Before ordering, I was misinformed by DJI technical support and was told that the Mavic Air would be like the Spark (which I own and love) in that it would charge its battery from the USB-C port.

Now that I have received my Mavic Air, I love the gimbal cover (so clever), the fact that a case is included to transport it and keep it safe but I find DJI's decision to not use the USB-C port to charge the battery mindboggling.

Also, gesture controls require activating SmartCapture from the phone. Unlike the Spark, you can't use the Mavic Air entirely without a phone for a quick shot. Edit: it is now possible thanks to a firmware update.

For the extra weight over the Spark, you get 3 axis stabilization vs. 2, 21 mns vs. 15 of autonomy, RAW & HDR photos and 4K video.

Returning mine. Not compelling at all without the USB-C battery charging. I am not carrying 3 extra batteries and/ or the charger with me when I could just carry the Mavic Air and a power bank.

Bad form DJI!!!!

So you plan on sitting there for hours while a battery charges inside the drone? Get a car charger or inverter.

You missed the point.

So I will explain. I don't want to have to carry anything but the drone, a power bank and a cable. With that power bank, I can charge phones, lights, the drone and have emergency power on the go.
That beats having to carry the drone, its charger and being dependent on a power source. Yes, I am aware there are power bank with an A/C outlet but they are too big and heavy for my purpose.

Weight and clutter are not acceptable.Besides, I charge between uses. Fly, charge up when not in use, fly again etc.
Takes just over an hour to charge from empty to full anyway.

Inverters do not produce a clean sinusoidal wave and ruin electronics. I am surprised you don't know this.

If the Spark offered this convenience, why did DJI take a step back with the Mavic Air????
And why are you simply rolling over and conforming?

We need to let DJI know this is not acceptable.

carry two batteries and no power bank
carry a car charger or cla usb adapter
buy a car like mine that has 120v plug  (and yes it is pure sine wave)
buy an inverter that is pure sine wave (not like it matters since you would be putting another power converter between the inverter and the item needing charging)
stick with your spark

so many good options

Personally I don't see why I would need to charge it with the USB port. And If I can remember right, someone on this forum told that it could be charged, but it's not recommendable.

AIister Posted at 2018-2-6 09:42
carry two batteries and no power bank
carry a car charger or cla usb adapter
buy a car like mine that has 120v plug  (and yes it is pure sine wave)

I am aware of the "good options" or "alternatives'.

None are better than built-in charging!

Forget the fact that sometimes there are no cars or power sources to get to, or the fact that I get through a full day with my usage pattern and power bank but only get 20 mns * 3 of flight time max while also increasing the weight I am lugging around and the space they require to be transported....

I did not start this thread for people like you guys to come in here and suggest using extra batteries.

This thread is for people who value the option to charge from the built-in port even if it's just so that the battery doesn't even have to come off the aircraft!

escore Posted at 2018-2-6 09:53
Personally I don't see why I would need to charge it with the USB port. And If I can remember right, someone on this forum told that it could be charged, but it's not recommendable.

I have the Mavic Air. It is not possible.

If I were you, I'd return it.

Charging via the USB-C port is something that is important to you, enough for you to be upset that the MA does not have this functionality.  It's not up to us to judge if this feature is important to us or not, what matters is to you, it is.  Keeping the MA will mean that you have settled for something that is less than optimum for your use case.  If you are looking for validation from other forum members, you may or may not get it for this issue, but in the end does it really matter?  Again, why would you want to keep something that does not meet your style of flying?

Only you can decide if the MA's other features are enough to overcome what you see as a huge detractor.  I wish you the best with your decision.

Hack Posted at 2018-2-6 10:07
If I were you, I'd return it.

Charging via the USB-C port is something that is important to you, enough for you to be upset that the MA does not have this functionality.  It's not up to us to judge if this feature is important to us or not, what matters is to you, it is.  Keeping the MA will mean that you have settled for something that is less than optimum for your use case.  If you are looking for validation from other forum members, you may or may not get it for this issue, but in the end does it really matter?  Again, why would you want to keep something that does not meet your style of flying?

Finally, someone with a good head on their shoulders.

I am returning it. But it is important to let DJI know that this was a bad decision.
The thread isn't looking for validation but I would want others with a similar view to weight in so that DJI can take notice, obviously. Strengh in numbers and all that...

So far you are the only one that finds charging over usb useful. It would be a bonus but it’s mostly useless.

You could buy extra battery’s and charge your devices with the battery to USB adapter.

You say you didn’t start the thread for people to suggest using extra batteries. Isn’t that exactly what you are doing?

Jeff7577 Posted at 2018-2-6 10:21
So far you are the only one that finds charging over usb useful. It would be a bonus but it’s mostly useless.

You could buy extra battery’s and charge your devices with the battery to USB adapter.

NO, it isn't exactly what I am doing. I have one battery and I am not interested in using/ carrying/ charging multiple ones.

People are trying to tell me to buy more batteries, buy another car, carry chargers and adapters....

Why? When I could simply carry the drone, a power bank and a cable?
Back to square one.

Thanks for the useless noise people.

or carry drone and batteries

It does seem like it could have at least been an option.  Kind of an oversight, but I'm not upset.  It's not a game changer.  I just want my bloody avatar to show up under my screen name.  For that reason alone, I may return it.  Why DJI... why have you forsaken me.  ;p

AIister Posted at 2018-2-6 10:31
or carry drone and batteries

Don't have the space or the inclination. Not interested in accommodating that idea either: that space is better used and taken up by the power bank.

Also, I don't need to fly for an hour non-stop.

DJI seems to be taking a cue from Apple... omit features & force people to pay more money to them for solutions. Why should we be forced to buy extra batteries or car chargers? If I want to top up my battery on the way to a shoot, that is my prerogative.

Would a powerbank even be capable of re-charging a drone battery?! And how many times and how long would it take?
I mean, say it does work. Carry a drone, heavy powerbank and cable. 3 Items. Fly, spend probably way more then an hour charging the battery and fly again. And the powerbank is probably exhausted after one charge.
Doesn't work. Carry a drone, extra battery. 2 items. Fly. change battery and fly again less then 3 minutes later.
Doesn't work. Carry a drone, extra battery. Extra battery. 3 Items. fly, 3 minutes. fly 3 minutes fly.

This is a non-issue.

nnote Posted at 2018-2-6 11:46
Would a powerbank even be capable of re-charging a drone battery?! And how many times and how long would it take?
I mean, say it does work. Carry a drone, heavy powerbank and cable. 3 Items. Fly, spend probably way more then an hour charging the battery and fly again. And the powerbank is probably exhausted after one charge.
Doesn't work. Carry a drone, extra battery. 2 items. Fly. change battery and fly again less then 3 minutes later.

No, it would not be exhausted after one charge.
It would be the equivalent of carrying 2-3 extra batteries while providing the option to charge something else too for the same total weight and even less space that carrying 2-3 extra batteries, not to mention a charger of some sort to follow along the ideas posted above.

It takes over one hour to charge a MA battery from 0%.
In your example, use 3 batteries and then charge them... or not.

I prefer toping off my only battery with my power bank between flights. I mentioned I am not waiting on it: it's charging while I am doing something between flights. I do NOT need to fly continuously or back to back for 1+ hour.

Additional details, https://www.dji.com/mavic-air/info#downloadsfor

Note that USB-C specs support up to 100W.


CHARGER

Input	100 - 240 V, 50/60 Hz, 1.4 A
Output	Main: 13.2 V ⎓ 3.79 A USB: 5 V ⎓ 2 A
Voltage	13.2 V
Rated Power	50 W

INTELLIGENT FLIGHT BATTERY

Capacity	2375 mAh
Voltage	11.55 V
Max Charging Voltage	13.2 V
Battery Type	LiPo 3S
Energy	27.43 Wh
Net Weight	140 g
Charging Temperature Range	5℃ - 40℃
Max Charging Power	60 W

28wins Posted at 2018-2-6 12:05
No, it would not be exhausted after one charge.
It would be the equivalent of carrying 2-3 extra batteries while providing the option to charge something else too for the same total weight and even less space that carrying 2-3 extra batteries, not to mention a charger of some sort to follow along the ideas posted above.

Ok I think you need to be fair to other members here, many have suggested very good options around this problem which you just seem to rubbish and your entitled to and maybe your option is better so maybe it’s time to post a picture of this amazing charger which you intended to charge the battery from the MavAir. Then folk will understand how much more convenient and better this would be than their suggestions.
This should have the effect of ending this thread with a lot gained by those who have participated.

You have to take his viewpoint on it, he was told it was supported, then finds out it wasn't.  This led to his purchase decision based on inaccurate information from the manufacturer.  His issues about travelling light have merit, especially if you are off grid or time poor.

That aside, a few things here that are worth mentioning.  Each flight battery is about 25Whr.  The cheap 20000mAh power banks are rated for 75Whr.  If they had outputs at 12V or above (USB-PD or QC3.0) then this is feasible. for at least 2 charges of a flight battery, whilst also being able to charge the controller, phone etc.

The charging could be possible, but we just don't know if the hardware in the mavic is present or not.  If it is, firmware updates may unlock this feature.  I reckon it hasn't.

Your best bet will be when 3rd party manufactures make a bridge between your USB-C or QC power bank and the battery so you can charge with them

Hate to admit it, but the guys saying buy more batteries is what you are stuck with

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-2-6 12:09
Ok I think you need to be fair to other members here, many have suggested very good options around this problem which you just seem to rubbish and your entitled to and maybe your option is better so maybe it’s time to post a picture of this amazing charger which you intended to charge the battery from the MavAir. Then folk will understand how much more convenient and better this would be than their suggestions.
This should have the effect of ending this thread with a lot gained by those who have participated.

I should not have to draw a picture to what I thought was an educated/ realtively technical crowd.
People buying and using drones are not soccer moms.
But since you asked, a 20,000mAh or more power bank (they come in all sizes and shapes) is enough to achieve what I described for the Spark. It's small and light enough to charge the drone and anything else. That flexibility is desirable while offering more reserve power than a Mavic Air battery or batteries would offer with the DJI charging adapter accesory (from the Mavic Air combo).
The power bank would work for the Mavic Air also if the built in USB-C port supported charging.


If I state that DJI could have enabled built-in charging, and they did in the Spark, it is very annoying they didn't for the Mavic Air, suggesting "solutions" (which I am aware of and are not really solution) is OFF TOPIC.

I want to learn why DJI made that decision Because it is a BAD one.

Even if I am not out and about with weight and space constraints, it seems logical plugging a cable into the USB C to charge the battery trumps pulling the battery, using a wall charger in convenience.
In particular for the ones of us who already converted to USB-C for everything. This means at my desk, I could simply use my MacBook Pro charger to charge the Mavic Air without any fuss.
And the controller (which I don't need/ use) should have USB-C also by the way, not microUSB.... why are DJI straddingling this and working with so many inconsistencies?

Although I dont see it as a show killer, but that would have been nice.

If you were wrongly told that it could be charged by USB then no one can dispute that. You certainly have a genuine grievance with the store who told you that.

Maybe it cannot be done because they tried to keep the weight down by having a lot of the charging circuitry in the charger itself.  

It does seem a bit pointless having the drone carrying around extra components that you do not need when you are flying,
Perhaps that is why the Spark has such a short flight time.

marcel_911 Posted at 2018-2-6 12:35
If you were wrongly told that it could be charged by USB then no one can dispute that. You certainly have a genuine grievance with the store who told you that.

Maybe it cannot be done because they tried to keep the weight down by having a lot of the charging circuitry in the charger itself.  

I posted on here after become a little irate with DJI: I emailed support@dji.com 3 days ago, had several online chat sessions and phone calls with nothing to show for it.

A complete waste of my time and this is the first time I have had to call on DJI for anything since I have started with the Phantom 3.



Battery capacity is where it's at but they could have built it in. Maybe they have. I am trying to find out. The tech supervisor I spent 1 hour with this morning promised she'd get me a reply from headquarters.  

From https://www.dji.com/spark/info

INTELLIGENT FLIGHT BATTERY
Capacity        1480 mAh
Voltage        11.4 V
Max Charging Voltage        13.05 V
Battery Type        LiPo 3S
Energy        16.87 Wh
Net Weight        Approx. 0.2 lbs (95 g)
Charging Temperature Range        41° to 104° F (5° to 40° C)


CHARGER
Input        100-240 V; 50/60 Hz; 0.5 A
Output        5 V/3 A; 9 V/2 A; 12 V/1.5 A

28wins Posted at 2018-2-6 12:41
I posted on here after become a little irate with DJI: I emailed support@dji.com 3 days ago, had several online chat sessions and phone calls with nothing to show for it.

A complete waste of my time and this is the first time I have had to call on DJI for anything since I have started with the Phantom 3.

No picture.

Specifications
Capacity: 2375 mAh
Voltage: 11.55 V, Max 13.2 V
Battery Type: LiCoO2
Energy: 27.43 Wh
This was just taken from the DJI online store under the MA battery specs.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-2-6 12:59
No picture.

Specifications

I had already posted it above (#18). Did you not see?

That is the dumbest thing i ever heard of.... you are returning the mavic air because you cannot charge it via USB C.. .yea maybe u should look at another company for drones....

$gambino$ Posted at 2018-2-6 13:01
That is the dumbest thing i ever heard of.... you are returning the mavic air because you cannot charge it via USB C.. .yea maybe u should look at another company for drones....

Your "contribution" ranks even better when it comes to life experience and intelligence.

Bravo monsieur.

Thanks for the compliment!

$gambino$ Posted at 2018-2-6 13:04
Thanks for the compliment!

:facepalm:

28wins Posted at 2018-2-6 13:00
I had already posted it above (#18). Did you not see?

Not lipo 3S LiCo2.

28wins Posted at 2018-2-6 10:27
NO, it isn't exactly what I am doing. I have one battery and I am not interested in using/ carrying/ charging multiple ones.

People are trying to tell me to buy more batteries, buy another car, carry chargers and adapters....

"Thanks for the useless noise people."

The "useless noise" will drastically reduce when you return your Mavic Air. You have my heartfelt "GO" for doing it, thank you ;-)

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-2-6 13:05
Not lipo 3S LiCo2.

You may want to point this out to DJI. Maybe they will listen to you...

https://www.dji.com/mavic-air/info#downloadsfor

Wachtberger Posted at 2018-2-6 13:06
The "useless noise" will drastically reduce when you return your Mavic Air. You have my heartfelt "GO" for doing it, thank you ;-)

That comment and avatar.... :facepalm:

uh, right, thanks for stopping by sport.

28wins Posted at 2018-2-6 13:08
You may want to point this out to DJI. Maybe they will listen to you...

https://www.dji.com/mavic-air/info#downloadsfor

You should research products properly, then you wouldn’t be returning, as you can see from almost all posts, people are here because they fly drones they have researched them correctly they know what they are buying, you made a mistake and didn’t do your homework properly nobody really cares as you can see, maybe MavAir 2 will have that what you are looking for.
But I concur with almost everybody it’s pretty ridiculous in the scheme of things.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-2-6 13:20
You should research products properly, then you wouldn’t be returning, as you can see from almost all posts, people are here because they fly drones they have researched them correctly they know what they are buying, you made a mistake and didn’t do your homework properly nobody really cares as you can see, maybe MavAir 2 will have that what you are looking for.
But I concur with almost everybody it’s pretty ridiculous in the scheme of things.

So it seems you have reading comprehension issues?
Did you miss the parts where I and others mentioned in the thread that I DID contact DJI tech support prior to ordering?
When the press embargo lifted, no one I saw mentioned anything about the USB-C being for data only.
Or by research do you mean, I should I have contacted you to ask you? Because of course, you had already received the MA on Jan 26 when I ordered...

Most people here purchase and use drones like people used to purchase and use 8mm camcorders: a bundle with 16 accessories in a shoulder bag.
If you are fat and wearing white socks with flip flops, you may not see anything wrong with that.  

If I had a bucket list, and if being part of the wackiest thread every was on it, then it is now ticked! Don’t want to contribute further than ye!

28wins Posted at 2018-2-6 13:33
So it seems you have reading comprehension issues?
Did you miss the parts where I and others mentioned in the thread that I DID contact DJI tech support prior to ordering?
When the press embargo lifted, no one I saw mentioned anything about the USB-C being for data only.

I knew it couldn’t be charged before I purchased it , that’s what you call research , most around here will or have had similar problems with support, I just wonder how you knew spark had it, maybe because it was advertised as a feature but we never seen it advertised for MavAir, that was the first tell tail.
Be responsible for your own actions.
I have had enough of this now it’s to trivial to wast anymore time on it, so please don’t troll me anymore.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-2-6 13:44
I knew it couldn’t be charged before I purchased it , that’s what you call research , most around here will or have had similar problems with support, I just wonder how you knew spark had it, maybe because it was advertised as a feature but we never seen it advertised for MavAir, that was the first tell tail.
Be responsible for your own actions.
I have had enough of this now it’s to trivial to wast anymore time on it, so please don’t troll me anymore.

Show us where DJI advertise that the Spark can be charged from its microUSB port.
And you should mention when you placed an order for the Mavic Air too while you are at it.

You mention trolling... that's funny with all your vapid posts so far.
What does sharing feedback with DJI have anything to do with being "responsible for my own actions"?
As far as I can tell, you did not pay for my purchase and neither did DJI.
So thank you, I will voice my concerns as I please and you will steer clear of topics you are not interested in (common sense and all....).

sheesh....

I am Sparkacus Posted at 2018-2-6 13:43
If I had a bucket list, and if being part of the wackiest thread every was on it, then it is now ticked! Don’t want to contribute further than ye!

Why do people post completely useless comments such as these?

No one noticed you "contributing" anything. And you are posting off-topic.