Not sure if there has been a thread on this already. With the first couple of flights with my new mini 2, flight times are around the 19/20 minute mark. Does/will the flight time increase as the batteries are put through more charge/discharge cycles. Not that I,m expecting the 31 mins claimed by DJI but something more than what I m currently get would be nice. Fairly sure it will increase but just thought I’d ask the question. Thanks in advance for any advice !!
Hi,
The temperature can affect the performance of batteries and it’s not very warm at the moment.
Maybe the life would increase if you warmed them first, in an inside jacket pocket for instance…
On YouTube a Vlogger called “Ian in London” does a battery test with a Mini 2 and got 27 minutes in cold conditions, flying slowly and steadily. Check it out, it’s informative. (BTW I’m not Ian 
)
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There are sooo many variables with battery life.The flight time that DJI quote was undertaken in absolute optimal conditions of nil wind and ideal temperature range,I have managed between 20 and 27 minutes with my mini depending upon wind and temperature. I always keep an eye upon the battery life/time left indicator and always return and land with some in reserve in case of emergencies.
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Thats about what I’ve been getting flying around.
Stand it the garden 2m up in the still and I got nearly 28 minutes (to 5%)
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Admittedly it has been fairly cold when flying. Will try to keep them warm before the next flight. Checked out @ianinlondon video. Very informative as you say. Cheers @AGWW
Might try that Chris. Just out of curiosity more than anything. Just to see what I can get out of it!
Cheers @Brian. Only got the one battery just now so if 20 mins is the best I get, I,ll need to get another sooner rather than later.
Same here. Got another and gives that extra bit of fun and filming
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25 mins on mine. As others have mentioned, weather /wind plays a major part. When temps rise above 20 (which is not very often) u ll see the flight last for 25+ mins. Flight mode and camera usage also affects the flight.
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I’m new, waiting for my Mini 2 to arrive. Been watching many YouTube videos (yes found Ianinlondon, very good).
I understand that there is an option to stream low resolution video back to the phone whilst flying does this use battery much ? The benefit mentioned was if you crash to have a record and if you want to quickly send video to social media. Neither appeals to me, would soon forget crash !!, any other reason to do it ?
Cheers @Veeru. TBH I’d settle for 25mins. I need to get some more flight time in once this weather picks up. See of my times improve.
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Good Luck, the wind and rain has picked up since I bought mine! Cannot wait for summer!
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Not sure quite what you mean. The drone is always sending a video feed back to your phone.
I don’t think you can turn it off (and can’t imagine you’d ever want to).
You can choose whether your phone stores a local copy of the videos you’re shooting - but that won’t make any difference to the drone battery life.
Ah of course it is, stupid me. Well I did say I was new, been watching so many videos my brain is addled 
. Can’t wait for my drone to arrive.
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Cold reduces battery life
Wind speed reduces battery life (the stronger the wind, the harder the drone must work to fight it)
Charging a battery, no matter what type, doesn’t improve the time it will last as you charge it more often. In fact it will eventually reduce the time and you will eventually have to replace the battery. If only more charging meant longer flight times. Yes certain batteries should be FULLY charged before first use, but this doesn’t apply to the Mini 2. Finally the mode you fly in, affects the flight time. Sports mode being the worst, but as many professionals will tell you, sport is not really a mode they would use very often, for a start you get a warning that this could affect the gimbal, due to the Mini 2’s steeper angle of attack. Sure it’s good for getting to the point where you want to start shooting or to get home against strong wind, a long as you have the remaining battery to make it back of course.
So no, the flight time does not increase as you put the batteries through more charge/discharge cycles. Any increase/decrease, will be based on the weather and your choice of flight mode. My very first flight with the Mini 2, was just over 27 minutes, a very calm day and unusually warm for this time of year. The second was much colder, with low fog and it struggled to get 25 minutes. I tend to give it 20-25 minutes in the air and then bring it home and as I am staying within line of sight, which is a legal requirement, that’s more than sufficient… It’s rare to see videos running for longer than say 10 minutes on YouTube, unless they are several videos edited together, unless you are some crazy person , who likes to break the rules and fly miles from your home point,
A little discovery, that not many of you may know:…All video recordings are limited to 5 minutes, at least with Mini 2 and I imagine that applies to many other drones, as it does to many smartphones and even DSLRS… If you hit record and fly for say approx 15 minutes, you will find there are 3 videos on the MicroSD card, each 5 minutes or less in length.
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4GB filing system, been the same for years
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Thanks for the reply @Andy601960. Thinking about the first couple of flights with the mini 2, what you have said makes sense. With it being a new drone I was putting it through it paces, trying out all flights modes, photos, video and of course it hasn’t been the warmest either. I’ll see what results I get as the weather warms up (hopefully) and I settle into more regular flying. Cheers mate.
I’ve only got one Mini 2 battery, but I bought a couple of Mini 1 batteries from itstor on ebay (half the price of the Mini 2 batteries) and I don’t think there’s that much difference between the two types at all. They take about the same time to charge, and last nearly the same within a couple of minutes. The only thing is they weigh a couple of grams more than the M2 batteries so if you’re worried about the drone weight police, I’d leave them alone.
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Is there any difference in power using the mini 1 batteries? I thought the upgraded batteries made for the mini 2 were the main reason for the better performance in the wind and better flight stability generally.
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Haven’t done any scientific tests, but I haven’t noticed any difference, I just switch it on and fly it!
They’re cheaper and work, done deal.
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