Any one working on a battery mod?

[rassalas]

Reuben, I'm wondering if the R11e transmitters cut into flight time or battery length of charge significantly, and if so how much?

Also am curious to hear about your battery mod.

 

[Rueben]

Reuben, I'm wondering if the R11e transmitters cut into flight time or battery length of charge significantly, and if so how much?

Also am curious to hear about your battery mod.

When I installed my wifi cards I didn't noticed any significant change in battery flight times but that gimble did cost me a solid 6min.
I have the battery mod figured out and will be testing soon.

 

[Burkeam]

When I installed my wifi cards I didn't noticed any significant change in battery flight times but that gimble did cost me a solid 6min.
I have the battery mod figured out and will be testing soon.

Nor I. As I recal the wattage was similar.
I'm anxious to try my new FPVLR as I'm not to happy with my DBS let alone their support or lack of. 1st $75 get a Solo DBS MOD, painted black. shipping include in lower us

 

[Waternut]

Hello fellow Solo owners,
I called 3dr today to complain about my battery life with the gimbal. Mine also in the 12-14 min range with some reserve left. Anyway, 3dr told me they are working on a new battery that with increase flight times to the 20-25 range without adding significant weight. No date for its release other than "this year".

 

[User Name]

Hello fellow Solo owners,
I called 3dr today to complain about my battery life with the gimbal. Mine also in the 12-14 min range with some reserve left. Anyway, 3dr told me they are working on a new battery that with increase flight times to the 20-25 range without adding significant weight. No date for its release other than "this year".

That sounds great. I won't say that the 14-15 minutes that I've gotten has been a disappointment, I learned doing underwater photography that 1 or 2 really good photos per dive is better than dozens of bad ones. So with my 2 Solo batteries, if I get 4-5 good clips per outing, I'm happy. But if new batteries give us more flight time, sign me up!

 

[Soloing]

What's going on in here? Nothing, I guess. [emoji5]

 

[pat-love]

I flew my Solo 4 miles out one way and 8 miles round trip or about 20 min flight before the Gimbal and now with the Gimbal I can only get about 2.5 miles or about 16 min total flight I know it's only 4 to 5 min difference but 5min x 34 mph = alot more distance lol

Hi there !! CAn you email me that pic for the mod ? I am looking into that extra signal .... Please !
[email protected]

 

[Robert Rose]

I flew my Solo 4 miles out one way and 8 miles round trip or about 20 min flight before the Gimbal and now with the Gimbal I can only get about 2.5 miles or about 16 min total flight I know it's only 4 to 5 min difference but 5min x 34 mph = alot more distance lol

How do you maintain visual line of sight over 1 mile?

 

[MillsapsPE]

Rec'd email from DJI today. New Phantom 4 claims to have 28 minute flight times.

 

[Rueben]

Rec'd email from DJI today. New Phantom 4 claims to have 28 minute flight times.

I just saw that, it has to be pretty light in order to get that kind of time with a 5350mAh battery. We have a 5400mAh battery on the solo and with the gimbal we get about 15min(if we are lucky) and 20min with out. Perhaps that should be my next mod HOW TO SHED SOME WEIGHT OF THE SOLO

 

[User Name]

It's a double edged sword - lighter materials and/or construction, more damage in a crash. Overall, I'm fine with Solo's duration to durability ratio.

 

[RichWest]

HOW TO SHED SOME WEIGHT OF THE SOLO

Big girls need lov'in too...

It's a double edged sword - lighter materials and/or construction, more damage in a crash. Overall, I'm fine with Solo's duration to durability ratio.

It's an over engineered body, P# whatever, they'll continue to have stress fractures. Good for a year or 100 hours, at best.

Without a doubt Solo's body is a tank, for durability and weight. Overall Solo is a commercial platform, it's built to be maintained from heavy usage. Imagine 1000+ hour flight year, then which would you choose?

 

[Soloing]

Big girls need lov'in too...



It's an over engineered body, P# whatever, they'll continue to have stress fractures. Good for a year or 100 hours, at best.

Without a doubt Solo's body is a tank, for durability and weight. Overall Solo is a commercial platform, it's built to be maintained from heavy usage. Imagine 1000+ hour flight year, then which would you choose?

Who flies 1000 hours a year!?

 

[RichWest]

Who flies 1000 hours a year!?

Commercial drones will... I'd imagine they could put 2000+ hours a year if we were just talking a typical 8 hour work day. And not necessarily piloted controlled, we are working towards autonomous flight. So the actually hours could be even higher per a year.

So if motor maintenance/replacement is every 150 hours, every four weeks...as a side fact.

 

[Soloing]

Commercial drones will... I'd imagine they could put 2000+ hours a year if we were just talking a typical 8 hour work day. And not necessarily piloted controlled, we are working towards autonomous flight. So the actually hours could be even higher per a year.

So if motor maintenance/replacement is every 150 hours, every four weeks...as a side fact.

Just because 250 (days) x 8h/day = 2000 hours, doesn't mean people actually fly for that amount of time. Flying a commercial drone is not the same as working on a conveyor belt in a factory. All you have to do is show up.

With a drone you have to:

Charge batteries
Get to your flying spot
Set it up
Fly (this is the only time your log)
Landing to change batteries
Move location
Drive back
Retrieve data

That said, there is no way someone will fly the "theoretically possible" amount of time. Or maybe I am wrong and you should do the math as follows:

365 x 24 = 8760 hours. [emoji5]

 

[RichWest]

Would you settle for 1000 hours a year when piloted by a human? So now you'd change motors ever two months...

Flying a commercial drone is not the same as working on a conveyor belt in a factory. All you have to do is show up.

Really, why not? Do you not believe we'll have full autonomous flight? I believe we'll be monitoring the bird in the future rather than flying it, more like monitoring about 20+ drones per person. I'm not talking about a photo shoot as being the commercial application.

But sure you're right, based on one-pilot one-drone. I wonder where the commercial applicators are going to find all those amazing pilots, along with the two support people...?

 

[Soloing]

I don't think drones are going to be as present, as people think they will. I remember watching something about [full scale] Helicopters, where the guy lands next to a gas station and requests 3 gallons of fuel, ha ha.

EVERYBODY thought, that EVERYONE is going to have their own helicopter in their backyard. LOL. Those were the early days. Just as Helicopters came out.

I know what you are thinking... A full scale Helicopter costs way more than a drone, so that alone will make a drone more popular. True. But if regulations wouldn't be the way they are and everyone could fly a Helicopter [without extensive training and maintenance regulations not as strict] Helicopters would be way cheaper and way more people would have one...

Anyway, what the heck am I taking about!? I just got up, grabbed my phone and started writing, ha ha. Seriously, not sure if what I am saying is even related to what we are taking about? [emoji5] [emoji5] [emoji5]

Thanks.

 

[RichWest]

EVERYBODY thought, that EVERYONE is going to have their own helicopter in their backyard. LOL. Those were the early days. Just as Helicopters came out.

No, that's what PopSciMag had everyone dreaming would happen, before intermittent wipers and other marvels of technology...

While you were slumbering, over 100 sUAV crashed around the world, the one that survived was a Solo...

 

[Soloing]

No, that's what PopSciMag had everyone dreaming would happen, before intermittent wipers and other marvels of technology...

While you were slumbering, over 100 sUAV crashed around the world, the one that survived was a Solo...

Ha ha, maybe... [emoji12]

 

[cameraguy]

Wow, 4 miles is crazy.

Not really sure what could be done mod-wise to improve battery life. I suppose you could try to disconnect the power going to the GoPro, but I can't imagine it's using THAT much power compared to what the motors are gobbling up. Most of the power us probably being used for the gimbal motors, and the only way to reduce that is to remove the gimbal.

I think it's always going to be impossible to be satisfied when it comes to battery life. Can't imagine a case where someone would say "yea, I'd rather have less". The way I look at it is this - the gimbal might reduce duration by 4-5 minutes, but it lets you capture 12-15 minutes of usable video as opposed to 17-20 minutes of worthless crap.

I'd. Like to see the 8 mile,stuff people are claiming. Is it direct line of sight?

I think I've followed the rules. With or with the FPVLR, I get about 1,000 feel.