I have a Phantom 4 advance, can I use a second remote controller to control the camera ?

Why do you need an extra one for that purpose?

Drive safely and better shoots ... I read that some cinematographers use them

ALABAMA Posted at 2018-2-5 07:54
Why do you need an extra one for that purpose?

Drive safely and better shoots, for example in extreme sports.. I read that some cinematographers use them

Hey Amarillo, Phantom 4 Advanced does not support to connect two RCs at the same time.

Amarillo Posted at 2018-2-5 08:35
Drive safely and better shoots, for example in extreme sports.. I read that some cinematographers use them

Aloha Amarillo,

     The industrial and enterprise grade DJI products support dual remote controllers.  At the Phantom and smaller size DJI products, we have intelligent flight modes.  When you learn how to use CourseLock and HomeLock and the many other Intelligent Flight Modes, you will begin to see how these intelligent flight modes can fly your Phantom while you operate the camera.  

     Waypoints even has three different flight settings that give you different levels of control over the camera.  Point of Interest allows you to circle a central point, but the camera can look in all directions and the Phantom can fly up and down while the bird circles the focus object.  These flight modes are infinitely variable and you can make them do almost everything you can think of, all while you operate the camera.

     DJI Grace put together a very good Manual for the DJI GO 4 app.  In there all the intelligent flight modes are outlined and explained.  Review them and try them out with your Phantom.  Grace's manual can be found in the right side column of the Phantom Home Page here on the Forum.  It is a great resource.

     Once you get to use these Intelligent Flight Modes regularly and understand how they help free you up to operate your camera, you will realize you do not need a second remote controller.  We really do have an amazing flying camera.  We just have to learn how to use them as good as they have been designed.

      Hope this helps!

Aloha and Drone On!

DJI Susan Posted at 2018-2-5 23:20
Hey Amarillo, Phantom 4 Advanced does not support to connect two RCs at the same time.

Please tell the developers that your customers would like this feature added to the Phantom Series.

Jeff

Amarillo Posted at 2018-2-5 08:35
Drive safely and better shoots, for example in extreme sports.. I read that some cinematographers use them

Aloha Amarillo,

     For example, if you tried to film a downhill mountain bike race.  Set up Waypoints that record 100-200 feet above the downhill course.  Waypoints allow 99 waypoint locations.  Then follow the bikes down the waypoints at the speed you have set for each competitor.  With the right setting, you can speed up and slow down the Phantom as you concentrate on catching the video you want.  Any type of track or course is easy to set with Waypoints.  Then you can control the camera and speed up or slow down the Phantom as needed for those great shots.  But the course is set.

     Water sports can be managed the same way.  Try surfing, each break follows basically the same path.  Set your path and control the altitude if you like.  The rest is get the shot of that surfer.  Wind based water sports are a little harder to get up close and personal because your basic altitude has to be higher than the reach of the kite or jumping boarder.  You can always drop your altitude for a close-up and then the Phantom will return to the correct altitude, depending on your settings and chosen options.

     But, you have to practice with these Intelligent Flight Modes so you know what they can and cannot do.  It is the same thing with a second remote controller, except the Intelligent Flight Modes are way more consistent than a human.  Point of Interest, for example makes perfect - and I mean perfect - circles.

     Look at Graces DJI GO 4 Manual and practice.  The nice thing with DJI products is the practice can be as much fun as the actual videography.

Aloha and Drone On!

Cetacean Posted at 2018-2-6 02:37
Aloha Amarillo,

     For example, if you tried to film a downhill mountain bike race.  Set up Waypoints that record 100-200 feet above the downhill course.  Waypoints allow 99 waypoint locations.  Then follow the bikes down the waypoints at the speed you have set for each competitor.  With the right setting, you can speed up and slow down the Phantom as you concentrate on catching the video you want.  Any type of track or course is easy to set with Waypoints.  Then you can control the camera and speed up or slow down the Phantom as needed for those great shots.  But the course is set.

Thank for your advices, I will go through the Grace's Manual. I have tried with intelligent fly modes but I am still not very skilled with them and afraid of flying near people. I must practice much more and quickly. For this weekend would be good to have a second controller. Thank again and good flights over there

I think the Mavic Pro can do it but strange enough not the Phantoms.
It would be normal for equipment like this to have this functionality, so that a pilot would have the focus on the flying while a photographer does the imaging, but for some reason not implemented in the Phantoms.

KedDK Posted at 2018-2-6 03:30
I think the Mavic Pro can do it but strange enough not the Phantoms.
It would be normal for equipment like this to have this functionality, so that a pilot would have the focus on the flying while a photographer does the imaging, but for some reason not implemented in the Phantoms.

I think I read the Mavic can, and the Inspire series used to have a package that came with two controllers. I wonder why it's not available for the Phantom. I was interested because I wanted to be able to allow family members to fly my P4 (but only if I could take over at any moment)

Jeff

I think it could be a bit of a nightmare using dual control in that way, where the camera used for capturing the video is also the one used for navigating the aircraft. Unless of course it's the new Inspire 2 with dual cameras for that purpose :-)

The Mavic Pro does support two controllers and two sets goggles simultaneously. But is more aimed towards operator training than the cinematic side I think.

KedDK Posted at 2018-2-6 03:30
I think the Mavic Pro can do it but strange enough not the Phantoms.
It would be normal for equipment like this to have this functionality, so that a pilot would have the focus on the flying while a photographer does the imaging, but for some reason not implemented in the Phantoms.

Aloha Ked,

     The Mavic does have dual remote controller capability because the Mavic System and DJI Goggles use OcuSync.  Only the Mavic Pro and DJI Goggles use OcuSync (I have not been able to find any indication that the Mavic Air or the Spark use OcuSync).  You can use dual mode with industrial and enterprise models like the Matrice series.  Any system that can use the Cendence Remote Controller can also use dual controllers.  

     DJI designed the Phantom Systems to use Intelligent Flight Mode for basic control of the aircraft while the operator manages the camera and the artistic end.  That is why Intelligent Flight Modes have such variability.  The Intelligent Flight Modes are also much more consistent than having a human pilot working with a human camera operator.  The human / human combination also requires extensive training and practice to produce anything of decent quality.  

     No matter how you try to frame it, producing good art with a flying camera is not easy nor can it be done quickly by mere mortals.  But we all know we have extremely talented people on this Forum who seem to have done the impossible and produced amazing work in what seems like a very short time.  So, we know it is possible but from a marketing perspective, DJI is probably wise having the Phantom Series use the Intelligent Flight Modes rather than dual controllers.  After all, DJI does realize that 75 or more percent of those who purchased Phantoms have very limited flying or camera experience.  

Aloha and Drone On!

BigBlueTsunami Posted at 2018-2-6 04:11
I think I read the Mavic can, and the Inspire series used to have a package that came with two controllers. I wonder why it's not available for the Phantom. I was interested because I wanted to be able to allow family members to fly my P4 (but only if I could take over at any moment)

Jeff

Aloha Jeff,

     Note what I wrote to KedDK's Post #10 (Post #13).  What you are suggesting about family and friend's flying with you can be done with many different varieties of goggles and auxiliary monitors.  I have three different goggles and a 15.6 inch HDMI display that shows what is in Live View for any person wanting to fly with me.  When they are ready to fly, I can change positions with them at my picnic table and watch the display but I can indeed take over the controls nearly instantaneously.  

     With dual controllers, there is a protocol you have to follow to permit the Slave to control the camera and to take back control of the camera.  The Slave is never allowed to control the aircraft in dual controller mode.

     BTW, HDMI goggles (the only type you can use with a Phantom) usually have 480-720 resolution, but there are a few that have 1080p.  One of my goggles (Eachine Goggles 2) and my external monitor (with its own battery) both display 1080p.  My P4 Pro remote controller passes on 1080p through my 1080p HDMI port on my nVidia Shield K1 and CrystalSky displays.  There is no Head Tracking (no OcuSync) but the display is still amazing.

Aloha and Drone On!

Cetacean Posted at 2018-2-6 14:21
Aloha Jeff,

     Note what I wrote to KedDK's Post #10 (Post #13).  What you are suggesting about family and friend's flying with you can be done with many different varieties of goggles and auxiliary monitors.  I have three different goggles and a 15.6 inch HDMI display that shows what is in Live View for any person wanting to fly with me.  When they are ready to fly, I can change positions with them at my picnic table and watch the display but I can indeed take over the controls nearly instantaneously.  

This is taken from page 39 of the Mavic Pro manual. When in dual controller mode, the slave can fly the aircraft as long as there is no stick input from the master. DJI has a video on YouTube of this mode being demonstrated on an Inspire also. So two different DJI platforms have a master/slave training mode. The use of the second controller for gimbal control is a separate mode. There is simply no reason this should not be made available to the Phantom series too.

Here’s the DJI tutorial demonstrating the Mavic in two controller trading mode.

BigBlueTsunami Posted at 2018-2-6 15:13
This is taken from page 39 of the Mavic Pro manual. When in dual controller mode, the slave can fly the aircraft as long as there is no stick input from the master. DJI has a video on YouTube of this mode being demonstrated on an Inspire also. So two different DJI platforms have a master/slave training mode. The use of the second controller for gimbal control is a separate mode. There is simply no reason this should not be made available to the Phantom series too.

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Aloha Jeff,

     Yes, that is correct and I did read that at the time I was researching the Mavic for my comment, so regarding the Mavic, my comment is wrong.  When I commented I was speaking to the industrial and enterprise versions of dual controllers, but the post was regarding the Mavic also, so yes, you are right and what I said was wrong.  I am glad you caught that.  It is not my intent to mislead you.

     Mahalo for pointing out Coach Mode with the Inspire and other Professional, Industrial and Enterprise drones.  This is good information.  With Coach Mode, I was really wrong in my comments on Slave Mode.  Never is not never!  We are working on a Matrice 100 so the information you are pointing out about Coach Mode will be useful.  We have not gotten that far yet.

     The reason the Mavic can use dual controls, and at least two sets of DJI Goggles, is because of OcuSync  this is the transmission system used in the Mavic Pro.  To my knowledge, and you might want to investigate that to, the Mavic Pro and DJI Goggles are the only platforms that use OcuSync.  I was unable to find any indication that the Spark or the Mavic Air use OcuSync.  Because the Phantom series predates DJI's development of OcuSync, they do not use OcuSync in their transmissions.  

     Who knows, maybe the Phantom 5 will have OcuSync, but DJI is showing no indication of using OcuSync in follow-on products, unless you do better than I did in finding OcuSync used in the Spark or Mavic Air.  Regarding the Industrial and Enterprise quads, their later versions of DJI GO and DJI GO 4 do have Coach Mode, so it is possible to fly them using a Slave controller.

     Still, you are left with Phantoms that will not use a Slave controller and no indication of a coming change in that situation with the Phantom series.  While you are requesting that DJI include a future Slave option, you can use the alternatives I have indicated earlier.  At least all my comments are not lost in this discussion!

     Mahalo again for the corrections.  They will be quite helpful with the Matrice 100.

Aloha and Drone On!

BigBlueTsunami Posted at 2018-2-6 04:11
I think I read the Mavic can, and the Inspire series used to have a package that came with two controllers. I wonder why it's not available for the Phantom. I was interested because I wanted to be able to allow family members to fly my P4 (but only if I could take over at any moment)

Jeff

I can follow you concern about letting others flying and not being able to take over if something show up that could go wrong.

As is i think the only way to interrupt in a safe way would be to build a Jammer with a thumb controlled push button in order to interrupt the signals from RC until the flyer has got fingers of the sticks. It would possibly be illegal but only used for a few seconds in rare occasions i would think that better safe than sorry.

KedDK Posted at 2018-2-9 02:49
I can follow you concern about letting others flying and not being able to take over if something show up that could go wrong.

As is i think the only way to interrupt in a safe way would be to build a Jammer with a thumb controlled push button in order to interrupt the signals from RC until the flyer has got fingers of the sticks. It would possibly be illegal but only used for a few seconds in rare occasions i would think that better safe than sorry.

I've chosen the safest possible route. As much as I wish I could, I don't let anyone else fly it. I have a P1 and a FW450 that I take to family outings. It's pretty hard to foul up flying a P1. So far, they seem to have the hang of it. I'm thinking of taking the P4 to chase and video their flights this summer. (I'm also pretty sure 2 nephews are going to be the happy owners of a FW450 soon)

Jeff

Cetacean Posted at 2018-2-6 14:00
Aloha Ked,

     The Mavic does have dual remote controller capability because the Mavic System and DJI Goggles use OcuSync.  Only the Mavic Pro and DJI Goggles use OcuSync (I have not been able to find any indication that the Mavic Air or the Spark use OcuSync).  You can use dual mode with industrial and enterprise models like the Matrice series.  Any system that can use the Cendence Remote Controller can also use dual controllers.  

"from a marketing perspective, DJI is probably wise having the Phantom Series use the Intelligent Flight Modes rather than dual controllers."

I would think the one don't exclude the other, use of dual controllers have been a reality for many years as a safety during training of new pilots and the last years on drones for having the flight controls and camera tasks being separate tasks.

I don't like all those fancy flight modes and see most of it as a show off/proof of concept than practical in normal use for a flying camera. That said it must admit that with the limitations of the gimbal control/placement on the Phantoms it would be some challenge to coordinate the work by two persons, should the Yaw be controlled by the pilot or the photographer?

KedDK Posted at 2018-2-9 03:02
"from a marketing perspective, DJI is probably wise having the Phantom Series use the Intelligent Flight Modes rather than dual controllers."

I would think the one don't exclude the other, use of dual controllers have been a reality for many years as a safety during training of new pilots and the last years on drones for having the flight controls and camera tasks being separate tasks.

"I don't like all those fancy flight modes and see most of it as a show off/proof of concept than practical in normal use"

100% agree. I've tried all but two of these modes. I doubt I'll ever use more than auto track and tripod.

Jeff

KedDK Posted at 2018-2-9 03:02
"from a marketing perspective, DJI is probably wise having the Phantom Series use the Intelligent Flight Modes rather than dual controllers."

I would think the one don't exclude the other, use of dual controllers have been a reality for many years as a safety during training of new pilots and the last years on drones for having the flight controls and camera tasks being separate tasks.

Aloha Ked,

     It looks like you answered your own question and seem to understand why the Phantoms do not have a dual remote controller option.  Beyond that, we can always agree to disagree.

     Personally, I can think of no maneuver that dual controls can do that the Intelligent Flight Modes cannot do.  And granted that at the higher levels of competency at using flying cameras and drones in general, dual controllers can be successfully operated.  But at an introductory level, like the market the Phantom dominates and with the complexity of YAW in the mix, dual controllers would generate an excessive amount of problems for DJI.  Just look at the problems we see daily here on the Forum with less complex issues.

     DJI does not make design and system decisions in a vacuum.  Unfortunately, we as Forum members often have to operate in a vacuum when understanding DJI's decisions.

Aloha and Drone On!

Jeff Millard Posted at 2018-2-9 03:12
"I don't like all those fancy flight modes and see most of it as a show off/proof of concept than practical in normal use"

100% agree. I've tried all but two of these modes. I doubt I'll ever use more than auto track and tripod.

Aloha Jeff,

     You really think that you have no use for the Intelligent Flight Modes?  Maybe you might want to let them grow on you for a while.  I cannot think of any maneuver you can do with dual controllers that you cannot do with Intelligent Flight Modes.  There are so many creative uses for those modes, everything from near perfect video PANs to chasing mountain bikes down a downhill course and getting up close and personal with surfers.  They are amazing.

     We definitely agree about Tripod though.  It is one of my favorites, especially when going through tree tunnels in the jungle.  What a blast!

Aloha and Drone On!

What i have is a queston is there a way ro have a second camera that a copiliot can control i have been useing dji now for 5 years before that i flew one that was alot faster with thease options when doing search and rescue the  Pilot of the drone has a lot to do when a copilot can control the camera The searches can be a lot more effective and less time consuming before the injured are lost person is found For that I need 2nd camera second control please help