iPad needs GPS - but why?

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ive got an iPhone 5S which worked fine with my P2V+ and I was hoping to use my wifi only iPad Air with the P3 - but now it seems that it might only work with devices that have GPS?

Forgive me for thinking out loud but if the P3 takes its home point before take off and I'm not using dynamic home point then why won't my iPad Air work?
 
ive got an iPhone 5S which worked fine with my P2V+ and I was hoping to use my wifi only iPad Air with the P3 - but now it seems that it might only work with devices that have GPS?

Forgive me for thinking out loud but if the P3 takes its home point before take off and I'm not using dynamic home point then why won't my iPad Air work?
You be
ive got an iPhone 5S which worked fine with my P2V+ and I was hoping to use my wifi only iPad Air with the P3 - but now it seems that it might only work with devices that have GPS?

Forgive me for thinking out loud but if the P3 takes its home point before take off and I'm not using dynamic home point then why won't my iPad Air work?

You be fine with the iPad. The GPS is in the Phantom and as long as you cash the maps (using wifi before heading out). Only thing that will not work is dynamic home point.
 
Only cellular iPads have GPS because like Phantoms, GPS without cellular tower triangluation takes 20-60 seconds. In this case it wouldn't really matter, but in mobile devices, you expect them to pin your position as fast as possible and usually indoors, so they use a combination of wifi/gsm/gps to acquire accurate position within a few seconds, and they get more accurate the longer you let them acquire position.
 
There could be a way around this though. Some internet services gather information about wifi APs, based on the devices that have connected to the AP while having GPS/GSM on. The more devices that connect to an AP, the more accurate the position of the AP (yes, there are companies out there that know exactly where your router is based on IP/SSID/Mac, even in buildings). Providing your iPad with an iPhone hotspot could then provide the correct GPS information, as long as the iPad and iPhone are "on you".
 
Not sure about the GPS enabled controller. The Inspire has but I have heard that the P3 doesn't.
More important is, the tablet has to have enough power to run the video properly and for IOS devices that means it has to have an A7 chip or better.
Older devices just don't cut it.
 
So there's still a bit of confusion about this topic as some say yes and some say no?

I just can't see why a wifi only iPad will not work? This talk of the "phone or tablet device" needing to know its orientation and where it is just doesn't make absolute sense to me and isn't clear at the moment? Surely the P3 knows where it is and where it took off from - isn't that all it needs?

Is there a definitive answer?
 
This talk of the "phone or tablet device" needing to know its orientation and where it is just doesn't make absolute sense to me and isn't clear at the moment? Surely the P3 knows where it is and where it took off from - isn't that all it needs?
The Phantom knows where it started but what about your display?

Not sure what you've been flying so far .. but if you fly a P2V+, your radar display shows where your Phantom is so you know which way to look to find it. The Phantom doesn't know which way you have the display facing but even when you move it's right. If you have a dumb tablet, how is that going to work? You wouldn't know if the drone is in front or behind you.

Then if you were to use the dynamic home point feature because you are on a moving boat and don't want the Phantom trying to RTH to a piece of water where you aren't .... how's that feature going to work without gps at the operator's location?

But all this is academic if you have an old tablet that can't handle processing the HD video feed for the app.
 
The Phantom knows where it started but what about your display?

Not sure what you've been flying so far .. but if you fly a P2V+, your radar display shows where your Phantom is so you know which way to look to find it. The Phantom doesn't know which way you have the display facing but even when you move it's right. If you have a dumb tablet, how is that going to work? You wouldn't know if the drone is in front or behind you.

Then if you were to use the dynamic home point feature because you are on a moving boat and don't want the Phantom trying to RTH to a piece of water where you aren't .... how's that feature going to work without gps at the operator's location?

But all this is academic if you have an old tablet that can't handle processing the HD video feed for the app.
Hmmm understood but what if I only fly in line of sight. I personally never feel totally comfortable if it goes out of view... and an iPad Air 1 should do the video processing OK?
 
So there's still a bit of confusion about this topic as some say yes and some say no?

I just can't see why a wifi only iPad will not work? This talk of the "phone or tablet device" needing to know its orientation and where it is just doesn't make absolute sense to me and isn't clear at the moment? Surely the P3 knows where it is and where it took off from - isn't that all it needs?

Is there a definitive answer?
yes, you dont need GPS because your P3 has GPS. The only thing you cant use is the follow me mode which should be clear why. You dont need WIFI as well because you can prebuffer the map in your local WIFI at home or use your smartphone as an hotspot but close the hotspot before you fly.
 
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I find it interesting that in the DJI P3 specs there are a couple non GPS capable iPads recommended. Does that mean that they don't plan on having dynamic home in the P3?
 
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Why would you need to shut down the hot spot prior to flying, no difference than having a cell enabled connection, the app or controller shouldn't be affected by the wifi connection between the phone and tablet.... unless I am missing something?


Wow I have the same question. I was hoping that I could turn on my hotspot and leave my ipad sync to it while flying. Since my ipad knows my location when it's in wifi. ( maps app). Is there a problem on trying this???


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