M2ED - Best Controller?

[WeekendMedic]

TL/DR - for my flying style, what's the best remote for my M2ED?

Time airborne, battery life -

I like my M2ED, maybe not as much as I liked my MPP, but it's a solid platform and the addition of thermal was the driving reason for the upgrade. I don't care for the controller (RC1B, from memory, might be different) - it's battery life is dismal, and it charges my tablet making it even worse. My MPP had the same issue, but controllers were $60 so I picked up a spare and can charge one while flying one. I generally work real estate jobs, which are very weather dependent, with a bit of search work mixed in, so time in the air is important. My MPP with 2 controllers, 6 batteries and an Energen charger allowed me to stay airborne almost continuously when needed. I wish there were a controller with an interchangeable battery pack, so I could have spares charging while I fly.

External monitor -

For search work, I'd like to slave a large monitor to the controller to allow an additional observer to watch the feed while I focus on flying. When I'm looking for a target (pet or person), I want to fly the aircraft, and allow one or more other people to watch the screen (without looking over my shoulder) - I want them 5-10ft away but close enough to direct me back for another look, at the end of a long cable is fine.

Maximize features -

I want a controller that allows the best interaction with the aircraft, that plays best with this particular model.

So which controller is best for my needs? I'm seeing eBay auctions for the DJI Smart Controller (RM500) from a "DJI Store" seller, open box for $330 from China. That offers the external HDMI port (external monitor?), and boasts about battery life (but not interchangeable). No real indication of how it works with an M2ED (anybody have experience with this combo?).

Thoughts?

 

[Cafguy]

Until DJI comes out with an external unit for other controllers (never) I think the pro is the best for you I think you can stop the charging of the pad in the settings,
For the other viewers if you are serious I would look into a getting a YOLOBOX it streams straight from your Drone.

Multi-Camera Livestreaming Made Easy - YoloLiv

All-in-one live streaming system for encoding, switching, recording and monitoring. Power your video productions with YoloLiv’s intuitive and innovative hardware encoders and Saas platform.

www.yololiv.com

 

[WeekendMedic]

Until DJI comes out with an external unit for other controllers (never) I think the pro is the best for you I think you can stop the charging of the pad in the settings,
For the other viewers if you are serious I would look into a getting a YOLOBOX it streams straight from your Drone.

Multi-Camera Livestreaming Made Easy - YoloLiv

All-in-one live streaming system for encoding, switching, recording and monitoring. Power your video productions with YoloLiv’s intuitive and innovative hardware encoders and Saas platform.

www.yololiv.com

Thanks for the reply - which controller is the "pro"?

And how can I connect in a YOLOBOX to grab the stream? Looking for simple, fast, and fairly inexpensive (my search flights are generally freebies, so not revenue generating..)

 

[Cafguy]

Yoloboxes are expensive but they stream Occusync straight to the internet or any broadcasting device really.! Tho Pro RC is the Black one.

 

[Johnmcl7]

I don't have a Mavic 2 Enterprise and while the DJI site doesn't seem to list compatibility on some sections, it does on others and appears that the DJI Smart Controller was shipped with some Mavic 2 Enterprise models plus it mentions it's compatible on this page:

Support for Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced - DJI

Learn how to use Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced SE and get useful tips, tutorial videos, specifications, and after-sales services.

www.dji.com

Can the remote controller for the M2EA be used for the M2E or the M2ED?

Yes. The DJI Smart Controller is compatible with all three models.

I'm not hundred percent sure on that though so I'd get verification from someone else.

I don't know if there's any other controllers that are compatible but I think if compatible the Smart Controller would meet your needs since you can easily output the signal to a monitor using the HDMI socket.

I wasn't originally keen on the Smart controller for the smaller screen to use with my Mavic 2 Pro but I quickly came to prefer it. Setting up a device with the standard controller doesn't seem much hassle but it's just so much quicker and convenient with the smart controller, just power it up, power the drone up and you're good to go then same when you're finished.

I have seen the cheap DJI controllers from China for newer models as well which I'm a bit suspicious about although admittedly not looked into further, I would make sure they have good feedback for similar items.