Problems with DJI GO P3P Mini 2 is Litchi a Good Alternative?

[inspector_tim]

As stated in thread title.. I have a P3P, iPad Mini 2 and have used DJI GO and it's predecessors, however I've had trouble and I *think* there have been a lot of others with laggy/buggy display / CPU overloaded problems, and I'm wondering if Litchi is a good alternative?

As I'm used to using DJI Go, I'd upgrade my ole Mini 2 to a newer tablet, BUT.. it seems there are others with newer iPads and Android tablets having similar problems, so I'd rather buy an APP instead of a new tablet.

Looking for some help from those a little farther along and maybe having success? My needs are pretty simple and reliability and such are paramount for me, features are OK and I may learn to use them, but just kind of hoping to have a basic / reliable experience (oh like when I bought it..)

I had the older firmware for the bird and App, and kept getting nagged and fell victim to updating. UGH!

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions!

 

[VegasFlyer]

As stated in thread title.. I have a P3P, iPad Mini 2 and have used DJI GO and it's predecessors, however I've had trouble and I *think* there have been a lot of others with laggy/buggy display / CPU overloaded problems, and I'm wondering if Litchi is a good alternative?

As I'm used to using DJI Go, I'd upgrade my ole Mini 2 to a newer tablet, BUT.. it seems there are others with newer iPads and Android tablets having similar problems, so I'd rather buy an APP instead of a new tablet.

Looking for some help from those a little farther along and maybe having success? My needs are pretty simple and reliability and such are paramount for me, features are OK and I may learn to use them, but just kind of hoping to have a basic / reliable experience (oh like when I bought it..)

I had the older firmware for the bird and App, and kept getting nagged and fell victim to updating. UGH!

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions!

I have the exact same setup and I use Litchi almost exclusively. With the iPad Mini 2 you will not be able to use the screen record function that Litchi has to offer, however, because the graphics processor is not that powerful. Additionally, I seem to encounter the CPU overloaded issue almost exclusively near the end of a fairly long flight. (16-19 minutes) I've not found this to cause any flight or video recording issues, though. In Litchi, there is an option to change the Preview Quality under Camera settings. I tend to drop this down to 4Mbs because it affects processor load. (Preview Quality has no effect on recorded video) Preview Quality is defined as:

Preview Quality (Displayed only when Litchi is connected to your aircraft) Choose 4, 6, 8, or 10 Mbps (megabits per second). The quality of the preview video displayed on your iOS mobile device during flight can be controlled here. High numbers provide clearer video but also put increased demand on your device’s microprocessor (and, if selected, your graphics processor). If you suffer faltering video, try a lower Preview Quality rate.

I also limit the number of apps on the iPad that are running or startup automatically as processor load is a key issue. Because of its age, I use my iPad only for piloting my P3P. One issue I am having is an odd connection issue that's only recently come up. Litchi is now shutting down routinely between 2-4 minutes into a Waypoint route that I've created. Because this is a new symptom (within the past week or so) I think it's because of a heat issue. I live in Las Vegas and it's not uncommon for temps to hit 110 degrees. A little over a week ago the iPad itself reported it became too hot to continue operation. I still had control of the AC via the controller but no video output from the App even after I restarted it. This was a first after nearly 45 flights in temps ranging from 104-112. So, this may not become an issue for you.

I hope this helps!

 

[VegasFlyer]

As stated in thread title.. I have a P3P, iPad Mini 2 and have used DJI GO and it's predecessors, however I've had trouble and I *think* there have been a lot of others with laggy/buggy display / CPU overloaded problems, and I'm wondering if Litchi is a good alternative?

As I'm used to using DJI Go, I'd upgrade my ole Mini 2 to a newer tablet, BUT.. it seems there are others with newer iPads and Android tablets having similar problems, so I'd rather buy an APP instead of a new tablet.

Looking for some help from those a little farther along and maybe having success? My needs are pretty simple and reliability and such are paramount for me, features are OK and I may learn to use them, but just kind of hoping to have a basic / reliable experience (oh like when I bought it..)

I had the older firmware for the bird and App, and kept getting nagged and fell victim to updating. UGH!

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions!

By the way, I haven't run across any major problems during the times I used the DJI GO app. I was using FW version 01.10.0090

 

[inspector_tim]

Thanks VegasFlyer! I too had no problems until the latest DJI Go App and FW for AC which is 01.11.0020 which made the AC (mine is also a P3P) a little buggy close to ground, which I can live with for now as I turned OFF VPS which seemed to help a bit.. I too am in hotter climate/SoCal and temps have been hovering in high 90's/low 100's and even when iPad is nice and cool I start getting lag/slow down after just a few minutes.. I like the idea of reducing feed a bit to lighten load so to speak.

It sounds like Litchi might be a good alternative for me, and seems to offer some pluses that the Go app doesn't have.. I may just take a shot with $23 and try Litchi before upgrade the Mini or give another iOS device a shot.

 

[VegasFlyer]

Thanks VegasFlyer! I too had no problems until the latest DJI Go App and FW for AC which is 01.11.0020 which made the AC (mine is also a P3P) a little buggy close to ground, which I can live with for now as I turned OFF VPS which seemed to help a bit.. I too am in hotter climate/SoCal and temps have been hovering in high 90's/low 100's and even when iPad is nice and cool I start getting lag/slow down after just a few minutes.. I like the idea of reducing feed a bit to lighten load so to speak.

It sounds like Litchi might be a good alternative for me, and seems to offer some pluses that the Go app doesn't have.. I may just take a shot with $23 and try Litchi before upgrade the Mini or give another iOS device a shot.

You're quite welcome. I think you'll like it. I like creating waypoint missions without having to fly them first. There are many other features to the app as well. Let me know how it works out for you!

 

[inspector_tim]

I like the app, my iPad mini 2 still gets bogged down, I tried a Pano and started having problems after 24 of 34 pics.. Litchi was so bogged down, and the AC started to drift, Litchi seemed to be endlessly trying to re-align the shots towards ground.. I switched it back from F mode and all was OK. As I'm reading that folks are either still having trouble or barely skating by with the Mini 4, I think I may just use my phone 6s Plus for now.. as I like the form factor of the mini, but don't want to buy a new iPad and have obsolete in next 6 months or so. I'm sure the newer iPad Pro 9.7 or 10.5 would be fine, but it's hard to justify.

Hopefully next report back is with some success!

 

[VegasFlyer]

I like the app, my iPad mini 2 still gets bogged down, I tried a Pano and started having problems after 24 of 34 pics.. Litchi was so bogged down, and the AC started to drift, Litchi seemed to be endlessly trying to re-align the shots towards ground.. I switched it back from F mode and all was OK. As I'm reading that folks are either still having trouble or barely skating by with the Mini 4, I think I may just use my phone 6s Plus for now.. as I like the form factor of the mini, but don't want to buy a new iPad and have obsolete in next 6 months or so. I'm sure the newer iPad Pro 9.7 or 10.5 would be fine, but it's hard to justify.

Hopefully next report back is with some success!

Hey Tim,

I've been in the computer field since '87, so let me address your concerns from that perspective. If your only reason for considering a new iPad is for the purpose of flying your P3P then I suggest you pass it up. It's simply not worth the cost. If, however, you make regular use of the iPad then it does make sense to buy a new one. It's not entirely true that computers, tablets, and cell phones become obsolete within a year or two. Most of the changes from one model to the next are not that drastic. Manufacturers pump out new models mainly to keep the buzz going. I tell people not to consider a new phone until the one they have is at least 2 versions behind. I use a Samsung S7 so I will not buy a newer model until an S9 or S10 appears. (assuming they continue the same numbering scheme) Both Apple and Android products receive software updates to fix security issues or add additional features. You'll find the software on the iPad Mini 2 still receives updates.

The main problem here is the age of the iPad Mini 2. Its processor just doesn't seem to have the power Litchi requires. The DJI app doesn't appear to suffer much, though. I've never been a fan of Apple, but I use the Mini because I like the form factor. It was given to me as a present and I don't use it for anything else. I haven't attempted taking a Pano with it yet but I plan to try it in the next day or two. I'll get back to you with my results. Right now I'm getting geared up to record the eclipse on Monday and I'm working on trying to attach my GoPro to the P3P. (I have a very dark ND filter that will be affixed to the P3P camera) The idea is to film the sun with the P3P and capture the shadow coming across the valley with the GoPro. I'll probably go with the DJI app because I'm still having some connection issues with Litchi.

 

[inspector_tim]

So... As litchi was already on my iPhone 6s + I used litchi over the weekend with it and it works great.. used the Pano feature a few times, FPV and so on. Rock solid. The iPad Mini 2, not so much My complaint is that for these almost 50 year old eyes, the phone is a bit too small to really see what's going on.. however and until I decide what to do or upgrade, I may just keep using the phone.

Staples is selling the Mini 4 for 299 or so.. I like the form factor of the Mini more so than the Pro, of which the older version is on sale at Best Buy and online for just under 500. Will see.. I'm guessing the Mini 4 might be *just enough* to keep things working, but I fear will if these apps keep getting more resource hungry, that I might be in the same spot in near future. I've read just a few people that use the Mini 4 with no problems on Go App and Litchi.. there are others that say they get the Maxed Out CPU message and choppy video.. of which my iPhone 6s + did not get.. was smooth all around, just small..

Thanks again for the help, I'll report back if I make a change and any success

 

[Mix_]

Emm, may take a look on the 5 gen iPad - it has a slightly less juice than 9,7" iPad pro (and, of course, the new 10,5" pro), but is far more powerfull than iPad mini 4, which basically is iPad Air 2 in smaller form factor.

I'm using the 9,7" pro and think, that for flying and overall use the bigger screen size is a good thing (yep, it fits just barely in RC, and, to use it with prot. cover, I bought a cheepo 3D printed adapter).