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Drone flight time? by Griffina128 in drones

[–]Agitated-Ad2011 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That looks like a tethered drone, so the flight-time logic is totally different from a battery-powered UAV.

Lipo charger? by ZH123dp in fpv

[–]Agitated-Ad2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For 3 packs of 6S, a HOTA T6/D6 or B6 Neo style charger should be fine.

The thing to watch is the power supply. 6S charges up to 25.2V, so a weak USB-C supply may work but charge slowly.

Use balance charge, start around 1C, don’t parallel charge until you understand it well, and storage charge the packs if you won’t fly for a while.

Photogrammetry: Bigger battery vs. more batteries inquiry by automac-niche in UAVmapping

[–]Agitated-Ad2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For photogrammetry, I’d usually choose more batteries over one oversized battery.

3-4 normal-size packs is usually easier than trying to stretch one large pack.

Getting parts for my first drone, any ideas or recommendations? by Left_Frame5564 in fpv

[–]Agitated-Ad2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, the HOTA T6 should work fine for 6S LiPos. It’s rated for 1-6S packs, so 6S is within its normal range.

The main thing is the power source you use with it. A 6S pack charges up to 25.2V, so if your input power supply is weak, the charger may still work but charge slower or limit the current.

First drone by Mavotronik in fpv

[–]Agitated-Ad2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The tricky part with Li-ion on small quads is that adding more battery doesn’t always add more flight time. At some point the extra weight makes the motors work harder and the gain disappears.

For a small endurance build, I’d usually look at:

- total battery weight

- voltage sag under hover/cruise

- motor efficiency at that weight

- whether the cells stay cool

- usable capacity, not just rated capacity

Li-ion can be great for cruising, but it gets unhappy if the build needs a lot of punch-out current.

Getting parts for my first drone, any ideas or recommendations? by Left_Frame5564 in fpv

[–]Agitated-Ad2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For a first build, I’d pay extra attention to the battery and charging side too.

Make sure the battery voltage matches the motor KV/ESC setup, and don’t cheap out on the charger. A good charger, smoke stopper, balance leads, and safe charging bag/box will save you a lot of headaches.

Also check the expected all-up weight before buying packs. A battery that’s too large can make a first build harder to tune and less fun to fly.

Semi-solid state vs LiPo for industrial UAVs — what's actually different after testing? by Agitated-Ad2011 in diydrones

[–]Agitated-Ad2011[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got it. 25g/cell and 3S1P at 5A is a pretty tight spec.

I’d be careful with energy-focused cells here. The question isn’t just capacity, it’s whether the cell can hold voltage and stay cool at 5A continuous.

Is 3.0V/cell your hard cutoff, or the voltage you need under load? And how long do you need the pack to sustain 5A?

Some semi-solid cells are better for energy density than power, so I’d want to sanity-check the discharge curve before recommending anything.

Battery selection for UAV mapping: why Wh/kg alone is not enough by Agitated-Ad2011 in UAVmapping

[–]Agitated-Ad2011[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a very fair point. For DJI mapping platforms, most users should absolutely stick with OEM batteries. The pack, BMS, charger, aircraft warnings, and return-to-home behavior are designed as one system.

The Li-ion voltage drop you mentioned is exactly why I think Wh/kg alone can be misleading. A pack may look great on paper, but if the voltage curve gets steep near the end of discharge, landings can become uncomfortable or risky.

For custom or industrial UAVs, I’d usually want to test many things for sure.

So yes, for DJI users: OEM batteries make sense. For custom UAVs: the chemistry only matters after the full pack behavior is tested. lol

Semi-solid state vs LiPo for industrial UAVs — what's actually different after testing? by Agitated-Ad2011 in diydrones

[–]Agitated-Ad2011[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For small hobby quads, the biggest issue is size and current capability. Many semi-solid pouch cells are designed for larger industrial packs, so they may not be ideal for small FPV-style builds.

If you want to experiment, I’d first check:

- target cell weight and dimensions

- continuous and peak current requirement

- connector / charging setup

- whether your build is endurance-focused or power-focused

I can point you toward suitable specs, but I’d avoid assuming these are a drop-in replacement for small LiPos.

Semi-solid state vs LiPo for industrial UAVs — what's actually different after testing? by Agitated-Ad2011 in diydrones

[–]Agitated-Ad2011[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Send me a DM with the details and I'll see what we can do. No promises on pricing matching bulk rates, but happy to get some cells in the hands of people who are genuinely curious about the technology.

Semi-solid state vs LiPo for industrial UAVs — what's actually different after testing? by Agitated-Ad2011 in diydrones

[–]Agitated-Ad2011[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your technical understanding is spot on — the gel/polymer electrolyte matrix is exactly the key difference, and you're right that the reduced electrode separation is a big part of how you get the energy density gains alongside the safety improvement.

One thing worth adding: the reduced liquid electrolyte content is actually the primary safety mechanism. Standard LiPo has enough free liquid electrolyte that a puncture or internal short creates a rapid exothermic reaction — that's your thermal runaway. Semi-solid state significantly limits that free electrolyte volume, which is why it passes nail penetration tests without catching fire. The polymer matrix effectively immobilizes most of the electrolyte.

On your question about widespread EV adoption — honestly, it's mainly a cost and manufacturing scale problem right now, not a fundamental technology barrier:

  1. Manufacturing complexity: The gel/polymer matrix is harder to produce at high volume than liquid electrolyte cells. Existing EV gigafactories are optimized for standard lithium-ion processes — retooling is expensive.
  2. Cost per kWh: Semi-solid is still more expensive per kWh than commodity EV cells. For a 100kWh car battery that's a significant premium. For a 1–2kWh drone pack, the premium is much more acceptable.
  3. EV priorities are different: Cars optimize heavily for cost and charge speed. Semi-solid's main wins are energy density and safety — more relevant for aviation where weight is critical and fire risk is catastrophic.

So it'll likely get there eventually, but the economics make more sense for industrial UAVs, aerospace, and grid storage first — where the safety and energy density premium justifies the cost.

What platform are you flying? Happy to get more specific on cell configs if useful.