kind of a stupid question...

[mxzrevman]

i was thinking about getting a tablet for the air2s , if i bought one does it have to be connected to my data plan?, or can i just use my wifi to upload and download when im at home?
sorry , like i said kinda stupid
thanks in advance

 

[diesel97]

You don't need a data plan to use your drone

 

[Yaros]

Yea, you don't need internet while you fly.
The only thing is that the map will not work, only compass / radar.
What you can do is at home with WiFi, open the map in the Dji Fly app and load the area where you intend to fly on the map, then don't close the app and when you fly in the location the map will be already loaded.
Other than that everything should work fine.

 

[mxzrevman]

thanks guys

 

[AVLJMA]

i was thinking about getting a tablet for the air2s , if i bought one does it have to be connected to my data plan?, or can i just use my wifi to upload and download when im at home?
sorry , like i said kinda stupid
thanks in advance

I use a WiFi only Mini 5. I have the map and the compass and the radar and they all work just fine. You don't need cell service to have those functions work.
You will need WiFi at home to download to AirData.

 

[John Locke]

FYI, when you buy the tablet, Wi-Fi only iPads don't have GPS support, but some of the Wi-Fi only Android tablets do. The GPS in the tablet is used to reset the home point, IE: in a boat if you launch the drone then wind makes the boat drift a half mile in the water, you might want to reset the home point. There are other use cases where resetting home point is handy, but I won't get into those. It's a minor issue, not many pilots reset home points, but you should be aware of that caveat.

 

[jspil]

I have been using a WiFi only 5th Gen IPad mini with my M2P since the day I got it, and it works great. I always make sure to check for any firmware or fly safe updates before leaving the house. I have in a pinch used my cellphone as a hot spot, but don't like to rely on it. For some reason it dose always work so good.

 

[mxzrevman]

great info guys thanks

 

[D-Wreck BXNY]

Man that was a stupid question.

 

[Rchawks]

When everything is new to you it's never stupid to ask. We all learn from one another. I use a wi-fi only ipad mini 5. I bought the largest memory and actually use it at work on breaks instead of my iphone for the internet. I even review my photos and videos from my flying I've save on auto download or cache. I also use app software to edit on the same. It's really been flawless, and last year in sub zero weather I accidentally left it the car. I was shocked after waiting 4 days to find no damage or shortage of battery time.

 

[jspil]

When everything is new to you it's never stupid to ask. We all learn from one another. I use a wi-fi only ipad mini 5. I bought the largest memory and actually use it at work on breaks instead of my iphone for the internet. I even review my photos and videos from my flying I've save on auto download or cache. I also use app software to edit on the same. It's really been flawless, and last year in sub zero weather I accidentally left it the car. I was shocked after waiting 4 days to find no damage or shortage of battery time.

I concur, the only stupid question is the one you fail to ask.

 

[mxzrevman]

thanks everyone

 

[LoudThunder]

i was thinking about getting a tablet for the air2s , if i bought one does it have to be connected to my data plan?, or can i just use my wifi to upload and download when im at home?
sorry , like i said kinda stupid
thanks in advance

Here are some work arounds to get maps when you are using a Tablet or Phone with only "at-home" WiFi.

Most smart phones will allow you to set them up as a "Mobile Hotspot," it's also called tethering and to enable it to work on your phone, you must enable it in Setup on your phone. If you do not know how to do this, Google or search YouTube, "hot spot for (your phone)"

You'll be asked for a Network Name, such as "DroneZone" and a Password, such as "mydronezone." After you set this up, you turn one the Hot Spot, and then log onto the it with your tablet and no matter where you are, as long as your smart phone can receive data, you tablet will use its WiFi to get the map data.

Afterwards, disable the Hot Spot, you do not need your "neighborhood hacker" trying to bust into your Hot Spot, using your data. Enable it when you need it to fly your drone and disable it when you stop flying. It's a simple matter in setup…

However, your cell phone plan may not offer this feature if you are on a discount plan.

A second method to get the maps on your Tablet is to open the DJI App at home where you have WiFi, and bring up Camera View; you do not need to turn on your drone to do this. Click on the map, bring it up full screen, and scroll the map to the location that you plan to fly and click on Satellite View and zoom in and scroll all around the area you plan to fly.

Now, leave the DJI App running, put your tablet to sleep, just one short push on the On/Off Button. When you get to where you are going to fly, re-activate your tablet, one short push on the On/Off Button and click on the App. Since you did not close the app, the map data is still in memory.

When you are done flying, you can close the DJI App. If you re-open the App, and again bring up the map, you will only see basic "street view" map without any satellite imagery as the App clears out the memory.

If you plane to ply there again, you will have to go home where you have WiFi and open the App at home, bring up maps, etc…

Hope this works for you, Happy Droning…

 

[LoudThunder]

Here are some work arounds to get maps when you are using a Tablet or Phone with only "at-home" WiFi.

Most smart phones will allow you to set them up as a "Mobile Hotspot," it's also called tethering and to enable it to work on your phone, you must enable it in Setup on your phone. If you do not know how to do this, Google or search YouTube, "hot spot for (your phone)"

You'll be asked for a Network Name, such as "DroneZone" and a Password, such as "mydronezone." After you set this up, you turn one the Hot Spot, and then log onto the it with your tablet and no matter where you are, as long as your smart phone can receive data, you tablet will use its WiFi to get the map data.

Afterwards, disable the Hot Spot, you do not need your "neighborhood hacker" trying to bust into your Hot Spot, using your data. Enable it when you need it to fly your drone and disable it when you stop flying. It's a simple matter in setup…

However, your cell phone plan may not offer this feature if you are on a discount plan.

A second method to get the maps on your Tablet is to open the DJI App at home where you have WiFi, and bring up Camera View; you do not need to turn on your drone to do this. Click on the map, bring it up full screen, and scroll the map to the location that you plan to fly and click on Satellite View and zoom in and scroll all around the area you plan to fly.

Now, leave the DJI App running, put your tablet to sleep, just one short push on the On/Off Button. When you get to where you are going to fly, re-activate your tablet, one short push on the On/Off Button and click on the App. Since you did not close the app, the map data is still in memory.

When you are done flying, you can close the DJI App. If you re-open the App, and again bring up the map, you will only see basic "street view" map without any satellite imagery as the App clears out the memory.

If you plane to ply there again, you will have to go home where you have WiFi and open the App at home, bring up maps, etc…

Hope this works for you, Happy Droning…

View attachment 142948

Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention this in the last posting, my Network Name is "FBISurveillanceVan". I did this because my next-door neighbor is a U.S. Marshal and he is very internet savvy and he's also a bit paranoid, he's is also a bit of a Prepper, so I wanted to give him something to think about…

After I did this, I noticed that my neighbor often took his son's bicycle out and rode around the neighborhood presumably looking for the FBI Surveillance Van, maybe he just wanted some "exercise…"

As I advised earlier, I do not leave it on all the time. But when my neighbor goes up into his home office (the family room over the garage), I know he's working and I may turn it on. It only takes a few minutes before he comes running out with his smart phone held over his head, (I guess) looking for the van. I then turn it off as if the van drove out of range…

PS: I also may turn it on when I visit my local Starbucks and local community college library to see who "wraps up their business and scoots out in a hurry…"

 

[MS Coast]

It's not necessary to leave the controller or the Fly app running to maintain cached map and satellite view information.

I'd thought that was the case and I just ran a check to verify it. I fly around my neighborhood frequently, so maps and satellite view information was cached. The controller, drone, and tablet have been off since yesterday. I started the tablet and switched wifi off, then loaded the app and started the controller and drone. As soon as the drone had acquired 10 satellites and knew its location, the map and satellite data for the area were available.

 

[Defens]

Here are some work arounds to get maps when you are using a Tablet or Phone with only "at-home" WiFi.

Most smart phones will allow you to set them up as a "Mobile Hotspot," it's also called tethering and to enable it to work on your phone, you must enable it in Setup on your phone. If you do not know how to do this, Google or search YouTube, "hot spot for (your phone)"

You'll be asked for a Network Name, such as "DroneZone" and a Password, such as "mydronezone." After you set this up, you turn one the Hot Spot, and then log onto the it with your tablet and no matter where you are, as long as your smart phone can receive data, you tablet will use its WiFi to get the map data.

Afterwards, disable the Hot Spot, you do not need your "neighborhood hacker" trying to bust into your Hot Spot, using your data. Enable it when you need it to fly your drone and disable it when you stop flying. It's a simple matter in setup…

However, your cell phone plan may not offer this feature if you are on a discount plan.

A second method to get the maps on your Tablet is to open the DJI App at home where you have WiFi, and bring up Camera View; you do not need to turn on your drone to do this. Click on the map, bring it up full screen, and scroll the map to the location that you plan to fly and click on Satellite View and zoom in and scroll all around the area you plan to fly.

Now, leave the DJI App running, put your tablet to sleep, just one short push on the On/Off Button. When you get to where you are going to fly, re-activate your tablet, one short push on the On/Off Button and click on the App. Since you did not close the app, the map data is still in memory.

When you are done flying, you can close the DJI App. If you re-open the App, and again bring up the map, you will only see basic "street view" map without any satellite imagery as the App clears out the memory.

If you plane to ply there again, you will have to go home where you have WiFi and open the App at home, bring up maps, etc…

Hope this works for you, Happy Droning…

View attachment 142948

I believe on most hotspots you can select whether to display the network and name publically, or not at all. If you choose not to display, you need to know the name and link to it manually, rather than choose from a list. But I really like the FBISurveillance name better!