Can You Fly DJI Avata Without Goggles? (Explained)

FPV goggles are usually considered essential, but can you fly DJI Avata without them?

**You cannot fly DJI Avata without compatible FPV Goggles. Still, you have a workaround, as you can use the mobile phone or tablet connected to either DJI FPV Goggles v2 or DJI Goggles 2. The image will be displayed on a mobile device, similar to a standard drone. **

You may want to fly DJI Avata without FPV Goggles for many reasons, from the need for a spotter in some countries or territories to the inability to adapt to flying Avata with a headset. 

Ahead, we’ll cover everything to know about flying Avata without goggles. Keep reading!

Can you fly DJI Avata without goggles? #

FPV Goggles, or headsets, are an innovative way to display the live image of an FPV drone directly into a pair of goggles instead of a phone screen. 

This will help you enjoy an immersive experience when flying drones. You’ll have low latency, fewer distractions, and more accuracy when flying FPV.

FPV Goggles are necessary to fly any FPV drone, hence the name FPV: First Person View.

However, with custom FPV drones, we can bypass the need for FPV goggles with a specific VRX (video receiver) connected to a monitor or with a special FPV monitor.

Although custom FPV drones may be able to bypass these restrictions and fly FPV without the need for FPV goggles, Avata can’t.

With Avata, we do more than only receive an image from the goggles. We also control the drone settings, view a detailed HUD, receive bypass or display warnings, etc.

Core settings on your Avata can be adjusted only with compatible goggles.

The DJI Goggles 2 (or DJI FPV Goggles V2) is the main headset to be used with Avata. It has a software and firmware component that cannot be bypassed to fly Avata without goggles.

Can you fly DJI Avata with a mobile phone or tablet connected to goggles? #

This may be the only way to fly Avata without FPV goggles, but you still need to have the compatible goggles powered on when you do this.

Why would anyone fly Avata without goggles and only with a phone? 

There are a few reasons behind it, such as struggling to adapt to flying a drone with FPV goggles. I personally had a hard time adjusting to FPV headsets when I got into FPV. 

Another reason would be that in many countries and territories around the world, to fly FPV (with a headset on), the law may require you to have an extra person with you, called a spotter.

When you have the headset on, they will have a visual line of sight on the drone. 

Not everyone can grab another person with them to fly Avata legally. Therefore, you need to get creative.

How do you fly DJI Avata with your mobile phone? #

You must take a few steps to fly Avata on your mobile phone without goggles.

1. You need Avata, DJI Remote Controller, DJI Goggles 2 (or DJI FPV Goggles v2), your mobile phone, and an OTG data cable with one end USB-C (to connect to the goggles) and the other end to match your phone input port.
2. Download the DJI Fly app and go through the basic setup.
3. Connect your mobile phone with the cable, power on your goggles, and enter the app. Press GoFly from the main menu; you should have a live image.
4. Beware that you cannot change any drone settings from the mobile phone, although you have a live transmission to the phone similar to a standard drone.
5. You can now fly Avata and have a live transmission to your phone, but you can miss details when flying manually and put your drone at risk of crashing.

Here is a video that will help you connect your mobile phone to your goggles and fly Avata with an image displayed on your mobile phone.

Can you get a live image by connecting your phone to the FPV Remote Controller? #

Typically, this is the case when flying a standard drone; we connect the mobile phone to the remote controller and have a live image.

To understand why this doesn’t work with Avata, we must quickly explain the DJI transmission system.

A standard drone remote controller will act as a radio transmitter and, simultaneously, a video receiver. 

A DJI FPV Remote controller, such as the one we use to fly Avata, will only transmit data to the drone, but the drone VTX module will send a live image back to the goggles and not the remote controller.

Knowing this, we can easily deduce that the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2 used to fly Avata does NOT receive any video transmission.

Hence, it’s impossible for a live image to be displayed on the phone if we connect the mobile phone to the RC.

Does the DJI RC or RC Pro work with Avata? #

Following the same principle, neither DJI RC nor RC Pro will not be able to receive transmission or send a radio signal to the drone. 

Even if this were somehow possible to connect to Avata, these remote controllers are not made to fly FPV.

You will need the throttle spring tension removed and specific switches set to act on different Avata (FPV) functions.

Can you use any third-party goggles for your DJI Avata?  #

The high price of the DJI Goggles 2 could also be a reason why you don’t want to use these goggles with Avata.

Sadly, DJI Goggles 2, DJI FPV Goggles v2, and DJI Goggles Integra are the only ones compatible with Avata because of the firmware and software components and unique functions that make Avata fly.