So I finally received my new Spark today, and brand new out of the shrink wrap the battery is refusing to take a charge. No blinking green leds nothing. Only if I press the button do I get the 1 led lit. Spoke with DJI earlier, they said to let it charge 1-2 more hours then contact Amazon since I purchased through them. Grrr. Drone gods are finicky this month it seems.
New Spark wont charge.
- Thread starter Akuen_527
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I got 1 (of 3) defective new batteries with the same symptoms you describe (from B&H Photo). It wouldn't charge no matter what I did. I found lots of other people had same issue on Mavic Forum.
Amazon has amazing customer support. You can send the whole purchase back with a free shipping label and you'll get a new one in a few days.
Amazon has amazing customer support. You can send the whole purchase back with a free shipping label and you'll get a new one in a few days.
Update: left it for a couple hours and no dice with the dji supplied cable. Finally found another slim usb cable that would fit the spark and as I plugged it in, wiggled a bit and the green leds started to blink up like normal charging. Now I'm just worried about the usb port, wondering if I should still send it back before flying it for the first time.
nilanjan118
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Or is it just a faulty cable? Make sure you check with a few more cables. It shouldn`t be difficult as it is a standard micro-USB port.
You are correct in that its a standard micro usb port. However the way they chose to position the connector limits you to only using cables with a very slim square connector head. Of the 4 I had easy access to only one would fit without modification of the cable end.
Also I will try other cables, but it seems weird the dji supplied cable would be capable of charging my micro usb ecig just fine, while not being able to charge the spark.
nilanjan118
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And while you are at it, you should also check if the Spark connects to your computer by using that cable. Yes, the micro-USB port on the Spark is not meant for charging alone. It can also be used to download data or update firmware. So you should check the full functionality of the port and cable if you are having any doubt.
Yes this was my first question to dji support, he told me DJI Assistant 2 could be used on the pc to verify integrity of the usb port. Plan on hooking all that up/figuring it out tomorrow. Also can I ask on your spark, does it take a second or 2 after you plug the cable in before the lights start blinking? Just wondering because I'm not really getting a positive click as the cable goes in, although that could also be my older cable, just more worn. It does take a couple seconds tho, I assume for the "intelligent" battery to realize I'm trying to charge it.
nilanjan118
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Yes, it happens. Nothing abnormal about it.
Btw, just for your information, you can use the Spark even if the micro-USB port is not working. It is possible to charge the battery externally also. There are charging hubs available which can charge multiple batteries simultaneously. I use the DJI portable charging station which charges the battery mounted on the Spark and two other batteries. So I do not use the micro-USB port of the Spark anymore. For downloading the pictures/videos, I remove the SD card and read it with a card reader adapter. For firmware updates, I install them from the Go4 app wirelessly. The only drawback of not having the micro-USB port working is that you cannot connect it with the DJI Assistant 2 application to your computer and access black box data.
Which version do you bought? Only the spark, with remote or fly more combo? Like nilanjan118 said I never use the USB port, too. The loading speed is much slower over USB. I use the 3x Hub which came with the FlyMore Combo.
Thanks, I do def. plan on connecting to make sure everything is a ok with the usb port. I just bought a new unit and if something is wrong I want it fixed now. I do plan on getting extra batteries/ a charging solution, just not sure which one yet. The portable base is cool, except it only charges 1 bat at a time and a total of 6 batteries on its own power. I can get a 10-20k mah quick charge 3 usb battery bank for around $20, and the single white spark chargers for $16 each. That or the smatree sp90 which ebay has now for $35. Just like how small a 10k power bank is compared to say the 7800mah I think the sp90 has contained in its brick size. I mean come on that thing is huge. Since I bought a spark portability is a concern of mine, and something about adding a huge plastic brick to that equation doesn't jive with me.
Hi Paul, I just got the spark with remote, not the fly more. The spark was already at the top of what my budget was, I just decided to spring for the cheapest DJI over a lower cost, useless toy grade drone. Of course now knowing about the charging and all I wish I had got the fly more, haven't even flown yet and already buying chargers and batteries. For some reason, I thought the usb port was integrated into the battery itself, and so I thought I would just be able to buy more batteries and charge them with micro usb cables. Alas this is only technology found on some "toy grade" copters at the moment.
nilanjan118
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I agree with you on this.
Now coming to charging solutions, I didn't get the Flymore combo too. Just like you, I bought the Spark with RC alone. It was about 20,000JPY lesser to the flymore combo in comparison and with that money I got the DJI portable charging station with 2 extra batteries (22,000JPY to be precise). I like it in comparison to other charging solutions as the Spark fits neatly into it and along with its carry case, it is very convenient to carry around. The downside is that it only charges 1 battery at a time but it only takes about 40mins for each battery. It can charge max. 4 batteries on its own power. So no regrets about not buying the flymore combo.
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