Beat place for new batteries

[Maddog]

Does frys have any left? What's their website? Just want to get a couple before they're gone! But on the other hand I crashed it very bad last night

Um, looking at the pic in post #6, I would say their website is "Frys.com".

 

[User Name]

But yrs from now, all prices will be coming down.......market saturation, development of newer & better technology, availability, & more competitors will drive prices much lower.

In general that's true, but because the Solo uses a specific, proprietary battery, I don't think it'll play out like that for us. Solo's market is at it's max now, isn't huge, and will only get smaller. The market for Solo batteries will be too small to interest any OEMs long before any new battery technology is fully commercialized.

I see two possible futures - Some small battery manufacturer continues to make Solo compatible batteries and sells them at whatever premium a small proprietary market will pay. Or instructions/components allowing us to assemble our own "smart" batteries from standard cells becomes easy and accessible.

 

[Maddog]

In general that's true, but because the Solo uses a specific, proprietary battery, I don't think it'll play out like that for us. Solo's market is at it's max now, isn't huge, and will only get smaller. The market for Solo batteries will be too small to interest any OEMs long before any new battery technology is fully commercialized.

I see two possible futures - Some small battery manufacturer continues to make Solo compatible batteries and sells them at whatever premium a small proprietary market will pay. Or instructions/components allowing us to assemble our own "smart" batteries from standard cells becomes easy and accessible.

I agree. Somebody already posted a thread showing how they cut a battery open and replaced the cells, leaving the electronics intact.

Opening the battery is the hard part- if somebody could produce a battery case that is designed to be opened, that would really help.

Maybe it would be 2 parts held together with small screws?

 

[twitchyzero]

If there is any consolation in any of this.....DJI batteries are $150 each....what a ripoff....just another reason not to buy DJI.....they remind me of Apple....charge whatever they want....their s#/t doesn't stink...

joke's on you
Solo batteries were originally $150 a pop
got my DJI Mavic batteries at half that price and they last 100% longer in the air

When I'm flying Solo I'm constantly darting my eyes back and forth to the battery count because every second in the air counts. If I get a few shots within that 12 min flight I consider myself lucky. (if I'm saving 15 maybe 20% before RTH)

Solo is competent in the cinematic department, but let's not try and pretend battery and flying time isn't an absolute disappointment if it weren't for the $35-40 sale price.

 

[Bilge]

twitchyzero.....just sayin...take your 150 battery & get that ideal shot.....more power to you brother

 

[Dave Tolsky]

Craig's List too

 

[Frank Foster]

The only thing proprietary about the solo battery is the shape, and the built in charging sensor circuit. Any 4 cell lipo that would plug into solo's 2 power connections would work, and could be charged with a balance charger, just like we've been doing for years. However, you'd probably loose some of the battery notification functions on the transmitter, and could use the "old fashioned" battery beeper plugged into the balance lead. I'll experiment with my test solo when I get time. I'm a droneaholic, and have 10 ammo cans full of lipo's, various sizes/shapes/capacities.

 

[Jubalr]

The only thing proprietary about the solo battery is the shape, and the built in charging sensor circuit. Any 4 cell lipo that would plug into solo's 2 power connections would work, and could be charged with a balance charger, just like we've been doing for years. However, you'd probably loose some of the battery notification functions on the transmitter, and could use the "old fashioned" battery beeper plugged into the balance lead. I'll experiment with my test solo when I get time. I'm a droneaholic, and have 10 ammo cans full of lipo's, various sizes/shapes/capacities.

That's what we are doing with my Solo Grande build. We haven't figured a way to ready the voltage to display on the Solo controller as all of the internals of the Solo batt are built around a 4s, and we are using 12s. So we plug in a voltage alarm and fly like we always did before 2 way telemetry..