iPad Pro 10.5" + P4P = Perfect Combo

[KCadby]

The craft has it's own GPS. That's how it sets home point. iPads without cellular don't have GPS, so this inhibits your ability to reset the home point AFTER the craft has been launched, in case your homepoint has changed (such as flying from a boat that drifts).

Thank You John...
I know and understand that, so I guess some of the people posting here either have the Cell-model or aren't wanting to use Follow Mode (I never have yet), and or not flying from boats

I have a Shield K1 and Love it but I've been wanting a Bigger Screen so I bought a Tab S2...
Problem with that was (beside how OVERLOADED it is with Googly-crap that it won't even let you Stop or Disable) it didn't want to play-well with Litchi and GO wouldn't even connect so I returned it and Played with Fruit (Apple) for the first time ever...and I loved it

So... looks like I'll be fine and Happy if I get the Pro WiFi Only and I'll just use the K1 if/when GPS is needed...

 

[John Locke]

Thank You John...
I know and understand that, so I guess some of the people posting here either have the Cell-model or aren't wanting to use Follow Mode (I never have yet), and or not flying from boats

I have a Shield K1 and Love it but I've been wanting a Bigger Screen so I bought a Tab S2...
Problem with that was (beside how OVERLOADED it is with Googly-crap that it won't even let you Stop or Disable) it didn't want to play-well with Litchi and GO wouldn't even connect so I returned it and Played with Fruit (Apple) for the first time ever...and I loved it

So... looks like I'll be fine and Happy if I get the Pro WiFi Only and I'll just use the K1 if/when GPS is needed...

Your experience is a mirror of mine 2yrs ago. I prefer Android too (my phone is an L5-G5), but I had little luck getting 3 different Android tablets to work right, (2 samsung, 1 LG) with my Phantom. Then I flew with my wife's iPad Mini and it worked so well, I've been flying with iOS ever since. I'm considering the 2000nit Crystalsky unit, but I need to see it work first. I can always use my iPad for backup when I fly Litchi missions.

 

[John Locke]

so I guess some of the people posting here either have the Cell-model or aren't wanting to use Follow Mode (I never have yet), and or not flying from boats

The biggest benefit to me to have cellular on my iPad isn't for follow-me or resetting home point (I never to either, but nice to know I can), but to have the real time mapping anywhere I have cell coverage. I also use the iPad for flight restriction search, and do a rare live YT feed from the air, but I suppose you can do that with a phone, plus a hotspot for live YT feeds if you wanted to.

 

[KCadby]

It's all about money (lack of) with me so I can't even consider the Cell model right now...
I've been on no-contract phone for years and love it...
Unlimited call and Txt and have never run out of Data for only $45 (NO extra fees, taxes added)...

A friend of mine that used to do Aerial Photog with a helicopter just bought a P4P+...
I really thought that was a mistake 1: because of how small the screen is and 2: I knew he wasn't going to be able to use any other Apps with it...
I was right because he already bought another RC...

I don't care about brightness because I always use a sunshade, and since I make my own I'll be making one for the iPad Pro as well...

 

[GadgetGuy]

OK good, Apple TV may be an option. So now I need the SD adapter for the iPad, I need to take a new Apple TV device to the function (how do I pack that in my backpack?), I'll need an AC outlet near the TV to power the Apple TV device (potentially hard to get to in many cases) so I may need an extension cord for 120VAC power. I still don't have the super bright screen for daytime flying.

Seems like a lot of hassle versus a little extra money for the CS. We'll need to see how the CS display really looks in person, in broad daylight, to see how much brighter it really is. The Florida Drone Supply comparison pictures look promising, but I'll need to see it in person to really appreciate the value of the screen. One event job could justify the CS $850, if the venue has a giant 4K TV or display.

My church recently bought a huge 4K display for their stage backdrop. It's about 30' wide and 10' high. It looks incredible with 4K video. Everything has to be 4K because the screen is so big. These kind of "stadium screens" are getting cheaper for large venues, so I expect demand for aerial 4K video to increase for things like corporate functions, outdoor weddings, special events (sailing, biking, running, promotions), etc.

I'm sold! Looking forward to your 4K footage!

 

[lannes]

Was waiting for the crystal sky 2000 nites to be release but instead after hearing about all the crashes i went ahead and got a apple iPad pro. It just made the fit on the stock controller but man it is so nice and clear and way bigger. I think just the quality of Apple's screen ( glassy look ) will still out beat the flater screen look on the crystal sky screen. And what's the since of having a superbright screen if it always crashes during flight...

The ultra 7.85in hasn't crashed for me yet, it's specialist piece of equipment and as a result there is a significant premium, there is no comparison at 2000 nits.
They should produce a 10.5 in ultra version, that would end all discussions

 

[KCadby]

Can the guys already using 10.5 tell me if you updated to IOS 11???
My plan was to try mine (when I get it) on my P3P with IOS 10 first and if it works properly I'm tempted to not update to 11 (Issues with GO and Android 7 updates have made me Gun-Shy on doing updates)...

 

[John Locke]

Can the guys already using 10.5 tell me if you updated to IOS 11???
My plan was to try mine (when I get it) on my P3P with IOS 10 first and if it works properly I'm tempted to not update to 11 (Issues with GO and Android 7 updates have made me Gun-Shy on doing updates)...

Good question, but also, what version Go4 are people using with iOS11? Is anyone flying with GO$ version 4.0.8 successfully on iOS11?

iOS 11 has a built in screen recorder. For droners that can be a big deal to some pilots.

Rumors are the next iPad pro won't have a physical button, the unit will be smaller but the display the same size. It's unclear if it's going to be any narrower to fit the DJI clip easier. We can only hope.

 

[KCadby]

Good question, but also, what version Go4 are people using with iOS11? Is anyone flying with GO$ version 4.0.8 successfully on iOS11?

iOS 11 has a built in screen recorder. For droners that can be a big deal to some pilots.

Rumors are the next iPad pro won't have a physical button, the unit will be smaller but the display the same size. It's unclear if it's going to be any narrower to fit the DJI clip easier. We can only hope.

Hard to imagine it being narrower = would have to be No-bezel on sides, and to be honest I don't think I would like it with no bezel...
I do like using Screen Record "sometimes" (Shield K1 has it built in) so that is a plus for me...

 

[GadgetGuy]

Can the guys already using 10.5 tell me if you updated to IOS 11???
My plan was to try mine (when I get it) on my P3P with IOS 10 first and if it works properly I'm tempted to not update to 11 (Issues with GO and Android 7 updates have made me Gun-Shy on doing updates)...

Tahoe Ed has recently advised against updating to iOS 11, as there are still issues with GO 4 under iOS 11. He was not specific as to what they were, but prudence dictates holding back for now, unless your device alreay has 11.0 installed.

 

[KCadby]

Update...
First reminding that I have P3Pro...
I got the New iPad Pro 10.5 on Black Friday and I LOVE it.
It's the No Data connection model but I'm fine with simply caching maps before I go to a new/different location which brings up that I was pleasantly surprised that map caching works much better in the iPad than with my Nvidia IE the K1 dumped the maps/cache sometimes so I had to "make sure" the maps were still in the K1 before I went out flying (that has never happened with the iPad...yet).
It does suck that the No Data model doesn't have GPS but I've been fine with that because I don't use this iPad for Map/Travel/Routes, I never walk very far from 'Home Point' and I haven't ever taken the Drone out on anything that moves (like a boat), however I do plan on buying a Blue Tooth GPS when I want or need to do that.

The Pro 10.5 fit 'tight' in the stock clamp when I first got it but after a couple of uses the padding squished in the clamp and it has fit fine ever since.
I'm fine with the brightness because I always use my sunshade here in FL.
I haven't used it in 90* heat yet but after many flights/batteries I can say that it never got hot (like my Nvidia K1 does) so I don't expect to have any issues this summer.
It came with IOS 11.0.2 in it and Litchi has worked flawlessly with that.
To this day I haven't done any of the IOS updates because I'm a big believer in "don't fix it if it ain't broken" (especially because of DJI being notorious for using they're customers for Crash Test Dummies).

I have never installed GO in this iPad because Litchi does everything I want/need and I'm not willing to chance ANY issues that DJI might cause.
I won't ever install GO until I "need to" and that will only be done if/when I have to do the calibrations that can't be done with Litchi...

Lastly, even though I have flown 'hours' with the iPad I keep forgetting to try Screen Record
That's because almost all of my flights have been Tracking Boats in 20+mph winds = 100% Focused on flying/tracking

Example video and OMG is it easier for my Old Azz Eyes to see/fly with the Pro 10.5

 

[John Locke]

It's the No Data connection model but I'm fine with simply caching maps before I go to a new/different location which brings up that I was pleasantly surprised that map caching works much better in the iPad

Why not flip your cellphone into ACCESS POINT mode to get real time maps on your iPad? That would seem less hassle and time spent, assuming you have cell coverage at your flight location.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Why not flip your cellphone into ACCESS POINT mode to get real time maps on your iPad? That would seem less hassle and time spent, assuming you have cell coverage at your flight location.

Is that the same as turning the phone into a Hot Spot, which is the term I am familiar with, and then connecting the iPad to the Hot Spot for Wifi access to maps? That's what I do. Required paying $10 more a month for service to use the Hotspot capability on the cell phone, but I upgraded my ancient Verizon service plan, and actually saved $40 a month, over the old plan!

 

[John Locke]

Is that the same as turning the phone into a Hot Spot, which is the term I am familiar with, and then connecting the iPad to the Hot Spot for Wifi access to maps? That's what I do. Required paying $10 more a month for service to use the Hotspot capability on the cell phone, but I upgraded my ancient Verizon service plan, and actually saved $40 a month, over the old plan!

Yes, a hot spot is the same as an access point. Most cell plans provide free hot spot support on your phone, it just sucks the data from your phone dataplan, which isn't much data just to fly with maps. For Verizon, if you happen to have a cellular iPad, it's only $10/mo to add it to your existing cellular plan, and use the same data pool. But if you have a WiFi only iPad, it's free to connect to your phone via hot spot (AKA access point).

 

[KCadby]

Why not flip your cellphone into ACCESS POINT mode to get real time maps on your iPad? That would seem less hassle and time spent, assuming you have cell coverage at your flight location.

1: Because the no contract phone plan that I’ve had for years doesn’t have Hot Spot option and I’ve been on a VERY limited budget for over 2-years (see 2).
2: Been taking care of my 86 year old mother at her place 24/7/365 for two YEARS and have Very Fast internet here so it’s quik and easy to load maps here.
I’m going back Home soon and at my place I use no contract Mobile WiFi for home and work internet so I can/will carry that with me where ever the drone goes

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yes, a hot spot is the same as an access point. Most cell plans provide free hot spot support on your phone, it just sucks the data from your phone dataplan, which isn't much data just to fly with maps. For Verizon, if you happen to have a cellular iPad, it's only $10/mo to add it to your existing cellular plan, and use the same data pool. But if you have a WiFi only iPad, it's free to connect to your phone via hot spot (AKA access point).

Verizon charges $20 more per month to add Hot Spot capability to their existing smartphone service contacts, even if you are only using a WiFi only iPad. I was on a 2 GB a month data plan, and Verizon required me to upgrade to a 4 GB a month data plan for $20 more per month to be able to Hotspot my iPhone. Not free. Hotspotting a phone is only included on upgraded data plans. However, I didn't need to buy a cellular iPad, restricting my use to a specific carrier, paying an extra $150 for just the cellular capability, whether I used it or not, and the cost was $20 a month, not $10 for iPad cellular service at the time. It may be cheaper now. A single $100 external BT GPS devices is usable simultaneously by multiple WiFi only iPads, if GPS is needed.

 

[vertrider01]

I received my iPad Pro 10.5" to replace an iPad Air (original) and finally got a chance to test it out in bright sunlight.

Flew at 4pm in MA with bright sun at an angle and was very, very impressed with the screen. Totally viewable in direct light and even better with just a slight turn to cast my shadow on the screen. Screen is also viewable in landscape (and portrait) orientation with my Maui Jim polarizing sunglasses on.

I had zero drop outs/green screens which were a very regular occurrence with the iPad Air. Booted up with the DJI Go app and then flew with Litchi as I was doing a Waypoint mission. Both worked flawlessly.

Found a replacement mount that took 2 minutes to install (kept the original metal mount but just swapped out the plastic holder). The iPad fits perfectly now but the new mount cannot fold forward all the way. Instead the top and bottom flatten out and it can be laid out horizontally. Still seemed like a 'cleaner' option than the 3d printed extenders I've seen where the iPad ends up at a funky angle. Link to one I purchased - Amazon.com: Drone Fans Upgraded Phantom 3 Standard 3A 3P and Phantom 4 Inspire 5.5 - 9.7 inch Phone Tablet Extended Holder with Metal Bracket: Toys & Games

Yes it's a $650 tablet but it really is a perfect combination with the P4P and is a huge step up from the original iPad Air. Between the tax write-off and selling the old iPad for $150, it actually wan't too bad an upgrade either.

Hope this helps anyone on the fence about buying the new iPad Pro.

E

I can second that. iPad Pro is excellent to use, super smooth, no app crashes.

 

[KCadby]

I tune bikes on a dyno that's in a trailer so that's one of the reasons I carry Mobile WiFi (sometimes I need to download software and or firmware into the computer)...

 

[SignumX]

Is there any difference in practice between:
1. iPad (or any other tablet) on rc with wifi and a hot spotting (tethering) mobile phone.
2. Tablet with built-in cellular with its own sim (then the phone is not used at all).

I have been eying the iPad Pro 10.5 to pair it up with my Phantom, but I don't know what to think about that cellular aspect. It seems like the cellular "extra" is ridiculously expensive for what you get (especially as tethering from the phone is so easy and reliable nowadays). But I don't quite get how it all works together with the drone.

I understand also that it's one more device and one more step to get flying, but other than that?

And what do you think about the storage space regarding the iPad. 128 or 256 seems like the way to go, but is huge inbuilt storage unnecessary somehow? I'm not used to iOS stuff, so probably I'm a little bit too paranoid about what you can and can't do on it...

 

[ravedog]

Why not flip your cellphone into ACCESS POINT mode to get real time maps on your iPad? That would seem less hassle and time spent, assuming you have cell coverage at your flight location.

This is a misnomer. Yes you can get maps but the lack of gps will not accurately show location. Using an external gps unit with Bluetooth will work. Tethering on provides data. Not gps.