How much digital data does an average flight uses?

[Ronny St.]

Hi all,
I am thinking of installing Litchi on an old smartphone (Motorola G5s) that does not accept DJI Flyapp because it runs 32-bit apps although it is a 64-bit processor. And it has no built-in compass. But I think it could be well-suited to be used almost <99% for Litchi on my Mini 2. And... It would give me the possibility to use the FPV feature which is absent in the DJI Fly app.
So I will have to get me a sim card and regarding its purpose I thought a prepaid card would do well, instead of some, without having to pay for a monthly subscription. But I wonder how much digital data a drone transfers during its use in order to know what bundle I should take on the prepaid card. Sending and receiving its usual data with information, retrieving GPS coordinates, Google maps for mapping the flight, sending information to Airdata, transferring photos and videos taken during the flight, etc.
I searched in vain to find out what amount of data is used for all that.
And I also wonder if I have to install Airdata on that second smartphone to have to data being shared with Airdata.
Thanks for helping!
Kind regards from a sunny and hot Belgium,
Ronny

 

[GFields]

Hi all,
I am thinking of installing Litchi on an old smartphone (Motorola G5s) that does not accept DJI Flyapp because it runs 32-bit apps although it is a 64-bit processor. And it has no built-in compass. But I think it could be well-suited to be used almost <99% for Litchi on my Mini 2. And... It would give me the possibility to use the FPV feature which is absent in the DJI Fly app.
So I will have to get me a sim card and regarding its purpose I thought a prepaid card would do well, instead of some, without having to pay for a monthly subscription. But I wonder how much digital data a drone transfers during its use in order to know what bundle I should take on the prepaid card. Sending and receiving its usual data with information, retrieving GPS coordinates, Google maps for mapping the flight, sending information to Airdata, transferring photos and videos taken during the flight, etc.
I searched in vain to find out what amount of data is used for all that.
And I also wonder if I have to install Airdata on that second smartphone to have to data being shared with Airdata.
Thanks for helping!
Kind regards from a sunny and hot Belgium,
Ronny

I would check to make sure that Litichi and your phone are compatible.

 

[Ronny St.]

I would check to make sure that Litichi and your phone are compatible.

It runs Android 8.1.1 while Litchi asks for a minimum version of 5.0 and Litchi should run on 32-bit appliances, so I think (=hope) that the Motorola G5s should do. I did not find a list anywhere to have the exact types of smartphones Litchi accepts, as there is a list for DJI Fly app.

 

[microlinux]

If you cache maps from WIFI you don't need any cell data. I used to have an old phone with no plan that I used for Go4.

 

[Meta4]

So I will have to get me a sim card and regarding its purpose I thought a prepaid card would do well, instead of some, without having to pay for a monthly subscription. But I wonder how much digital data a drone transfers during its use in order to know what bundle I should take on the prepaid card.

You don't need any cell phone/internet data or a sim card to fly.

 

[Ronny St.]

You don't need any cell phone/internet data or a sim card to fly.

Thanks for responding, but I think it is easier to have a connection with internet whatsoever so that I do not have to preload maps etc. Besides this, I just wonder how much data a flight consumes and that seems not to be found anywhere

 

[Meta4]

Thanks for responding, but I think it is easier to have a connection with internet whatsoever so that I do not have to preload maps etc. Besides this, I just wonder how much data a flight consumes and that seems not to be found anywhere

It's not to be found anywhere, because your flying consumes no internet data.
I've flown for 8 years with a wifi only tablet and fly where there's no wifi.
If I needed maps (they aren't necessary, it's easy to load them at home where there is wifi.

If for some reason you feel you need internet data, it's easy to hotspot from a phone.

 

[Ronny St.]

But is it no so that Airdata gets its data via the internet connection of the phone? And I wonder how to download google maps previously to the flight, but I will have to sort that out yet. Also, what if I want to use the waypoints? In other words, are there no functions in Litchi that require an internet connection to start and run?

 

[Meta4]

But is it no so that Airdata gets its data via the internet connection of the phone?

If you want to connect to Airdata and upload your flight data, that's something you do at home after a flight.

Also, what if I want to use the waypoints? In other words, are there no functions in Litchi that require an internet connection to start and run?

Waypoints and Litchi don't need internet data to run.
Your drone doesn't need the internet data that you've assumed it does.

 

[Ronny St.]

If you want to connect to Airdata and upload your flight data, that's something you do at home after a flight.


Waypoints and Litchi don't need internet data to run.
Your drone doesn't need the internet data that you've assumed it does.

Sounds great! I am convinced now to give it a try without a sim card. That would make it all less complicated, of course. Thanks for helping me

 

[millbah]

I would check the ram & processor suitability on your phone you plan to use with the app. If the app is resource intensive, then there could be problems.

 

[Ronny St.]

Update: my telecom provider has sent me a free data-only sim card, so issue solved