endotherm
First Officer
Flight distance : 503241 ft
Australia
Offline
|
I have the Garmin GLO too. Yes you can use follow-me in the DJI Go app, using GPS over bluetooth with a wifi-only iPad.
Once it is paired, the iPad just updates the GPS coordinates through the operating system, it doesn't care if the data is coming from a built-in radio or an external one. Any app that requires GPS co-ordinates just asks the operating system for the position, and the data is returned.
These external devices need to be WAAS-enabled to work on Apple IOS systems, which makes them the more expensive type (what isn't with Apple ). The cost for a new one is probably just less than the difference between a wifi-only and a cellular iPad. There are advantages to these systems -- they have GPS and GLONASS radios, whereas Apple inbuilt are GPS only. They poll and update position from satellites more often than the built-in GPS (10 times per second). They will work inside real aircraft, whereas inbuilt units typically won't. This makes it useful for real air navigation while in flight. The downside is it is another separate device to remember to carry, charge, pair etc. I don't find it to be a problem, and I have multiple iPads, computers etc, and it is cheaper having one device rather than buying the technology over and over for each device (I apply the same logic to cellular data, I just have one pocketWIFI that I can share to all my devices over wifi and just pay for one account).
Back to your original question, you can put the external bluetooth device in your pocket and walk around with it, with or without the R/C. The bluetooth connection range theoretically works to 100m (I've successfully tried it to 50m). The device updates its position and bluetooth's the result to your iPad. The iPad tells the Go app that it has moved to the new position. So your controller will appear to move on the map even though it is stationary. Using it like this is like having a follow-me dongle you can give to a skier or bike rider etc that you are following in a chase vehicle, out of camera shot. It works really well.
This method should also work with cellular model devices that have GPS built in. Just disable the inbuilt GPS (it's now effectively the same as a wifi only device), then connect to an external unit via bluetooth, and you can use it as a follow-me dongle.
Some test video here. It starts with the aircraft in "follow-me" mode, and the GPS left on the equipment boxes while moving about with the R/C. The R/C is then left on the ground while moving around with just the bluetooth GPS unit.
|
|