Credit: David Rodriguez Martin / flickr.com/photos/trotaparamos
You are having a great time, your quadcopter high in the air and you are getting some great video….and then you notice that you are running out of battery. Obviously you want to fly as long as possible, and there are actually some things that you can do to make your drone fly longer.
Remove protective elements
Protective gear like propeller protectors are great to have, but they weigh down your quadcopter. The increase in weight makes it use more power, and your battery will run out faster.
If you have experience enough to fly safely you can do without the extra weight. Try to fly in open areas where there is little risk of crashing into anything.
Fly in the right conditions
Rain and heavy wind makes it more difficult for your drone to maneuver and remain stable. This will drain battery and reduce your continuous flight time.
Fly in good weather – If you fly when there is a lot of wind or rain the drone will have to spend energy to stabilize and to maneuver, which will drain your battery faster. Credit: Christopher Schmidt / flickr.com/photos/crschmidt/
Get better batteries
There is a good chance that there are more efficient batteries available now than the ones you got delivered with your quadcopter. The manufacturers are continually improving the batteries. You will need to look for the same type of battery that you got with your drone, but with higher mAh. A higher mAh will make the battery run longer.
If you remove the drones protective gear you will make it lighter and prolong flight time. Only do this if you have enough experience and only fly it in open areas, not like in this picture! Credit: Matt Brown / flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/
Skip the camera
If you are not taking any pictures, or video, you are better off flying without the extra weight. Not only does the camera weigh down the quadcopter, but some also use the battery of the quadcopter, which will further reduce your flight time.
Remove skins and stickers
Skins and stickers might look cool on your drone, but it is also an unnecessary weight. By removing them you will make it lighter and it will fly longer.
Another thing you can do to faster get your drone up in the air is to bring extra fully charged batteries. That way you can get it up in the air fast and don’t have to lose time recharging.
