The Problem.
The Web shows that several people, like me, have experienced broken battery clips on their DJI Intelligent Batteries. My clip lost its springyness when the end connected to the main body of the battery cracked open, causing the body of the clip to be pushed into the recess.
My battery is only 9 months old (so out of warranty) and I don’t want to pay for another battery, hence this scheme. I put this forward to explain what I have done rather than to claim a perfect solution.
Items Used
I used:
Epoxy resin
Superglue
A short strip of 5mm wide paper
2 pieces of cellotape
The Repair Sceme
The idea is to put superglue into the crack, immediately pull the clip end out of the recess to return it to its normal position before the glue sets, then reinforce the clip end with a thin coating of epoxy resin. This work invalidates any battery warranty so should not be attempted during the warranty period.
The Steps
Step 1. Thread the thin strip of paper carefully around the back of the clip and sellotape one end to the battery body.
Step 2. Carefully apply superglue to the open crack, then immediately pull tight the other end of the paper strip (which pulls the clip back into position while closing the crack). Support the clip in place by sellotaping the free end of the taught paper tape to the battery.
Step 3. When the superglue has set, with the clip still held in place by the sellotaped paper strip, apply a thin coat of epoxy resin over the closed crack (and dried superglue). This extra material further supports the weakest part of the clip during the subsequent repeated removal of the battery from the drone.
Step 4. I left the tape in place for 24 hours before removing it. To test the repair I firstly inserted the battery into my Mini 3 checking that both battery clips had engaged correctly. I then carefully removed it. I repeated this process 20 times and inspected the repair each time: there was no sign of weakness. This battery has now flown short distances 10 times for a few minutes each time at very low level (just in case!) with the battery removed and replaced each time. The battery appears secure on the drone so is back with the other batteries in my inventory
Lessons Learned
The clips have an inherent design weakness as it is possible to push the clips too far into their recesses, and this can over-stress the “hinge” end of the clip over time causing it to crack or fail completely.
As applying too much pressure on the clips when removing the batteries is the cause of the problem, the clips should be squeezed as little as practicable when removing the batteries. I’ve now adopted a regime where I start by applying a pulling force to the battery without disengaging the clips. At the same time I slowly increase the squeeze on the battery clips until my fingers depress the clips just enough for the pulling force to release the battery.
I don’t know how long this repair will last, and I’m not holding this up as the perfect solution. But I think at the very least it will give my battery a new lease of life, and I hope these notes might help others with the same problem.
