Lithium-ion Batteries for FPV Drones: Master Flight Metrics and Maximize Range!

[@LifeofAccro]

Get a tracking spreadsheet I created here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIS1gZZ-hcqbbsU You can enter your batteries/capacity/etc and have a better idea over your consupmtion!

[@rraymakers]

recording battery status is part of my flight logs. this sheet will help very nicely with that

[@LifeofAccro]

@@rraymakers great, hope it helps. I'd love if you came back in a couple months time or after giving it a test and letting me know your thoughts on its effectiveness and reliability!

[@OAikoT]

NGL underrated channel with good info.

[@LifeofAccro]

great thanks! appreciate the support!

[@bdmdphd]

This is an EXTREMELY useful video. Took me a while to figure all of this by myself, as I am starting to fly long range with a new Moz7. This video explains the core info you need to know about long range flying with Li-ion battery packs.

[@FPV-FlyWithMe]

thank you so much ! PERFECT Video, very well explained, sadly for me I only found it after learning everything you pushed into one 25 minute video in hour long work for days and days and days 😀still recommending this to everyone who wants to learn a bit about battery tech ! and believe it or not, it was NOT BORING !!! 🙂cheers from Austria !

[@falconfpv9467]

Masses of amounts of info. Thanks! Just building up. UL7 so this is so valuable.

[@LifeofAccro]

great glad it helps, definitely a brain dump thus far!

[@cpt_4meric4]

Great video, very informative, especially the calculations for Wh. Thank you very much!

[@RobRiggenv5]

Sweet! I subbed for the battery credentials. I'm just starting with building batteries. Great content, keep it up. I would like to see a remoteID video from you.

[@Pritamsawant65]

Thanks for clearing the doubts.

[@CriticoolHit]

I picked up a whole mess of those P28a on 18650 store. They were 3 dollars a piece! Such a good deal.

[@LifeofAccro]

that is a good deal! I think anytime you can get a decent with amp output over 35a. IMO you gotta stock up!

[@dieselphiend]

Super curious how the new "tabless" cells perform. I have some AM04, and JP40 cells to mess around with. Hope to see ppl building with them soon.

[@scottrupp6067]

great info! can you charge say 6s 21700 4200mah pack at 1c 4.2 amps ? is it ok to charge them again right away after they cool down?

[@LifeofAccro]

no, i wouldnt go over 3amps for most reputable cells....per parallel group..so 1p 3a, 2p 6a...etc... It's not like the cells are gonna blow up necessarily if you charge it 4A, it's just not in the best interest of their long-term health... but 2 amps is usually best for all cells' longevity

[@scottrupp6067]

@@LifeofAccro ok 3 amps thats not to bad per pack Thks man

[@OTRFlyer]

The spec sheet on molicel p42a cells says they can be charged at 4.2 amps. They are 4200 mah so that's 1C. I just built 2 6S packs with those 2100 cells and have been charging them in parallel at 8 amps, which is less than 1C. Haven't had them heat up or anything while charging. I'm no expert and these are my first lion packs, but I'm happy I did it cuzz the flight time is outstanding compared to lipo! I've been getting 13 min of flight on my 7.5 inch, and covering a total of around 10 miles for the duration of the flight! I think my drone may be a little amp hungry for lion cells though cuzz the packs have been pretty warm after coming back from a flight like I just mentioned. They are still over 3.1v per cell, and it's been hot out, so not sure. Anyone else lion packs get warm during flight??

[@hi_desert_rat]

My man got his system down! 👍

[@felixg4m3r31]

How fast is your drone with the LiIon? I also build a AOS UL7 and with the 6s 4000mAh 21700-40T i get around 100kmh/ 60mph. My drone weights about 1100g. How Fast you think i could go with a 6s 6000mAh?🤔 Thanks for your Videos. I often watched them for builiding my drone👍🏼

[@LifeofAccro]

its hard to say, more testing and data needed, but usually no less than 35-40mph... but it all depends on the day, wind speed and camera tilt... I need some days coming up to try different camera angles and see what the average speed is AND what the amp draw is for it as well. a larger pack wont necessarily = more speed assuming its the same weight, only more flight time, however a cell with higher amp rating will allow you to push harder and longer at a constant speed...but obviously when i have a tail wind i can easily hit 60mph no issue or diving downward but those arent good consistent metrics IMO

[@felixg4m3r31]

@@LifeofAccro so now in Detail my question was a bit incomplete. To the specs: Frame AOS UL7 Motor: T-Motor F90 2806.5 1500kv Li Ion: FullSend 6s 4000mAh (21700-40T Cells) Weight: 1114g (ready to fly witouht gopro) Props: HQProp 7x4,5x2 I did another quick flight today, It was -4°C and a bit of wind (about 20 km/h) . In direction with wind i reached about 125 km/h GPS on like 60 percent Throttel. But this acctualy was the max Throttel a could do because the cell voltage already dropd down to 2.6V. Without help of the wind it was like 90 km/h at the same amount of Throttel. Without any wind you would make 105 km/h. I hope with sharing this others get an Idea of how theire drone will perform it they build soming similar. I think i will build myself a 6S 4000/6000 mAh batterie with "Molicel INR21700-P45B" cells. Or maybe i will try a LiPo if i feel like i na a battery with the extra kick. Thanks for you answer. :D

[@LifeofAccro]

@@felixg4m3r31 sounds like a plane and lots of geeod specs to track, stay tuned, im wrapping up a spreadsheet now that can do the math and populate everything for us for long term tracking of energy usage. as mentined tho in my video i dont know if i would build another p42B pack, i dont think the cost is worth the added 300mah.. more bang for your buck with a p42a pack if you do the math....not that the 42b is a bad cell just to $$

[@prathmeshdk]

Please share more details about your skate board...

[@PoloHungary]

i thinking buy 1 or 2 s dji o3 fpv drone and i want use molicel 45A 21700 ,can i free style if weather is good some use this setup for sweet spot for flight time but you can push it to free style?

[@LifeofAccro]

light freestyle, yes.... flips and rolls here and there are fine and an ocaasional dive and pull out is fine....power loops and back to back freestyle tricks that require half throttle or more then no... use a lipo for that...liion you can cruise and move at a ecent speed with a little of this and that but if you want to do tricks and have a real "practice session" lipo is the way to go.

[@sergiub4013]

hello i buy the P45B ,45A its perferct on nazgul 5, but on the LiPO i dont see current amp ? only C Rating 95, i think this Molicel 45 A its 10 C , but how to know on LIPO situation?

[@LifeofAccro]

chatGPT friend! ...but the C-rating on lipo is multiplied by its capacity: ex: 70c and a 4000mah battery.. 4000mah = 4ah... 4x70 = 280a lipos require math, where liion is straight forward per cell. if you make a 2p battery then you get double amps but not likely an option for a 5" unless maybe using and 18650

[@sergiub4013]

@@LifeofAccro ok thanks 🙏

[@sergiub4013]

@@LifeofAccro and why need 280 a because on fpv drone ESC is maximum 55A😀

[@LifeofAccro]

55amps PER motor = 220a possible total draw at full throttle. Which is also why you don't do hard freestyle or power loops with lithium ion cells, they can't handle that type of amp draw, and you will watch your quad fall out of the sky.

[@sergiub4013]

@@LifeofAccro aaa now I understand, thanks )🙏

[@muhit_ahmed]

Bro can you please mention the capacity of these liion batteries fro 2300kv motor 5" can I use 3c or 5c liion battery 12-15A, will they damage the battery pack? Which current rating or discharge rating battery should I use for 2300kv motor and 5" prop.?

[@LifeofAccro]

25a would be the bare minimum for 5" crusing in a 1P format which is why i recommended the cells i do (p28, p42, 40T) are the best with 35a being the lowest of those options...40a and higher the better

[@SRNAR8]

Just tryna get into drone, was thinking of building a 3-5 inch drone with 4s1p vtc5a cells. How reasonable is this build? Would it fly well and be worth it?

[@LifeofAccro]

a 3-5" drone OR a 3.5" drone?

[@austinsmith9413]

If you want to build your own li-ion battery packs, please get a cheap $20 spot welder and do not solder directly on the cells!!! You damage the cells if you solder directly and risk a thermal runaway or future fire from internal damage!!!

[@LifeofAccro]

I've been building batteries for about eight years now, never had any issues just gotta be quick. A $20 spot Welder, unless technology/price has changed recently, isn't gonna cut it. you need at least $100 Spot welder (probably around $150ish)and that if you can find something halfway decent IMO

[@austinsmith9413]

@@LifeofAccro And I have built batteries for manned electric aviation, SAE electric formula cars, and ran a small business on the side doing custom packs focused around custom UAV applications. Despite their vast short comings, a properly selected cheap $20 spot welder can produce decent welds in small quantities and is far better than direct solder.

[@LifeofAccro]

@@austinsmith9413 if you have a budget spot welder you recommend then...link it up!

[@chiprobertson3094]

It cheaper buying them already made

[@LifeofAccro]

definitely not true...

[@saydals]

그라믄 한동훈 특검법은 언제 하나.... 동훈이 이민가야겠네.