Charge 6 Inspire 2 batteries at once using a SmartPowerCharge SPCM100+

[Hogster]

Hi all

With some careful hacking here and there, I'm now able to use my SmartPowerCharge SPCM100+ (originally intended for charging Inspire 1 and Matrice batteries) to charge my Inspire 2 packs – photo attached.

Very useful for those of us who've progressed from the Inspire 1 to the Inspire 2 and were disappointed with the lack of multi-battery charging options available for the Inspire 2.

The Inspire 1 and Inspire 2 batteries have a very similar capacity (4500mAh for the TB47 vs. 4280mAh for the TB50) and so will happily charge from the same power supply. The TB50 is rated for a maximum charge power of 180W – just like the TB47 and TB48.

The SPCM100+ has four bays and two external ports which all offer the regulated 8.5A supply that every Inspire battery requires, and as the attached photo shows, the unit is happily able to charge 6 batteries at once – that means they'll all be charged in about 35 minutes (obviously depending on their initial state of charge)

This mod cost about £130 for the cables and required a good level of electrical knowledge to be able to modify them to get the batteries to charge when connected to the SPC.

Just thought I'd share!

David

 

[AcesAreWld]

Very nice mod! :-D

 

[BVI Media]

how to mod cable, would love some info

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Wow, $500 for a charger? Other than it's discharge capability, what's the advantage? It sounds gimmicky to me. It'd be far cheaper to buy 4 180watt chargers. For discharging, I simply go out in my yard and hover. These aren't plain Lipo batteries that don't have any smarts which might benefit from a charger like this, but I just don't see the advantage of this for that price.

 

[AcesAreWld]

Wow, $500 for a charger? Other than it's discharge capability, what's the advantage? It sounds gimmicky to me. It'd be far cheaper to buy 4 180watt chargers. For discharging, I simply go out in my yard and hover. These aren't plain Lipo batteries that don't have any smarts which might benefit from a charger like this, but I just don't see the advantage of this for that price.

To charge 6 batteries at once with OEM DJI Equipment would require:
Inspire 2 - 180W Power Adaptor AC Cable - 3 @ $9/ea = $27
Inspire 2 - 180W Battery Charger (without AC cable) - 3 @ $69/ea = $207
Inspire 2 - Battery Charging Hub - 3 @ $99/ea = $297

$27 + $207 + $297 = $531 grand total

This solution is cleaner with less wires, less power outlets needed, and most of all -- if someone already has an SPC unit they can now use it with the Inspire 2.

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Yikes, what a rip off. When did they stop supplying the power cord with the power supply? I bought a 180 w charger (DJI) from Amazon last year and paid $59 for it (with a power cord). Now they've gone up in price!!! I was thinking 6 chargers (including power cable) would've been = $300. Oh well.

Good info.

 

[ajohnsonlaird]

Looks like some nice "cablectomy" work, David.
I presume you used these cables for the TB50 end: Buy Inspire 2 - Remote Controller Charging Cable
but I'm curious what cables you found for the SPCM100+ end (female connectors as found on the TB47/48). Could you share a link?

Thanks in advance
Andy

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

Great idea, thanks for sharing.

 

[Transpire]

David,
I have the SPC4500 for my i1 and thought I had to ditch it with my new i2. I reached out to the company and they said they weren't going to bring a comparable i2 charger to market. Bummer.
So, I bought a second i2 Hub and 180W adapter with plans for more....BUT....
I would be REALLY interested in converting mine as well. Please share more detailed info as to where you sourced the connectors.
Thanks!
Ken

 

[Mike Magee]

David, Please post the detail of the components and procedure. I'll give it a try!

Very creative.

-m

 

[ajohnsonlaird]

David, Please post the detail of the components and procedure. I'll give it a try!

Very creative.

-m

Yeah, the only thing I'm stumped by is where to get the female connector that fits onto the SPCM100+ -- anyone got any idea what those are? If we could figure that out we can probably get them from Mouser, Digikey, etc.

Alternatively any kind of cable that already exists which has the female fitting that could be subjected to a cablectomy....

Andy

 

[Hogster]

Thanks for the feedback all!

Basically I use these at the battery end:
Buy Inspire 2 - Remote Controller Charging Cable

and these at the charging bay end:
Buy Inspire 2 - Inspire 1 Charger to Inspire 2 Charging Hub Power Cable

(except for the two additional charging ports at the side of the SPC which are a direct fit for the plugs on the top cable linked above)

The trick is not so much how to splice the two cables together (which is easy to accomplish for anyone who's competent with a soldering iron and heat-shrink to accomplish) but how to get the batteries to enter charging mode rather than power-output mode (as the cables linked to above are designed to take power from an Inspire 2 battery and send it to a DJI transmitter to charge it).

Suffice to say this pinout which I found on the back of the Mavic power supply pointed me in the right direction to make the necessary modifications (the i2 battery connector has an additional pin at each end – so 12 pins in total – but they aren't important). It just requires a bit of out-of-the-box thinking to get it to work – making sure that the right pins get connected to the battery and the others ... don't ...

Cheers!

David

 

[ajohnsonlaird]

Thanks for the information, David.
I don't have a Mavic power supply so I cannot measure any voltages. The image you posted shows the polarities but not whether they are inputs or outputs.

I wonder whether the I2 charging hub presents charging voltages when there is no battery connected? That might be a good place to start.

Much appreciate the pointer though, David.
Andy

 

[Hogster]

I don't want to give too much away (as part of the satisfaction of this mod came from working out how the system works ), but I'll say that the + + and - - terminals are used as both inputs and outputs depending on what 'mode' the battery is in (charging mode or power-output mode). The mode is determined by what is done with the remaining end pins ... to give you a further clue and referring back to the Mavic pinout, the additional two end pins on the i2 battery connector are also 'N/C'

David

 

[ajohnsonlaird]

Hmmm. Well I'm thoroughly confused. What we know is:

1. "The ++ and -- pins are both input and output depending on the battery mode." (This means the - - + + + + - - pins shown on the Mavic image.)
2. "The mode is determined with what is done with the remaining end pins" (which, based on the diagram on the Mavic chargers are NC (not connected).
3. "The additional end pins on the TB50 are also NC."

Unless I'm misunderstanding what David wrote, that means that the the "end pins" that are not connected are apparently controlling the battery mode?

As I said, hmmmm. Me is confused.

Andy

 

[Mike Magee]

Hi Andy. Long time no see. Glad you are still knocking about.

Perhaps I'm a technical curmudgeon, I also am confused.

David, could you clarify a bit?

Regards,

Mike

Hmmm. Well I'm thoroughly confused. What we know is:

1. "The ++ and -- pins are both input and output depending on the battery mode." (This means the - - + + + + - - pins shown on the Mavic image.)
2. "The mode is determined with what is done with the remaining end pins" (which, based on the diagram on the Mavic chargers are NC (not connected).
3. "The additional end pins on the TB50 are also NC."

Unless I'm misunderstanding what David wrote, that means that the the "end pins" that are not connected are apparently controlling the battery mode?

As I said, hmmmm. Me is confused.

Andy

 

[ajohnsonlaird]

Aha -- I thought you might be the Mike Magee from Cinestar fame! Nice to see on you on this forum. Are you still flying anything from FF? Wow. Must have been, what, five years since we were both in Whitefish, MT!

I infer you're flying an I2 now?

Glad to hear it's not just me that's confused, though. I've tried reading deeper meanings into David's posting -- perhaps he only means the left hand "- - + +" and not all of the - and + pins (and variations of that kind of thinking)?

The concern I have is that, as a computer hardware/software geek, it's all too easy to either trash a battery management board or the SPCM100+'s charging circuitry by letting the smoke out of the wires (I suspect you share the same concern).

Cheers
Andy

 

[mpaerial]

Nicely done. I've been trying to hold out for that charging station that DJI dangled in front of our faces almost a year ago...I'm losing hope. Why doesn't the smart power systems company make an updated version?

 

[Mike Magee]

Yes it's me Andy. Your inference is correct. I still have a big old ff X8 heavy lifter with MK and Herk parts. I keep it around just to intimidate fellow pilots. Those were the days back in Montana with the QC guys. What are you up to?

This board is fortunate to have access to your wisdom and wit.

I'm optimistic, curious and cautious about this charging approach. The fact that the I2 charging station uses al lof the I2 battery connections and the I1 does not has me concerned a bit, but I'm very open to the details and testing of David's approach.

Best Regards Andy!

-m

Aha -- I thought you might be the Mike Magee from Cinestar fame! Nice to see on you on this forum. Are you still flying anything from FF? Wow. Must have been, what, five years since we were both in Whitefish, MT!

I infer you're flying an I2 now?

Glad to hear it's not just me that's confused, though. I've tried reading deeper meanings into David's posting -- perhaps he only means the left hand "- - + +" and not all of the - and + pins (and variations of that kind of thinking)?

The concern I have is that, as a computer hardware/software geek, it's all too easy to either trash a battery management board or the SPCM100+'s charging circuitry by letting the smoke out of the wires (I suspect you share the same concern).

Cheers
Andy

 

[ajohnsonlaird]

Hi Mike:
I'm still flying ALTA 6's and 8's, but only using Canon Mark III and Pannie GH4s. And, of course the Inspire 1 and 2. I've still got a couple of Cinestar 8's on the wall though. They make imposing wall art!

Thanks for the compliment re: wit and wisdom. Some days I feel witless and unwise, but I appreciate the thought. I'm still moderating the FF support forum although with the shift to the Synapse and ALTA's there's a lot more folks flying Red Epic's and Weapons with dual 16,000 mAH Lipos. Heavy!! The new MoVI gimbals are ace too.

But I've got a lot of time for the I1's and 2s too -- nice integrated system, but I wish that the firmware releases were a little better tested -- there's always that fear of doing a firmware upgrade and bricking something in the process (or burning out an iPad as happened to me!) -- I just never do an upgrade before a gig -- but sometimes you just have to!

Check for a PM from me, btw.
Andy