iPad with barometer for maps made easy

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Maps made easy recommends to use iPad with barometer with map pilot app .
Does anybody know what they are doing with the iPad barometer data?

Has anybody used both iPads ( with baro/ without baro) with map pilot app?

I am looking to purchase an iPad as my ground control station and am Trying to figure out if it's worth the extra cost of an iPad with barometer.


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Get the one with the barometer and cell. You can use it without them, but when you get into autonomous flight controls like Litchi or Autopilot and do Follow Me if you need them. The cell part comes in handy for maps on demand, weather or to question an area safe to fly in (e.g. Hover or AirMaps), and maybe to unlock a NFZ remotely if needed down the road.

Better to spend the extra cash or credit now than to buy another one later. I did that twice with other units trying to be cheap. Cost me about $1,200 to prove I should have done it right to begin with.
 
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The iPads with cell,.....
I'm guessing you are required to buy a data package?
Could I buy that version of iPad but not buy data package and add data later on if I want to?


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I have an iPad Air 2 and am very glad I have it. Bought the non cell one first, trying to save a few bucks. Not only do the non cell ones lack the barometer but also GPS. You can fly with them but the app wont display the device location nor will the drone see the device. Returned it and got the cellular and all is good now. You don't have to activate the sim if you don't want to, just tether it to your cell phone for any cellular needs like maps and such.
 
You do NOT have to buy one with a data package unless you need the data.

Buy cheap and you buy twice usually.
 
I have an iPad Air 2 and am very glad I have it. Bought the non cell one first, trying to save a few bucks. Not only do the non cell ones lack the barometer but also GPS. You can fly with them but the app wont display the device location nor will the drone see the device. Returned it and got the cellular and all is good now. You don't have to activate the sim if you don't want to, just tether it to your cell phone for any cellular needs like maps and such.

There's no option to buy any Apple device with A8 and newer processor (iPad Air 2 has A8X, which has more graphics horespower than the iPhone's 6 A8) w/o Barometer.
The Barometer comes with the M8 coprocessor, and has nothing to do with cellurar modem.
The GPS/Glonass comes with Cellurar modem.

So, if You use iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, or iPad pro (9,7" or 12,5"), iHone 6 and newer, You have barometer regardless of mobile data option.

But, You're right - I see too no much rationale in buying iPad w/o cellurar conection, except, if you use it only on your coach or as a Home Kit hub device.


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I bought my iPad Air 2 at Best Buy. Didn't get a cellular data plan then, but the Best Buy Apple sales guy did ask which cellular service I planned on using as their store stock had both the SIM card internally for Verizon, and others like AT&T or T-mobile that use a small plugin SIM card.

I went with T-mobile as that's my cellular plan. However, I learned later that T-mobile doesn't have as good a rural coverage where I fly at over Verizon which has more coverage in same area. Pays to check various providers coverage maps where you plan to fly at before committing to which iPad SIM model.

Also, when I bought the $10 SIM card data plan at T-mobile, they changed my old cellular plan to a newer plan model (No grandfathering there!) and not only did my cellphone service go up in cost, but the $10 data for the iPad also jumped to more like $15 with all the sundry taxes added on. So if your plan was $50 /mo. expect it to be more like $80/mo. when they add the SIM to the iPad. That "Adding a SIM data plan for only $10 more" is a marketing joke. You can get lower service price, but they will throttle you too.

Another bug with them is I had a pre-pay plan with them where I would pay 6 months to a year in advance to avoid monthly billings. I still had about $300 on credit with them when I added the iPad SIM data plan. That flew out the window and you do not get a refund nor will they apply it to your new plan - they just took the $300 credit and pocketed it! I raised hell with the store I bought the Samsung from as they never told me "They take any and all pre-pay credit and keep it when your plan changes." The manager issued a store credit for the $300 balance that corporate took. She didn't think it was right either and was on the phone with corporate but they refuse to budge, and she had the ability to apply a store credit each month until I got the $300 back.

I only pre-pay by two months with them now, but they cannot get that right either. Last bill was for $0.02 (Two cents!), and another was for $0.18 in messages from them. I don't know why they cannot figure out the taxes month-to-month or if the number of days in the month changes their monthly rate. Really is a sloppy setup where they used to be a flat $50/mo., but it might be $81.12 one month and another month for $81.14. I just go in an pay them their two cents.

/rant
 
There's no option to buy any Apple device with A8 and newer processor (iPad Air 2 has A8X, which has more graphics horespower than the iPhone's 6 A8) w/o Barometer.
The Barometer comes with the M8 coprocessor, and has nothing to do with cellurar modem.
The GPS/Glonass comes with Cellurar modem.

So, if You use iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, or iPad pro (9,7" or 12,5"), iHone 6 and newer, You have barometer regardless of mobile data option.

But, You're right - I see too no much rationale in buying iPad w/o cellurar conection, except, if you use it only on your coach or as a Home Kit hub device.


Mix is correct, both the wifi and wifi+ cellular units from the iPad Air-2 and up have a barometer in them

fe3796d31c2f8544be7ba112faa12e4a.jpg



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I bought my iPad Air 2 at Best Buy. Didn't get a cellular data plan then, but the Best Buy Apple sales guy did ask which cellular service I planned on using as their store stock had both the SIM card internally for Verizon, and others like AT&T or T-mobile that use a small plugin SIM card /../

/rant

-That's more about cellurar operators, and less about iPad.
As example, there, in Latvia, where I liwe, I pay mere €7 for 10GB/m, €10 for 30GB/m, €17 for 70GB/m, or €27 for Unlimited. And that's not the cheapest operator/offer.
OK, I don't ever need nor Unlimit, nor 70GB for my iPad - those plans are for ppl who use cellurar internet as their home WiFi source.

For Abroad trips, I have prepaid SIMs for Lithuanian, Austrian, Italian and German operators (most often visited countries in my case) - just put an additional amount when arrive, and no probs - iPads aren't operator-locked, even if you buy them from mobile operator together with some internet offer.

Yes, there is the Apple SIM/plan option, but the rates they are charging for internet are far too high. The only scenario with some rationale behind is, if you travel for your work very often to many different countries - then can be OK to pay from just one AppleID/CC account


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Those that have used ipad mini with 7.9" display, do you feel like its big enough for your flight operations?
 
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Do you guys know if map pilot can do the autonomous mission without internet connection on the ground station device ?
 
I just found on there website that it says "connection less mapping". I think that means no internet needed?
 
Aparently if you use your IPhone as a hotspot - it will also provide GPS data to the IPad if it doesn't have it.

Worth trying before buying a new IPad....

Also possibly new IPads being released from Apple in next couple weeks- might be worth holding off for latest or reduction in price on older models...
 
Maps made easy recommends to use iPad with barometer with map pilot app .
Does anybody know what they are doing with the iPad barometer data?

Has anybody used both iPads ( with baro/ without baro) with map pilot app?

I am looking to purchase an iPad as my ground control station and am Trying to figure out if it's worth the extra cost of an iPad with barometer.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
I use my iPad mini 4 wifi only with MME and it works just fine. I don't see anywhere on their webpage where they recommend using one with a baro. After DJI switched to recording GPS MSL altitude in the picture meta data, MME had the app take a reference photo on the ground so that they could process the maps to provide a more accuarate ground height. I recently few a mission mapping the local soccer field. Took 8 minutes to capture the photos over the 50 acres and the map has 2 inch pixels! The DEM or 3D rendering easily shows the slope of the fields, drainage between the fields and the shape of the roofs on the shelter house. The iPad is dedicated to use with my phantoms and I don't worry about flying 'follow me' type missions with litchi. So it works perfectly or me.
 
Do you guys know if map pilot can do the autonomous mission without internet connection on the ground station device ?
Yes, see my post 19. Works just fine. Only need wifi to initially load the map. I load maps, design missions and safe them before going to the site.
 

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