5 days after shoping at DJI store the monitor (and mounting bracket, naturally) arrived. I had to retire venerable iPad Air2 monitor, which served me faithfully for over 2 years. As expected, small herd of gremlins and trolls was unleashed the moment I start setting CS up with my birds (Phantom 3 Pro and Inspire 1 Pro):

1. Firmwares had to be updated as none was compatible with CS recent 3.1.18 Android Go app version. This part went relatively smooth, although Phantom's RC decided to shut up and had to be re-linked.

2. For some reason I couldn't log into my DJI account. Login from within PC worked just fine, but from iPad Air 2 with updated Go app didn't, stubbornly refusing to accept my password and demanding new account creation. This wasn't possible for obvious reason, since my e-mail was used already. After few hours of wall-hitting I decided to trash Go app on iPad and install again. Boom, here we go! From that point CS monitor was registered and activated with no problem whatsoever! Strange ...
Crystal Sky Ultra Bright monitor is communicating with both birds, iPad Air2 remains as a backup, all necessary calibrations done, Go app custom settings confirmed ... off we go!

Although my enthusiasm may be a bit premature after a mere one test flight with my guinea pig/bird (P3P), all I can say for now is ...WOW! At my coordinates (Edmonton, AB) and this time of year the sun travels really low, still SC Ultra delivers exactly what it was designed for: clearly visible video monitoring when exposed to direct sun light. Here are my first impressions:

1. Crisp and bright display, smoothly adjusting to ambient light ranging from my rather dark studio room to a ski slope at sunny noon. Experiment with flash light directly on screen resulted in almost blinding response. The performance in scorching sun of Nevada Desert must be confirmed, but this thing is BRIGHT!

2. Didn't test all features and performance of my birds under newest Go app version yet, but this has nothing to do with Crystal Sky, I assume. Or does it? Like long distance video transmission, for example? Will see soon ...


3. Yes, CS Ultra Bright is smaller than iPad Air2 I was accustomed to, and heavier, indeed. Neck strap will be necessary, at least.

4. Mounting bracket nicely designed and made. Very sturdy, much better than standard clamping device.


5. On start up, the Aircraft Status reports Gimbal status: Disconnected. Not true: gimbal is connected and alive. Minor bug, I believe.

Since HDMI Input is not featured on CS, I'm not disappointed. It remains on my wish list of future upgrades, however.  

Thank you, DJI! I'm a happy camper.

sweet and delicious!!

Hi, Matthew, thank you so much for the review.
Glad to know you are pleased with CrystalSky, please let us know if there is any problem.

Matthew

Thank you for sharing your experience so far with the new Ultra Bright CS. Sounds very nice and maybe you can post some photos showing the screen.  Also, let us know how the DJI Go App works for the CS...

Does this new device mean you are getting the Inspire 2 for Christmas?  

Rich

Likewise, I've been using my new Cendence + Crystal Sky Ultra bright in full sun with the clearest and best screen image I've ever expereinced. Kudos DJI...I'm loving this.

RichJ53 Posted at 2017-12-4 08:38
Matthew

Thank you for sharing your experience so far with the new Ultra Bright CS. Sounds very nice and maybe you can post some photos showing the screen.  Also, let us know how the DJI Go App works for the CS...

Hi Rich, long time ... Yes, I was waiting patiently for Ultra. My iPad Air2 actually works just fine, but for landscape videography is almost useless in full summer sunlight. More complex testing with both birds still need to be done, but so far everything looks just dandy. However, flying in -10C is not fun, you know.

I wrote a letter to Santa, asking for M200 ... Will see ...

Dear Santa, I wish to have a Cedence but you have already given me note 8. I hope that you will still grant me one more wish though. Looking forward to seeing my present on boxing day.

Matthew Dobrski Posted at 2017-12-4 21:51
Hi Rich, long time ... Yes, I was waiting patiently for Ultra. My iPad Air2 actually works just fine, but for landscape videography is almost useless in full summer sunlight. More complex testing with both birds still need to be done, but so far everything looks just dandy. However, flying in -10C is not fun, you know.

I wrote a letter to Santa, asking for M200 ... Will see  ...

Matthew,

Hope Santa comes through for you this year...  wow that's really going to be something!

Surprised you are not getting the Inspire 2, but the M200 would be awesome  

Rich

DTK Posted at 2017-12-5 01:44
Dear Santa, I wish to have a Cedence but you have already given me note 8. I hope that you will still grant me one more wish though. Looking forward to seeing my present on boxing day.

Sounds like Santa is going to be busy this year!!  

Rich

RichJ53 Posted at 2017-12-5 20:26
Matthew,

Hope Santa comes through for you this year...  wow that's really going to be something!

Rich, I'm absolutely sure there's nothing wrong with I2.  See, I'm more a hobbyist (geek) than a filmmaker.  I was always fascinated by precise machines and robotics, remotely controlled in particular. Since I own Inspire 1 already, finally I want to experience something different. M200 in very basic incarnation with X5S camera suits me well. We'll see.

Matthew.   

I get the disconnected  status also even though the gimbal/ camera are active and responding fine on my Air2, I think it's an issue with DJI GO newest incarnation not terribly bothersome except if your camera settings are too dark for the ambient light and you keep thinking it truly is disconnected even after it displays "connected" and you start saying nasty things about DJI and updates blah blah, then you realize you are at F16 100 iso at 6 pm dusk lighting conditions (actually no lighting) "oh that explains the back screen" then the nasty things said are turned towards yourself blah blah blah,  apologies DJI I take back everything I said.

mixchief Posted at 2017-12-8 07:12
I get the disconnected  status also even though the gimbal/ camera are active and responding fine on my Air2, I think it's an issue with DJI GO newest incarnation not terribly bothersome except if your camera settings are too dark for the ambient light and you keep thinking it truly is disconnected even after it displays "connected" and you start saying nasty things about DJI and updates blah blah, then you realize you are at F16 100 iso at 6 pm dusk lighting conditions (actually no lighting) "oh that explains the back screen" then the nasty things said are turned towards yourself blah blah blah,  apologies DJI I take back everything I said.

Minor bug in comparison to many other things which may go wrong. As for now - after several test flights of both P3P and Inspire 1 Pro with Crystal Sky Ultra Bright and DJI Go app 3.1.18 - everything seems to be within expectations.

Yesterday did long range test and made 2 km away flight before Inspire 1 Pro lost connection and demanded return home. Typical for my birds under Go app control, although far below specifications. No surprise there ...  

Matthew Dobrski Posted at 2017-12-8 11:03
Minor bug in comparison to many other things which may go wrong. As for now - after several test flights of both P3P and Inspire 1 Pro with Crystal Sky Ultra Bright and DJI Go app 3.1.18 - everything seems to be within expectations.

Yesterday did long range test and made 2 km away flight before Inspire 1 Pro lost connection and demanded return home. Typical for my birds under Go app control, although far below specifications. No surprise there ...

After my latest and greatest firmware update and the advent of cooler temperatures I have been getting very good range, as good as I want it about 3500 feet with flawless video transmission  where before in the same location at 2000 I was breaking up and lost connection all together, yes I am in the middle of a highly populated area and though flying over the bay there is a lot of interference, I am absolutely more confortable with the range and the overall response of the AC with the newest DJI Go and newest firmware. I'm sure the cooler temperatures translate to cooler iPad and have contributed to the better more reliable video signal.

mixchief Posted at 2017-12-9 13:26
After my latest and greatest firmware update and the advent of cooler temperatures I have been getting very good range, as good as I want it about 3500 feet with flawless video transmission  where before in the same location at 2000 I was breaking up and lost connection all together, yes I am in the middle of a highly populated area and though flying over the bay there is a lot of interference, I am absolutely more confortable with the range and the overall response of the AC with the newest DJI Go and newest firmware. I'm sure the cooler temperatures translate to cooler iPad and have contributed to the better more reliable video signal.

I believe there's more variables than just radio traffic in particular places, involved in maximum range of transmission. Assuming VLOS maintained, I will consider humidity as another major factor. But - in reality - who really knows? How about wildfire smoke particles, which plagued most of British Columbia this summer? One day you may reach 3 km away, next day 1 km in the same spot. Go figure. Whatever, I'm happy with average 5000 ft range recent updates providing.

Matthew Dobrski Posted at 2017-12-9 19:20
I believe there's more variables than just radio traffic in particular places, involved in maximum range of transmission. Assuming VLOS maintained, I will consider humidity as another major factor. But - in reality - who really knows? How about wildfire smoke particles, which plagued most of British Columbia this summer? One day you may reach 3 km away, next day 1 km in the same spot. Go figure. Whatever, I'm happy with average 5000 ft range recent updates providing.

A mile is more than enough if you ask me, maintaining LOS with a white bird at one mile distance is impossible for me if I want to film or photograph. The moment I take my eye off the bird it's gone and I won't really see it again until i's virtually on top of me again, and there humidity is a big factor, I'm in South Florida where it's common to have a hazy sky, where the only you can see a white bird is in the summer when the sun is directly above, around noon, afternoon r morning when the sun is at an angle the bird blends into the haze, making DLOS pretty difficult.

mixchief Posted at 2017-12-9 22:31
A mile is more than enough if you ask me, maintaining LOS with a white bird at one mile distance is impossible for me if I want to film or photograph. The moment I take my eye off the bird it's gone and I won't really see it again until i's virtually on top of me again, and there humidity is a big factor, I'm in South Florida where it's common to have a hazy sky, where the only you can see a white bird is in the summer when the sun is directly above, around noon, afternoon r morning when the sun is at an angle the bird blends into the haze, making DLOS pretty difficult.

By definition Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) means exactly that: keeping the unmanned aircraft in visual-line-of-sight at all times. This means not flying an unmanned aircraft into clouds or fog, not behind trees, buildings or other (even partial) obstructions. VLOS also means un-aided vision except for prescription glasses or sunglasses, and not having to use binoculars, telescopes or zoom lenses to see the unmanned aircraft. In our case (for DJI aircrafts size, ranging from Spark to Matrice class) VLOS can be maintained probably somewhere within 200-400 m range (600-1200 ft.)

However, when considering long range flights performance, we must employ BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) rules. Np one will be able to see a drone 2000 ft away, but with proper approach we can manage straight line between RC and aircraft unobstructed by any matter. In theory the environment for best radio transmission efficiency will be in space. In our reality the range is determined mainly by transmission power (given), the level of Radio Frequency Interferencies  and the content of atmosphere (varying wildly). As an example of warying radio transmission efficiency, rural cellular phone reception is greatly improved during winter, when folliage is absent.

In any case the specified flight range of stock DJI drones is over-rated, one must say. Said that, 220 km/hr range of my Chevy Silverado speedometer seems to be on equally ridiculous side of marketing BS ...