Building a better screen sunshade using physics and reflection (and it's free).

[Robert Mitchell]

Pretty sure I wrote that I use one of these WITH a sun shade.... yep I did, look it's up there in my post if you had read it! [emoji848]

If you don't angle it, you still get lowered contrast, regardless of the surface you are looking at.
What you suggest is better, but still not as effective as what the OP is saying.

 

[stratos]

Or you cam get the moverio bt300

 

[westonmavicpilot]

If you don't angle it, you still get lowered contrast, regardless of the surface you are looking at.
What you suggest is better, but still not as effective as what the OP is saying.

I actually don't get lowered contrast, what I get is a bright clear screen with no reflections - with my shade angled to suit. I suppose I could glue a large piece of cardboard to the top of my head and hold the remote right underneath it, that way I could adjust the angle of it using my neck.... ****, maybe I've stumbled on an upgrade there lol

 

[MrMavic]

Or you cam get the moverio bt300

Not very many that would pay $700 for a pair of glasses though.

 

[ReadyKilowatt]

So what's the difference between flying with a full shade that has reading glass lenses and goggles? Aside from price of course. How can you maintain VLOS when watching the display? If that's OK to use why not have the googles down when actually recording and just lift them up (they're hinged at the headband) in between takes? Of course having a spotter with you negates the need for the remote pilot to have VLOS at all times, and maybe you do.

Just wondering out loud...

 

[gutbucket]

I've been thinking of throwing a black piece of fabric in my bag and going 19th century old school, to do this...

That's brilliant ! And even cheaper then a cereal box. Just be careful of walking off a cliff.

 

[GMG]

That's brilliant ! And even cheaper then a cereal box. Just be careful of walking off a cliff.

Despite favouring a 19th century aesthetic, I have a thick, black hoodie that does the job, which I keep with my Mavic. I don't put it on as a normal hoody. Just turn it upside down and pull it over my head and the tablet/RC

 

[stratos]

So what's the difference between flying with a full shade that has reading glass lenses and goggles? Aside from price of course. How can you maintain VLOS when watching the display? If that's OK to use why not have the googles down when actually recording and just lift them up (they're hinged at the headband) in between takes? Of course having a spotter with you negates the need for the remote pilot to have VLOS at all times, and maybe you do.

Just wondering out loud...

The BT300 area traslucent mate. You can see the screen floating infront of you and still have direct visibility of the craft. You have full awareness of your surroundings

 

[Robert Mitchell]

So what's the difference between flying with a full shade that has reading glass lenses and goggles? Aside from price of course.

Just wondering out loud...

The full shade with reading glass lenses is not attached to your head. You simply look down at the screen, and then look up to see the drone.

Also, this approach is not binocular so it's not as 3d or immersive. It simply enlarges and makes the screen more view able for people like me who benefit from the magnification.

 

[GP-Mavic]

I only fly at night so no issues, unless there's a full moon. Then I use my moon shade... ;-)

 

[baweber]

Long story short, this cardboard sunshade takes 2 minutes to make, is free, and is better than the $60+ Hoodman sunshades others on this forum have used.

I am astonished at how many sunshades seem to get it wrong. Most seem to be 90 degree angles off the screen, 4 sides around the screen, trying to create a darkroom for your eyes. Physics (reflection) says the problem isn’t the ambient light, it is that 90 degree angle. Even the $60+ Hoodman sunshades have that failure – where you have to put your eyes right up to it and block out all light.

Here is the problem with most sunshades:
View attachment 15260**


With standard 90 degree sunshade, the ambient light is bouncing off your face (or the light sky behind you), to the screen, and then back to your eyes. This is why you see a reflection on your tablet which makes the image hard to see. This is why even complete 4 sided shades don’t work unless you press your face all the way against them to block out the light behind your head.

Instead, if the sunshade is just angled slightly so the reflection on the screen is off the dark wall of the sunshade rather than your face, then suddenly the screen is completely clear EVEN IF THE SUNSHADE IS ONLY 3 SIDED. You simply tilt the tablet screen away from you a little bit, so you aren't looking directly at it, and you'll be able to see beneath the slight tilt of the sunshade.



The Solution:

See my demo build below using a cereal box. The exact angle you need depends on the length of the sunshade you are using. I found my cereal box (about 13 inches long) meant I needed to tilt the angle only 25 degrees. The longer the shade, the less of an angle you need. I then used a black marker to shade in the side of the box black to increase effectiveness:

View attachment 15264
View attachment 15262



And it is just that simple. Note, when attached to your screen, it is only 3 sided yet it works even in full sunlight. Thus, you can still easily touch the screen freely, unlike 4 sided shades which have tiny little finger holes.
View attachment 15261
(Click to enlarge)



How you attach it to your tablet depends on what type of tablet holder you use. You could just attach it with painters tape, or you can cut slits in the side of the cereal box at 25 degrees instead and slip the tablet through that way.
View attachment 15263
(Click to enlarge)


Obviously this version is the quick and dirty way. If you care about looks more or want something more long lasting, use stronger materials (like poster board instead of a cereal box), and try harder. This was just a proof of concept but it worked so well I haven't gotten around to making a prettier version yet.


Try it yourself – you don’t even need to cut things or color them black to prove it works for you. Just take any cardboard, stand in the sunlight, and hold it at 90 degrees vs. an angle (so the reflection is of the side, not your face) and notice how better the image is. You will obviously need to tilt the tablet screen so you can see it.

Hopefully the various vendors who make sunshades use this technique to create an angled shade out of nicer materials.


**Note the first image with the silhouette I found on the Phantom forum, I don’t remember who made it. If you know, tell me so I can add the citation.

I also made my own for my NVIDIA shield. I just glued two black poster board pieces together, cut pieces after a few calculations, and used Gorilla tape to fasten them to the NVIDIA case lid on one side. The other side has masking tape that allows me to remove it from the tablet body and fold it flat. The angle that is important is that between the bottom of the monitor and your eye. You have to move the tablet away from your body to get the reflection protection. That usually means you can't see the remote control unit at all - but all the info I need is on the monitor anyway. Also, just put your back to the sun - that helps alot!

 

[Aeronut45]

Light rain jackets with a hood serve the purpose well. I just put the jacket back to front with the hood over my head, works a treat.

 

[Dabrain]

The BT300 area traslucent mate. You can see the screen floating infront of you and still have direct visibility of the craft. You have full awareness of your surroundings

Well, that's a bit more expensive than a box of cereal.

 

[guest1231]

I've been thinking of throwing a black piece of fabric in my bag and going 19th century old school, to do this...

...and they're still in use today, saving big retouching bucks. Photographers shooting ads and brochures for the U.S. auto industry use them on location, huddling under these black cloths with creative directors, viewing test shots on the shooters' laptops, and conferring on critical composition, light and color considerations. The more things change...

 

[rocdok]

i experimented with partial shades and after reading the hoodman site realized the only way to get rid of reflection is complete oclusion. This is big and ugly and i had planned to redesign smaller but it works so good even with glasses that i've decided not to bother. It weighs 300 gms(.66lbs) and is made of 'currugated' plastic. I plan to buy a real Hoodman for travel.

 

[ReadyKilowatt]

The full shade with reading glass lenses is not attached to your head. You simply look down at the screen, and then look up to see the drone.

Also, this approach is not binocular so it's not as 3d or immersive. It simply enlarges and makes the screen more view able for people like me who benefit from the magnification.

Yes, I understand that you just move your head to look up. But with the goggles you are able to just lift up the screen section and suddenly you are looking up. The eyepiece is connected to the headband on a hinge. If the goggles are down you're not looking at the aircraft. If you're looking through your hood you're not looking at the aircraft (it's up in the sky after all). So what's the difference other than the FAA wouldn't like it if I flew with goggles even if just when actually framing and shooting?

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Yes, I understand that you just move your head to look up. But with the goggles you are able to just lift up the screen section and suddenly you are looking up. The eyepiece is connected to the headband on a hinge. If the goggles are down you're not looking at the aircraft. If you're looking through your hood you're not looking at the aircraft (it's up in the sky after all). So what's the difference other than the FAA wouldn't like it if I flew with goggles even if just when actually framing and shooting?

I think I get your point which is: If goggles are illegal then why not shades?

Obviously, taken to the extreme, any time you look down at your screen you aren't looking at your aircraft, but I guess they feel that with goggles you are immersed and can loose all sense of orientation of where your ship is .

I have long since quit trying to understand, or being frustrated by, their reasoning.

 

[grinder.1]

Thanks for posting this. Now time to build.

 

[MrMavic]

I've been thinking of throwing a black piece of fabric in my bag and going 19th century old school, to do this...

Believe it or not, some photographers still use these to get better results. I have seen them recently.

 

[MrMavic]

Well, that's a bit more expensive than a box of cereal.

I don't know, have you seen the price of cereal lately? LOL