DJI FPV Battery (All You Need to Know)

The DJI FPV drone is one of the most fun drones on the market, and it is a great way to get into the First Person View (FPV) style of drone flying. It also has many of the incredible safety features we have come to love from DJI, such as obstacle avoidance, GPS, and a decent camera to record flights and the spectacular views you will get. 

It’s important to understand your drone battery, how it works and how to care for it, and this is especially true when it comes to FPV drones, as they’re often put to the limit. The DJI FPV battery is no different. 

**The DJI FPV battery is a 2000 mAh 6s LiPo battery with a maximum charging voltage of 25.2 volts. Charge it using the dedicated DJI power supply or the DJI charging hub. It offers a maximum of 20 minute flight time, but, as with any FPV drone, aggressive flying reduces the amount of time in the air. **

Drone batteries are often complicated, and many users have lots of questions when it comes to how to charge, use, and store their batteries. This article will give you all you need to know about DJI FPV batteries and give you some pointers for keeping your battery in top condition for lots of fun flying.

What kind of battery is the DJI FPV battery?  #

The DJI FPV battery is a 2000 mAh 6s LiPo battery. At its very core, It is not much different than most other drone batteries. However, DJI has packed some intelligent features in it so there are some differences that are important to note. 

The word LiPo means that it is a lithium-polymer battery. Lipo batteries are lightweight, and they can be made in different shapes and sizes, making them perfect for drones and other small electronics. They can also withstand a lot of abuse without exploding, unlike some other batteries on the market. However, Lipo batteries can be overcharged and catch on fire if not charged properly. Read our article all about LiPo batteries to learn more about proper care and keeping of your LiPo battery. 

The DJI Intelligent Flight Battery has been created with a lot of technology built into it to help avoid many of the problems that come with regular LiPo batteries, so it is highly unlikely that it will catch on fire. As with all drone batteries, follow the instructions in the manual, and you should have no problems.  

If you’re wondering what 6s means, it means that the DJI FPV battery has 6 cells. The usable voltage range for a LiPo cell is 3.2 volts to 4.2 volts, meaning that a 6s battery can hold up to 25.2 volts. When you charge your DJI battery on the provided charger, it will be fully charged at 25.2 volts. 

The great news about the DJI system is that it will automatically stop charging when your battery is at the required voltage, so you do not have to worry about overcharging your DJI FPV battery like you would with many other FPV batteries.  

How do I charge a DJI FPV battery? #

To charge your DJI intelligent flight battery, be sure to use the included DJI charger or a DJI charging hub. 

With the included single battery charger, first, plug in the charger to an AC power supply. Then attach the battery to the charger using the charging cable while the battery is off. You’ll notice that the battery LEDs will start to indicate how much the battery is charged. When the battery is fully charged, the LEDs will all turn off. You can now detach the charger. 

You can also purchase a charging hub to charge multiple DJI intelligent batteries at once. The hub that is available from DJI will charge three batteries at one time. Unless you got the fly more package that comes with three total batteries, you’ll also want to purchase two more DJI FPV batteries, although you don’t have to have three batteries on the charger at a time to use the charging hub.

You’ll quickly see that it is worth it to have more batteries because FPV is addicting, and you’re going to want to fly more than one battery when you’re out there. The process for charging multiple batteries at a time will be the same using the hub, and you can use the same power cord that came with your drone charger to power the hub. 

When you plug in the hub, it will detect the amount of power that is left in each battery and will begin charging the one that has the most power left first. Then it will continue on with the others according to their power levels. You do not need to wait for all of them to be fully charged to use them. Use the one that is fully charged and the others will continue charging. 

Can I charge the DJI FPV battery while it’s still in the drone? #

Some people wonder if they can charge the DJI FPV drone using the USB-C port on the aircraft itself. The answer is that, unlike some other DJI drone models, on the DJI FPV drone, you cannot charge the battery via the USB port. The port on the drone is only for data transmission. You must use the process above (using a charging hub or the DJI charger) to charge the DJI FPV battery.

Can I use my generic LiPo charger to charge a DJI FPV battery? #

The intelligent flight battery provided by DJI handles all of the voltage, current, and cell balancing. You should not use any other drone battery charger to charge your DJI intelligent flight battery. Doing so can risk damage to the battery by potentially overcharging, charging too fast (which can damage cells), etc.

The DJI battery will also intelligently self-discharge if left unused for a few days. This is helpful to prevent problems with your battery. After one day of being unused, the battery will begin to discharge itself.

How long does it take to charge a DJI FPV battery? #

We all want to get in the air as quickly as possible. It generally takes 50 to 55 minutes to fully charge a DJI FPV battery from empty. You can keep an eye on the LEDs to see how charged your battery is. When the LEDs are completely off, it means the battery is fully charged. Be sure your batteries are fully charged before flying. 

The best practice is to fully charge up your batteries just before using them, rather than trying to charge them up immediately after use. The first reason is that you should never charge a battery while it is hot, but give it some time to cool down. The second reason is that the battery will begin to self-discharge after being unused for a day, so unless you’re flying again the next day, you’ll have to charge up the batteries twice (which increases the wear and tear on the battery).

Can I use other batteries on a DJI FPV drone? #

If you’re already into FPV, there’s a good chance you already have some LiPo batteries lying around from your other drones. You might be wondering if you can just use a different 6s LiPo in your DJI FPV drone. The answer to that is: no! DJI has designed the drone so that it will not fly until a DJI intelligent battery is connected to it. It is necessary to use the proprietary DJI intelligent flight battery on your DJI FPV drone. 

It would be dangerous to try to use different batteries in the DJI FPV drone because of the way the drone is built and the way that the intelligent flight battery works with the operating system of the drone. 

Can I disable the self-discharge on my DJI FPV battery? #

The DJI FPV battery will begin to discharge if it goes unused for a day or so. There is a way to disable the self-discharge. If you do not want your battery to self-discharge over the course of a few days, simply press the button on the battery as if you are checking the status of the charge, and it will delay the self-discharge of your intelligent flight battery.

It basically makes the battery think you will be using it again soon so it will wait to begin the self-discharge for a little while longer. If it will be a relatively long time (a week or more) before using the battery, it’s not recommended to use this self-discharge stall tactic, however. The battery self-discharges in order to preserve the battery cells, and keeping a full charge in the cells for a long period can damage the battery. 

Should I fly with a partially charged battery?  #

It’s so easy to see a battery laying there that you know is only partially charged. Often, you just want to get in the air for a few minutes and have some fun, but you only have a half-charged battery. Should you fly with it? 

The answer is that you should not fly a battery that is partially charged or has entered self-discharge. It can cause potential problems with the battery as well as with the flight system. Ideally, you should fly your DJI FPV drone battery within two days of fully charging it. Plan your time right and get your batteries ready so you can go out and have fun! 

Can I fly my FPV DJI drone in extreme temperatures?  #

The DJI battery is smart and can sense the temperature around it. It will only charge between 41 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (5-40C). If the battery gets past 122F it will stop charging. According to the DJI FPV manual, you should not attempt to fly the DJI FPV Drone if it is colder than 14F or hotter than 104F (-10 to 40C). 

To fly in low temperatures, you should know that the battery capacity is reduced. This means you will probably get less flight time in cold temperatures (between 14-41F or -10 to 5 C). You definitely want to be sure to fully charge the battery, power it on for a little bit, and hover in place to allow it to warm up before sending it off into the cold weather. You also want to be sure to pay special attention to the low voltage warning on the goggles during a flight in cold weather. 

How do I remove and install a DJI FPV drone battery? #

To install the battery into the drone, you must securely attach the battery into the compartment and click the battery buckles into place. Then connect the battery to the power port. Always be sure that the battery is securely attached to the drone before attempting to power it on. 

To remove the battery, disconnect the power port first and then press the battery buckles on the sides of the battery and remove it from its place on the drone. 

How do I know how much the battery is charged?  #

You can check the charge level of your DJI FPV battery by pressing one time on the power button on the battery. The battery level LEDs display the current battery charge level. 

If all four of the LEDs are lit up then the battery level is at least 88%. If three of the LEDs light up and the last one flashes, this means the battery level is between 75% and 88%. If only 3 LEDs light up, the battery is between 63% and 75%. If two batteries light up and the third is flashing, then the battery level is between 50-63%. If only two LEDs light, the battery is between 38%-50%. If one fully lights up and the second flashes, the battery level is between 25%-38%. If only one LED lights up, the battery level is between 13-25%. If the first light is flashing, it indicates that the battery level is between 0-13%. 

Here’s the same information in table form:

LED indications of charge level on DJI FPV Intelligent Flight battery

Number of LEDs lit
Charge level

4 LEDs lit
88% or more

3 LEDs lit, one flashing
75%-88%

3 LEDs lit
63%-75%

2 LEDs lit, one flashing
50%-63%

2 LEDs lit
38%-50%

1 LED lit, one flashing
25%-28%

1 LED lit
13%-25%

1 LED flashing
0%-13%

These LEDs also indicate the charge level when the battery is plugged in and charging. 

What if the LED lights are not lighting up? #

If the LED lights are not lighting up on your battery when installed in the drone, it is probably because the battery has entered hibernation mode. In order to wake a battery from hibernation mode, you must charge it. To charge a battery that has entered hibernation mode, it may need to stay on the charger for longer than usual (several hours) to wake up. 

» MORE: Read this article for more ideas on how to bring a battery out of hibernation mode

Then the LED lights will work appropriately. After plugging your battery into the charger, the LEDs should begin to indicate the level of charge the battery has. When it is fully charged, the LEDs will all go out and the charger will stop charging. 

Conclusion #

Your DJI FPV drone will be a lot of fun, and now you should understand everything you need to know about the DJI FPV battery. As mentioned above, use the right battery for the drone, charge it appropriately, install it correctly, and know how it works. All these things will help you as you are out there flying your DJI FPV Drone. Happy flying!

Image Credit: DJI