understanding tablet needs

[fxsales1959]

thank you all for your patience. I am considering an ipad mini4 and just have questions about cellular vs wifi. I've read tht if i connect via hotspot with my businss or personal phone, the ipad will be just as functional as my iphone 6splus. is this accurate?
2) if i splurge on a cellular model ipad, do i need to purchase a whole cellular plan?. I doubt i will use the tblet for nything other than flying my mavic. i travel xt3nsively for business, so flying with be spontaneous where i can't cache maps.
i appreiate your reponses.
thank you
john

 

[Meta4]

I am considering an ipad mini4 and just have questions about cellular vs wifi.
I've read tht if i connect via hotspot with my businss or personal phone, the ipad will be just as functional as my iphone 6splus. is this accurate?
2) if i splurge on a cellular model ipad, do i need to purchase a whole cellular plan?.
I doubt i will use the tblet for nything other than flying my mavic.
i travel xt3nsively for business, so flying with be spontaneous where i can't cache maps.

Apple confuse users by only including a GPS receiver in their cellular-capable models.
But your drone has it's own GPS receiver and that's what it uses for all flight functions so having a GPS enabled tablet is not necessary.
You can hotspot if you wanted to upload anything or download maps etc.
The maps aren't essential anyway, many users never use them.
There's definitely no need to have a cellular plan to fly with the tablet, it would work just as well with a wifi-only version.

 

[fxsales1959]

Apple confuse users by only including a GPS receiver in their cellular-capable models.
But your drone has it's own GPS receiver and that's what it uses for all flight functions so having a GPS enabled tablet is not necessary.
You can hotspot if you wanted to upload anything or download maps etc.
The maps aren't essential anyway, many users never use them.
There's definitely no need to have a cellular plan to fly with the tablet, it would work just as well with a wifi-only version.

thank you. that's where I'm confused.when i fly with my iphone and go4, on the lower left is a map showing surroundingsand location ith street map.. i know you're not supposed to fly out of sight, but do I lose that map if i go with a wifi ipad? sorry to be so dense, just want to make th right decision. i don't really mind spending a little more on a cellular model ipad, but don't really wnt to have another cellular bill for a couple of flights a month

 

[Meta4]

thank you. that's where I'm confused.when i fly with my iphone and go4, on the lower left is a map showing surroundingsand location ith street map.. i know you're not supposed to fly out of sight, but do I lose that map if i go with a wifi ipad? sorry to be so dense, just want to make th right decision. i don't really mind spending a little more on a cellular model ipad, but don't really wnt to have another cellular bill for a couple of flights a month

If you want a map, it's a simple matter to download it by hotspotting from your phone or caching from wifi.

 

[fxsales1959]

If you want a map, it's a simple matter to download it by hotspotting from your phone or caching from wifi.

thank you. i read that the follow me function will not work withour a cellular ipd. i will be using that for jeep outings, and also might use on a boat, where we might travel many miles, and am oncerned about RTH.

 

[Meta4]

thank you. i read that the follow me function will not work withour a cellular ipd. i will be using that for jeep outings, and also might use on a boat, where we might travel many miles, and am oncerned about RTH.

I take it that you are referring to resetting your home point to the current location of the controller?
There's been an unsolved mystery for over a year that prevents that working with Apple devices.

If you are wanting to fly from a moving car or boat, and are keeping the drone reasonably close, ...
.. using the reset home point to the current location of the drone will work just as well to prevent the drone from zipping back toward the starting point when it calculates battery is getting low for such a long flight.
If you are thinking of flying a long distance away from a moving boat or car, you'd just have to be careful and experienced.

 

[fxsales1959]

I take it that you are referring to resetting your home point to the current location of the controller?
There's been an unsolved mystery for over a year that prevents that working with Apple devices.

If you are wanting to fly from a moving car or boat, and are keeping the drone reasonably close, ...
.. using the reset home point to the current location of the drone will work just as well to prevent the drone from zipping back toward the starting point when it calculates battery is getting low for such a long flight.
If you are thinking of flying a long distance away from a moving boat or car, you'd just have to be careful and experienced.

thank you all for the help. i read too much, and understand less. let's say hypothetically i go out tomorrow and buy a" ipad mini 4 with cellular. I've only flown awhile with my iphone 6splus, and love all the features.
i do get out in the boonies where there hasn't been any cell service. do i need a sim or cell plan or does the gps work without it? I will be using this ipad for mavic flying only.

 

[Meta4]

let's say hypothetically i go out tomorrow and buy a" ipad mini 4 with cellular. I've only flown awhile with my iphone 6splus, and love all the features.
i do get out in the boonies where there hasn't been any cell service. do i need a sim or cell plan or does the gps work without it? I will be using this ipad for mavic flying only.

The GPS in the iPad works perfectly without any cellular connection or cell plan.
But your drone doesn't need or use the iPad's GPS for anything anyway.
The drone uses its own GPS to record it's home point when you power up, and uses it to return again.

 

[lannes]

thank you all for the help. i read too much, and understand less. let's say hypothetically i go out tomorrow and buy a" ipad mini 4 with cellular. I've only flown awhile with my iphone 6splus, and love all the features.
i do get out in the boonies where there hasn't been any cell service. do i need a sim or cell plan or does the gps work without it? I will be using this ipad for mavic flying only.

Gps still works independently without the sim card, so you will get the location of the ipad mini 4 from a gps perspective.
Your maps won't update in real time as there is no access to the internet since you don't have a sim.

 

[fxsales1959]

Gps still works independently without the sim card, so you will get the location of the ipad mini 4 from a gps perspective.
Your maps won't update in real time as there is no access to the internet since you don't have a sim.

thank you very much. so if i'm in the middle of the everglades even my iphone 6 will be uselss for maps if theres no cell srvice. but i will need a plan/sim card if i wantmaps to updte real time with the ipad. 'yall re gonna kick me out of this forum for stupid questions. i really only an the ipad for mor "real estate" as sometimes warnings pop up aand i can't read on my iphon. (sucks being old) flying in S florida sucks with all the NFZ's.

 

[Meta4]

so if i'm in the middle of the everglades even my iphone 6 will be uselss for maps if theres no cell srvice. but i will need a plan/sim card if i wantmaps to update real time with the ipad.

No
The maps (that aren't essential) come from internet data - not from GPS.
If you have no cell service, you have no internet and no live maps.
If you really want maps you can cache them in advance.

 

[k.achilleas]

The GPS in the iPad works perfectly without any cellular connection or cell plan.
But your drone doesn't need or use the iPad's GPS for anything anyway.
The drone uses its own GPS to record it's home point when you power up, and uses it to return again.

Yes the only thing you cannot do if you don't have a GPS device is to refresh the home point if you change location . There you need the GPS to record the new home point

 

[Meta4]

Yes the only thing you cannot do if you don't have a GPS device is to refresh the home point if you change location . There you need the GPS to record the new home point

But that doesn't work with Apple devices anyway .. even if they have GPS.

 

[k.achilleas]

But that doesn't work with Apple devices anyway .. even if they have GPS.

That I didn't know ...I am an Android guy ...

 

[FLPilotshark]

I'm going to go with a Ipad mini 5 with WIFI only!

 

[k.achilleas]

I'm going to go with a Ipad mini 5 with WIFI only!

Good choice

 

[Herbie D]

Apple confuse users by only including a GPS receiver in their cellular-capable models.
But your drone has it's own GPS receiver and that's what it uses for all flight functions so having a GPS enabled tablet is not necessary.
You can hotspot if you wanted to upload anything or download maps etc.
The maps aren't essential anyway, many users never use them.
There's definitely no need to have a cellular plan to fly with the tablet, it would work just as well with a wifi-only version.

I guess to add, you should make sure everything is as you need it before leaving home i.e. fully charged batteries, software/firmware updates (if you want them), maps downloaded etc. then you can use your home Wifi. Nothing like a wasted trip somewhere to have forgotten something.

 

[fxsales1959]

I guess to add, you should make sure everything is as you need it before leaving home i.e. fully charged batteries, software/firmware updates (if you want them), maps downloaded etc. then you can use your home Wifi. Nothing like a wasted trip somewhere to have forgotten something.

thank you all. i'm shaking th trees looking for a rfurb mini with cellular. i reslize Idon't HAVe to have it, but a lot o my shooting is spontneous, and won't have time, or know how to get the mps in cache.I guess i'll worry about that if iI'm in BFE with no cell signal and have to relegate to wifi only. FWIW, i always chck batteries, firmware and all else bfore i put her in the case to leave. i live in aNFZ so I've done the drill many times since MY heart attqck and dsubsequent rehab. I'vee owned it for a year and only flown a handful of times. worse comes to worse i still have my iphone 6s+ which has worked fine so far, except the small screen.
thank you all again.

 

[Starz]

One consideration would be that the cell models seem to resell easier.

 

[k.achilleas]

I'm going to go with a Ipad mini 5 with WIFI only!

Good choice

Excellent choise did the same buy even that I am an android user .flying my MA2 with iPad mini 5 is just a pure joy