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Shocked at Battery Cycles to Dead on Four Air 2 Batteries
392 9 1-5 15:25
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garyphayes
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Why are batteries with only 100ish cycles dying?

So I normally run four batteries on my Air2s and Air2, cycling through them as they are numbered for flight sessions. Also I store them at 30-50% when not in use, even just hovering to run them down at times vs letting the auto depletion kick in. That said I have counted 12 times where I have had to let them auto deplete.



Recently I have noticed that three of them are now showing signs of swelling (and yes I know I should throw them away immediately etc etc), but there are degrees, from very slight swelling after a full flgiht to quite bad (they wobble when put flat on table) but these are only 120 cycles in?!


I methodically did a test of five batteries I have - including one brand new one as a good benchmark and here are the results ... I think it very bad that even after looking after these batteries they are far down from the projected 200 cycles and we are expected to just throw $200AUD at time into the 'battery' bins ... And batteries 1-3 here means if I buy new I just kiss goodbye to $600AUD and have to spend another $600AUD replacing them. Obviously the Dji warranty will run out on these and is a good money earner if we are talking about 100 flights per battery, which would work out at $2AUD per 15 minutes of flight time (given that is the realistic in air time for these) ...


As at 6 January 2025 ambient temperature 19C - DRSD (duration reported at start to fully depleted). These are hover tests in no wind so less cooling for battery of course.

1 -  1Z3PH3REA101MO - cycles 127 - 11.38V av - max temp 51C -  drsd 20:05 (from full) -  noticeable swelling after flight
2 - 1Z3PH4MEA10DE7 - cycles 127 - 11.42V av - max temp    - drsd 20:12 ( (from full) - noticeable swelling after flight
3 - 1Z3PH4REA1080P - cycles 114 - 11.2V av … max temp 52C - drsd 20:16 (from full) - some swelling after flight
4 - 1Z3PJ16EA2060B - cycles 88 - 11.4V av - max temp 49C  - drsd 22:15 (from full) - minimal swelling after flight
5 - 1Z3PJ4FEA30CZK (new) - cycles 3 - 11.8V av - max temp 44C -  drsd 24:10 - no swelling after flight

Batteries 1-4 historically stored at 30-50% and only about 12 times they have auto depleted due to cancelled flights / weather etc

1-5 15:25
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DAFlys
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Batteries that swell are not safe to fly,   they tend to "pop out" when they swell.
1-6 01:06
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garyphayes
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DAFlys Posted at 1-6 01:06
Batteries that swell are not safe to fly,   they tend to "pop out" when they swell.

Doh - that's why I said "(and yes I know I should throw them away immediately etc etc)," but that is NOT the point of this, the fact they start to swell at 80 cycles is not acceptable!!
1-6 01:19
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DAFlys
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garyphayes Posted at 1-6 01:19
Doh - that's why I said "(and yes I know I should throw them away immediately etc etc)," but that is NOT the point of this, the fact they start to swell at 80 cycles is not acceptable!!

How low do you go when you fly them,    flying beyond about 25% seems to speed things up and storing them warm and low can also cause some degradation.  
1-6 01:25
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garyphayes
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DAFlys Posted at 1-6 01:25
How low do you go when you fly them,    flying beyond about 25% seems to speed things up and storing them warm and low can also cause some degradation.

Been flying DJi drones since 2016 with the original Mavic, then the Phantom 4 and still have batteries for that from 2018 that perform impeccably, even now because I look after them. Run drone workshops and have four different ones and had zero crashes - Again the point of this post is not about my treatment of the batteries (storing warm btw is an impossibility as they cool?!), I bring them home at 30% and often top them up to 50% if I know they will be on the shelf for a while. This feels like two things - Dji making sure we buy batteries every year or two with sell by dates at 100 cycles, and for those who are not aware of flying with swelling batteries, when they pop they drop, so again, the person buys another drone ...
1-6 01:41
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DAFlys
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garyphayes Posted at 1-6 01:41
Been flying DJi drones since 2016 with the original Mavic, then the Phantom 4 and still have batteries for that from 2018 that perform impeccably, even now because I look after them. Run drone workshops and have four different ones and had zero crashes - Again the point of this post is not about my treatment of the batteries (storing warm btw is an impossibility as they cool?!), I bring them home at 30% and often top them up to 50% if I know they will be on the shelf for a while. This feels like two things - Dji making sure we buy batteries every year or two with sell by dates at 100 cycles, and for those who are not aware of flying with swelling batteries, when they pop they drop, so again, the person buys another drone ...

Ive got a battery at 540 charge cycles on it still flying well although you get warnings from 180 cycles,    but they haver changed battery tech a few times in the last few years.  
1-6 01:54
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garyphayes
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So sent to Dji - they said to repair the three batteries would cost me $600 + postage!! ... basically they take no responsibility at all for three $200 only performing to half the quoted amount, 100 cycles vs 200 ... I complained, they moved it up the chain and offered me 10% discount. Also said 'well your drone is an older model, so might best upgrade the drone too' ?!? I told them to shove them, into battery recycling ... but seriously a joke
1-9 01:27
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garyphayes
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garyphayes Posted at 1-9 01:27
So sent to Dji - they said to repair the three batteries would cost me $600 + postage!! ... basically they take no responsibility at all for three $200 only performing to half the quoted amount, 100 cycles vs 200 ... I complained, they moved it up the chain and offered me 10% discount. Also said 'well your drone is an older model, so might best upgrade the drone too' ?!? I told them to shove them, into battery recycling ... but seriously a joke

Conspiracy theory here - very interesting that a couple of weeks after this issue, and buying new batteries my Air2s now starts having serious disconnection issues, the first time since I got the drone ... it's almost as if Dji can ping the serial numbers or batches of drones to make them have crash potential issues so you start to consider that it is time to buy a newer model - obviously conspiracy and highly unlikely that Dji would like to kill off older drones so we keep buying new ones every 3-4 years? Crazy hey ...
1-20 12:13
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Tonyvdb
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garyphayes Posted at 1-20 12:13
Conspiracy theory here - very interesting that a couple of weeks after this issue, and buying new batteries my Air2s now starts having serious disconnection issues, the first time since I got the drone ... it's almost as if Dji can ping the serial numbers or batches of drones to make them have crash potential issues so you start to consider that it is time to buy a newer model - obviously conspiracy and highly unlikely that Dji would like to kill off older drones so we keep buying new ones every 3-4 years? Crazy hey ...

I would be very surprised that they would do this. I literally wore my first air 2s out and they sent me a brand new one. Batteries will swell if they get too hot or are charged too fast or charged immediately after a long flight. Ive also heard that letting the batteries go lower then 30% is also hard on them if its done too frequently.
I only replaced my first 3 batteries with new ones after using them for almost 4 years and more then 200 cycles on each.
1-20 13:35
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garyphayes
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Tonyvdb Posted at 1-20 13:35
I would be very surprised that they would do this. I literally wore my first air 2s out and they sent me a brand new one. Batteries will swell if they get too hot or are charged too fast or charged immediately after a long flight. Ive also heard that letting the batteries go lower then 30% is also hard on them if its done too frequently.
I only replaced my first 3 batteries with new ones after using them for almost 4 years and more then 200 cycles on each.

Yes this is my 3rd air2s (two on care refresh because the gimbal kept going out of alignment) - I bought it the week it came out with the three batteries. Have heard from several others in groups that the first batches of batteries were duds and everyone was getting only about 100 cycles out of them, but of course once out of warranty, Dji wash their hands of them ... luck of the draw ... and you obviously didn't read the way I treat my batteries or you wouldn't have just tripped out the usual stuff ...
1-20 17:24
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