During the summer months the only way I could get 15 min or more of battery flight time was to fly fully in turtle mode.
Battery life
- Thread starter Jay36Jay
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PatR
Premium Pilot
From my perspective the flight time with H batteries is pretty good. I have yet to do a flight where the flight time was not adequate to get done what I planned to do. All this flight/battery time talk got me to thinking about some of the rigs I've built. There was a 1200mm Vulcan frame quad convertible to X-8 turning 28" props. About 12-14 minutes for that one. The batteries were a bit on the expensive side. For the cost of two of them you were out of pocket the cost of a new H standard. The big one at work is an 8s in parallel system and like everything else flight time is limited. Each battery costs more than an H. I suppose everything is relative, and many will always want more than they have. That's part of what drives innovation and progress.
Yes PatR some good points there. I think flight time is just one of those seemingly important stats, for some it is what it is and for others it's quite an important factor, as you say depending on what your requirements are. I think with the likes of the phantom 4 Pro boasting a "30 min" flight time , Autel XSP a "25 min" and Yuneec H a "23 min" it's nice for us all here to be able to post our experiences with the H run time. I'm pretty sure I got much more flight time out of my XSP then my H, I will test it when it stops raining! Naturally the XSP only has 4 motors and no realsense to power, so it's apples vs oranges (no pun intended).
I'm not too concerned as I have 4 batteries and as PatR finds, I'm sure most people can do all they need within the avg 15min however, longer flight time can leave you a larger safety margin in the event of difficulty. Not sure if Yuneec have any other modules in the works but if so then flight time could well be an issue, other than that with a ceiling of 400ft / 120m and flying within VLOS how much flight time do you really need?
Like digital storage capacity, it's never "enough" but I think it's fantastic that we can enjoy such compact batteries that allow us to fly at speeds of 50mph, or navigate a safe path autonomously while keeping a GPS lock and recording 4k video!
I'm not too concerned as I have 4 batteries and as PatR finds, I'm sure most people can do all they need within the avg 15min however, longer flight time can leave you a larger safety margin in the event of difficulty. Not sure if Yuneec have any other modules in the works but if so then flight time could well be an issue, other than that with a ceiling of 400ft / 120m and flying within VLOS how much flight time do you really need?
Like digital storage capacity, it's never "enough" but I think it's fantastic that we can enjoy such compact batteries that allow us to fly at speeds of 50mph, or navigate a safe path autonomously while keeping a GPS lock and recording 4k video!
PatR
Premium Pilot
We should not forget the hex versus quad aspect with flight time. Those two extra motors use a little more juice over a quad, Motor out redundancy has a price. LED's don't consume much but having the ability to turn them off extends flight time a little.
Hi Jay I'm not sure about temperature ratings but in Aus I get every bit of 20 mins plus flying hard and I cycle 5 batteries, I have said in previous posts that I keep mine in a fridge at 10 degrees and have batteries that are old (Q500) and still working hard
In my case, around 15 minutes per battery on a regular day, hitting record from take off to landing at 4k at moderate/agressive flight down to 14.4v.
Each day it's getting colder here, and today flight time was dramatically reduced, but it didn't have too much to do with lower temperature as it did with the H fighting the wind that cold front's have been delivering.
Each day it's getting colder here, and today flight time was dramatically reduced, but it didn't have too much to do with lower temperature as it did with the H fighting the wind that cold front's have been delivering.
I have seen you tube videos that insist you don't have to break in li-po batteries.
It is true that your new vehicle's engine no longer needs 'breaking in" or really need warm-up before driving, how many still do this though?
Some newer li-pos may be in the same advanced technology but I still break 'em in.
10x10 ...... 10 minutes (or 50% of charge) for ten cycles (charges)
I believe that is wise, it certainly does no harm.
Watch
It is true that your new vehicle's engine no longer needs 'breaking in" or really need warm-up before driving, how many still do this though?
Some newer li-pos may be in the same advanced technology but I still break 'em in.
10x10 ...... 10 minutes (or 50% of charge) for ten cycles (charges)
I believe that is wise, it certainly does no harm.
Watch
I was also doing some searching and read if you use the batteries more they hold a longer charge?
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I am happy with the flight time of the typhoon H. I don't do long distance flights out of sight. For a hexcopter, it does very well. I have adapted the cheap Multistar 6600 mAh batteries so I can have plenty and not worry about the cost. I plan to test the 8000 mAh ones as well.
I have built a quad that would fly for 47 minutes, actual flying, not just hovering.This was without a camera attached. I got kind of bored watching it.It was waterproof and it floated.I also built a super light Y6 with very long flight time but it was not a good camera platform.
While it is fun to push the envelope, I don't really need more than 20 minutes per battery for the type of flying I like to do.
I have built a quad that would fly for 47 minutes, actual flying, not just hovering.This was without a camera attached. I got kind of bored watching it.It was waterproof and it floated.I also built a super light Y6 with very long flight time but it was not a good camera platform.
While it is fun to push the envelope, I don't really need more than 20 minutes per battery for the type of flying I like to do.
PatR
Premium Pilot
I do engines for a living, and have for a long time. New engines still need to be treated differently to break them in. If you haven't been obtaining >200,000 miles from your automobile engines, they weren't treated right. You don't run a new engine hard because the rings and cylinder walls have not yet mated. That mating forms the seal that makes the combustion process function as well as it should.
You'll find over time that our batteries perform better when they are "broken in" as well. Don't run them hard in either charge or discharge for the first 10 cycles or so and if everything is done properly after that point they will have a longer life and provide more flight time per charge cycle. People can argue that all day long based on stuff they have read. I do it because I have practiced it and experience the results every flying day. Give it a try with your next new battery to see for yourself.
Nice to hear that I am not wasting my time.
Despite assurances about not needing to run in a new motor, I always have and, yes, have always exceeded 200k miles. Ran taxis in the UK far beyond that figure.
My new typhoon H batteries are still being broken in
PatR
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Howdy Everyone - new to the discussion forums and just purchased my Yuneec H yesterday.
Saw this thread and thought I'd comment regarding the battery issue. My H came with two batteries and I used a coupon discount to purchase a 3rd battery for another $10, so three total; I'm using the factory provided charger, but definitely experiencing a lower than expected flight time.
I'm up in the NW and temps are around 40F right now, however, I don't expect that it has a significant impact on flight time given that the batteries warm through use pretty quickly. Each time I've swapped the batteries they came out noticeably warm.
I had a Parrot Bebop before that was easily getting 18-21 minutes. I felt that my Typhoon H was throwing low batt warnings relatively early and figured it was a perception issue of my first few flights with the H. When I looked at the flight log activity, however, I was seeing that the first warnings started around 9-11 min after take off. (12m was the longest I received from my second flight)
I have the system in "turtle" mode since I'm still trying to get comfortable with the system but RealSense/obstacle detection turned off since I have no buildings or items nearby that I'm concerned about. I'm still not seeing anything above 12 max in the several times I've been out yesterday and this morning/afternoon.
It's hard to define "aggressive" vs. non-aggressive flying, but I'd comfortable argue that I'm absolutely not pushing anything to the limit. So far I've been climbing altitude to 400ft, hovering and a few orbit sessions - nothing battling major winds, etc. Once I'm up a bit, I'll definitely play with the camera/gimble quite a bit, but I am assuming that the camera motor system wouldn't drain the battery in any unusual fashion (unless you have experienced that before)?
I was on b22 firmware and did update to b27 this afternoon, I didn't test for battery usage length because the first thing I noticed was the camera would cut the live feed as soon as I got to ~100+ feet or so.
I do echo Jay26Jay, though, that the flight times seem unusually shorter than other drones I've utilized. However, I've never encountered a drone fresh out of the box (this is the first) - all the others were either loaned/borrowed or used/gifted.
Does anyone have their flight telemetry logs from when they first bought their drone to compare current battery length to when they first purchased?
Saw this thread and thought I'd comment regarding the battery issue. My H came with two batteries and I used a coupon discount to purchase a 3rd battery for another $10, so three total; I'm using the factory provided charger, but definitely experiencing a lower than expected flight time.
I'm up in the NW and temps are around 40F right now, however, I don't expect that it has a significant impact on flight time given that the batteries warm through use pretty quickly. Each time I've swapped the batteries they came out noticeably warm.
I had a Parrot Bebop before that was easily getting 18-21 minutes. I felt that my Typhoon H was throwing low batt warnings relatively early and figured it was a perception issue of my first few flights with the H. When I looked at the flight log activity, however, I was seeing that the first warnings started around 9-11 min after take off. (12m was the longest I received from my second flight)
I have the system in "turtle" mode since I'm still trying to get comfortable with the system but RealSense/obstacle detection turned off since I have no buildings or items nearby that I'm concerned about. I'm still not seeing anything above 12 max in the several times I've been out yesterday and this morning/afternoon.
It's hard to define "aggressive" vs. non-aggressive flying, but I'd comfortable argue that I'm absolutely not pushing anything to the limit. So far I've been climbing altitude to 400ft, hovering and a few orbit sessions - nothing battling major winds, etc. Once I'm up a bit, I'll definitely play with the camera/gimble quite a bit, but I am assuming that the camera motor system wouldn't drain the battery in any unusual fashion (unless you have experienced that before)?
I was on b22 firmware and did update to b27 this afternoon, I didn't test for battery usage length because the first thing I noticed was the camera would cut the live feed as soon as I got to ~100+ feet or so.
I do echo Jay26Jay, though, that the flight times seem unusually shorter than other drones I've utilized. However, I've never encountered a drone fresh out of the box (this is the first) - all the others were either loaned/borrowed or used/gifted.
Does anyone have their flight telemetry logs from when they first bought their drone to compare current battery length to when they first purchased?
PatR
Premium Pilot
40 degrees is at the very bottom of the recommended lipo temperature range. I'm certain those temperatures are impacting your flight time. They are warm after use because that heating is a function of use, They may be warmer than they should be because the internal resistance of a lipo battery increases as temperature decreases. Sounds to me like your batteries are working well for being early in their life cycle.
Just for the heck of it, remove the camera and Real Sense, take the H into a large auditorium heated to 68 degrees, and hover for as long as you can, all the way down to where it auto lands. You should not care if the battery is still useful after one of these tests, The manufacturers don't. Time that and you'll be developing an estimated flight time the same way manufacturers do.
Just for the heck of it, remove the camera and Real Sense, take the H into a large auditorium heated to 68 degrees, and hover for as long as you can, all the way down to where it auto lands. You should not care if the battery is still useful after one of these tests, The manufacturers don't. Time that and you'll be developing an estimated flight time the same way manufacturers do.
Doing 20' hover tests from 16.8 to first alert at 14.3 in Angle mode using GPS, wind negligible, we got these results several times using Yuneec batteries:
1. Standard H without camera mounted 25-26 minutes
2. Standard H with cam mounted but not taking pics or videos 18 minutes
3. RealSense Pro with camera mounted but RS switch off, no pics or videos 16 minutes
I feel safe in saying that in ordinary use, going here and there, taking videos, perhaps with wind, running RealSense if you have it, you are going to get less flying time than these results.
1. Standard H without camera mounted 25-26 minutes
2. Standard H with cam mounted but not taking pics or videos 18 minutes
3. RealSense Pro with camera mounted but RS switch off, no pics or videos 16 minutes
I feel safe in saying that in ordinary use, going here and there, taking videos, perhaps with wind, running RealSense if you have it, you are going to get less flying time than these results.
YES they should build a 8000mah battery that fits perfectly in the H. : ) Maybe for Chirstmas they will surprise us.
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