Hi guys,

First of all a quick intro: I've been flying RC for over a decade and have focused heavily of FPV the last 5 years (planes, quads, ground pounders, boats... you name it!).

Of course in that long list are a couple of Phantoms. Love the little beasts but I always had one gripe - the cost of its custom batteries. That’s when I spotted something that every Phantom owner needs and yet something that doesn’t seem to exist – an easy and safe way to discharge Phantom batteries for either calibration or storage. So I went ahead and created the first version of the Phantom Angel.

That was a while ago. The Angel is now in v3 and is already being used by professionals and amateurs alike to take all the hassle out of discharging their batts.

Just connect the battery, choose "cycle" or "store" and let the Angel do the rest.

Check it out and grab yourself one at http://phantomangel.rocks

And please do send me any questions, thoughts or feedback!

did you realize when you began your project that dji added that feature to their batteries so noangel is needed anymore?

yorlik Posted at 2015-8-7 01:06
did you realize when you began your project that dji added that feature to their batteries so noange ...

Ouch
.
.
.
.

My older batteries dont seem to have the auto dishcharge option. I have 2 with software 2.0.0.0 and my other 2 are 1.0.0.0. I just make sure when i fly I have at least 40-50% battery left when I put quad away.

Your add says

"Two simple rules to keep your investment in new batteries to a minimum:

    Never fly them below 25% capacity
    Never store them full for more than 24hrs.


Yet DJI self discharge doesnt kick in until 10 days or so.

So are you incorrect or is DJI

Hey guys, some good questions here.

I know it is pretty confusing as advice differs wherever you look. I've been in the RC and FPV field for over a decade and have spent weeks reading up. Overall the weight of evidence and advice suggest that storing at full charge should not exceed 24 hours for zero damage to the batteries chemistry. Anything over this risks some damage.

First of all battery manufacturers state that Lithium Polymer batteries should never be stored fully charged. A couple of good examples:
a)        DJI themselves state “For long term storage, place the battery with only a 40~50% charge in a strong battery box” (http://wiki.dji.com/en/index.php ... eparing_the_Battery)
b)        Traxxas state “LiPo batteries should be stored at 50% capacity” (http://traxxas.com/support/Traxxas-Battery-Basics)

So it comes down to what “long term” means. I’ll suggest either of these:
a)        Video on Phantom 3 battery maintenance and storage:


b)        This short but detailed guide on LiPo storage which states that even if you fly every weekend you still need to properly store the LiPos “half full” between flights: http://valleyrcflyers.net/articles/lipo%20storage%20tips.pdf

Regarding the specific questions:
@Kilted Flyer, that is indeed an option. The scenario I built the Angel for is when you can't fly for some reason. You may have broken your last prop or it may be raining. Some people let the Phantom run on "idle" indoors but that just wears your precious ESC and motors and you run the risk of over-discharging if you forget to monitor it closely.
That's why I decided to make the Angel, firstly for my own use and then to share with whoever finds it useful!

@crash2sttime Neither DJI have gone well above and beyond to add the auto discharge feature to their batteries. However, the fact that the battery itself only has 5 little LEDs to discharge with simply limits what they can do. Their only alternative is to offer a dedicated discharger (much like the Phantom Angel) - but they're simply not in that business.

Finally, on other news - by popular demand I've updated the paypal button thingy to also accept credit cards without needing a paypal account

Or you could just get one of these and charge your iPad or something with it.  Sorry dude not to rain on your parade, but there are so many ways to do this relatively simple task which IMHO is totally unnecessary.  

A bunch of us on here run lipo's and have for a while.  Can't say I have ever been able to attribute a LiPo battery failure to a storage issue.  

http://www.smartpowercharge.com/proddetail.php?prod=SPC17

Hey Gary, that's a cool gadget, thanks for sharing. For me personally it doesn't do the trick and neither did any of the existing solutions, which is why I built the Angel first for myself to use and then for anyone who's interested. The reason is that in the scenarios where I need to discharge my LiPos (which are many and far too often!) I just want to do that. When I'm travelling I just one one simple way to know my LiPos will be stored properly. Usually that's my Hyperion charger - but if I'm just travelling with a Phantom I needed something simple and cost effective. But that's just me...

And you're right - LiPos failures are predominantly down to over-discharging or, god forbid, over charging! What incorrect storage does is reduce its performance - it ages them faster if you will. They lose max amps they can deliver at acceptable voltage levels.

Hi guys,

Since launching the Phantom Angel a couple of months ago I've had loads of discussions with Phantom pilots about their batteries.
What I saw was that the majority of new pilots were not aware of standard LiPo practices and were surprised and grateful when I shared some of what I've learnt over the years.

So, with that in mind, I've created a concise, newbie-friendly guide to all things LiPo. If you don't know how to store your battiers, how to keep them from exploding or how to tell your watts from your amps, this guide's for you

http://phantomangel.rocks/lipogu ... ntom-batteries.html

Hope you find it useful and please do send over any and all thoughts and comments.

Proto

Hey guys,

Can't resist sharing... All the components are here, end to end testing is done and production has started!

Here's a photo of the Phantom Angel and its big brother the Inspire Angel.

For those who've pre-ordered, don't get too excited - the pre-order list is long and assembly takes its time (but I'll be doing my best to get them out as quickly as possible!). Good news is that with the holidays round the corner I intend on taking time off and clearing the backlog.

Cheers

Hi guys,

I’ve received a few queries lately about the status of the latest batch of Inspire Angels so I thought I’d provide a short update. Great news is that the boards, enclosures and other small bits are all en-route right now, expected to arrive next week. So, barring any unexpected customs issues, it seems likely I’ll have everything next week. I’ve booked the weekend to start assembling as fast as possible, aiming to post the week after.

Other good news is that whoever’s currently pre-ordered an Angel will be getting the v3. The v3 has some nice upgrades from the v2 (which is what is shown on http://phantomangel.rocks). I’ve added an extra component to the board to reduce any strain on the bulb and I’ve also had some cool enclosures custom made. The v3 will come in two variations, Standard and Pro. Standard is in black ABS plastic and Pro in brushed aluminium. Teaser photos attached.

Once I’ve got them and confirmed that everything is in order I’ll email everyone who’s preordered asking which version they’d like (pro will have an extra cost).

Cheers
Alex

Καλημέρα σου
Βρίσκεσαι στην Αθήνα; Θα με ενδιέφερε να αγοράσω έναν για το Phantom 3 Pro μου.

alekopoulos Posted at 2016-4-3 17:34
Καλημέρα σου
Βρίσκεσαι στην Αθήνα; Θα με ενδιέφερε να ...

Kalispera!

Sure thing! Just place your order at http://phantomangel.rocks and we can even arrange to meet up for a hand delivery

For everyone's info, the latest version of the Angel (v3) is fully tested and assembly and delivery has indeed started! Check out the latest specs at http://phantomangel.rocks

Hey guys, just took some artsy photos of the Angel and just had to share

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-8-21 09:33
Or you could just get one of these and charge your iPad or something with it.  Sorry dude not to rain on your parade, but there are so many ways to do this relatively simple task which IMHO is totally unnecessary.  

A bunch of us on here run lipo's and have for a while.  Can't say I have ever been able to attribute a LiPo battery failure to a storage issue.  

i use my angel to save my batts for two inspires i use for work. some of us dont have the time to spend playing on a phone connected to a batt to discharge it.  

crash1sttime Posted at 2015-8-14 09:22
Your add says

"Two simple rules to keep your investment in new batteries to a minimum:

actually that is the stock discharge rate and can be changed in the dji program.  i have mine set now to discharge after 24 hours, which is what the manufacture recomends

zoso1123 Posted at 2018-7-27 13:38
i use my angel to save my batts for two inspires i use for work. some of us dont have the time to spend playing on a phone connected to a batt to discharge it.

some of us dont have the time to spend playing on a phone connected to a batt to discharge it.
There's no need to discharge your batteries before recharging them.
DJI's smart battery circuitry/software eliminated that long ago.

actually that is the stock discharge rate and can be changed in the dji program.  i have mine set now to discharge after 24 hours, which is what the manufacture recomends
You can set the battery self-discharge time anywhere from 1-10 days to suit your flying pattern.

Labroides Posted at 2018-7-27 14:07
some of us dont have the time to spend playing on a phone connected to a batt to discharge it.
There's no need to discharge your batteries before recharging them.
DJI's smart battery circuitry/software eliminated that long ago.

Exactly ... but the OP is actually 3yrs old !!

Me - I have two external options to discharge P3 batterys, additional to using the battery FW to do it :

TELSIN discharger which does discharge to storage voltage 15.4 ... or switch to deep discharge. Not only that - but the TELSIN has USB connector to let you use that discharge power to charge a mobile / your standard controller ... tablet etc. Or just put the lamp in ... cost about $5 on ebay ... works a treat.

Second is via any LiHV capable LiPo charger ... set it to discharge .. switch on battery ... connect and start.

There really is no need for DIY stuff anymore for this.

Nigel