iPads and sun do not mix

[mikehhfx]

I still have a heck of a time seeing the screen of my iPad while flying, I've purchased a hood and I have had some success. But I still find it difficult to see which way I am pointing, if I want to capture some video, and I fly my route, then stop to turn to either come back or get another view' it's really hard to see. Also after getting out anywhere from 200-300 feet, for me it's hard to see the red lights on a sunny day. Just wondering if others have this issue , and any good ways to deal with this.
ps. I'm nearly 60 and wear glasses, maybe it's time to retire! [emoji15]

 

[embayweather]

Hey, I am just like you except I am retired and I am having exactly the same problem with my iPad. No solutions I am afraid, I wish there were. The best I can come up with is a ‘normal’ stick on iPad shade and me wearing a large hoody. The hood covers the end of the shade and gives a reasonable view. Not practical at the moment as it is low to mid 80s in the shade (yes this is the U.K.). I tend not to use the screen a lot as I fly VLOS and prefer zoo,watch what I am doing. When I am setting up a shot I will look as close as I can at the screen to give extra shading. Bifocals certainly have a use now. The only other option is Goggles if you have a willing spotter to hand, but that may not always be possible for you either.

 

[w1r3d]

I use prop guards to help identify the front from the back.
Only down side is sometimes they get int the frame of what I am shooting

 

[Doug Rosevear]

I still have a heck of a time seeing the screen of my iPad while flying, I've purchased a hood and I have had some success. But I still find it difficult to see which way I am pointing, if I want to capture some video, and I fly my route, then stop to turn to either come back or get another view' it's really hard to see. Also after getting out anywhere from 200-300 feet, for me it's hard to see the red lights on a sunny day. Just wondering if others have this issue , and any good ways to deal with this.
ps. I'm nearly 60 and wear glasses, maybe it's time to retire! [emoji15]

Turn the brightness all the way up on the iPad to me it sounds like it is auto dimming( adjust in the settings / DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS) With a hood you should be able to see. However even with a hood if the sun is shinning on the screen it’ll be hard to see

 

[LarBear360]

I still have a heck of a time seeing the screen of my iPad while flying, I've purchased a hood and I have had some success. But I still find it difficult to see which way I am pointing, if I want to capture some video, and I fly my route, then stop to turn to either come back or get another view' it's really hard to see. Also after getting out anywhere from 200-300 feet, for me it's hard to see the red lights on a sunny day. Just wondering if others have this issue , and any good ways to deal with this.
ps. I'm nearly 60 and wear glasses, maybe it's time to retire! [emoji15]

I went out for another test today using the Hoodman. I like it better than my goggles. It was easier to fly, frame up shots and make adjustments due to the clarity. All of my telemetry is easy to read. And I had more confidence now that I can see the screen better.

Keeping my Fatsharks nevertheless as they are also compatible with my DSLR.

 

[MotorCycle-Man]

PLUS : lite colored t shirts or short sleeve shirts " reflect In the monitor screens "....i wear a dark shirt to eliminate My shirts reflection !

To always being able to see the instant "heading of the drone" down low OR fairly high in the sky...and know what direction its headed..i used a few pop-sickle sticks with day glow strapping tape glued on them and i used Velcro to secure them to the opposite side of the camera on the landing gears of the drone as in the picture and i love this set UP.....It works Great for me !.....and NOT a thing gets in the way of the camera Yaaaaaa !

When i see that Orange..Instantly I Know right stick...Forward Is Forward ect ! and when its close it makes it much safer to control the drone so you wont fly it at you and cause serious injury's ! ! !
My SAMSUNG Tab A6 has a outdoor brightness setting and it works Great for me

Well folks : Thats My 2 cents worth.

 

[LarBear360]

I still have a heck of a time seeing the screen of my iPad while flying, I've purchased a hood and I have had some success. But I still find it difficult to see which way I am pointing, if I want to capture some video, and I fly my route, then stop to turn to either come back or get another view' it's really hard to see. Also after getting out anywhere from 200-300 feet, for me it's hard to see the red lights on a sunny day. Just wondering if others have this issue , and any good ways to deal with this.
ps. I'm nearly 60 and wear glasses, maybe it's time to retire! [emoji15]

Some other tips I've used before I owned the Hoodman:
1) Wear a big hat. One that will shade your screen.
2) Wear a dark shirt
3) Attach mini-strobes to the landing gear, One red for the front, white for the back. I can see mine in daylight up to around 600 feet.

 

[RedDog7]

Where I fly there's a nice row of trees which give terrific shade. Not the best at Midday when the sun's overhead, but when it's 45' C or more at Midday only a fool would be flying. I definitely agree with wearing a dark shirt and large brim hat though, but by far the best is a pair of goggles. In fact I got a brand new pair last week. Diversity receiver, 5 inch High definition LCD screen, inbuilt battery with charger and two high gain antennas, only $9.99 from Ebay. It arrived the same day as my iPad Mini. The clarity and brightness of which leaves every other tablet I own for dead.

I've yet to try either out whilst flying. But one thing I am happy about is the goggles have a super big slot to accommodate the nose. Not that I have a big nose, but it allows for fresh air to enter the goggles and helps avoid the fogging up I get with the others I have. It also allows for light to enter, but surprisingly it doesn't register on the screen. After fitting a pair of glasses inside the clarity of the picture is incredible. Like watching a very large flat screen TV.

Something I thought of for the Goggles which I've never seen, fitting a camera to the front of it and a switch which changes the view from FPV to a view from where you're standing. It wouldn't be a major modification, but I'm wondering if it would be worth the exercise. It would negate the need for removing the goggles for various reasons.

 

[solentlife]

iPad or Android ... we all have the problem .... I do have a DIY shade made out of 5mm Black Depron ... it helps but is not total answer.

if I cannot tell orientation of AC and screen is blitzed by sunlight .......... I hit RTH botton on controller ... wait a bit ... then I know that AC is pointing at home point ... i can either regain control or let it return closer and then cancel RTH.

Nigel

 

[RedDog7]

So stop flying if you find using your iPad a such a problem. Or fly at night, places like BangGood have strips of LEDs you can dress your quadcopter in.Or buy some goggles. They've already been mentioned twice in this thread, why not try them instead of complaining about Nature and the Sun. We all use Samsungs, iPads Nexus and some DJI very expensive monitor, but very few seem to be complaining about them. Yes, they can be hard to see when in direct sunlight. So stand in the shade or take a large umbrella to stand under, or fly from your bedroom window, remove the culprit, the Sun. The same one which has been there well before quadcopters were thought of. (I think) There are options, wear a dark shirt, a large brimmed hat, find a friendly tree or train someone to follow you around with a large sheet of timber. Hey here's an idea, only fly on overcast days. Move to the UK, they're always complaining about the weather. They only know it's summer because the rain gets warmer. It's OK, don't get upset about a racist remark, I'm an ex Pom.

Honestly it's a hobby, and hobbies are a matter of choice, you chose to get into it and sadly the sun is part and parcel of the outdoors. Have you tried goggles? the one I just purchased gives a first class picture, it's like watching everything on a massive TV. If you suffer from bad eyesight you can fit an old pair of glasses inside and everything is suddenly pin sharp. There's a video on YouTube which shows how it's done, a very simply 10 or 15 minute job. Give them a try they aren't expensive, I paid just $9.99 for mine, you can even buy cardboard kits you can put your iPhone in. Technology is great, if you're willing to experiment. Rather than just complaining about the light, I'm positive you can find a better way.

 

[RedDog7]

The photo is just the front section which houses the screen and all the electronics. It has a tripod mount and if you wish to wear them, there's the other half which simply slots on in seconds. Sorry about the text, I wasn't responsible. not bad for $9.99 one of the antennas is worth more than that. So is the very nice carry case it comes in.

 

[erik_1312]

I purchased a screen protector from a site called mygoflight. It severely cuts the glare off of your IPads screen. Worth the $50. Also make sure the screen brightness is all the way up. Happy flying!

 

[MotorCycle-Man]

REDDOG 7......i can't message you here so i wanted to ask if that was your military call sign.....I'm a Vietnam Vet and i wondered if you were too..my call sign was 29er Bravo.

 

[Offroader]

View attachment 100723 PLUS : lite colored t shirts or short sleeve shirts " reflect In the monitor screens "....i wear a dark shirt to eliminate My shirts reflection !

I wear a dark hat, but it's just too darn hot here in Las Vegas for dark clothes. Cranking up the brightness is about the best I can do without a hood. Got to get a hat with a bigger brim to keep more sun off my face.

 

[Oso]

Who's next to try one of these?

Creapy Sun Sheild

 

[dangrand1103]

I still have a heck of a time seeing the screen of my iPad while flying, I've purchased a hood and I have had some success. But I still find it difficult to see which way I am pointing, if I want to capture some video, and I fly my route, then stop to turn to either come back or get another view' it's really hard to see. Also after getting out anywhere from 200-300 feet, for me it's hard to see the red lights on a sunny day. Just wondering if others have this issue , and any good ways to deal with this.
ps. I'm nearly 60 and wear glasses, maybe it's time to retire! [emoji15]

Absolutely NOT retire. I'm 75 and do real estate with my P3P as a FAA Licenced Commercial Drone Operator 107. Last year I flew 131 flights at $270 per flight. It's great beer money. I have a hood also. Final option for you is to get into the shade and manage your flight from there. That's the answer my friend.

 

[beegee]

This will solve your iPad problems

Meijunter Monitor Sunshade Hood for DJI OSMO/ Mavic Pro/ Mavic Air/ Spark/ Inspire 1/ Phantom 3/4 Remote Controller, Upgrade Detachable 7.9" Full Immersion Tablets iPad Sunshade Hood Sun Visor Cover Kit https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079RC31N4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_NelqBbQ58MHX6

 

[dangrand1103]

One more thing. Notice my Drone to the left here. I painted the two forward prop guards red so that when I want to go forward I can see up in the sky that its going to go in the direction of the red painted prop guards.

 

[rmash50]

Hey, I am just like you except I am retired and I am having exactly the same problem with my iPad. No solutions I am afraid, I wish there were. The best I can come up with is a ‘normal’ stick on iPad shade and me wearing a large hoody. The hood covers the end of the shade and gives a reasonable view. Not practical at the moment as it is low to mid 80s in the shade (yes this is the U.K.). I tend not to use the screen a lot as I fly VLOS and prefer zoo,watch what I am doing. When I am setting up a shot I will look as close as I can at the screen to give extra shading. Bifocals certainly have a use now. The only other option is Goggles if you have a willing spotter to hand, but that may not always be possible for you either.

I purchased a Hoodman sun shield, I love it, it really works well in bright sunlight on my 9 inch apple tablet.

 

[Marvsdrone]

I put one of those little finger lights on my P3P. They are cheap (< $1), easy to put on with velcro, weigh nothing and the LED light can be seen on the brightest day, when pointed at you. This tells me when the drone is headed my way.
Is 60 too old? HA!
I didn't catch the drone bug until I was 70, that was 3 years ago. I still love every minute of flight time.