This article was submitted through the GetFPV Community Program by Aidan Henriques. You can follow Aidan on Instagram or YouTube.
Disclaimer: This article was written solely by a member of the FPV Community. Views and advice in this article are that of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of GetFPV.
With a price tag of only $28 is this LiPo the best value battery for freestyle and cinematics?
Tattu FunFly 1300mAh 6S1P specs
- Capacity – 1300mAh
- Cell count – 6
- Configuration – 6S1P
- Discharge rate – 100C (130A)
- Max Burst Discharge Rate – 200C (260A)
- Net Weight(±20g) – 225g/unit
- Dimensions – 74mm Length × 35mm Width × 45mm Height
- Charge Plug: JST-XHR-7P
- Discharge Plug: XT-60
Highlight Features
- 100C Discharge Rate With 200C Burst
- Affordable Price
- Great Performance
First Thoughts and Impressions
When I first got this LiPo, I immediately noticed the quality difference in comparison to some China Hobby Line black LiPos I had. The plastic coating felt more premium in comparison to the CNHL that feel super cheap. It also felt very robust in the hands even though it does not have much protection on the outside of the battery.
When I received the battery it was at 3.8v per cell (22.8v) and was perfectly balanced, which reassured me that these batteries were not damaged by being under or over the storage charge value. In case you are unaware, storage voltage is 3.8 volts per cell or 22.8 volts.
The battery came in a pretty large (for the battery’s size) box that contained a lot of foam as well as the battery in some bubble wrap. Inside the box was also a balance lead cover (see figure 1) which makes it easier to plug the battery into the charger.
Figure 1
An aspect of this battery that is unique is the balance lead and power cable being on the same side. This can be inconvenient for charging, but it has personally worked fine for me (see figure 1). Some advantages of this are less risk of the balance lead being caught in the props (see figure 2).
Figure 2
As depicted in figure 3, the battery weighs 226 grams but according to the manufacture can range 20 grams heavier or lighter than 225 grams (In other words 205–245g).
Figure 3 (Image credit)
Quality and Durability
As I mentioned previously, this battery just feels high quality with a very nice plastic covering. Although this battery feels high quality, are it’s cells high quality too? Fortunately, after at least 200 flights on this battery, it is still performing very well. Any battery will eventually degrade slightly over time as this one has, but it still flies well. The only aging effect I have seen is a slight more amount of battery sag which is to be expected after so many cycles.
As far as the durability goes, I have put this drone through lots of crashes which eventually lead to some damage with the slight denting in cells as seen in figure 4. However, this damage has not affected the flight performance at all so far as I can see. In comparison to the durability of the China Hobby Line batteries, these are about the same even without the additional protection provided by the China Hobby Line ones. I really like the minimal protection because on the China Hobby Line’s I feel that it just gets torn up and gets in the way (see figure 5), however for people who are smashing their gear into concrete, that additional protection will be helpful.
Figure 4
Figure 5
Flight Performance
To be completely honest, there is nothing special about the flight performance of these batteries. That certainly is not a bad thing as they hold up great and do not have major voltage sags or sudden drops in voltage. If you are really looking for performance for racing, check out the R-Line series but otherwise, these batteries suffice for freestyle, cinematics, and anything in between.
At full throttle for two seconds, the voltage immediately sags around to 21 volts from a full charge (with my Ethix p3 props and t-motor f40pro iv 1950kv; results will vary depending on props and motors). This is a decent amount of voltage sag which will probably be less on a higher quality battery such as the R-Line series. However, if you are not racing, this should not be of too much concern because many other batteries of this price range have very similar performance. I can also achieve around six minutes of flight time of cruising or light freestyle with this battery which is very good considering its capacity.
Charging
These batteries charge like any other LiPo. They do stay balanced very well though in comparison to a lower quality battery. Even after 200+ flights, the battery is still perfectly balanced. So far I have not had any charging problems with the Fun Fly batteries, but some may find the power and balance cable on the same side tedious.
They also hold a charge well, holding at 4.1v per cell for the first 12 hours after a charge and then 4.0v per cell for the next 36 hours. I have not tested how they hold a charge beyond that as it is not recommended to leave batteries fully charged for more than 48 hours.
Quick Pros and Cons
Pros
- Great price
- High C rating
- High quality
- Good flight time
Cons
- Minimal protection on the battery
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Tattu Fun Fly 1300mah 6S battery is is a great battery for anyone who is not racing. If you are not looking for top-of-the-line performance, this is an amazing value battery that will last you a while and get the job done.
Thanks for reading and Happy Flying!