they are active in the charger and the drone. They monitor for discharged batteries and tend to try to level all three in the charger to the same charge. The drone seems to be battery monitored, even when off, so it stays active and never enters discharge??? I don't know why my self discharge in the charger and drone, but if I go ten to fourteen days without flying the batteries are down to three of four lights. My MINI is still in the pond so I use the two remaining MINI batteries to download video, post flight, from the MINI 2 and keep the lighter MINI 2 batteries for flying. I keep a fan on the drone during video download for cooling and use the direct WIFI from drone to tablet to download with less power and four times or faster downloads. Cooling fans from old computer video cards are great for cooling the MINI drones during static video download. The larger power supply fans are great for cooling larger areas and larger drones. I have used these brushless fans for years to help cool speed controls in R/C boats. Just to be sure I made a wooden rack for my drone batteries and keep them in the charger or drone only when in use. I also carry a 10 amp battery back about the size of my phone to keep my phone/tablet charged when using three to five batteries sequentially in a flight. Saves draining the MINI 2 controller. I have not tried plugging the battery bank in the controller while flying, but I suspect it would charge the controller that is also charging your video attachment???
I'm still keen to establish why they do auto-discharge for some, but not others. I unplug the hub and thrown the whoel thing with batteries inside into the case. I wonder if leaving the hib plugged in makes allows them to auto-discharge. As you say, these batteries don't have the power switch on the battery (whereas other models do have the switch and indicator lights on the battery themselves)....
Good video again squire It can't be overstated how important this advice is. You will damage your batteries if you don't follow this protocol which in turn could damage your drone, it's as simple as that. DJI do advise to remove the batteries from the charger if not charging but they don't make the info obvious enough. Perhaps the solution would be for DJI to put a red label on the batteries or charger "IMPORTANT -REMOVE BATTERIES FROM CHARGER AND AIRCRAFT WHEN NOT IN USE" A firmware update cannot change this so get into the habit of storing your batteries "loose".
Thanks Ian, I’m sure they used to discharge in the charger when I first got the M2 but just checked and they don’t now, pretty poor considering the cost of them!
I usually only charge back up to 60% after flying, rather than 100%. Equally if I charge and don't end up flying, I use the hub to discharge to 60%. Following this routine avoids any issues and I've always done this with my DJI drones over the years.
Thanks. I was observing the same behavior and couldn't understand it. Makes perfect sense b/c of the charge light connection. FW fix?? Hopefully. Major oversight on DJI'S part. FYI Didn't see the article link for Lipo Battery care.
Hi Ian, thanks for your video. I guess that your advise do not apply to my Mini 3 Pro. The reason is that I just checked my batteries that were stored several weeks in the hub, and the charge dropped from 100% to about 75%. Obviously because of the self discharged control
Excellent tip, thanks. I have been storing these in the charger. After two weeks I get 3 out of the 4 lights on. I do occasionally use the charger with all 3 batteries as a power bank for my phone, to try to keep the batteries active to prolong their life. I Can't quite understand why DJI don't state this anywhere.
Thanks for the video. With all the smarts these days why doesn't the chargers have a charge to storage level option/mode?? That would be handy to pop your flat batteries in and charge to about 60% ready for even short term storage.
I'm confused now, at 01:06 you said the electronics in the battery will discharge the battery by 5% per day. But later in the video you seem to be suggesting this only happens if you leave them in the Mini2 or the charger pack ?
This is good advice. I have a Mavic2 zoom. I’m pretty sure the same principles apply although I do know that they will discharge to around 70% in the hub/drone. There is a setting to start discharging after a set number of days.
Thanks for that Ian, I don’t fly that often ,especially in this terrible cold weather! And I do store mine like you said most of us do ! Actually I just charged mine earlier this evening! So I shall be removing then now! Once again thanks!
Good info I keep mine in the charger but I turn them the other way 180 degrees so they dont try to charge that waybit keeps my batteries in 1 spot and dust out of the charger. Stopped keeping batteries in after the Mavic pro fell victim to the swollen battery issue.
Mini 1 has LiIon batteries. 2400mAh... The problem with those lipo is that that are HV variant of LiPol battery, witch means it's slight over voltage. That is why it needs to be maintained by BMS inside to make it live. If HV is left charged for longer it degrades more than normal LiPol.
Great video, I store mine in the hub the other way round so the contacts don't connect, they only go in the hub halfway but they're still storable in the Combo Bag and will self discharge this way 👍
Thanks for the info. Weirdly, I'm only getting the battery staying at full-charge on one of my three Mini 2 batteries - the other two have discharged as I would expect them to when comparing to how my Mavic 2's batteries discharge.
Once fully charged, you can put them back in the hub, but with an elastic band around the top, to prevent the battery contacts to be free of the hub contacts, and so allow self discharge . This allows for the convenience for all the items to be stored, and transported , all together, back in the excellent hard case my mini SE combo kit came with. I thought this option was a better option than Ian’s earlier advice, to store them, back to front , in the hub, where they are just far too tight a fit to risk distortion or damage, over time , pulling them in and out, to either the hub , or , perhaps even the batteries?
I was wondering why my mini 2 batteries did not discharge the way my mavic air always does. I left one battery in the drone and two in the charger for two weeks and went to charge them before flying and to my surprise they were full. Thanks so much for the info. And DJI fix this issue please!
Weird. I haven’t noticed this issue. Mine discharge on schedule when stored in the hub. Sounds like a serious issue DJI needs to address because there is no mention of this in the “Warnings” section of the manual for the hub.
Hi Ian. Just noticed this info vid. I wonder if this is batch related. I have just checked on my Mini2 and after a charge a couple of months ago, mine (left in the drone) are at half capacity. I have just put mine in to charge and I will check again. Another point people should know is that these LiPo battery types have a limit on charge of 30% when being shipped by air so it is important to check and charge on receipt
Hi Ian, great advice as usual. I haven’t got a mini 2 as I’m knobbed off with the fact it’s not compatible with the smart controller. However the advice to charge the batteries after using them is new information to me, I usually leave them til I plan to fly again, so thanks for the advice. Great channel pal 👏
Hi Ian, strange situation for the batteries. I knew about not storing them at full capacity and running the batteries down but why should we be expected to know/ do this?
Very informative, I have the AIR2, but I think the battery technology is pretty much the same. I knew about the batteries discharging on their own but I didn't know about not storing in the drone and I appreciate the info. Take care and thank you.
I have made a little thing on thingyverse that can be 3d printed so that you can keep your batteries in the charging brick but not connected to save space in the Bag. The thing number on thingyverse is 4824231. I have also posted a thread on the DJI forum explaining the issue with a link to my thing. All free to download and print if you have a printer.
Thank you for the update. Immediately after watching your video I checked the three batteries that I do keep in the charger. They all were fully charged and in order to not have them connected to the terminals I put a small rubber band around them right below the connectors on the batteries. This way I can still store them in the charger but they're not connected to the charger circuitry.
Thx for info, take just one household rubber band and put around the battery so when you place it in the hub there will be no connection and you won't lost the space in the bag. Simple&cheap everyday solution👍
Good one man. Its the first thing I thought of as a potential problem when I received my mini2 a few months ago but I didn't know what to do about it and so I did nothing 😔 good on ye for doing something 😁
Checked my batteries docked in the hub after a month or so of not being used..... 100% Full ..... batteries removed from hub now. Thanks for the info!!!
Waiting for my purchased Mini 2 to arrive, and can't thank you 'Ian in London' and 'Live My Journey' enough. You'd think that if there's no problem with other DJI batteries then they'll easily isolate what's gone wrong with the Mini 2. And you'd think they'll resolve it quickly -- no way they can ignore what you both have done. Unless the specs say specifically that the batteries can or can't be stored in the drone or hub, then we're all up for the extra spend when the problem's fixed, by the looks.
See I always always land at 60% storage voltage, and so this is why my batteries are always in absolutely perfect condition! My Mavic Mini has 153 cycles on it's battery and it flies absolutely perfectly! My Mini 2 also I always always store at 60% battery level, I may leave it over the night at 30% but next day I charge and fly, then land at 60%! See guys, 60% landing and then forget about your battery! Just charge it before flying and then land at 60% always like I do.. Sweet Keep well and be safe everyone! 🛸😁🙏🇧🇬
I was aware of the optimal charge percentage for Lipo batteries so I have tried to only charge to around 50 % when storing long term, but unfortunately I have left the batteries in the charger cassette however without the charger connected. I had the impression that this would be sufficient, so I thank you for sharing this information.
@@curioussand1339 you don't need to remove them from the battery hub, just keep them in there at 60%,that's what I do and they're always at 60 just the way I left them.. Sweet
@@ivanjdrakov1957 Yes, you're right, if they already are at an optimal charge level 50-70% it should be fine to store in the battery hub. (Btw., batteries comes shipped from DJI at 50% so guess this must be the optimal level.)
Thanks for saving my batteries Ian, have been use for almost month, now first thing I did run and took them off, however I noticed 2 of my batteries when in charging dock when press side button last light flash rest are stay on, is this mean they are some sort of trouble or just drain power naturally? I don't have my drone with me to test its now few weeks with DJI waiting they send replacement after crash, any sort of advice always helpful. Thanks
Hi Ian, your video has come to our attention. For your information, we will optimize the discharge logic of the battery in future firmware, so it can be discharged within the drone or charging hub. Thank you for your attention.
Thanks for the update DJI! Appreciated. Cheers, Ian
Compré el Dron Mavic Air 2 y tengo exactamente el mismo problema. Despues de dejar cargadas las 3 baterías comienzan a descargarse hasta llegar a cero en menos de 3 días. Es horrible para viajes!
Just got my Mini 2 today! it's so awesome! Feeling like a kid at christmas again lol
Wow. Your advice produced an actual response from dji support...I'm truly impressed. That you took the initiative to make the statement and that they replied, admitted the oversight and promised to take steps to resolve it in an upcoming update. That's how shit gets done ladies and gentlemen. 🥱Next! Seriously impressive sir. 🙋
Hi Ian I had downloaded the latest dji mini2 and kn checking my batteries ie one in the hub that I no was fully charged is now 5 wks later is flashing at 3 bars the other two were in there carry case and ar both showing the same charge rate thanks for your time to investigate this matter
Thanks for the mention. It's good that a big channel like yours picked this up. The number of people I can reach is very limited and this needs to be spread. Maybe we should make enough noise that DJI will look into properly addressing this problem.
I hope so! We tried on the forum! Thanks again for flagging this 👍👍👍
Thanks for your warning. I picked it up a few days ago on a UK DJI facebook group and removed my batteries from the charger immediately. I'm thinking of putting a pice on plastic about 10 mm thick into the bottom of the charger when it is not in use so that I can store the batteries in the charger without the terminals touching. This means that I can still fit everything into the original DJI case.
Is my idea sensible our could it case damage?
@@tonysutton6559 I've seen on one of the Facebook groups that someon has already came up with a 3d printed part to separate the terminals. I feel like turning the batteries around works for me but thera are other options out there.
I caught this the other week on your channel, so I did it immediately. I think it's not helped by the fact that the multi charge hub is such a convenient place to store the batteries, so you naturally just leave them in there. Thanks both for the heads-up though!
Thanks to both of you!! I now put the batteries in backwards in the ‘dumb’ hub.
Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention Ian.
I've got 5 Mini 2 Batteries & like most people, I leave them in the charging hub & the Drone itself, when charged.
At £50 each in the UK it's worth looking after them.
Thanks again.
WOW ! That's a hundred and fifty something in my Neck of the Woods !
I saw another video last week saying the same thing and called DJI up on the fact they didn't mention in the manual the importance of NOT storing the batteries in the charging hub or drone, so they can auto-discharge. They ought to consider adding this guidance ASAP!
Holy cow you're absolutely right! I had my three batteries in the charging hub for about a month during the winter, when I went to check them they were fully charged! So now I took them out of the hub and they're just sitting in the bag! Thank you so much for your informative video
Thanks for that Ian. I have just 3d Printed a little cap to go over the battery terminals on the battery so that they can all stay in the battery brick but not be connected hence saving space in the bag
You should post this on the DJI forum as everyone stores them in the hub. There’s people over there recommending lipo bags that the hub fits et al.
Done so Dave! Cheers and all the best fella
Too bad they won't auto-discharge in the hub. It's such a convenient place to keep them.
This is true only for the mini 2, not the mini 1
@@mbelof57 well that is the title for the video
Thank you Ian. I’ve literally, upon hearing this, taken my batteries out of the charger. 👍🏼
Just got my Mini 2 a couple of weeks ago. THANK YOU for this information, you have saved my batteries!
After months of watching various videos and reading lots of posts, this is the first time I’ve heard of this ‘in equipment’ problem and the solution of storing the batteries separately. I have four batteries = £200. Not just the money but I suppose the reduced time for each flight as the battery efficiencies reduce. Thanks Ian.
Hi Ian. Although you produced this a year ago, it just become relevant to me. Thank you for your informative videos. You are a great communicator. Regards peter from Melbourne Australia
hy, so you storage your battery outside of the drone and charging hub?
just got my mini 2 se, greeting from bali!
I contacted DJI via email, they asked me to send my complete mini 2 package back to them so they can check it!! Obviously I won’t do this and posted them to your video Ian, hope you don’t mind.
I was just starting to wonder why they didn't seem to go through the self-discharge routine when your video came out. Shame though as the hub is the obvious and sensible place to store them charged, or otherwise. Maybe DJI could make product improvements so that placing in the hub doesn't prevent self-discharge from happening.
Just bought my mini 2 last week and as I already have the P3P and Mavic Pro I was totally surprised and shocked by this. I’m so glad I came across your video !! Thanks so much for putting this info out there for everybody 😉👍🏻
As someone who has multiple “toys” that use lipos, some 2s 3s and 6s….. I’ll say one thing, ALWAYS store your batteries in a lipo bag when not in use. If your batteries ever fail and catch fire or explode a lipo bag will (hopefully) keep your house from burning down
Wow, my Mini 2 arrived today so it's good I watched this video. I've never heard of this battery discharging concept before, and if I hadn't watched this video, the way the Mini 2 comes packed and the way the Hub is presented with the batteries inside there when you unbox it, it feels obvious that they SHOULD be kept in there. Good thing I watched this video!
What a coincidence, last night I was trying to look this up because I knew I won't be able to fly for a couple weeks. A lot of people saying to manually discharge with the USB port and to not press the battery check button but still with no luck. Very helpful that this pops up, cheers Ian! Shame the batteries can't be kept in the charger because it's quite convenient there.
Turn them upside down 👍🏻
Thanks Ian, nice to DJI are aware reading the reply to you. For now, I've turned my batteries round in the charger, they don't go all the way down, but there's still plenty of room in the bag. Cheers 😁👍
Yep, was surprised and pleased...👍🏻👍🏻
This must be the best tip I have ever come across and I just removed my Mini 2 batteries from the charger and drone. Thank you so much!
Cheers 👍👍
THANK YOU! You have no idea how many videos I had to go through to achieve what you said in 3 minutes. Well done brotha
Thanks Ian, they really do become smart when left out the hub. I decided not to fly yesterday after charging them the day before, now they've lost 3% they didn't do that before when left in the hub
I've been using large lipo batteries for years. The general practice is to always charge and store the batteries so they are balanced (all cells charged equally), store the batteries at 3.80V to 3.85V per cell and try to store in a cool place. Some people swear by 3.80V, some 3.85V, some 3.83V and some of the more hardcore people store their batteries in the refrigerator. I'm not that much of a stickler when it comes to storage, I have enough batteries for 3 flights of each model and I land when the battery is around 3.80-3.85V (on DJI models that is anywhere from 47% to 55% on the meter depending on the model) and store them at room temperature. I have some batteries for my helicopters since 2012 and they still work fine. Sizes are 6S 5000mah, 2S 2000mah, 3S 2200mah, 6S 3800mah and 6S 1300mah. Many computerized chargers have a "storage" mode that charges, discharges and or balances multi cell lipo and li-ion batteries to 3.80V-3.85V.
Note: "S" is the amount of cells. I believe the Mavic Mini 2 uses 2S 2250mah lipo, the original Mini 2S li-Ion 2400mah (except the battery made for sales in Japan).
Great info - thanks. I tend to keep my batteries in the hub once charged but I don’t leave them ‘clipped’ in - they’re just sitting loose in the slots. Not sure if this will make a difference - will have to check them to see if they are behaving or not.
After months of searching, I finally found the video that answered my questions. Thank you so much, Ian. Greetings from Philippines!
Thank you for sharing this! Before your video was even over, I was taking the batteries out of their charging hub. Thank you again!
Good info for me, this is my First time buy&fly Dji mini 2 and still no much known on drone Mini 2..thank you Mr Lan.. 😊
Great video and excellent advice. I already do this, charge batteries after flying then store them safely. I use the DJI Battery Safe Bag from DJI.
Hi Ian, What I do when batts are charged, I take them out of the charging hub turn them the opposite way then put them back in the hub, the charging pins are not connected. This is also good for traveling and doesn't take up space. love your videos watch them all.
Actually this has been updated and you can leave them in the hub now 👍🏻👍🏻
Ian, it may be worth pointing out that the batteries will fit in the charger if turned around. Its ideal for storage/auto discharge and a reminder to charge before flight
Yes, wish I'd said this in the vid; have updated the notes! Cheers
Oooooh very interesting! I saw the note saying they look after them selfs didn’t realise they didn’t in the drone or charger! Good to know! Many thanks Ian!
I have only had my mini 2 for a couple of weeks; after 3 days since last fully charged (last night) I decided to check for firmware updates and battery charge. Firmware update - so updated. But I found they were already way down in charge capacity. The 3 batteries were in the charger hub - now removed. thanks for this for this info
Very informative this Ian thanks. Just got out of bed to take my batteries out the hub! Keep up the good work 👍🏻
Interesting. Went to the two batteries in the hub, neither used for a good long while now, and both down to 3 lights (that’s good, right?). The one in the Mini 2 was on 4 lights but that had been charged (in the drone) much more recently. Now out of the charger and the drone, just in case! Thanks.
Good you picked this up. I bought a fly more combo and one of my battery just bricked after one use .... The problem is when the electronic in it bricks and you have no access to the electronic in any manner whatsoever so you cannot unbrick them . Kind of annoying but hey no one is perfect. Maybe Dji should add a "storage" feature to the hub . Experienced Rc'ers to conserve the batteries are always discharging their battery using the "storage mode " on our chargers . What the battery charger does is to discharge the battery to a certain level when the current is not degrading anymore and can be easily recharged=Storage mode. :-)
Great warning. I have placed an elastic band round hub, covering the terminals then put batteries in. The hub then fits in the snug case I use.
Thanks Ian! I got a lipo safe bag for a few weeks ago but had forgotten to use it. Now I took them out of the charging hub and in to the lipo bag made for mini2 batteries.
Thanks so much I've had my mini 2 for a few months and always stored them in the charging case. Now I will not! Liked the vid for helping me out ;)
Thanks for the information. I like taking my charging case with me in case i require it later in the day so have just turned the batteries around and put into case. You have to push a little harder but seem to fit in fine and have been discharging
Very useful thanks. Ive just bought a mini 2 and saw another video on this but yours is a lot easier to follow.
Thanks for info, simple and quick solution, I always rotate the batteries, once charged in the hub, partially pull out and put an elastic/rubber band over the contacts, that way I can store them in the hub, just gotta remember to check the charge before I fly.
Good tip...
Speaking as an electronics engineer for over 30 years, it's never a good idea leaving any kind of rechargeable batteries in ANY equipment. You have to remember the 'off' button is only a soft 'off' not a hardware disconnect! A small amount of power is consumed by most equipment these days so the device can detect you've pressed the button to turn it on again, and in some cases to hold up the settings you've programmed into it. (Although these days most equipment uses non-volatile memory for this to eliminate the need for a backup watch style battery). Over a period of time this drains the battery. My camcorder does the same.
With the other DJI drones the off button is on the battery itself, and that will cut the power to the drone, but will still be consuming a minute amount of power to drive it's internal battery management electronics.
With the mini there's no power button on the battery, so the drone's electronics is 'live' if you store the battery in the drone. Same goes for the charger. The charger electronics is 'LIVE' if you've got a battery in it! This is to power it's circuitry so that you can read out the battery charge level!
Don't do it with ANY equipment unless you have to. Killed my camcorder battery, when i forgot one time, and it's hard to recover one if it goes into what is termed 'deep discharge'.
It's just not good practice, so fortunately for me, i've not been affected.
Thanks for the ino and input. 👍👍👍
I have made a little thing on thingyverse that can be 3d printed so that you can keep your batteries in the charging brick but not connected to save space in the Bag. The thing number on thingyverse is 4824231. I have also posted a thread on the DJI forum explaining the issue with a link to my thing. All free to download and print if you have a printer.
@@boatingsibbingandwandering3262 are you selling these?
@@Silverado1222 No not selling as such but get yourself an Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer (£150 from Bangood) you will have hours of fun. I can send you 2 if you want assuming you are in the UK and you send me your address some how and paypal me say £2 to cover the postage etc. Not sure how you send messages on here perhaps let me have your email address somehow
@@boatingsibbingandwandering3262 well darn, I live in the US.
Thanks Ian, I have not used the drone for months now. In the hub they were all flat as a pancake but now charging and using your advice. PS I did see a tip where a bloke used an elastic band between the batteries and the hub.
Ian thank you for your advice a while ago,Just passed my a2- Cofc last week with 8uav iam feeling a lot more confident with the rules M8
Thanks for sharing this important information, Ian.
I have now taken the battery out of my drone and I am storing all three in the charging hub, BUT I am using a small elastic band around each battery at the terminal end. This is cheap and easy - it stops the terminals making electrical contact with the "brick" but it takes up a lot less space than turning the batteries upside down. Best wishes and stay safe.
@John Irvine,
I’ve just bought the Mini 2 Fly More Combo. I’m going to pinch your elastic band idea to allow space-efficient storage of the 3 batteries in the charging hub but stopping the battery / hub contacts from touching. Thank you.
@@MaxFromSydney1 - Great stuff! I believe the issue has been sorted with current firmware anyway. Best wishes.
Thanks for the useful tip! Also, I notice that if one of your batteries fails to get to full charge in the hub, it won't move on to charge the others. Really annoying to find my batteries not charged this morning.
Thank you Ian, I noticed the same and was thinking this should be communicated indeed!
Great advice Ian, I've been doing what it seems most of us do which is to leave the batteries in the charging hub as it's neat and convenient to do so. I will be changing this practice immediately
a good tip is simply to flip 180' the battery in the hub so that they dont connect with the hub. You have to wiggle it a bit for it to fit (because of the groove in the hub) but the fit is just enough to be able to put it all back in the drone case.
Hi lan;
I can't speak for the exact batteries you reference too, but DJI did confirm to me that the batteries for the mini 3 pro can be stored in their charger and will discharge as normal with no worries.
Yes; this is an old video; they fixed this with a firmware upgrade; and this was the old Mini 2 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Ian, advice taken and acted on.....though mine do seem to have discharged somewhat whilst in the charger/drone. But over a matter of months, not weeks.
Thank you so much for this info! I stored mine in the hub about 2 weeks ago and they still had a full charge. Hope they will be OK, I've since taken them out.
Cheers for the heads up Ian, mine have definitely discharged when stored in the hub but much slower than you mention so taken them out to be safe.
Not mine. No discharge over 2 weeks
Charged my battery full today, I was wondering if I should leave the battery in the drone. Got to my computer and searched in Google and it lead me to your video Ian. Thanks, my doubt was not being stupid, turns out it is good to take it out the battery from the drone.
They've now done an update to make it okay to leave in the drone and hub 👍🏻👍🏻
@@IaninLondon Whats do I need to do to make sure this happen? Update the app?
Hi Ian , what I would like , is some kind of terminal cap for the batteries that you could still store them in the charging hub but not connected cause the charging hub is still a nice place to keep them , at least in my opinion . Take care Ian .
This is all fixed now. Just store them in the hub 👍🏻👍🏻
@@IaninLondon, thanks to you Ian cause they Listened !!!
Very excellent video.. I wondered why mine were not at least discharging some when I have not flown for a while... I always take my three Autel Evo batteries out of their area and will keep my mini 2 batteries out of the hub or drone now too.. Thanks..
Just bought the mini 2 and luv it! Thank you for the advice about the batteries. Will take them out of the hub ASAP.
Ian, a bit further on the batteries. I take any fully charged batteries out of the charger, then charge up any discharged during flight. They say the batteries only last so many cycles and I don't know if tossing a discharged in with two charged counts against all three or if it just slightly degrades the almost fully charged batteries. I also wonder if the batteries are not discharging because they are active in the charger and the drone. They monitor for discharged batteries and tend to try to level all three in the charger to the same charge. The drone seems to be battery monitored, even when off, so it stays active and never enters discharge??? I don't know why my self discharge in the charger and drone, but if I go ten to fourteen days without flying the batteries are down to three of four lights. My MINI is still in the pond so I use the two remaining MINI batteries to download video, post flight, from the MINI 2 and keep the lighter MINI 2 batteries for flying. I keep a fan on the drone during video download for cooling and use the direct WIFI from drone to tablet to download with less power and four times or faster downloads. Cooling fans from old computer video cards are great for cooling the MINI drones during static video download. The larger power supply fans are great for cooling larger areas and larger drones. I have used these brushless fans for years to help cool speed controls in R/C boats. Just to be sure I made a wooden rack for my drone batteries and keep them in the charger or drone only when in use. I also carry a 10 amp battery back about the size of my phone to keep my phone/tablet charged when using three to five batteries sequentially in a flight. Saves draining the MINI 2 controller. I have not tried plugging the battery bank in the controller while flying, but I suspect it would charge the controller that is also charging your video attachment???
I'm still keen to establish why they do auto-discharge for some, but not others. I unplug the hub and thrown the whoel thing with batteries inside into the case. I wonder if leaving the hib plugged in makes allows them to auto-discharge. As you say, these batteries don't have the power switch on the battery (whereas other models do have the switch and indicator lights on the battery themselves)....
Thanks Ian, i dont let them in the hub or drone, but i keep them dischargeded, i will not do that from today! Keep up with new videos! Good work!
Good video again squire
It can't be overstated how important this advice is. You will damage your batteries if you don't follow this protocol which in turn could damage your drone, it's as simple as that.
DJI do advise to remove the batteries from the charger if not charging but they don't make the info obvious enough.
Perhaps the solution would be for DJI to put a red label on the batteries or charger "IMPORTANT -REMOVE BATTERIES FROM CHARGER AND AIRCRAFT WHEN NOT IN USE"
A firmware update cannot change this so get into the habit of storing your batteries "loose".
Thanks Ian, I’m sure they used to discharge in the charger when I first got the M2 but just checked and they don’t now, pretty poor considering the cost of them!
I usually only charge back up to 60% after flying, rather than 100%. Equally if I charge and don't end up flying, I use the hub to discharge to 60%. Following this routine avoids any issues and I've always done this with my DJI drones over the years.
Thank you for posting this, I ran upstairs and took them out of the charger and the drone. Thanks Ian ya saved me from a big headache and cost.👌👌👍👍👍
It does say this in the manual. I read it for the first time after watching your video. I've been storing my batteries in the charger. Not now. 👍👍👍
Thanks. I was observing the same behavior and couldn't understand it. Makes perfect sense b/c of the charge light connection. FW fix?? Hopefully. Major oversight on DJI'S part. FYI Didn't see the article link for Lipo Battery care.
That explains a lot. After a few weeks of no use mine tend to be at around 95% and I was really wondering why
Hitzone graphics have a printed one the fits into hub so your batteries are safe to discharge, look up on facebook
Hi Ian, thanks for your video. I guess that your advise do not apply to my Mini 3 Pro. The reason is that I just checked my batteries that were stored several weeks in the hub, and the charge dropped from 100% to about 75%. Obviously because of the self discharged control
Excellent tip, thanks. I have been storing these in the charger. After two weeks I get 3 out of the 4 lights on. I do occasionally use the charger with all 3 batteries as a power bank for my phone, to try to keep the batteries active to prolong their life. I Can't quite understand why DJI don't state this anywhere.
Thanks for the video. With all the smarts these days why doesn't the chargers have a charge to storage level option/mode??
That would be handy to pop your flat batteries in and charge to about 60% ready for even short term storage.
True. Although this has been fixed now and they'll discharge to 60% even in the hub 👍🏻
I'm confused now, at 01:06 you said the electronics in the battery will discharge the battery by 5% per day. But later in the video you seem to be suggesting this only happens if you leave them in the Mini2 or the charger pack ?
No, I'm saying they should discharge, but don't always if left in the hub or drone.....
I wonder if this is the same for the controller battery? If so, there's not much one can do about that! Well, save for taking a screwdriver to it.
Great information Ian, I would never have known this, thanks again, just shows the value of subbing the best vlog.
This is good advice. I have a Mavic2 zoom. I’m pretty sure the same principles apply although I do know that they will discharge to around 70% in the hub/drone. There is a setting to start discharging after a set number of days.
Yes, on the zoom & 2 Pro you use the Go 4 App which allows you to set when the discharge day starts... The Fly App doesn't give you that option.
Thanks for that Ian, I don’t fly that often ,especially in this terrible cold weather! And I do store mine like you said most of us do ! Actually I just charged mine earlier this evening! So I shall be removing then now! Once again thanks!
Good info I keep mine in the charger but I turn them the other way 180 degrees so they dont try to charge that waybit keeps my batteries in 1 spot and dust out of the charger. Stopped keeping batteries in after the Mavic pro fell victim to the swollen battery issue.
Mini 1 has LiIon batteries. 2400mAh... The problem with those lipo is that that are HV variant of LiPol battery, witch means it's slight over voltage. That is why it needs to be maintained by BMS inside to make it live. If HV is left charged for longer it degrades more than normal LiPol.
Great video, I store mine in the hub the other way round so the contacts don't connect, they only go in the hub halfway but they're still storable in the Combo Bag and will self discharge this way 👍
That's what I should have said in the video 👍🏻
You can't, they don't fit
@@darkspd31 Yes they do, like I stated "they only go in the hub halfway but they're still storable in the Combo Bag"!
Summed up everything I needed to know briefly, thank you!
Very useful tip, Ian. Thanks. Just a thought - should I store them in a LiPo Safe Bag - or just in my drone bag, as-is?
Thanks for the great tip !! I did it already for my Airsoft lipo's in the past and Yes !! they live longer.
Thanks for the info. Weirdly, I'm only getting the battery staying at full-charge on one of my three Mini 2 batteries - the other two have discharged as I would expect them to when comparing to how my Mavic 2's batteries discharge.
Once fully charged, you can put them back in the hub, but with an elastic band around the top, to prevent the battery contacts to be free of the hub contacts, and so allow self discharge . This allows for the convenience for all the items to be stored, and transported , all together, back in the excellent hard case my mini SE combo kit came with.
I thought this option was a better option than Ian’s earlier advice, to store them, back to front , in the hub, where they are just far too tight a fit to risk distortion or damage, over time , pulling them in and out, to either the hub , or , perhaps even the batteries?
It's all fixed now! They did a firmware update a few months after this was posted! :)
I was wondering why my mini 2 batteries did not discharge the way my mavic air always does. I left one battery in the drone and two in the charger for two weeks and went to charge them before flying and to my surprise they were full. Thanks so much for the info.
And DJI fix this issue please!
Weird. I haven’t noticed this issue. Mine discharge on schedule when stored in the hub. Sounds like a serious issue DJI needs to address because there is no mention of this in the “Warnings” section of the manual for the hub.
Hi Ian. Just noticed this info vid. I wonder if this is batch related. I have just checked on my Mini2 and after a charge a couple of months ago, mine (left in the drone) are at half capacity. I have just put mine in to charge and I will check again.
Another point people should know is that these LiPo battery types have a limit on charge of 30% when being shipped by air so it is important to check and charge on receipt
Hi Ian, great advice as usual. I haven’t got a mini 2 as I’m knobbed off with the fact it’s not compatible with the smart controller. However the advice to charge the batteries after using them is new information to me, I usually leave them til I plan to fly again, so thanks for the advice.
Great channel pal 👏
I don't own a Mini 2 Ian, but my nephew does so I'm forwarding the link to him. Thanks on his behalf for the advice.👍😃
Hi Ian, strange situation for the batteries. I knew about not storing them at full capacity and running the batteries down but why should we be expected to know/ do this?
Very informative, I have the AIR2, but I think the battery technology is pretty much the same. I knew about the batteries discharging on their own but I didn't know about not storing in the drone and I appreciate the info. Take care and thank you.
I have made a little thing on thingyverse that can be 3d printed so that you can keep your batteries in the charging brick but not connected to save space in the Bag. The thing number on thingyverse is 4824231. I have also posted a thread on the DJI forum explaining the issue with a link to my thing. All free to download and print if you have a printer.
Thank you for the update. Immediately after watching your video I checked the three batteries that I do keep in the charger. They all were fully charged and in order to not have them connected to the terminals I put a small rubber band around them right below the connectors on the batteries. This way I can still store them in the charger but they're not connected to the charger circuitry.
Good idea...
Thx for info, take just one household rubber band and put around the battery so when you place it in the hub there will be no connection and you won't lost the space in the bag. Simple&cheap everyday solution👍
Good advice, thanks mate 🙂
Good one man. Its the first thing I thought of as a potential problem when I received my mini2 a few months ago but I didn't know what to do about it and so I did nothing 😔 good on ye for doing something 😁
Checked my batteries docked in the hub after a month or so of not being used..... 100% Full ..... batteries removed from hub now. Thanks for the info!!!
Did not know this. Leave my batteries in the hub... won’t do that now. Thanks Ian
Waiting for my purchased Mini 2 to arrive, and can't thank you 'Ian in London' and 'Live My Journey' enough. You'd think that if there's no problem with other DJI batteries then they'll easily isolate what's gone wrong with the Mini 2. And you'd think they'll resolve it quickly -- no way they can ignore what you both have done. Unless the specs say specifically that the batteries can or can't be stored in the drone or hub, then we're all up for the extra spend when the problem's fixed, by the looks.
This happens even when the charging hub is unplugged; maybe store them other way round in the hub.... Either way, let your batteries live longer! :)
See I always always land at 60% storage voltage, and so this is why my batteries are always in absolutely perfect condition! My Mavic Mini has 153 cycles on it's battery and it flies absolutely perfectly!
My Mini 2 also I always always store at 60% battery level, I may leave it over the night at 30% but next day I charge and fly, then land at 60%!
See guys, 60% landing and then forget about your battery! Just charge it before flying and then land at 60% always like I do..
Sweet
Keep well and be safe everyone!
🛸😁🙏🇧🇬
I was aware of the optimal charge percentage for Lipo batteries so I have tried to only charge to around 50 % when storing long term, but unfortunately I have left the batteries in the charger cassette however without the charger connected. I had the impression that this would be sufficient, so I thank you for sharing this information.
@@curioussand1339 you don't need to remove them from the battery hub, just keep them in there at 60%,that's what I do and they're always at 60 just the way I left them..
Sweet
@@ivanjdrakov1957 Yes, you're right, if they already are at an optimal charge level 50-70% it should be fine to store in the battery hub. (Btw., batteries comes shipped from DJI at 50% so guess this must be the optimal level.)
@@ivanjdrakov1957 So, you fly for about 6 minutes and land it?
Wow I never would have known this. Thanks for the tip. Great info brother. God bless! Kevin
Thanks for saving my batteries Ian, have been use for almost month, now first thing I did run and took them off, however I noticed 2 of my batteries when in charging dock when press side button last light flash rest are stay on, is this mean they are some sort of trouble or just drain power naturally? I don't have my drone with me to test its now few weeks with DJI waiting they send replacement after crash, any sort of advice always helpful. Thanks
Check page 25: dl.djicdn.com/downloads/DJI_Mini_2/20210222/DJI_Mini_2_User_Manual_EN.pdf
Thx for the info Ian, i did have a battery firmware upgrade earlier this week? maybe a fix?
I'll check 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻