P3P Owner for 6 months, What is DJI Thinking?

[FlyingCircles]

I use to fly my P3P at home around the neighborhood but soon realized that I should be out and away from all of the WiFi signals that exist around me. So I enjoyed going to a local park that presented a perfect place to fly my drone. Signal strength was excellent and never any external interference. Google Maps was always available giving me the maps that I need, even without cellular service. On occasion I would drive to the country and find a cemetery and fly my drone from there.

Now fast forward to DJI Go version 3.1?, not certain which version but the one where Google Maps was replaced with HERE maps. Now I am forced to stay close enough to the city so that I have cell phone service for HERE maps or do without map data. I am aware that I could cache HERE map data, assuming I know where I intend to fly ahead of time, but even with this method I must keep my Android device turned on. Flying my drone now is almost useless, I must be within cellular service but out of Wifi signals. For most people these limits cripple the whole point of having a flying RC. So DJI I must ask, what is the point?

 

[crash1sttime]

It's down to cost, pure and simple.
DJI have been blasted by many many people but still refuse to back down.
I'm sure someone will be along with some advice about downgrading the app to an earlier version before long.

 

[Philltayl]

Why not use 1 of the 3rd party apps. I use Litchi.

 

[stones]

I'm with Phil. Litchi uses Google maps and you can setup waypoint missions without having to be at the flying location, as well.

 

[FlyingCircles]

I'm with Phil. Litchi uses Google maps and you can setup waypoint missions without having to be at the flying location, as well.

I was considering Litchi App. I use the Shield K1 tablet which only has Wifi. Does Litchi use Google Maps that works with having the map data cached?

 

[Lonewolf]

I use an iPad mini 2 w/wifi only. I've set the GoApp so map is cached in the background & gone to where I intended to fly hundreds of miles from my home. Once at my destination I fired up the P3 turned on the GoApp & there was my HERE Map in the location I cached hundreds of miles back home.

Perhaps your Android doesn't have the ability to cache the map. Or, you haven't activated that option on your Android?

 

[FlyingCircles]

I use an iPad mini 2 w/wifi only. I've set the GoApp so map is cached in the background & gone to where I intended to fly hundreds of miles from my home. Once at my destination I fired up the P3 turned on the GoApp & there was my HERE Map in the location I cached hundreds of miles back home.

Perhaps your Android doesn't have the ability to cache the map. Or, you haven't activated that option on your Android?

Correct, Android does not cache maps like IOS does. Another DJI greatness.

 

[Ed_2020]

I was considering Litchi App. I use the Shield K1 tablet which only has Wifi. Does Litchi use Google Maps that works with having the map data cached?

I'm a Shield user too, starting with Litchi, and as far as I've learned, you can cache but the tablet can't be turned off (to keep the maps cached).

So, you would need to cache where you have wifi signal, then keep tablet on until the moment you fly.

But the nice side of Litchi is that you can plan your missions at home in no hurry, transfer to the tablet using a micro SD card (or even wifi) then fly the mission later even without cached maps.

 

[kndll]

caching is working with 3.1.4 , no need to keep tablet powered on , cache at home , turn tablet off -- fly later , maps are there

 

[Tallyrver]

I like to plan a basic waypoint mission ,then save it.
Once on site I can change the waypoints if needed to make sure the tree showing on Google maps hasn't grown in the last year.

 

[sandman259]

Sounds like it's an android problem not Dji problem, cause caching maps on iOS works great...

 

[alokbhargava]

I use maps only for off line waypoints mission planning. I mostly use radar and live video at site. This is me, you can think differently.

I have iPad mini cellular and never had issue in seeing the maps at site though I don't need them at site.

 

[kndll]

Sounds like it's an android problem not Dji problem, cause caching maps on iOS works great...

DJI coding problem with Android , I couldn't cache the maps with versions 3.1.1 , 3.1.2 , 3.1 3 , BUT with 3.1.4 DJI changed something in the app and now it works , as for 3.1.5 I don't know haven't updated yet and don't plan on , 3.1.5 has other issues !

 

[HWCM]

Correct, Android does not cache maps like IOS does. Another DJI greatness.

Yes it does, My K1 does.

 

[FlyingCircles]

Yes it does, My K1 does.

Okay I was able to successfully cache an area on my Shield K1. Here is what I did to test this theory.

1- Start up K1 at home with WiFi turned on.
2- Open up DJI Go and select camera tab from startup screen.
3- Switch to map view and then scroll to any area, zoom in a little
4- Exit DJI GO app.
5- Turn off WiFi and then turn off K1 tablet.
6- Startup K1 and leave WiFi off.
7- Open DJI GO app and go to map view.
8- Scroll to area that was defined in #3 above.

This worked for me and so now I might have to reconsider my dismay.

I am curious how much map data can be cached. I have a 64gb sdcard in my K1. Would be nice if I could capture a large region so I wouldn't have to cache an area in advance.

 

[crash1sttime]

There a folder called cache on the tablet, not sure if this is the one used for maps though.

It might be in the actual app folder