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Any way to check Anafi batteries health and state? - I doubt my new charger

McAl

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Hi everybody,

The Anafi is my first decent drone and I have been flying it for 10 day or so now.
While there are things which could be improved in app and fly modes, I am liking it very much, so I ended up shelling out for two additional batteries.
The last arrived just today from Amazon, along with a 40W, 10 ports, USB charger, allegedly 5v output and up to 2.4 amps per port, which based on my present experience I wholeheartedly DO NOT raccomend:

Previously, I have charged my batteries with an old 4 ports usb charger, which is rated 4 amps (I believe shared betwen ports) and worked just fine, charging them both in around 3 hours.
So, I reasoned that I do not really need the speed of a USB-C, but I could do with more charging ports, and I bought the 10 ports piece of trash linked above instead of a 6 ports 60W Ravpower, .
I charged my new battery with it, which took 1,5h or so (the display showed 1,8amps only, but I thought it might be because it was new and half charged) and in the meanwhile I went flying with the other two, discharging them to 15% or so.

When I came back, I plugged remote and the two batteries into the new charger and started a timer, out of curiosity. The amps on the display kept varying between 1,6 and 2,1 for the two ports charging the batteries. I thought that perhaps is normal, given the batteries have a chip in them controlling the charging process.
1,5h in, the remote was charged but I realized that the display was showing 0 amps for the two batteries.
So, I disconnected and reconnected them both. Again they went on charging between 1,6 and 2,1 amps, allegedly.
The total charging process was 3,5h for one, and 4h and 10 minutes for the other.

I have never seen before the batteries stopping charging and needing replugging like that.
Is that normal?
Is there any way I can check the health status of the batteries?

I have read of quite a few people here on the forum who had the Anafi switching off in-flight, possibly because of dodgy chargers, so I am slightly worried.

Thanks for any advice!
 
Best to stick with a charger known to work well.

The one linked is only 40w which as they say is 8amps spread between the ports.

I don't think you also say how many batteries you are charging?

The batteries are expensive as is the drone so best not to cut corners charging them.
 
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One way to determine the performance of a battery is to measure its internal resistance. As a battery ages, or if it has been abused, it’s internal resistance will increase and its ability to provide a stable voltage at a constant current will be reduced. Some LiPo chargers have the ability to measure the internal resistance of the individual cells that make up a battery but to date I don’t believe there is an off the shelf solution for the Anafi or any Drone with a proprietary battery.

It is possible to construct a relatively simple circuit to aid in calculating the internal resistance of a battery pack but I would only advise this if you are competent with electronic theory as LiPo and LiOn battery’s are capable of dumping a lethal amount of current if suitable precautions are not taken.

Regards

Nidge.
 
One way to determine the performance of a battery is to measure its internal resistance. As a battery ages, or if it has been abused, it’s internal resistance will increase and its ability to provide a stable voltage at a constant current will be reduced. Some LiPo chargers have the ability to measure the internal resistance of the individual cells that make up a battery but to date I don’t believe there is an off the shelf solution for the Anafi or any Drone with a proprietary battery.

It is possible to construct a relatively simple circuit to aid in calculating the internal resistance of a battery pack but I would only advise this if you are competent with electronic theory as LiPo and LiOn battery’s are capable of dumping a lethal amount of current if suitable precautions are not taken.

Regards

Nidge.

Thanks for the technical info!
Unfortunately my skills do not got beyond testing non LiPo cells with a meter, so probably I should stay clear of DIY circuit, least I fry myself and the batteries.
My three batteries are brand new, one was recharged 5 times, another 3 and the last one only once.
Yesterday I recharged one of the battery, down from 10%, with the same charger and the cable which comes with the Anafi controller.
It was only one battery, rather than two like in the first test, but it did surprise me recharging to full in only 140 minutes.
Today, recharging the same battery from 80% with the USB-C cables I normally use took 80 minutes (the amps, accordingly to the charger, were only 0.8 for some reason, while yesterday, with the other cable, it pumped in 2 amps all the time).


So perhaps I am blaming the charger but the cables are at fault?
But they seem to work fine, and faster, with my other charger.. I am confused, I might buy a fast charger to be used only when I actually need to charge in 1h, and stick with slow charging any other time.
 
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Best to stick with a charger known to work well.

The one linked is only 40w which as they say is 8amps spread between the ports.

I don't think you also say how many batteries you are charging?

The batteries are expensive as is the drone so best not to cut corners charging them.

Thanks.
Yesterday I tested it with two batteries at time, and that's when I experienced the issues I described (and the charger got really warm).
Today I tested with only one battery, and the cable which comes with the Anafi controller, it recharged in only 140 minutes, 2 amps all the time, and the charger was way less warm.
But then, testing again today with my ususal cable, recharging the same battery from only 80% took forever and the amperage was 0.8 all the time.

I am not sure, perhaps my cables, which are otherwise fine and work ok with my other charger, are the bottleneck here..
 
Hi everybody,

The Anafi is my first decent drone and I have been flying it for 10 day or so now.
While there are things which could be improved in app and fly modes, I am liking it very much, so I ended up shelling out for two additional batteries.
The last arrived just today from Amazon, along with a 40W, 10 ports, USB charger, allegedly 5v output and up to 2.4 amps per port, which based on my present experience I wholeheartedly DO NOT raccomend:

Previously, I have charged my batteries with an old 4 ports usb charger, which is rated 4 amps (I believe shared betwen ports) and worked just fine, charging them both in around 3 hours.
So, I reasoned that I do not really need the speed of a USB-C, but I could do with more charging ports, and I bought the 10 ports piece of trash linked above instead of a 6 ports 60W Ravpower, .
I charged my new battery with it, which took 1,5h or so (the display showed 1,8amps only, but I thought it might be because it was new and half charged) and in the meanwhile I went flying with the other two, discharging them to 15% or so.

When I came back, I plugged remote and the two batteries into the new charger and started a timer, out of curiosity. The amps on the display kept varying between 1,6 and 2,1 for the two ports charging the batteries. I thought that perhaps is normal, given the batteries have a chip in them controlling the charging process.
1,5h in, the remote was charged but I realized that the display was showing 0 amps for the two batteries.
So, I disconnected and reconnected them both. Again they went on charging between 1,6 and 2,1 amps, allegedly.
The total charging process was 3,5h for one, and 4h and 10 minutes for the other.

I have never seen before the batteries stopping charging and needing replugging like that.
Is that normal?
Is there any way I can check the health status of the batteries?

I have read of quite a few people here on the forum who had the Anafi switching off in-flight, possibly because of dodgy chargers, so I am slightly worried.

Thanks for any advice!
 
Thanks for your very interesting report !
Could you (or anybody else) please clearly explain (and possibly show with pictures) HOW do you measure Charging current, Charging voltage and Internal Resistance of ANAFI batteries ?

Could you (or anybody else) recommend brand and model of a GOOD (!) even if expensive, multiple battery charger that originally has four (or more) USB-C (or at least USB) outputs AND can also show the above electrical parameters ?

Many thanks and best regards from Rome, Italy
:)
Giorgio
 
Last edited:

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