I left all three of my batteries fully charged after flying on Sunday so that I could see if they were discharging properly.

As I understand it, if the batteries are being left unused they should discharge to around 70% by themselves (is that right?) so as to prevent damage and preserve capacity - but how long should this take?

If they are to be left unused for longer they should be discharged further - I think I read 20%? - and I assume that this shoudl be done manually by running the batteries down.

I have checked for firmware updates with all three baterries installed in the aircraft - fully powering down both the aircraft and teh controller between swaps - and the aircraft updated but there was no alert for firmware updates for the batteries at all.

DJI Assistant doesn't help with the Mini 2, so I can see no other way of knowing if my batteries have the firmware with the auto-discharge fix or not other than leaving them to see if they run themselves down... but I don;t know how long they should take to get to that 70% (3 out of 4 lights, I assume).

Can anyone shed any light on this?

-N.O.T.

Usually they will discharge after day to approx. 95% and after day 9 to approx. 70%.
Lipo batterires should be kept at approx 65 - 70% for long term storage and checked from time to time.

I found the DJI Guide I was looking at - and I got some of the numbers a bit wrong

For which kind of battery type is this guide ?
Lipo batteries need to be handled differently, due to their chemical design.

The mentioned manual discharge time selection is not possible for all DJI drones contolled by the FlyApp.

In the DJI Fly app you tap the book I on top right to access the DJI guides.

Then select DJI Mini 2. In the basics section there are 5 items - four videos about getting started and an article about battery maintenance. That is a screenshot from the section on battery storage.

So, it's a guide that DJI have published and listed as being relevent to the Mini 2. Though it is odd that it talks about the DJI Go app rather than the Fly app, which does make me a bit suspicious with regards it's relevance.

No Original Thought Posted at 11-30 12:37
In the DJI Fly app you tap the book I on top right to access the DJI guides.

Then select DJI Mini 2. In the basics section there are 5 items - four videos about getting started and an article about battery maintenance. That is a screenshot from the section on battery storage.

The video is really not only for the Mini 2. It is for the Intelligent Flight Battery, regardless of which drone it is for.

It is better to refer to the latest manual, but honestly  DJI is not able to keep the their manuals or guides updated to the latest software / firmware updates.
On each new update it's up to the users to figure out, what has been updated in detail.

Mobilehomer Posted at 11-30 13:01
The video is really not only for the Mini 2. It is for the Intelligent Flight Battery, regardless of which drone it is for.

That's why I titled the question "How quickly should Intelligent Flight Batteries auto discharge?".

I know that the auto-discharge wasn't working on the batteries supplied with the Mini 2 until the last update, and that each battery needs to be updated, but even though my aircraft updated, none of the batteries did.... So my concern is that they are still running the faulty firmware and not discharging themselves intelligently.

Easy way to find out. Fully charge a battery. Insert in the drone, turn it on and check the percentage. Next day, at the same time, turn it on and check the battery again. It should be down around 94%. One day later it should be around 88%.

Mobilehomer Posted at 11-30 13:37
Easy way to find out. Fully charge a battery. Insert in the drone, turn it on and check the percentage. Next day, at the same time, turn it on and check the battery again. It should be down around 94%. One day later it should be around 88%.

So now three days after the full charge I should be seeing one of the four LEDs on the two-way charging hub go out on each battery? Or at leasy within the next day?

Would that be about right?

And if I don't see that then maybe the batteries are still on the old firmware?

No Original Thought Posted at 11-30 16:07
So now three days after the full charge I should be seeing one of the four LEDs on the two-way charging hub go out on each battery? Or at leasy within the next day?

Would that be about right?

Yeah, that's about right. The app will show exact percentage though.

Hello there. Good day and thank you for reaching out. The DJI Mini 2 has an Auto-Discharging Function to prevent swelling. The battery automatically discharges to approximately 96% of the battery level when it is idle for one day, and automatically discharges to approximately 72% of the battery level when it is idle for five days. It is normal to feel moderate heat being emitted from the battery during the discharging process. In addition, I will post a link where in you can find the DJI Mini 2 Disclaimer and Safety Guidelines user manual ( https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/ ... y_Guidelines_12.pdf ). Thank you.

DJI Stephen Posted at 11-30 19:13
Hello there. Good day and thank you for reaching out. The DJI Mini 2 has an Auto-Discharging Function to prevent swelling. The battery automatically discharges to approximately 96% of the battery level when it is idle for one day, and automatically discharges to approximately 72% of the battery level when it is idle for five days. It is normal to feel moderate heat being emitted from the battery during the discharging process. In addition, I will post a link where in you can find the DJI Mini 2 Disclaimer and Safety Guidelines user manual ( https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/DJI_Mini_2/DJI_Mini_2_Disclaimer_and_Safety_Guidelines_12.pdf ). Thank you.

[view_image]

Thanks Stephen, that's useful info.

As the battery firmware is obviously so crucial to the battery performing correctly in this discharge function, it would also be useful if the DJI Fly app could display the current battery firmware on the page with the aircraft firmware. The app must already be checking the battery firmware in order to perform the updates, so this should be an easy add to the app and would give customers peace of mind that their batteries had updated correctly.

No Original Thought Posted at 11-30 16:07
So now three days after the full charge I should be seeing one of the four LEDs on the two-way charging hub go out on each battery? Or at leasy within the next day?

Would that be about right?

Battery don't discharge unless they are stored out of charger.

BWJ Posted at 12-1 12:34
Battery don't discharge unless they are stored out of charger.

Wrong. They discharge whether in charger, drone or out. They have been this way since they finally updated the firmware several months ago.

How do you update the battery firmware? I have read you have to do each battery one at a time but is that in the drone when charging?

diesel97 Posted at 12-1 14:21
How do you update the battery firmware? I have read you have to do each battery one at a time but is that in the drone when charging?

Yes, one at a time in drone.

Mobilehomer Posted at 12-1 14:35
Yes, one at a time in drone.

Thanks but does it promt you to update or is done in the background?

diesel97 Posted at 12-2 05:31
Thanks but does it promt you to update or is done in the background?

It should prompt you when that particular battery is put into the drone , preferably done while you have a wifi connection

DJI Stephen Posted at 11-30 19:13
Hello there. Good day and thank you for reaching out. The DJI Mini 2 has an Auto-Discharging Function to prevent swelling. The battery automatically discharges to approximately 96% of the battery level when it is idle for one day, and automatically discharges to approximately 72% of the battery level when it is idle for five days. It is normal to feel moderate heat being emitted from the battery during the discharging process. In addition, I will post a link where in you can find the DJI Mini 2 Disclaimer and Safety Guidelines user manual ( https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/DJI_Mini_2/DJI_Mini_2_Disclaimer_and_Safety_Guidelines_12.pdf ). Thank you.

[view_image]

Hi Stephen,

It's now five days since I fully charged all three batteries and stored them in the two-way charging hub.

All three batteries are still showing four LEDs when I press the button on the side of the two-way charger, so I have inserted each battery into the aircraft to check the battery level in the DJI Fly app.

Two batteries are at 95% and one is at 88%.

So, the batteries ARE NOT auto-discharging as they should currently.

I have checked for firmware updates in both the main DJI Fly app screen and via the three dots menu from the Go Fly screen and in each case, with each battery in the aircraft, it says that the firmware is up to date.

I activated the aircraft last Saturday - so six days ago - and the aircraft firmware updated then, but there has never been any notification about battery firmware updating.

This is the very reason I asked this question on the forum. I was concerned that my batteries had not updated and were therefore not going to auto-discharge properly as designed.

I've attached a screenshot of versions from DJI Fly, but obviously battery versions are not shown here.

And as DJI Assistant doesn;t do firmware updates for the Mini 2, I feel a bit stuck.

-N.O.T.

Two of mine prompted for update, but one did not. They all three discharge slowly in the hub.

Mobilehomer Posted at 12-1 12:54
Wrong. They discharge whether in charger, drone or out. They have been this way since they finally updated the firmware several months ago.

Look here.

BWJ Posted at 12-3 11:07
Look here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeTBeZIusVI&ab_channel=DroneValley

This is from May. The update was later.

BWJ Posted at 12-3 11:07
Look here.

That video describes the problem and as @Mobilehomer says it was made before DJI released a firmware fix for the batteries (in June, I think).

This video is from the same channel announcing the release of the firmware fix:

My problem seems to be that the my batteries are not getting the updated firmware and are therefore stuck with the original problem.

I've been trying for an hour now to get these batteries to update and still have no indication that they have updated.

I have downgraded the aircraft to 1.02.0300 via the DJI Assistant 2 Windows application (after modifying the defaultsettings.ini file to allow firmware upgrades/downgrades on teh Mini 2).

I then updated again via the DJI Fly app and teh aircraft updated but no notification for the battery.

I then tried refreshing the firmware version via the DJI Assistant 2 application and there was no notification in there that the battery in the aircraft had updated.

I have tried this will all three of the batteries I received in my Fly More Combo kit.

As per my other posts in this thread, none of these batteries are auto-discharging properly when stored in the Two-way charging hub.

Can anyone tell me what the notification should look like in the DJI Fly app when the batteries upgrade, and does it show up on the main screen of the app to say that the battery needs to be updated? I have seen nothing about battery firmware in the DJI Fly app at all... really frustrating.

N.O.T.

No Original Thought Posted at 12-4 12:41
I've been trying for an hour now to get these batteries to update and still have no indication that they have updated.

I have downgraded the aircraft to 1.02.0300 via the DJI Assistant 2 Windows application (after modifying the defaultsettings.ini file to allow firmware upgrades/downgrades on teh Mini 2).

I believe your batterys have been upgraded before you got them. It will not tell you to if that is the case.  I bought a new battery, and it got updated throu the DJI app that the drone uses, and notified me when it was first installed in the aircraft.  There is no way to check that I know of, unless they are put into aircraft, to tell if needed.

DaKidd Posted at 12-4 13:16
I believe your batterys have been upgraded before you got them. It will not tell you to if that is the case.  I bought a new battery, and it got updated throu the DJI app that the drone uses, and notified me when it was first installed in the aircraft.  There is no way to check that I know of, unless they are put into aircraft, to tell if needed.

If that's the case they would not still be at 95% charge after 5 days of being stored in the charging hub - they should be at around 60-70%.

If the firmware HAS been updated in them, then it does not fix the auto-discharge bug that it is supposed to fix  however other reports suggest that the new firmware does work, which leads me to conclude that my batteries have not updated.

I've contacted support anyway to see what they say because they are clearly kit operating the way they are supposed to

-N.O.T.

No Original Thought Posted at 12-1 00:51
Thanks Stephen, that's useful info.

As the battery firmware is obviously so crucial to the battery performing correctly in this discharge function, it would also be useful if the DJI Fly app could display the current battery firmware on the page with the aircraft firmware. The app must already be checking the battery firmware in order to perform the updates, so this should be an easy add to the app and would give customers peace of mind that their batteries had updated correctly.

Hi there. Thank you for the reply and for these additional information that you have given. I will cascade there information to the designated DJI department for attention. Thank you and keep flying.

DJI Stephen Posted at 12-5 20:48
Hi there. Thank you for the reply and for these additional information that you have given. I will cascade there information to the designated DJI department for attention. Thank you and keep flying.

Thanks,

In the meantime, do you have any advice regarding my batteries NOT discharging properly and not upgrading despite me having the latest aircraft firmware update (01.03.0000)?

-N.O.T.

Well, I had a reply from support... And it's nonsense!

They included the attached screenshot, which is useful, but asked me to send a video of the problem if it still exists (a five day video showing the battery not discharging???), asked if the batteries are being stored at an appropriate temperature, and asked for a screenshot of the current Fly Safe database version!

An utterly confusing response.

And add to that the fact that the screenshot gives aa different discharge rate again - 72% after NINE days (not five).

Great... I feel further from an answer than I did when I first discovered the batteries weren't discharging properly.

-N.O.T.

Well, I've just completed 9 days of testing the discharge of all three of my batteries in the two-way charging hub, and the results do not match what the manual says:



After the nice days specified in the manual, the batteries should be at approx 72%... two of ine are at 90% and one is at 91%!

I still haven't had a battery firmware update notification in DJI Fly (latest version) and the aircraft has been updated to the latest firmware repeatedly (downgrading via DJI Assistant and then upgrading via DJI Fly, or refreshing the firmware via DJI Assistant).

So, either the batteries are not discharging because the battery firmware hasn't updated, or my batteries are related to Schroedinger's cat - ie measuring the charge periodically means that the batteries don't think they've been idle and so haven't discharged...

I'm sending this info - along with screenshots from DJI Fly - to DJI support to see what the official response is.

-N.O.T.

No Original Thought Posted at 2021-12-22 09:07
Well, I've just completed 9 days of testing the discharge of all three of my batteries in the two-way charging hub, and the results do not match what the manual says:

[view_image]

"or my batteries are related to Schroedinger's cat - ie measuring the charge periodically means that the batteries don't think they've been idle and so haven't discharged..."

Interesting thought.  I am leaving mine not installed in anything for  9 (+ 1) days then measuring.

No Original Thought Posted at 2021-12-22 09:07
Well, I've just completed 9 days of testing the discharge of all three of my batteries in the two-way charging hub, and the results do not match what the manual says:

[view_image]

So, either the batteries are not discharging because the battery firmware hasn't updated, or my batteries are related to Schroedinger's cat - ie measuring the charge periodically means that the batteries don't think they've been idle and so haven't discharged...

Each time you check the batteries, that resets the timer and interrupts the discharging.
You would need to leave them untouched for 9 days to see how they discharge in 9 days.

Labroides Posted at 2-25 17:12
So, either the batteries are not discharging because the battery firmware hasn't updated, or my batteries are related to Schroedinger's cat - ie measuring the charge periodically means that the batteries don't think they've been idle and so haven't discharged...

Each time you check the batteries, that resets the timer and interrupts the discharging.

That was my thought - hence the Schroedinger's cat comment - but:

a) there are conflicting reports about whether or not that is the case.
b) the batteries were left for different periods of time in my big test specifically to try to with that out, and
c) of my original batteries a further test leaning them untouched for 10b days resulted in a discharge of just 4% (100% down to 96%).

During the big test, leaning the batteries for one day or for days later no difference. As my grid shows, the batteries still only dropped 1 or 2 percentage points in that time.

The theory of interrupting the batteries by checking is good, bit unfortunately it isn't borne out in practice - at least not in all cases as my tests proved.

Sadly, without further info from DJI regarding what defect they found in my batteries, will never know...  I do need to write up my full findings, though, now.

No Original Thought Posted at 2-26 02:56
That was my thought - hence the Schroedinger's cat comment - but:

a) there are conflicting reports about whether or not that is the case.

The theory of interrupting the batteries by checking is good, bit unfortunately it isn't borne out in practice - at least not in all cases as my tests proved.
It's not a theory.
It's the way DJI batteries have always been in the past.

Labroides Posted at 2-26 05:20
The theory of interrupting the batteries by checking is good, bit unfortunately it isn't borne out in practice - at least not in all cases as my tests proved.
It's not a theory.
It's the way DJI batteries have always been in the past.

Citation needed.

Labroides Posted at 2-26 05:20
The theory of interrupting the batteries by checking is good, bit unfortunately it isn't borne out in practice - at least not in all cases as my tests proved.
It's not a theory.
It's the way DJI batteries have always been in the past.

"It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong."

No Original Thought Posted at 2-26 05:54
Citation needed.

Citation needed?
Who talks like that?
How about you stop being such a prat?

It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is...
As I already told you .. it's not a theory.

Labroides Posted at 2-26 13:53
Citation needed?
Who talks like that?
How about you stop being such a prat?

And as I already told you, you are wrong.

For one, I asked DJI directly and they declined to confirm or deny that pressing button on the hub would stop and reset the assumed timer that controls the auto-discharge. (And that assumes that there even is a timernthat kicks in after a period of inactivity and that it is not just a steady trickle discharge).

And for two, I tested it myself. With the three batteries I received in my Fly More Combo none of the batteries discharged either in or out of the hub when left for 12 days untouched. In fact, after the 12 days the state of charge was comparable with when I checked the charge in the aircraft a few times over 9/10 days.

Instead of professing you know everything, wait until I have a chance to go back to my notes and I have a chance to fully write up the rest of my test results. You never know, you might actually learn something. (And the pigs are fueled and ready to fly).

No Original Thought Posted at 2-26 15:23
And as I already told you, you are wrong.

For one, I asked DJI directly and they declined to confirm or deny that pressing button on the hub would stop and reset the assumed timer that controls the auto-discharge. (And that assumes that there even is a timernthat kicks in after a period of inactivity and that it is not just a steady trickle discharge).

And as I already told you, you are wrong.
yeah ... you said that but you have no idea.

I said: It's the way DJI batteries have always been in the past.
And that's 100% true.
If DJI have changed that for the Mini 2 , that's another matter.