Inspire 1 Pro
(2) TB47
(2) TB48

Last week I calibrated all 4 of my batteries by flying the Inspire about 2 inches off the ground in the driveway.  My intention was to completely deplete the battery as per the directions from DJI.   

One of the batteries went from 10% to 0% instantly - and died.  Not good.

2 of the batteries sat at 0% for roughly 3 mins before dying. Not good.

1 of the batteries depleted as expected.  

Took the Inspire Pro out yesterday with all batteries at 100%.   On 3 different occasions with 3 different batteries I got warnings of "critically low voltage" and the drone wanted to land.  One of the times this happened I was roughly 400 feet up and 4500 feet out.    It was pretty scary thinking I was going to lose my drone. It was at that point I packed up and went home.   The other 2 warnings happened with the batteries at 90%.   The weather in Arizona was in the mid 50s, so I dont think it was weather related.

Charged all the batteries last night with my 180w charger and DJI battery pod charging system.  Went to go fly this morning and got this message on my screen.   I have 16 charges on the batteries, and now the battery life is showing 96% left. Whats the expected life of these batteries?  A few months at most? At $200 each?

I have to admit, these Inspire Pro's are not cheap - and my confidence level in using it is weakining day by day with these battery issues.  Not only that, its embarrasing to be out with friends that know how much I paid for this thing, to have them hear all the alarms going off and me panicing.  

See attached photo.   Could really use some help here.

Also - I am on the latest firmware for batteries, remote, drone and iOS App.

Hi Ryan,
I'm looking into it. Since you just did the battery calibration, they should be good to go for another 20 cycles until you should do the discharge cycle again.
I'll let you know when I get an answer.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-21 12:21
Hi Ryan,
I'm looking into it. Since you just did the battery calibration, they should be good to go  ...

Thanks!  

Yes, the calibration was done on all 4 batteries prior to the flight.   The calibration was also done with the newest firmware.

To better understand your comment, are you suggesting that if users dont calibrate their batteries every 20 cycles that the drone will fall from the sky due to "low voltage"?

No, that's what DJI recommends to keep your batteries in optimum shape. the battery fluctuation error was resolved in the 1.5 update. I think your battery issues are something different.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-21 11:21
Hi Ryan,
I'm looking into it. Since you just did the battery calibration, they should be good to go  ...

DJI-Ken - I had the same issue after cycling the battery down and re-charging it where it indicated low voltage and coming home. I also got an error prior to the flight of "Over current during discharge", I used the DJI charging hub. I re-started the battery and took off, all seemed well till I got the low voltage error and had to bring the aircraft home as it wanted to land.

snathla@gmail.c Posted at 2015-12-21 12:46
DJI-Ken - I had the same issue after cycling the battery down and re-charging it where it indicate ...

Seems we have the charging hub in common.  Do you also have the Inspire Pro?

Ryan Gordon Posted at 2015-12-21 11:59
Seems we have the charging hub in common.  Do you also have the Inspire Pro?

Yes and that is what I was flying yesterday

snathla@gmail.c Posted at 2015-12-21 13:16
Yes and that is what I was flying yesterday

I have depleted one of my batteries per instruction on the go app.  I have recharged the battery and still getting the same error in the go app.

I do find it very strange that it happened to all of the batteries and no someone else with the same issue using the charging hub.
I'd try the process again and then charge them individually with the stock charger and see if you still get errors.

Ryan Gordon Posted at 2015-12-22 04:24
I have depleted one of my batteries per instruction on the go app.  I have recharged the battery a ...

Did you charge the battery with the stock charger and not the hub?

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-21 13:34
Did you charge the battery with the stock charger and not the hub?

I used the hub and 180w charger.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-21 13:33
I do find it very strange that it happened to all of the batteries and no someone else with the same ...

Another user here posted, on this thread, the same thing happened to them as well?  It is post #6  

So it indeed happened to another user. What do you mean?

Can you try the process with the stock charger?
Another question, was your charging hub on the latest firmware. http://www.dji.com/product/inspire-1/info#downloads

yes - I am charging the battery as we speak. I tried the other batteries and am no longer getting any battery error.  I will update on the battery that is currently charging. I am charging it without the hub and with the stock charger.
How do I check what firmware my hub has?

Also - out of the blue now the status is telling me to upgrade the camera....although, as you can see - I am running the latest firmware.

So many problems.....thanks for the help.

Edit.   Found directions on how to update changing hub, however DJI only offers a Windows version of the updater.   I use an Apple iMac.  Do you have an Apple / OS X version of the application?

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-21 12:52
Can you try the process with the stock charger?
Another question, was your charging hub on the lates ...

DJI-Ken - I upgraded the Hub a while ago. Any idea as to why I got that message in my earlier message?

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-21 13:52
Can you try the process with the stock charger?
Another question, was your charging hub on the lates ...

This fixed the issue

Advice for future charging? Not safe to use battery hub or 180w charger?

Ryan Gordon Posted at 2015-12-22 05:56
Edit.   Found directions on how to update changing hub, however DJI only offers a Windows version of ...

There's only a PC upgrade. I only have a Mac at home and I acquired a Inspire1 V2 last night and it came with the charging hub and 180watt charger.
I had to wait until I got to another computer at work  to update the hub.
I'm sure it's fine with the 180watt charger.
Probably just have to calibrate each battery with the stock charger for now

snathla@gmail.c Posted at 2015-12-22 07:32
DJI-Ken - I upgraded the Hub a while ago. Any idea as to why I got that message in my earlier mess ...

I didn't know your hub was already updated and you got those massages.
For now, why you do a calibration again just use the stock charger.
I will ask tomorrow about issues with charging calibrated batteries with the hub on the latest hub update.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-22 20:28
I didn't know your hub was already updated and you got those massages.
For now, why you do a calib ...

Okay.  So battery calibration needs to be done with the stock charger every 20 cycles but charges 2-20 can be done with the 180w charger.

Thanks for helping. Was this in the owners manual and I just missed it?
Also - what's the life expectancy of the inspire batteries?  After 16 charge cycles the battery has already lost 4% life

That's not a DJI thing, that's just my suggestion. I will ask the techs tomorrow to see about charging all the batteries on the hub after calibrating.
I don't k ow about battery life and I'll ask that too tomorrow. I know on my Phantom Pro I have over 40 cycles on one of the batteries and it still shows 100%.
But I also baby my batteries and I rarely fly around at full throttle, I just putt around.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2015-12-22 20:53
That's not a DJI thing, that's just my suggestion. I will ask the techs tomorrow to see about chargi ...

Thanks for the help.

I fly the inspire like its stolen and I'm flying away from the cops

Look forward to what you find out tomorrow.  

Ryan Gordon Posted at 2015-12-23 11:58
Thanks for the help.

I fly the inspire like its stolen and I'm flying away from the cops

Ha, I'm sure my batteries will last longer than yours ;)
Id like to fly more aggressive but my wallet won't let me.

Ryan Gordon Posted at 2015-12-23 11:58
Thanks for the help.

I fly the inspire like its stolen and I'm flying away from the cops

Hi Ryan, try to upgrade with the latest v1.6.0.40 firmware. We solved the voltage drop issues in cold weather.

Ryan,
Got an answer about the hub, after you update the firmware in the hub, you will be totally fine putting 4 batteries on the hub and charging them after doing a battery calibration.
The techs here do it all the time with some of the hubs they have here. Just make sure to update the hub first.
I know the hub firmware is only on the Inspire1 page and not on the hub or Pro page. I've forwarded that request.

Thanks for information DJI Ken & Bruce.

I found a windows computer to update the charging hub (No Apple OS X available from DJI) and the charging hub already had the latest firmware.   So that wasn't the issue.

I did the update that came out yesterday - so far no battery issues.   However, that update seems to fix cold weather.  I live in Arizona - right now its in the 60's/70's.   Cold Weather didn't have to do with this either.

I am concerned about the comment by DJI Ken and want to see if this is his opinion or an actual DJI "fact".

If I fly the drone at full speed this will destroy the life of the battery?       So far in this thread I have been told

Don't use 180w charger after calibration - bad for the battery.

Don't fly at full speed with the battery - will ruin it.

The DJI Charging Hub may have caused battery failure.

All these all facts or just opinions of people with a "DJI" user name?


The thing that I am not sure that you guys with the "DJI" names realize - and I've seen it in a number of your posts - is that these Inspire Drones are very expensive.   They also bring a substantial amount of liability to the owner if something fails.     When something doesn't go right with the drone, you guys start blaming your own equipment. (dont fly too fast, dont use 180w charger, dont use the battery hub, etc).  

From a customer standpoint, we are flying these things how you guys designed them - and it doesn't bring confidence when a bunch of excuses are made about why these things may fall out of the sky, putting my finances at risk - or worse, someone's life.   

Since the hub already had the latest firmware, I'll ask the techs about the issue on the latest update.
The battery life thing is my opinion, it's a lipo battery and the better care it's taken care of the longer it will last. Like a car, if you have an aggressive driver who loves racing his car around and then you have a senior citizen who just putts around to the grocery store and back, who's car do you think will last longer. I looked at my Phantom batteries last night and one has 57 charges and still has close to 100% life.
I never said don't use the 180 watt charger after calibration, I said to use the stock charger because your hub needed to be updated (now we know it was already updates) It's 100% fine to use the 180 watt charger at ALL times with the hub.
And yes, the hub may have caused the failure and since it's on the latest update, when your batteries should be calibrated again use the hub again, if you still have an issue then your hub has an issue and we will do a parts swap. If you ruin your batteries because of the hub, they will also do a parts swap if indeed it was caused by the charging hub.
I too have a great deal of my money invested into DJI products, especially now with the Inspire V2 I just bought used. Plus I have a 333 exemption and am also a private pilot and I use my drones to make money so I 100% need to have something that works.

Thanks for the info. will wait for your information after talking to the techs

I've had the exact same issue.  4 different batteries and I even tried the charger without the hub.  Same result.  Flight starts off at 98% and seconds after drops to 6%.  

redddallas@gmai Posted at 2016-1-8 00:30
I've had the exact same issue.  4 different batteries and I even tried the charger without the hub.  ...

Do the slow discharge per the manual. Charge up each battery and put one in the aircraft, power up an let it sit until it shuts itself off (could take several hours) then charge on the stock charger and see if you get normal battery functions after that.
Reason for the slow discharge instead of hovering is the slow process will allow the cells to be more evenly discharged since the process is going so slow. It may help get a more balanced battery and may operate correctly.

PaulKerry Posted at 2016-1-8 01:23
You guys having issues with sudden battery drop-off...

Have a look at the battery history (which  ...

I'm leaning towards the underestimating error.  Yesterday I had a fully charged tb-47 charged with the hub that had this issue then I charged it up without the hub and had the same result so I don't think it's the charger.   I also cycled the batteries 2 weeks prior.  

Now I'm repeating the battery cycling and crossing my fingers.  I shouldn't have to cross my fingers and hope my drone doesn't fall out of the sky after dropping the kind of money that I have.