I am a new owner of a DJI Phantom 3 Standard.  I flew it for the first time yesterday in beginner mode as I'm still learning.  I didn't let the battery get all the way down, it still showed around 46% when I stopped flying.  My question is how should these be stored?  Should I be taking the battery all the way down with each use before recharging?  What about the remote?  

If I wanted to fly tonight, is it going to harm the batteries if I recharge them when they aren't fully drained?  I know newer batteries don't have the same memory issues of years ago but I haven't found anything yet about the batteries used in the DJI.

Had a fun first flight just getting used to the controls and how the drone handles.  I can already tell I'll need to invest in a second or third battery eventually but had fun and was a lot easier to fly then my cheep one that I have that is all manual.  

How should these (Batteries) be stored?
If you are not going to use them for several days its optimal to store a DJI LiPO at between 50-60%....Lipo batteries do not do well if fully charged for a long period of time, in fact it can damage them. These batteries have a self-discharge feature that can be set in the DJI Go App to discharge the battery after X (1-10) days, but sometimes it seems not to kick in.  The most important thing to always remember is MAKE SURE THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED BEFORE FLYING! If you flew 3 days ago and the battery still has 75% charge...NO MATTER....CHARGE IT TO 100%...flying on a partially charged battery that has been sitting around for a few days, can result in a catastrophic shutdown in mid-flight.


Should I be taking the battery all the way down with each use before recharging?
That is not necessary....some suggest only running them down to 30 to 50% for the first few uses to condition them, but I have never seen this in any manual from DJI.  Make sure you let them cool down before charging again.

What about the remote?
The remote is a different type of LiPo......takes longer to charge but is safe if fully charged for longer periods of time.

If I wanted to fly tonight, is it going to harm the batteries if I recharge them when they aren't fully drained?
NO.....just make sure they are cooled down to at least ambient temperature before charging and don't short charge them.....charge them fully!

Here is an excellent Intelligent Battery Use and Maintenance video.  

Thanks for the replies.  Still have a lot to learn.

Another newbie here, Is it ok to charge the batteries the day before in anticipation of a flight the day after or should the be charged on the day of the flight.

AlanHd Posted at 2017-9-18 05:38
Another newbie here, Is it ok to charge the batteries the day before in anticipation of a flight the day after or should the be charged on the day of the flight.

Ideally you should charge on the day of you're flight, BUT if you do it within, say, 48 hours of flying you should be just fine.  Some will tell you more....some will tell you less.  I figure if its dangerous to leave your batteries fully charged for long periods of time.........the shorter the better....but that's me.
I have my batteries set to auto-discharge through the DJI App every 2 days....that's just my preference.

Good Luck!

Beachball42 Posted at 2017-9-18 05:32
Thanks for the replies.  Still have a lot to learn.

Just keep asking for help if you have questions!!

Beachball42 Posted at 2017-9-18 05:32
Thanks for the replies.  Still have a lot to learn.

Another thing I forgot to mention:
Periodically check the individual battery cell voltage in the DJI Go app....the individual cells should not have a difference from each other of more then .1 volts.   If they do the battery should not be used because it could shut off even if the battery percentage seems safe.  I've included a picture of a defective TB48 Inspire 1 battery as an example..........this is from the DJI Go App.  While the Phantom 3 battery only has 4 cells the example still holds.
Having this kind of difference is very rare, but better to find this out on the ground instead of in the air!

Beachball42 Posted at 2017-9-18 05:32
Thanks for the replies.  Still have a lot to learn.

And above all take your time.......no matter what anyone says, learning to be a good, safe and smart pilot takes a lot of effort and practice.  There are no shortcuts....read, learn, watch, practice and then do it again.
Good Luck!

Tmygun Posted at 2017-9-18 06:07
And above all take your time.......no matter what anyone says, learning to be a good, safe and smart pilot takes a lot of effort and practice.  There are no shortcuts....read, learn, practice and then do it again.
Good Luck!

Beas advice I've seen in a while!

Tmygun Posted at 2017-9-18 06:00
Another thing I forgot to mention:
Periodically check the individual battery cell voltage in the DJI Go app....the individual cells should not have a difference from each other of more then .1 volts.   If they do the battery should not be used because it could shut off even if the battery percentage seems safe.  I've included a picture of a defective TB48 Inspire 1 battery as an example..........this is from the DJI Go App.  While the Phantom 3 battery only has 4 cells the example still holds.
Having this kind of difference is very rare, but better to find this out on the ground instead of in the air!

Nice point! Thanks for sharing your experience. Have a nice day!