iPad mini problems

[slkfis]

I read an article on the www that stated some of the Mavic Pro feature functions would not work work with mini pads.

Namely the follow me feature.

Can anyone confirm or hopefully actually find this untrue?

thxs
slkfis

 

[msinger]

The Follow Me flight mode can only be used on a mobile device that contains a GPS receiver (or has an external GPS receiver like one of these attached to it).

For Apple devices, that means you must be using a cellular model (since only cellular models contain GPS receivers). The GPS receiver will be active even if the cellular service has not be activated.

 

[locoman]

Only if the Mini is WiFi only. The WiFi only Mini does not have a GPS chip installed it it.

It is NOT a problem with the Mini, it is a decision you make when buying the device. If I choose to use the follow me function I will use my iPhone, which does have the GPS chip in it, and would be easier to carry when walking or biking using the follow me feature. For general flying around when I want a larger screen, I will use my WiFi only Mini4.

 

[slkfis]

Only if the Mini is WiFi only. The WiFi only Mini does not have a GPS chip installed it it.

It is NOT a problem with the Mini, it is a decision you make when buying the device. If I choose to use the follow me function I will use my iPhone, which does have the GPS chip in it, and would be easier to carry when walking or biking using the follow me feature. For general flying around when I want a larger screen, I will use my WiFi only Mini4.

 

[slkfis]

OK, I need to re-think the program I had in mind because I like to have all features available at all times.
Some thing may come up that I want it and not have it.

At this time the cellular version of the mini is out of my budget range.

Thank you to all of you for your answers. Stand by I'll have many more questions.
thxs
slkfis

 

[SteveP55]

Hi slkfis,
I use a mini iPad 3 that I bought factory refurbished with cellular and wifi for like $230.00 and it works perfectly with all my DJI
products. I bought it on e-bay too.
Happy Flying
SteveP55

 

[caspian]

I use an iPad mini 4 (cellular version), but with no SIM - it's tethered to my phone. I don't use follow-me but everything else seems to work OK.

 

[daisy-girl]

I read an article on the www that stated some of the Mavic Pro feature functions would not work work with mini pads.

Namely the follow me feature.

Can anyone confirm or hopefully actually find this untrue?

thxs
slkfis

Here are the reasons that hubby bought directly from Apple a WiFi + Cellular version with embedded Apple SIM:
1) The GPS allows use of the very cool Follow Me feature
2) The GPS allows continually updating the RTH location when he selects in DJI GO 4 the RC/tablet, rather than the aircraft launch location, as the RTH point; this is a very useful feature for pilots who like to wander, say, from one end of a beach to another while flying the aircraft but want the aircraft to return to them rather than the launch point at the other end of the beach (he says that if ever he does this, he will bring his "helipad" with him, as he wouldn't dream of allowing his aircraft to land anywhere other than on the pad)
3) Allows him to purchase data in just the amount he needs it in over 180 countries, without changing the SIM (he travels a lot)
4) Allowed him to purchase, for $99, two years of AppleCare, which covers not only the hardware and software but also accidental damage and unlimited support from the "Genius Bar," which he has already taken advantage of (and which solved the problem he was having)
5) Guarantees that he is purchasing a truly brand-new phone
6) 14-day no-questions-asked return policy, no restocking fee

I bought mine from AT&T with data that I share with my android phone, so that I can have access to the internet when needed, for example, when DJI asks me to log on prior to activating DJI GO 4 or when I am asked to update the NFZs and there is no secure WiFi nearby.

Yet another useful feature is the detailed maps that are available pretty much whereever I am located.

Yet another reason that I bought from AT&T is that their NEXT program allows me, interest-free, to divide the cost over 20 months. I pay $26.50/month for the device, plus $10/month for access to data. If I wish, I can turn it in after 12 months for a brand new one and restart another 20-month/12 month deal (I'm thinking I might wish to change the color every 12 months )

 

[mrreddog]

I just bought the Ipad mini 4 wifi only and will be returning it, specs said it had gps but nope. That and no maps while in the field is a deal breaker, over priced junk...my $50 WUNDERPHONE (Huawei xt2) Android phone works much better with built in gps and downloadable maps, never had a problem with it, I was just looking for bigger screen for occasional flights from inside the car so wife could see screen too, also wanted to use DJI Groundstation Pro too, wich is only available for Ipad.......Big disapointment..
Dji has made a mess of things, even their crystal sky is no good from what I hear? Its definitely way over priced android...WTF...

 

[msinger]

I just bought the Ipad mini 4 wifi only and will be returning it, specs said it had gps but nope.

Only the cellular models contain a GPS receiver.

 

[mrreddog]

Only the cellular models contain a GPS receiver.

Yeagh, I realize that now. Every ad for for any ipad with wifi is very misleading, under the specs it says "gps-yes" look at best buy, walmart, etc.......

​

 

[Tinmania]

OK, I need to re-think the program I had in mind because I like to have all features available at all times.
Some thing may come up that I want it and not have it.

At this time the cellular version of the mini is out of my budget range.

Thank you to all of you for your answers. Stand by I'll have many more questions.
thxs
slkfis

Personally, unless you really do want to activate and use cell data on the mini I wouldn't recommend buying that version just for gps. You can often buy a wifi-only mini AND a bluetooth GPS receiver to work with it for less than a cellular mini. Like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electronics-XGPS150A-Multipurpose-Augmentation/dp/B006M49G80

I got my wifi mini 4 a couple weeks for $99. As I have not used follow me mode, nor dynamic home point, with my Mavic Pro I don't see any need to even get a gps unit for it (note that Active Track works fine without gps). As someone else said, if the occasion came up where I needed it I can always use my iPhone X, which I have with me anyway and is what I used with my Mavic before the iPad mini.

I normally precache maps on my mini so I get full use of maps. This just means looking at the area I am going to fly in dji go4 or litchi on the mini while I am at home or elsewhere with internet. If I forget to do that I just turn on my iPhone X's hotspot mode and use it for data on the mini.


Mike

 

[mrreddog]

I found the whole "pre-cache mapping" a major pain in the butt, then when I arrived at my flying location it had lost that cached memory. If Apple is supposed to be the preferred device to use with DJI products then why are there so many hurdles that android doesn't have a problem with??
Android can download entire state map data and keep it and most android tablets have built in gps/glonnass... I just don't see paying top dollar for 2 major drawbacks, 1-gps & 2-map caching....I returned the mini 4 and ordered this Huawei mediapad M3 tablet for half the price of the ipad, so we shall see if this works better...Where did you find the mini 4 for $99 ??
This Huawei Media-pad M3 is supposed to have a little better specs than the Huawei xt2(wunderphone) that I'm using with great results, so I will report back when it gets here..

 

[Tinmania]

Oh great another iOS rant.



Mike

 

[mrreddog]

No, I'm not ranting... I'm just misguided in the direction DJI (and others) suggest what equipment to use.. DJI says the Mavic is made to use apple products, but yet they push their own Crystal sky (Android) devices??? But their own ground station app is not compatible?? what sense does that make?? Its going to be ok Mike......lol.

 

[ant46]

Can’t you just use your iPhone or whatever phone you have as a hotspot and keep it in your back pocket? Your iPad mini will have full internet access and should therefore function exactly as a cell phone or iPad with cellular service and give you complete access and functionality.

 

[msinger]

Can’t you just use your iPhone or whatever phone you have as a hotspot and keep it in your back pocket? Your iPad mini will have full internet access and should therefore function exactly as a cell phone or iPad with cellular service and give you complete access and functionality.

That will allow you to share the Internet access you use all features that require an Internet connection. It will now allow you to use Follow Me or reset the home point to your current location. Those two features requires a GPS receiver in the mobile device.

 

[Tinmania]

Can’t you just use your iPhone or whatever phone you have as a hotspot and keep it in your back pocket? Your iPad mini will have full internet access and should therefore function exactly as a cell phone or iPad with cellular service and give you complete access and functionality.

As msinger stated, GPS data is not sent from the iPhone when providing internet to an iPad via tethering.

But I think this needs further elaboration.

TLDL: Turn off location services for DJI Go 4 app when using a wifi only iPad mini.


Most anyone with a Wifi mini has probably noticed that it still supports location services (likewise an Android wifi tablet). If you open Apple or Google maps, when you are connected to internet via Wifi or even Wifi via a phone's hotspot, you will probably see your location (in maps) with uncanny precision. Not as precise as your phone with GPS, but not bad. This is done using WiFi triangulation, sometimes referred to as "WiFi GPS."

Nearly all wifi routers' physical location is known to Google (and presumably Apple). This data is usually gleaned from our own smartphones phoning home. Every so often a smartphone will scan wifi networks, and report the BSSIDs (MAC IDs) and signal strength of any wifi network it can "see," along with the phone's current GPS location. By "see" I mean a lot more wifi networks than are shown in your settings app: When you browse available wifi networks your phone only shows you those it thinks have a strong enough signal to connect to. So while you may see 10 available wifi networks, the phone may "see" 50 from which it can at least obtain SSID/BSSID and of course signal strength. Simple and not so simple math can use all that aggregated data to get a fairly accurate location fix for most all wifi routers/access points. Conversely, by first obtaining a list of available wifi BSSIDs (and signal strengths) similar math can calculate a location, with good accuracy, of a device that has no actual GPS chip (like a wifi only mini).

Applications that need high accuracy can refuse to use location services if the accuracy isn't high enough. For example seven years ago when I tested a then-new wifi iPad 2 it performed very well in Maps around my town. But it would not let me navigate (turn by turn directions). I tried the same with my ipad mini 4 and it did allow me to navigate, using only wifi-gps

My concern with the Mavic and the wifi mini is that Go 4 does show the wifi mini's location on the map, if it has an internet connection, even via tethering. This location jumps around. Fortunately, Go 4 prevents setting the home point to "me" with this message: "Mobile Device GPS Signal Weak. It's [sic] location cannot be acquired." But it did let me enable Dynamic Home Point. Whether it would do it during flight, I did not test. But to be safe I recommend turning off location services for Go 4 app if using a wifi iPad mini.



Mike

 

[slkfis]

I have still not made a decision as to what route I will take for a tablet. But in the mean time I have found this entire thread to be very educational and extremely interesting. One thing I have learned if something can be screwed someone will.

Thanks to everyone who has posted on my behalf your cooperation is fantastic.
slkfis

 

[Red Baron]

I have still not made a decision as to what route I will take for a tablet. But in the mean time I have found this entire thread to be very educational and extremely interesting. One thing I have learned if something can be screwed someone will.

Thanks to everyone who has posted on my behalf your cooperation is fantastic.
slkfis

I fly with mini 4 Wi-Fi only- New it was $300 for 128gb with no cellular compared to one with cellular was $600.00 new. I have no problems with Wi-Fi only and would not spend the extra $300 for rtc on the fly, or follow me mode. Active track works fine with no cellular. Just my 2 cents