Hints and Tips Discussion Help with CG02 Camera on Blade 350

I've had a Blade 350 QX3 for several months. Been a lot of fun. Flew it with a GoPro attached. Kind of a pain to keep that copper shield for the GPS problems. Broke down the other day and bought the CG02 camera with gimbal mount. Much better overall, although the GoPro offers so many more options.

I dislike having to utilize the mobile app to control the camera. Has anyone found any kind of "hack" that will let you turn the camera on/off without the app? I don't yet have a holder on my DX-8 and there's no place to conveniently hold the mobile device while I fly.

I'd love some kind of switch where I could just start recording, fly where I want to fly, then stop the thing when I'm done - like the GoPro (without WiFi). Otherwise, I'm relegated to turning on the DX-8, turning on the 350, then accessing the network for the 350, press the record button, then put the phone out of the way for the duration of the flight. Pain in the......

 

Guess I'm really getting senile - here I am replying to myself!

Just wanted to make an addendum.

The first couple of times I fired up the CG02 app I had to go through the gyrations of connecting to the WiFi (the camera system creates its own WiFi), entering the password, etc. Fortunately, every time since then, when the camera initializes, it automatically connects to the WiFi network and all I have to do is start the CG02 app and it connects just fine. Although it's hard to see the screen in the bright sun (a problem with most color devices used outdoors), I can manipulate it enough to see the camera view and tilt the camera accordingly - or not, depending on what you're trying to shoot.

Still don't know what the range is on the CG02 app - keeps my heart in my throat when it's running down the canal, getting farther and farther away! I think a few hundred feet is supposedly the limit. I can only assume that once the video has started, if you get out of range it will keep recording even if it loses the WiFi signal. Once it comes back in range, I figure I'll be able to stop the shutter.

If you want some serious quality, you'd better stick with the Phantom 3 or something even better - and more expensive. But the auto functions on the Blade are not that bad. Since I'm essentially taking "home movies" while flying, I think it will work fine for me.

Art Burke
June 12, 2015