6.5 Battery Management and Swap Procedures
The K1 and L2 Pro each provide up to 90 minutes of scanning time per battery charge. Projects that require more time than that must be planned around planned swap procedures and Map Fusion. Running the battery to zero in the field is an equipment risk, not a scan strategy.
Battery Specifications and Runtime Planning
Cold weather below approximately 10°C reduces battery runtime by around 20%, bringing the effective scanning window to approximately 72 minutes per charge. Plan battery counts for cold-weather projects using the 72-minute figure, not the standard 90 minutes.
Planning Battery Count for a Project
Estimate total scanning time from the site plan. Add time for initialization at each segment start (approximately 30 to 45 seconds per segment), travel between areas, and setup time. Use this formula as a starting point:
Batteries needed = (Total estimated scan time in minutes ÷ 70) + 1 spare
The 70-minute divisor (not 90) provides a comfortable margin. The extra spare accounts for a defective battery or one that was not fully charged. Never arrive at a site with exactly the number of batteries you calculated you need.
Monitoring Battery Level in LixelGO
LixelGO displays the current battery percentage in the top-right corner of the scanning screen. The readout shows both the device battery and, when applicable, the RTK module battery as separate indicators.
Battery Level Action Thresholds
Do not power off during save. When you tap Stop in LixelGO, the device immediately begins writing the project file to the internal SSD. This save takes approximately 30 to 60 seconds. The green indicator light on the device will pulse, then turn solid when the save is complete. Removing the battery or powering off before the light turns solid corrupts the project file and the data is not recoverable.
Battery Swap Procedure
This procedure covers swapping the battery to continue scanning a project across multiple segments. It produces two separate scan files that will need to be joined in LixelStudio using Map Fusion.
End the current segment intentionally
Navigate to your planned split point. Scan past it by at least 15 meters to create the required overlap zone for Map Fusion. Tap Stop in LixelGO.
Wait for the solid green light before touching the battery
The green LED on the device pulses while the project file is being saved. It turns solid green when the save is complete. Only then is it safe to remove the battery. Removing the battery during a pulsing green light corrupts the project file permanently.
Place the device on a stable surface before battery removal
Set the scanner on a flat, stable surface before removing the battery. The device body is secure, but setting it down before handling the battery prevents accidental drops.
Remove the depleted battery and install the charged replacement
Press the battery release and slide out the depleted battery. Install the charged battery until it clicks into place. Do not force it; the battery is keyed and only seats in one orientation.
Power on and re-initialize
Power the device back on. Open LixelGO and start a new scan project with the same project settings as the previous segment. Use the same naming convention with an incremented segment number. Navigate back to a position at least 15 meters before your split point and initialize there.
Re-establish RTK lock if applicable
If the project uses RTK, verify that RTK status returns to Fixed in LixelGO before continuing past the overlap zone. A scan that covers new territory without RTK lock while the project requires RTK will produce a gap in georeferenced accuracy. Walk at least 10 meters with RTK Fixed before proceeding into new scan area.
Battery Storage and Field Handling
- Store batteries at room temperature when not in use. Batteries stored fully discharged in cold conditions lose capacity over time.
- Charge batteries the night before a scan session. Arriving to site with partially charged batteries limits your options if a segment runs longer than expected.
- Label batteries with adhesive labels if you carry more than two. Tracking which batteries have been used during a session prevents accidentally installing a depleted battery mid-project.
- Batteries that have been fully discharged in the field should be charged before storage. Extended storage at zero charge degrades cell life faster than storage at partial charge.
- Check the charge level on any battery that has been in storage for more than two weeks before relying on it for a project.
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