Considering ipad Mini - question regarding WiFi only.

[Rogat19]

No, the controller doesn't have GPS!

I got the iPad mini 4 Cellular for the GPS, but I haven't inserted any SIM, i.e. I don't pay any monthly fees. If I need data out in the field, I activate my phone's WiFi Tethering.

Yes it does

 

[Tinmania]

Yes it does

The controller doesn’t have GPS. It’s not up for debate.



Mike

 

[ac0j]

Yes it does

The Mavic HAS gps, THE CONTROLLER DOES NOT.

 

[oldcelt]

The Mavic HAS gps, THE CONTROLLER DOES NOT.

So, if I use an iPad Mini with wi-fi but no cellular, can I still use the GPS in the Mavic?

 

[Tinmania]

So, if I use an iPad Mini with wi-fi but no cellular, can I still use the GPS in the Mavic?

Absolutely. You can fly your Mavic without any tablet or phone connected to the controller. GPS would still work on the Mavic without issue. It can RTH as well.

The only things that utilize GPS on the tablet/phone are follow me and reset home point to “you.” Personally, I have never used follow me and rarely reset the home point to me. But if I needed to do that for a flight I always have my phone with me for that flight.

What is helpful, is having data on the mini, in case you didn’t cache maps or whatnot. I just tether my mini to my IPhone and that takes care of it.



Mike

 

[oldcelt]

Absolutely. You can fly your Mavic without any tablet or phone connected to the controller. GPS would still work on the Mavic without issue. It can RTH as well.

The only things that utilize GPS on the tablet/phone are follow me and reset home point to “you.” Personally, I have never used follow me and rarely reset the home point to me. But if I needed to do that for a flight I always have my phone with me for that flight.

What is helpful, is having data on the mini, in case you didn’t cache maps or whatnot. I just tether my mini to my IPhone and that takes care of it.



Mike

How do you tether your phone to the mini please?

 

[Tinmania]

How do you tether your phone to the mini please?

I just activate Personal Hotspot on my iPhone. Most phones today, including the Android phones I have and have had, have the same kind of hot spot functionality. Of course you have to have a phone plan that allows tethering but most do nowadays here in the US.


Mike

 

[oldcelt]

I just activate Personal Hotspot on my iPhone. Most phones today, including the Android phones I have and have had, have the same kind of hot spot functionality. Of course you have to have a phone plan that allows tethering but most do nowadays here in the US.


Mike

Thanks Mike. I was being a bit lazy. I have now looked it up and I'm in the process. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Ken

 

[Mossiback]

... I was also able to squeeze it into the MP controller arms, hook it up with a longer cable and the bottom USB port of the controller.... although the app would load, it would not connect to the MP, I couldn't get it to anything other than showing "Disconnected"...

This sounds like a cable problem. Did you disconnect the short cable from the side of the remote controller? Did you try a different cable?

 

[oldcelt]

Cables are a major problem. The Apple lightning connector is about as reliable as the British summer!

I have bought at least 15 different cables where one end terminates in the lightning plug for iPhone; iPad; Mavic; keyboard; etc. At least half of them give problems. It's a rubbish design and is incredibly unreliable in my experience.

 

[Ray&Paula]

Absolutely. You can fly your Mavic without any tablet or phone connected to the controller. GPS would still work on the Mavic without issue. It can RTH as well.

The only things that utilize GPS on the tablet/phone are follow me and reset home point to “you.” Personally, I have never used follow me and rarely reset the home point to me. But if I needed to do that for a flight I always have my phone with me for that flight.

What is helpful, is having data on the mini, in case you didn’t cache maps or whatnot. I just tether my mini to my IPhone and that takes care of it.



Mike

Hi Mike, I have a question as a newbie....... you stated; The only things that utilize GPS on the tablet/phone are follow me and reset home point to “you.”
Does this mean using your tablet/phone with cellular as the controller instead of the DJI controller? Or.... Do you need a cellular device or hotspot your phone in order to use follow me and reset to home? I understand that caching maps would need to be done ahead of time without cellular if just using WiFi. Thanks, Ray

 

[msinger]

Does this mean using your tablet/phone with cellular as the controller instead of the DJI controller? Or.... Do you need a cellular device or hotspot your phone in order to use follow me and reset to home?

It means those features use the location reported by the GPS receiver in your mobile device. If your mobile device does not contain a GPS receiver, it won't report its location and you won't be able to use those features. Connecting to a hotspot only shares the Internet connection, so that will not be helpful here.

 

[Ray&Paula]

It means those features use the location reported by the GPS receiver in your mobile device. If your mobile device does not contain a GPS receiver, it won't report its location and you won't be able to use those features. Connecting to a hotspot only shares the Internet connection, so that will not be helpful here.

I was under the impression that the GPS from the Mavic Air along with it's controller talked to each other therefore, just needing a tablet/phone with WiFi. Please correct me if I'm wrong in understanding the following;
A tablet/phone is needed with cellular or using your phone as a personal hotspot to do the following;
1) Use your Tablet/phone as the controller.
2) Reset return to home.
3) Follow me mode.
4) Cache maps on location.
Are there any other functions that won't work without cellular and/or personal hotspot? Thanks for bearing with me..... I have learned a lot here in the forum in which I'm learning something new all the time. Ray

 

[msinger]

1) Use your Tablet/phone as the controller.

This does not require GPS or an Internet connection.

2) Reset return to home.

You can reset the home point to the drone's current location without GPS or an Internet connection since the home point is reset to the location reported by the drone's internal GPS receiver. If you'd like to reset the home point to your current location, then you will need to use a mobile device that contains a GPS receiver (so DJI GO is able to find your current location).

3) Follow me mode.

The Mavic Air does not have the Follow Me flight mode. It only has ActiveTrack (which does not use GPS). If flying a Mavic Pro though, you'd need to use a mobile device that contains a GPS receiver in order to use Follow Me.

4) Cache maps on location.

You'll need to be connected to the Internet (via a cellular connection or hotspot) to download and view the maps in real-time. If your mobile device is not going to be connected to the Internet while flying, you could cache the maps like this before leaving home and then later access the cached maps when out flying.

 

[Ray&Paula]

This does not require GPS or an Internet connection.


You can reset the home point to the drone's current location without GPS or an Internet connection since the home point is reset to the location reported by the drone's internal GPS receiver. If you'd like to reset the home point to your current location, then you will need to use a mobile device that contains a GPS receiver (so DJI GO is able to find your current location).


The Mavic Air does not have the Follow Me flight mode. It only has ActiveTrack (which does not use GPS). If flying a Mavic Pro though, you'd need to use a mobile device that contains a GPS receiver in order to use Follow Me.


You'll need to be connected to the Internet (via a cellular connection or hotspot) to download and view the maps in real-time. If your mobile device is not going to be connected to the Internet while flying, you could cache the maps like this before leaving home and then later access the cached maps when out flying.

Thank You........ I sincerely appreciate your help in explaining the differences with/without cellular. I have learned soooo much through this forum and you are one of the top members that I really enjoy hearing input from. Thanks again for taking the time in helping me understand. Ray

 

[Nathan Hoover]

Yeah this is a good resource. I switched to iPad Mini 4 last Sept and bought one with cellular so I would have GPS. I am cheap so don't have a data plan - just tether to my phone if I ever need maps and forgot to cache at home. System works great. The 128GB ipad Mini 4 was $325 on eBay in Sept 2017.

 

[Turn11]

Also, if you don't buy a cellular iPad model, the iPad won't have a GPS receiver

@msinger, If I get an IOS pad I will not have cell coverage for a lot of flying I do. IF the pad has Wi-Fi + cellular BUT is not registered to a cellular provider OR is out of coverage will the follow me functions work? In any case I would not activate the cellular.

I know GPS is independent of cell coverage so I would expect it to function OK or did assume just bight me?

 

[msinger]

IF the pad has Wi-Fi + cellular BUT is not registered to a cellular provider OR is out of coverage will the follow me functions work?

Yes.

 

[Turn11]

Yes.

thanks

 

[Marko9219]

My IPad mini 4 does NOT have cellular. I turn on my phone Hotspot, and put the phone in my back pocket or backpack. I just don't want the phone right next to the controller in my hands while flying. I then connect the wifi of the mini 4 to the phone's Hotspot and that's it. I have live maps and all is good. I've never once needed follow me. I wouldn't know how to turn it on if I wanted to. I'm always stationary while flying. Wait .. I take that back. I once used it to follow me in my car while slowly driving at Antelope Island State Park in Utah. Just a test once. Never did it again.