What the best app for mission?

[AZDave]

Dronelink offers some of these features with the addition, probably more importantly, of waypoints for the Mini. I have Litchi but haven't tried it yet. I'll probably have more incentive to make a comparison when waypoints become available.

Does Dronelink allow mission planning in terms of Height-Above-Ground? I mean height above actual terrain, not height above takeoff point. I understand that Litchi has that option, but I've not heard that Dronelink does. Maybe it does ... I just don't know. I live on a steep mountain hillside with lots of ridges and large ravines, so such a capability is important to me. I have the MA2 so I'm using Maven with my own manual elevation adjustments, but will certainly try Litchi if and when it ever works with the MA2. The Maven dev doesn't plan to add AGL capability, and I understand why ... it would need to be web-based and use the Google Elevation.api or equivalent.

 

[maelstrom]

Does Dronelink allow mission planning in terms of Height-Above-Ground?

True AGL flight is apparently on their list of features to implement. They do have a terrain-following feature which I haven't tried but, according to the devs "it isn't "every point along the path", but rather every 30m of horizontal distance travelled".

 

[AZDave]

True AGL flight is apparently on their list of features to implement. They do have a terrain-following feature which I haven't tried but, according to the devs "it isn't "every point along the path", but rather every 30m of horizontal distance travelled".

Thanks for the reply. Hopefully the true AGL capability will arrive about the same time as support for the MA2.

 

[Bussty]

I have been trying them all out and they seem to have their different strengths. Another interesting one is Droneharmony. Don't be fooled it's free for hobbyist use but it's not that obvious on the website. Just download the android app and you are away.

Its main feature is you can map out plans on the mobile app and it gives you some pretty cool graphics showing the flight path in advance.

Just like dronelink it has the hugely cool feature of being able to manually fly a mission thus getting around real world terrain issues (I.e you avoid flying into a hill/tree etc!) and then you can edit or smooth the mission and replay as much as you like in total confidence. This is such a cool feature and takes away all guesswork.

Works with mini not sure about MA2 and Mini2

I'm testing Droneharmony today.

 

[parkgt]

Curious to know what Litchi does that Dronelink doesn't.

Continues mission when connection is lost is probably the most significant.

 

[AZDave]

Continues mission when connection is lost is probably the most significant.

That depends upon which drone is being used. The original poster said he was using the Mavic Air 2 ... Dronelink isn't going to continue a mission if the connection is lost to an MA2.

 

[Bussty]

Continues mission when connection is lost is probably the most significant.

You might want to read this. Haven't tested this feature yet but haven't see this in Dronelink

Drone Harmony

droneharmony.com

Continuous connection to the Remote Controller (RC) Required​

Unlike other DJI drone models, the Mavic Mini (as of 6.11.2020) does not support the execution of autonomous waypoint missions. Thus Drone Harmony developed a new way of flying autonomous missions by controlling the drone directly, you may think of a computer pilot operating your remote controller. It is hence very important to maintain a good RC connection signal by maintaining a reasonable distance from the drone and avoid flying the drone around large obstructions. Recall that the signal strength is displayed in the telemetry panel in Drone Harmony Mobile when the drone is connected.

In case the RC signal is lost, the drone will hover in place at the location of connection loss. When the connection is regained the drone will continue the pre-planned mission automatically.

 

[Raffaello_IZ0QWM]

Unfortunately, both don’t work well with the MA2, but Maven does.

This statement is not quite true. Dronelink correctly supports MA2 in its beta version. I am an Elite user of this application and you can also create functions in javascript for maximum management of your Drone.
All this is not possible with other software.
I am still waiting for full MA2 support in Litchi but due to DJI not developing waypoints and since Litchi does not use virtual sticks, this will not be possible.

 

[maelstrom]

I am still waiting for full MA2 support in Litchi but due to DJI not developing waypoints and since Litchi does not use virtual sticks, this will not be possible.

Litchi are supposedly working on a “virtual sticks” version which will be coming soon (as of last August!).

 

[AZDave]

Litchi are supposedly working on a “virtual sticks” version which will be coming soon (as of last August!).

A clumsy but potential way to at least partially reap the benefits of Litchi, even if Litchi never implements virtual sticks, is that Maven (which already handles the MA2 via virtual sticks) hopes to add the capability to import Litchi missions in .csv format to run in Maven. That supposedly is in the develpment roadmap for some future Maven update, per an email I got from the author.

 

[Tom Johnson]

Depending on what drone the mission is for really ? I can only speak of what I use, Mavic 2 Pro & software for missions, Litchi, I use the Litchi Mission Hub on PC to plan & fine tune the mission details, then Litchi on either Samsung S9 Android or Smart Controller to launch & fly the actual mission, works very well, I can recommend 100%

I looked it up and it's very cool! Thanks for the heads up. - newbie

 

[jake20934]

Is there a good informational source that describes the different types of mission capabilities? Differences between software? Differences between drones?

I just read something from Maven about:

• Autonomous flight (what is automated??)
• Semi-autonomous flight (what is automatic, and what isn't?)
• Virtual Stick Mission (does this mean it requires communication with the controller?)
• Native DJI Waypoint Mission (don't know what that is)

I don't know what these really mean.

Ideally I would like to create a mission from a laptop/desktop app, upload/send it to the drone, and have the drone fly the prescribed mission. I've heard DJI Air model line does not have the processing power or maybe the memory. I also don't need the drone to be DJI and open to other drones.

Thank you.