I have a DJI Action camera which I have been using to record video while attached to my hang glider. The flight times can exceed the duration of the camera battery. Typically the camera records the video across several files until the battery quits. My goal is to have it record the whole flight including the landing (in all but the most unusual cases).


This weekend I attached an external battery (portable USB battery for charging phones and other devices) so that during the flight the normal recording duration could be extended. It turned out this was a shorter flight so I was expecting the entire flight to be recorded (this would have been the case with only the camera's battery); however it only recorded the first part of the flight, quitting after the first video file.

This was only one test but it was an unexpected result... can anyone speculate why this might have happened?

Thanks,

Mike

Hi there. A fully charged battery can support video recording at 1080P/30fps for up to 135 minutes (with RockSteady turned off and screen sleep enabled after 1 min) and 4K/60fps for up to 63 minutes (with RockSteady turned on and screen sleep enabled after 1 min). Also, we cannot guarantee that this will work properly using an external battery as this might cause an issue since using a 3rd party accessories. Thank you for your understanding and support!

What Powerbank were you using? each 1000mah is an Hour, you can use a 10,000mah, and while you are on downtime, set the camera up, and record and you have your answer.

OK chalk this one up to user error. I thought I had pulled all the files off the memory card but in fact I had missed one, so the whole flight was recorded.

For anyone interested, the power source I'm using is a Luxtude 5000mAh battery. I did a static test this afternoon (same battery setup but on a tripod), and was able to record 5 1/2 hours of video; this was with the DJI's battery at 30% or so.

Regarding the response "we cannot guarantee that this will work properly using an external battery as this might cause an issue since using a 3rd party accessories": I am not aware that  DJI makes a dedicated charger for this camera; do they (not that it should make any difference)? If this is not the case, essentially anything that charges the camera (or more accurately everything) can be considered to be a 3rd party accessory.

happy you resolved your issue.

That is the typical DJI response to anything that doesn't have their name label on it. It could also be what I call a dirty tactic of a way to get out of a warranty claim. After an experience I had with a wayward order through DJI, it would not surprise me in they use that tactic either.