Charging Solo batteries to storage level??

Rusty Jones · Mar 5, 2016

OK, so after flying the 4 batteries i have today, and probably wont be able to fly til next weekend, How to charge back to storage levels?

What I have been doing is just charging for half an hour, and stopping at that? Anything wrong with that?

Rusty

PdxSteve · Mar 5, 2016

That should be fine. Recommendation is to store at about 50% charge, so somewhere around 4-5 lights lit on the battery's LED meter should be good.

czrlaker · Mar 5, 2016

PdxSteve said:
That should be fine. Recommendation is to store at about 50% charge, so somewhere around 4-5 lights lit on the battery's LED meter should be good.

What he said. 50%

Mr_Chris · Mar 5, 2016

Solo batteries will dischage after 2-3 days of inactivity. But it's a slow discharge, I reckon you'd get to 60% by day 5 or so from my non-scientific memory.

Anyone seen a Solo multi-charger in the Swallow style? Though this battery has it;s own charging circuitry so maybe all we need is a command to tell it to so to storage... python command maybe! ;-)

Jubalr · Mar 5, 2016

I'm not convinced of the 'auto discharge' theory. I have 6 batteries, and if I charge them up and don't use them for a week, they are still over 90% (just 1 light out).

Mr_Chris · Mar 5, 2016

I usually catch mine at a light or so too... but the first time I was a bit slow, I was getting 62% on the controller/telemetry.

I wonder if it's not a slower process than I thought. Has anyone done any proper testing, or had a 3DR comment on this? Thanks for that J it might be very relevant to the week off situation: manual discharging required. Hmm, that's flying isn't it...

On another batery note, storing at 0 degrees C has been shown to allow fully charged lipos to degrade at the same or functionally the same rate as fastidious maintenance. I remember the figure was 90% after a year, and cold storage was achieving similar (very slightly poorer, like 1% or something) outcomes. So perhaps just chucking them in the fridge when you're travelling is an answer.

IMPORTANT: given the circuitry in the Solo battery, letting them come up to ambient temperature and dry out before use is going to be a factor... in other words, if you go from cold to warm and humid, you'll probably have condensation...

SurfnSkate81 · Mar 6, 2016

When charging to storage level - keep an eye on the battery LEDs and when it starts flashing from 4 to 5 it's time to remove from charger. This should have you battery at around 51% and 15.3V.

FYI - I normally come into land at 25% battery and normally on the ground by 20%.

It then takes roughly 30mins to charge from 20% back to 51% storage level.

Charging time from 51% to 99% normally take 1h15mins.

And if you have already guessed it, charging from 20% to 99% takes 1h45mins.

I always monitor my batteries when charging and keep and eye on my stopwatch so I know when to closely monitor my battery LEDs so I can take them off charge as soon as they reach flashing on LED #5 if I'm storing them.

If charging from 20% to 99%, I again keep an eye on my stopwatch and when I'm getting close to 1h45mins I watch them like a hawk so I can remove from charge as soon as they completed charging.

PdxSteve · Mar 6, 2016

The battery should disconnect itself from the charger when it reaches 100.

Rich · Mar 6, 2016

Mr_Chris said:
Solo batteries will dischage after 2-3 days of inactivity. But it's a slow discharge, I reckon you'd get to 60% by day 5 or so from my non-scientific memory.

Anyone seen a Solo multi-charger in the Swallow style? Though this battery has it;s own charging circuitry so maybe all we need is a command to tell it to so to storage... python command maybe! ;-)

Solo batteries do not self discharge. Don't keep telling people this. If you like, contact support and ask them.

Marich · Mar 6, 2016

I put my batteries in "Storage Mode" by simply charging the GoPro with Solo.

Vegasrobbi · Mar 6, 2016

I see DJI recommends discharging their batteries to 8% every 20 flights to calibrate the electronics and exercise the cells(?)

I received my 2 for 1 batteries recently and it became apparent they run 2-3 minutes longer than my original batteries I got with my Solo in August. They have had a hard life with the heat in summer then the cold winter.

I'm told lipo's have no memory and start degrading from the first charge so they have a fixed life but I'd like to know if there is anything I can do to condition them and extend their useful life?

1 big skeeter · Mar 6, 2016

That's a really good question, Vegasrobbi. As much as they cost, I'm interested in ensuring I get the maximum life out of them before having to shell out another $100+ for each.

Marich · Mar 6, 2016

I've been using lipo batteries ever since they've been available for RC planes and have never deliberately allowed them to get below 15%.

Mr_Chris · Mar 8, 2016

Rich said:
Solo batteries do not self discharge. Don't keep telling people this. If you like, contact support and ask them.

Rich, it would be good to see some citation for this. I only have 4 batteries, and only 3 on the day I got "caught out" with 60% batteries, but they did lose charge somehow. Are they just too "smart" and consuming energy if left along too long? Or am I just repeating an urban myth and have had some bad ones?

nvpowerdoc · Mar 8, 2016

Interesting topic. Storage on LiPos from what I've been reading (everywhere else, and from my own experience) is 3.8 - 3.85V per cell. On a 4S battery, that's 15.2V. Can't comment on whether the Solo Batteries discharge on their own (from internal circuitry), but it would be cool if they did that after X number of days. I've been running PULSE batteries on all my other quads with great success storing them at 3.8V per cell. I just "fly-out" the battery, then charge only to 3.8V per cell on my multi-charger using the STORAGE function. I have some batteries with over 300 cycles on them (but PULSE batteries seem to perform well anyway and don't swell as much).

Rich · Mar 8, 2016

Mr_Chris said:
Rich, it would be good to see some citation for this. I only have 4 batteries, and only 3 on the day I got "caught out" with 60% batteries, but they did lose charge somehow. Are they just too "smart" and consuming energy if left along too long? Or am I just repeating an urban myth and have had some bad ones?

Contact support and ask them.

I had a battery replaced by them that was not holding get a charge. I asked if they should self discharge, the answer was, no.

Of course, given enough time, they may discharge some, all batteries do, but LiPo batteries don't do it very fast.

pyrate · Mar 8, 2016

I dunno, mine discharge over time if I don't fly them
what is worse is if I don't top them off right before flying, they start at like 85 -90% and drop really fast. If I top off before flying I don't experience that

Cosber · Mar 12, 2016

pyrate said:
I dunno, mine discharge over time if I don't fly them
what is worse is if I don't top them off right before flying, they start at like 85 -90% and drop really fast. If I top off before flying I don't experience that

I don't often get to fly more than once a week, and more often once every 2-3 weeks. I often charge them after I return from a flight so they are ready when I am. In a week they are down about 2 lights-whatever percentage that is. I'll top them off the night before I go out. Reading these threads I see what to do to put them in storage mode at about 50%. Does that mean I have to keep checking them if there will be an extended storage time and keep topping them up if they get below the 50%? How do our winter friends do it when they go weeks or months not being able to fly? I think the next upgrade 3DR should work on is creating nuclear fuel cells so we don't have to mess with lipos. (I put a smiley face but it doesn't show-just in case the serious minded out there don't know I'm kidding)