Hi,

Have been trying to figure out how the Phantom gets its date and time information, for the video and picture files. Various theories include getting it from GPS data, getting it from the PC when connecting the Assistant software, and from the phone while connected to the phone app.

Does anyone know how the Phantom gets its time and date info?

From GPS.

When you connect the cell phone to the Phantom the Vision app syncs the time to the Phantom (I know this because the SDK documents the call that syncs the time to the Phantom and documents that it must be called (it doesn't say what happens if you don't sync it).

I have not read anything that suggests it is read using GPS but if someone can point to documentation suggesting otherwise I'm always learning.

I would think that it would get that data from GPS.

GPS satellites send out hyper-accurate date / time information. That's how it works. The GPS receiver gets the time data from various satellites. Because it's so accurate, the computer can see the minute differences in the times caused by the distance the signals had to travel from the satellites. By comparing the various times being received, the GPS receiver is able to calculate where an object is.

Of course, I could be wrong, and they could just be calling it from the phone.

jmims@me.com Posted at 2015-1-8 14:35
I would think that it would get that data from GPS.

GPS satellites send out hyper-accurate date /  ...

I think NORAD sets the GPS clocks for accuracy by an Atomic clock.

On a related note, how do you access the time/date info for the video files?  I transferred the files to my Ipad (where I also have the Vision app), and can't figure out how to reveal the file info on the Ipad.  I just want to be able to recall when I took the video, but can't figure out how to get that info up.  I'm not an Apple expert by any means.

kjkisatsky@comc Posted at 2015-1-8 17:15
On a related note, how do you access the time/date info for the video files?  I transferred the file ...

When I copy the videos from the sd card to the computer, I just rename them.  I use the DJI number of the video and add the date, time and a name of what the video is.

ciprianboboc@gm Posted at 2015-1-8 10:00
From GPS.

It gets the time info from the cell phone. GPS doesn't know anything about time zones.  The title info for the video/images has both the date & time in it. That comes from the phone. Easy way to check is to change the date & time on your phone. Start your Phantom and Vision app and connect. Take an video and look at the file name.

also, he is asking if he can see the date/time from WITHIN his ipad/iphone NOT on his PC.  it is simple to look at a date/time on the PC once you have copied them over, but seeing the date/time on the iphone is entirely different and actually what i think he is asking about.

gnixon2015 Posted at 2015-1-9 02:39
also, he is asking if he can see the date/time from WITHIN his ipad/iphone NOT on his PC.  it is sim ...

If the iPhone has a file manager on the phone you can look at the files stored in DJI_DCIM directory. On my Android I see the title and all the file proprieties just like on a PC.

If there is no file manager app on the phone or the DJI_DCIM directory is restricted for some reason click on the video file within the Vision app it has a share icon in the upper right corner. If you click that and choose an email app it will show you the file name (which contains the date & time in the title) in the subject line of the email program. In my case I look at the files directly on the phone.

Bingo, gnixon.  I used to be a windows guy, and getting file info/properties was a piece of cake.  Drone, when I click on a video file and then try to do the email option, it says 'file too big'  and won't show any additional info.   So far, I have been loading the videos onto my Ipad via the download icon in the Vision App.  I still can't figure out how to get file information/time/date for these files on the Ipad.

i am not aware of an easy way to view the file metadata from the iDevice directly (versus viewing it on your PC or MAC).  I know that the photo app on the iphone/ipad has the ability to 'group' them by when they were taken but i believe that feature has limited capability (like it groups by 'today', 'yesterday', 'last week', etc not actual date/time 'stamps').  then again, i am not an apple/mac expert.

Doing a search on the date and time as to where it comes from.  This question doesn't seem to be answered or at least not on this thread.  Still searching but this is why I'm interested.  Reviewing photos taken a couple days ago and it appears that the time is off by one hour.  Likely a daylight saving setting that hasn't properly corrected the time.  I would have assumed that the date and time came from the device attached to the controller, my iPad.  Yet the iPad acquires the time and date from cellular and it's correct.  So then GPS?  If GPS, why would it be the wrong time considering the aircraft had 14-16 satellites connected as there isn't any confusion as to what time zone I'm located in?  
Images were loaded from the mini SD card directly into my PC which it too has the correct time but shouldn't mess with the metadata anyway.  
Interesting!!

Nelson SECARS Posted at 2018-1-17 15:00
Doing a search on the date and time as to where it comes from.  This question doesn't seem to be answered or at least not on this thread.  Still searching but this is why I'm interested.  Reviewing photos taken a couple days ago and it appears that the time is off by one hour.  Likely a daylight saving setting that hasn't properly corrected the time.  I would have assumed that the date and time came from the device attached to the controller, my iPad.  Yet the iPad acquires the time and date from cellular and it's correct.  So then GPS?  If GPS, why would it be the wrong time considering the aircraft had 14-16 satellites connected as there isn't any confusion as to what time zone I'm located in?  
Images were loaded from the mini SD card directly into my PC which it too has the correct time but shouldn't mess with the metadata anyway.  
Interesting!!

The photos are stored in the aircraft on the SD card. It is not absolutely necessary to have a cellphone or tablet connected to the RC unit, you can fly quite well without one. Therefore the aircraft cannot get time and date information from the cell phone, and instead, uses the information from the GPS receiver.