SIM free flying set up

[maxv77]

Hi Folks



I am an ex hot air balloon Pilot who now flys a Mavic Air and loving it

I am new to the tech side of things like phones/apps.

I use a Sony L1 at the moment with its large screen and works well.

But I would like to get another Sony L1 just to use with the Air that's free of interruptions I have with the phone I use now, so would go SIM free on that one.



If I go for a new phone with no SIM how do you go about

1: loading the app?

2: how do you get the updates form DJI (as it wont be online)

3: what about the GPS for both maps and if I needed to find a lost drone?



As I said. Iam not great with phones and tech stuff so thought I would just ask and then decide what's best for my set up.

Cheers

 

[Congoblue]

To get the app and updates, link it to your home wifi, don't need a sim card for that.
You don't need a sim card for GPS either, but if you want to see the maps while you fly, you will need to cache the maps for the area you are flying in while you have a wifi connection.

I use a Galaxy S4 phone with no sim to fly, and it works fine.

 

[maxv77]

To get the app and updates, link it to your home wifi, don't need a sim card for that.
You don't need a sim card for GPS either, but if you want to see the maps while you fly, you will need to cache the maps for the area you are flying in while you have a wifi connection.

I use a Galaxy S4 phone with no sim to fly, and it works fine.

Thanks Congoblue

 

[Abernus]

Could you not use your phone with a sim in it to act as a hotspot and then just connect the other phone to it's Wi-Fi? That way you won't need to cache maps? Would still be best to get any DJI updates on the home Wi-Fi just if nothing else than to save on data usage.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but this is something I am looking to do soon as my contract runs out on my Sony Xperia XZ soon and I will be using that without a sim for my Mavic in the same way.

 

[Lake_Flyer]

My iPad mini2 doesn't have a sim as well. But as congoblue says, I just check and cache the maps while I'm on wifi at home. If I want a compact setup I use my S8. If map caching on the iPad wouldn't work well I would tether it to my S8 to download the maps while in the field.

 

[4wd]

You can just do everything on home wifi, or someone else's wifi.
Here we don't have any mobile coverage for the most part, I don't think I ever used the app in conjunction with mobile data even where it is available.
You can use wifi only tablets, the phone would function like that.
Buy sim free online e.g. ebay whatever.

 

[Lake_Flyer]

4WD is correct. I still can use my old Samsung Galaxy Alpha, for which I don't have a sim anymore, as backup device. Even without caching maps, I would only miss the maps while flying. But since I don't get out of VLOS it doesn't matter to me unless I have to fly a waypoints or mapping mission.

 

[maxv77]

Thanks for your advice guys.

 

[maxv77]

I was flying my Mavric Air this morning and my phone was going mad with rubbish from FB and text messages.

So I've ordered a new phone to use with the Air on its own.

As I said before I'm not much good with phones. So when it comes and I connect to my home internet to download the DJI Go 4 app and another app I use to look up air space in the UK.

If I look at my local area on the phone will that mean the phone will then keep that map info from now on?

Or do you all mean I will need to look at the area I want to fly in by using the DJI Go 4 app?

 

[Congoblue]

There's an option on Go 4 called "Offline maps", in the first welcome screen you see before you click "Go fly". That lets you select an area of interest and download the maps.

 

[maxv77]

There's an option on Go 4 called "Offline maps", in the first welcome screen you see before you click "Go fly". That lets you select an area of interest and download the maps.

 

[maxv77]

thats great. thanks for your help

 

[maxv77]

I got my new phone today. But I cant connet it to the drone. It keeps failing when trying to scan the QR code. And so it says do it manually on the phone. but the phine cant see the aircraft. and when I write in the WiFi SSID code. , i then save it, ready to add the password. and nothing. it just disopears grrrr over and over again. Would it be doing this because its already registerd on my other phone? help please before I chuck the brand new phone out my window lol

 

[tictag]

If you can't see the wifi SSID then the Mavic Air is likely not broadcasting it - you need to enter 'association mode' (I made that up). I don't have a Mavic Air but I believe you enter this mode by long pressing the button at the rear, something will likely start flashing and the wifi network should then appear automagically on your phone. Without an existing association, the Mavic Air will likely enter this mode automatically on initial power up, which is why you didn't have to do this with your first phone. The manual will likely have full details of this procedure. AFAIK, you connect any phone to a Mavic Air.

 

[maxv77]

If you can't see the wifi SSID then the Mavic Air is likely not broadcasting it - you need to enter 'association mode' (I made that up). I don't have a Mavic Air but I believe you enter this mode by long pressing the button at the rear, something will likely start flashing and the wifi network should then appear automagically on your phone. Without an existing association, the Mavic Air will likely enter this mode automatically on initial power up, which is why you didn't have to do this with your first phone. The manual will likely have full details of this procedure. AFAIK, you connect any phone to a Mavic Air.

Thats worked. thank you for yoyr help. I was getting a bit stressy

 

[chazzm]

I’m using an extra iPhone 6+ with no sim, working great and still updates with WiFi!

 

[z28lt1]

Just to clarify you are flying using the phone only, and not the controller? Because if you are using the controller there is no need to connect the new phone via QR code/wifi, just stick it in the controller.

 

[maxv77]

Just to clarify you are flying using the phone only, and not the controller? Because if you are using the controller there is no need to connect the new phone via QR code/wifi, just stick it in the controller.

flying with the contoller as I was told that was best. So the phone just for the screen.

 

[z28lt1]

flying with the contoller as I was told that was best. So the phone just for the screen.

Yes, using the controller is best. As such, if the controller is paired, there is no need to pair the phone. That said, since it seems like you already did it, no worries and no harm. Some people have had issues re-pairing the controller after paring a phone directly, hopefully you won't and it will pair right up.