Can you fly without cell service?

[Maverick pilot]

There's no height limit for that feature.

The weak GPS message means that the app detects no GPS signal from the device.
Are you certain your device GPS is switched on?

How far are you moving that you need this feature?
Almost no-one uses it.
Are you flying from a moving car or boat?

I would just like to use that feature as i want to walk to different areas and thus like it to return to me or controller. I understand you can do that manually however there have been times for one brief moment i loose site of it. It can be due to looking where im walking to not trip over something. If i regain site of it and where it is then all good, but if not then that would be a good function to use. Yes i know the rules not to lose site of it but it can happen and thus panic sets in, that adds more stress, making it hard to regain line of site even further. I want it to return to me as soon as possible not having to walk back to the take off home point. This way i can walk greater distances without returning to my initual start point. That helps to get greater footage and not have return to footage already done if you know what i mean.

Steven

 

[Meta4]

there have been times for one brief moment i loose site of it. It can be due to looking where im walking to not trip over something. If i regain site of it and where it is then all good, but if not then that would be a good function to use. Yes i know the rules not to lose site of it but it can happen and thus panic sets in, that adds more stress, making it hard to regain line of site even further.

Sounds like you should learn how to use the radar display so you know where the drone is even if you lose sight of it.

 

[Maverick pilot]

Sounds like you should learn how to use the radar display so you know where the drone is even if you lose sight of it.

Yes i thought of that. But really for whatever reason dji software designers and craft engineers have provided that icon to return to controller so they know about using the radar display but regardless they have provided that feature. I think of all people there are, they best at flying the dji product and see a reason for it. None the less its there so for whatever, that feature i want to use and its there radar or not. Dji seems to think it warranted to return to controller. Maybe i shouldnt explain my reasons to use it but rather its there for a reason. Im not wanting whos the best pilot but wanting that feature to work for me as the software developers at dji saw some reason for it.

 

[Meta4]

Yes i thought of that. But really for whatever reason dji software designers and craft engineers have provided that icon to return to controller so they know about using the radar display but regardless they have provided that feature. I think of all people there are, they best at flying the dji product and see a reason for it. None the less its there so for whatever, that feature i want to use and its there radar or not. Dji seems to think it warranted to return to controller. Maybe i shouldnt explain my reasons to use it but rather its there for a reason. Im not wanting whos the best pilot but wanting that feature to work for me as the software developers at dji saw some reason for it.

But the fact is that for 6 months, the feature you want has not been working and DJI engineers have done nothing about it.
I've pointed out another feature that would be very helpful.
Whether you choose to use it is up to you.

 

[Maverick pilot]

Ok. Thanks for your help guys. This feature works for some and others it doesnt. Checked youtube and it works for users there. I dont have iphone as ive come across on this forum as being the issue for those users. I'll figure it out somehow. Will contact dji and see what they say.

 

[sjale2007]

Hi @BuddyD welcome also

You don’t need a cell phone network or WiFi to fly your drone when you get it. You would normally turn everything off on the phone while flying unless you won’t to live stream.

GPS is generated via you phone but again it doesn’t need cell service.

Hope this helps in any way

Not in my case. Having mavic 2 zoom. Recently i keep loosing RC to Mavic connection, so i tried to examine when this happens - very simply, whenever my phone gets out of cellular mobile data range. I used mavic 1 before, now for some time mavic 2, am reasonably experienced flyer, and have never seen this before. no error reported, nothing really - just loosing connection whenever my phone goes out of data stream. Any thoughts?

 

[Meta4]

Not in my case. Having mavic 2 zoom. Recently i keep loosing RC to Mavic connection, so i tried to examine when this happens - very simply, whenever my phone gets out of cellular mobile data range. I used mavic 1 before, now for some time mavic 2, am reasonably experienced flyer, and have never seen this before. no error reported, nothing really - just loosing connection whenever my phone goes out of data stream. Any thoughts?

Coincidence.
There's nothing from your cell service needed to maintain connection.
You are talking about two unrelated and independent things.

 

[sjale2007]

Coincidence.
There's nothing from your cell service needed to maintain connection.
You are talking about two unrelated and independent things.

it seems you are not correct?
look at this My tips on how to stop DJI Mavic from forced firmware and app upd...
"Lets say you need to be able to get your drone up and flying in a moments notice. (plenty of scenarios I could think of) Had that happen to me, the moment was ruined because hey DJI app had to update, had to download a 100+ something sized update for a DJI 4 app and won't let you fly the mavic with the app (of course I could still use controller, but that means I couldn't really do the filming, which was the whole point of it all in the first place). "

this is exactly what is happening to me, with addition - it wont let me fly until i connect to data stream so it checks version.

it seems smth very new, i didnt have this problem before

 

[Meta4]

it seems you are not correct?

No .. what I told you is correct.

"Lets say you need to be able to get your drone up and flying in a moments notice. (plenty of scenarios I could think of) Had that happen to me, the moment was ruined because hey DJI app had to update, had to download a 100+ something sized update for a DJI 4 app and won't let you fly"

You can fly as much as you like without any cell service - I've been doing it for years.
Whether you can update the app or firmware without cell service is a completely different problem.
But the app does not have to update and there are no "forced updates".
SImply turn off auto-updating in the settings for your phone or tablet and you won't find yourself in that situation.

 

[ff22]

Until I got the Smart Controller I used a Samsung Tab and it had NO cell service, no sim card. And generally when used had NO wifi. In other words no connection to the outside world. My Zoom flew fine with the Tab. My Smart Controller has NO connection to the outside world unless hooked to wifi and that is only when it is at home. But when I flew it in Seaside, OR and at Snoqualmie Pass and a few other places, it had no connection and, again, my Zoom was fine flying.

 

[Porky]

Not in my case. Having mavic 2 zoom. Recently i keep loosing RC to Mavic connection, so i tried to examine when this happens - very simply, whenever my phone gets out of cellular mobile data range. I used mavic 1 before, now for some time mavic 2, am reasonably experienced flyer, and have never seen this before. no error reported, nothing really - just loosing connection whenever my phone goes out of data stream. Any thoughts?

Never use cell service to fly my drone, only time I use WiFi/cell service is when I update the firmware.

 

[DSGDSG]

I use an ipad mini to fly instead of my cellphone. It has no sim card installed. Never had an issue due to not having cellular service.