Good News: the Samsung Tablet S2 works with the DJI Fly App Software

[LoudThunder]

This posting is an update to a post I made last October asking if the "Samsung Tablet S2 works with the DJI Fly App Software" (the Link follows…)

Does the Samsung Tablet S2 work with the DJI Fly App Software?

I am happy to report it does! I finally made the Jump and decided between the DJI Mini SE and the Mini 2. The Mini 2 won out. I bought the Mini 2 at Costco for the standard price of $439, plus tax… Besides the standard fare (drone, controller, battery, case, props, screwdriver, and screws, it came with a spare battery and 32 GB MicroSD card.
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But what I am really happy to report is that my Samsung Galaxy S2 Tablet works with the DJI Fly App! I was afraid that this old tablet, which is running Android 7 (which Norton Antivirus no longer supports…) would not be able to keep up.

Now, I will admit, while filming at 4K, I have noticed some "stuttering" of the image, it just does this for less than a second and not more than once every few minutes and if you blink, you might miss it.

For those of you who might be thinking of dragging out an old Samsung Tablet because the image is so much better than on a cell phone, here are the specs and a few tips and tricks I found on my journey thus far…

I bought my Tablet in 2016 and over the years, I have Reset it twice back to its original settings and then reloaded my Apps (I back-up my tablet to Google…). I've done this to recoup, clean-up, and defrag the storage as I have loaded and uninstalled various Apps over the years and the memory will become fragmented. However, I have not done this in over a year.

Today, my tablet has about 1.4 GB of the 3 GB Ram available and 8 GB of Storage , out of the original 32 GB Storage. I have over 50 Apps installed. So, having a fresh, memory clean unit is not necessary.

My Tablet is the SM-T713, it is running Android 7, and it has a 64-Bit Processor. It has 3 GB Ram and 32 GB Storage. I am running the latest DJI Updates, FlySafe Database 01.00.01.25, App Version 1.5.9, and the RC Firmware is 04.11.0052.

The manufacturer's Specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 - 8.0 Inch are…

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 - Full tablet specifications

I had also read that the controller is sending so much data to the phone/tablet; it needs to be USB 3. I found a YouTube Video (Only 4-Minutes…) to enable the port from USB 2 to USB 3.0… ''Control a DJI Drone with a Samsung/Android Tablet | Mavic Air, Spark, Pro, Mavic 2, Zoom"

Also, do not put your tablet in Energy Save mode, it slows the CPU down, Turn it off when running the DJI Fly App, (SETUP, Device Maintenance, Battery, Power Save Mode -- OFF), I leave my off all the time…

I bought my Tablet in 2016 and over the years, I have Reset it twice back to its original settings and then reloaded my Apps (I back-up my tablet to Google…). I've done this to recoup, clean-up, and defrag the storage as I have loaded and uninstalled various Apps over the years and the memory will become fragmented.

However, I have not done this in over a year.

Today, my tablet has about 1.4 GB of the 3 GB Ram available and 8 GB of Storage, out of the original 32 GB Storage. I have over 50 Apps installed.

Perhaps if I Reset this Tablet again and dumped some of my junk, half a dozen games, numerous downloaded books, newspapers, and magazines, the aforementioned stuttering might be eliminated. But I have watch a lot of YouTube Videos on the Mini 2 and I've seen folks using the latest, greatest smart phones complain about stuttering, so I am not worried about what little I've seen.

If you have any questions; ask, I do not claim to be an expert but as I said, I've watched a lot of YouTube Videos and if I do not know the answer, I might know where to look…

One final thought, the Mini Bag that came with this drone from Costco is like one I've never seen before… As you can see in the photo, it looks like it was designed by a "socially distanced" committee that did not speak the same language; all the ideas were incorporated… The Bag is made up of three distinctly different compartments. The Drone storage is heavy-weight clear plastic. I guess so the Drone can see where "it's going…" sort of like that notorious Cat Carry Bag…

 

[LoudThunder]

Quick update to yesterday's posting. Before taking off, I started the Tablet and immediately run Device Maintenance in Setup (SETUP, Device Maintenance, CLICK Optimize Now (and cleaned up 300MB of Ram); then Click Memory and Click Clean Now (and cleaned out 110MB of back ground apps that were running…). Now the Tablet is just "humming away…"

I flew for two battery's worth (over 40-minutes) and shot 4K video the entire time, Nothing special, just looking for any image stuttering and I had none. It was a "beautiful waste of time…"

So, if you are experiencing image stuttering, you might need to dump some old Apps, and perform a Device Maintenance before a flight. Worse case, you might need to do a Reset on the Tablet and start fresh…

 

[Kayak Rob]

thanks brother.... I was just trying out (Today) my DragonTouch Max 10 and couldn't get it to work... and found your post and permitted me success.
Cheers and thanks.
Rob

 

[LoudThunder]

thanks brother.... I was just trying out (Today) my DragonTouch Max 10 and couldn't get it to work... and found your post and permitted me success.

Cheers and thanks.
Rob

I'm glad it all worked out for you. I looked up your DragonTouch Max 10 and it looks like a great tablet for flying. I also looked up the K10 on "PhantomHelp" (another web site…), "Best Tablets and Phones for DJI GO & DJI Fly (Updated Daily)"

Best Tablets and Phones for DJI GO & DJI Fly (Updated Daily) | Phantom Help

And there are there are several other folks also using your tablet.

Thanks for the feedback; it's great to know my advice helped. Fly Safe…

 

[Kayak Rob]

It was more of a "test" just see the difference between a phone and a tablet.
Turning on USB debugging was the trick.

But for anyone reading this and thinking about the DragonTouch Max 10...
it is not very bright and almost unusable in direct sunlight.
I don't know about the other models... but I suspect they are not very bright.

Using a Lux Meter app on my phone... how exactly accurate that is debatable,
but just for comparisons and a basic guide....
The DragonTouch came out at 245 Lux.
My Moto Z4 flying phone is at 450 Lux. And acceptable with a sun shade cover.
Actual nits of the Moto Z4 are about 450.

I have a refurbished $300 Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e coming which measures
450 nits brightness. There is a comparison guide in the link below...

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S5e-Wi-Fi-Tablet-Review.421401.0.html

The Tripltek's would be the ultimate, but I can't justify the single use purchase.
Although if I don't like the Tab S5e... I can return it and might make the switch.
I looked at the Samsung Tab A7 Lite 8.7... but it comes in at 360 nits and that
definitely is not going to work for me.

thanks again.
Rob

 

[LoudThunder]

It was more of a "test" just see the difference between a phone and a tablet.
Turning on USB debugging was the trick.

But for anyone reading this and thinking about the DragonTouch Max 10...
it is not very bright and almost unusable in direct sunlight.
I don't know about the other models... but I suspect they are not very bright.

Using a Lux Meter app on my phone... how exactly accurate that is debatable,
but just for comparisons and a basic guide....
The DragonTouch came out at 245 Lux.
My Moto Z4 flying phone is at 450 Lux. And acceptable with a sun shade cover.
Actual nits of the Moto Z4 are about 450.

I have a refurbished $300 Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e coming which measures
450 nits brightness. There is a comparison guide in the link below...

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S5e-Wi-Fi-Tablet-Review.421401.0.html

The Tripltek's would be the ultimate, but I can't justify the single use purchase.
Although if I don't like the Tab S5e... I can return it and might make the switch.
I looked at the Samsung Tab A7 Lite 8.7... but it comes in at 360 nits and that
definitely is not going to work for me.

thanks again.
Rob

Rob,

I am sorry to hear that the DragonTouch Max 10 did not work out for you. When I Googled it, I only was able to see an overview of the specs and did not see any specs on the NITS. My Galaxy S2 is rated at 420 NITS and I will have to put a shade on it. In bright sunlight, (as Sergeant Shultz says, "I see nothing…") I have to turn my back to the sun to keep the screen in the shade of my body… You know what that means… My drone is not in "visual sight…" I do not like not-seeing my drone, especially if I fly it a ways away. I may spring for one of the LED drone lights.

As for springing for a Triptek, the video on the Tripltek offered one saving grace relative to the price, it's not just a tablet but can also a phone in a tablet… Of course, it's a little big to carry in your back pocket as a phone… But here is the video again…

As for me, all it not all roses here either. I am having a devil of a time using the DJI Editor. If DJI thought the tutorial they put on their web site teaches you how to use the editor, then they probably think that they can teach you to master the Cantonese language in just one-hour…

All the online YouTube videos on the editor show them using a cell phone and when they bring up the editor, it appears horizontal (landscape mode), when I bring up the editor, the tablet jumps into portrait mode (vertical) and since I am using the latest DJI updates, the buttons and such do not look the same or are not there on this latest version… Also, the editor disables Landscape mode on the tablet when the editor is running. Even if I lock it into Landscape mode before bringing up the editor, it still disables Landscape mode…



One other issue I am having is a GREEN Bar on the bottom of the videos, you can see it in the screen shot of my editor. And if that is not enough, I have yet to get the editor to "transcode" a 4k video. All I get is a short message that says "Transcoding Error" and it will not bring up a 4K video.

Rob, I want you to know I am not telling you this to minimize the issue you are having, but to point out issues I am having that you might want to look out for when you buy or use a different tablet.

If I find out what I am doing wrong, I'll post them here. Obviously, I cannot be the only one having these problems. I searched on "transcoding DJI 4K videos" and there are other folk also having this problem.

One final thought, I agree that the "Unlocking the USB 3.0" YouTube video worked as it allowed the tablet to receive/send data quicker, but that guy held up a cable with a Blue USB-A (standard USB connector) and a Micro USB connector on the other end. I do not know what possible use that could be to a DJI Drone and phone/tablet… As for us, there are only two type of cables we need to be concerned with, a Charge Cable and Charge/Data Cable. A Charge Cable only uses two wires and you can only charge a device and not transfer data. The Charge/Data Cable uses four wires and is the only cable that will allow your device to connect to a computer to transfer data… These cables usually cost twice as much or more but they usually much higher quality…

Hope you get your issues solved and get back flying again soon…

 

[Kayak Rob]

I am using my Moto Z4 for flying since the beginning and works fine.
The tablet was a "test" to expand to a larger screen.

Very informative post for others and myself in the learning process.
The DragonTouch Max 10 I already have here... just was trying to see if it would
even work, and if I really wanted to go with a tablet.
Did not fly with it... just as a test happy that I could evaluate it with screen
size etc... but as mentioned very low brightness... may 300 nits max.
I use a Moto Z4 with about 450 nits, and a shade cover.
Works fine... best with shade cover.

thanks for you post(s) it helped.
cheers
Rob

 

[jhoff99]

Quick update to yesterday's posting. Before taking off, I started the Tablet and immediately run Device Maintenance in Setup (SETUP, Device Maintenance, CLICK Optimize Now (and cleaned up 300MB of Ram); then Click Memory and Click Clean Now (and cleaned out 110MB of back ground apps that were running…). Now the Tablet is just "humming away…"

I flew for two battery's worth (over 40-minutes) and shot 4K video the entire time, Nothing special, just looking for any image stuttering and I had none. It was a "beautiful waste of time…"

So, if you are experiencing image stuttering, you might need to dump some old Apps, and perform a Device Maintenance before a flight. Worse case, you might need to do a Reset on the Tablet and start fresh…

Thank you for explaining how to get to developer mode and debug the usb. However I just got the Dragon Touch max 10 and still cannot get the controller from my air 2s to connect to the tablet. I am using the original usb cable that came with it, but no luck. I hope you can help

 

[LoudThunder]

I am using the original usb cable that came with it, but no luck. I hope you can help

I checked the specs on the Dragon Touch max 10 and they seem to meet the requirements. So, I have to ask, you've loaded the DJI App (FLY App?) and it runs without errors or warning?

If everything seems normal, except there is no connection. What do you mean by No Connection? You plug the cable in and nothing happens as if you did not plug in the cable, then I would suspect the cable or the plugs that the cable plugs into.

To test your Max 10 to see if you have data and charge, plug the Max 10 into a computer/laptop and make sure the max 10 thinks it getting charged (abet slow…) and that you can see the data on the Max 10. You would use File Manager and look at the files. You should be able to see the DCIM folder and any photos you have taken (take a few…).

How you will test the cable is all on you…

If all checks out, perhaps the manufacturers have enabled some tablet specific capability that interferes with the DJI App. It's not listed here, but it did show up as a goodie..

Best Tablets and Phones for DJI GO & DJI Fly (Updated Daily) | Phantom Help

Best Tablet For Drone 2022: Top Brands Review - LucidCam

Also, your tablet has come up on the DJI Forum Web Site…

Dragon Touch Max10 Tablet Compatibility

Hello, I am attempting to use a Dragon Touch Max10 Tablet with the DJI Fly App. Everything works except I don't get video. Everything works fine (including the longer cable) with my Samsun Galaxy S7 phone. I have allowed all the permission that the app has asked for and signed in using my...

forum.dji.com

Don't buy the Dragon Touch X10 10 inch Octa Core Tablet

Don't but the Dragon Touch X10 10 inch Octa Core Tablet, Android 5.1 Lollipop for the Phantom 3. It will not work. DJI app GO will not allow live view from the camera. It will say, "No signal" from the camera. Thank heavens Amazon will refund purchases without question. I am buying a Google...

forum.dji.com

Good Luck!

 

[xebec]

thanks brother.... I was just trying out (Today) my DragonTouch Max 10 and couldn't get it to work... and found your post and permitted me success.
Cheers and thanks.
Rob

How did you get your DragognTouch Max 10 to work? It never connects to the controller for me.

 

[CountryGuy]

This posting is an update to a post I made last October asking if the "Samsung Tablet S2 works with the DJI Fly App Software" (the Link follows…)

Does the Samsung Tablet S2 work with the DJI Fly App Software?

I am happy to report it does!

Came across this old thread re. the Galaxy Tab S2. I still have and uses my S2 for various uses-- primarily for Google Maps while traveling. Had just assumed it might not work with my Air 2 but apparently-- there's hope. I will try the adapter and if it does indeed work, next step will be find a suitable tablet holder. Any advice in that regard?

Thank you very much for the detailed info.

 

[LoudThunder]

I will try the adapter and if it does indeed work, next step will be find a suitable tablet holder. Any advice in that regard?

Yes I do have some Advice and I'll tell you the same thing I told another member… Don't laugh…

This is the bracket for my Galaxy A8 (10" screen…), the bracket for my S2 is just shorter.

Galaxy Tablet Holder (Shade Tree Style...)

However, I just posted that the latest Fly App Upgrade 1.7.4 is causing my S2 to crash… Here is the link to that posting…

Fly App crashing my Galaxy Tab S2...

 

[CountryGuy]

Yes I do have some Advice and I'll tell you the same thing I told another member… Don't laugh…

This is the bracket for my Galaxy A8 (10" screen…), the bracket for my S2 is just shorter.

Galaxy Tablet Holder (Shade Tree Style...)

However, I just posted that the latest Fly App Upgrade 1.7.4 is causing my S2 to crash… Here is the link to that posting…

Fly App crashing my Galaxy Tab S2...

Thanks for the info. I'll have to keep an eye on the situation and hopefully it will improve.

 

[LoudThunder]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to keep an eye on the situation and hopefully it will improve.

This afternoon, I took my Mini 2 out with my Tab S2 and flew it in the yard, not more than 30 feet away. The App crashed three times during my 27-minute flight. At no time did I lose control of the drone. Even while the screen was blacked out during the reboot of the App, the drone responded without a hitch. The controller never lost contact with the drone.

For this test, I set up screen recording so I would have a record of everything that happened and when.

The first crash occurred at 4:25 into the flight and it took the App 29-seconds to reboot, but the battery timer lost one-minute, 4-seconds (1:04).

The second crash occurred 9:06 into the flight and it took the App 21-seconds to reboot and the battery count showed 40-seconds difference.

The last crash occurred at 18:31 into the flight and it took 23-seconds to reboot and the battery count lost 24 seconds…

The rest of the flight went normally. I've cleaned up a lot of the old files and performed a Setup, Device Maintenance and we'll see if this version is just a bit more resource demanding…

As I said, I never lost control, and since it was so close I never felt any fear of losing it… So if you do try it in yours, RTH should work just fine as long as you seriously set it up and the drone is more than 20-meters away…

 

[LoudThunder]

This afternoon, I took my Mini 2 out with my Tab S2 and flew it in the yard, not more than 30 feet away. The App crashed three times during my 27-minute flight. At no time did I lose control of the drone. Even while the screen was blacked out during the reboot of the App, the drone responded without a hitch. The controller never lost contact with the drone.

For this test, I set up screen recording so I would have a record of everything that happened and when.

The first crash occurred at 4:25 into the flight and it took the App 29-seconds to reboot, but the battery timer lost one-minute, 4-seconds (1:04).

The second crash occurred 9:06 into the flight and it took the App 21-seconds to reboot and the battery count showed 40-seconds difference.

The last crash occurred at 18:31 into the flight and it took 23-seconds to reboot and the battery count lost 24 seconds…

The rest of the flight went normally. I've cleaned up a lot of the old files and performed a Setup, Device Maintenance and we'll see if this version is just a bit more resource demanding…

As I said, I never lost control, and since it was so close I never felt any fear of losing it… So if you do try it in yours, RTH should work just fine as long as you seriously set it up and the drone is more than 20-meters away…

As they say in the Comics, "One More Time..."
I am posting this to provide the latest update to this "Upgrade" disaster…

I've Uninstalled Version 1.7.4., rebooted the Tablet, and installed an older version 1.6.12 and it runs perfectly without any issues, so far (Cross my fingers…).

I want to thank one of our members for saving and providing a link the older versions of the DJI Software.

THANK YOU -- MobileHomer!!!

This is the link to MobileHomer's Posting to where the DJI Apps are kept...

 

[CountryGuy]

As they say in the Comics, "One More Time..."
I am posting this to provide the latest update to this "Upgrade" disaster…

I've Uninstalled Version 1.7.4., rebooted the Tablet, and installed an older version 1.6.12 and it runs perfectly without any issues, so far (Cross my fingers…).

Good to hear! All things considered I'm still bit leery about trying to use my S2, but...

 

[LoudThunder]

Good to hear! All things considered I'm still bit leery about trying to use my S2, but...

I ran three batteries through my Mini 2 today using my S2 as the App device and it ran great. I tried every variation of photo, quick shots, and videos; I ran the drone thorough all sorts of maneuvers and it ran great.

If you have not used your S2 in a while, then there's probably not much of importance on it, but if there is, save your photos, music, documents, etc.. to a MicroSD Card or plug it into your computer and save your file there.

Now that that's done, I recommend you perform a factory Reset and start fresh, then there will no old App horning in on your precious memory or old useless apps and other stuff taking up your storage space.

If you decide to load 1.7.4, remember, I never lost control, the app just crashed and rebooted itself in about 30-seconds. So if you do decide to use the S2, just don't go for distance, keep tie close enough for you to actually see which way it's headed so you can control it by eyesight. I know so many folk who can only fly their drone by FPV so they can see where they are going because they cannot control a drone headed towards them by eye…

One final note, I did this before I ever bought my Mini 2 drone, I reconfigured the micro USB connector, I can say it helped, but it did not hurt…

Control a DJI Drone with a Samsung/Android Tablet

 

[CountryGuy]

I ran three batteries through my Mini 2 today using my S2 as the App device and it ran great. I tried every variation of photo, quick shots, and videos; I ran the drone thorough all sorts of maneuvers and it ran great.

If you have not used your S2 in a while, then there's probably not much of importance on it, but if there is, save your photos, music, documents, etc.. to a MicroSD Card or plug it into your computer and save your file there.

Now that that's done, I recommend you perform a factory Reset and start fresh, then there will no old App horning in on your precious memory or old useless apps and other stuff taking up your storage space.

If you decide to load 1.7.4, remember, I never lost control, the app just crashed and rebooted itself in about 30-seconds. So if you do decide to use the S2, just don't go for distance, keep tie close enough for you to actually see which way it's headed so you can control it by eyesight. I know so many folk who can only fly their drone by FPV so they can see where they are going because they cannot control a drone headed towards them by eye…

One final note, I did this before I ever bought my Mini 2 drone, I reconfigured the micro USB connector, I can say it helped, but it did not hurt…

Control a DJI Drone with a Samsung/Android Tablet

I'll give it a go with my current S2 configuration to see if that works. That might shed some light on whether it might be a machine specific issue. Next step would be to follow the steps you listed.

Actually my main use for the S2 would be for Donelink Missions which might well be another can of works altogether.

 

[LoudThunder]

Donelink Missions

Is that anything like Donkey Kong... ( )

 

[lookout]

I have a tablet that works now. Just the short rc cables DJI makes doesn't make for good operation with tablets.