The all new DroneMax M10 & A40 portable charging units are the premier aftermarket drone battery charger for DJI drone users. Coming in at 99Wh and 414Wh respectively, both the DroneMax M10 and the A40 are the drone community’s first proper exposure to durable, mega capacity, consumer-grade charging stations for drone batteries. Energen’s DroneMax M10 & A40 are intended for on-the-go charging in the field, allowing drone pilots to extend their overall flight time without having to go through the hassle of buying and carrying more batteries around–not to mention, your drone batteries charge up to 20% faster.

The Problem with Current Charging Units

DJI customers have been dealing with the switch-based charging methods that only allow one battery to be charging at a time before moving onto the next one. Charging four Phantom IV batteries through DJI methods would be limited to the Phantom IV three cell charging hub. And instead of simultaneous charging, the Phantom charging hub cycles through each individual battery, charging them individually until each battery is fully charged before moving onto the next one. Not only do Phantom users have to physically swap a battery out when one is complete to ensure all 4 of their batteries are charged, (or use an entirely separate DJI charger) but they also have to wait the extra time that it takes to cycle and replace the battery. This process is consistent with the DJI Mavic Pro batteries as well–even the “Advanced” version of the charging hub still only chargers one battery at a time on a cycle. The entire fiasco leaves the end user with overall charge time at around 280 minutes for four Phantom IV batteries.

Benefits of the DroneMax M10 & A40

DroneMax not only solves the problem of portability, but also addresses some of DJI’s ongoing inconsistencies with compatibility and overall usability that have been vocalized by the drone community for far too long. Finally, it’s relieving to know that the people over at DroneMax are listening. The DroneMax A40 cuts overall charge time down tremendously– boasting only 70 minutes of charge time to charge all four Phantom IV batteries simultaneously. On the other hand, with the new DroneMax M10 unit, which is designed specifically for the DJI Mavic Pro, you can charge up to two Mavic intelligent flight batteries simultaneously, and cuts the overall charging time down by 20%.

Portable Drone Charging Debate

Most all drone pilots know that battery life has consistently been an issue– especially when out and about and you need charging to be accessible and quick. Some have resorted to simply using the car charger– which typically takes longer and can only charge one battery at a time. Others resort to simply purchasing a higher quantity of batteries, which can get overly cumbersome when traveling. Many have disputed, however, that buying a portable battery charger is redundant when the cost of, for example, Mavic batteries is similar to buying the charger it self– which is true, and is arguably a very good reason to question the legitimacy of buying a portable battery charger like the M10. With the M10 having a charge capacity of up to two Mavic batteries, some think it’s more economical to just buy two more batteries for their arsenal. Although, at $89 a piece, a single Mavic battery is close to the cost of the DroneMax M10– just $129. Two Mavic batteries comes out to a total of $178, which is $49 dollars more expensive than the DroneMax. Is it economically worth it? We’d argue yes. Especially considering at a $49 difference, you’d be halfway to buying another Mavic battery already.

Portable and Affordable

But critics of the DroneMax M10 often overlook the one problem that DroneMax intended to solve in the first place: a lack of portable charging solutions. That’s not to say that the affordability of DroneMax was mere happenstance; instead, it’s a symptom of the larger success that DroneMax has claimed in their field: the first functional, compact, reliable, and safe portable charging solution for drone batteries. Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that portability was one of the reasons DJI’s Mavic drone enjoyed such large success and garnered so much popularity among consumers and the media. In fact, for a majority of consumers, the justification of purchasing film and photo equipment and consumer electronics more broadly has often hinged on the portability factor. It’s why we consistently see media professionals transition from big bulky black DSLR camera bodies to rangefinders with much smaller profiles. It’s why we’ve seen the integration of dual operator Inspire 2 setups on big budget commercial shoots instead of hexacopter or octocopters with high capacity 3 axis gimbals that are sometimes difficult to setup and take far longer than putting an Inspire 2 in the air. At the end of the day, portability is, often times, the one determining factor whether or not users decide to take their drone out or not. DroneMax’s mission is consistent with addressing that very issue. The M10 was a dedication to pilots that have been forged by the landscapes they immerse themselves in– to unyielding exploration uninhibited by our obligation to be within proximity of wall outlets in the event we need to charge up.

DroneMax M10 & A40 Pricing and Availability

The DroneMax M10 for DJI Mavic Pro is priced at $129.00 USD and the DroneMax A40 for DJI Phantom III, Phantom IV and Mavic models and the Yuneec Typhoon 4K and Typhoon H is priced at $499.99 USD. As staunch advocates for the advent of portable drone charging hubs and units, Advexure has decided to carry DroneMax products. Like all of our products, if we don't personally stand by it, we don't carry it. We believe in the mission of DroneMax and are excited to see what the future will bring for portable drone charging. DroneMax M10's are currently in stock and shipping now from Advexure! Click here to order DroneMax A40! Or click here to order the DroneMax M10!