Can I fly my Air 2 with a cell phone that has no carrier?

[chrisgangai]

It’s a iPhone 6s Plus that we don’t use anymore, but has no carrier.

Also, will it affect the range? Or Is there any other control complications without a cell phone signal?

 

[aokusman]

Yes you can. That’s how we fly with WiFi tablets.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

In fact it might be a good idea to switch the phone bit of a phone off .......no annoying or unwarranted calls etc.

 

[Cymruflyer]

I always used to turn my iPhone 6 to airplane mode when using it to fly with my Mavic Pro. The drone has its own wi-fi signal that they are using for back and forth info between drone and controller/phone, it has nothing to do with a cell phone carriers service. If you use a phone to fly with, you should always turn off the cell phone part of its connection, as in "Turn on airplane mode" to prevent a call coming in while flying.

 

[Exotic Blacklist]

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I have an iphone 6s that I am not using. Instead, i use it to fly the drones and update the firmware through wifi

 

[C.W.]

Yes. It's what I do. The phone is basically just a screen

 

[NLOL]

"The drone has its own wi-fi signal that they are using for back and forth info between drone and controller/phone" - Is this right - for the MA2 ????

 

[asic_ace]

For OcuSync 2.0, is even WiFi needed? As I see it, the cellphone only communicates with the controller via USB and only serves as a video display and maybe an auxiliary control panel. So, any used COMPATIBLE phone should work with no added carrier expense and no WiFi (just to conserve battery)?

I'm not an owner yet. I'm looking at Air-2 and Mini-2. As a ground zero beginner, I figure I'll lose or destroy my first drone so go with the cheap one. Any suggestions for a better one for a first timer would be appreciated.
I'm stuck on the added cost of a modern cellphone (I still use a flip phone because it fits in my sock) & a carrier account, which seems unnecessary. So, can I just buy a used phone & it will work out of the box?

 

[dawgpilot]

For OcuSync 2.0, is even WiFi needed? As I see it, the cellphone only communicates with the controller via USB and only serves as a video display and maybe an auxiliary control panel. So, any used COMPATIBLE phone should work with no added carrier expense and no WiFi (just to conserve battery)?

I'm not an owner yet. I'm looking at Air-2 and Mini-2. As a ground zero beginner, I figure I'll lose or destroy my first drone so go with the cheap one. Any suggestions for a better one for a first timer would be appreciated.
I'm stuck on the added cost of a modern cellphone (I still use a flip phone because it fits in my sock) & a carrier account, which seems unnecessary. So, can I just buy a used phone & it will work out of the box?

Correct, you don't need wifi turned on while flying the drone.

 

[Uncle Hoser]

For OcuSync 2.0, is even WiFi needed? As I see it, the cellphone only communicates with the controller via USB and only serves as a video display and maybe an auxiliary control panel. So, any used COMPATIBLE phone should work with no added carrier expense and no WiFi (just to conserve battery)?

I'm not an owner yet. I'm looking at Air-2 and Mini-2. As a ground zero beginner, I figure I'll lose or destroy my first drone so go with the cheap one. Any suggestions for a better one for a first timer would be appreciated.
I'm stuck on the added cost of a modern cellphone (I still use a flip phone because it fits in my sock) & a carrier account, which seems unnecessary. So, can I just buy a used phone & it will work out of the box?

Just get a reasonably-priced android tablet and hook it up. You don't need a "phone", per se, just a wi-fi enabled device with a data port. I'm using a REALLY cheap ONN tablet from Wally World with the MA2 and it works great.

 

[Cymruflyer]

"The drone has its own wi-fi signal that they are using for back and forth info between drone and controller/phone" - Is this right - for the MA2 ????

Yes, for the MA2 as well. You do not need a phone with a carrier to get any wi-fi, since none is needed. The drone and controller are doing it all between themselves. That's why some people use iPads with no carrier service, the phone, iPad or tablet is basically just your monitor/screen, it has nothing to do with anything wi-fi. With that said, if you want maps on and do not wish to cache them, then you would need a carrier to access the internet to get the maps in real time. However, a lot of people do not use maps, and many that do, cache them into their phone and use them that way to fly with a map of just the area they expect to be flying in. Therefore, once again, no need for a wi-fi from your phone of any cell phone carriers.

 

[Claretcass]

Yes you can. Also if your phone was previously on your home wifi connect up again and download google maps using the “offline” option for wherever you are going to fly, the phone will store each offline map you chose and they will remain valid for 12 months. As long as you connect up your phone before the 12 months are up simply refresh.
If your 6S is tied into a particular carrier and won’t connect to your network then buy the cheapest Pay as you go card, connect up and download then your good to go.
Seems a shame not to use the 6s
Good luck

 

[abruzzopat]

One thing to keep in mind, if you fly in/near restricted airspace, you’ll need a phone to receive the authorization code from DJI. Obviously doesn’t have to be the phone you use for flight.

 

[vjpapa]

For OcuSync 2.0, is even WiFi needed? As I see it, the cellphone only communicates with the controller via USB and only serves as a video display and maybe an auxiliary control panel. So, any used COMPATIBLE phone should work with no added carrier expense and no WiFi (just to conserve battery)?

I'm not an owner yet. I'm looking at Air-2 and Mini-2. As a ground zero beginner, I figure I'll lose or destroy my first drone so go with the cheap one. Any suggestions for a better one for a first timer would be appreciated.
I'm stuck on the added cost of a modern cellphone (I still use a flip phone because it fits in my sock) & a carrier account, which seems unnecessary. So, can I just buy a used phone & it will work out of the box?

Buy the MA2- you won't be disappointed. It's very user friendly and might be the only drone you need for a long time!

 

[JMMath]

Yes you can. All the cellphone is ........ just a small tablet with no ability to call out or receive calls. I just recently found this out and it works great

 

[czechyour6]

I use a Galaxy 9 and it works great except it seems to not let the "where the drone is according to me " arrow at the bottom of screen work. Will turning location on help even though its not hooked to network? Might have old sim card in it also cant remember

 

[Meta4]

will turning location on help even though its not hooked to network? Might have old sim card in it also cant remember

The compass sensor and GPS in your phone don't need any cell connection to work.

 

[reaperman]

Will google maps still show up on the controller on the bottom left side of the screen during the flight if no cell service is used?

 

[MA2 317]

Will google maps still show up on the controller on the bottom left side of the screen during the flight if no cell service is used?

You'll have to cache the map with the home WiFi by opening up the app and scroll around the area you plan on flying in.

The map should automatically be cached and ready when you fly.

I'm not sure how long it stays cached but it's part of my preflight check list before flying, cache the map.

It's usually a good time to update stuff if needed while I'm connected to the WiFi.

Good luck.