Has there been any confirmation from DJI or one of the reviewers, since the Spark comes with a USB charging slot will it be possible to charge it with a regular power bank, and/or a phone charger for that matter? I understand if the rate will be slower, but I want to know if it'll charge at all (I remember the Mavic had some current minimum).

All these drones need high power output lipo batteries, I am very doubted this suggestion.

I have the same question: as a owner of the Zerotech Dobby I have a Quick charge 2.0 battery pack! This charge the Dobby battery very fast (QC). I hope that DJI put a QC 2.0 or a QC 3.0 chip in the battery? This will give us the option to charge on the way. Hope some DJI tech person can clarify some specs of the battery?

I did see a youtube clip mentioning that the Micro USB port can charge the battery but it will take up to 90 minutes or so depending on amperage. Therefore the Powerbanks would work.
I'll try and dig up that youtube clip.

QuanthonyTrang Posted at 2017-5-29 18:09
I did see a youtube clip mentioning that the Micro USB port can charge the battery but it will take up to 90 minutes or so depending on amperage. Therefore the Powerbanks would work.
I'll try and dig up that youtube clip.

Question will be if the battery has a QC chip build in? If not your right and takes charging trough micro usb a long time. If QC is available charging time can decrease a lot. Lets hope some tech person from DJI can give some feedback.

https://store.dji.com/guides/dji-spark-faq/
This guide mentions you can charge using the included micro USB port.

That's great for me since I will want to charge it from a solar panel while hiking,
but if you need charging from a power bank you'll probably want QC which I don't see mentioned anywhere.

Quick Charge is a technology from Qualcomm. It's found in their Snapdragon chips on smartphones and tablets. It's about the systems-on-chip. The DJI obviously does not have a Snapdragon chip, so no Quick Charge. But really, I don't get why you're even talking about Quick Charge and why you want that. And also, power banks now a days charge as quick as normal power adapters used for mobile devices. In fact, the Spark is going to limit charging speeds, so power banks would be capable of more. No difference if using a power bank or a power adapter. When charging the battery in the Spark via USB, it's going to take around 80 minutes. If you want faster charging, you'll need to charge the batteries on the charging hub.

fabiomota Posted at 2017-6-2 03:17
Quick Charge is a technology from Qualcomm. It's found in their Snapdragon chips on smartphones and tablets. It's about the systems-on-chip. The DJI obviously does not have a Snapdragon chip, so no Quick Charge. But really, I don't get why you're even talking about Quick Charge and why you want that. And also, power banks now a days charge as quick as normal power adapters used for mobile devices. In fact, the Spark is going to limit charging speeds, so power banks would be capable of more. No difference if using a power bank or a power adapter. When charging the battery in the Spark via USB, it's going to take around 80 minutes. If you want faster charging, you'll need to charge the batteries on the charging hub.

Thanks for your reply, I did now that QC has to do something with the snapdragon chip, but the Samsung mobiles support also QC. The reason for the QC with power bank is that I use my drone(s) on MTB-trip of 7 to 9 hours in the high mountains (Alps). On this trips you have days that there is no possibility to use the charger an still want to take nice shots (80 minutes is then a long time to charge). Therefor I use the power bank and take not to many batteries with me. Hope you understand the question better? BC Hans

Would also like to know if you can charge the Spark while flying it at the same time, by attaching a small power pack on it's belly. Maybe it could extend it's flight time by a few minutes or so.

It's never advisable to deviate from what is offered for charging. While the temptation may be there, you would want to consider sticking to the power supplies offered on the Spark rather then for something like a smart phone charger.

User reported that you can using Power Bank to charge the Spark. Charing time depends on the output power of your power bank. QC3.0 will take about one hour to charge the Spark and normal one will take about 2 to 3hours to charge it.

I also bought a QC3.0 supported Power bank to test the result when i received my Spark.
This one input and output both supported QC3.0

Here is a charging test done showing a DJI spark charging with USB external battery

I got myself a small power bank by ravpower http://amzn.to/2t1sgrG it fits nicely into the included bag and charges the spark fully once.

I also have this power bank http://amzn.to/2sxparU which seems to give around 3 and a bit charges to a Spark battery so is good for travel

Anyone attempted charging from a cigarette lighter or car usb? I'm doing a road trip with mine so this would be useful

Yep, charges well from car lighter but only at 5v. I have a QC3 powerbank and it charges at 12v @1.78A. Quick charge indeed!!!

1) Do not put powerbank at Spark belly. It obstruct downard sensor. Your Spark may not perform landing.
2) There are many kind of powerbank. Many of them cannot charge Spark because they can give charging current only 1 A. max. At 5 V. standard Spark charger gives 3 A. Moreover the charger gives multiple output voltage and current. 5V 3A, 9 V 2 A and 12 V 1.5 A.

Did a test today . Spark battery less than 10% in hibernation.
Powerbank 71% on start . Powerbank is capable of QC 3.0 and 20k mAh.
After 70 minutes spark got 100% and powerbank got 38%

Szwedu Posted at 2017-7-22 09:26
Did a test today . Spark battery less than 10% in hibernation.
Powerbank 71% on start . Powerbank is capable of QC 3.0 and 20k mAh.
After 70 minutes spark got 100% and powerbank got 38%

Can someone explain to me (im not an electrician ) but how can a Spark battery which is 1450mah consume 6600mah? I tried using the 5000mah power bank and indeed it only charged spark to around 80% of its full capacity and drained my whole pb. Where does the waste go? Is this healthy enough for Sparks battery?

Adomolis Posted at 2017-8-3 04:52
Can someone explain to me (im not an electrician  ) but how can a Spark battery which is 1450mah consume 6600mah? I tried using the 5000mah power bank and indeed it only charged spark to around 80% of its full capacity and drained my whole pb. Where does the waste go? Is this healthy enough for Sparks battery?

The spark is not a 5V device like your powerbank. It uses 3cells of a lipo which is 11,4V. So you get 1480mAh at 11,4V. (But charging is until 4.3V/cell so 12.9V)
You can calculate the energy of your powerbank or the sparks battery when multiply Volt and Amps.
1000mA = 1A.

5A Powerbank * 5V = 25Wh.
1,48A Battery * 11,4V = 16,78Wh.

So you can charge (theoretical, there is a loss about 40% because of the effiency  0,8·0,8 = 0,64 = 64%) nearly 1,5 times the spark battery with a 5V 5000mAh powerbank.

Calculated with the efficeny from battery to battery charging you Need about 26Wh to Charge the battery 1 time. Now your powerbank got not really 5000mA maybe only 4200mAh.
Then it is 4,2A*5V = 21Wh.

21Wh(real energy of your Powerbank) / 26Wh(needed engery for 100% spark battery incl. loss caused by effiency) = 0,81 times. So about 80% like you said

Szwedu Posted at 2017-7-22 09:26
Did a test today . Spark battery less than 10% in hibernation.
Powerbank 71% on start . Powerbank is capable of QC 3.0 and 20k mAh.
After 70 minutes spark got 100% and powerbank got 38%

Hello Szwedu,
your power bank is of which brand please?

I purchased an ankor 20500 mAH battery for charging phones and the spark on an upcoming vacation.  I have also tested a 12 to 120v car inverter running the 3 battery charger as well as an iphone car charger to charge the spark.  all have worked well so far.  

moh_rafiudeen Posted at 2017-8-3 06:08
Hello Szwedu,
your power bank is of which brand please?

https://www.banggood.com/Besiter ... .html?rmmds=myorder

Cost not a fortune and it works  like advertised .

atomicrobokid Posted at 2017-7-1 00:50
Anyone attempted charging from a cigarette lighter or car usb? I'm doing a road trip with mine so this would be useful

i have tried, it didn't work but i believe you need a higher voltage and 3 A output. correct me if i'm wrong.

Thor1 Posted at 2017-8-3 07:46
i have tried, it didn't work but i believe you need a higher voltage and 3 A output. correct me if i'm wrong.

You are wrong. You can charge the spark with any 5V charger. It will just take a really long time when you have not that much ampere.
You can also buy a QC3.0 car charger. This will charge you battery’s much faster.

Dirk52 Posted at 2017-8-3 08:27
You are wrong. You can charge the spark with any 5V charger. It will just take a really long time when you have not that much ampere.
You can also buy a QC3.0 car charger. This will charge you battery’s much faster.

well i know for a fact that my spark will not charge by plugging it into a computer my car, car has a 5V, 2.4A adapter, so maybe i have a faulty drone. i have read somewhere that you need a 12 volt dc port for your car. you may be able to use a portable charger but not a car charger...for me anyway.

Spark battery charger is:
Input voltage: 13.05 V
Input current: 3.83 A

Thor1 Posted at 2017-8-3 10:11
well i know for a fact that my spark will not charge by plugging it into a computer my car, car has a 5V, 2.4A adapter, so maybe i have a faulty drone. i have read somewhere that you need a 12 volt dc port for your car. you may be able to use a portable charger but not a car charger...for me anyway.

Spark battery charger is:

Yes, than your drone must be faulty.
You can charge the battery in the spark via 5V. No problem.
Yes, the 13.05V is the standalone charger. Not when you charge the battery inside the drone.
This was also mentioned before in this thread:
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=97648&pid=851138&fromuid=388548

Hi, I bought a few days a great powerbank: this product can charge the JDI Spark batteries together with the spark hub! See video;

Dirk52 Posted at 2017-8-3 10:27
Yes, than your drone must be faulty.
You can charge the battery in the spark via 5V. No problem.
Yes, the 13.05V is the standalone charger. Not when you charge the battery inside the drone.

you are correct, i tried it again and it worked. it took about 5 minutes before it started charging though. thank you for proving me wrong it will be more convenient for me now

Thor1 Posted at 2017-8-6 04:59
you are correct, i tried it again and it worked. it took about 5 minutes before it started charging though. thank you for proving me wrong it will be more convenient for me now

You are welcome.. maybe your battery was too warm? Normally the charging should start within a few seconds..but who cares, it's working

This is the one I use, I keep this in my spark case, its a perfect little power bank. http://amzn.to/2wyCFu1 This is the one I use for my Mavic : http://amzn.to/2vdCaG4

Aukey and RavPower make the best power banks in my opinion

I think you definitely need a QC3.0 charger. Mine isn't charging with a normal USB charger, even not on a charger or powerbank with QC2.0.

ernieken Posted at 2017-8-6 23:25
I think you definitely need a QC3.0 charger. Mine isn't charging with a normal USB charger, even not on a charger or powerbank with QC2.0.

No, like mentioned above it is working with a normal 5V charger. But it will take a long time to charge..
http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... &fromuid=388548

It worked for me using the xiomi 10,000 mAH powerbank. Charged fairly quick as well. It had around 50% and charged from 15% to 88% for the spark before the PB died. (i know its not recommeded, flew with it no prob, landed and charged fully using the hub and flew.)
Input 5v 2.0A
Output 5.1v 2.1A

Using an Aukey 20000mah powerbank with 2.4a outputs, Spark charges fine

I'm using an Anker powerbank that I've had for a couple of years (10000mAH, 2.4Amp output) - works a treat (although charges slower than from mains) and makes it possible to have several flights in one day trip which is great!

Hi to the forum

Charging spark batteries via power bank is very interesting.
Has DJI a device, to charge ONE battery outside the spark?
I cant find something, but maybe my google is wrong?
Anyone?

Thanks a lot!

S-e-ven

I personally use an Anker  20000mAh bank I owned a few years, it’s been beaten to hell and back and works even taken a swim a few times while exploring.  cused to use it to charge my iPhone and Sony Alpha batteries and charge my tablets.  I still charge all my devices off of it. In the field.  even used a hub and splitter charging iPad and my phone on one port now.   Leaving other two ports for my spark and controller to top up.     .it supports up to 6amp output on 3 rails so 2amps each rail while loaded down.. or up to 2.45amps on single or dual rail..

Only downside about it is it’s so old it only charges over single USB and only charges up to 2amp rate even from 2.4amp chargers so it can take 10+ hours to recharge the bank.   Good news is I usually don’t need to charge it for a month plus if I give it a half hour or hour on charger every few days..  I probably should replace it, but it actually still works like day one.  So I don’t know..  

S-e-ven Posted at 2017-8-8 20:44
Hi to the forum

Charging spark batteries via power bank is very interesting.

DJI once told that there will be an adapter for charging batteries via PB  outside Spark

Anker 26800 PowerCore+ battery, charging the spark at almost 2 amps. 5v