H3 Tear-down

[Whisperit]

With the new European drone laws, I decided to move on from the heavy DJI Inspire 1 X5, which now has some pretty severe restrictions on its use. It was close call between the H3 and the Autel Evo 2, but the Team mode on the H3 finally won it. Also, I currently fly an H520 for surveying and I'm hoping I can do something with the battery connectors and use my current stock of H520 LiPos.

Once I'm sure it works correctly, I will start taking the H3 apart and perhaps we can get some answers for this machine. I don't own a Typhoon H Plus, so I will be comparing it to the H520/E90 machine. (I've already been ogling at the gimbal rates/expo screen and reminiscing of my H480 days...)

To start with, does anyone recognise the battery connectors? Very unlikely that Yuneec decided to design a brand new connector, so it is probably a standard type that can be got hold from an electronics supplier. There are already third party balance cables for the H3 battery, so someone must be making them. I've been doing Google image searches, but hopefully someone on here will just recognise the type.

Comparing the flight battery with the H520:
The label on top is the same except for the code on the bottom left.


On top, around the catch, is a sticker with a silver line telling you to keep pressing in if you can still see it! It takes a lot more force to get the H3 battery all the way in (it might just be the sticker itself causing that). The silver line is just on the sticker.

Some close-ups of the H3 battery's connection sockets:



Other than the connection socket, the battery casings look exactly the same.

 

[Whisperit]

H3 Battery Connection Pins:
Here is a photo looking through the battery cavity of the H3 at the connection pins:


This is the little switch at the battery compartment catch end that I believe is meant to tell the drone that the battery is correctly installed:

The little white bit pushes down and springs back up.

The is the charger that comes with the set:

Same label as the H520 charger. -4H indicating it is for higher voltage LiHV battery:

 

[DoomMeister]

The first thing you need to do is check with Yuneec and find out what the exact lithium chemistry is used in the H3 batteries and what the full charge voltage is per cell in the H3 batteries.

Your H520 batteries are LiHV cells with full charge voltage of 4.35V per cell.

All of this was asked months ago and I have yet to see anything officially published by Yuneec on the subject. Same issue with the H520e batteries and charger that use the same connector as the H3.

 

[Whisperit]

I would of thought we could assume it is the same chemistry given that both labels say 15.2V with the same capacity. Also, the battery connection inside the H520 just connects to the total +ve/-ve outputs, and not the balance connections to the individual cells. I can't quite tell for certain without taking the H3 apart, but the view of the connector inside the battery cavity looks the same. If so, then, so as the overall voltage is the same, which it is, then how would it matter? The only difference cell chemistry makes when being used is in current discharge rate and drop off profile.

And the charger is obviously the same, just different connector.

I know there was a thread about an H520E battery label saying Li-ion, which raised the question, but the H3 battery label says Li-Po. (Which, like the H520 battery, should probably actually read LiHV to keep with the convention.)

 

[DoomMeister]

Where confusion came was in specifications on various Yuneec websites and photos not even matching the listings in the specs.

Do you plan to just change the internal connector on the H3 to the same Deans connector used in the H520? Seeing the difference in layout of the connector you will have to check if the battery bay will allow that configuration.

Im not sure, but there was someone in Europe that was an early adopter of the H3 that may have done that modification.

 

[Whisperit]

I think I will just change the connector in the drone. Even if I could find the H3 connectors from an electronics supplier, it would be difficult to reliably change the battery connectors. Looking through some previous threads I found this from 15 Sept 2020:

confirmed from vertigo drones web site they show the h3 mainboard the main battery wire can be swapped to the other yuneec hex units. batteries are running 200.00 per battery. and yuneec has a dy5 charger for the h3 battery in europe. vertigo drones should look into offering them here in the us.

Not sure where to get a connector from, will see if I can buy someone's damaged Typhoon H.

 

[Enrico Jorysch]

I have all Yuneec Modelle.

Typhoon H: Lipo batteries 4.20 Volt per cell
Typhoon H PLUS: HV Lipo batteries 4.35 Volt per cell
H520: HV Lipo batteries 4.35 Volt per cell
Typhoon H3: HV Lipo batteries 4.35 Volt per cell
H520E / 520E RTK: HV LiIonen batteries 4.40 Volt per cell

Without warranty from Yuneec: The Typhoon H can also be flown with the batteries from the H520 and Typhoon H PLUS... makem my customers already be half a year. Likewise, the H520 and the Typhoon H Plus can be flown with the batteries of the Taphoon H.

Theoretically, the batteries of the Typhoon H3 and the H520 E are also interchangeable... only Lipos behave differently than LiIon batteries... so I assume that the flight controller is not configured identically and therefore I would refrain from interchanging LiIon and HV Lipos.

Best regards from Switzerland,
Enrico

 

[terrence davidson]

I have flown with h3 battery on the h520e. 8 flights did not notice difference than slightly lower flight time.

 

[Chicadog]

One nice feature on H3 is that it will show warning if battery is not locked in place

 

[DoomMeister]

One nice feature on H3 is that it will show warning if battery is not locked in place

Just my opinion, but it is another failure point that really doesn’t need to be there. It is easy to see when the battery is seated properly and you can feel the latch click into place. It is just a small microswitch that gets made when the battery latch clicks into place.

 

[Mike Irish]

Just my opinion, but it is another failure point that really doesn’t need to be there. It is easy to see when the battery is seated properly and you can feel the latch click into place. It is just a small microswitch that gets made when the battery latch clicks into place.

Yes it would be very easy to fit a micro switch to a small LED and it the battery wasn't inserted filly it would either lite the LED or an easier fix to turn the LED OFF.
Just my two cents.
Mike

 

[DoomMeister]

Yes it would be very easy to fit a micro switch to a small LED and it the battery wasn't inserted filly it would either lite the LED or an easier fix to turn the LED OFF.
Just my two cents.
Mike

That is what they did for the H3 Mike. Not sure if they also added it to the H520e, but I think they did. I believe the motors will not arm unless the switch is made by the battery being fully seated and latched.

 

[Chicadog]

Just my opinion, but it is another failure point that really doesn’t need to be there. It is easy to see when the battery is seated properly and you can feel the latch click into place. It is just a small microswitch that gets esmade when the battery

That is what they did for the H3 Mike. Not sure if they also added it to the H520e, but I think they did. I believe the motors will not arm unless the switch is made by the battery being fully seated and latched.

 

[Chicadog]

that feature really help me because even though I saw utube videos and I heard the battery click it was not locked in but I think it was because it was new drone new battery so it had a tight fit and with use it will slide smooth one more personal opinion is that some responses are posted by very experienced pilots and some comments don’t take under account that someone like me is looking for that expertise to help me on my learning curb my H3 is my first drone most people would not chose this as Their first drone but I’ll be 68 in a couple months so time is a commodity I might be 68 but the 9 year old continues to live in me hope not to offend any one by this comments

 

[DoomMeister]

that feature really help me because even though I saw utube videos and I heard the battery click it was not locked in but I think it was because it was new drone new battery so it had a tight fit and with use it will slide smooth one more personal opinion is that some responses are posted by very experienced pilots and some comments don’t take under account that someone like me is looking for that expertise to help me on my learning curb my H3 is my first drone most people would not chose this as Their first drone but I’ll be 68 in a couple months so time is a commodity I might be 68 but the 9 year old continues to live in me hope not to offend any one by this comments

My comments were not directed at anyone. I actually suggested this to a Yuneec engineer a couple of years ago when they wanted suggestions for improvements to the H+, as many converts from other manufacturers wanted a way to know the battery was latched in. It is a simple solution, but it is still another point of possible electromechanical failure.

I feel that Beta testers of systems should have the full user manual from the manufacturer and as they test should add user notes to be incorporated into the manual before the general release to the public. I guess that goes back to my days as a technical instructor where all of our training materials had to be tested and verified before being released as a training course.

 

[Whisperit]

Does anyone know where you can get the H520e/H3 battery connectors from? I've worked out that they are called "Blade type" connectors, and Alibaba suppliers seem to have some very similar.

Blade type 12 pin
2mm pitch
22mm first pin to last pin
Trying search terms like : laptop, drone (you can get the P4, Mavic ones)

 

[kd839]

that feature really help me because even though I saw utube videos and I heard the battery click it was not locked in but I think it was because it was new drone new battery so it had a tight fit and with use it will slide smooth one more personal opinion is that some responses are posted by very experienced pilots and some comments don’t take under account that someone like me is looking for that expertise to help me on my learning curb my H3 is my first drone most people would not chose this as Their first drone but I’ll be 68 in a couple months so time is a commodity I might be 68 but the 9 year old continues to live in me hope not to offend any one by this comments
sad dp

 

[DoomMeister]

I might be 68 but the 9 year old continues to live in me

Welcome to YuneecPilots @kd839 ! I think the biggest share of us have that same sort of exhilaration when flying our drones so not likely that anyone would be offended at all.

 

[kd839]

Does anyone know where you can get the H520e/H3 battery connectors from? I've worked out that they are called "Blade type" connectors, and Alibaba suppliers seem to have some very similar.

 

[DMR - H480]

I would continue to push Yuneec for the connector