28wins Posted at 2018-5-31 16:46
This is a different idea.

At first you suggested carrying the Mavic Air power brick + a power bank.

What I am showing is there is other options out there rather than waiting a full nights sleep for a single charge using the usb port.  You obviously are set on what you want and probably will never see with these larger battery drones.  I am done here.  

SparksBird Posted at 2018-5-31 17:00
What I am showing is there is other options out there rather than waiting a full nights sleep for a single charge using the usb port.  You obviously are set on what you want and probably will never see with these larger battery drones.  I am done here.

You are not providing much of an honest solution I'd say.

Didn't @15matjan school you already in this thread?
https://forum.dji.com/thread-148812-1-1.html

You are correct: I am not interested in ruining my electronics with a cheap inverter (and couldn't use one when I am out and about without a car anyway) and/ or browsing eBay and Amazon for a "solution" when DJI should do the right thing and move over to USB-C PD.The battery in the Mavic Air is not much bigger than the one in the Spark. I pasted the specs above.

Even fledging GoPro support charging over USB-C... two years ago.

You think DJI couldn't design the circuitry for USB-C PD in a body the size of the MA if they wanted to?

They just chose not to and it's stupid.

Geeze people are getting really angry here.

It is possible, and can be done very quickly and cheaply  if DJi wanted to.   

5V standard is yesteryear standard.  Legacy standard at this point as even the Apple has adopted adaptive charging methods in latest range of devices Allowing as much as 20V.

Many of the certifications for adaptive and fast charging are Fairly open standards, Infact Dji should jump on with anker a company within same general area of China as Dji .. and adapt IQ fast charging over USB and cross licensing agreements.  

Wow, that mentally challenged monkey still thinks that if he continues posting same BS again and again something happens? Some kind of wizzard stops by his slum, takes his drone (which he clearly even doesn't have...) and make it charge through USB?  
Who stole his medication? This isn't even funny anymore, give him back his pills and hope he didn't manage to reproduce yet.

TheCenda Posted at 2018-5-31 23:13
Wow, that mentally challenged monkey still thinks that if he continues posting same BS again and again something happens? Some kind of wizzard stops by his slum, takes his drone (which he clearly even doesn't have...) and make it charge through USB?  
Who stole his medication? This isn't even funny anymore, give him back his pills and hope he didn't manage to reproduce yet.

Yeah, it is sad really - I actually feel quite sorry for him - he clearly needs professional help. Poor boy.

28wins Posted at 2018-5-31 15:15
but I am creating a "request" thread for this now anyway..

See, that wasn't so hard was it. A courteous new feature request post that doesn't get people's backs up.

HereForTheBeer Posted at 2018-5-31 20:54
Geeze people are getting really angry here.

It is possible, and can be done very quickly and cheaply  if DJi wanted to.   

Sure, if they wanted to. Cheaply? No idea.
And USB 5V is hardly legacy, only a small number of devices support QC3 (and even less use PD) charging now so it won't become mainstream for some time yet. Why, because manufacturers won't incorporate these charging methods that cost $ into lower level products. And certainly many of the devices which only use low voltage lipos don't require more than 5v anyway.

joe_gadget Posted at 2018-6-1 00:22
Sure, if they wanted to. Cheaply? No idea.
And USB 5V is hardly legacy, only a small number of devices support QC3 (and even less use PD) charging now so it won't become mainstream for some time yet. Why, because manufacturers won't incorporate these charging methods that cost $ into lower level products. And certainly many of the devices which only use low voltage lipos don't require more than 5v anyway.

Except, the Mavic Air is NOT a "lower level" product.
So your argument/ worry about cost and margins is not a good fit for this product.
If they could provide charging over USB for the Spark, they can do it for the Mavic Air at their respective price startegies.
.
At this point, many people asked and DJI still have not come out to clarify whether the MA has been designed with the ability to charge its battery over its USB port.
If they have and it is simply disabled, threads like these will encourage them to enable it.
If they haven't, threads like these will provide feedback so that they do include it in the next design.
Either way, having the feature is desirable. It's better to have the option and not use it than need it and not have it.


The Mavic Air is a portable drone. The whole idea is that it's small enough to have it with you all the time, even in remote areas.
Why wouldn't you treat it like any other mobile device when it comes to topping off/ charging the battery?

Further, LiPo is 4.2V max charge PER cell. The batteries use several cells.
There are other considerations to charging a LiPo other than the voltage you are feeding them. Balancing the cells for instance is critical. No one in this thread asked for or expected to beat charging time records. We want the option to charge over USB.

The Spark uses a 1480 mAh LiPo 3S.
The Mavic Air uses a 2375 mAh LiPo 3S.

TheCenda Posted at 2018-5-31 23:13
Wow, that mentally challenged monkey still thinks that if he continues posting same BS again and again something happens? Some kind of wizzard stops by his slum, takes his drone (which he clearly even doesn't have...) and make it charge through USB?  
Who stole his medication? This isn't even funny anymore, give him back his pills and hope he didn't manage to reproduce yet.

Stop being an asshat about this... this user isn’t the only one upset about this oversight he or she maybe the loudest one here, but that’s not a bad think, let the user speak his or her mind..

This feedback is useful even if it isn’t possible on the current hardware, dji can hear our requests and complaints and improve on next generation design.  

joe_gadget Posted at 2018-6-1 00:22
Sure, if they wanted to. Cheaply? No idea.
And USB 5V is hardly legacy, only a small number of devices support QC3 (and even less use PD) charging now so it won't become mainstream for some time yet. Why, because manufacturers won't incorporate these charging methods that cost $ into lower level products. And certainly many of the devices which only use low voltage lipos don't require more than 5v anyway.

Absolutely can be done cheaply... the spark ($300 drone) can be charged using QC3 USB chargers.  

5V charging is quickly fading out in favor of adaptive voltage and current charging..

And voltage for charging depends on the method of charging.. if it’s usig the balancing system it can be charged on a per cell basis one at a time with 5V adapter, or multiple cells at same time with higher voltages and currents.

28wins Posted at 2018-6-1 05:53
Except, the Mavic Air is NOT a "lower level" product.
So your argument/ worry about cost and margins is not a good fit for this product.
If they could provide charging over USB for the Spark, they can do it for the Mavic Air at their respective price startegies.

Who knows why it was included and not marketed on the spark? I don't. I can only surmise that it probably was an intentional selling point originally at thge design stage but then DJI decided later that most cheap 5V chargers may not be able to deliver enough current required and they didn't want to be at the end of a flurry of complaints of people smoking their chargers by the drone drawing more current the the chargers could supply.

"So your argument/ worry about cost and margins is not a good fit for this product."
Of course it is. No one includes features without considering the cost/benefit. This is manufacturing 101. If you accept my theory about the spark then it makes perfect sense . Unless you have a better explanation.

"Further, LiPo is 4.2V max charge PER cell."
Relevance here? The charge cut off/balancing circuits are built into the battery and not accesible externally AFAIK. You can feed the Mavic battery about 13-ish V (12V doesn't work as I understand) and it does the rest and cuts off once the cells are charged. You can't charge individual cell packs.


"There are other considerations to charging a LiPo other the voltage you are feeding them. Balancing the cells for instance is critical."
Lol I fly other RC aircraft as well and am fully aware of these. Again, relevance in the context of DJI drones? As I said you can't treat the DJI batteries in the same way as a normal LIPo pack.

"The Mavic Air uses a 2375 mAh LiCoO2."
Not according to the DJI official specs as currently showing (check for yourself) as well as DJI Thor https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... p;page=1#pid1229930

"We want the option to charge over USB."
I think you've made your (individual, as opposed to collective) point clear.

HereForTheBeer Posted at 2018-6-1 06:18
Absolutely can be done cheaply... the spark ($300 drone) can be charged using QC3 USB chargers.  

5V charging is quickly fading out in favor of adaptive voltage and current charging..

Are you absolutely sure the  qc3 compliant? And please back up your claim about being able to charge individual cells in any DJI battery.

HereForTheBeer Posted at 2018-6-1 06:18
Absolutely can be done cheaply... the spark ($300 drone) can be charged using QC3 USB chargers.  

5V charging is quickly fading out in favor of adaptive voltage and current charging..

That's correct.
In fact, in this discussion, the limit is not on the battery side of this problem, rather, it rests with the charging source.
From the Mavic Air Specs, https://www.dji.com/mavic-air/info#downloadsfor

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

USB-C PD current specs support up 100W.


USB-C PD wall chargers and USB-C PD power banks (which also have USB-A type ports) are widely available from reputable household names and relatively cheap at this point.

Some of us have already move on and converted as much as possible to USB-C.
One cable type for data AND power. And one universal charger.
This is holy grail for frequent travelers and a long overdue victory over the waste and stupidity of having to carry different chargers and cables for devices with different and some times proprietary charging requirements/ ports.

joe_gadget Posted at 2018-6-1 07:04
Are you absolutely sure the  qc3 compliant? And please back up your claim about being able to charge individual cells in any DJI battery.

Yes, DJI Spark uses some sort of QC tech. Maybe not Qualcomm licensed QC but it is capable of drawing 12V from a source capable of suppling it (the battery is 3S, which is roughly 12V).

It falls back on 5V/ 2A otherwise, for instance when plugged into a conventional 5V power bank.

And for info:
https://www.dji.com/spark/info

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

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)

I don’t have a spark anymore, to confirm the details or show a picture of anything but I do know the base kit included a QC3.0 charger instead of a charging hub.  

joe_gadget Posted at 2018-6-1 06:59
Who knows why it was included and not marketed on the spark? I don't. I can only surmise that it probably was an intentional selling point originally at thge design stage but then DJI decided later that most cheap 5V chargers may not be able to deliver enough current required and they didn't want to be at the end of a flurry of complaints of people smoking their chargers by the drone drawing more current the the chargers could supply.

"So your argument/ worry about cost and margins is not a good fit for this product."

1st paragraph is speculative. You simply choose to be negative and constrainted in your view.

The rest:

1) Smart companies design to exceed expectations. It is entirely conceivable they have designed it so it is possible. We don't know. If it isn't there, the feedback will influence their decisions for the next Mavic Air and/ or entire mobile drone designs.

2) Relevant in that you wrote that LiPo do not need more than 5V..
"And certainly many of the devices which only use low voltage lipos don't require more than 5v anyway."

3) Relevant in that managing the charge requires circuitry in the drone itself to handle the charging over the USB port.
.
I am hardly the only one wanting the USB-C port to support charging the battery.
There are many threads on here AND Mavic Pilots forums as well that I have seen.

I have made a typo (fixed it in that post), this is straight from the Specs page:
https://www.dji.com/mavic-air/info

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 2018-6-1 07:23
1st paragraph is speculative. You simply choose to be negative and constrainted in your view.

The rest:

Yes it is speculative (I did qualify my statement). Negative/constrained? LOl. Based on a web search that ppl using some plain 5v adapters found their chargers getting warm this is my best guess. Feel free to share your positive unconstrained perspective, I don't mind.

1) "Smart companies design to exceed expectations". I guess you've never worked in manufacturing so lets leave it at that.

2) You know full well I was referring to your original statement about your sony camera (and other devices) which only use a 3.7v lipo (low voltage right? and which I'm sure you know is 1S) and can be easily charged using just 5V.

3) All current consumer DJI drone batteries merely require a single voltage input of 12-13V to charge. All your spark does is to provide this voltage to the battery. There is no 'managing' of individual cell voltages OUTSIDE of the battery (whether in the drone or charger) which is what your original statement must have alluded to by the reference to indivdual cell voltages. Nothing to do with doing a dc-dc conversion within the spark to get this desired charging voltage.
OK this tete-a-tete was funny at the startt but is becoming tiresome. I'm happy for you to think and believe what you like and I'm out of this thread. And as a final comment as to whether the the air was designed with any form of portable charging capability in mind - DJI sells a 'wireless charging station' for the spark which is just a glorified power bank and which I recall was released when the spark was launched.. So they always intended to have this capability anyway. No such device exists for the air.

joe_gadget Posted at 2018-6-1 08:23
Yes it is speculative (I did qualify my statement). Negative/constrained? LOl. Based on a web search that ppl using some plain 5v adapters found their chargers getting warm this is my best guess. Feel free to share your positive unconstrained perspective, I don't mind.

1) "Smart companies design to exceed expectations". I guess you've never worked in manufacturing so lets leave it at that.

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I don't go for what the pleb favors.
Look at the level of intellectual curiosity and life experience of some participants we have had on this thread. It is evident, "average" is simply not good enough.

You know this, in their quest to save money, people will buy all sorts of cheap things on Amazon and eBay.
Example a badly insulated and designed charger from Amazon for $X to save $30 and to use on their $1,000 drone.
See here: https://mavicpilots.com/threads/ ... multi-charger.3898/
You can see people on there continue to show interest and state they will be "careful" even after reading why they should not even consider buying that product.
:rollseyes:
You are too focused on money and believe manufacturing must tend towards $0 for it to be viable.
Put the user experience first and work things backwards from there.
I do contract manufacturing capacity and design to my specs in the automotive industry for a few accessories actually.
My products take into account a road map for additional hardware support and software enhancements that we may or may not offer but which we have in development.
It is certainly less costly to plan for it in the beginning vs. trying an akward retrofit or force your customer base into expensive upgrades. It just looks incompetent and greddy.
Are you of the opinion DJI put out hardware with no visibility and strongly believe their users won't mind throwing out their current gen for the next?

I could not put a dollar amount on the USB-C charging feature because I am not privy to DJI's operations.
It is my opinion that for a product like the Spark, it was feasible and acceptable. It's negligible for the Mavic Air, with or without supporting accessories strategy.
I would not buy that Spark charging station. It's too big. The main reason for using something like the Spark is to simplify space and weight constraints. Otherwise what's the point?
People value the ability to connect a small (mobile/ foldable design) drone to a source of power and charge it like they would charge their mobile phone.

You don't see me on here asking for the same for my Inspire and P4 for which I have cases, several batteries etc. and an entirely different usage pattern.

After having a power-supply puke (non DJI), USB-C charging makes more sense.  You can get USB-C charger or power-brick in local stores, even a few super gas stations.  
But when it comes to getting a manufacture's custom power-supply, you may be in for 2 to 7 day wait.  If you are on vacation, you might as well forget about getting that custom power-supply.


Heads-Up: For those that don't know, Dell computers use customized power-supplies.  Besides two power wires (+/-), there is a 3rd wire that Dell computers use to communicate with power-supply to verify power-supply can supply proper voltage and wattage.  If you look inside barrel connector there is a tiny center pin.  Doesn't matter if power-supply can easily provide required volts & watts, what matters is the chip in Dell power-supply providing Dell computer with specs of power-supply.  Short of replacing BIOS firmware, there is no way around it, being Dell has chosen to stop the boot up process at BIOS level.

Jesus kill this thread already-

JERRY K Posted at 2018-6-1 10:18
Jesus kill this thread already-

Jesus kill this thread already-

You realize your post to the thread, helps keep it Alive at Top?

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 2018-6-1 10:38
Jesus kill this thread already-

You realize your post to the thread, helps keep it Alive at Top?

Why would anyone participate in a thread they have no interest in?

Beats me but his action was helpful as you pointed out.
My goal is to keep it on the first page for as long as possible/ necessary.

> 2,000 views. Already one of the most popular threads so far.
There is interest in this topic.

Others are creating threads to discuss portability when no AC power or cars are available.