otg cable

buzzard4 · May 5, 2018

Are there any advantages to using an OTG cable.

caspian · May 5, 2018

apparently less video breakup. I just got mine yesterday and no chance to try due to being sick and poor weather.

Guy · May 5, 2018

I prefer it because I don't have to manually connect to the controller wifi every time I want to fly. I bought one for about $5 and it's worked perfectly.

caspian · May 5, 2018

my phone auto-connects to the RC, it's less work than the cable, not more. I'm still baffled why the AC to RC link apparently works fine at 100m away, while the RC to phone can't maintain a stable link at a 10cm distance.

spark@2017 · May 6, 2018

buzzard4 said:
Are there any advantages to using an OTG cable.

Hi,
I got this from DJI support:

Thank you for your response.

In regards to the following query:

1. But what's the difference, is it no disadvantage to rule out the OTG cable? Spark is designed to connect to your mobile device thru WiFi connection and the micro USB port on your remote is for charging your remote controller and a connection for DJI Goggles via OTG Cable (note that in this configuration, mobile device is not required to be connected as the Goggles functions as liveview feed similar to your mobile device). Therefor the OTG Cable is an optional connectivity port to allow the remote controller transmit liveview feed thru Goggles.

2. Will the range be as good as without cable? From our Field Application Engineers, the range is the same your remote controller is connected to a mobile device thru WiFi or using an OTG Cable with the Goggles. Range can only be limited if your option to control your aircraft is thru your mobile device only.
3. Are videos and pictures as good quality as without cable? Liveview feed is at its maximum resolution of 720p at 30fps. The actual saved pictures/videos are all saved in the aircraft which you need to export manually thru an SD Card reader to your computer. These resolutions are presets from your DJI Go 4 which the camera will recognize as soon as the aircraft is connected to the remote controller with a mobile device or Goggles.
I hope it clarifies your queries.

Thank you for understanding.

buzzard4 · May 6, 2018

That was very helpful. Thank you.

gareth5000 · May 6, 2018

I bought one but found it didn't make any difference, I wouldn't bother. It's so much easier without and range isn't an issue, for me.

Reed Adams · May 6, 2018

caspian said:
my phone auto-connects to the RC, it's less work than the cable, not more. I'm still baffled why the AC to RC link apparently works fine at 100m away, while the RC to phone can't maintain a stable link at a 10cm distance.

I let drone and rc connect first, you then I turn on WiFi and start app. If ac, rc, and WiFi is all connecting at the same time then start app, I get same results as you with horrible laggy video feed

caspian · May 6, 2018

buzzard4 said:
That was very helpful. Thank you.

that's a different meaning of "helpful" than I am used to, all it was was the same old boilerplate response they always give.

Reed Adams said:
I let drone and rc connect first, you then I turn on WiFi and start app. If ac, rc, and WiFi is all connecting at the same time then start app, I get same results as you with horrible laggy video feed

I'll try that, I normally have the app and RC connected and running before I power the AC up. having to disable wifi on the phone just to sequence the connections is a bit of a pest, but if it helps then fair enough. still haven't had a chance to try my OTG cable, the wind outside is gusting to 61km/h *sigh*

I was flying my Spark LOS visual only the other evening, just dim enough that I could easily tell attitude and heading 80m out visually. zero loss of control to the AC, video was pretty rubbish.

caspian · May 7, 2018

OK, tried the phone-wifi-last method - no improvement, unfortunately. breaking up and buffering at less than 30 metres, direct line of sight, in the middle of a new housing estate where the roads have only just gone in. closest competing wifi signal would be at least 100m away.

still no chance to try the cable, the wind was getting a bit much... full sideways in GPS mode was only just holding position.

caspian · May 9, 2018

and finally got to try the OTG cable today. iPhone 7 in a Polarpro mount, 30cm cable sourced from local seller. definite improvement, no video breakup at all in the same location as above. got a couple of instances of lag but nothing like the screen turning to lego like it does without the cable.

I'm glad it works, but at the same time I'm kind of sad they can't get a wifi link to work reliably over with width of my hand in as close to a no-noise environment as I'm going to get. wifi was very convenient.

[edit] need to try wifi again with bluetooth off on the phone, idea I saw in another thread.

caspian · May 13, 2018

managed to try the no-bluetooth combo today. definitely an improvement to with it on, no video breakup but still got quite a bit of lag at times. no real difference between having the AC 30 metres away or 500 metres, obviously I can't tell the quality of the link from RC to AC at that distance other than the signal strength on the display looked OK, and no signal-loss RTH initiated. this was in an area adjacent to some houses that would have been close enough for some wifi overlap, but I still got better results than in the deserted new housing estate well beyond any wifi signal.

so my conclusions are:

- the wifi link from RC to phone sucks balls
- order of starting the link does not change the results
- BT off helps, but certainly does not fix the problem
- the OTG cable is the best solution, but it's still not perfect

I realise the Spark is about half the price of my MP, but compared to the performance of Occusync and a proper cabled connection, the video and control link the Spark uses is disappointing. I wonder how much more it would have cost to use the far higher quality datalink hardware? I'm probably kind of lucky in that I don't use my Spark in the same way I use my MP, but other people obviously do.

I'm also very, very glad I chose my MP over an Air, which was relatively new at the time, and stock was unobtainium. I would utterly not be able to do what I do with my MP without Occusync.