Longer flight times. Dji f450.

[jbevuk]

Hi, I have recently purchased a f450 with naza and GPS. I'm currently using 3s 2200 packs. I'm looking to increase flight times and hoping for 15-20 minutes per flight. Just wondering what capacity and how many cells other people are flying these with. As I don't want to buy a battery that is so big that it won't fly. Thanks for any help.

[ghost2212]

I don't think you will ever get a flight time of 15-20 mins with decent performance out of your current setup just by changing the batteries. Remember that just adding capacity doesn't keep increasing flight time as eventually you get to the point that your drawing so much current to lift the extra weight it offsets the extra capacity your carrying. I wouldn't personally go more than about 3s 4000mah and would be more like 3000mah. If you add too much weight it will handle terribly and not give you any real difference in flight time.

[dillwhacker]

I am very interested in this.
I have a 450 with NAZA and GPS and a GoPro and a 2 servo gimbal and FPV camera and VTX.
I use 3S-3350 and 4S-3000 Lipos and get about 6 or 7 minutes typical flying down to 20% remaining. That seems a bit short and disappointing to me and I have often wondered if there is something amiss.
I think it makes a BIG difference to the flight time if you are just hovering or hooning around.
I would be interested in what flight times / batts other folks manage to achieve.
6 minutes is not a lot when you are FPV and a distance away or at height and need to descend slowly.
BTW any comments about fast descent welcome also - mine seems to lose the plot if I descend too quickly, and ends up in the mud....
Thanks all.
T

[jbevuk]

Re: Longer flight times. Dji f450.

Thank you both for your replies. I'm getting about 6 minutes at the moment. I have looked on you tube and there are some flight which last around 25 minutes. I don't need that much. But I would definitely like more than what I'm getting. I have no fpv at the moment as funds don't stretch that far. But I'm flying really high. For practice and it feels like by the time I get up its time to get back down! Maybe a 4000mah may be enough. Would you anyone recommend 3s or 4s batteries? It says in the instructions to use the smaller props with 4s batteries so I can't imagine getting any more flight time. Also, why is it recommended to use smaller props with 4s batteries?

[ghost2212]

Thank you both for your replies. I'm getting about 6 minutes at the moment. I have looked on you tube and there are some flight which last around 25 minutes. I don't need that much. But I would definitely like more than what I'm getting. I have no fpv at the moment as funds don't stretch that far. But I'm flying really high. For practice and it feels like by the time I get up its time to get back down! Maybe a 4000mah may be enough. Would you anyone recommend 3s or 4s batteries? It says in the instructions to use the smaller props with 4s batteries so I can't imagine getting any more flight time. Also, why is it recommended to use smaller props with 4s batteries?

Got any examples of flights lasting 25 minutes?, both 3s and 4s will probably work but when you add FPV gear if you use 4s you will have to regulate it down to 12v which adds extra complication and mess. The reason you use smaller props with 4s is to lower the amp draw as with higher voltage the motors will spin faster so you drop the prop size to lower it.

[ghost2212]

I am very interested in this.
I have a 450 with NAZA and GPS and a GoPro and a 2 servo gimbal and FPV camera and VTX.
I use 3S-3350 and 4S-3000 Lipos and get about 6 or 7 minutes typical flying down to 20% remaining. That seems a bit short and disappointing to me and I have often wondered if there is something amiss.
I think it makes a BIG difference to the flight time if you are just hovering or hooning around.
I would be interested in what flight times / batts other folks manage to achieve.
6 minutes is not a lot when you are FPV and a distance away or at height and need to descend slowly.
BTW any comments about fast descent welcome also - mine seems to lose the plot if I descend too quickly, and ends up in the mud....
Thanks all.
T

What mode are you in when trying to do fast descents?

[dillwhacker]

I have measured the current taken by the FPV, VTX, LEDs etc and its only about an amp or two - much less than the motors.
I don't know about prop sizes - presumably small props respond quicker, but are less efficient.
Would be good to hear from anyone getting ten minutes plus, as is so often claimed....
Also descent rates - how fast do you reckon you can descend under good control of the NAZA? Mine is pitiful - about 2 or 3 metres per second absolute tops and it goes VERY wobbly, and often just loses it completely and just crashes. Is that normal?
Interesting stuff for me.
Cheers, Trev

[dillwhacker]

What mode are you in when trying to do fast descents?

Thanks Ghost..
GPS mode but not IOC. Compass calibrated and gains tweeked for pretty nice flight, & flies well in hover & hooning about, just seems wobbly if I want to come vertically down fast? Maybe reasonable thinking about the mechanics of fast descent??..
Cheers!
T
Gonna crash now, thanks & chat soon
T

[jbevuk]

Re: Longer flight times. Dji f450.

I can't find the video I was after now. I will have a look when I get on my pc as I'm using mobile at the moment. But I thought if he was getting that long then 15-20 minutes would be easy to get. I will go for 3s then as I like the simplicity of it being close to 12v already for when I get a camera.

[ghost2212]

Thanks Ghost..
GPS mode but not IOC. Compass calibrated and gains tweeked for pretty nice flight, & flies well in hover & hooning about, just seems wobbly if I want to come vertically down fast? Maybe reasonable thinking about the mechanics of fast descent??..
Cheers!
T
Gonna crash now, thanks & chat soon
T

Maybe give it a go in manual mode, Descending with any multirotor is quite a hard thing to do smoothly because you are essentially falling through the very turbulent air that you've just created with your props. The more you reduce the throttle the less control authority you have over the attitude of the model as well.

From what I've seen the Naza is far from ideal for more spirited flying as such unfortunately so that could be the problem. It seems to have been engineered more for autolevel flight which is pretty boring for most of the time tbh.

[HAWK 30]

Hi
I am all new to FPV and quads, only had about 4 flights, I have the DJI 450, without a gimbal and I am getting 10min with 25% left in my battery. I am currently using hobby king 3cell 5000mAh.

Just out of interest, any of you guys using a JR11 X ? I am struggling to set the failsafe switch, IOC, return to home! I would be happy with the failsafe switch set so I can go fpv any advice is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.