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The ULTIMATE Inspire 2 battery charger

Joined
Dec 28, 2015
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Age
43
Like many of you, I have struggled with charging Inspire 2 batteries in the field. With TWO batteries required for ONE flight, and the slow charge times from the OEM wall adapter + DJI charge hub it seemed the only option was to buy more batteries at $160 USD each ($320 USD per flight pack).


Of course buying more batteries means also buying more wall adapters, and buying more wall adapters meant buying more DJI charge hubs. After all that you are left trying to carry the tremendous weight of these batteries with you on jobs and in the field, and ultimately there still is no way to charge in remote locations unless you also bring along a large, heavy, gasoline generator. All that and it still takes 90+ minutes to charge a single flight pack.


I have come up with the ultimate solution that has zero compromises and offers the best results across the board. The device I built can:

  • Utilize power from a 90-264v AC wall outlet
  • Utilize power from a 10-25v DC car/truck/boat battery
  • Charge up to SIX (6) Inspire 2 TB50 batteries at one time
  • Charge ALL 6 of those TB50 batteries in approximately 42 MINUTES
  • Transport up to 12 TB50 batteries at once

Some other stats on this device...

  • The AC power adapter is 1500 watts
  • It can draw up to 100 amps from a 12v source (so make sure the engine is running and the alternator can keep up!)
  • It has 6 discrete power outputs in the form of XT60 connectors that can plug into TB47/TB48/TB50 batteries, OEM DJI charge hubs, Inspire Transmitters, etc.
  • It has two high output 2.1 amp USB ports for charging mobile devices
  • Each discrete output channel can regulate the amperage from 1 amp to 10+ amps (the maximum current TB50 batteries will accept before refusing to charge due to "over current" is 10 amps)
  • The system has failsafes for excess current draw, over/under input voltage, reverse polarity, and fuses for each discrete output channel.
  • The entire system hardly creates any noticeable heat even under heavy usage due to the air cooling systems, overly heavy gauge wiring, and efficient power conversion
  • The case is a Pelican 1510, which is allowed as a carry-on for airlines. Fully loaded with the 10 TB50 batteries I own it comes in at 42.5 lbs, which is under the 50 lb weight limit for airline baggage.
  • When operating on AC power the unit has a 24v auxiliary output for external accessories that can utilize 24 volts
  • Adapter cables can be made to charge Mavic, Phantom, and other battery types in the future

I started designing this device in the spring of 2017 and finally have it completed now that it's the end of summer. It took tremendous efforts to bring this project to fruition from many different people and companies.


I made this project for my own useage, and it is a highly professional product for a highly professional use-case. I made one extra set of frames so I could make a second device to sell if an appropriate offer ever came along. For now, I'm really happy that the 10 batteries I have (5 flight packs) can keep me in the air without interruptions for an unlimited amount of time if a car, generator, or wall outlet is available!


Feedback is welcome!
 

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Last edited:
More pictures
 

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Completed project shots
 

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Incredible work! I assume you won't be selling these? :(

David
Thank you!

It would cost a lot. I only made one single extra frame set, so I can only build ONE more of these. The parts I buy are all purchased from Amazon, mouser, digikey, etc at retail prices. The AC power supply alone cost me $350 (again, my COST). For me to build another custom unit like this would be really pricey, and again I’d only able to build ONE more of these things.
 
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Some images of the charger in use today. Full charge load of 6 TB50 batteries all at 30% or less took it to 1300 watts of continuous output with no excess heat or stress of any kind.
 

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Aces: Could you possibly post a link to the battery connector that you found? I've got a dummy load resistor setup that I use to bring fully charged batteries down to storage voltage, but I've not been able to find the proper mating connector for the I2 Lipos.

Thanks
Andy
 
Sure!
I think this conversation and links will help:
Inspire 2 battery charging

Aha! Thanks, Aces. Looks like that cable also solves the problem of figuring the pinout as all I need to do is connect the TB50 combined output (not individual cells) across the dummy load (0.5 ohms, 1000 watts) -- that should pull 52 Amps out of the battery -- not dissimilar to typical flight loads, I suspect. I can configure it for 1.0 ohms -- that might be a little more gentle at 21 Amps.

Thanks for the help!
Andy
 
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Aha! Thanks, Aces. Looks like that cable also solves the problem of figuring the pinout as all I need to do is connect the TB50 combined output (not individual cells) across the dummy load (0.5 ohms, 1000 watts) -- that should pull 52 Amps out of the battery -- not dissimilar to typical flight loads, I suspect. I can configure it for 1.0 ohms -- that might be a little more gentle at 21 Amps.

Thanks for the help!
Andy
Yup, exactly! Please note that those cables mentioned in that other thread cannot handle much more than say 10 amps continuously through them, so plan accordingly for that. I'd be interested in seeing your setup -- and it'd be really cool if you could put a transistor in there that optionally shuts down discharging at ~50-60% too! It's not too too hard to do...
 
This is a really incredible project. Maybe it will stimulate someone to mass produce them or contact you to partner with them. I know that there are a lot of us out here who would gladly pay a decent price for a device like this. Given that a set of batteries costs $320, I see no reason that we would not pay $500 or more for a unit. And as you know, there's a pretty high markup on a lot of electronic components in the retail space. A company that is capable of accessing wholesale prices on components could bring many of the costs you endured down significantly I'd guess.

I see a lot of potential in this product and as an Industrial Designer, I always cringe when I see something like this posted on the web not knowing if the intellectual property aspects of it are protected. You might think of Patent Pending your concept at a minimum and even better, pay a Patent Attorney to help you file some documents to protect it. Surely there are some aspects of it that would merit a patent.

One thing that I noticed was that the battery contact leads that plug in vertically are vulnerable to damage if the lid was to get closed on them while they are plugged in. Even with the lid lying fully back against the ground, a stiff wind might be able to lift it and slam it shut. I might suggest that you incorporate some kind of lid restraint so that it can't be closed unless you want it to. That will protect your somewhat fragile leads that are plugged in.

An amazing piece of engineering. I hope you can find a way to mass produce it and make some good money while making a lot of us happy. I for one would buy one from you tomorrow if you had them available.
 
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Thank you!

It would cost a lot. I only made one single extra frame set, so I can only build ONE more of these. The parts I buy are all purchased from Amazon, mouser, digikey, etc at retail prices. The AC power supply alone cost me $350 (again, my COST). For me to build another custom unit like this would be really pricey, and again I’d only able to build ONE more of these things.

How much would you charge to build another one???
 
I would also be interested in purchasing a unit if you decide to build more. Or even purchase plans and materials list to build my own similar charger. You have a great looking setup and really should try to market it.
 
The hub does not balance the cells the battery ha e it's internal circuitry for that.
So you say. I'm suspicious of the accuracy of that circuitry. I've had two batteries with "broken cells" (variance of .1 or greater) that have only had 10 or so cycles. Either the batteries are poop, I got two that were made on Friday afternoons, or the quality of the balancing is not up to snuff....imho
 
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Charges 3 batteries and controller at the same time with an output of 26.3 volts at 2.5 amps I bought two for $40 each and they work spectacularly at charging my batteries simultaneously




Like many of you, I have struggled with charging Inspire 2 batteries in the field. With TWO batteries required for ONE flight, and the slow charge times from the OEM wall adapter + DJI charge hub it seemed the only option was to buy more batteries at $160 USD each ($320 USD per flight pack).


Of course buying more batteries means also buying more wall adapters, and buying more wall adapters meant buying more DJI charge hubs. After all that you are left trying to carry the tremendous weight of these batteries with you on jobs and in the field, and ultimately there still is no way to charge in remote locations unless you also bring along a large, heavy, gasoline generator. All that and it still takes 90+ minutes to charge a single flight pack.


I have come up with the ultimate solution that has zero compromises and offers the best results across the board. The device I built can:

  • Utilize power from a 90-264v AC wall outlet
  • Utilize power from a 10-25v DC car/truck/boat battery
  • Charge up to SIX (6) Inspire 2 TB50 batteries at one time
  • Charge ALL 6 of those TB50 batteries in approximately 42 MINUTES
  • Transport up to 12 TB50 batteries at once

Some other stats on this device...

  • The AC power adapter is 1500 watts
  • It can draw up to 100 amps from a 12v source (so make sure the engine is running and the alternator can keep up!)
  • It has 6 discrete power outputs in the form of XT60 connectors that can plug into TB47/TB48/TB50 batteries, OEM DJI charge hubs, Inspire Transmitters, etc.
  • It has two high output 2.1 amp USB ports for charging mobile devices
  • Each discrete output channel can regulate the amperage from 1 amp to 10+ amps (the maximum current TB50 batteries will accept before refusing to charge due to "over current" is 10 amps)
  • The system has failsafes for excess current draw, over/under input voltage, reverse polarity, and fuses for each discrete output channel.
  • The entire system hardly creates any noticeable heat even under heavy usage due to the air cooling systems, overly heavy gauge wiring, and efficient power conversion
  • The case is a Pelican 1510, which is allowed as a carry-on for airlines. Fully loaded with the 10 TB50 batteries I own it comes in at 42.5 lbs, which is under the 50 lb weight limit for airline baggage.
  • When operating on AC power the unit has a 24v auxiliary output for external accessories that can utilize 24 volts
  • Adapter cables can be made to charge Mavic, Phantom, and other battery types in the future

I started designing this device in the spring of 2017 and finally have it completed now that it's the end of summer. It took tremendous efforts to bring this project to fruition from many different people and companies.


I made this project for my own useage, and it is a highly professional product for a highly professional use-case. I made one extra set of frames so I could make a second device to sell if an appropriate offer ever came along. For now, I'm really happy that the 10 batteries I have (5 flight packs) can keep me in the air without interruptions for an unlimited amount of time if a car, generator, or wall outlet is available!


Feedback is welcome!
 

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