Like every other technological device, drones have limited battery usage too. But do you know what could happen if your drone runs out of battery? In this article, you will find all the information you need about this topic; keep reading for more.
If your drone runs out of battery during a flight, it could crash and cause some damage to your device. In the worst case, it could stop working because of the crash. But do not worry, many drones have advanced technology. When they run out of battery, they land safely and automatically.
What Could Happen If My Drone Gets A Low Battery In The Air?
When drones are too high or too far away from you with low battery, they can get lost. This happens because your device probably does not have enough battery to return to you in time. You can prevent this by knowing how far your drone can fly and by paying attention to the battery percentage of your drone.
For How Long Can My Drone Fly Without Charging It?
Many factors can measure how long your drone can fly. Some of those factors are the model, battery life, and weight of the drone. For example, drones with the lowest quality can fly for around five to ten minutes. Mid-range drones can do fifteen to twenty minutes. Top-tier drones with the highest quality can fly for twenty to thirty minutes without recharging. Please, remember that this is an estimate. Not all drones work the same way.
How Can I Take Care Of My Drone’s Battery Life?
Battery life is a topic that always concerns drone users. If you want optimal performance, always follow these steps:
- Never charge your drone right after you use it. And please, avoid charging your drone if it is still hot from the outdoor heat. You could ruin your battery immediately.
- Do not let your battery charge for too long. Overcharging is one of the most common issues that can decrease your battery’s lifespan.
- Do not expose your drone to extreme weather. This exposure could affect more than only the battery. Heat and wind can produce long-term consequences.
- Using your drone until a complete battery drain can be harmful to your device. You should never do this, even if your drone has a good quality battery.
- Try to charge your battery a few moments before using it. If you leave your battery charged for a long time without using it, it could drain all the power, and the performance will be of lower quality.
- You can also calibrate your drone’s battery every 3-6 months—this is a great tip. Every technological device should get calibrated from now and then. Some videos and articles explain how you can do this process correctly.
How long can a drone battery last?
It depends on the battery, but for most cases, experts say that the average is around five hundred to one thousand and two hundred cycles. That could be up to six years of usage, but it depends on how often you use your drone and how often you charge it. Keep in mind that other elements could damage your battery life, so this is not 100% accurate.
Tips For Maintaining Your Battery Charged During A Flight
There are many recommendations for drone owners. If you are wondering how you can keep your battery charged for an extended period, read the following list:
- Having extra batteries is a lifesaver. If you have some good-quality batteries, you could extend your flying session.
- Avoid strong winds: Yes, this was mentioned before, but this decreases your battery percentage while using your drone. Why? Simple, your drone requires more energy because wind can unbalance your device.
- Do not add unnecessary weight. Having the least weight possible is the goal here because it prolongs the durability of your battery. The best suggestion is to remove all the add-ons, such as propeller guards (only if you already know how to use your drone with no problem).
- Do not fly on fast mode or any mode that reduces your battery faster if you do not need it.
Is It Worth It To Use Big Batteries On Your Drones?
You might think that bigger batteries can hold more power, and you could use your drone for a more extended period. But this is a common misconception. When your drone has more weight, it drains the battery quickly because it needs more strength. Using a larger battery is not recommended. What you can do is use small ones but with better quality.
Another alternative is buying some rechargeable batteries and changing them whenever they run out of power.
How Can I Avoid Battery Drainage During A Flight?
Preventing is one of the best ways of taking extra care of your drone’s battery. Here you can see some recommendations:
- Get rid of old batteries immediately: Keeping an old battery is one of the worst ideas. Some drones are very expensive, and maintaining an old battery could ruin your device completely because it lowers the performance of your drone.
- The second tip is to keep on checking your battery percentage: This may sound obvious, but it is the easiest way of taking care of your battery. If you constantly check the percentage, you could also identify some sudden drops in your battery. Random drops are dangerous for your drone, and they could produce an unexpected crash that could ruin your device.
Are Drone Batteries Dangerous Or Expensive?
Just like any other battery, drone batteries can be dangerous too. If you overcharge your drone, it could explode and start a fire, or it could get bigger and ruin the battery completely.
On the other hand, drone batteries can be extremely cheap or expensive. It all depends on what drone you have. For example, if you have a low-quality drone, you can find some twenty-dollar batteries. But if you own a high-quality drone, you can find batteries that cost up to two hundred dollars.
Drones With The Best Battery Performance
Many drones have impressive battery performances. In this list, you can see a variety of drones that experts catalog as the ones with better batteries in the market.
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro: This drone can last up to thirty-one minutes flying. It is one of the best drones at the moment.
- DJI Mavic Air 2: You can use this DJI drone for thirty-four minutes straight without any breaks.
- DJI Mini 2: This version goes from thirty to thirty-one minutes of flight.
- Impossible US-1: This drone is one of the most powerful ever. It can fly for one hour and thirty minutes. Some sources say that it can even reach two hours of flight. It can also fly at 45mph, which is an impressive number for a drone.
- Parrot Anafi Extended: The Parrot Anafi extended drone works for twenty-five minutes, but a USB-C cable can recharge the battery. When you renew it, it can last up to one hour and twenty-five minutes.
- Walkera Vitus 320: This drone gives twenty-five minutes of flight with no interruption. It also has a 4k camera and night vision.
Conclusion
After reading this, now you know what happens when a drone runs out of battery. Please, take into consideration every single piece of advice that you read in this article if you are willing to take care of your drone as a whole. Remember that you will not have a great performance on your device without a good and functional battery.