aburkefl
 Second Officer
Flight distance : 78612 ft
United States
Offline
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I'm not really much of an Apple fan. My wife and I both own iPads - they're not ancient, but, technologically speaking, they're getting somewhat old - I think they're second generation iPads. Mine essentially became a glorified reader.
So, when I decided to jump into the "raging rapids" whole-hog with a DJI Phantom 3, there was never a doubt that I would use an Android device. Fortunately, the crew at DJI had my Samsung Galaxy S5 on the "approved" list of devices. While smart phones have gotten bigger and bigger - some day I may have to carry a man-purse to transport mine! - tablets have tended to remain bigger, more legible, brighter, albeit more expensive, so I figured I'd stick with the Galaxy S5 while I got my feet wet.
My previous foray into specialized apps were mostly related to cycling. Then I discovered that the phone routinely blanks the display to save power and keep the heat down to an acceptable level. Well, that's not so convenient if you're trying to read a map with a route marked on it and some virtual nanny snatches it away. Some of the apps had sort of an over-ride capability so the screen would not go blank, but it was recommended you not do that - too much heat buildup in your device.
Well, without offering me any options, the Pilot app appears to run full time - when it runs. Several times in the past few days, I've set my Phantom (sans props), controller and Android device on my desk and fired everything up. I've been running the pilot app and taking screen shots, hoping to build a semblance of a manual, complete with screenshots, identify the menu labyrinth, etc. It's amazing how many times, with the controller sitting less than a foot away from the Phantom, the app identifies a disconnect between the app and the controller. Also, several times the app just literally stopped running and had to be restarted. Fortunately, the restarts are pretty quick - nothing like a cold boot when it sometimes seems like forever before the status display shows you're ready to fly. If my Phantom was actually in the air, even momentary burps can obviously be quite disturbing.
When I finally had all the screens captured I thought I wanted/needed, I shut everything down, noticed I had missed a call, put the phone up to my face to recall the number and WOW! Boy, was that sucker hot!
I'm a pretty savvy techie-type person. I'm probably pretty heavily an OCD type as well - I enjoy reading manuals. I had read the Phantom manual several times before mine was even delivered. But I'm not an expert on smart phones. I can use it as a phone (gasp!) and my wife has taught me how to text and I've gotten more comfortable with numerous other aspects of smart phones. Did the Pilot app shut down because my phone was overheating? Is a good idea, bad idea, neutral idea that the Pilot app runs continuously? I guess, frankly, it *needs* to run all the time, but what happens when you're now on your second battery (after a previous 15-minute flight) and the device gets so hot it either shuts off, shuts down the app or the whole thing just fails.
Is a tablet less likely to have this happen? Can a tablet also get too hot and shut everything down?
On a real plus side, I've seen some of these screens so many times now - they're starting to get indelibly etched into my brain!
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lvl.3
lvl.4
