Inspire 2 Battery Station Issue

[DED Reckoner]

I stored my packs in the charging station. I put them in there at 50% charge each. The case with batteries was left for about a month or little longer. I went to charge them up today. Oh no!
They are all on the latest firmware. Eight were plugged in and four in the side slots. The four in the side slots are still at 50%. Looks like they discharged completely. The charging station was closed and never plugged in during the month or so.
Looks like a big $ loss. Also, I thought there was discharge protection in each battery.
Very disappointed. Anyone else had this critical problem?
Help

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

We have not seen this yet but barely go a day or two without flying. Have you tried to get some electricity back into them by using the stock charging hubs?

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

Nope, I’ll give that a try. Thank you

Please let us know if that helps. Reading your posts we must assume that the charger is not designed to hold batteries for 4-6 weeks without supervision.

 

[Drone_Video]

I thought they said we could ? I don’t recall any place in the manual saying to remove them from those slots for storage ??

 

[The Editor]

I thought they said we could ? I don’t recall any place in the manual saying to remove them from those slots for storage ??

You're right - It doesn't but DJI have a history of self destructing Lipo packs in long term storage.
They have tried several times to 'fix' the issue but the fact of the matter is they never will totally.
All their 'Smart' packs are permanently connected internally to a logic board and processor.
Although this will go into hibernation mode with long term storage there will always be a deminimus quiescent current flowing. This, given enough time will destroy a pack.
The only true way to have long term storage is to have completely open circuit cells which of course DJI has never had.
Battery management or frequent use is the only sure way of circumventing this inherent issue I'm afraid.

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

That does not sound good. Your only other choice maybe to contact DJI thru their online/phone portal and see what they say.

 

[bluelight.support]

so the lesson here is expensive changing / maintainer unit - doesnt work and kills batteries as well.

so how do you manage batteries for a unit which may be weeks between use ?

 

[Z3R0]

I discharge my batts to 50% and put into long-term storage inside the fire bags in a cool and well-ventilated space. It's never a good idea to pack LiPOs in tight pelican cases for long periods of time. Put a date in your calendar every so often to cycle them on the battery station, then bring them back to 50% as well as update and do a maintenance check. LiPO batteries are high maintenance divas.

 

[STKNRUD]

I keep my eight I2 batteries in a garage steel gun safe with all my other Lipo batteries. I have not been able to fly for 3+ months. Just checked, all eight batteries showed 3 lights. All are programmed to go to storage charge after 10 days. Your problem is clearly a DJI charging station issue.

 

[NickU]

so the lesson here is expensive changing / maintainer unit - doesnt work and kills batteries as well.

so how do you manage batteries for a unit which may be weeks between use ?

Run down to storage charge, then disconnect from charger - I've had mine powered down for a 2 month enforced rest while the I2 was in dry dock for some TLC.

Just picked up a battery station on Friday (despite the price!!!) and I think I'll end up quite liking it despite not wanting to . I've taken out the silly foamy thing down the right edge - so can now store 8 pairs of batteries (unplugged) in it. Unfortunately you can't pop the batteries in the charger slots the wrong way round - might have to see if I can use some old plastic cards to stop the battery connection being made, then it'll store 16 batteries

 

[Drone_Video]

Update:
I was contacted by DJI support today. They closed the consult case and replaced it with another. They requested I send them the Battery Station and all 8 dead batteries and provided a return shipping label.
No decision yet if these will be replaced. Only 2 of the batteries are still on warranty so hoping they will replace them all but will have to wait on that. So, for the time being I’m back to using the coke can Chargers. :-(

I am very interested in your outcome. I hope you can post the outcome or anything else relevant to this. This charging station issue you have is very concerning.

 

[Drone_Video]

Run down to storage charge, then disconnect from charger - I've had mine powered down for a 2 month enforced rest while the I2 was in dry dock for some TLC.

Just picked up a battery station on Friday (despite the price!!!) and I think I'll end up quite liking it despite not wanting to . I've taken out the silly foamy thing down the right edge - so can now store 8 pairs of batteries (unplugged) in it. Unfortunately you can't pop the batteries in the charger slots the wrong way round - might have to see if I can use some old plastic cards to stop the battery connection being made, then it'll store 16 batteries

Maybe we can find some 3D printed travel caps that cover the connection and that would work ?

 

[Drone_Video]

A cap would keep the pack from inserting all the way into the slot. The outcome is that the case would need to be forced closed. But maybe there is some creative cap I’m not thinking of.

I haven’t looked too close. But I though maybe something pretty small that fits just into the part with metal connectors and low profile You have a valid concern with it

The ideal fix would be if it worked without discharge of the battery when in the slot.

I think the issue comes from the fact that to discharge down to storage you don’t even need the system plugged in. It used the battery power itself is what I read. Maybe there is a fault that causes the drain to continue as it powers it in some unexpected way.

 

[The Editor]

I haven’t looked too close. But I though maybe something pretty small that fits just into the part with metal connectors and low profile You have a valid concern with it

The ideal fix would be if it worked without discharge of the battery when in the slot.

I think the issue comes from the fact that to discharge down to storage you don’t even need the system plugged in. It used the battery power itself is what I read. Maybe there is a fault that causes the drain to continue as it powers it in some unexpected way.

And, refer back to my post #6........

 

[Drone_Video]

And, refer back to my post #6........

Are you suggesting that they made the battery station in such a way as to on purpose and knowingly drain them to zero to destroy them? I get that’s along the lines of what you wrote in post 6. But having short sighted and bad design is different then doing it on true purpose.

To me it it’s seems like really bad design. But I don’t think it’s on purpose. They would open them selves to many in warranty claims, there would be no upside.

Sometimes the simple answer is the answer. And not well trained electrical (designers) seem to have made this mistake. Maybe not even formally trained.

I also expect that if it is bad design that can not be corrected with software that their track record suggest there will be no fix offered for these first gen units in the field. And that’s because I think their corporate culture doesn’t allow them to admit to the mistake, or want to pay for it in anyway.

 

[The Editor]

Are you suggesting that they made the battery station in such a way as to on purpose and knowingly drain them to zero to destroy them? I get that’s along the lines of what you wrote in post 6. But having short sighted and bad design is different then doing it on true purpose.

To me it it’s seems like really bad design. But I don’t think it’s on purpose. They would open them selves to many in warranty claims, there would be no upside.

Sometimes the simple answer is the answer. And not well trained electrical (designers) seem to have made this mistake. Maybe not even formally trained.

I also expect that if it is bad design that can not be corrected with software that their track record suggest there will be no fix offered for these first gen units in the field. And that’s because I think their corporate culture doesn’t allow them to admit to the mistake, or want to pay for it in anyway.

No - I’m not saying it was designed like that maliciously or intentionally but simply by design anything that is permantly connected to a circuit will always have a very small (quiescent) current flowing. Very small but it will always be there.
So given sufficient time a battery permanently connected in this way will always self destruct.
Unfortunately DJI saw fit to continue with their ‘smart’ battery technology into their professional line of systems and it just isn’t necessary or wanted.
I agree with your comments regarding Chinese culture and an inabilty to admit mistakes.

 

[NickU]

It won't be fixed until they put an isolator switch in the battery leads that basically disconnects the battery from all the internal gubbins. So basically you have a traditional lipo which connects to an "intelligent" circuit board, that is then plugged in to the equipment... oh wait, that's too simple innit!

 

[The Editor]

It won't be fixed until they put an isolator switch in the battery leads that basically disconnects the battery from all the internal gubbins. So basically you have a traditional lipo which connects to an "intelligent" circuit board, that is then plugged in to the equipment... oh wait, that's too simple innit!

Hell yes..... way to simple.
I nice positive latching clickerty click switch would do nicely.

 

[NickU]

watcha reckon... would this do - should be good to about 300A??? Problem with going much bigger is you might end up needing a swatter to extinguish the sparks

and maybe use this as the 'intelligent' bit ....

 

[The Editor]

watcha reckon... would this do - should be good to about 300A??? Problem with going much bigger is you might end up needing a swatter to extinguish the sparks

and maybe use this as the 'intelligent' bit ....

That's perfect - double pole isolation as well just to be safe!