Does the Smart Controller Have "Find My Drone" location feature incase of an unexpected loss or crash?

crash3x · Sep 29, 2020

I apologize if this topic has been discussed already but I browsed around and didn't not find anything.

Last year I crashed my MA1 using the standard remote with my cell, had GPS and full cell reception so I was able to locate and retrieve my drone.

I have a MA2 with the smart controller, all is paired and working great, took a few flights, but going through all the menus and such, I never found any info on a "find my drone" location feature.

If I'm using my smart controller with my MA2 and it goes down does anyone have any knowledge if there's a feature to locate it in the event it goes down. Does the smart controller record coordinates that I could then search on cell/google maps etc?

Thanks in advance for any helpful information!!

THE CYBORG · Sep 30, 2020

I don’t have an Air 2 but presume find my drone on the SC should be the same as this

Frederic Mawet · Oct 1, 2020

crash3x said:
I apologize if this topic has been discussed already but I browsed around and didn't not find anything.

Last year I crashed my MA1 using the standard remote with my cell, had GPS and full cell reception so I was able to locate and retrieve my drone.

I have a MA2 with the smart controller, all is paired and working great, took a few flights, but going through all the menus and such, I never found any info on a "find my drone" location feature.

If I'm using my smart controller with my MA2 and it goes down does anyone have any knowledge if there's a feature to locate it in the event it goes down. Does the smart controller record coordinates that I could then search on cell/google maps etc?

Thanks in advance for any helpful information!!

I have the MA2 and the SC with the latest firmware (v01.00.0820) connected to each other. When starting the DJI Fly app you can see the option "Profile". This is the third option on the bottom right of the screen. Tab that option and you'll find the "Find my drone" on the next screen.
I didn't have the chance to test this out yet but I am planning to just be be sure it works ;-)
Kindest regards,
Frederic.

TTP · Oct 12, 2020

Yes, that function is in SC, however, the indication of where your drone is, not very good, you will have to look for a good while, happened to me a couple of times so I know that works, do not give up when you search your crashed drone.

crash3x · Oct 12, 2020

Frederic Mawet said:
I have the MA2 and the SC with the latest firmware (v01.00.0820) connected to each other. When starting the DJI Fly app you can see the option "Profile". This is the third option on the bottom right of the screen. Tab that option and you'll find the "Find my drone" on the next screen.
I didn't have the chance to test this out yet but I am planning to just be be sure it works ;-)
Kindest regards,
Frederic.

Thanks for the info! I found it!

crash3x · Oct 12, 2020

TTP said:
Yes, that function is in SC, however, the indication of where your drone is, not very good, you will have to look for a good while, happened to me a couple of times so I know that works, do not give up when you search your crashed drone.

Hi, thanks for the response, another member responded a few weeks back and told me where to look, I guess I kept overlooking/missing it but now it's clear as day!

Like you said though, I tried out the find my drone feature other day on my property, I put my MA2 across the yard, hit the find my drone on the smart controller and it was very sketchy on the exact location on the map, and I was only like 1/4 mile away from it in clear range, it makes me a little nervous if I'm out in the field and something goes wrong.

I had a crash last year with my MA1, I was using the stock remote with my iPhone and the find my drone feature worked flawless/spot on, to add I crashed it in a tricky spot so I got super lucky the accuracy was again, spot on!

Just wondering why the "smart controller" seems to be a bit inaccurate.....

Howard70 · Nov 8, 2020

crash3x said:
Just wondering why the "smart controller" seems to be a bit inaccurate.....

Hello Crash:

This is a pretty late reply but I think the problem comes from the Smart Controller lacking it's own GPS device. Thus when you use "find my drone" the real location of the drone (actual coordinates) might be accurate but because the Smart Controller only has a general idea the controllers own location the relative location of the drone is inaccurate.

When using "find my drone" on the app installed on a smart phone there are two GPS devices involved - one on the drone and another in the smart phone. Because both devices have pretty accurate ideas of where they are, the relative location of the drone to the smart phone can be quite accurate.

I've not used "find my drone". Is it possible to get the actual coordinates of the drones location? Alternatively can the drone's location be displayed on a map in satellite view?

Howard

TTP · Nov 9, 2020

Thanks for the info Howard, will test "Find my drone" with my RC and Samsung S9 Note, and a corresponding test for my SC. To confirm your info.

TTP · Nov 10, 2020

Have now test the function:
Find my drone, with both SC and RC.

Two things to note:

1
The map that RC gives is clearly better than the one SC gives, so it is much easier to ascertain where the drone is.

2.
The picture shows the drone's location with the usual red arrowhead, a line to you and the controller, which is marked by a small blue arrowhead. This blue arrowhead points a little here and there depending on which direction you are pointing with the control, it only points in the right direction when it follows the line, so do not bother about it, concentrate on following the line towards the drone, it shortens as you approach the place where the drone is.

Howard70 · Nov 10, 2020

Hello TTP:

Thanks the report. Can you tell if the Smart Controller updates your position as you walk towards the drone? I don't have access to a Smart Controller and have been trying to determine whether or not they have an internal GPS or if they use the GPS of the drone to establish the home point and then work with that position. I was sure I'd read a post here on MavicPilots suggesting the SC lacked it's own GPS, but I can't confirm that. Some posts from DJI on their help forum suggest a GPS in the SC, but searching through the pdf SC manual I only find instructions about GPS that refer to the drone's GPS.

Thanks,
Howard

TTP · Nov 11, 2020

The distance between you (blue arrowhead) becomes shorter as you approach the drone (the red arrowhead), ie updates.

I will try with SC to put it in ATTI-Mode when I search for the drone in, Find Your Drone, then GPS is disconnected, we will see how SC behaves in this mode,

Repaid1 · Nov 28, 2020

Howard70 said:
Hello TTP:

Thanks the report. Can you tell if the Smart Controller updates your position as you walk towards the drone? I don't have access to a Smart Controller and have been trying to determine whether or not they have an internal GPS or if they use the GPS of the drone to establish the home point and then work with that position. I was sure I'd read a post here on MavicPilots suggesting the SC lacked it's own GPS, but I can't confirm that. Some posts from DJI on their help forum suggest a GPS in the SC, but searching through the pdf SC manual I only find instructions about GPS that refer to the drone's GPS.

Thanks,
Howard

I'm late to the party, but Yes the SC has it's own GPS, as you can use it to set RTH to controller.

DanMan32 · Nov 28, 2020

GPS is passive (doesn't have a transmitter) so it doesn't turn off when you put a mobile device (SC in this case) in Airplane mode.

Control of GPS would be part of location services setting.

For devices that don't have GPS, there are other tricks devices can use. If cellular capable, it can use cell tower signals.
Otherwise there's a method to pick up WiFi signals and look up their IDs in a database.