Future Solo Battery?

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Here's a video, from Drone & Sundry, linking directly to the battery portion of the conversation between Ian and Philip. Actually the entire video is worth watching, but this portion gives future insight to a NEW smart battery for Solo.

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So $100 for a new and improved battery sounds doable. $200.... I'd want some flashy lights on it.... Seriously though, it's a good point about the price point. People got a very advanced drone for a cheap price and think that should be the standard for a 3DR solo. I do think a "pre-order" system might be a good idea. Put your money down first (or part thereof), when they get enough orders to make it viable, production begins. Better than having 2000 people say they want one and only 20 people end up ponying up the cash..
 
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Ironic considering there was recently someone here claiming there would be no battery, and that they were banned from FB groups for uncovering this sinister plot.... lol
Yeah I read that and had to do the head smack.... Why would anyone think it's a good idea to ring up a manufacturer when they aren't even part of the conversation to begin with... I honestly think this is a good reason for playing ones cards close to their chest regarding battery details...

So.... about Open Solo 4............ ;)
 
If the new battery can eke us more than 15m of usable flight time with the GoPro/Gimbal payload, I'm confident I could get my company to refresh our 12+ cells. We're down closer to 9min or so of usable time with the payload, which doesn't translate to much transverse flight when you have to go up to and down from 400ft AGL.

Pie in the sky would be 20+ with the payload. One can dream...
 
If the new battery can eke us more than 15m of usable flight time with the GoPro/Gimbal payload, I'm confident I could get my company to refresh our 12+ cells.
Again probably depends on price me thinks. Lets figure high, $200 a pop. I could probably buy 2 up front, but would need to wait two - three months before another purchase. At least with a business, you could get a tax write off on buying said batteries.

Hmmmm new Thread... Setting up an LLC Drone Photography business and claiming tax write off's.....

;)
 
If the new battery can eke us more than 15m of usable flight time with the GoPro/Gimbal payload, I'm confident I could get my company to refresh our 12+ cells.

It was mentioned to be a 6000mAh battery, from another conversation, so it could be closer to 20 minutes with gimbal. I was getting ~18 minutes on fresh packs back in 2015. We understand better today how to break-in and maintain max life/performance from the batteries, so anything is possible.
 
It was mentioned to be a 6000mAh battery, from another conversation, so it could be closer to 20 minutes with gimbal. I was getting ~18 minutes on fresh packs back in 2015. We understand better today how to break-in and maintain max life/performance from the batteries, so anything is possible.
That's awesome. I never experienced more than about 12min/pack burdened :\

I'm very, very open to combining larger/lower-pitch props (11x3.x?) and lower kV motors (850? 820?) provided I can keep about the same/more thrust per motor, with the assumption that that will net me a bit more efficiency in terms of grams/watt, to go along with the newer packs. I'm really, really, really hoping they're also LiHV, as that can make a nice 10-15% or so increase in mAh/gram in the pack, which ontop of a 15% increase in total mAh (5200mAh->6000mAh) might be just enough to push a burdened Solo past the mythical 20min mark of actual usable flight (and therefore, over 100ac per pack surveyed!!!).

That'd take my acres/pack through the roof. Right now I'm very heavily considering migrating away from the Solo (Bebop2 POWER/Anafi are prime targets ATM) because I'm at the efficiency limits of my survey design currently (5.70ac/min), and I'm pack-limited severely in terms of max acreage. I'd like to stay Solo for a ton of reasons, but my program is always under heavy scrutiny :|
 
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So $100 for a new and improved battery sounds doable. $200.... I'd want some flashy lights on it.... Seriously though, it's a good point about the price point. People got a very advanced drone for a cheap price and think that should be the standard for a 3DR solo. I do think a "pre-order" system might be a good idea. Put your money down first (or part thereof), when they get enough orders to make it viable, production begins. Better than having 2000 people say they want one and only 20 people end up ponying up the cash..

Maybe a Kickstarter campaign.... I’d buy in...
 
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Why not just do it yourself like it has been for a while with a Tattu 4s 5200 pack. I ordered two tatts and two multistar 4s much cheaper.
 
I think you're probably setting yourself up for disappointment if you think you're ever going to get 20 minutes flight time our of a Solo with a camera and gimbal. It it simply not a realistic expectation. The Solo uses about 330mah per minute. A stock battery in very good condition will get you 12-14 minutes of flight down to 10%. Stretching that out to 20 minutes would require a scientific miracle, or a defiance of the laws of physics. Neither are likely. Even if they managed to increase the battery capacity to 6000mah and maintain the same pack weight, that will gain you about 2 minutes flight time. 3 minutes if they manage to make the pack a little lighter. There is no magic battery that doesn't require heat dissipation yet.

Why not just do it yourself like it has been for a while with a Tattu 4s 5200 pack. I ordered two tatts and two multistar 4s much cheaper.
Probably because you can't just slap some generic batteries on the solo with duct tape and expect it to work?
 
Maybe a Kickstarter campaign.... I’d buy in...
A kickstarter is a good idea for a product with mass appeal, but this would be a specific battery for a specific drone. I think the only thing a kickstarter would do is drive the overall costs up (kickstarter takes their cut). Whereas direct confirmed orders enables a "Bulk" production discount since the numbers are guaranteed up front.
 
Why not just do it yourself like it has been for a while with a Tattu 4s 5200 pack. I ordered two tatts and two multistar 4s much cheaper.
I think people want the reassurance of a smart battery pack and to be able to monitor their battery levels directly and not just fly on a timer. Timer's are great if you're guaranteed that's exactly how long your battery is going to last every time forever... however that's just not realistic.
However, if it's the only solution that presents itself, maybe it's a good idea for Kelly's Solex App. A Built in timer that does a countdown and triggers a RTL when you hit the 5 minute countdown.
 
I think you're probably setting yourself up for disappointment if you think you're ever going to get 20 minutes flight time our of a Solo with a camera and gimbal. It it simply not a realistic expectation. The Solo uses about 330mah per minute. A stock battery in very good condition will get you 12-14 minutes of flight down to 10%. Stretching that out to 20 minutes would require a scientific miracle, or a defiance of the laws of physics. Neither are likely. Even if they managed to increase the battery capacity to 6000mah and maintain the same pack weight, that will gain you about 2 minutes flight time. 3 minutes if they manage to make the pack a little lighter. There is no magic battery that doesn't require heat dissipation yet.


Probably because you can't just slap some generic batteries on the solo with duct tape and expect it to work?
I think I'd be happier with the 12 - 14 mins vs old bad cell battery packs that go from 100 - 25% in 2 minutes or less.
 
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I think you're probably setting yourself up for disappointment if you think you're ever going to get 20 minutes flight time our of a Solo with a camera and gimbal. It it simply not a realistic expectation. The Solo uses about 330mah per minute. A stock battery in very good condition will get you 12-14 minutes of flight down to 10%. Stretching that out to 20 minutes would require a scientific miracle, or a defiance of the laws of physics. Neither are likely. Even if they managed to increase the battery capacity to 6000mah and maintain the same pack weight, that will gain you about 2 minutes flight time. 3 minutes if they manage to make the pack a little lighter. There is no magic battery that doesn't require heat dissipation yet.
I bet you are fun at a parties....;)

It has been so long since a fresh battery pack...that you are likely correct, as facts don't lie. Maybe my flying style plus having the higher quality T-Motors 800kv w/APCs is the added magic...idk

I just looked back at some video files from 2016, as they are my reference for time in flight, lift off to landing, a pair of files would be about 7.5Gb total. That's about 17 minutes at 2.7k/60 quality, which I'll concede a 1/2 minute of putt'sing on the ground. Also that was back when RevA GPS took 5 minutes to gain a lock. The kicker is that I'm a 20% on the ground pilot. If I stretched it out to your suggested 10% or less, I'd easily gain another 30-45 seconds... This is the only evidence that I can provide based my experiences. I know, anecdotal at best.

At the end of the day, I just want fresh packs if only for the reliability aspect. I fly lakes and thick brushed land. If my flight is cut short by a 100 yards, Solo is likely gone.
 
If you are on constant cruise flight the entire time you're in the air, you may gain a minute or two since it is more efficient than hovering or very slow light. The 330mah per minute is an average assuming some cruising around, some hovering, climbing, descending, etc. Landing below 10% can stretch it, but is going to hurt it in the long run.
 
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Yeah I read that and had to do the head smack.... Why would anyone think it's a good idea to ring up a manufacturer when they aren't even part of the conversation to begin with... I honestly think this is a good reason for playing ones cards close to their chest regarding battery details...
Why would you think it's someone's exclusive opportunity? Are they doing a group buy and selling at cost? Just being the devil here...there is a lot of risks in the endeavor to retail products. I've got no stomach for retail sales. Like is said, money talks, BS walks.

I've been wondering what the US Dept. of Interior was going to do for batteries, some 300 birds... Seems they'll have needs to fulfill soon and have the punch to make a modest run of batteries....spread the love.
 
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Why would you think it's someone's exclusive opportunity? Are they doing a group buy and selling at cost? Just being the devil here...there is a lot of risks in the endeavor to retail products. I've got no stomach for retail sales. Like is said, money talks, BS walks.

I've been wondering what the US Dept. of Interior was going to do for batteries, some 300 birds... Seems they'll have needs to fulfill soon and have the punch to make a modest run of batteries....spread the love.
It seems that what's happened here is that someone has been working on designing a potential new battery for the 3DR solo. This isn't just physical design but also ensuring there's a working BMS. They then contacted a vendor as regards production costs etc. for the finished product based upon their design. There is nothing agreed upon or finalized, they are simply in the discovery phase for production times and finalized costs. They mention this on Facebook. Let's say (as an example) that the company in question has exclusivity contracts that specify they will design batteries for another company for a specified time or unit amount. So the company designing a battery for the solo would be in breach of an established contract however building an already designed battery wouldn't be a breach.
Then some random Facebook user, not associated or involved with the design or build of said battery rings up the vendor to prattle on about how they want a battery pack, wants to know when it will be available, how much it will cost....
Maybe the company A: Doesn't want it known that they are working on another battery, B: Has now lost faith in the original parties ability to be discreet with their project and C: Is negotiating to build a battery for a customer to sell but not to actually sell themselves and doesn't enjoy having their time wasted by people ringing them up asking to buy a non existent battery.

Point being that at this phase, any such discussions regarding batteries should have been between the original party and the vendor. If someone else wants to design and build a battery themselves and have it mass produced, that's also fine. Let them come up with a working design and contact a vendor with their own original product.
They should not insinuate themselves into someone else's design deal by going around the original design party and contacting a potential vendor themselves to ask about the original designers end product (which is what seemingly happened here).

I've also wondered about the Dept of Interior purchase. I'm pretty sure the government wouldn't waste money by purchasing 300 drones with no batteries available to keep them in the air. That would be like the Oregon government spending $200 million on a healthcare website they couldn't get to work, or spending $250 million on a bridge that never got built. I'm sure stuff like that just doesn't happ................ oh wait a tic...
:p
 

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