Battery capacity and voltage once again

[howfastyes]

Guys i'm going crazy because of batteries for H480 and flight time i get.

What is the real capacity of Power 4 Yuneec battery? It's really 5400mAh or more?

I have replacement for H480 from China that gives me 10-11 minutes (16.8V - 14.3V) and capacity is 5400mAh sticker says.
Another one is custom hard case pack 6500mAh that gives me 8 minutes of flight (16.8V - 14.3V).
Replacement UltraX with 6300mAh capacity gives 18 minutes easy (now it's dead but it was best battery i've ever had).

Yuneec Power 4 i got one puffy +2 years old and gives me 14 minutes (16.8V - 14.3V), healthy one should give 16 minutes easly. Capacity is 5400mAh as sticker says we all know, but anyone has measured real capacity of Power 4 batteries?

Both china batteries maybe have their capacity but measured from 16.8V to 12V so tell me how to pull that capacity with the aircraft?
I understand china packs are poor quality and so on but flight time is like for 3000mAh capacity.

Now i'm waiting for legit 6000mAh pack, if this won't give me proper flight time last hope will be Gens ACE packs, most expensive but if that fails, i will sell both H480 drones.

Already lost more than 300 euros on usless batteries

 

[Steve Carr]

I suspect some of your batteries have at least one faulty cell. The individual cell voltage and internal resistance is the best method of determining the battery condition.

I presume you store the batteries about 15.2 volts. I agree regarding the UltraX batts. They seemed to be good. I still have some in service. But I also have many of the OEM batts that perform well. I am careful to land when the voltage is reading about 14.6 or 14.5. That seems to increase the battery life and I'm happy with a 15 min flight time.

This is an inexpensive way to test the internal resistance:

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[WTFDproject]

Both china batteries maybe have their capacity but measured from 16.8V to 12V so tell me how to pull that capacity with the aircraft?

Bingo. That's something I noticed a while back. All vendors paste the "Capacity" all over the place. Very few mention the actual test conditions. I became suspicious when batteries of the same size, same weight and same chemistry were advertised at enormous differences in capacity. I found little when searching. But the one I remember was one of the ones with a huge advertised capacity. The starting voltage was higher than normal charging max, and the low end was pretty much at the point of destruction. 8 volts, as I remember. If there is a standard for measuring capacity out there, it is either really vague or poorly enforced.
The only way I know is to fly the battery down to your normal lowest flight voltage. Put it on the charger and note the total capacity added during charge. That's as close to the actual capacity as you're going to get. And you won't know what it is until you buy the battery.

 

[howfastyes]

Thanks Steve, i'll buy second charger with IR measurement feature, pc link and higher discharge rate, some say it is better to measure capacity while discharge.

WTFD, even China battery man said the capacity is measured from 16.8V to 12V (after i got refund), so going this way we need chinesee 10000mAh to replace 5400mAh Yuneec battery flight time.

This is pure joke and many people buy those batteries and everyone leave positive feedback, nobody complain... Weird...

This week local supplier will deliver legit 6000mAh battery, if that fails to give me 15 minutes of flight time last hope is in the Gens Ace packs.

 

[Steve Carr]

i'll buy second charger with IR measurement feature

You can check to see if they will ship to Poland: Tenergy 5-in-1 Intelligent Cell Meter (Capacity Checker, Battery Balancer, Battery Discharger, Internal

we need chinesee 10000mAh to replace 5400mAh Yuneec battery flight time.

The Yuneec batteries are no different as far as the rating. I think most of mine recharge about 1800 -2200 mAh. The rating is for total capacity, not usable capacity. As the batteries age the usable capacity will diminish.

 

[h-elsner]

WTFD, even China battery man said the capacity is measured from 16.8V to 12V (after i got refund)

This is nonsense. The capacity cannot measured in volts. 12V is 3V per cell which is undervoltage and means a defect battery. The battery should never go down below 3.3V per cell.
It is not enough to see the the capacity but also (and this is important) teh C-rate, means how many ampere you can drain (maximum and avarage).It is said, Yuneec stock batteries have 5C. This means you can pull 27A. The H Plus is pulling ~16A in normal flight and more for faster maneuver. I say 5C is minimum for this bird. Better more.

Let me guess, the cheap china batteries are made from cells that are sorted out not having enough C-rate. With that you can drive a LED lamp but not a 2kg drone. For lower ampere it may have 5000mAh but voltage breaks down if you have more load and need 20A. Voltage break-down looks like empty battery and you will get voltage warnings or fail-save action or in worst case crash due to shut-down.

br HE

 

[Ron sinclair]

Guys i'm going crazy because of batteries for H480 and flight time i get.

What is the real capacity of Power 4 Yuneec battery? It's really 5400mAh or more?

I have replacement for H480 from China that gives me 10-11 minutes (16.8V - 14.3V) and capacity is 5400mAh sticker says.
Another one is custom hard case pack 6500mAh that gives me 8 minutes of flight (16.8V - 14.3V).
Replacement UltraX with 6300mAh capacity gives 18 minutes easy (now it's dead but it was best battery i've ever had).

Yuneec Power 4 i got one puffy +2 years old and gives me 14 minutes (16.8V - 14.3V), healthy one should give 16 minutes easly. Capacity is 5400mAh as sticker says we all know, but anyone has measured real capacity of Power 4 batteries?

Both china batteries maybe have their capacity but measured from 16.8V to 12V so tell me how to pull that capacity with the aircraft?
I understand china packs are poor quality and so on but flight time is like for 3000mAh capacity.

Now i'm waiting for legit 6000mAh pack, if this won't give me proper flight time last hope will be Gens ACE packs, most expensive but if that fails, i will sell both H480 drones.

Already lost more than 300 euros on usless batteries

I have to say I have the same problem with yuneec batteries and batteries from China all the cells are good on a battery cell checker but I have never had the so-called 25 minutes from my batteries the best I've had is 18 minutes once on brand new fully charged battery,, I am thinking of getting a conversion kit to use the cheaper batteries with the same amperage as more of an experiment, because the original batteries are ridiculous I think they're now about the 90 to 100 British pounds, "good luck"

 

[howfastyes]

This is nonsense. The capacity cannot measured in volts. 12V is 3V per cell which is undervoltage and means a defect battery. The battery should never go down below 3.3V per cell.
It is not enough to see the the capacity but also (and this is important) teh C-rate, means how many ampere you can drain (maximum and avarage).It is said, Yuneec stock batteries have 5C. This means you can pull 27A. The H Plus is pulling ~16A in normal flight and more for faster maneuver. I say 5C is minimum for this bird. Better more.

Let me guess, the cheap china batteries are made from cells that are sorted out not having enough C-rate. With that you can drive a LED lamp but not a 2kg drone. For lower ampere it may have 5000mAh but voltage breaks down if you have more load and need 20A. Voltage break-down looks like empty battery and you will get voltage warnings or fail-save action or in worst case crash due to shut-down.

br HE

Vendor says that and he also says never discharge below 3.3V so it's obvious scam.
This battery has 60C rating for constant draw but 8 minutes of flight with 6500mAh is joke.
Tomorrow i'll get hands on legit 6000mAh pack (30C rating, 500g weight) and we will see the difference i hope.

I've discharged replacement 5400mAh to 14V and charged to full, charger shows 5200mAh at 16.8V so capacity for this is real but flight time on this pack is 11 minutes and voltage drops very fast after take off, battery is balanced good after charge and discharge so the short flight time is because of poor cell quality or high IR on at least one cell i assume.

I have to say I have the same problem with yuneec batteries and batteries from China all the cells are good on a battery cell checker but I have never had the so-called 25 minutes from my batteries the best I've had is 18 minutes once on brand new fully charged battery,, I am thinking of getting a conversion kit to use the cheaper batteries with the same amperage as more of an experiment, because the original batteries are ridiculous I think they're now about the 90 to 100 British pounds, "good luck"

I'm looking for both Yuneec style replacement or custom soft case or hard case packs, conversion kit will get you nowhere, there is the same issue with custom packs. Don't buy from china, there is no quality control and returns are expensive. I found local supplier and they have non-chinesee batteries (maybe Japan or Taiwan i don't know), tomorrow i'll know true quality of those packs. If this battery fails, the last chance is Gens Ace batteries, 6750mAh is around 90 euros so it's not cheap.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

25 minutes is possible if you launch with dead calm wind and stay in a hover 10 feet above the ground until autoland engages. Not very scenic for that camera you're lugging along, but achievable. Not so good long term for the battery, ehh whatever. This does not account for other factors such as ASL... at 5000 feet ASL, I would never see that, ever.

Do not understand, why anyone even considers a quote of 25 minutes... it's called advertising. As close to reality as any reality show out there. ?

 

[KEITH KUHN]

Guys i'm going crazy because of batteries for H480 and flight time i get.

What is the real capacity of Power 4 Yuneec battery? It's really 5400mAh or more?

I have replacement for H480 from China that gives me 10-11 minutes (16.8V - 14.3V) and capacity is 5400mAh sticker says.
Another one is custom hard case pack 6500mAh that gives me 8 minutes of flight (16.8V - 14.3V).
Replacement UltraX with 6300mAh capacity gives 18 minutes easy (now it's dead but it was best battery i've ever had).

Yuneec Power 4 i got one puffy +2 years old and gives me 14 minutes (16.8V - 14.3V), healthy one should give 16 minutes easly. Capacity is 5400mAh as sticker says we all know, but anyone has measured real capacity of Power 4 batteries?

Both china batteries maybe have their capacity but measured from 16.8V to 12V so tell me how to pull that capacity with the aircraft?
I understand china packs are poor quality and so on but flight time is like for 3000mAh capacity.

Now i'm waiting for legit 6000mAh pack, if this won't give me proper flight time last hope will be Gens ACE packs, most expensive but if that fails, i will sell both H480 drones.

Already lost more than 300 euros on usless batteries

I just ordered a GiFi
Can't wait to see how that
Performs.
Keith Kuhn

 

[h-elsner]

This battery has 60C rating for constant draw

I'm pretty sure that this is a lie. It matches the other statements from the vendor - untrustworthy at all.

br HE

 

[howfastyes]

Chinesee hard case 6500mAh gave 4350mAh while discharge (16.8V to 14.3V), should give 15 minutes of flight time easy but quality is so poor, i don't want to fly this pack again, it's dangerous.

One thing i've noticed, charging time is fast, with 3.5A for 6500mAh pack full charge is around 60 minutes, for same current with Power4 charging time is around 120 minutes. That is another proof of very poor quality cells.


Just recived legit 6000mAh 30C pack, charging now and soon i'll make a test flight, wish me luck.

 

[howfastyes]

I'm done with this ****.
Tested all packs one by one (16.8V - 14.3V)

5400mAh replacement - 11 minutes


6500mAh hard case - 9 minutes


6000mAh soft case - 7 minutes



I wonder if there is something wrong with the drone, so why 2 years old puffy Yuneec Power4 gives me 14-15 minutes of flight time?
I know next cycles should be better but really you think it will go from 7 minutes to 14 for example? No way.

I'm lost and so angry, going to return all this **** and sell the drones, lost too much money on batteries already.

 

[NorWiscPilot]

I'm done with this ****.
Tested all packs one by one (16.8V - 14.3V)

5400mAh replacement - 11 minutes
View attachment 22474

6500mAh hard case - 9 minutes
View attachment 22475

6000mAh soft case - 7 minutes
View attachment 22476


I wonder if there is something wrong with the drone, so why 2 years old puffy Yuneec Power4 gives me 14-15 minutes of flight time?
I know next cycles should be better but really you think it will go from 7 minutes to 14 for example? No way.

I'm lost and so angry, going to return all this **** and sell the drones, lost too much money on batteries already.

Are the cells puffy, or just the label deformed from heat/cool cycles. Been talked about here before as something to check.

If pressing the label has no give (solid) then then cells have swelled. If there is give, the label has deformed. Does not mean the cells have not expanded; just indicates the swelling may not be as severe as thought.

As stated in other posts, including those by certain moderators who have echoed the above, checking cell voltages and internal resistance is considered the best ways to keep track of LiPo health.

Jeff

P.s. I have 3-4 year old originals. Labels are puffy. Still the best packs in my fleet.

 

[howfastyes]

All 3 packs from post above are brand new (5400mAh is 10 cycles), cell voltage is stable after charge and after flight there is no much diff (0.01V-0.02V) but my cheap charger can't measure IR, no money for better one until i get money back from battery vendors.

Why all of those packs drop voltage so fast at the beginning? It's not because take off, i can make power climbs all the time and there will be no much difference in flight time, so i think it's not about C rating and current draw.

Another thing i've noticed is while charging at 1C, all of them are cold during charge, i mean really cold, same as ambient temp. Charger is hot and power supply is hot, battery is cold.
Also after full flight (16.8V-14.3V) they are slightly warm(not hot), i know it's good but i would expect a bit more heat after full flight, there is not much difference between ambient temp. and battery.

Something is wrong with this China technology

 

[Thomas111]

Worth a try get another charger yes it lights up and heats up but worth a try