Mobile cellular data is required when using DJI FLY

[WV. Rootman]

Help me in the aspect that my cognitive skills aren't what they use to be. DON'T GET OLD! lol.
The title is from the DJI FLY mini 3 pro manual. I'm reading while waiting for my mini 3 pro. I fly my p4 in a lot of places without cellular connection. So is it saying I can't fly the mini 3 pro in non cellular areas? I tried checking If this was disgussed already. It may have been, but I couldn't find it.

 

[GFields]

Help me in the aspect that my cognitive skills aren't what they use to be. DON'T GET OLD! lol.
The title is from the DJI FLY mini 3 pro manual. I'm reading while waiting for my mini 3 pro. I fly my p4 in a lot of places without cellular connection. So is it saying I can't fly the mini 3 pro in non cellular areas? I tried checking If this was disgussed already. It may have been, but I couldn't find it.

This is an old thread (2020) I didn't read the entire thread but may have some answers in it.

This one is from the DJI forum

So, it appears that you don't really need cellular services although I can see the benefits for having it, i.e. needing to get an GEO unlock

 

[slup]

The only time you need to have a data connection is when you log into your DJI account in the app ... once logged in you remains logged in even though you go off-grid.

If you lack a data connection while out & flying, you will not get any map updates in the map view in the app... it will just be blank.

So no... you don't need to have a data connection in order to fly.

 

[WV. Rootman]

I understand all that from my p3 and p4 flying. Seeing that sentence in the manual, I just wanted to have it clarified. Thank you all.

 

[WV. Rootman]

This is an old thread (2020) I didn't read the entire thread but may have some answers in it.

This one is from the DJI forum

So, it appears that you don't really need cellular services although I can see the benefits for having it, i.e. needing to get an GEO unlock

You hit the nail on the head.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

None of my 'phones' that are used with a drone have a sim card in them.
Two things to check,
a) you are logged into the app before you leave wifi coverage.
B) you have cached any maps you might want ..... if you use them. I don't use them and do not know how you cache them.

 

[DARKSeifer]

You can fly any DJI drone in airplane mode, without internet connection, what you need in US is GPS enabled on the device in order to be RID compliant.

 

[Brian I]

I don't use them and don not know how you cache them.

Just scroll about the map in the area you will be flying before you leave home (or somewhere else with wi-fi) and the maps will be available offline when you reach your flying site, although I can't remember if there is a menu option you have to select as well.

 

[Ralph thompson]

It is worth noting however that you will get more accurate syncing of the drone position and the map in your phone if you have a cellular signal. My understanding (from some years ago, but apparently still true) you don't need to have a cellular plan but you do need the sim card which will allow the cell phone map to be correctly positioned and therefore more accurately displaying the position of the drone.

 

[Meta4]

It is worth noting however that you will get more accurate syncing of the drone position and the map in your phone if you have a cellular signal.

This is not necessary at all.
Your phone and most Android tablets have perfectly good GPS receivers. just like the drone.
Your phone can use cell signal to get approximate location data, which might be used to get faster (but not more accurate) GPS acquisition.

 

[Ralph thompson]

I was told by Jim McAndrew, Autopilot founder and now Dronelink, (2015 time-frame) that the cell signal improved the accuracy of the maps in a tablet/smartphone but this could be out of date info. Technologies have advanced considerably. Apologies if this is not the case today.

 

[Meta4]

I was told by Jim McAndrew, Autopilot founder and now Dronelink, (2015 time-frame) that the cell signal improved the accuracy of the maps in a tablet/smartphone but this could be out of date info. Technologies have advanced considerably.

He meant quicker rather than more accurate.
Here's what it's all about:

A-GPS vs GPS - Difference and Comparison | Diffen

What's the difference between A-GPS and GPS? A-GPS and GPS are different navigational aids that both use information from satellites to determine their exact location on Earth. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. A GPS device communicates with 4 or more satellites to determine its exact...

www.diffen.com

 

[Deleted member 170519]

I was told by Jim McAndrew, Autopilot founder and now Dronelink, (2015 time-frame) that the cell signal improved the accuracy of the maps in a tablet/smartphone but this could be out of date info. Technologies have advanced considerably. Apologies if this is not the case today.I use an iPad mini 6. It doesn’t have cell service. Maps seem to be accurate.

 

[Ralph thompson]

He meant quicker rather than more accurate.
Here's what it's all about:

A-GPS vs GPS - Difference and Comparison | Diffen

What's the difference between A-GPS and GPS? A-GPS and GPS are different navigational aids that both use information from satellites to determine their exact location on Earth. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. A GPS device communicates with 4 or more satellites to determine its exact...

www.diffen.com

Thanks META4, you're right, this is exactly what I was referring to. This article is 2013 era so maybe things have advanced somewhat today but it is still a good explanation noting that A-GPS is actually not using GPS, it is simply triangulating on known cell phone tower positions, not satellites. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Meta4]

A-GPS is actually not using GPS, it is simply triangulating on known cell phone tower positions, not satellites.

A-GPS does use GPS to provide location data, but it downloads data which helps the GPS receiver to lock onto the GPS sats faster.

 

[slup]

The A-GPS data tells your GPS reciever the predicted positions of the GPS satellites. This way the reciever knows where to search for the satellites and thus is able to acquire signals from them within seconds, even under difficult signal conditions. The A-GPS data is updated once a day but each update is valid for up to 14 days. The satellite positioning accuracy is relatively high during the first three days, and progressively decreases during the remaining days.

 

[stevenws]

Just scroll about the map in the area you will be flying before you leave home (or somewhere else with wi-fi) and the maps will be available offline when you reach your flying site, although I can't remember if there is a menu option you have to select as well.

I think I remember reading for my equipment - (iPhone 8 - no sim card & Mavic Mini) in order to view the map offline at the flying field, is to..... turn on phone connected to wifi at home, view your flying field zoomed in and zoomed out... but do NOT turn off my iPhone 8 until I am done flying. I think the android phones can be turned off after viewing maps at home on wifi, but can be turned back on at flying field... because androids save/cache differently than iPhones. Seems to work for me, but I hate leaving the iPhone on all the way to flying field.

 

[netfolks2000]

You can also use a phone with no SIM and just WiFi off your other phone's hotspot.

 

[FlySkyJumper]

In answer to your question, no you do not need Mobile/wifi data to operate the DJI FLY app. The only time you'd need any capability is when you first download it, update it, update fly data base, that sort of thing.

other than that it is not required to operate your drone.