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maestro battery charging time?
Answers
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I have been able to get 3.5 to 4 hrs of battery run-time using the Mogix on the 2.5A port.
I am not sure about recharge time. I just plug in wired power and have never paid any attention to how long it takes to charge. It is usually ready to go when I want to take Maestro untethered.0 -
Many factors will affect charge time; a USB 2 port has a lesser charge budget than a USB 3 port. Then that budget may be shared if an external USB hub is used. Then some external USB hubs (StarTech ST4300USBMS) have external 12V connections that will supply maximum USB3 budget to each connected port.
YMMV could have been my only reply.
My battery did not charge when connected to the StarTech without external power (USB Hard drive took all the budget) but charged (don't know how long) when connected to a front panel USB 2 port.
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Tim, Before I hit the payment key on two of the Mogix Batteries thought it best to ask you if any additional cables are needed? Example USB to Micro ? Thanks, Corey0
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For use with the Maestro, the answer is no. The Mogix comes with a USB charging cable for charging it externally of the Maestro.0
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good to know .. I had to get a friend to manage this they are not available in NZ and amazon won't ship to NZ - can't find anything local in NZ that fitted, had capacity, size or autostart!
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I am assuming its being charged off Maestro only and that the unit has the capability to do so? I am guessing max 1A charge so would take 10 hours to full recouperate
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I get very close to 4 hours running on a fully charged Mogix. I have not timed it precisely though. Maestro will charge the battery when installed in the case. I do not know the charging time.0
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Simon, you can use any batteries. Your not fixed to a brand. Only on outer dimensions if you like build in! There are many products from 2.000 - 50.000 mAh - Ebay, Amazon ... and if you need much more operating time like a fieldday you can connect a car battery0
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Chris - not strictly true - the internal battery also needs to be able supply 2.5A connection - I wanted the internal battery mentioned by Flex with the autostart too - there are also new restrictions on shipping now for batteries by air since March which means the NZ supplies of Lipoly LiIon batteries are drying up as now it must come by sea
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Simon, most battery pack has 2 USB connectors. USB#2 in most cases can 2.5A.
FRS not recommend any brand (i have not seen)
FRS use standard electric values . If you buy a battery you have to take care these values and the outer dimension. Not more.
73 Chris
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2.1A will work fine. You do not have to have 2.5A as we originally said.1
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ohh well .. I could have gotten 2.1A devices here .. never mind I got 2 x Mogix sorted ROFL
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I received the Maestro today- good work guys!!!
I do have a question or two on the battery. I have two Mojix 10400 mAh batteries. I first charged them outside of the Maestro. During testing I only got about 1 hour of battery life.
1) Is there any way of determining the state of the battery? The battery symbol does not change as its discharged. it. I ran it today for about an hour and started getting flashing LED lights and strange behavior from the Maestro at which time I returned it to the wall wart and it recovered.
2.)I only have one usb connector in the battery bay of the Maestro. I plug that into the 2.5A output of the battery. Will it charge through that connection? It appears to have a mico B connector that is labeled "In". That is the connector to charge the battery externally.
Thanks for all your help and such a great product!
Jim
ka7gzr
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The battery issue is very complicated - so I will just gloss over some things.
The Mogix battery should last about 4 hours from full charge. There is a button on the side of the battery which when you push it lights up to 4 LED indicating the state of charge. Please make sure you fully charge it before you use the battery.
Maestro were shipped without an internal micro-USB charging cable so the one USB A cable that you plug into is to power the Maestro NOT Charge the battery. You currently need to use an external USB Charger to Charge the Battery. Flex will likely issue an official explanation.
The Alpha Team has been experimenting with a number of different batteries. What we are finding is that there is significant quality/performance variations between the different batteries of the same model from the same manufacturer. So much so that the same battery model works well for one Maestro but a different battery of the same model fails in the same Maestro. Our experiments are currently ongoing.
in the Interim until Flex makes an official recommendation, several of us have had more reliable results using the 12,000 mAh Polanfo
http://smile.amazon.com/Polanfo-12000mAh-Portable-External-Power/dp/B01641K972?ie=UTF8&psc=1&...
Having tested both, I personally would recommend the Polanfo over the Mogix which failed consistently in my Maestro
These experiments took a significant amount of Alpha testing time until we determined that it was the poor quality control of the battery rather than the Maestro which was the problem.
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Is it just the charge cable missing or a socket to put it in??
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Charging is NOT Enabled0
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Good information Howard and thanks for posting the alternative battery details, we can obtain them from Amazon.co.uk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Polanfo-12000mAh-Portable-External-Battery-silver/dp/B01C45AILY/ref=sr_1_2?...
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Howard, I'm confused...Guess I'm missing something....Up the post Gerald comments, '' Maestro will charge the battery when installed in the case. I do not know the charging time." I also sent in a post asking if any additional cables were needed before I placed my battery order. Tim commented that the Mogix batteries come with the needed cable indicating nothing else was needed.
The batteries came in with the cable needed to charge the batteries outside of the Maestro. I'm wanting to be able to charge the battery while left in the Maestro case while plugged into 120v using the provided wall wart without opening the battery door to change cables. Is that not possible?0 -
I'm wanting to be able to charge the battery while left in the Maestro case while plugged into 120v using the provided wall wart without opening the battery door to change cables. Is that not possible?
I am afraid not.
Let me provide some clarity. We had fully intended for the battery installed in the battery bay to be recharged by Maestro when the unit was connected to an external DC power source (the coaxial DC power connector). What we determined after extensive complete product testing, is that the battery charging feature was not working as intended and we decided to remove the feature. As such, you must charge the battery using a charger or the recommended charging method provided by the battery manufacturer.
This business decision was made only after exhausting all reasonable options, meaning that engineering a solution that would work for most batteries would have significantly delayed the shipment of Maestro for a feature that is not mission critical to the operation of the unit.
As Howard indicated, the issue is very, very complicated. In summary, there isn't an industry standard by which these battery packs are engineered from a charging standpoint. Worse yet, there is a significant amount of variation regarding how a battery behaves when being charged within the same battery model. These variations in behavior resulted in adverse and anomalous Maestro operational behaviors, such as it would not boot from the battery when plugged into an Ethernet cable).
Battery management is discussed in the Maestro User Guide. When the battery runs low, you will need to swap it out with a fully charged battery or connect it to an external power source.0 -
Understand, Although somewhat disappointed at the same time...Thanks for clarify. 0
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You're welcome.0
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It's sad but i can understand. This type of batteries can be dangerous if you charge to long. Ask any aircraft companies where the air plain burn!
And never forget: this power packs a very, very cheap and came from China and ......0 -
Well if we have to charger externally that's just another reason for me to make a pack out of 18650 cells with a boost converter on it. Then charge out of the unit, I for 1 would be much happier with some name brand battery cells in there instead of "whatever is cheap"
6 18650 cells should fit in there and Panasonic makes a 3400MAH cell
something like this
http://www.prodctodc.com/ultra-small-dc-2655v-to-5v-3a-step-up-converter-charger-power-supply-for-ph...
but i think we need 2.1 amps?0 -
If the battery now needs to be charged externally, I might simply use an external battery pack.2
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I'm totally disappointed and demoralized. We're just finding out about this now that the first Maestros are arriving at their new homes.
I have an abundance of 18650's, and could build up power modules with them, but am thinking it might be better to have a couple of lead/acid motorcycle batteries (with carrying straps) and just plug into the coaxial 12V connector on back. Using a PowerPole multi-outlet, I could switch back and forth with BUFFERED power while switching. I'll have to think this over while waiting.
This is ALMOST a deal-breaker. I might change my mind a few times before I'm invoiced.
Jim
K0UNX
Littleton, Colorado0 -
I ran my Maestro for 7 hours this week on the 12000 mAhr Polfano battery. It takes about 15 seconds to do a hot swap of the battery. Charge two up and run for 14 hours.2
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7 hours is pretty good run time. I may trim up the case on the amazon 1600mah one i have that would get a solid day of operating in.0
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Ill still build up or buy a pack for internal use. Not like its that involved to pull it out to recharge and then you dont have to move other stuff around with it.
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If you do anything external i would reccomend lipo, lifepo4, or build up a pack with 18650s.
That being said im pretty sure there is room for 6 cells and a boost converter in there which sounds like a pretty solid all day battery pack if a 1200mah pack got 7 hours in.0
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