Drone Shopping - What Kind of Tablet do I need?

I think you can get the 4 pro with its own screen. I'm not sure how good an option that is though. I have an 8" tablet and I wouldn't want to go much smaller. Before I got the tablet I used a Galaxy Note 3 phone. The screen was usable but I thought it was too small.

You can get by just fine with a WiFi only tablet but you'll need to set your flight plan and/or cashe the aerial imagery within whatever flight plan app you're using.

I'm not sure about the gps chip but most tablets have them.

You might want to research ios vs android as it relates to both your drone and flight planning apps. Some apps work better with one or the other. I've been happy with android.

My tablet has 16gb of storage and that's been fine. There are setting on the flight planning apps that allow you to pic the location to store images.

My experience is with a Phantom 3 Pro and both the dji go app and the Pix4d capture app.

Gregg

I would look at the flight software that you plan on using. For instance Datumate's flight software will only work on an iPad. And you will either need a wifi device or cellular ipad.

I like the datumate flight software because it allows you to change batteries mid mission and it will resume automatically where it left off.

I use the dji software for small projects though.

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GMPLS, post: 415867, member: 8404 wrote: My experience is with a Phantom 3 Pro and both the dji go app and the Pix4d capture app.

Can you use dji's tapfly with a 3 pro? Also can you pre-program the flight route?
There are some super deals out there on the the 3 pro.

Thanks man! 😎

GMPLS, post: 415867, member: 8404 wrote: I think you can get the 4 pro with its own screen. I'm not sure how good an option that is though. I have an 8" tablet and I wouldn't want to go much smaller. Before I got the tablet I used a Galaxy Note 3 phone. The screen was usable but I thought it was too small.

You can get by just fine with a WiFi only tablet but you'll need to set your flight plan and/or cashe the aerial imagery within whatever flight plan app you're using.

I'm not sure about the gps chip but most tablets have them.

You might want to research ios vs android as it relates to both your drone and flight planning apps. Some apps work better with one or the other. I've been happy with android.

My tablet has 16gb of storage and that's been fine. There are setting on the flight planning apps that allow you to pic the location to store images.

My experience is with a Phantom 3 Pro and both the dji go app and the Pix4d capture app.

Gregg

The P4 Pro Plus with built screen is running Android OS, and does NOT allow third APPS. It will only run DJI Go 4 app. So there is no way to run a grid mission for ortho mapping.

I suggest the Ipad Mini or Ipad Pro 9.7" with a Life Proof case, along with HoodMan Sun Shield

I got an iPad Air 2 with wifi for my 4 pro. Anything bigger won't fit in the holder. I tried my phone to start with but you can't see much on that small of a screen. It has gps on it, need that for the return home feature.

I use the Ipad Pro 9.7" with a 3d printed extension $10.

With the IPad Air 2 and a protective case, you'll still need the extension to hold it securely in place.

leegreen, post: 415889, member: 2332 wrote: I use the Ipad Pro 9.7" with a 3d printed extension $10.

With the IPad Air 2 and a protective case, you'll still need the extension to hold it securely in place.

I was kind of thinking the iPad mini. Seems like to me an iPhone would be too small and the regular sized ipad a bit too big. Isn't that iPad Pro kind of ungainly mounted on that controller? Also, can you speak to the storage requirements? 16 gigs enough?

If you don't have 4G modem, then you need enough disk space to cache the background maps.

You should turn off WiFi when flying drone. The drone use is similar frequency.

We decided on an iPad mini 4, 32gb, wifi only. We utilize mobile hotspots for GNSS network corrections and office to field laptop transfers. So, we're able to utilize the hotspot for DatuFly when running the iPad mini and drone.

As previously mentioned, Datumate's flight software will only run on an iOS platform and requires a screen larger than a standard iphone (I don't think it will even install on an iphone). I'm an Android guy, so it was tough for me to purchase apple-anything, but completely worth it.

There ARE adapters to mount on the Phantom 4 Pro's controller to hold a device larger than an iPad Mini, search Amazon for examples.

Good luck!
~Raybies

I use both iOS and Android. Pix4D capture is always about two releases newer on Android and generally works better. GO4 runs well on either platform. DJI ground station only runs on iPad. My equipment consists of old phones and tablets with no other intended use, no cellular on either. If I forget to pre-plan my mission, I just turn on my personal hotspot on the iphone for a couple minutes.

I do have some serious issues though running an older Iphone 5s and my existing 6s with the 30% battery issue. Mine is more like 90% on both devices. For some reason iOS 10+ just drains the crap out of the battery when using GO or Capture. Phone shuts off mid flight sometimes and that sucks. With the Phantom 2 the phone connects via wifi so I can charge it on a 9' cable in the truck while flying. With Phantom 3 and newer the phone connects via cable, so may need to look at a battery booster case.

Capture wants to "Sync" your mission at the end of the flight thereby transferring all images and the .P4D file containing GPS trajectory information for better positions at each photo station. IMHO that is a complete waste of time. I've disabled Sync in favor of emailing myself the P4D file and dumping the photos into a subfolder called "data" directly from the drone SD card. Usually everything works fine and the trajectory log works when I open the P4D file in Pix4D.

Good luck, use what you currently have for a smartphone to fly a mission. Then borrow a buddy's device of the other brand and fly a similar mission. Then buy the brand of tablet you like best.

[QUOTE="Capture wants to "Sync" your mission at the end of the flight thereby transferring all images and the .P4D file containing GPS trajectory information for better positions at each photo station. IMHO that is a complete waste of time. I've disabled Sync in favor of emailing myself the P4D file and dumping the photos into a subfolder called data directly from the drone SD card. Usually everything works fine and the trajectory log works when I open the P4D file in Pix4D.

Yes, and that takes up almost as much battery as the flight does.

Gregg

A few fixes in newer versions. Two things to know.

1). In Pix4d capture you can disable upload files to cloud.

2). With the P4P the RC is cabled to your IPad or Android tablet. Through this cable, the RC charges your tablet. You can get 5 flights per charge on the RC. No more worrues about dead tablets

I am about to join the drone market. My biggest issue is I know almost nothing about it. I know we need fixed wing for larger areas. Local salesman pushing EBee. Out of state salesman pushing Sentera Phoenix 2. For our normal surveying setup we have a Leica conventional total station, Carlson CR2 robots & Sokkia GPS. So that's pretty much my background.

I don't know much about the third party software such as datumate, etc.

So any advice on where to start would be good. There are such little reviews on surveying equipment and most people are one brand or the other and don't get exposure to anything else so it's hard to get good comparison info. Thanks!

Do you or your staff have a background in 3d surface models?

The drone part is quite simple and can be done with producer grade or commercial grades drones.

There could be steep learning curve if you're not familiar with terms like LAS, DSM, dem, point clouds, GSD, GCP, etc.

I have been successful without using commercial grade drone, but I have invested in computer hardware, software and training.