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Plans Scupperd by Smartphone!


Steve Colman
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Enjoying photography and videography along with my aeromodelling activities I have enjoyed taking aerial videos with an XK Innovations X380 multirotor, but I'm looking to replace it as it's a pain to set up and very cumbersome with a GoPro type camera on the stock underslung gimbal plus a small FPV camera/Tx combo feeding an FPV monitor mounted on my transmitter.

The nice new mini foldable machines with built in camera and gimbal feeding the video down to a mobile phone seemed to be the ideal solution and with a budget of 300 max I began to do some research, watched a few you tube videos, and drew up a shortlist of suitable models as one does.

Then, the big downer which has probably scuppered my plans; my smartphone!

Unlike many, I'm not into updating technology for the sake of getting the newest or the best and my smartphone is a case in point. It works perfectly for the communication tasks that I need it for along with some very useful apps and does everything I need it to do, until now that is!

Apparently it is not compatible with the Wi-Fi signal emitted by todays multirotors which work on a protocol 802.11ac with a 64 bit chip. My phone uses 802.11abgn and runs a 32 bit chip. Now, I know nothing of this technical stuff but it seems it has scuppered my plan to upgrade to a more capable and convenient aerial camera platform.

Can anyone offer me a solution other than having to buy a new smartphone?

Edited by Steve Colman
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43 minutes ago, Ron Gray said:

Steve, this explains the differences but may not help you!

 

https://www.lifewire.com/wireless-standards-802-11a-802-11b-g-n-and-802-11ac-816553

Thanks Ron, interesting reading. It says that 11ac is backwards compatible with 11abgn. I might see if one or two friends might let me try to sync my phone with their machines just as a test.

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I bought a DJI mini 2 a few months ago, my old smart phone didn't have the processing power to run the DJI fly app without locking up, I ended up buy a new 2nd hand smart phone that was on their approved phone list.

 

Not sure which quad you are looking at, but apart from the wifi also make sure that the phone will run the app to support the drone.

 

On the upside my new (2nd hand) phone is much quicker than my old smart phone has more memory and the screen is more legible in bright light too.

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Thanks Frank,

Yes, the phones ability to run the app is another point which has to be considered.

 

I've not yet decided on any particular quad but I'm not going to upgrade my phone just to make it happen as I just don't have the budget. I will find another solution or change plans completely. 

Edited by Steve Colman
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11 hours ago, Frank Skilbeck said:

The new DJI Mini 3 comes with a transmitter with built in display, so no issues on that respect, but it maybe stretching your budget...........................

Would be the perfect solution Frank, but stretching the budget by a very long way indeed!

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A bit off topic - sorry - but my old phone was running Android 7 and some new apps wouldn't work and I wasn't going to spend a grand or more for a new phone so I bought a CUBOT X50 from Amazon for £210 - it's superb - it runs Android 11 and only thing it's missing is 5G compatability but we don't have much 5G here so no problem.

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On 18/06/2022 at 17:15, Frank Skilbeck said:

The new DJI Mini 3 comes with a transmitter with built in display, so no issues on that respect, but it maybe stretching your budget...........................

A quick update on this option. My local hobby shop has offered me a DJI mini 3 with Tx/Display payable by up to 4 installments if I so wish. I'm seriously thinking about this now.

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Steve, if you are interested in the aerial video/photography then based on my Mini 2 they are great, but if it's the flying side then you'll get bored very quickly.

 

BTW to run my Mini 2 I ended up buying a 2nd hand Samsung S10+ from CEX for £200, just been officially updated to Android 12, very pleased with it, I didn't realise how slow my old lowish end smartphone had become.

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Frank, yes it's the aerial video/photography that I'm mainly interested in here to replace the XK380 which was cumbersome to set up and transport. I actually sold it yesterday for a reasonable price given it's age.

I am still going to research the cheap end of the current phone market along with the 2nd hand market too.

Edited by Steve Colman
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I've discovered 3 new things!

 

First: My phone is on the list of "Incompatible" with DJI drones.

Second: My phone's processor is 64bit, not 32bit as I previously thought.

Third: My phone also connects to our Wi-Fi router which is 802.11ac

 

Thus, I may be able to use my phone with one of the more budget friendly machines on the market. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

An update. I have discovered that my mobile will run the DJI GO4 App and have downloaded it with no problem. A good friend, who's in the model retail business, has offered me a brand new, never been used Mavic 2 Pro with carry bag, 1 battery and maybe a second, ND filters and charger for 450 Euros.

 

This seems a great deal on a highly rated machine although I would prefer something smaller which I don't have to register and preferably, cheaper. However, given the price/qualit ratio of the Mavic 2 I'm tempted.  

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Steve, in the UK you still have to put an operators ID on a DJI Mini 2 as it has a camera.

 

Note my old Sony Xperia ran the DJIFly app, but when linked up to the Mini 2 it would randomly freeze when trying to change modes and it didn't have the power to control the Mini 2 in the preprogramed modes, i.e. circle an object, zoom away etc.

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1 hour ago, Frank Skilbeck said:

Steve, in the UK you still have to put an operators ID on a DJI Mini 2 as it has a camera.

 

Note my old Sony Xperia ran the DJIFly app, but when linked up to the Mini 2 it would randomly freeze when trying to change modes and it didn't have the power to control the Mini 2 in the preprogramed modes, i.e. circle an object, zoom away etc.

Frank, over here in Spain I should really take the Level 1 and Level 2 test certificates to fly anything over 250g within the law anywhere outside my club site which is making me think again about the Mavic. Despite it being a bargain, for the number of occasions I'm likely to fly it I'm now thinking it's not worth the investment.

 

About the phone situation, I've been seriously thinking along the lines that you've outlined. It's one thing to be able to download the App but it needs to function properly too, especially with almost 1Kilo of multirotor in the air.

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Steve, when the app froze on my DJI Mini, I still had full control over the mini, but I wasn't able to change photo/video modes etc, rebooting the app allowed control of the camera again but it was just very frustrating. I must say though no such issues with the Samsung s10+ everything works very smoothly, so no problem testing it on your phone but just be aware that if it doesn't have the processing power/memory then it maybe a bit disappointing, for the same reason I'd be wary of a low end new Android phone as often they don't have RAM of the higher end ones and tend to use a lower spec processor.

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