Flying WithOUT Mobile Device?

[jclarkw]

Is it supposed to be possible to fly the Mavic Air 2, using the basic RC231, without attaching a mobile device?

Or does it in effect require the DJI Fly app in some form in order even to start the motors?

I have up-to-date FW on both the drone and the RC. The combination is apparently connected, since the camera gimble control works as expected, but it won't do anything else. Thanks for any insight -- jclarkw

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I can't guarantee that it will fly without a 'phone' but I suspect it will, my m2p, mini 1 & 2 and P3 do.
Rather than type it all out again, have a look at

NO Account

I bought a AIR2S from a shop in skegness after seeing flying so i bought it took me a while to get sorted went back to shop and thet downloaded DIJ Fly on to my phone after a while my BIL and I got it flying all the time almost every day ,and almost lost it was that high on the screen of...

mavicpilots.com

especially the bits about,
a) in some circumstances having to at least acknowledge warnings etc.
b) range and height limits and the 'dangers' thereof.


Of course there will be no flight logs.
You would also probably be in violation of your RID rules, the controller's location would be 'guess work' since that comes from the phone and possibly grounded because of incomplete RID etc. etc..

 

[jclarkw]

I can't guarantee that it will fly without a 'phone' but I suspect it will, my m2p, mini 1 & 2 and P3 do.
Rather than type it all out again, have a look at

NO Account

I bought a AIR2S from a shop in skegness after seeing flying so i bought it took me a while to get sorted went back to shop and thet downloaded DIJ Fly on to my phone after a while my BIL and I got it flying all the time almost every day ,and almost lost it was that high on the screen of...

mavicpilots.com

especially the bits about,
a) in some circumstances having to at least acknowledge warnings etc.
b) range and height limits and the 'dangers' thereof.


Of course there will be no flight logs.
You would also probably be in violation of your RID rules, the controller's location would be 'guess work' since that comes from the phone and possibly grounded because of incomplete RID etc. etc..

Thanks! I did read the recommended thread, but I'm not finding much useful there. The quote from the manual that you entered in your post on that thread also appears in my Air 2 manual, but I've never known what it means.

"...flight is restricted when not connected or logged into the app during flight."

Do they really mean "when not connected and logged into the app during flight?

Anyhow my own observations remain:

1) When I get the dreaded "You are not logged in" warning, the drone is in indeed restricted and altitude and range. (DJI Fly: "You are not logged In") Fortunately this doesn't happen when I fly with Airplane Mode on. In any case it wouldn't matter to me here because all I want to do this time is to fly inside my own home (in a no-fly zone) for test purposes.
2) Without a mobile device connected my Air 2 and RC231 will connect -- see above -- but will not do anything else. (Perhaps the "combination-stick" commands are not even defined without the app?)
3) DJI Fly 1.12.0 lets me take off as indoors long as the GPS antenna on the drone is screened, whereas Fly 1.12.3 refuses because it (actually the phone) is in a "Restricted zone." (Which GPS Location Controls Restricted Area? Drone or Mobile Device?)

I suspect all of this has to do with the new RID software, as you mentioned, which (at least in the latest version) wants to verify that the mobile device is not in a restricted zone. If there is no mobile device, this might prevent flight for that reason. This new software has not been around very long (at least for the Air 2), so nobody may really know how it works yet.

If I understand your post correctly, however, you said that your "m2p, mini 1 & 2 and P3" can fly without a mobile device. This raises some questions for you:

A) What kind of controller(s) do you use with them?
B) How do you tell them to take off, or even to start their motors?
C) Do they have RID functionality (yet)?

Best Regards -- jclarkw

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

when not connected and logged into the app during flight

when not a) connected and or b) logged into the app during flight.
It is easy enough to test, for

a) don't connect the phone to the controller and launch, that is if you can launch. Any warnings that require a response via the app before the motors can be started obviously won't receive a response and the drone would be grounded.
Regarding "2)", for me, indoors with the mini 1 & 2, this is a low light warning and I have to 'accept' the consequences otherwise I can not start the motors by any means.
For you, with an "auxiliary light" on the Air 2, this probably is not a consideration but some other warning, RID?, might be blocking a motor start. Touch any warnings you can see and see where they lead. From memory the M2P creates no low light warning but switches the auxiliary light on as soon as it is airborne.
Regarding 3) I can't comment on restricted zone warnings I have never been in such an area.

b) log out of the App and then launch, as you have found.
Assuming the drone can fly I think you will encounter the limits in both test flights.

If I understand your post correctly,

You understood correctly but I like logs so flying without a phone attached is a rare occurrence

A) What kind of controller(s) do you use with them?
B) How do you tell them to take off, or even to start their motors?
C) Do they have RID functionality (yet)?

A) Their standard controllers that use a phone etc, as a screen. A drop could wreck either the screen or the controller and ground me plus I don't like the cost of smart controllers.
B) CSC and throttle up.
C) No.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Fortunately this doesn't happen when I fly with Airplane Mode on.

Indoors you probably can't reach the limits, unless you are in very big rooms lol.
Additionally it may be that the app needs a wifi connection to log out even for an automated log out.
From memory a manual log out REQUIRES a wifi connection to succeed.

 

[jclarkw]

Indoors you probably can't reach the limits, unless you are in very big rooms lol.
Additionally it may be that the app needs a wifi connection to log out even for an automated log out.
From memory a manual log out REQUIRES a wifi connection to succeed.

OK, I tried logging out of DJI Fly. As expected, I can still take off (with DJI Fly 1.12.0 and the GPS antenna screened on the drone). After landing, if I unplug the phone from the RC, the system no longer responds to CSC, as noted before.

If I take off with the phone plugged in and then unplug the phone in flight, I can continue to maneuver the drone around the house with only the RC (even the object avoidance works as long as there's enough ambient light), but after I land, I cannot start the motors again without plugging the phone back in.

I still think it's the RID that's tripping me up, but how to prove it? -- jclarkw

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

After landing, if I unplug the phone from the RC, the system no longer responds to CSC, as noted before.

Was this in the same drone switch on?

With the Mavic mini, once I have dealt with the first, and only, low light warning, I can land the drone, stop its motors, restart the motors and take off as many times as I like in the same drone switch on - as if the authorisation carries over from one flight to the next.

I would try switching off location services on the phone off along with wifi and blue tooth then reconnect the phone to the controller, boot the app and check if you can see any warnings. If so touch them and see where they lead but DON'T accept or authorise anything. Then, switch location services on and see what happens.

 

[GerdS]

From my experience from Mavic Pro you can fly without a mobile device, but the flight range gets limited to about 30m radius and altitude.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

IF you have the latest firmware, it may not be able to take off because of RID. It is supposed to run a RID self check before takeoff to ensure it's working and It may require the app to do that.

 

[jclarkw]

From my experience from Mavic Pro you can fly without a mobile device, but the flight range gets limited to about 30m radius and altitude.

Gerd@ -- Do you have the RID FW loaded? -- jclarkw

 

[Wild Drone Pilot]

From my experience from Mavic Pro you can fly without a mobile device, but the flight range gets limited to about 30m radius and altitude.

I had my phone but no connect in the remote area I wanted to fly! Trip was for nothing with the unnecessary limiting.

 

[jclarkw]

Was this in the same drone switch on?

With the Mavic mini, once I have dealt with the first, and only, low light warning, I can land the drone, stop its motors, restart the motors and take off as many times as I like in the same drone switch on - as if the authorisation carries over from one flight to the next.

I would try switching off location services on the phone off along with wifi and blue tooth then reconnect the phone to the controller, boot the app and check if you can see any warnings. If so touch them and see where they lead but DON'T accept or authorise anything. Then, switch location services on and see what happens.

>>Was this in the same drone switch on?<< Yes.

Connect and turn on RC > DJI Fly loads > "Turn On Bluetooth to allow 'DJI Fly' to Connect to Accessories" > Can't get further without hitting "Close."

Sometimes complains about location services at this point, but this time it didn't.

When drone is turned on DJI Fly displays "Remote ID Error" > "Unable to take off. Make sure DJI Fly can access mobile device location. Flying without broadcasting required remote ID messages may violate local regulations (Code: 16100b4)" As warned, it won't even start motors.

Location services on > "Takeoff permitted."

Is that what you wanted to know? -- jclarkw

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

>>Was this in the same drone switch on?<< Yes.

Connect and turn on RC > DJI Fly loads > "Turn On Bluetooth to allow 'DJI Fly' to Connect to Accessories" > Can't get further without hitting "Close."

Sometimes complains about location services at this point, but this time it didn't.

When drone is turned on DJI Fly displays "Remote ID Error" > "Unable to take off. Make sure DJI Fly can access mobile device location. Flying without broadcasting required remote ID messages may violate local regulations (Code: 16100b4)" As warned, it won't even start motors.

Location services on > "Takeoff permitted."

Is that what you wanted to know? -- jclarkw

Yep ta.
To me that all seems to suggest that it is RID is stopping the motor start when the controller doesn't know where it is.

 

[jclarkw]

Yep ta.
To me that all seems to suggest that it is RID is stopping the motor start when the controller doesn't know where it is.

Agreed. -- jclarkw

 

[GerdS]

Gerd@ -- Do you have the RID FW loaded? -- jclarkw

No, I am at Europe and here it's not rwquired. And I also guess there is no RID FW available for old Mavic Pro.

 

[dstuart]

I have flown My MP1 several times without a phone or iPad, yes you have to have the drone close so you can see it, but the times I have flown I wasn't going far anyway.

 

[jclarkw]

I have flown My MP1 several times without a phone or iPad, yes you have to have the drone close so you can see it, but the times I have flown I wasn't going far anyway.

dstuart -- May I ask if you are in the US and if you have the RID FW and DJI Fly version? -- jclarkw

 

[dstuart]

dstuart -- May I ask if you are in the US and if you have the RID FW and DJI Fly version? -- jclarkw

In the US and no RID FW and the latest DJI 4 Go