For long time flighting, Please recommend external battery...Design collaboration continues with Neil Watts on the X5/X5R auxiliary battery mount.
New V9 allows for upper plate battery mounting while allowing batteries to move forward under the Inspire boom support rod for much better center of gravity mounting.
Battery Mod Info
- Thread starter damoncooper
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Emtea, did you try to solder onto the PCB while it was in the position of this picture? I can tell you that I'm pretty decent with a soldering iron and there is no way I'd be able to do it like this. I needed to remove the plastic housing around the PCB in order to complete the job. The front plastic housing was still loosely connected due to rubber grommets connected to the motor wires. I just tied some string to it and pulled it out of the way while I was soldering. Secondly, I could tell from your pic that your gps wire would work. Just some cosmetic melting on the protective sheath around the wire. I wouldn't sweat it. I do that kind of stuff all the time. Look at my picture again. I melted the plastic housing that contains the battery contacts! Thankfully I didn't melt it to the point of the battery contacts moving and no longer lining up correctly.
In the end, I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. This isn't an easy job by any means. It takes a steady hand and some extra preparation due to all the things that are in the way - speaking of which, the gps wire is completely removeable. It plugs into the gps and the PCB so you can have it removed and out of the way for the soldering job. I think you are doing it right with the 100 watt iron. Usually I keep things a little cooler when dealing with circuit boards, but this area of the PCB is almost completely "off" the PCB with that big battery contact surface. You need to solder at least a 16 gauge wire on there so a thin flat top with a hot iron is my suggestion.
Either way, I can understand not wanting to go this route. For future reference, here are some tips I've picked up over the years from soldering with R/c.
Think about the job ahead of time and what it would take to remove as many things as possible away from the heat so as nothing gets damaged.
Scuff your surface that you are soldering to. Clean it with some rubbing alcohol.
Get some good solder. Here is the stuff I use. It is cheap and hasn't failed me yet. Alpha Fry AT-31604 60-40 Rosin Core Solder (4 Ounces) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00030AP48/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_Z0WzxbVAMRTFT
Tin your iron. Tin the soldering surface. Tin the wire. When you touch all 3 together, you'll get a great transfer of heat and the wire will melt right into the soldering surface fast.
Damon, that is some slick work! I really like the look of these mounts.Design collaboration continues with Neil Watts on the X5/X5R auxiliary battery mount.
New V9 allows for upper plate battery mounting while allowing batteries to move forward under the Inspire boom support rod for much better center of gravity mounting.
Just curious, has there been any thought with the folks you are working with for making a single battery mount? Sorta like my hack job mount I made for the 6600 LiHV, but way nicer? Like, I think it would cool to have a mount that is essentially a double open ended box that you slide a single large battery into with a Velcro strap or two to hold it in place.
Correct. Great performance for the money. I was able to get in 5 more flights this weekend. All of them were 26 minutes long using DJI TB48 and Multistar 6600 LiHV
Did you use maxamp 1850mah or 2000mah? Please let me know that whice one i have to choice between maxamp one and mutilstar 6600mah for long range flighting?
I have not used maxamp. I have used the 5200 Lectron 6S lipo and the 6600 Multistar 6S LiHV.
Thanks! I had the board leaning forward (i.e. I removed the 5 philips screws so there's definitely space to solder it). I've tried everywhere to look for a smaller soldering tip, I may try the A/C mod again because I think it's better than the battery mod...I'm off on a trip starting at the end of the week so I think I'll give it another go when I'm back.
I am using 60/40 solder as well, though not that brand. I think if I had a smaller tip it would help a lot...I've seen people wrap wire coils around the tip and then use the wire as the tip instead so it's smaller/sharper but not sure if that's a great idea. I did see that you ended up melting a bit of the plastic, which I figured I would end up doing as well! I think I've had harder soldering jobs than this in some wire looms for cars but it's just the one-time nature of it that kind of puts me off from really going for it (as in, if you screw up you're kind of really screwed). Oh well! My bird is grounded for now and I'll have about a month or so to get this wired up and tested for a friend's wedding.
This is an ultra cheap soldering iron that works well.
Amazon.com: Weller SP40NKUS 40 Watt LED Soldering Iron Kit, Red/Black: Home Improvement
It will comes with a few tips that are small and will work well for this application. It is only 40 watts, but if you set up everything well, it should work just fine. This is the iron I used to do the job on mine.
Here is a 60 watt version:
Amazon.com: Weller WPS18MP High-Performance Soldering Iron: Home Improvement
It only comes with a pointed conical tip, though. You'd have to also buy the chisel tip for it:
Amazon.com: Weller Chisel Tip - 1 in Tip Length - 0.125 in Tip Width - Chisel Tip Shape - 0.03125 in Thick - WPS11 [PRICE is per EACH]: Home Improvement
Amazon.com: Weller SP40NKUS 40 Watt LED Soldering Iron Kit, Red/Black: Home Improvement
It will comes with a few tips that are small and will work well for this application. It is only 40 watts, but if you set up everything well, it should work just fine. This is the iron I used to do the job on mine.
Here is a 60 watt version:
Amazon.com: Weller WPS18MP High-Performance Soldering Iron: Home Improvement
It only comes with a pointed conical tip, though. You'd have to also buy the chisel tip for it:
Amazon.com: Weller Chisel Tip - 1 in Tip Length - 0.125 in Tip Width - Chisel Tip Shape - 0.03125 in Thick - WPS11 [PRICE is per EACH]: Home Improvement
So my Dual 2200 6s 20c setup I have been experimenting with has been super consistent !!! 27-30 min depending on environment. I'm thinking about putting a kit together and selling it on my store in Canada. How would you guys suggest I price it ?
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Read this whole thread and thanks to all the contributors. It might save me from trading my Inspire for a Phantom just to get more flight time.
Gonna try a different tack that I don't believe was mentioned:
Picked up 2 5000mah 3s 30c at Graves RC in Rosemont total weight about 700g IIRC and intend to mount them vertically on the forward edge either side of the battery compartment.
Any thoughts on this config? Plan is to wire the AC but not gonna happen for a bit as work is busy. Do have a question though concerning connectors and the male/ female configuration. Should both the battery and AC wires terminate in F, and do the series harness in M?
Gonna try a different tack that I don't believe was mentioned:
Picked up 2 5000mah 3s 30c at Graves RC in Rosemont total weight about 700g IIRC and intend to mount them vertically on the forward edge either side of the battery compartment.
Any thoughts on this config? Plan is to wire the AC but not gonna happen for a bit as work is busy. Do have a question though concerning connectors and the male/ female configuration. Should both the battery and AC wires terminate in F, and do the series harness in M?
I have a similar setup weighs 702g with 5550mah, your 2 battery pack 3S setup will still only have 5000mah total and has to be wired in series and you have to charge both every time. It would be easier to just use a single 6S pack, I was able to get 25 minutes full throttle the entire time and 31 minutes hover on Inspire 1 V2, X3 camera. No fancy mounts just 3M dual lock on the bottom of battery compartment and top of battery, I went with simple and minimal.
Attachments
You want the aux Battery connector to match your charger.
Thanks for the video tutorial !!! She's all ready for action!!
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Thanks for the video tutorial !!! She's all ready for action!!
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Kyle makes a good point with matching your charger. Saves some soldering time. I should have made my point more clearly: I'm under the assumption that anyone making this modification knows how to solder. That being said, you can be the one that chooses which side gets the M and the F ends of the plug. It was this thread (and all of Damon's initial and continuing work on this project) that got me turned onto the XT plug. I come from a background of R/C cars over the past 20-25 years. I've always used W.S. Deans plugs. I see Deans are still in circulation these days but I can never find actual Deans... it is always some knockoff that doesn't connect as well as the original. Either way, I still like these newer (or at least, new to me) XT plugs. I like how they designate a + and - side. Sure, those are just markings and really mean nothing, but considering batteries you buy (and if you buy leads pre-soldered), they are always going to come following those designations. I like that. Saves me time. I also like the fact that they are completely "closed" regardless of being the M or F side. Very unlikely to short on something and they cover up or completely muffle out any sparks when plugging them in.
Since you are using two batteries in series, you do have a special scenario where you won't be following the + and - symbols on the XT plugs. You'll have to make a series lead where at least one of the plugs will not be following that designation. Still not difficult to do. Just make a small drawing if you need to in order to keep everything straight.
Been meaning to ask everyone using that sweet saddle bag configuration with 2 smaller batteries. What have you all been doing when packing your Inspire? Is the saddle easily removed or have you all modified your cases to make it fit?
Kyle, I'm not sure how you would price out your kit for a mod battery setup. Are you selling it all as one? Meaning, DJI battery, auxiliary battery holder and the two 2200 batteries?
Great post nick !! I also love the xt60 connector !
have 2 x 2200 in parallel if you were referring to me with the series mention.
And I think I have figured it out.
I'm planning on:
carrying the batteries for anyone already modded
Selling a kit with all the gear for the diy guys
Selling a kit with install included
I really prefer the bird side mod to the battery mod but I know it's not for everyone!
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have 2 x 2200 in parallel if you were referring to me with the series mention.
And I think I have figured it out.
I'm planning on:
carrying the batteries for anyone already modded
Selling a kit with all the gear for the diy guys
Selling a kit with install included
I really prefer the bird side mod to the battery mod but I know it's not for everyone!
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cool man.
I was referencing Pescatoral's post since he was the one that mentioned running two 3S batteries.
Ahhhh gotcha !! This is such an awesome thread !! So much killer info !!
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Interesting, my battery's bracket can't be installed so forward like yours, can you give me the ref' and the supplier?You want the aux Battery connector to match your charger.
Thanks for the video tutorial !!! She's all ready for action!!
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Thanks in advance
Which one do you have?
Mine is the x5 version
DJI Inspire 1 Dual Battery Plate - Aero3D
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