Should I buy the SC or...

[dannybgoode]

Say something like say an iPad Mini 5?

I have an iPad Pro so don’t need the Mini 5 for use as a tablet but the Pro is just too big to fly with. But Go 4 iOS does work very well and there’s never any harm having a backup tablet.

That said, I do have a Huawei M3 at the moment but it’s not the brightest and one thing that’s struck me whilst on holiday is just how much flying time you can lose having to set the standard controller up. I was on a jeep safari the other day and sometimes only had 20 mins in total at a location and a good 5 minutes each time was spent setting up and packing up afterward.

Answers on a postcard please

 

[msinger]

I was on a jeep safari the other day and sometimes only had 20 mins in total at a location and a good 5 minutes each time was spent setting up and packing up afterward.

The Smart Controller would have been the obvious choice for that scenario. But, the question then becomes do you want to use a remote controller with a built-in screen? And are there apps you need to use that cannot be installed on the Smart Controller?

 

[dannybgoode]

The Smart Controller would have been the obvious choice for that scenario. But, the question then becomes do you want to use a remote controller with a built-in screen? And are there apps you need to use that cannot be installed on the Smart Controller?

I don’t think so. If I went the Mini 5 route I would of course install other apps but I am perfectly happy with a dedicated controller.

I guess my main nervousness is whether the SC is underpowered and essentially can’t be upgraded or whether it is I fact an excellent choice of controller?

 

[THE WOMBLE]

If you changed to a CRYSTALSKY monitor brightness etc would be solved. If you upgrade the drone at a later date the monitor could still be used.

 

[msinger]

I guess my main nervousness is whether the SC is underpowered and essentially can’t be upgraded

Do you mean when compared to the Mavic remote controller? I've never seen anyone mention a difference signal-wise.

 

[dannybgoode]

Do you mean when compared to the Mavic remote controller? I've never seen anyone mention a difference signal-wise.

I mean the processor - android is a resource hog and Go 4 (and perhaps Go 5 at some point in the future) may stop running on it?

 

[msinger]

I wouldn't worry about that. DJI of course supports the mobile devices they sell, so they will likely do whatever is needed to ensure they continue to run well.

 

[gnirtS]

I use a mediapad M3 and its rock solid to fly.
BUT its so nice not to have to set the thing up before flight AND i can see the SC in sunlight.

The SC is significantly brighter than any mobile device. It could be brighter for sure, but its usable in direct sunlight whereas conventional devices are not.

(Android is not a resource hog either. Its an OS. Software can be bloaty for sure but thats the same for any platform).

Ive never had a single issue with the android app on my Huawei or Pixel devices, nor now on my SC. It just works. Every single time.

 

[dannybgoode]

I use a mediapad M3 and its rock solid to fly.
BUT its so nice not to have to set the thing up before flight AND i can see the SC in sunlight.

The SC is significantly brighter than any mobile device. It could be brighter for sure, but its usable in direct sunlight whereas conventional devices are not.

(Android is not a resource hog either. Its an OS. Software can be bloaty for sure but thats the same for any platform).

Ive never had a single issue with the android app on my Huawei or Pixel devices, nor now on my SC. It just works. Every single time.

I use the M3 currently and likewise haven’t had any issues. But even stock Android does require a fair amount of processing power and phones in particular tend to have higher spec processors than custom devices like the SC.

I’ve nothing at all against Android as am OS but it’s got to run right for it to be any use. So long as the SC is rock steadily though I’m happy with that. So long as it remains so for the foreseeable future.

 

[gnirtS]

SC is going to be like any other dedicated device - as shipped its great.
BUT if people insist on installing huge, bloaty, resource hungry apps on it (facebook, social media and everything else) then its going to bog down.
The whole point of a dedicated device is its optimised for this one task.

 

[dannybgoode]

SC is going to be like any other dedicated device - as shipped its great.
BUT if people insist on installing huge, bloaty, resource hungry apps on it (facebook, social media and everything else) then its going to bog down.
The whole point of a dedicated device is its optimised for this one task.

Works for me. I would only be buying it as a bespoke device

 

[GadgetGuy]

Say something like say an iPad Mini 5?

I have an iPad Pro so don’t need the Mini 5 for use as a tablet but the Pro is just too big to fly with. But Go 4 iOS does work very well and there’s never any harm having a backup tablet.

That said, I do have a Huawei M3 at the moment but it’s not the brightest and one thing that’s struck me whilst on holiday is just how much flying time you can lose having to set the standard controller up. I was on a jeep safari the other day and sometimes only had 20 mins in total at a location and a good 5 minutes each time was spent setting up and packing up afterward.

Answers on a postcard please

If you have a dedicated iPad for the controller already mounted and plugged into the controller as I do, the setup time is no different than with the SC. Just power on the RC, the iPad, and the drone, and wait for the satellites, just like on the SC! If you need maps, just be sure to also connect your iPad to the Hotspot on your phone, just like you would the SC.

 

[gnirtS]

Might work if its not sunny. There is no mobile device around thats bright enough to be seen in direct, overhead sunlight though. Android or apple. None are.
Keeping everything mounted might be an idea too but its not good if you want portability. If you're willing to trade bulk for speed then its worthwhile. If you want a small, lightweight package you can dump in a rucksack where space is at a premium it doesnt work as well.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Might work if its not sunny. There is no mobile device around thats bright enough to be seen in direct, overhead sunlight though. Android or apple. None are.
Keeping everything mounted might be an idea too but its not good if you want portability. If you're willing to trade bulk for speed then its worthwhile. If you want a small, lightweight package you can dump in a rucksack where space is at a premium it doesnt work as well.

Fortunately, most of my flights are when the lighting is best during golden hour, and if not, finding some open shade usually solves the problem, but I carry a screen shade and a black cloth just in case. My visual observer keeps me legal!

 

[gnirtS]

Golden hour although ideal isnt possible everywhere (and where i am, golden hour is still far too bright). Also not a lot of shade around (if any). If there is shade, if its in the wrong direction it'll likely block signal.
No observer means i cant use the towel on my head trick either.

I really do wish the SC was brighter *but* its still significantly better than my other virtually blind attempts. At least i have a rough idea what my framing is like now.

 

[dannybgoode]

@GadgetGuy - thanks for your thoughts. It's certainly an option to consider but portability is important sometimes. It would perhaps be feasible to leave to set up semi-permanently and only dismantle when necessary.

 

[GadgetGuy]

@GadgetGuy - thanks for your thoughts. It's certainly an option to consider but portability is important sometimes. It would perhaps be feasible to leave to set up semi-permanently and only dismantle when necessary.

You are welcome! Agreed. The pre-mounted iPad is ideal when quick deployment is the priority, but it also still easily breaks down for compact transport. Conceptually, I loved the idea of the P4P+ with the built in screen, but it was buggy as heck and a nightmare in use. SC still has some issues (shorter range being among them, as reported by some) and the screen size is really not much bigger than my iPhone 8 Plus. I really prefer the much larger 9.7" iPad, and keeping the tablet display separate from the RC, just in case the app has any issues, I still have all my telemetry duplicated separately on the RC display, which is visible in sunlight.