Ground station maps with non-cell iPad.

[pjw73nh]

I have question regarding ground station.

If I want to use ground station with my iPad, but it is a non-cellular iPad (wifi Only). How do I download (cache) maps of where I am planning on flying?

Can I start ground station at home where I have a wifi connection, and then just zoom in to the area I am planning on flying in? Will it cache the maps so that when I go out in the field, they will already be there?

Or am I out of luck at this point until I use a cell enabled device for ground station.

Thanks

 

[kxkraze]

Yes, as long as you are in the same general area as where you downloaded the maps.

 

[SpikeFinch]

I have question regarding ground station.

If I want to use ground station with my iPad, but it is a non-cellular iPad (wifi Only). How do I download (cache) maps of where I am planning on flying?

Can I start ground station at home where I have a wifi connection, and then just zoom in to the area I am planning on flying in? Will it cache the maps so that when I go out in the field, they will already be there?

Or am I out of luck at this point until I use a cell enabled device for ground station.

Thanks

You are correct. That is how it works.
I have a iPad mini (Wifi only) and that is what I do. Works great!

 

[pjw73nh]

Thanks folks...

 

[Morgon]

Additionally, if you're able to tether to your phone for cell data, that could be an option.
AT&T's new plans all allow for tethering; with a WiFi-only iPad, you could connect it (via Bluetooth) to the phone in the field, and download maps that way.

 

[Dadcat]

Additionally, can you tether to your main phone for cell data?
AT&T's new plans all allow for tethering; with a WiFi-only iPad, you could connect it (via Bluetooth) to the phone in the field, and download maps that way.

That's right. You still have to cache the maps/sat view before connecting to the vision since the app can only allow one wifi connection at a time. Tethering to the phone right before flying, when I forgot to load in a new flying area before leaving home, has saved me a couple of times.

On another point: The preloaded maps don't have to be close to where you are loading them. I've loaded maps for areas up to 20 miles away before leaving home.

I always load GS maps whether or not I plan to use the ground station feature. If I lose orientation when flying farther away than I can see the phantom, swiping over to the ground station map screen gives a much better representation of where the bird is and the direction it's pointing than the radar screen does. To me this is biggest advantage of GS.

 

[pjw73nh]

On another point: The preloaded maps don't have to be close to where you are loading them. I've loaded maps for areas up to 20 miles away before leaving home.

Thanks Dadcat. I was going to ask about this.

So, just to see if I have this correct.

When home with wifi, I open ground station on the ipad, if I slide, pinch, zoom to the area I expect to be in for the weekend and "browse around the area", that should be enough to cache the maps?

I can then close the app, turn the iPad off, and when I get to my destination, open GS up and I should have that area still cached? I guess I'll find out this weekend. Thanks.

 

[Dadcat]

What I do to verify if the map/sat view is loaded the way I like and with enough detail is to exit the app, turn off wi-fi on my tablet and then power cycle the tablet.

The map should still be there when you go back into the ground station page so you can scroll and zoom to make sure it's covering all the area you might be flying. Sometimes I've been a little too aggressive in adding area outside where I really planned to be and found that a strip of map in the area I really intended to be was over-written and blank. That's why it's best to check while you still have a chance for a do over.

Just make sure wi-fi is still off when you go back into the app to check. If wi-fi's still on, it will load the area where you currently are and wipe out the previous cache.