Crashed and lost my drone today, Air 2

A.O. · Mar 1, 2021

Repaid1 said:
What device are you using again? Is it GPS equipped? If not it would have no way to know where you were in relationship. As noted over and over, iPads with with Wifi only (Non 4G) do not come with a GPS module.

Yes, Ipad mini 5, it points out my position in relation to the drone while its flying.... whats the difference?

Repaid1 · Mar 1, 2021

A.O. said:
Yes, Ipad mini 5, it points out my position in relation to the drone while its flying.... whats the difference?

There shouldn't be any, if in fact it is showing "your" position vice the Homepoint which was using the Drones GPS. To verify if your Mini 5 has GPS, other than what I outlined. You can check under your homepoint settings. IF it shows a Icon of a Paper airplane (Drone) and Person (Controller). Below is my Go 4 off my SC, but it should be about the same (as far as symbols) on Fly App.
If they are either there and highlighted, then you have GPS on device, if it (person icon) is grayed out or not even there, then you don't have GPS in Mini 5 and therefor will not be able to "Find my Drone" feature to walk yourself in using that feature set.

A.O. · Mar 1, 2021

Repaid1 said:
There shouldn't be any, if in fact it is showing "your" position vice the Homepoint which was using the Drones GPS. To verify if your Mini 5 has GPS, other than what I outlined. You can check under your homepoint settings. IF it shows a Icon of a Paper airplane (Drone) and Person (Controller). Below is my Go 4 off my SC, but it should be about the same (as far as symbols) on Fly App.
If they are either there and highlighted, then you have GPS on device, if it (person icon) is grayed out or not even there, then you don't have GPS in Mini 5 and therefor will not be able to "Find my Drone" feature to walk yourself in using that feature set.

I'll look later but I've never seen anything like that on my fly app.

Repaid1 · Mar 1, 2021

A.O. said:
I'll look later but I've never seen anything like that on my fly app.

I can't recall when you got your mini 5 which you bought...but I suspect you went with the cheaper variation, nothing implied...as most do. There are a couple of reasons why I have always gotten the top of the line Apples, mostly for full feature set of my DJI's, but also for resale value. It allows me to update my Homepoint if on the move, to my updated location, It also on some DJI's allows you to tell it to track you by GPS instead of using the newer camera tracking function, which just tends to work much better as it can never lose you (Well almost

)

Another thing in addition, you can update at anytime during flight your homepoint. So say your doing a long range from yourself and a water feature. As you approach the water, hover over a good landing spot on shore. Reset homepoint. That way if it can't make it back to launchpoint on emergency RTH, it just has to make it to shoreline...then you don't land in trees and such.

A.O. · Mar 1, 2021

Repaid1 said:
I can't recall when you got your mini 5 which you bought...but I suspect you went with the cheaper variation, nothing implied...as most do. There are a couple of reasons why I have always gotten the top of the line Apples, mostly for full feature set of my DJI's, but also for resale value. It allows me to update my Homepoint if on the move, to my updated location, It also on some DJI's allows you to tell it to track you by GPS instead of using the newer camera tracking function, which just tends to work much better as it can never lose you (Well almost )

Christmas this year , 2020, present from my wife! I know it does not have the phone ability, which I did not want on it, other than that I'm not sure what all is in it.
Thinking about upgrading to the DJI FPV... seems more in line with what I like to do.

Repaid1 · Mar 1, 2021

A.O. said:
Christmas this year , 2020, present from my wife! I know it does not have the phone ability, which I did not want on it, other than that I'm not sure what all is in it.

Okay as I said if it doesn't have 4G (Cell ability), it doesn't have GPS. Again of note, you don't have to have any Cell service on the Mini, it's just that Apple has always only put a GPS module in the tablets that do. The GPS works independent of cell service on or off. I have never had cell service activated on any of my Apples, but they are capable.

It's a to each their own thing, I am crazy like that, I wanted everything to work to the max, so I payed to have it that way.

When I got rid of my first Mini ipad, I got all but $20 back out of it (about 3 years later) due to it having 4G and GPS, most full size pilots fly with a iPad, and it needs to have GPS for their applications so that is the desired tablet of the used market.

So I guess we can add the Find my drone feature to the list of why you should have a GPS equipped device. I have never needed it in over 5+ years of flying DJI, but it is a newer feature that wasn't available back then anyway.

Steel63 · Mar 1, 2021

That's awesome that you found it they are not cheep hope the drone is not damaged greetings from Florida

Merrill277 · Apr 28, 2021

By watching the last video on your phone you can see the last video of where it crashed over the road. And if you know the area, you might know where it crashed. Then using find my drone, you are the dot and the drone is the arrow. You can walk right to it. I've had good luck with obstacle avoidance in treed areas with leaves, but obstacle avoidance apparently does not work on small branches. But I'm glad you found it unhurt.