Welcome Inspire Pilots!
Join our free DJI Inspire community today!
Sign up

DIY Battery Warmers

Joined
Dec 27, 2020
Messages
22
Reaction score
10
Age
55
Location
Waco, TX
Here in Texas we are experiencing super cold temps. Consequently, I felt the lowered battery performance in my I1 v1 in even our typical 40F cold weather would be even less when flying this week. However, as I lack DJI battery warmers I reached into my bag for some leftover Peel & Stick Body Warmers from this hunting season. As it turns out, the body warmers fit perfectly onto my Inspire 1's battery and raised my battery temps to 109F, while flying, in 28F weather. Sticking a body warmers on either side of my Inspire 1's battery and another two on the spare gave me 15 min of flight time per each TB47 at 28F with no warnings. In comparison, in 50F temps during my most recent flights, my batteries reached only 56F and in recent colder temperatures I received multiple warnings. Pics:
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4655.jpg
    IMG_4655.jpg
    3.6 MB · Views: 29
  • IMG_4654.jpg
    IMG_4654.jpg
    3 MB · Views: 26
  • IMG_4653.jpg
    IMG_4653.jpg
    3.9 MB · Views: 24
Here in Texas we are experiencing super cold temps. Consequently, I felt the lowered battery performance in my I1 v1 in even our typical 40F cold weather would be even less when flying this week. However, as I lack DJI battery warmers I reached into my bag for some leftover Peel & Stick Body Warmers from this hunting season. As it turns out, the body warmers fit perfectly onto my Inspire 1's battery and raised my battery temps to 109F, while flying, in 28F weather. Sticking a body warmers on either side of my Inspire 1's battery and another two on the spare gave me 15 min of flight time per each TB47 at 28F with no warnings. In comparison, in 50F temps during my most recent flights, my batteries reached only 56F and in recent colder temperatures I received multiple warnings. Pics:
Whatever it takes.
 
Here in Texas we are experiencing super cold temps. Consequently, I felt the lowered battery performance in my I1 v1 in even our typical 40F cold weather would be even less when flying this week. However, as I lack DJI battery warmers I reached into my bag for some leftover Peel & Stick Body Warmers from this hunting season. As it turns out, the body warmers fit perfectly onto my Inspire 1's battery and raised my battery temps to 109F, while flying, in 28F weather. Sticking a body warmers on either side of my Inspire 1's battery and another two on the spare gave me 15 min of flight time per each TB47 at 28F with no warnings. In comparison, in 50F temps during my most recent flights, my batteries reached only 56F and in recent colder temperatures I received multiple warnings. Pics:
 
Here in Texas we are experiencing super cold temps. Consequently, I felt the lowered battery performance in my I1 v1 in even our typical 40F cold weather would be even less when flying this week. However, as I lack DJI battery warmers I reached into my bag for some leftover Peel & Stick Body Warmers from this hunting season. As it turns out, the body warmers fit perfectly onto my Inspire 1's battery and raised my battery temps to 109F, while flying, in 28F weather. Sticking a body warmers on either side of my Inspire 1's battery and another two on the spare gave me 15 min of flight time per each TB47 at 28F with no warnings. In comparison, in 50F temps during my most recent flights, my batteries reached only 56F and in recent colder temperatures I received multiple warnings. Pics:
Seems like a good idea. Just curious about something...

If you start your mission with a warm battery and immediately take to the air, does the current draw of flight not keep the battery warm during the entire flight? Even more, if you slightly over-heat the battery - like say using the Sun on your vehicle's dashboard or running the car's heater - does that work better?

Naturally, this assumes you're never far from your car. For all my jobs sans film, I have always been near my vehicle.

D
 
Seems like a good idea. Just curious about something...

If you start your mission with a warm battery and immediately take to the air, does the current draw of flight not keep the battery warm during the entire flight? Even more, if you slightly over-heat the battery - like say using the Sun on your vehicle's dashboard or running the car's heater - does that work better?

Naturally, this assumes you're never far from your car. For all my jobs sans film, I have always been near my vehicle.

D
I cannot say what effect overheating the battery would have prior to flight as I have not tried? However, starting with a warm battery did not keep it warm, at all, during the flight. Because in my super brief experience with the Inspire, during my first flight in the cold I took the craft from indoors and had it aloft within 20 minutes. During that flight I received multiple cold battery warning messages. I landed and replaced the other previously heated-to-indoor temperatures battery from my jacket pocket in which I had also kept a non-sticky hand warmer. I received multiple cold battery warnings during that flight as well.
When I later reviewed the flight logs on airdata.com, I observed the 60-degree difference in flight temperatures mentioned ^^^ between the non-body-warmer-attached battery and the battery with body warmers on either side. The increased cold weather battery temperatures continued onto my spare battery that I kept in the drone case inside an insulated hat with a body warmer stuck to either side.
Total Bonus – with my white Inspire, the addition of body warmers give it a very Star Wars-esque appearance that is additionally appropriate considering the weather.
 
I cannot say what effect overheating the battery would have prior to flight as I have not tried? However, starting with a warm battery did not keep it warm, at all, during the flight. Because in my super brief experience with the Inspire, during my first flight in the cold I took the craft from indoors and had it aloft within 20 minutes. During that flight I received multiple cold battery warning messages. I landed and replaced the other previously heated-to-indoor temperatures battery from my jacket pocket in which I had also kept a non-sticky hand warmer. I received multiple cold battery warnings during that flight as well.
When I later reviewed the flight logs on airdata.com, I observed the 60-degree difference in flight temperatures mentioned ^^^ between the non-body-warmer-attached battery and the battery with body warmers on either side. The increased cold weather battery temperatures continued onto my spare battery that I kept in the drone case inside an insulated hat with a body warmer stuck to either side.
Total Bonus – with my white Inspire, the addition of body warmers give it a very Star Wars-esque appearance that is additionally appropriate considering the weather.
You had me at "Star Wars"....<;^)

Thanx for sharing that information. Here in NM, we never really fly in anything under like 40°. 90% of our flights are conducted in temperate weather. But last week WAS a bit chilly - about 55° - so I warmed the batteries on the dashboard prior to flight. I had no warnings or issues with either my P4P or my Inspire 1 (flew 2 missions that day).

D
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
22,277
Messages
210,655
Members
34,323
Latest member
klrshopfitters