Battery maintenance

[Mofroggy]

I am going to have to shut my Neo and RC2 and FPV controller down for a couple of months. Is there anything I need to do to their batteries so that they aren't compromised over that period of time.
Should I leave them fully charged?

 

[GFields]

A couple of months won't hurt anything.

 

[i own a neo]

DJI official says to keep the charge between 60% and 40% for storing the batteries for more than a week.

 

[RcHawks]

When charging back up I typically charge to 2 solid lights, then I let it continue for a few more minutes after the 3 light starts to blink. If I'm unsure of where it stands I can always turn it back on to check. I've aways recharge to 50 to 60% if possible after proper cooldown with all my batteries.

 

[Christian]

The truth is, that these are Li Ion batteries (like most of the smartphones) and don´t really need any kind of maintenance, unlike the simple Li Polymer batteries used in FPV. I don´t fly in winter, so my drones just collecting dust. for like half a year Nothing happens to the batteries. Never had problems with the Spark or my mini 1.

 

[Kilrah]

Charge them all, take them out of the charger and you're good. They'll self-discharge to the optimal storage level after a week.

 

[RcHawks]

Using nicads and lypos from back in the day has made me over protective, I can't help it.

 

[Poverty Flyer]

I don't blame you.
Especially since batteries are very hard to find if at all here in the US.
There's few and very expensive at this point.

Cheers,

 

[i own a neo]

I wonder why the batteries for the neo on DJI official website cost 50$. Found them on Best buy for 30$. Still pretty expensive for a battery that gives 18 min flight to a neo.

 

[Poverty Flyer]

In the US those listings say "out of stock, not sure when or if they will be in stock".

$30 - $50 for 18 minutes doesn't seem as expensive as a 1s or 2s for a whoop.
$10 - $20 for 3 to 5 minutes.
And the video is mostly very substandard.

You get what you pay for.
Or at least used to.

Cheers

 

[NeoNeo]

I wonder why the batteries for the neo on DJI official website cost 50$. Found them on Best buy for 30$. Still pretty expensive for a battery that gives 18 min flight to a neo.

Because DJI can charge whatever they want to. Part of the DJI "ecosystem". Have you looked at what DJI charges for some of their other quads. Neo is one of the lower or maybe lowest price. IMHO, still over priced for a 2s battery. Quality lithium ion 18650 protected button top batteries can be purchased for ~$10. Instead of a "smart" charger DJI opt to go with "intelligent" batteries. I'm guessing that the charging is controlled by a chip that is part of the battery. Adds to the cost. Reduces the chance that some 3rd party can manufacture an aftermarket battery. Keeps you stuck in the DJI "ecosystem".

Your better off in terms of value in just purchasing the fly more kit. Neo, charging hub, 3 batteries, spare prop kit. Basically getting a spare Neo, hub, props for ~$130. Best Buy price is good vs. the $59, but out of stock at store.dji.com. Maybe the Neo original will be a "vintage" model with release of the Neo2? Problem with DJI hardware is needing their batteries. Once production stops.....

 

[NeoNeo]

In the US those listings say "out of stock, not sure when or if they will be in stock".

$30 - $50 for 18 minutes doesn't seem as expensive as a 1s or 2s for a whoop.
$10 - $20 for 3 to 5 minutes.
And the video is mostly very substandard.

You get what you pay for.
Or at least used to.

Cheers

Fly manual mode and you get 5-8 minutes. Even in S mode maybe break 11 minutes. 18 minutes is DJI's bench specs just for comparison within their "ecosystem". Not even "flying". Just hovering in lab controlled ideal conditions. Not close to real world use. Have a piece of junk BetaFPV ELRS 2s quad that gets 3-5 minutes on junky 2s lithium polymer batteries at a fraction of the cost. Geprc 6s using some battery quality 6s batteries that cost less than a Neo battery by ~$20 that deliver 5-6 minutes, but flying at significantly higher speeds.

 

[NeoNeo]

I am going to have to shut my Neo and RC2 and FPV controller down for a couple of months. Is there anything I need to do to their batteries so that they aren't compromised over that period of time.
Should I leave them fully charged?

If the battery health is still good. Just fully charge the Neo flight batteries and let the self-discharge to storage level do its thing. I have always after a session and letting the batteries rest for a minimum of 20 minutes just charged up to 3 LEDs prior to storage. Usually check monthly if not flying. Lithium batteries of any chemistry and form (ion v. polymer) will self discharge with time. These DJI lithium ion seem to self discharge/ month a very low rate. 2 months is probably safe. Unless you have significant discharge/charging cycles on your batteries and/or severe depth of discharges. You can check the battery count.