Power Banks Keep Drone Batteries Fully Charged for Longer

drone battery drone batteries power bank power banks RAVPower

Whether you fly drones as a hobbyist or for professional reasons (RGB mapping, aerial photography etc.), you’ll agree it’s sometimes a challenge to keep them in the air as long as you’d like. Flight times vary widely based on factors like speed, height above sea level and the number of accessories in use, meaning even experienced pilots have to keep a close eye on the battery gauge. These days, more users are turning to power banks to charge their drone batteries. Bringing a substantial power source with you on your excursions guarantees your flight time won’t be abruptly cut short—and lessens the likelihood of having to hunt through the bush when your drone unexpectedly plummets to earth.

flight time portable charger DJI Mavic Pro RAVPower Power Station
 

About Drone Batteries

Each model of drone will have its own custom battery—not only do custom drone batteries open up greater design possibilities, but they also ensure that customers will have to purchase their replacements from the original manufacturer. With that said, most drones use modern LiPo (Lithium Polymer) batteries, just like those in phones and laptops. Compared to previous battery technology (nickel-cadmium and nickel-hydride for example), LiPos are able to maintain very high energy density. This means they can store more power at a time, which is key for achieving reasonable intervals between charges for energy-intensive tech.

Drone batteries can be susceptible to fire, and over time they will begin to lose the high end of their capacity. LiPo batteries should not be kept at 100% charge, as this hastens the degradation. Both of these issues can be mitigated by sticking to quality, compatible products.

AC Outlet Power Bank Comparison Amazon DJI Shenzhen

 

Why Use Power Banks For Drones?

We’ve written before about the protections high-quality power banks offer, which prevent overcharging and automatically reduce dangerous temperatures. Drone users will often pack backup batteries for longer trips, but power banks can also capably meet this need. Rather than depleting your main drone battery all the way to 0% before switching to your backup (which both damages the battery and lengthens recharge cycles), you can switch them out regularly and keep both in the 20% – 80% safe zone. If you’re using your phone or tablet as a controller, you can also keep it plugged into your portable charger as you go, with the bank either in your pocket or a backpack.

Our latest high performance power banks are compatible with the AC output favored by most drone manufacturers, and with a huge 27000mAh capacity they’re good for several drone battery charges and many hours of flight. They’re also capable of charging multiple devices at once, with smart technology to safely manage the power demands of each.

RAVPower Solar Charger Solar Power Bank AC Adapter How To Charge Your Drone With A Power Bank
 

Fly Without Limits

It’s always advisable to test out how much flight time you get on a single charge before taking your drone out on a long excursion. Most manufacturers refuse to give an estimate of the flight time you can expect with a new drone battery simply because there are so many variables that go into performance. Even if your particular model isn’t built for a (figurative) trans-Atlantic journey, a good portable charger will help you make it wherever you need to go.

 

Have you tried using a portable charger to extend your drone’s battery life? Let us know about your experiences in the comments!

 

Charge your drone wherever you are. Our RAVPower 27000mAh Portable AC Charger is now 25% of until May 25. Simply enter 2AF2CXJ2 at the checkout to keep those birds in flight!

14 Replies to “Power Banks Keep Drone Batteries Fully Charged for Longer

  1. Hi, I bought a RAVPower 20700mAh AC Outlet. It charge my DJI Mavic Air batteries well! However, it is unable to charge my DJI Phantom 4 battery, all the 5 LEDs on powerbank will flash (it means abnormal connection from the user guide) and cut off all the power. What is the reason behind it?

    1. Hi Jason!
      By ‘It charge my DJI Mavic Air batteries well!’, you mean how well? how many times/batteries?

      Thanks in advance!

  2. I just bought this and it only charged my Mavic Air batter once and then only had 2 dots (10% left of charge left). Is this normal? Very disappointed..

    1. Hi Taylor,
      You should definitely be getting more than 1 charge. It is not normal. As a new charger you are covered by our warranty and we will send you a new one. Could you please email support@ravpower.com with your Amazon Order ID and reason for return. We will issue you a new one shortly.

      We wrote a post about how many charges a battery will get with a power bank. You can use it to give a rough estimate on how many charges you should be getting.

      By the way, are you Proteus88 on the DJI forum?

      1. After a week of emailing with “Kaye” from customer support, he finally helped with the power consumption calculation. Based on his calculations, and the performance I experienced, the PowerBank only lasts “1.4” charges of the Mavic Air battery.

        Stating “with a huge 27000mAh capacity they’re good for several drone battery charges and many hours of flight. ” Seems dishonest.

        This is disappointing. I think the advertisement of this as a real charging option is questionable at best – especially with a photo of the Mavic Air and this charger.

        For the cost of around $200 CAD it is better value to buy 2 DJI Intelligent batteries and save lugging this around during travel. Disappointing.

        1. Hey Taylor,
          We’re going to leave this up for others so they can see. We’re also going to modify our text to reflect your experience. That said, if anyone else is using our power bank with a drone, please let us know your experience.

          1. I just picked up the RP-PB055 and I was only able to charge 2 mavic air batteries that were at ~20%. I charged the ravpower battery pack overnight so it was roughly charging for 9 hours. All 8 LEDs on ravpower battery pack were lit up.

          2. hi… i’m using mine on my mavic pro… it just suddenlt cuts out of charging then i have to turn on the ac again then it cuts out again. I’m scared something might happen to my battery. The dji charger is only 50w. hopefully i can try out another unit and then send this one i have? please reply to cgdizon@hotmail.com thanks!

            1. Hi Ian,
              Seems very strange. You should turn the power bank on first, then connect your drone to it. As your drone is only 50W, both our 20100mAh model (65W) and our 27000mAh model (85W) will work.

      2. I recently purchased your 26000mAH USB-C capable powebank. I am using it to charge the batteries on my Skydio 2 drone. I am only able to get 1.5 charges! The batteries are 4,200 mAh each and they were both at about 10% when I started charging them. The Skydio 2 charger draws 3A @ 5V according to your post on ‘how many charges a battery will get with a power bank’, I should be expecting:

        (26,800 *3.7v/5v * .85)/ 4200 = 4 charges. I only got 1.6 charges. Is my unit faulty?

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