Tablet with or without data for P3A?

[karamazin]

Hi, I am in this business the beginner. I'll have to buy Phantom3 advanced and I need advice if I should buy a tablet with data or without them. And about which features will I lose, if I have a tablet without data. Thank you all for the answer.

 

[Wolfiesden]

If you mean a tablet without cellular connection....

1. With cell data - It will download and use google maps dynamically during flight. It can immediately upload flight data to sites as well as stream live video to youtube. It will also download geofence data as well as NFZ.
2. Without cell data (wifi only) - No map download during flight. However if you load the apps while connected to your home wifi, you can pre-cache the maps of where you are planning on flying. Its easy and not a big deal. You also won't be able to stream live to youtube. It also won't upload data immediately after the flight. But it can be synched later when connected to wifi.

Other than the live maps, not much else you will loose or gain during flight with the choice of a cell or non-cell tablet.

Just posing another option here, if you really really want live data during flight, you could enable the wifi hotspot on your cell phone and connect your tablet to it when out in the field. This would allow live streams and live maps with a non-cell-data tablet.

 

[msinger]

See this post.

 

[JerichoVirus]

If you mean a tablet without cellular connection....

1. With cell data - It will download and use google maps dynamically during flight. It can immediately upload flight data to sites as well as stream live video to youtube. It will also download geofence data as well as NFZ.
2. Without cell data (wifi only) - No map download during flight. However if you load the apps while connected to your home wifi, you can pre-cache the maps of where you are planning on flying. Its easy and not a big deal. You also won't be able to stream live to youtube. It also won't upload data immediately after the flight. But it can be synched later when connected to wifi.

Other than the live maps, not much else you will loose or gain during flight with the choice of a cell or non-cell tablet.

Just posing another option here, if you really really want live data during flight, you could enable the wifi hotspot on your cell phone and connect your tablet to it when out in the field. This would allow live streams and live maps with a non-cell-data tablet.

Quick question on this, I was wondering about wifi on the field. I thought they suggested wifi to be off while your flying? I accidentally left my wifi on during my last run and kept getting "image transmission signal weak" during the flight. I have done a 10k run with no issues however, when I had this on, I was barely getting 2.5k out.

 

[Wolfiesden]

WiFi is in the same frequency band as the RF for the RC and LightBridge. Thats why it was suggested to disable it, thus freeing up the channel for use by the drone.

 

[karamazin]

If you mean a tablet without cellular connection....

1. With cell data - It will download and use google maps dynamically during flight. It can immediately upload flight data to sites as well as stream live video to youtube. It will also download geofence data as well as NFZ.
2. Without cell data (wifi only) - No map download during flight. However if you load the apps while connected to your home wifi, you can pre-cache the maps of where you are planning on flying. Its easy and not a big deal. You also won't be able to stream live to youtube. It also won't upload data immediately after the flight. But it can be synched later when connected to wifi.

Other than the live maps, not much else you will loose or gain during flight with the choice of a cell or non-cell tablet.

Just posing another option here, if you really really want live data during flight, you could enable the wifi hotspot on your cell phone and connect your tablet to it when out in the field. This would allow live streams and live maps with a non-cell-data tablet.

My idea is buy tablet Nvidia Shield K1, is it O.K.? And without cell data, can I in DJI go watching flight records?

 

[Wolfiesden]

That is the tablet I plan to go with (currently using another android device). The logs can be upladed when you get back home and connect to wifi.

 

[marzipana]

See this post.

I'm still a bit confused about this - most pilots switch their cell phones to aeroplane mode, which means no data is coming in, is that right? Do you have to download a map with aero mode off first and then fly once you've got the map and can turn on aero mode, or will the map download regardless?


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Wolfiesden]

Simply open the app (Go/Litchi/Autopilot) and use the map while connected to data (either cell or wifi). Scroll to the area where you will fly, zoom in and out. This makes it load the map images and data into the cache. Then you can go airplane mode (which I do on my Galaxy S5) when flying. This turns off all the radio transmitters on the phone so they do not interfere with the RC trying to listen for the RF from the Phantom.

 

[marzipana]

Simply open the app (Go/Litchi/Autopilot) and use the map while connected to data (either cell or wifi). Scroll to the area where you will fly, zoom in and out. This makes it load the map images and data into the cache. Then you can go airplane mode (which I do on my Galaxy S5) when flying. This turns off all the radio transmitters on the phone so they do not interfere with the RC trying to listen for the RF from the Phantom.

That's what I suspected - so too bad if you're in an area where you suddenly discover your cell coverage isn't so good, LOL. Still probably best to load maps at home if possible then.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Wolfiesden]

It sill still fly. You just won't have the nice google earth map images to look at.

 

[msinger]

I'm still a bit confused about this - most pilots switch their cell phones to aeroplane mode

You should only switch to airplane mode when out flying.

 

[Meta4]

My idea is buy tablet Nvidia Shield K1, is it O.K.? And without cell data, can I in DJI go watching flight records?

That is the tablet I plan to go with (currently using another android device). The logs can be upladed when you get back home and connect to wifi.

The flight logs are stored in the app without any need for uploading anything.

I'm still a bit confused about this - most pilots switch their cell phones to aeroplane mode, which means no data is coming in, is that right? Do you have to download a map with aero mode off first and then fly once you've got the map and can turn on aero mode, or will the map download regardless?

Maps are really of very little use while flying and if you don't have maps, it shouldn't make any difference.
But if you really want maps, it's simple to cache the maps you want while you're at home using wifi.

 

[marzipana]

Maps are really of very little use while flying and if you don't have maps, it shouldn't make any difference.
But if you really want maps, it's simple to cache the maps you want while you're at home using wifi.

Really? Aren't they more helpful than just a black screen, so you can see the arrow and position of your bird?

 

[marzipana]

You should only switch to airplane mode when out flying.

Yes, sorry, I meant they switch to airplane mode when they're about to fly.

 

[Meta4]

Really? Aren't they more helpful than just a black screen, so you can see the arrow and position of your bird?

The camera view with small radar display works best for me when I'm flying.

 

[marzipana]

The camera view with small radar display works best for me when I'm flying.

Meta4, do you mean this radar? What's the white arrow at the top?

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Meta4]

Meta4, do you mean this radar? What's the white arrow at the top?

That's the radar display but I'm not sure about the white arrow.
I think this from DJI suggests it indicates the way your controller is pointing but I've never seen it move.
I'll have to experiment.

 

[Trackman1]

Thanks Meta4. Thought I had seen all the videos. Missed that one.

 

[Wolfiesden]

That's the radar display but I'm not sure about the white arrow.
I think this from DJI suggests it indicates the way your controller is pointing but I've never seen it move.
I'll have to experiment.

Of course you don't see it move. Its the direction the controller is facing At least in litchi, up on the radar is the direction the controller (device) is facing. If you rotate your body, the pips on the radar rotate but up is still the direction you are facing.