Maps

[thomasoes]

Hi all. I know this has been asked before but what happens if I go to a new area and cant get maps does my mini still update home point on takeoff and is it safe to fly.Also how would I download a map before I went to new place.Many thanks

 

[MA2 317]

The HP will still be established without a map and is safe to fly.

The Yellow "H" is pinned on a blank grid instead of the map.

You can power up everything at home while connected to the home Wi-Fi and load the area of the map you're going to fly by simply scrolling around the map and zooming in the area.

The map stays in cached memory that will go away after some time so it's part of my pre-flight checks before heading out the door.

 

[thomasoes]

MA2 317" data-source="post: 1411114" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

The HP will still be established without a map and is safe to fly.

The Yellow "H" is pinned on a blank grid instead of the map.

You can power up everything at home while connected to the home Wi-Fi and load the area of the map you're going to fly by simply scrolling around the map and zooming in the area.

The map stays in cached memory that will go away after some time so it's part of my pre-flight checks before heading out the door.

Many thanks for your answer nice and easy to understand

 

[LoudThunder]

If the phone or tablet (henceforth known as the "device") that you are using for the DJI App and it has phone service with data, the App will update automatically download if the mobile data is enabled (turned on…).

If your device does not have phone service and you are carrying a separate smart phone, you can Hot Spot or Tether the smart phone to the device and you can download the maps at the new location through your phone. My LG Smart phone will link to my Device (Samsung Galaxy S2 Tablet--WiFi only) by hot spotting or tethering to the device through WiFI or Bluetooth.

For example: I went out flying this morning and I preloaded the maps to the first location at home through my home's WiFI. After I arrived at the second location, the App showed a blank map. I tethered the device to the smart phone and once the app was up and running, it downloaded the new map in seconds, and I was up and flying in almost no time…

Now, if you've gone someplace that you did not expect to fly and you are out in the Boonies and you have no phone/data reception, then you will not have a map…

But as all that has been said previously, you can fly safely as long as you give the drone enough time to acquire enough satellites to know its location. Don't worry, the drone knows where it is, it just cannot tell you, you do not speak "GPS." For the drone to "speak" to you, you need the maps.

If you want to know what the map data looks like from where you have a good lock to, let's say, you drive down the road the ways and you've gone the limits of the maps, then keep reading and I'll show you how to simulate it and what to expect…

Seeing is believing… A picture is worth a thousand words (or a $1,000 Drone…). I can show it to you with your own equipment…

You will only need your phone or tablet for this demonstration.

With your device turned on, with WiFi or mobile data enabled, load the DJI App. Click on Camera View, then on the Bottom Right, Click on the Map, enlarge the map to full screen, Click on symbol on the right side for Maps and bring up the satellite map.

This will queue up that map (your location) into memory.

Now close the DJI App. Now, on your device, bring down the slide down menu on your screen and turn off WiFi and disable Mobile Date.

Now restart the DJI App, again click on the Camera View, Click on the Map, enlarge it to full screen, and click on Satellite Map.

Using your fingers, pinch the screen to maximum resolution. You will be looking at your location (your home?) and you should be able to see your car, your trashcan, the BBQ in the back yard, etc…

Pretty Good, Huh? If your drone were to crash somewhere near by and you brought up the map, with Find My Drone, you could tell if it's sitting behind the BBQ, or even exactly which tree it's stuck in…

Now, about your question about going to another takeoff point and you have not loaded the map, this is what you are up against…

Now, while you are still viewing the map, pinch out so you are looking at a large area, perhaps your entire neighborhood. Scroll in any direction: North, South, doesn't matter, but watch the resolution fade from fine detail to barely recognizable detail.

When you were looking at your original location, you could see the chimney on your roof, you could distinguish bushes from trees, you could even tell if the kids put the covers back on the trashcans…

As you scroll away, houses turn into little more than squares and rectangles, Trees and grass are indistinguishable from each other. As you scroll further, the map turns into just blobs or green, brown, and roads are only distinguishable as they usually run in straight lines…

Scrolling even further, the map completely disappears and all you see is a grid pattern.

So, to answer your question, Yes it is safe to fly, your drone knows where it is, it just cannot tell you as it uses the maps to show you.

If you have ever gone to your profile and clicked on More, you can see your flights with maps included. Now imagine looking at those "squiggly" flight lines on a blank sheet of paper.

If the App does not stop you from flying due to the Fly Safe restrictions, you can fly to your hearts content, but if you drop your drone somewhere other than the saved Home location. You will not be able to use the maps to tell where your drone is "hiding," in the grass, stuck in a tree, sunk in the creek/pond/lake, etc…

I hope your smartphone can Hotspot/Tether to your device and you'll not have to fly "Un-Mapped" again.

Happy and Safe Droning…

 

[thomasoes]

If the phone or tablet (henceforth known as the "device") that you are using for the DJI App and it has phone service with data, the App will update automatically download if the mobile data is enabled (turned on…).

If your device does not have phone service and you are carrying a separate smart phone, you can Hot Spot or Tether the smart phone to the device and you can download the maps at the new location through your phone. My LG Smart phone will link to my Device (Samsung Galaxy S2 Tablet--WiFi only) by hot spotting or tethering to the device through WiFI or Bluetooth.

For example: I went out flying this morning and I preloaded the maps to the first location at home through my home's WiFI. After I arrived at the second location, the App showed a blank map. I tethered the device to the smart phone and once the app was up and running, it downloaded the new map in seconds, and I was up and flying in almost no time…

Now, if you've gone someplace that you did not expect to fly and you are out in the Boonies and you have no phone/data reception, then you will not have a map…

But as all that has been said previously, you can fly safely as long as you give the drone enough time to acquire enough satellites to know its location. Don't worry, the drone knows where it is, it just cannot tell you, you do not speak "GPS." For the drone to "speak" to you, you need the maps.

If you want to know what the map data looks like from where you have a good lock to, let's say, you drive down the road the ways and you've gone the limits of the maps, then keep reading and I'll show yu how to similar it and what to expect…

Seeing is believing… A picture is worth a thousand words (or a $1,000 Drone…). I can show it to you with your own equipment…

You will only need your phone or tablet for this demonstration.

With your device turned on, with WiFi or mobile data enabled, load the DJI App. Click on Camera View, then on the Bottom Right, Click on the Map, enlarge the map to full screen, Click on symbol on the right side for Maps and bring up the satellite map.

This will queue up that map (your location) into memory.

Now close the DJI App. Now, on your device, bring down the slide down menu on your screen and turn off WiFi and disable Mobile Date.

Now restart the DJI App, again click on the Camera View, Click on the Map, enlarge it to full screen, and click on Satellite Map.

Using your fingers, pinch the screen to maximum resolution. You will be looking at your location (your home?) and you should be able to see your car, your trashcan, the BBQ in the back yard, etc…

Pretty Good, Huh? If your drone were to crash somewhere near by and you brought up the map, with Find My Drone, you could tell if it's sitting behind the BBQ, or even exactly which tree it's stuck in…

Now, about your question about going to another takeoff point and you have not loaded the map, this is what you are up against…

Now, while you are still viewing the map, pinch out so you are looking at a large area, perhaps your entire neighborhood. Scroll in any direction: North, South, doesn't matter, but watch the resolution fade from fine detail to barely recognizable detail.

When you were looking at your original location, you could see the chimney on your roof, you could distinguish bushes from trees, you could even tell if the kids put the covers back on the trashcans…

As you scroll away, houses turn into little more than squares and rectangles, Trees and grass are indistinguishable from each other. As you scroll further, the map turns into just blobs or green, brown, and roads are only distinguishable as they usually run in straight lines…

Scrolling even further, the map completely disappears and all you see is a grid pattern.

So, to answer your question, Yes it is safe to fly, your drone knows where it is, it just cannot tell you as it uses the maps to show you.

If you have ever gone to your profile and clicked on More, you can see your flights with maps included. Now imagine looking at those "squiggly" flight lines on a blank sheet of paper.

If the App does not stop you from flying due to the Fly Safe restrictions, you can fly to your hearts content, but if you drop your drone somewhere other than the saved Home location. You will not be able to use the maps to tell where your drone is "hiding," in the grass, stuck in a tree, sunk in the creek/pond/lake, etc…

I hope your smartphone can Hotspot/Tether to your device and you'll not have to fly "Un-Mapped" again.

Happy and Safe Droning…


View attachment 146862

Big thank you to Loud Thunder hope this helps other member to

 

[BrianA]

I have used the "offline maps" feature through google to download maps of whatever area you are or are going to. So, when I'm flying, I can still see a map on my tablet without wi-fi or hot spotting with my phone. I don't know if/how this works with the 'find my drone' function, though. I know it works with the downloaded maps from google, though.

 

[Faster]

I have used the "offline maps" feature through google to download maps of whatever area you are or are going to. So, when I'm flying, I can still see a map on my tablet without wi-fi or hot spotting with my phone. I don't know if/how this works with the 'find my drone' function, though. I know it works with the downloaded maps from google, though.

I don't think Fly app uses Google maps (at least not from your phone memory) . If you have no internet or Wi-Fi the maps won't show clearly even if you have Google "offline maps" downloaded to your phone. The only way to get the maps in Fly app is loading them in the Fly app cache before flying in a place you get internet connection.

 

[BrianA]

I don't think Fly app uses Google maps (at least not from your phone memory) . If you have no internet or Wi-Fi the maps won't show clearly even if you have Google "offline maps" downloaded to your phone. The only way to get the maps in Fly app is loading them in the Fly app cache before flying in a place you get internet connection.

So, the map you are looking at in the small window while flying isn't using downloaded maps? I was at a place way away from where I normally fly and the map I had downloaded showed up while flying no problem. My tablet wasn't connected to wi-fi or hotspot at the time. Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Faster]

So, the map you are looking at in the small window while flying isn't using downloaded maps? I was at a place way away from where I normally fly and the map I had downloaded showed up while flying no problem. My tablet wasn't connected to wi-fi or hotspot at the time. Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Daytona500]

can you download maps of another area with the smart controller?