Typhoon H battery

[PatR]

Lithium polymer batteries share a common life cycle that can be measured in both cycles and time. Anyone can look that stuff up at sites dedicated to battery chemistry information. A link is attached as an example.

How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries - Battery University

 

[Mrgs1]

In an ideal world the 2016 batteries have seen their best life, the clock starts from their construction and only last a certain amount of charges, discharges, how you look after them is very important, they need to be cared for to give the best chance of getting the maximum amount of cycles.

 

[PatR]

Those that take the time to read the full content of the linked article will learn there’s much to know about battery care, and what they don’t know causes them to buy more batteries.

 

[Mrgs1]

Those that take the time to read the full content of the linked article will learn there’s much to know about battery care, and what they don’t know causes them to buy more batteries.

Not really, some people have bought a Typhoon and it's contained one battery, they are concerned rightly or wrongly, can't have much of a session on one battery or even two, doesn't matter how much you've read the article your going to have to charge them again to use. A new user might be daunted by prospect of battery modifications at this stage, some may find the parts and batteries harder to obtain or not at all, it is a world wide user base!

 

[glider]

Glider,

How many good batteries do you want or need? 20-50-100, all ready to ship on the next business day? Just make a power wire adapter and buy off the shelf lipo’s. The fastest, cheapest, easiest, laziest way to start using better batteries requires only 24” of 12awg silicone wire, the plug from a worn out battery, an XT-60 plug, and a piece of duct tape. Of course it can be done much better than that.

I cannot understand all the stress and anxiety people are placing on themselves in locating and obtaining low quality batteries housed in a hard plastic shell. To me the concept is just stupid. It has been since DJI first introduced the concept of “smart” batteries you could only buy from DJI. That people bought into the concept and allowed it to spread to other manufacturers is indicative of some seriously simple minds. To avoid eliminating “proprietary” batteries when one or more viable alternatives are present is incomprehensible.

I've been doing battery mods on my Solo's for quite some time. It's a PITA but the only way to keep them in the air and at least Tattu still supplies the battery AFAIK. The only reason I keep the Solo's is because quite honestly IMO they still have the best flight control system and more versatile than even the newest prosumer grade drones. The Solex app is awesome.

But 3DR announced they were no longer going to support the Solo after getting crushed by *** who ran a campaign to bury 3DR. We who owned and bought more knew what we were getting into. We knew batteries were going to be a problem. The Solo is the DIY drone Infinity with almost limitless mods available.

I don't recall Yuneec publicly announcing they were going to stop supporting the Typhoon H well before they stopped stocking them on the shelves. Yunee's website still advertises them, but are "out of stock".

The battery supply problem has been an ongoing issue for a long time. While I'm aware of your cobbled up solution and others, I don't want this nice looking drone to become something from the Red Green Show, not to mention it's nice to use the backpack. Batteries should still be readily available without turning it into a frankendrone.

 

[PatR]

Glider,

Although I completely agree with your assessment of how things should be, what should and what are are totally different things. We have to deal with reality else we’ll find ourselves living in the fantasy would of woulda- coulda-shoulda and if wishes were fishes[emoji6]

What is apparent is consumer drone makers are using “proprietary” batteries to enforce planned obsolescence, forcing people to buy new models looooong before previous models become worn out or reach the end of their useful lives. So we find a way to circumvent corporate intent that will place control of product life cycle in our hands instead of theirs or play a very expensive game of continually buying new models if we want to keep flying. The makers believe us to be stupid. We get to decide for ourselves if they are right or wrong.

As you are a builder and fly various brands of consumer products you have likely noticed other brands are also phasing out the battery supplies for older models, and also not announcing those phase outs.

There seems to be a common thought among consumer drone users that drone manufacturers are in business to serve their customers, and that manufacturers care about the customers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Consumer drone manufacturers are in business to extract as much money as possible from their customers as fast and for as long as they can. Nothing else matters. That’s why I view product and brand loyalty stuff as acts of stupidity. Users need to be a lit more concerned with themselves, looking at brands and products solely from a perspective of how long and how well any particular product will serve their individual needs. They need to look at factors that will limit the service life of their systems before they buy them to determine if work arounds will be possible later.

BTW, your assessment of the Solo’s flight control system is spot on. It’s why some aerospace companies bought as many of them, and the Iris, as they could get their hands on as it became a foundation for them to build on.

 

[glider]

This has probably been posted, and if I want to continue flying my H now that my batteries are becoming useless, ordered this Typhoon H battery adaptor and his recommendation for a battery.

I've thought about getting the H Plus, but want a smaller unit. The Anafi is on sale at BB, but parts are all but impossible to find from what I've been reading. Parrot pretty much gave its customers the shaft.

 

[Mrgs1]

For US pilots the power 4 batteries are showing back in stock on Yuneec website.

Typhoon H Lithium Polymer Battery | Yuneec USA

us.yuneec.com

 

[glider]

$140. Just wow. And to think Tattu (Ultrax) was offering them for less than half that IIRC.

I'll stick with the above solution and get nearly 4 for the price of one Yuneec OEM. But first I need to check some things out as yesterday the H was acting like it was trying to fly away; sure hope something isn't failing; looked like a GPS/compass issue.

 

[PatR]

Glider,

Regarding the compass/GPS/flyaway concern.

While I had the H apart messing with the power connections I took a look at the GPS module. A couple things were noted.

The back up battery for the GPS cannot be easily changed as it employs solder tabs. If that battery dies I don’t know what impact it will have on GPS function.

Looking closely at the GPS/compass boards provided evidence of “hot spots” where adhesive from the ground plane sheet had melted onto a couple of board components. My first thoughts were that was way too much heat building up in an unvented space and could be damaging the GPS module.

The melted adhesive got me thinking about Johnno’s GPS tower and how it would eliminate that, and started me considering installing a thermocouple at the GPS to learn how much heat was present when in use.

 

[FlushVision]

@Mrgs1
I've just received that Gifi 8050mAh battery from China. Looks good, no puffiness.

I'll test it for resistance later and flight test it as soon as I can, though given the current weather that's unlikely to be before next week. I'll report back after I've test flown it.

Edit: No indication as to it's manufacture date. Looked under the flap but no sticker there as you would find with a Power 4 battery.

 

[Mrgs1]

@Mrgs1
I've just received that Gifi 8050mAh battery from China. Looks good, no puffiness.

I'll test it for resistance later and flight test it as soon as I can, though given the current weather that's unlikely to be before next week. I'll report back after I've test flown it.

Edit: No indication as to it's manufacture date. Looked under the flap but no sticker there as you would find with a Power 4 battery.

Good luck, and quick delivery. I take it you cancelled the Jessops battery?

 

[FlushVision]

Good luck, and quick delivery. I take it you cancelled the Jessops battery?

Not yet. I'll wait until I've flight tested this one before I make a decision. I may even leave it on order so I get a Power 4 battery ( I prefer a power 4...the Gifi was just a plan 'B') if they ever get them in to stock again. At the price that Jessops were asking it's worth leaving it on order...they haven't taken my money yet so it's no loss to me.

Edit: Yes, a quick delivery...faster than I expected from China. Wasn't expecting it until the 17th Sept so at least 10 days before that.

 

[Mrgs1]

Not yet. I'll wait until I've flight tested this one before I make a decision. I may even leave it on order so I get a Power 4 battery ( I prefer a power 4...the Gifi was just a plan 'B') if they ever get them in to stock again. At the price that Jessops were asking it's worth leaving it on order...they haven't taken my money yet so it's no loss to me.

Edit: Yes, a quick delivery...faster than I expected from China. Wasn't expecting it until the 17th Sept so at least 10 days before that.

So the slow boat from China was turbocharged!

 

[FlushVision]

So the slow boat from China was turbocharged!

Seems so. The delivery range was 7th Sept to 17th Sept but I got an email saying to expect on the 17th.

I wasn't in a particular rush for it so the 17th would have been just fine. Getting it today, then, was just a bit of a bonus if only I could fly it today or the next few days. Tuesday looks to be favorite for a test fly.

 

[Mrgs1]

Seems so. The delivery range was 7th Sept to 17th Sept but I got an email saying to expect on the 17th.

I wasn't in a particular rush for it so the 17th would have been just fine. Getting it today, then, was just a bit of a bonus if only I could fly it today or the next few days. Tuesday looks to be favorite for a test fly.

I think you've said you don't fly at weekends? So say it's not too bad down here Sat/Sun, hopefully I can get out one of the days, shame nights are drawing in, I did like a summer evening flight.

 

[FlushVision]

I think you've said you don't fly at weekends? So say it's not too bad down here Sat/Sun, hopefully I can get out one of the days, shame nights are drawing in, I did like a summer evening flight.

Only times I fly at weekends is if I take my P2V+ with me when I go for a motorbike ride but even then it's a rare thing. The P2V+ in it's case is manageable on my back when I go on my motorbike whereas my TH in it's case is just a bit too bulky for safety on my motorbike, though I have taken it on the very odd occasion. My car is garaged at weekends and is only used in a weekend maybe twice a year...last time being about 3 weeks ago.

I don't tend to do evening flights unless I'm on holiday (vacation). I'm a mid morning person when it comes to drone flying unless it's a commercial job and my client insists on the job being done at another time of the day. I do have a night time permission from the CAA as an extra to my PfCO but I've yet to use it...maybe I should?

 

[PatR]

Absolutely! Night flying adds a new dimension to what we do and can be extremely satisfying.

 

[FlushVision]

Absolutely! Night flying adds a new dimension to what we do and can be extremely satisfying.

Well I do have strobes in my kit. A requirement that I included in my Ops Manual to get the added permission from the CAA. Do you have any tips for night flying @PatR other than the obvious ones like a day time site assessment?

Edit: I'm aware that I am tending to take this thread off topic. Please feel free to advise me in a private message @PatR if you feel you have the time to share your knowledge, or start a new thread.

 

[FlushVision]

I think you've said you don't fly at weekends? So say it's not too bad down here Sat/Sun, hopefully I can get out one of the days, shame nights are drawing in, I did like a summer evening flight.

I've just got home after flight testing that Gifi. Over twenty minutes in the air landing at 14.4v. I'm a happy bunny.

I've been putting a video together for the flight test. I've already shot the 'talking head' bit. After I've updated my logbook I'll slot in some footage from the actual test and after it's uploaded I'll post it in the video & pictures bit of the forum. That'll prolly be this evening.