Waiting on my new EVO to arrive!
Question: Does the auxiliary tablet need to be cellular capable or is WiFi enough?
Should I get one that has an HDMI?
Thanks.
Welcome
@Rando. You won't regret your choice.
As
@Tufargon noted you don't need a SIM/cellular tablet and most of your flying will be where WiFi is not going to be available unless flying in your front yard. But the Tablet only needs WiFi for internet access to
prepare in advance at home before you go flying. No hotspot needed out in the field. Save your data plan resources.
What you will be doing HERE for using a non-SIM Tablet is selecting and creating some
Offline Maps for the
Explorer app to reference in its display during your flights. Perhaps most folks will already know how to proceed but based on the age of the "average" forum member here (hey no offense intended...look at my profile!!), I'll err on the safe side to make sure no one is left in the dark. Sorry, it's in my blood.
You will need to set up two things on your Tablet. I will use Android OS for this example. (I don't have an iPad so I don't know if Google Maps is on iOS but I suspect so.)
1) First, turn on LOCATION Mode on your Tablet to acquire GPS coords of your location and have your WiFi connection on.
• Locate and boot up the
Google Maps app or
Maps as its called in OS Pie. It may be buried in the Google icon representing the bundle of apps inside.
• A Google map will be displayed with a blue marker of where you are located.
• In the upper left text bar click the MENU dropdown icon and then down at the bottom of the list click on OFFLINE MAPS.
• Next Choose
Select Your Own Map. A new map window will be displayed with information on how large of a file that map will take up if saved at the current level of zoom.
• This map is WAY too big. So using your fingers to Pinch Zoom and finger tip to drag and center the map, keep zooming in at your flying location until you can't zoom any further. It is still a large area and far larger than you can fly on a battery so that is what you want. You notice that the file size is a bit smaller too.
• Click DOWNLOAD. The screen switches back to the
Select Your Own Map page and begins downloading that rectangular shaped map with a generic
Map 1 name.
• Once the map download is complete, you can select the 3 Dot menu at the right side of that entry and it will give you options to View, delete, update, and Rename the file name. Renaming the file to something identifying the area is a helpful reference in the future.
That's it for your offline Google flight map creation. Explorer will automatically load up the information and details of this map when your GPS coords of the drone are showing that they are within this map area. All the coords are embedded in the map file so that as you fly and switch screen views back and forth you will be very close to the exact spot on the satellite view of the map. (I select the Sat view option as it represents the real world area I am flying in.)
2) It's FLIGHT TIME:
• When on location make sure you turn on your LOCATION Mode on the Tablet so it can access the offline maps files for Explorer to use.
• Be sure to TURN OFF WiFi and Bluetooth as they are not needed to fly and they use up your battery needlessly as well as draw on your processor which is better served displaying your video on screen.
• If you forgot to turn on Location Mode for GPS on the Tablet you will most likely end up with a generic grid on a beige background just representing the flight path of the drone since it does not know where its at on the map without GPS coords.
I have saved maps for many different areas that I have flown and intend to fly at some point in the future. So you can do the same and prepare in advance. Even if you will be flying in a location half way around the world on a vacation. Works the same everywhere! Except maybe CHINA!
HDMI: Not needed for flying. RC controller interfaces with the Tablet through USB cable, either Micro or Standard plug, there are two port sizes. HDMI may have some future value if you end up using VR goggles that actually have built-in monitors for the display and not just slipping in a Cell phone into a headset housing. But I would not spend the bucks on that extra feature at this time. You will have your hands full enjoying everything you and the EVO can do for a long time with the basic layout of gear.
BTW, I use a $149 Galaxy Tab A 8" tablet OR a $14.95 touch screen Tracfone for flying OR just the RC controller if I am just practicing flight maneuvers and eye/hand/muscle memory coordination for technical flight moves. You don't need to break the bank for supplemental gear.
