Many people are confused when building FPV drone. 6s or 4s?
Of course, it mainly depends on the motor, ESC and lipo battery you choose.
Currently, 4S LiPo is the standard battery cell number for FPV micro drone and racing . Since we are constantly striving to improve the performance of the quad, the 6S setting may be a better choice？
First to know
Upgrading to 6S settings may cost a lot, and the motor and battery are the most basic requirements. You must decide whether it is worth upgrading. It is best to make this decision based on the location you use in the 6S settings. For racing, it depends on the track. For endurance racing, the 6S will be the ideal choice, because longer flight times can be achieved without paying much attention to weight. In the freestyle setting, the upgrade depends mainly on your flight method. If you are flying smoothly and smoothly, a 4S battery may be ideal, but the 6S that is restricted by the throttle will also work. For highly acrobatic freestyle flight, 6S may be the only way. So it is recommended to try 6S and see how it feels to you.
For beginners
Using a 6S drone as a beginner may be a great way to enter a hobby. Although in most cases, 6S drones equipped with 6S batteries will be very powerful for beginners, but 4S batteries on 6S drones will not. The lower voltage battery will reduce the maximum speed of the motor, thereby reducing the speed of the drone to a speed that can be controlled. Compared with buying multiple drones, this is also a cheap way to enter a hobby. This means that 6S drones can be retained for a longer period of time before the pilot is limited by their performance.
6s vs 4s:
*Flight Time
Switching to a 6S drone, I did notice a flight time increase however this was expected. My flight times with a 6S 1300mAh battery went up by approximately 50% compared to a 4S 1300mAh pack. If you calculate the energy (in watt hours) each battery holds using ‘energy = voltage x capacity’, a 1300mah 6S has approximately a 50% energy increase over a 1300mah 4S as it has two extra cells. If using higher kV 6S drone motors, the flight time difference would be significantly smaller due to the higher power consumption.
*Voltage
The 6S lipo battery has a higher voltage than the 4S battery because two additional batteries are connected in series. Compared to 16.8V for 4S, this results in a maximum voltage of 25.2V for the 6S battery.
*Motor speed
6S drones with the highest motor speed like 4S will consume less current (but the same power). The highest theoretical motor speed is equal to the motor kV times the battery voltage.
Compared to the low kV 6S motor, the high kV motor on the 6S setting (~ 2100kV +) produces less torque, but the motor speed is higher. These motors usually require more power to run, and may impose the same strain on the 6S battery pack as the high kV motor on the 4S battery pack.
In general, a 6S setting with a low kV (1600-1900kV) motor can provide higher torque and equivalent maximum speed than a high kV 4S setting (2600kV +). The motor torque is proportional to (but not limited to) the motor winding length and the applied voltage. A lower kV motor will generate more torque because more windings will cause it to generate a stronger magnetic field. Coupling it with a 6S battery allows them to rotate at a speed similar to that of a 4S high kV motor, but with greater torque.
*Power
6S UAV battery with battery capacity similar to 4S battery pack can provide higher power.
*Consume
Many 6S pilots consume less current, which reduces voltage sags and enables more continuous power transmission.
*Better For Your Battery
The lower amp draw will keep the battery at a cooler temperature during flight, which is beneficial for the health and longevity of your batteries. You could even use lower C rating packs and achieve the same power, therefore you might be able to select less expensive batteries.
However, to match the weight of a 4S battery we do tend to choose lower capacity batteries, which can limit your maximum discharge current… So you might still want to use higher C rating packs.