A drone’s battery is truly a crucial component. Care for it well and you will both prolong its life and optimise the coverage of every UAV mission you fly. But treat it poorly and, one way or another, your operation’s performance is likely to suffer.
When you receive a new drone battery, if you plan to use it right away, charge it up to 100%. If not, it’s optimal short-term storage level is 70% (intelligent charging units, such as the senseFly SmartCharger, enable this kind of charging precision).
1-2 days before your battery’s first operation, charge it up to 100%. Then, when your flights are over, charge your battery again to 70% until its next use.
If you notice a significant drop in your drone’s available flight time after fully charging one of your batteries, do not continue to use or charge that battery. Such a reduced power capacity can indicate an internal fault.
Immediately after flight, your UAV’s battery may be hot. To avoid potential damage, wait until the battery is cool enough to hold in your hand before charging it again.
If possible, always charge batteries in a LiPo guard bag (see image below) as these are designed to limit the spread of fire or explosion.
