I ordered two batteries from Amazon for 30 bucks each a few days ago. I'm going to post pics too. I'm wondering if they are legit from 3DR, etc, because I read where someone was getting knockoffs that had some subtle differences and didn't work as well. Can anyone tell, by looking at these 3 photos, whether these are good batteries? Thanks for any responses. I haven't tried them yet ... they both appear to be about 50% charged. Edit to note that they both came sealed the same way as the one in the plastic, I just opened one to look at it and take the photos. View media item 733View media item 732View media item 731
Are These Batteries Authentic 3DR?
- Thread starter Redhouse
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I'm thinking now that they said that some of the text on part of the battery was in Chinese maybe? ... and that they only lasted for about 10 minutes of flight time. I'll see if I can find it. Oh, and that something was shaped differently, but only slightly. These "look" like the ones that came with my Solo, so just wondering because I was gonna order another one or two. Thanks
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I have a few of the Chinese lettering ones and they last just as long if not longer than the English ones. If they are knock offs they're pretty damn good ones.
Great, thanks ... It's been raining here for 3 straight days or I would have tested them already. I just wanted to order another one before they're gone haha.
I just looked at my order from Amazon, the seller info on Amazon I got mine from says they are "New" and the seller name is (under Prime and I"m just copying and pasting, oh and it says they are $34.79 now, whereas mine were 30 even ... there's a similar listing below that says $30.80 so I have no idea, probably the same company, different name):
PrimeDeal
4.5 out of 5 stars 95% positive over the past 12 months. (37,999 total ratings)
Of course I have no idea who the seller really is, I can't see that, or I suck at Amazon ordering ... it does say "fulfillment by Amazon" above the seller name. Anyway, I'm gonna try them out tomorrow if it'll stop raining ... thanks for your feedback and I'll post flight times after I try them.
PrimeDeal
4.5 out of 5 stars 95% positive over the past 12 months. (37,999 total ratings)
Of course I have no idea who the seller really is, I can't see that, or I suck at Amazon ordering ... it does say "fulfillment by Amazon" above the seller name. Anyway, I'm gonna try them out tomorrow if it'll stop raining ... thanks for your feedback and I'll post flight times after I try them.
I just got two more of those batteries from Amazon for $30 something dollars too. They look exactly like the others I've bought. These had no Chinese print on them like some of my others do. I already had a mix of both types and they all perform identically.
If you read the label closely you will see that all of them, regardless of which style label they have, are manufactured by Shenzhen Battery Co, Ltd - and say made in China. The ones with all English writing on them have a 09/2015 date code. The ones with a mix of English and Chinese have a date code of 15/12/2015. Both styles of label list the identical capacity of 76.96 Wh.
I believe this means that there may have been two Solo battery production runs separated by a few months. I've never seen anything else but these two labels. If anyone else has, that would be interesting to know.
I plan on keeping these batteries out of my flight rotation for a while. All LiPo's will deteriorate very slowly with age, but once you start using them it speeds up the deterioration. How much depends on how many times you cycle them and how deeply you cycle them.
If you read the label closely you will see that all of them, regardless of which style label they have, are manufactured by Shenzhen Battery Co, Ltd - and say made in China. The ones with all English writing on them have a 09/2015 date code. The ones with a mix of English and Chinese have a date code of 15/12/2015. Both styles of label list the identical capacity of 76.96 Wh.
I believe this means that there may have been two Solo battery production runs separated by a few months. I've never seen anything else but these two labels. If anyone else has, that would be interesting to know.
I plan on keeping these batteries out of my flight rotation for a while. All LiPo's will deteriorate very slowly with age, but once you start using them it speeds up the deterioration. How much depends on how many times you cycle them and how deeply you cycle them.
The Chinese are not that great at faking all that packaging. If it were counterfeit the battery would have been in a standard Ziploc bag(like all counterfeit SunnySky motors).
Can pretty much guarantee there won't be any functional counterfeit Solo batteries. Too difficult to fake and no money in it.
There were several manufacturing runs in 2015. The aforementioned Sept and Dec plus I have batteries from Nov, Aug and June.
There have been no more runs since 2015.
There were several manufacturing runs in 2015. The aforementioned Sept and Dec plus I have batteries from Nov, Aug and June.
There have been no more runs since 2015.
I wonder if anyone has contacted the Shenzhen Battery Co, Ltd about the possibility of another production run, there are plenty of Solo owners still out here that would maybe justify it for them and I am sure that they would sell.
Boy are you wrong there
they do fake packaging very well, have always done it and are still doing it today.
The ones you put away with no cycles. Will you put them in a fridge, freezer, or neither?
Yes, they have been contacted and there is a possibility but if it happens, as I understand it, it won't be until existing stock is gone and they won't be cheap. Pricing will be more in line with what they were originally. The biggest roadblock is going to be that they will want the money up front. Just to be clear. The manufacturer would not be investing it's own money. It would only be done by contract for a third party. There would have to be a minimum run, (I believe it's 1000) but the bigger the run, the cheaper they would be.
So, you'd either have to find an investor or get enough Solo owners to prepay for as large a run as possible. That's what it's looking like at this point.
I just keep them stored in a metal cabinet in my basement where it is cool with no temperature extremes. I have dozens of other LiPo batteries stored in there as well. (Including some that are badly puffed and should be destroyed).
However, long term storage of Lithium Polymer batteries at cold temperatures is no myth. 40% charge and low temperatures will give the best recoverable capacity after long term storage.
BU-702: How to Store Batteries – Battery University
I've been flying LiPo batteries in electric RC for over 20 years and I can tell you with certainty that storage at high charge levels and high temperatures will accelerate their demise.
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I will bow to your experience that's it not a myth. I don't doubt storing at high temps and high voltages would hasten the demise but I do question the value of putting specifically the Solo smart batteries in a fridge or freezer. A lot of the wisdom and studies about lipos have been on "dumb" lipos. There is very little out there about smart lipos because they haven't been around that long. Additionally, the vast majority of smart battery users are not going to have the experience or understanding that's required. IE, the battery already needs to be at storage level and sealed in a bag to prevent condensation before putting it in the fridge or freezer and that it needs to be allowed to warm up before charging when you take it out. At least this is what I've been reading. Another consideration is that smart batteries automatically discharge to storage level and that would be slowed down in a fridge or freezer, I would think.
I've been using the Madhacker battery tool to track my Solo batteries. I just checked one that's been sitting since February (manufactured in Jul 2015). I did one charge to 100% when I got it then put it aside. It took about three weeks to get down to 54% (3.85v per cell) and it's stayed there ever since (this is consistent with all my Solo batteries). Still shows rated and actual capacity as 5200 mah. I keep the temp at home around 24C year round.
So, that's what I'm going by. Doesn't appear to me that there would be any real advantage to cold storage (meaning fridge or freezer unless the house is exceptionally hot), at least in the case of Solo batteries.
Merry Christmas!
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I would say this looks like a knock-off battery, but then again, they are ALL made in China, so only direct experience with various suppliers would be meaningful.
These aren't knockoffs. These are the same battery, they've just been re-branded to Cameron Sino with different decals on the bottom. And that odd color for the top when they're upside down has been Photoshopped for the ad for some reason. They are actually all black. I've seen references to these going back to 2016 so they aren't new. It's just no one is buying them since the OEM batteries have been so cheap.
Here's an ad from one of the retailers selling them:
Cameron Sino 5200mAh Battery for 3DR Solo Smart, Solo Drone, Solo Quadcopter | eBay
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