DJI and P2V+ Burning through my data plan

480sparky · Jul 9, 2014

I'll admit.... I'm a cheap bastid. I only have a 2g data plan on my phone. But I also am very conservative when out and away from my wireless at home. So I've never exceeded 500mb a month.

Until I got the P2V+. There's something in the app that's just got a voracious appetite for data. With 11 days left on this months' plan, I'm already up to 1.28g of usage.

I don't want to be grounded just to avoid overages on my data plan. I was unaware that flying was so data-intensive. Yes, I could switch to airplane mode, but that means losing Google Maps while flying.

Did I miss a memo or a meeting on how to cut data usage while flying?

ETA: even while not flying today, the app used 12mb.

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

I really dont understand? Normally when your phone is connected to your phantom your phone doesnt use data. Are you uploading your pics or video once you finish flying? Have you got some sort of auto sync that your phone uploads all your pics or videos to fb, dropbox or any other cloud service? You are doing something wrong, the app doesnt need data, well certainly not that much! I use my tablet which only works on wifi so its impossible to use up cell data and I get full use from that. You need to look into the settings of your phone.

480sparky · Jul 9, 2014

No uploads. Just using the app to fly, then turning it off.

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

There has to be something you are missing. Have you gotten a new phone lately? Have you subscribed to some app at the same time that you might not be considering? What phone are you using?

slothead · Jul 9, 2014

How does the phone get the maps without downloading them? Isn't that the data your are consuming?

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

slothead said:
How does the phone get the maps without downloading them? Isn't that the data your are consuming?

Not 1.2gb of cached map data, it couldnt be. It cant cache a map while connected to the phantom lan. This problem has never been reported so iMO the op is downloading something else in the background. Do you download torrents on your phone that maybe you staterd over wifi and they kept downloading over 3g/4g that you forgot to turn off? Its imppssible for the dji app to use up that much data. Only streaming or downloading videos can use that much. Trust me, it would be well documented otherwise

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

I can cache 60miles squared (60miles x 60 miles) of google maps on my phones for 80mb of data.

Mori55 · Jul 9, 2014

No way its using cell data. It's just using wifi. I don't even need data with my wifi only mini iPad !

chapsrlz · Jul 9, 2014

double check apps that are running on the back, also verify dropbox, google+ and photo settings. i used to had an adroid which by default uploaded every single photo/vide i took to g+ over the data network.

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

I sometimes use my old samsung galaxy s4 with no sim card in it. The app doesnt need data. I cant explain this much further than I have. The app isnt eating into your data, something else is. Have you got a new phone? I remember when I switched from a nokia n8 to a galaxy s2 years ago, the symbian nokia software never went over 180mb a month using full internet access, when I switched to the galaxy s2 with android my 250mb allowance went in less than a week.

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

I'd put my house on the fact that your phone is auto uploading your videos, as they can only be that size.

480sparky · Jul 9, 2014

Y'all can conjecture all you want.

It IS using data.

Proof:

Half the data used while away from wi-fi is this app.

And I have not launched the app at all today.

.

480sparky · Jul 9, 2014

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

Yes but thats not your cell data, thats the data that has been transferred from your phantom to your phone through wifi. Its the amount of data of streaming fpv which is data but its free data because its over a local area network, a lan. Here is the data that has been used on my wifi only android tablet, no sim card, no charges and its over 1gb that I dont get charged for, sheesh, learn up guys!

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

Ive used over 30gb of data, 30GB OF DATA ON A WIFI ONLY TABLET IN 1 WEEK! Thats over my home network, do you think im paying a non existing phone company for this data? No, nay, nope, nada, yeah right! Data is being counted, just as if I sent you a video from my phone to your phone over bluetooth, which is free. Look at your bluetooth data counter, it will tell you how much data was sent or received between those 2 devices. Did it cost anything? No because bluetooth is a free ad hoc data network, same as your lan network between your phone and phantom, its a free network but doesnt stop it from counting how much data went between those 2 devices. Ok this is my last dumbed down scenario. If I throw you a ball, and you throw it back to me and I throw it back and you again to me and we repeat that a million times but we had an app to count the data of how many times we threw the ball and it said 1.2 thousand times would at&t have the right to bill us for it? Even though we didnt have a sim card inserted In our asses? Its private data not connected to a phone company but that app can tell us how many times we threw the ball, thats it. Its just a counter of data, an abacus if you will. Contradict me and I swear I'm gonna go all liam neeson on you and I promise you I WILL
TRACK YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU

Hostage style

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

480sparky said:

Read the words, "your service provider may......" ring them now and ask them how much data hve you used according to them.

Mal_PV2_Ireland · Jul 9, 2014

I should have added "I dare you, I double dare you" "or "I will strike down apon thee with great anger an FURIOUS vengance......."
Haha im pulling your leg mate and just trying to educate you with a bit of humour, but trust me, the app aint using your paid data.

480sparky · Jul 9, 2014

Mal_PV2_Ireland said:
Yes but thats not your cell data, thats the data that has been transferred from your phantom to your phone through wifi. Its the amount of data of streaming fpv which is data but its free data because its over a local area network, a lan. Here is the data that has been used on my wifi only android tablet, no sim card, no charges and its over 1gb that I dont get charged for, sheesh, learn up guys!

So....... how does the app rack up data when the bird is sitting at home and I'm at work?

As I said............ I haven't even launched the app today, and it's still using data.

srandall25 · Jul 9, 2014

Ok, first, the phone doesn't connect with the phantom, it connects to the range extender that is mounted to the TX controller. The range extender connects to the phantom. The only cellular data that could possibly be used is the map caching data transferred and you didn't mention anything about using the maps or waypoint feature. Any videos or pictures streamed to your phone from the phantom would also not be using your cellular signal. DJI is not hosting a server to temporarily store your videos or pictures.. these are transferred from the phantom's onboard camera/micro sd card via the range extender to your phone.. no cell towers are involved. If you really believe that the app is using your cellular data plan (excluding map caching) then simply pull your sim card out during flight. It doesn't need it.

Just read your last post about the app using data while your bird is at home and you're at work. Hard to believe, but if you're using an iPhone, go to Settings, Cellular, scroll down to DJI Vision app, turn switch off. This will ensure that your app doesn't use your cellular signal for any reason, even map caching...