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Smart Battery Information

Smart Battery Information

Here you will find information relevant to the Smart Batteries used in the Sky Scout series.

 

When to Return Batteries and/or Battery Chargers:

  • Red or Yellow Light on Charger: If the light is red or yellow, please return both the battery pair and the charger.

  • Note for New Customers: This issue will not affect new customers.

Battery Disconnect Failsafe at Takeoff:

  • Failsafe Functionality: If experiencing a Battery Disconnect failsafe at takeoff, the failsafe is functioning as intended. This failsafe triggers, when only one battery is discharging during takeoff, deeming an improper disconnection. Customers should unplug batteries on-at-a-time and reseat, which will clear the failsafe 99% of the time.

  • Battery Tray Update:

    • The battery tray has been updated to move the battery closer to the connector. This updated tray is now installed in all drones coming in for service or repair, as well as production drones as of 3/25/25.

    • Original Battery Tray: Failsafes with the original-style battery tray may still arise.

      • If failsafes are rare, the battery tray is within tolerance but can be replaced with the updated tray upon request.

      • If failsafes are frequent, the battery tray is out of tolerance and should be replaced under warranty.

    • It is not necessary to return the drone with its batteries, as the batteries are in working order.

 

Charging

Can I connect my smart battery charger to an extension cord?

  • NO! Your smart battery charger should only be plugged into a wall outlet to get maximum charge to your batteries. Using an extension cord can cause the batteries to charge off balance and also could hurt the batteries themselves.

How to Plug in Batteries

  • Orient the battery to have the power button pointed towards yourself, hold the charger in place with one hand. Align the slots of the battery with the contacts on the charger base, and with the other hand hold the charger steady as you push the battery in. If the bottom 4 charge level LED’s illuminate and the top one begins blinking green, the battery is charging.

    • Double check the charger is fully plugged in if you ever find a battery has not charged fully or at all since the last time you plugged it in.

  • ENSURE you have the pair plugged in (Battery 1 and 2) as they are labled and the same color dot on both. If these are plugged in any other way (Battery 1 and 1 or 2 and 2) an error will occur indicating the drone does not recognize one of the batteries which will prevent it from arming.

LED Indicator Lights on Smart Batteries

 

  • It’s best to allow the Smart Batteries to fully finish charging- allow for both green indicator lights to turn off on their own.

  • Indicator Light - Red:

    • This means permanent failure and you should contact WISPR Customer Service to get these replaced. Please put a ticket in HERE.

  • Indicator Light - Light Blue/White:

    • This can be seen as white also. The indicator light (which can appear slightly light blue) means the battery has gotten too hot.

      • You may see this after flying in hot weather, before or after you put them on the charger. Turn the batteries off and allow them too cool. When the batteries do not feel overly warm and the light has returned to green, they’re safe to charge.

  • Indicator Light - Yellow:

    • If your Smart Battery displays a yellow light, the battery is still functional but requires discharging to approximately 90% before normal operation can resume. You can achieve this by following these steps:

      1. Manually Discharge the Battery

        • Power on the Sky Scout using the battery, but do not initiate flight.

        • Attaching a payload can help speed up the discharging process.

        • Be mindful of potential heat buildup when operating the Sky Scout without flying.

      2. Allow the Battery to Self-Discharge

The battery will automatically begin self-discharging after five days, indicated by a blue light.

If any of these indicator light happen, and do not turn green, please follow the instructions below.

Steps to contact WISPR Support if LED lights are not green.

  • Submit a customer support ticket HERE.

Battery Auto-Discharge & Storage Guidelines

  1. Understand Auto-Discharge Behavior
    If a battery is not used for five (5) days, it will automatically enter auto-discharge mode to prevent long-term damage from remaining at a high state of charge. This is normal and intended to preserve battery health.

  2. Be Aware of Critical Discharge Threshold
    While auto-discharge is beneficial, allowing the battery to discharge too far can cause permanent damage. The critical threshold is approximately 5%. For safety and best practice, use 10% as your minimum limit.

  3. Monitor Battery Level During Storage
    If the battery has been unused for an extended period, periodically check its charge level.

    • The easiest method is to install the battery in the aircraft and view the percentage on the controller in WGC.

    • Ensure the charge level remains comfortably above 10%.

  4. Recharge if Near Threshold
    If the battery approaches or drops near 10%, place it on the charger briefly. This will raise the charge level and reset the five-day auto-discharge timer.

  5. Applicability
    This process is generally unnecessary for users who operate their batteries frequently. However, if batteries remain unused or in storage for extended periods, these monitoring steps should be followed to prevent irreversible damage.

  • Smart batteries undergo a quality assurance (QA) process prior to shipment. Once received by the customer or distributor, batteries are to be confirmed to be functioning properly out of the box immediatel. If there is an issue please contact WISPR Customer Service within 3 days of receiving the batteries. WISPR cannot replace any batteries under warranty if not notified in the 3 day period.

Contact Support for Assistance

  • If the issue persists, please file an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) request HERE.

    • If this is a smart battery issue, please list the SN on the stickers of the batteries on the RMA form or the RMA request could be rejected.

  • Battery chargers and batteries all have a life span. To obtain the longest life span depends on how they are stored and treated when in use or not in use. Please keep this in mind.

    • WISPR can replace batteries fairly quickly if needed, but if deemed non warraty (Most batteries are only warrantied if they come out of the box with a red light and have no flights on them) a Purchase Order for the set/sets sent to you will be sent.

    • If this is for a smart battery charger, please list the Serial Number on the battery charger on the RMA form or it could be rejected.

Important:

  • For further assistance, please reach out by submitting a Customer Support Ticket HERE.

Pre-Arms and Failsafes

Pre-Arms:

  • Battery X Not Detected

    • Indicates one battery is not detected. This can occur due to slight variations in battery seating. For the side that the battery is not detected, press the side lever of the battery tray and give the battery an extra push. If the problem persists, submit a support ticket.

  • Battery X Voltage too Low

    • Users will see this if the raw voltage reading of a battery is below the acceptable threshold. Typically a user should see “Low Capacity” rather than this message. If you see this message, submit a support ticket.

  • Battery X Capacity too Low

    • Indicates the battery has insufficient energy for another flight. The minimum arming capacity is 40%. Users will see this message for one battery at a time, though it usually applies to both unless one is at 40% and the other at 39%.

  • Battery Charge Difference Too Large (State of Charge Imbalance)

    • Indicates the charge percentage between the two batteries exceeds the 8% margin. This can happen if batteries were charged at different times and then removed prematurely, or one was used alone. If the issue occurs frequently, submit a support ticket.

      • If you encounter this issue frequently/outside of the mentioned scenarios there may be another issue, and it’s advised to submit a support ticket.

  • Battery Cycle Difference too Great

    • This message indicates that one battery has been charged 15 or more times than its paired battery. This usually occurs if batteries from different sets or ages are mixed, or if a battery from a pair is frequently removed from the charger before a cycle is complete.

      • To be sure you’re allowing your batteries to complete their cycle, allow the green light to turn off on its own.

  • Battery X Above Maximum Arming Temperature

    • This indicates the battery has gotten too hot for safe usage, which might occur if the drone is left in harsh sunlight on hot days for too long while idle. If you see this message without a clear cause, submit a support ticket.

  • Battery X Below Maximum Arming Temperature

    • This indicates the battery has gotten too cold for safe usage, which might occur if the drone is left in frigid temperatures for too long. As a friendly reminder, WISPR always recommends storing batteries in a temperature controlled room- batteries suffer greatly from exposure to cold temperatures. If you see this message without a clear cause, submit a support ticket.

    • Failsafes

WISPR Implores you to only override a battery failsafe in emergency situations. The battery failsafes, especially for remaining percent, are calculated to give the user the most use time that can be done safely. If you see a failsafe trigger it is in your best interest to allow it to return.

  • Triggering RTL. Battery voltage at critical level.

    • Users will see this if the raw voltage reading of a battery under load is below the acceptable threshold in flight. Typically a user should see “Battery Capacity at critical level” rather than this message. If you see this message, it’s indicative of a greater issue and you should submit a support ticket.

  • Triggering RTL. Battery Capacity at critical level.

    • The return home immediately to ensure a safe landing and prevent damage to the batteries. Currently the Sky Scout is programmed to be on the ground at 13% battery life.

  • Triggering RTL. Battery X failure: Battery Disconnected

    • This means one of the two batteries has (even temporarily) ceased communication with the drone. This should not be a common occurrence, but if you do encounter this issue it’s best to submit a support ticket.

  • Triggering RTL. Battery X failure: Battery above safe temperature

    • This means that the specified battery has risen over the safe temperature threshold in flight, and further use could damage the battery. This shouldn’t be encountered in typical operations but potentially could occur if a battery was left idle in the heat for too long prior to an extended flight in a hot climate. If you encounter this issue without a clear cause, submit a support ticket.

 

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