Best tablet for DJI GO

[Szon3]

I can get an Ipad air 2 64 wifi only, 300 bucks as long as I down load maps ahead of time. I assume I can set home point without any issue at the beginning of every flight only. Is that correct or should I get a cheaper android device that has gps without celluar.

 

[SS220]

Just got the P4 with Nexus 7 2013. Not happy as I'm getting intermittent lagging video with distortion. Switch to my Samsung S6 phone and its perfect. Seems the newer bird and updated app benefits from faster processors. Now I'm stuck between Nvidia Shield K1 or Apple Mini 4 with Cellular. These seem to be the best of the best from what I read. Also the foam P4 carry case and the DJI hood shield seem to be built to fit the Apple mini and not the Shield. So does anyone have a few extra bucks they can lend me for the Apple?

Try changing the video channel before you throw in the towel on the nexus. It is a nice, bright tablet for the phantom. Any time I see lag with the nexus, I have either forgot to force stop another app or simply switching channels fixes it.

 

[Oso]

I can get an Ipad air 2 64 wifi only, 300 bucks as long as I down load maps ahead of time. I assume I can set home point without any issue at the beginning of every flight only. Is that correct or should I get a cheaper android device that has gps without celluar.

That's correct. The Phantom uses its own internal GPS to set home point when it starts up for every flight. GPS on your mobile device (or an external GPS) is needed for things like Follow Me or to manually change the home point to your RC location if you have moved during a flight.

Read this single post for more info:
Tablets and phones that work well with DJI GO

 

[grottoli]

Reading this thread makes me wonder if I made a mistake not getting the Mini 4, I got the mini 2/cell.

I still use my phone half the time so I'm glad i didn't get the air for it. Would have been to big for me although I do like the big screen. Would rancher it just be an output minitor I can look at.

Jussaguy, Mini 2 is fine. I have the 128gb with cellular (for gps naturally) and it runs tons 'o' p3p apps. Bought most of them 'cause they're all cool and do things a little differently, AND, I'm trying to support the developers without whom, we would all be using just the GO app.

-OBSERVATION-
Use whatever tablet/software combo you wish, and come back, share your experiences. Egos need not attend; just wastes everyone's time.

Vice la free-flying plastic bird... Cheers


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[MILLER4PRESIDENT2020]

this has probably already been asnwered, but what if I buy a wifi only tablet, meaning it does not have a mobile data plan. does that still work? I know that a GPS can still work without mobile data but when you are in the DJI go app it loads your location in what appears to be a google maps satellite view in the corner of the screen. A tablet can find itself with GPS, but it still needs mobile data to transmit the physical data required for to display a picture.

Another way of thinking about this. When I used to fly on commercial planes I could load google maps on my phone and get my location at an airport. Goodle would cache a certain amount of map picture. I could turn on airplane mode, thus preventing data transfer, but also turn on GPS. It would still track me moving within the cached part of google maps, then once I was in the air you would lose the detailed terrain view and revert to a generic large scale google maps that does not afford much detail, i.e. I would know I was over cincinatti somewhere with GPS but no data connection.

So what happens when you take a wifi only tablet out into the woods and use it with a phantom?

 

[Leojay]

Hey Leojay,
Quick question did they fix the bracket attaching the screen to the controller to stop the wobble
with the larger screens or is it the same as on the P3A controller...shaky man shaky?

Not sure what the P3 RC was like, but the one on the P4 is solid with a 7 inch tablet

 

[Oso]

Hey Leojay,
Quick question did they fix the bracket attaching the screen to the controller to stop the wobble
with the larger screens or is it the same as on the P3A controller...shaky man shaky?

The P4 uses an aluminum bracket similar to the Inspire mount. It doesn't have a wide based mount as is en vogue at the moment, but it is much more stable than the wobbly plastic bracket that comes standard with the P3.

 

[Leojay]

this has probably already been asnwered, but what if I buy a wifi only tablet, meaning it does not have a mobile data plan. does that still work? I know that a GPS can still work without mobile data but when you are in the DJI go app it loads your location in what appears to be a google maps satellite view in the corner of the screen. A tablet can find itself with GPS, but it still needs mobile data to transmit the physical data required for to display a picture.

Another way of thinking about this. When I used to fly on commercial planes I could load google maps on my phone and get my location at an airport. Goodle would cache a certain amount of map picture. I could turn on airplane mode, thus preventing data transfer, but also turn on GPS. It would still track me moving within the cached part of google maps, then once I was in the air you would lose the detailed terrain view and revert to a generic large scale google maps that does not afford much detail, i.e. I would know I was over cincinatti somewhere with GPS but no data connection.

So what happens when you take a wifi only tablet out into the woods and use it with a phantom?

My recent experience with my Samsung Smartphone was as follows. I was about to fly from my home. I put the phone in Airplane mode (maybe we should call this drone mode) to eliminate any potential interference. I then opened the DJI go app. The map was blurry and not detailed when I zoomed in. Before I powered up the Phantom I turned WIFI back on in the phone. It quickly connected to my home network and the detailed google map appeared. I then shut WIFI back off again and if I'm not mistaken the cached detail remained. So in summary, you and your past experiences seem to be the same as mine recently. It does seem to work to download the detail map first, but if you close the app and reopen I don't know if it stays. Maybe others could shed more light. GPS in the phone remained constant with no problem however.

 

[super kats kitty show]

All this makes me wish I had gone with the Typoon....

 

[RedHotPoker]

Hey Leojay,
Quick question did they fix the bracket attaching the screen to the controller to stop the wobble
with the larger screens or is it the same as on the P3A controller...shaky man shaky?

The Phantom 4 radio controller comes with a metal device holder bracket, much like the Inspire 1 RC has. Buy Inspire 1 - Mobile Device Holder | DJI Store
Many of us have already ordered and installed this, or similar metal brackets for our Phantom 3 Pro' or Advanced model radios...

Order yourself one... They work great.

RedHotPoker

 

[CafeRacer]

What is this? Everyone bashing each other over there own option leads nowhere. Because I like Apple and you don't doesn't make your right and me wrong. This is not why I look at this forum. I come here to learn and expand a great hobby not to be judge by what tablet I happen to like. Just saying.

Well said


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Jussaguy]

I can get an Ipad air 2 64 wifi only, 300 bucks as long as I down load maps ahead of time. I assume I can set home point without any issue at the beginning of every flight only. Is that correct or should I get a cheaper android device that has gps without celluar.

Not unless you get a wireless cell receiver for that ipad air 2 because the way it figures out how homepoint at the RC is with the GPS in the tablet/phone connected to the RC and contrary to what some people will say to me directly right now and even though I have had both (GPS and only wifi) you get a better dynamic homepoint that can be measured in tens of feet in difference because the non GPS units use whats called wifi crowd-sourcing to approximate your location while the GPS units use that as well, but also GPS/Glonass and cell towel locations to help triangulate your best possible dynamic (where you are on the RC homepoint).

I just recently tested this with my friends regular ipad mini 2 (I have the cell/GPS version) without the cell service on.

When I used his tab and used the dynamic homepoint at the RC (it checks to make sure your point by saying "you are X amount of feet away from the last point) when I was using his iPad, it would say "You are 12 feet away", "you are 3 feet away", one time I swear it said "you are 23 feet away" and ONE TIME it said "you are 0 feet away".

Using my mini 2 will cell/GPS "you are 0 feet away", "you are 0 feet away", "you are 0 feet away" and oddly it said once time "you are 7 feet away" and one time said "you are 2 feet away" but nothing like the non-GPS, plus follow me and who knows what else to come.

If it's about the money, you can get an AWESOME Android tab for 300, bright, shiny and powerful and they almost always come with GPS/Glonass. It is my strong recommendation that you get one with GPS or your only GPS might be in the sky where you might not even be able to see it.

 

[Keith Goodnough]

Well, hopefully I can use my 4th Generation Fire HDX. It has superb resolution, a fast processor and a lot of memory. From what I read, the GPS won't work (I don't know why because when you use a cell phone you shut off the WI-FI anyway, which isn't that how the GPS connects?) but I did get DJI Go to load fine. I haven't even bought a P3 yet, I needed to make sure I could actually load the app first. It appears I can so maybe I will now go ahead with my purchase. I was going to go with the P3 advanced with the Lightbridge.

 

[msinger]

This 8" fits in the standard P3P holder or do I need to get that extender?

It's less than 6.75 inches wide, so it'll fit without an extender.

 

[RedHotPoker]

You should seriously look at the approved device list, for a starting point.
iOS Version v2.8.1.
Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus,iPod touch 6,iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular. This app is optimized for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Android Version v2.8.0.
Requires Android 4.1.2 or later.Compatible with Samsung tabs 705c, Samsung S6, Samsung S5, Samsung NOTE4, Samsung NOTE3, Google Nexus 9, Google Nexus 7 II, Ascend Mate7, Huawei P8 Max, Huawei Mate 8, Nubia Z7 mini, Sony Xperia Z3, MI 3, MI PAD, Smartisan T1.

Not to say, some devices listed haven't had issues. ;-)

RedHotPoker

 

[msinger]

I 100% won't have an Apple device, and 90% won't have anything over $300. And it has to be at least 8" AND HAVE real GPS.

How about the Nvidia Shield K1?

 

[msinger]

It's a great device. You won't be disappointed.

 

[BVC]

What is this? Everyone bashing each other over there own option leads nowhere. Because I like Apple and you don't doesn't make your right and me wrong. This is not why I look at this forum. I come here to learn and expand a great hobby not to be judge by what tablet I happen to like. Just saying.

Because people are idiots. They tend to think their device/setup is the best yet lack the experience with other products.

No one is exempt from ignorance. Even on this forum..

I personally love apple devices. Love the simplicity. Amazing build quality. The fact that all my devices flat out work all the time with no hiccups or issues. Yet I use an android tablet dedicated to my drone.

 

[DroneDestination]

real GPS

What do you mean, 'real' GPS?

 

[BVC]

What do you mean, 'real' GPS?

What do you mean?

Some devices use cellular & wifi to generate a "gps" location without using real GPS chip due to lack of signal or that option being turned off.