As promised in another thread, I am now opening this new discussion since a number of us are expecting their CrystalSky 7.85 to soon arrive or to be purchased. Please feel all welcome to join this discussion, whether you have received your CS already or are still waiting for delivery or are still wondering about purchase! I have got mine today (high brightness version) and shall try to be as objective as I can in my evaluations, which will be difficult, because this device is absolutely AWESOME! :-)

But now one step after the other. I knew that the CS comes without charger (but with a charging hub), so I ordered the compatible Phantom 4 series 160W charger together with it because I have had the information that the Spark charger would neither fit, nor be sufficiently powerful to charge the CS batteries. I also knew that the P4 charger would come without AC cable but was so naive to believe that at least the AC cable of the Spark charger would fit. And that was a little shock after unpacking. It did not fit. For only a second or so the worst case scenario flashed up in my mind: Having all the equipment but no chance to make it work and get it tested over the entire weekend. That would be like being stranded on an isolated island with a full packet of cigarettes but not having matches or a lighter. This was simply unacceptable and therefore I abolished the worst case scenario as a viable option. Nevertheless the socket on the P4 charger did not look like what we are used to in Europe, but on the other hand was not totally unfamiliar to me. And my first compatibility guess fortunately was correct. The AC cable of my Dell Laptop charger had the same format. What a relief! After having overcome that initial obstacle now back to the real thing:

1. The look and feel of the CS is excellent. Good material that looks well assembled, rock solid and is not heavy either.

2. After charging the batteries and switching on I got the first "brightness" experience. "I've seen the light" says it all!

3. Set up very easy. Connect to WiFi, enter your DJI account and log on to unlock the device, set country (DJI please put them in alphabetical order) and time zone.

4. Available firmware update to my surprise did not pop up automatically (this should be changed DJI). But with the "Search for updates" function in the settings menu I got it easily and update went smooth.

5. Connection between CS and the Spark RC works very well via OTG, also via the USB Type C slot at the bottom of the CS (if you have the corresponding OTG cable) which naturally is the closest to the RC.

6. One of the best surprises (or rather confirmation of what I somehow had anticipated): Although the DJI GO 4 on the CS tells you version number 4.1.6, it is not at all this totally outdated version that you might have known on your other Android devices. No, it is almost fully up to date! It has all the updates except "Dynamic Home Point" and "360° Pano". From what I could see, the App is at the level of the 4.1.9 version known from Playstore. And it also knows the Spark.

7. The processor and Android version of CS are really fast. No matter which action you choose, it happens immediately.

8. The batteries are really strong too. With all my installing, fiddling and flying two Spark batteries in between I brought it down to 48% capacity indicating still well more than three hours operating time. Thus no worries at all on that side and the CS comes with even two batteries. Time to invest in many more Spark batteries if you really want to exhaust the CS ones.

9. All menus are very straight forward and self explanatory, no unneccesary gimmicks.

10. The middle button on the right side of the CS pops up a shortcut menu with all basic functions plus a screenshot function. Unfortunately you cannot take a screenshot of the screenshot function because it naturally and logically focusses on what is on the main screen. But I'll post other screenshots here below.

11. Flying the Spark with the CS was truly a revelation, nothing else can compare! The best and brightest picture I could imagine and also excellent sound for the voice messages (even had to tune down the volume).

In summary I am absolutely delighted and happy about the purchase of the CS, no way back from it! Yes, it is not cheap but definitely worth the price. Some argue that it costs as much as the Spark itself, but what if you loose your Spark because you can't read important warning messages on your normal mobile devices in many natural lighting conditions?

And what a pleasure to properly see at any time what you are filming or taking pictures of! For me personally the CS is also an investment for the future. Seeing the passion that little Spark has triggered for me, there might be other DJI vessels arriving in the hangar one day... ;-)

Now come the pictures. Since with the forum software you never know in which order they will show up (or I haven't figured out yet how to do that properly) here just a summary of what you are going to see.

Two pictures are with the CS on my tablet holder. It only looks a bit odd because not centered but is very solid and works well. I shall however also order one of the other available mounts/holders.
Two more pictures show the main screen and the starting screen of DJI Go 4
.

woooow
It must cost you lots of time and energy to provide the marvelous content here.
Definitely a great tutorial here.
Do you mind that I collect all your thread together and make them into a digest and put it on our home page for more users as reference?
Regards.

Wachtberger...

Awesome dude!  This sounds like a paid endorsement...they aren't paying you...right?
Lol..just kidding.

1.  I was wondering what kind of tablet mount you had and if the big battery sticking out the back of the Crystal Sky would cause a problem and it looks like maybe that's why you are unable to center it.  Is that right?  And which adapter are you going to purchase... are you going to get the one from DJI?

2.  Also about the version of the DJI go 4 app...does that mean that this version does not have the quick shots?

I do wonder what DJI's commitment is to this premium platform and how far software updates will lag behind the general releases.  

3. The whole charging thing for the Crystal Sky batteries is a bit confusing.  According to the site it does look like the Phantom 3 charger will be able to charge the Crystal Sky batteries and I have found those on Amazon for a fairly reasonable price around 30 bucks or so.  It sounds like that could be a potential Gaucho and trying to put this rig together.

4. It sounds like you purchased directly from DJI is that right?

5. I can't tell from the pictures but have you been able to fly in some pretty bright sunlight all you already?

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

And here come my answers (and no, DJI is not paying me anything!):
1. Yes, the battery is the problem with my tablet holder, but that was clear to me beforehand. I had hoped that the clamp of the tablet holder would also fit horizontally, but it doesn't. Apart from the DJI mount, there are also a number of third party adapters/mounts on the market and I shall post here which one I'll order once I have evaluated the choices. But for the time being my "old" tablet holder works very well and solid as shown on the pictures.
2. As mentioned in my report, the App has everything (also all Quick shot modes etc.) except the brand new "Dynamic home point" and "360° Pano" options. Thus it is pretty up to date!
3. Yes, The Phanom 3 charger is also listed on the DJI website as being compatible.
4. Yes, directly from DJI and I always would do this if I have that option. Makes support and warranty issues (should they ever occur) much easier. And DJI store is always the fastest in delivery according to my (so far limited) experience.
5. No, for bright sunlight it was too late today after all the setting up and initial testing on the ground. But I could clearly see that also bright sunlight will not be a problem. Hopefully tomorrow I can test that.
Cheers,
Andreas in Wachtberg

Looks very nice, congratulations

According to the manual you can use micro USB port on the side of the CS to connect  to the controller ?
This would allow your mount to be centred, although the battery would still be a problem.

The CS can connect to the the RC wirelessly like a phone or tablet , does it have to use OTG for the best performace ?
Will DJI officially support OTG , now that you have to use it to connect the CS to the Spark RC ? or is using the CS with the spark not recommended  by DJI ?

Why does DJI make this compatibility statement, Wachtberger shows it can work with the Spark RC, is that because the DJI mount they have developed can't handle the heavier 7.85in size

lannes Posted at 2017-11-4 19:00
Looks very nice, congratulations

According to the manual you can use micro USB port on the side of the CS to connect  to the controller ?

You can use either the Micro USB port on the side or the USB C Type port at the bottom. The mounting devices available allow also the use of the one at the bottom and the CS being centered.
Of course you do not need OTG to connect the CS to the RC, it works very well via WiFi. But OTG also works for those who like it, that was my point.
Concerning the DJI compatibility statement I can't say anything on the reasons. With Spark it works.

A few more observations that I forgot to mention in my last night's report:
I very much like the size of the 7.85 CS. The tablet I had used before was significantly larger and somewhat cumbersome. 7.85'' still gives a nice and sufficienly big picture to see enough details of the video or photo target.
When I took off for the first flight, I noticed that the compass in the lower left corner was 90° wrong. I calibrated the compass of the CS (same method as for the Spark) and the compass was correct thereafter. I would recommend to check this when using CS for the first time. The CS itself had not indicated the need for a calibration, but in my case it was needed. Conflicting compass data from Spark and CS might not be helpful for a safe RTH.
And I had one little surprise too. The "Image Transmission Settings" menu (for Mavic) that is visible but blocked on other Android devices when connected via OTG to the Spark RC is not only visible on the CS, it is even active (again only with OTG connection). I could not test yet whether it actually works (what I somewhat doubt) but just wanted to share the observation:

Wachtberger, a sincere Thank You for sharing your experiences and research results about this CrystalSky accessoire, and also for the many other supports you have given in these fora! Your resumes are CrystalClear;)

JMR58 Posted at 2017-11-5 10:40
Wachtberger, a sincere Thank You for sharing your experiences and research results about this CrystalSky accessoire, and also for the many other supports you have given in these fora! Your resumes are CrystalClear;)

Sincere thanks JMR58 :-)

Woow that was an exhaustive review and report for the CS, thank you alot was very clarifying

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-5 09:00
A few more observations that I forgot to mention in my last night's report:
I very much like the size of the 7.85 CS. The tablet I had used before was significantly larger and somewhat cumbersome. 7.85'' still gives a nice and sufficienly big picture to see enough details of the video or photo target.
When I took off for the first flight, I noticed that the compass in the lower left corner was 90° wrong. I calibrated the compass of the CS (same method as for the Spark) and the compass was correct thereafter. I would recommend to check this when using CS for the first time. The CS itself had not indicated the need for a calibration, but in my case it was needed. Conflicting compass data from Spark and CS might not be helpful for a safe RTH.

I did not know the CS also had a compass, amazing...and amazing is also the fact that you can select the channels for Mavic if it works it will be mind blowing to make a test...
I was wondering if there was any charging/discharging thing with CS like when you use a tablet with OTG cable where the RC seems to be charging the tablet/mobile device..I guess not...but just wanted to ask to be sure.
I hope you enjoy it and get the chance to fly a lot and share your captures...;-)

Viking-Pilot Posted at 2017-11-5 14:47
Woow that was an exhaustive review and report for the CS, thank you alot was very clarifying

Thank you for your kind feedback. Reports will hopefully continue to come in here, also from other users.

Viking-Pilot Posted at 2017-11-5 14:56
I did not know the CS also had a compass, amazing...and amazing is also the fact that you can select the channels for Mavic if it works it will be mind blowing to make a test...
I was wondering if there was any charging/discharging thing with CS like when you use a tablet with OTG cable where the RC seems to be charging the tablet/mobile device..I guess not...but just wanted to ask to be sure.
I hope you enjoy it and get the chance to fly a lot and share your captures...;-)

No charging/discharging indicated with CS. With regard to the "Image Transmission Settings" that are a Mavic function, I am not very optimistic that they are really operational on Spark, although they appear to be from my screenshot.

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-5 15:04
Thank you for your kind feedback. Reports will hopefully continue to come in here, also from other users.

I hope so, Its very useful information we get firsthanded...

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-5 15:09
No charging/discharging indicated with CS. With regard to the "Image Transmission Settings" that are a Mavic function, I am not very optimistic that they are really operational on Spark, although they appear to be from my screenshot.

Well I guess we are waiting for some testing there...You must be at least as curious to find out as I am...or even more LOL
Thanks for sharing the info.

The analogy to being stranded on an island with cigarettes but no matches made  me laugh and, as an ex-smoker also almost cry! - congrats! Looking forward to your report in full sunlight - do you get it in your part of Germany (unlike Hallmark in northwest Ireland?

DJI Grace Posted at 2017-11-5 22:29
woooow
It must cost you lots of time and energy to provide the marvelous content here.
Definitely a great tutorial here.

Thank you Grace and you are welcome to do so!

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-5 23:00
Thank you Grace and you are welcome to do so!

Thank you
Share more with us!

paulhummerman Posted at 2017-11-5 17:21
The analogy to being stranded on an island with cigarettes but no matches made  me laugh and, as an ex-smoker also almost cry! - congrats! Looking forward to your report in full sunlight - do you get it in your part of Germany (unlike Hallmark in northwest Ireland?

Thank you all and testing/reporting will continue. Sun might come out for a bit this afternoon...

Great job Watchberger, great review you managed to preempt most questions particularly with a view to using otg which I know many will be concerned about. I as you know have the 5.5 version and will be taking delivery of 7.85 tomorrow so really looking forward to that.
I don’t use otg I haven’t found any advantage of using it , I have been able to fly distance of +500 metres using just WiFi and that’s on 5.8ghz, since using CS I have had no drop in transmission at all I believe this is a result of this unit not being clogged up with all the clutter we carry on our phones and tablets and although there are a couple of apps I would like dji to allow on CS, keeping it uncluttered will be important.
One of the nicest things about CS for me is being able to take sd card from the quad and playback all photos/videos I’ve just filmed. I like you would recommend it to anyone.
One thing you didn’t mention was the chance to use the new beta version of pilot app. If you already know about it just ignore what I’m saying.
Pilot app is being designed for those worried about their data being shared or downloaded uploaded to any third party, those who need to display when commercially working to their customers that anything the film photo will not be shared anywhere else, although this may not be important for most Spark users it is there for those who may need it.
If you haven’t discovered it yet, I will let you explore and see if you can figure it out, if you can’t let me know.
Once again great job very informative and the very best of luck with your new CS.

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-5 09:00
A few more observations that I forgot to mention in my last night's report:
I very much like the size of the 7.85 CS. The tablet I had used before was significantly larger and somewhat cumbersome. 7.85'' still gives a nice and sufficienly big picture to see enough details of the video or photo target.
When I took off for the first flight, I noticed that the compass in the lower left corner was 90° wrong. I calibrated the compass of the CS (same method as for the Spark) and the compass was correct thereafter. I would recommend to check this when using CS for the first time. The CS itself had not indicated the need for a calibration, but in my case it was needed. Conflicting compass data from Spark and CS might not be helpful for a safe RTH.

Oh?
"The "Image Transmission Settings" menu (for Mavic) that is visible but blocked on other Android devices when connected via OTG to the Spark RC is not only visible on the CS, it is even active (again only with OTG connection)."

That is active for quite some time on my OP5, already in 4.1.10 (otg)
Difference now, in 4.1.15 is the channel No. showing up "Channel 13"
Who makes the CS for DJI? OneOlus?





But I actually never used it.

Edit:
Apology!
I got several "Kong error, upload link ......"
And first after changing to another browser, it shows that it uploaded all posts

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-11-6 17:25
Great job Watchberger, great review you managed to preempt most questions particularly with a view to using otg which I know many will be concerned about. I as you know have the 5.5 version and will be taking delivery of 7.85 tomorrow so really looking forward to that.
I don’t use otg I haven’t found any advantage of using it , I have been able to fly distance of +500 metres using just WiFi and that’s on 5.8ghz, since using CS I have had no drop in transmission at all I believe this is a result of this unit not being clogged up with all the clutter we carry on our phones and tablets and although there are a couple of apps I would like dji to allow on CS, keeping it uncluttered will be important.
One of the nicest things about CS for me is being able to take sd card from the quad and playback all photos/videos I’ve just filmed. I like you would recommend it to anyone.

Thank you very much hallmark007 and I hope your new CS has arrived well today. I am looking forward to your reports as well. And yes I know that the DJI Pilot App is on the CS but still have to figure out how to start it. I am particularly curious to see which of its many options in the settings are also available for the Spark. Tonight I might have some time to play with it.

Thanks guys for the real world experiences.  

I really want a CS, but got the goggles first that I now don't use!!  

sparky gUy 5 Posted at 2017-11-7 07:34
Thanks guys for the real world experiences.  

I really want a CS, but got the goggles first that I now don't use!!

Thank you and I would suggest then you simply sell your Goggles :-)

I got my crystal sky ultra, it's a great monitor that can handle any sun condition. Great battery life from new about 3hrs so far max brightness, without having to recharge

A few  issues,

1) super expensive for a restricted android tablet, the ultra is 3 times as expensive as the Ipad Mini at the moment
2) old anrdroid operating system looks identical to the Epson Moverio BT-300 glasses, not sure if it was borrowed from that, not as good as the IOS or latest android operating system
3) With the battery it's 700g which is double the weight of the Ipad Mini 4, the rig is starting to get heavy if your also planning on using an amplified antennas (Titan Cyclone etc.)
4)  The camera settings visible  in the DJI Go4 app blacks out a entire  horizontal section of the screen making it smaller, while in the Ipad it's only a small section in the top right hand of the screen is overlayed
5) the manual, as with any DJI manual is manifestly inadequate, it does not explain any of the features and how to set them, it doesn't go through all the operating system settings etc.

This group is a really bad influence....

It's Tuesday here in the US and my 7-inch Crystal Sky monitor in DJI bracket will be here on Friday.

Hehehe...

Cheers ....

Todd in Chicago

Todd in Chicago Posted at 2017-11-7 14:33
This group is a really bad influence....

It's Tuesday here in the US and my 7-inch Crystal Sky monitor in DJI bracket will be here on Friday.

Oh yes Todd, we are the really bad and determined guys . Heartfelt congratulations then, I promise you won't regret!

Todd in Chicago Posted at 2017-11-7 14:33
This group is a really bad influence....

It's Tuesday here in the US and my 7-inch Crystal Sky monitor in DJI bracket will be here on Friday.

Hahaha...If only I could affort it...oooh jeeez, lucky you, congratulations and enjoy it.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-11-6 17:25
Great job Watchberger, great review you managed to preempt most questions particularly with a view to using otg which I know many will be concerned about. I as you know have the 5.5 version and will be taking delivery of 7.85 tomorrow so really looking forward to that.
I don’t use otg I haven’t found any advantage of using it , I have been able to fly distance of +500 metres using just WiFi and that’s on 5.8ghz, since using CS I have had no drop in transmission at all I believe this is a result of this unit not being clogged up with all the clutter we carry on our phones and tablets and although there are a couple of apps I would like dji to allow on CS, keeping it uncluttered will be important.
One of the nicest things about CS for me is being able to take sd card from the quad and playback all photos/videos I’ve just filmed. I like you would recommend it to anyone.

Hallmark....

I hope your 7 inch version came today and is what you expected!  I know that you mentioned you already have the 5.5 inch version and have used it with your Spark.  You mentioned that you have the expen$ive DJI mounting bracket and that it is rock solid.  My question is, it appears that the cable has the normal size USB connector on it which would go into the Mavic RC, did you need to use an adapter to use it with the Spark RC?  Or are you just using wifi with it?

Thx...

Todd in Chicago

Todd in Chicago Posted at 2017-11-7 21:49
Hallmark....

I hope your 7 inch version came today and is what you expected!  I know that you mentioned you already have the 5.5 inch version and have used it with your Spark.  You mentioned that you have the expen$ive DJI mounting bracket and that it is rock solid.  My question is, it appears that the cable has the normal size USB connector on it which would go into the Mavic RC, did you need to use an adapter to use it with the Spark RC?  Or are you just using wifi with it?

I’m just using WiFi , you will need an otg I have tried it, it works fine but seen no real benefit.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-11-8 02:15
I’m just using WiFi , you will need an otg I have tried it, it works fine but seen no real benefit.

How does the 7.85in CS go with the official DJI mount connected to the base of the mavic controller, is it a bit unwieldy to use, hanging off the bottom if the controller ?

I would have thought that bottom mount works better with the smaller 5.5in CS

lannes Posted at 2017-11-8 03:42
How does the 7.85in CS go with the official DJI mount connected to the base of the mavic controller, is it a bit unwieldy to use, hanging off the bottom if the controller ?

I would have thought that bottom mount works better with the smaller 5.5in CS

It’s very similar to using your phone , but much stronger yes it’s heavier but feels really good very solid and very easy to use.

lannes Posted at 2017-11-8 03:42
How does the 7.85in CS go with the official DJI mount connected to the base of the mavic controller, is it a bit unwieldy to use, hanging off the bottom if the controller ?

I would have thought that bottom mount works better with the smaller 5.5in CS

Sorry misread your question I don’t use 7.85 for Mavic/Spark will just use 5.5 , 7.85 I will be using with P4Pro, although I’m sure it quite possible to use 7.85 with spark bracket for me it doesn’t really suit with all that weight to the bottom.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-11-8 03:51
Sorry misread your question I don’t use 7.85 for Mavic/Spark will just use 5.5 , 7.85 I will be using with P4Pro, although I’m sure it quite possible to use 7.85 with spark bracket for me it doesn’t really suit with all that weight to the bottom.

Thanks for that, I too am using the CS primarily for the P4P , I just didn't want to unscrew the bracket off the bottom of CS every time I wanted to use the CS dedicated mav mount on the mavic and spark controllers.

I just wanted to keep the DJI official bracket on the CS and just  click into the official DJI mount on the bottom of the mavic or spark RC, but like you said it's massive and a bit awkward

lannes Posted at 2017-11-8 04:05
Thanks for that, I too am using the CS primarily for the P4P , I just didn't want to unscrew the bracket off the bottom of CS every time I wanted to use the CS dedicated mav mount on the mavic and spark controllers.

I just wanted to keep the DJI official bracket on the CS and just  click into the official DJI mount on the bottom of the mavic or spark RC, but like you said it's massive and a bit awkward

I had ordered the DJI bracket but will send it back for the same reason. I have found a holder now that is identical to my tablet holder but with a mount for the CS instead of the tablet clamp. I shall post pictures here as soon as I have received it.

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-8 04:14
I had ordered the DJI bracket but will send it back for the same reason. I have found a holder now that is identical to my tablet holder but with a mount for the CS instead of the tablet clamp. I shall post pictures here as soon as I have received it.

I managed to get the DJI P4P CS mount to attach to my mav mount plate, so it operates like a normal tablet now with the spark and mavic controllers, which is similiar to your set up.

lannes Posted at 2017-11-8 05:51
I managed to get the DJI P4P CS mount to attach to my mav mount plate, so it operates like a normal tablet now with the spark and mavic controllers, which is similiar to your set up.

This is an excellent solution that I had also seen in a test video on Youtube. I might go for it as well if with the holder that I am waiting for the SC should stand up too high, I'll see.

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-8 05:56
This is an excellent solution that I had also seen in a test video on Youtube. I might go for it as well if with the holder that I am waiting for the SC should stand up too high, I'll see.

The only problem is that it is held together by one screw, I think it needs more bracing otherwise it will twist.
Might need to bond it with epoxy to the mav mount plate

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-11-8 03:51
Sorry misread your question I don’t use 7.85 for Mavic/Spark will just use 5.5 , 7.85 I will be using with P4Pro, although I’m sure it quite possible to use 7.85 with spark bracket for me it doesn’t really suit with all that weight to the bottom.

Hallmark...

Did you receive your 7" one yet?

And....???

:-)

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

Todd in Chicago Posted at 2017-11-8 11:28
Hallmark...

Did you receive your 7" one yet?

Hey Todd yes got it yesterday evening.

It’s a lovely piece of kit , it’s basically same as the 5.5 but for the extra $100 it is tremendous value , screen almost twice the size higher resolution two batteries .
I haven’t had a chance to use outside weather pretty bad here and much shorter days hopefully the weekend.
But having used the 5.5 for a few weeks now best advantages of using CS.

Pros:
Don’t need to use phone any longer
Better image transmission, no interference from all the clutter on our phones
Don’t need to go under a bush to see what’s on my screen
When finished flying can just pop in my sd card and see and show others what I’ve filmed

Cons:
It’s a lot heavier than an iPad
It doesn’t allow third party apps at the moment, but I think we will see this in the future.

Value for money when I see what I spend on phones almost every year its money well spent, and now I’m praying for a really bright day to see what this big boy can do.