1st generation Smart Controller and Mavic 3

[zeusfl]

At the very least, I hope the RC Pro is backwards compatible with lesser drones as well, then you can sell the SC v1 separately and minimize upgrade cost.

That is my same hope.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

At the very least, I hope the RC Pro is backwards compatible with lesser drones as well, then you can sell the SC v1 separately and minimize upgrade cost.

That is my same hope.

DJI will never do that. The Smart Controller is responsible for all the lesser drones. It may work with some drones up to the last drone released before November 2021.

Mavic 3 came out with the RC-Pro on November 4th, 2021. That is its base line. I am sure DJI will not make it work with another drone that the Smart Controller is already compatible with. Hence, the RC-Pro will only work with any drone or product made by DJI after November 5, 2021 and the future, not backwards.

I am very positive about this.

 

[zeusfl]

This is what the smart controller should look like for what DJI is asking for.
This will be the smart controller for the Evo.

Autel Robotics Smart Controller V2

auteldrones.com

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

This is what the smart controller should look like for what DJI is asking for.
This will be the smart controller for the Evo.

Autel Robotics Smart Controller V2

auteldrones.com

Well, that goes to show that other companies will do what DJI has done and jack up prices of their new products. Look at Autel matching DJI's price for their own Smart Controller.

DJI RC-Pro $1,199
Autel Smart Controller $1,199

DJI Mavic 3 Cine $4,999!
Watch out as Autel comes close to or matches that price soon.

 

[zeusfl]

I just realized that the smart controller has SMA outputs. You can replace the antennas or add boosters without modifications.

 

[RonBower]

As I said in an earlier post, my gen 1 SC isn't perfect for me. I was flying with a 9.7" iPad before and I appreciated the bigger screen. So, for my new M3, I will try flying with the standard controller and a tablet or phone. But I have a question about the standard remote: is there a button or some way to quickly move the gimble from straight ahead to straight down? That is one feature I use all the time with the SC. Every flight, usually more than once. I am hoping one of you who has used this controller on other drones can answer this. Thanks!

 

[Platoon]

So, old SC not compatible with M3 , New SC $1200 only compatible with M3. I am glad I decided to go with Tripltek 8

 

[Czechvar]

Better than even chance I’ll end up going with the TriplTek solution. I prefer an integrated controller, but circumstances are lining up against maintaining a Gen 1 Smart Controller….Gen 2 as well for that matter.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

So, old SC not compatible with M3 , New SC $1200 only compatible with M3. I am glad I decided to go with Tripltek 8

I thought the new SC was expensive at $1,199 until someone shared a link today that showed Autel released its own SC many months ago for $1,199. And I watched YouTube videos of so many criticisms about the Autel SC. So, DJI is merely just matching the price of Autel.

People are complaining about the price and sating they will buy from other drone company but none of them mentioned that Autel was the first to come out with a SC that cost $1,199. So, I am surprised the people who are used to Autel did not mention that. I never knew that because Autel is a brand i have never really paid attention to.

 

[globetrotterdrone]

I personally see value in the RC Pro and will be buying it regardless, however I also completely understand the desire to carry over the SC v1.

Can you elaborate?

We don't know what Android version this runs. SDK seems far away, so no Litchi (not speaking that the SC Litchi version is that good tbh, but at least ...) We know, the screen shares same resolution and same brightness.

Certainly, OC3+ allows for higher bandwith and transmission, but that plays little to no role for VLOS (regulations might be different in Canada but not for EU countries). Ok, you can screenrecord in FHD, but I really can't see any major improvement for the end user.

What am I missing ... ?

 

[mschaffer66]

I thought the new SC was expensive at $1,199 until someone shared a link today that showed Autel released its own SC many months ago for $1,199. And I watched YouTube videos of so many criticisms about the Autel SC. So, DJI is merely just matching the price of Autel.

People are complaining about the price and sating they will buy from other drone company but none of them mentioned that Autel was the first to come out with a SC that cost $1,199. So, I am surprised the people who are used to Autel did not mention that. I never knew that because Autel is a brand i have never really paid attention to.

I'll say though, in concept(maybe not execution) the Autel SC is a heck of a lot more reasonable at $1200 than the "new" SC is.

 

[Coskier]

But I have a question about the standard remote: is there a button or some way to quickly move the gimble from straight ahead to straight down?

There is one button labeled Fn and a wheel on the back. I haven't flown yet, but after a quick startup, the wheel controls gimbal angle and it moves it pretty quickly. I do not know about the customizability of the Fn button yet.

 

[CanadaDrone]

Can you elaborate?

We don't know what Android version this runs. SDK seems far away, so no Litchi (not speaking that the SC Litchi version is that good tbh, but at least ...) We know, the screen shares same resolution and same brightness.

Certainly, OC3+ allows for higher bandwith and transmission, but that plays little to no role for VLOS (regulations might be different in Canada but not for EU countries). Ok, you can screenrecord in FHD, but I really can't see any major improvement for the end user.

What am I missing ... ?

Sure.

I much prefer not having to fiddle with cables, smartphones, or tablets and I like to never have to worry about compatibility issues as I get a new smartphone every year. I also much prefer the ergonomics, which for me contributes to how well I can fly the drone as well as reduced fatigue for longer sessions. The screen brightness is also a big deal, it's much brighter than most smartphones can manage (sustained). A change in screen resolution is largely pointless unless the drone feed resolution has increased, but that is still 1080P to my knowledge. Higher resolution would also mean less battery life and more difficult to make it as bright as it is. I agree OS3 is useless for range if you are a legal flyer, but the extra power may help punch through areas of higher interference or through obstacles, so I won't say no to that. I don't use Litchi so I couldn't care less about that for my usage case.

If the RC Pro is what works with the M3, then it's all a moot point anyway, that is what you have to buy if you want the above benefits beyond what the regular controller offers. I will recoup some cost selling my SCv1 along with my M2P, which I will probably have to sell together anyway as I don't have any other controller. I personally don't have a problem with it's value proposition and will buy one when I pick up a M3.

 

[globetrotterdrone]

@CanadaDrone
Don't get me wrong, but what exactly now is the advantage of the RC Pro vs the SC?
I was under the impression you said, that the RC Pro is worth the upgrade 'in value' from the SC or did I misread?

Certainly I am no fan for the basic RC and the fiddly cables to your phone and all that stuff. If you meant that, then we are d'accord.

I bought the M2P when the SC came out ... I explicitly waited for it. Without such a RC I would have not bothered to fly a drone coming from modelling where you always had a proper dedicated controller.

 

[CanadaDrone]

@CanadaDrone
Don't get me wrong, but what exactly now is the advantage of the RC Pro vs the SC?
I was under the impression you said, that the RC Pro is worth the upgrade 'in value' from the SC or did I misread?

Certainly I am no fan for the basic RC and the fiddly cables to your phone and all that stuff. If you meant that, then we are d'accord.

I bought the M2P when the SC came out ... I explicitly waited for it. Without such a RC I would have not bothered to fly a drone coming from modelling where you always had a proper dedicated controller.

The advantage is I can use it with the M3. Also if it has faster internals, which I understand that it does, I would gladly pay for that as well over the SCv1 which is a bit of a dog in that respect. I am very picky about those sorts of things so I place a higher value on them than others might. If the signal is more resistant to interference or obstacles (don't care about range), I would pay for that as well. I can totally understand people wanting to use the SCv1 and I think DJI should have done that, but I guess time will tell if DJI is telling the truth when they say there are hardware limitations preventing it from working.

 

[globetrotterdrone]

@CanadaDrone
As for the internals we can only assume after 2 and something years, that they implemented faster chips. But nothing has been said in detail. Sure thing, the SC 1 is a bit slow sometimes and also running on an old build of Android, but it's nothing more than a RC for me, not meant to substitute a tablet for instance.

It's doing its job just fine so far.
I am not really surprised DJI is not or at least for some time not supporting the SC (we talked about this earlier). What I am suprised of is, that the RC Pro is also not working with older drone models, especially the Air 2S. It's like you have those bunch of RC in your home which are all software-locked and only work with their specific model. That is ridicilous for such piece of hardware.

 

[CanadaDrone]

@CanadaDrone
As for the internals we can only assume after 2 and something years, that they implemented faster chips. But nothing has been said in detail. Sure thing, the SC 1 is a bit slow sometimes and also running on an old build of Android, but it's nothing more than a RC for me, not meant to substitute a tablet for instance.

It's doing its job just fine so far.
I am not really surprised DJI is not or at least for some time not supporting the SC (we talked about this earlier). What I am suprised of is, that the RC Pro is also not working with older drone models, especially the Air 2S. It's like you have those bunch of RC in your home which are all software-locked and only work with their specific model. That is ridicilous for such piece of hardware.

I agree with you that it makes little sense for the RC Pro not to work with older models, at least with what we know so far. Especially for those who don't already own any SC and want one, DJI could presumably sell more standalone RC Pros that way.