Can't Change My RTH Point To The Mobile Device/Controller

[JDFMavic]

The Bad Alf looks interesting. I too would like to know if it would work with my iPad mini

 

[JDFMavic]

Has anyone used a Bad Elf with an ipad mini to help DJI 4 acquire a GPS signanal?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Has anyone used a Bad Elf with an ipad mini to help DJI 4 acquire a GPS signanal?

I have, and it did, but that was several years ago with DJI GO, not GO 4, and it was on a WiFi only iPad, used for the Follow Me feature. BadElf still works as a GPS device on all my iPads, but I haven't tested it with GO 4 at all. No real need to reset the home point to the RC since I never use RTH and always hand catch, and Tracking has replaced Follow Me and does not use the RC location. The BadElf has effectively been made obsolete for my drone flying.

 

[Meta4]

I have, and it did, but that was several years ago with DJI GO, not GO 4,

Since the problem only appeared this year, that doesn't answer the question.
But as I mentioned in post #4 it's not a big problem anyway.
Resetting to the aircraft's location should be good enough for most purposes.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Since the problem only appeared this year, that doesn't answer the question.
But as I mentioned in post #4 it's not a big problem anyway.
Resetting to the aircraft's location should be good enough for most purposes.

Indeed! The problem is most likely in GO 4, rather than the iPad itself, which still recognizes and can use the BadElf for other apps. Resetting to the aircraft's location is good enough for me!

 

[JDFMavic]

Indeed! The problem is most likely in GO 4, rather than the iPad itself, which still recognizes and can use the BadElf for other apps. Resetting to the aircraft's location is good enough for me!

Just for argument sake, if I was to use Bad Elf plugged into my lighting port, what would I plug my RC into?

 

[DanMan32]

I tried tethering my ipad mini2 to my Samsung S8 phone with wifi - got a good connection but no go on the gps - but with the Samsung 8 alone it works - odd.

I've heard that the iPads can aquire GPS from a tethered iPhone, but I don't think it works with Android. GPS is not normally carried over a network like internet.

 

[DanMan32]

Updating home point to new AC position most likely wouldn't be ideal, unless that's where you want it to land. Usually we'd want it to return to where we and our remote is located.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Just for argument sake, if I was to use Bad Elf plugged into my lighting port, what would I plug my RC into?

The BadElf is connected to the iPad wirelessly over Bluetooth, and can simultaneously provide GPS for multiple Wifi only iPads. It was designed for use by real pilots in real airplanes using the iPad for sectional maps and flight telemetry.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I've heard that the iPads can aquire GPS from a tethered iPhone, but I don't think it works with Android. GPS is not normally carried over a network like internet.

No, that does not work. GPS cannot be acquired through a hotspot of an iPhone. You would need to use the iPhone itself. You can approximate location through other methods with a hotspot, but no GPS.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Updating home point to new AC position most likely wouldn't be ideal, unless that's where you want it to land. Usually we'd want it to return to where we and our remote is located.

If you plan your revised location for your home point before flight, you fly the aircraft to it first, reset it, and then fly on, while you hike to the newly reset home point for control and eventual landing. The real problem occurs if you are on a moving boat, with the drone following you, but even that is easily solved by periodically resetting the home point to the current aircraft location behind the boat, and manually taking over the landing, once the drone is within sight.

 

[Meta4]

I've heard that the iPads can aquire GPS from a tethered iPhone, but I don't think it works with Android. GPS is not normally carried over a network like internet.

There's no need to do it at all with Android.
Out of hundreds of different Android devices almost all have GPS built-in.
It's just Apple that doesn't include GPS with wifi only iPads.

Updating home point to new AC position most likely wouldn't be ideal, unless that's where you want it to land. Usually we'd want it to return to where we and our remote is located.

The main (only?) reason to reset the home point to controller's location is that you are flying from a moving boat/car etc.
You don't want to have RTH autoland on a moving platform anyway as 2 seconds after resetting, the new home point is behind you anyway.
You need to reset the home point to prevent the drone going back to the launch location when the battery only has enough juice for the trip back a couple of miles away where you started.
That's not much fun if the drone is right beside the boat and the battery is still at 50%.
Resetting to the aircraft's location does what's needed just as well.
All that matters is keeping the home point closer than back where you started.

 

[DanMan32]

No, that does not work. GPS cannot be acquired through a hotspot of an iPhone. You would need to use the iPhone itself. You can approximate location through other methods with a hotspot, but no GPS.

A few have indicated they were able to get their WiFi only iPad which doesn't have GPS from their iPhone. Perhaps it was over BT. I was skeptical too but I believe more than one said it works.

 

[DanMan32]

There's no need to do it at all with Android.
Out of hundreds of different Android devices almost all have GPS built-in.
It's just Apple that doesn't include GPS with wifi only iPads.

The main (only?) reason to reset the home point to controller's location is that you are flying from a moving boat/car etc.
You don't want to have RTH autoland on a moving platform anyway as 2 seconds after resetting, the new home point is behind you anyway.
You need to reset the home point to prevent the drone going back to the launch location when the battery only has enough juice for the trip back a couple of miles away where you started.
That's not much fun if the drone is right beside the boat and the battery is still at 50%.
Resetting to the aircraft's location does what's needed just as well.
All that matters is keeping the home point closer than back where you started.

Setting to AC location is only ideal if your AC happens to be where you might want to come back to. Usually people want to return where they are, not where the AC was mid-flight.
Seems silly to have to bring the AC back to your new location, set home point, go back out, repeat. If you don't have GPS on your device then AC location is your only option but I'm just saying most of the time that's not ideal.

 

[Meta4]

Setting to AC location is only ideal if your AC happens to be where you might want to come back to. Usually people want to return where they are, not where the AC was mid-flight.
Seems silly to have to bring the AC back to your new location, set home point, go back out, repeat. If you don't have GPS on your device then AC location is your only option but I'm just saying most of the time that's not ideal.

As I said, you usually would not want the drone landing itself where you are (or were), you just want to prevent it going all the way back to the launch point because of battery/distance issues.
I fly from boats at sea and use both controller and drone's location and either works just as well as the other.

 

[DanMan32]

I know if I was flying, took off at point A, flew out 1000ft, walked 500ft to point B for a better position to fly my drone, I would rather reset my home point to point B where I am now, than point C where the drone is.

 

[Meta4]

I know if I was flying, took off at point A, flew out 1000ft, walked 500ft to point B for a better position to fly my drone, I would rather reset my home point to point B where I am now, than point C where the drone is.

Are you walking an flying or is this just hypothetical?
I've seen very few (almost no) posts from anyone walking and flying.
If you are walking and flying at the same time, you aren''t going to move very far from the launch point, so your big concern isn't having the drone zip away to get back a couple of miles to the launch spot.
That is the big concern for most people wanting to use this feature.

It wouldn't be very difficult to fly ahead to a likely landing spot and record a home point there if you were really doing what you described.
Or if it was so important, you could always use an Android device.

 

[DanMan32]

You're missing my points completely.

I really don't understand why you're so argumentative lately.

 

[Meta4]

You're missing my points completely.

The only points I see is that you aren't interested in any of the viable alternatives that I've made some effort to point explain.
I imagined that your problem was that you really wanted to use this little-used feature but perhaps you just wanted to engage in a hypothetical discussion?

 

[GadgetGuy]

A few have indicated they were able to get their WiFi only iPad which doesn't have GPS from their iPhone. Perhaps it was over BT. I was skeptical too but I believe more than one said it works.

This was heavily researched and clarified back when the "Follow Me" feature required using GPS in the tablet, instead of the current GPS independent "Tracking Mode." Unless something has significantly changed since then, you cannot use an iPhone's GPS by Hot spotting to it from a Wifi only iPad. However, as I stated earlier, you can still use HotSpotting of an iPhone to acquire location information on the iPad, but not through the GPS on the phone, which is what DJI GO and GO 4 require the Wifi only iPad to have. Many bought cellular iPads without a cellular contract solely for the built in GPS. Others bought $100 BT external GPS devices similar to the more expensive and more accurate Bad Elf.

Meta4's explanation of the primary use of this feature explains why resetting the Home Point to the drone's current location is just as good, to prevent a drone auto landing landing in the water, after failing to make it back to the original home point. The goal is not to land at the reset location, but to keep it close enough that you can quickly navigate back to that last reset location location if signal is lost, to restore signal and regain control, before the battery forces an auto land!