Some people overcharge LiPo drone batteries either by mistake or to try and squeeze as much flight time out of the drone as possible. But should you?
You can overcharge a drone LiPo battery, but it could shorten the battery’s life span, cause it to overheat and potentially burst into flames. So overcharging is not a good idea unless your drone has an intelligent flight battery. These batteries are able to automatically cut the power from the battery once it’s fully charged.
How do you know if your drone has an intelligent flight battery? Here’s a quick way to find out.
Does Your Drone Have An Intelligent Flight Battery?
What makes these batteries so great is they will cut the power from the charger automatically once the battery is fully charged. This means you won’t need to constantly remind yourself to check if they’re charged, which could be extremely annoying especially if you want to leave your batteries to charge overnight.
That being said you’re probably wondering if your drone’s battery is “intelligent,” well here’s how you can find out.
- First of all, if you have a DJI drone then your battery is intelligent. All DJI drones come with intelligent flight features. Just keep in mind that for the feature to work properly you’ll have to use an original DJI battery charger. So make sure that you don’t try to leave a battery charging overnight if you’re using the batteries on a random charger.
- Another way to check is in the drone’s manual. The manual should tell you exactly what the drone’s battery is capable and if it will stop charging automatically after its fully charged. Some manufacturers call it a “smart battery” instead of an “intelligent battery,” so make sure you look out for that.
- Call manufacture. If there’s no information in the manual, then call the manufacturers to find out. They’ll have all the information you need on hand.
Whatever you do, just make sure you get the information from a credible source and don’t assume that your battery is intelligent. LiPo batteries can be extremely dangerous, so the last thing you need is for the battery to explode in your home.
How Long Do You Charge A Drone Battery?
Charging time heavily depends on the type of LiPo battery charger you have, how many watt-hours the batteries hold, and how empty the battery is.
Generally speaking, a new drone LiPo battery could take around 70 minutes to charge if you’re charging it through a USB port, or 50 minutes if you’re using a charger.
Now that’s just a general answer. I’ve searched out how long specific drone batteries take to charge and I’ve laid them out below. The charge times below are for batteries that are fully flat. If your battery still holds some charge then it might be a lot quicker.
| Drone Type: | Lithium Battery Wh: | Time To Charge Per Battery: (Rough estimate.) |
| Syma X20 Mini Drone | 0.66 Wh | 70 minutes |
| DJI Ryze Tello battery | 4.18 Wh | 90 minutes |
| Propel Star Wars X-Wing battery | 6.2 Wh | 45 minutes |
| DJI Spark battery | 16.87 Wh | 80 minutes |
| DJI Mavic Mini battery | 17.28 Wh | 80 minutes |
| Parrot Anafi battery | 20.52 Wh | 90 minutes |
| DJI Mavic Air battery | 27.43 Wh | 55 minutes |
| Parrot Bebop 2 | 35.52 Wh | 55 minutes |
| DJI Mavic Pro battery | 43.6 Wh | 70 minutes |
| Autel Robotics EVO battery | 49.02 Wh | 80 minutes |
| DJI Mavic + Zoom 2 battery | 59.29 Wh | 70 minutes |
| DJI Phantom 3 battery | 68 Wh | 70 minutes |
| Yuneec Typhoon H battery | 79.9 Wh | 120 minutes |
| DJI Phantom 4 battery | 81.3 Wh | 70 minutes |
| DJI Inspire 2 battery | 97.58 Wh | 90 minutes |
How Do You Know When A Drones Battery Is Charged?
Well, most of the time there will be some kind of green light that lets you know when the battery is fully charged. A smart battery will even tell you exactly to what percentage level your battery is charged. And if your drone comes with an app that can be installed on your phone, such as the GO app for the DJI, then this information can also be found there.
Since drone manufactures are so different in their methods, I can’t give you a straight answer, however, here are some extremely helpful tips.
- Check the manual. I know no one ever ends up reading those things, but if you still have yours then information on how to know when your drone is fully charged will be shown.
- Plug battery into the charger then look for a light on the battery. For as long as I can remember, most chargers come with a red, orange, and green light. Generally red means the battery is dead, orange means its charging, and green means it’s charged. So if your battery has these lights then keep charging it until it’s green.
- Check your phone’s app. Most drones come with an app that will give you stats on the drone. Some of these apps even display information on the drone’s battery. If your drone has an app it connects to, then open it and check the battery stats.
- Call customer support. The last thing you want is to overcharge your drone’s battery. So if you exhausted all other options and you just have no clue how to see if your drone’s battery is fully charged, then call customer support.
Safety Tips If You Think There’s A Chance That You’ll Overcharge Your Battery
Now if you’re not sure if your drone comes with one of those smart battery features, and you have no idea how long your battery takes to charge, and you still want to leave your LiPo battery to charge overnight, then you’re going to want to be as cautious as possible. There are some simple things you can do to make sure you don’t burn down your house.
- Make sure any smoke is easily noticeable. If your LiPo battery does end up overcharging you need to make sure it’s in a place where you’ll notice it. Some people make the mistake of keeping a charging battery out of sight, so by the time they notice signs of overheating, it’s too late.
- Can you store the outside? The further away from home the better. This will keep your home safe if they do decide to burn up on you.
- Have a fire extinguisher nearby. This is a good idea even if you don’t own a drone. They could very easily save your home!
- Fireproof drone charging stations exist, and they’re awesome. LiPo batteries have caused so many issues that some companies have even designed fireproof charging stations. So if your drone does end up overheating then you’ll have nothing to worry about.
- Charge LiPo batteries in a well ventilated and cool area. Once these batteries go up in flames, they create a TON of toxic smoke. Not something you want to be breathing in the middle of the night while you’re sleeping.
Can You Charge Drone Battery Faster?
I mean you can, if you’re willing to use a charger that charges with more volts, however, this also can and more than likely will damage your drone’s battery.
Here are some reasons why it’s not a good idea to charge your drone’s battery faster.
- If you try to charge it faster then you’ll void the drone warranty. So if the battery does break you’ll have to buy a new one.
- It could cause a LiPo battery to short circuit, overheat and potentially explode.
- It can be dangerous. If you’re going to try it at all, then I highly advise that you keep an eye on the battery.
Final Thoughts
Whether if you’re trying to overcharge your drone to get more flight time, or if you’re worried about leaving your drone to charge overnight, just keep in mind that LiPo batteries can be very dangerous if you’re careless, so make sure you take the necessary precautions.
