Project Status Update – Temporary Halt
Several test drives using the DJI Osmo 360° camera together with a DJI remote connected via Bluetooth have shown that the GPX data quality achieved with this setup still falls short of current technological standards. It must be acknowledged that DJI itself does not position its GPX Remote as a GPX Tracker, but rather that this accessory is intended as a remote control, and its GPX capabilities are intended for generating stats in videos.
Even mounting the DJI remote on the car roof to improve GPS reception did not result in any significant improvement.The 360° camera itself delivers excellent image quality and shows great promise, but to make it viable for productive Street View applications, a different approach to positioning is required. For this reason, I am pausing the current setup.
Update:
My order for an alternative GPX Bluetooth remote from STARTRC has arrived. This remote is not described as compatible with the DJI OSMO 360. https://www.startrc.com/startrc-gps-bluetooth-remote-controller-for-dji-action-5-pro-action-4.html Initial tests with my OSMO 360 show promising results regarding the GPX tracks generated. This remote can control the OSMO 360, but it doesn’t indicate an ongoing recording with a flashing red light. A successful recording start can be inferred by the remote’s status indicator changing from standby to active.
Extensive GPX recording tests will now follow. Since this GPS remote is also sold in slightly different versions as a third-party alternative for the GoPro and Insta360 ecosystems, I’m hoping the GPS reception quality lives up to the standard those brands have set. As mentioned, the first test rides already look very promising.
Operating the StarTRC GPX Remote (already paired):
Turn on the system:
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Insert the DJI Osmo 360 battery and press the power button.
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Press and hold the StarTRC power button for three seconds.
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Wait for Bluetooth pairing to complete (this takes a few seconds).
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Now put the camera into readiness mode. To do this, press and hold the red front button on the StarTRC for several seconds. A moon icon will appear on the remote’s display.
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Start recording. Briefly press the front button on the StarTRC.
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Stop recording. Briefly press the front button on the StarTRC; the moon icon will reappear.
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Start next recording. Briefly press the front button on the StarTRC.
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Stop recording. Briefly press the front button on the StarTRC; the moon icon will reappear.
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Leave the system in readiness mode for a longer period. The camera consumes very little power in this mode.
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After a few minutes, the remote’s display goes blank after a few minutes, and the remote enters standby mode.
Reactivate the camera (for example, if you were away for an hour and return to your car).
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Press and hold the StarTRC front button for several seconds. After successful pairing, the remote display will be blank. To obtain a definitive system state, press and hold the front button on the TRC again for several seconds. A moon icon will now reappear on the StarTRC display. (The camera is now in a definitive state for the next recording and is ready for the next recording.)
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Turn off the system by pressing and holding the left On button on the StarTRC for several seconds. Press the DJI Osmo Power button and remove the camera battery. (If the StarTRC was turned off using the TRC Power button, remote reactivation of the camera using the TRC remote is no longer possible.) The camera must first be manually turned on to turn the system back on.
Background: The bidirectional communication between the DJI Osmo 360 and the GPX Remote StarTRC does not transmit the current camera status to the remote. The remote can detect the following status states: readiness (moon symbol), paired, and disconnected (for example, due to a depleted camera battery).
Switching between photo and video modes is possible by briefly pressing the remote’s power button, but the lack of a display indicator can be confusing regarding the camera’s current mode. Therefore, I advise against briefly pressing the remote’s power button.
The remote moon symbol is particularly relevant here, as briefly pressing the red remote’s front button in this state directly switches the camera to recording mode.
Osmo 360 battery extension rod replacement
I’ve been running controlled lab tests on the external charging contacts of the DJI Osmo 360 to understand how they behave electrically and what is actually required to power the camera through them.
These four contacts are intended for the official DJI Battery Extension Tube. The rear‑right pin is the negative terminal, and the front‑left pin is the positive terminal. When applying 5 V across these two pins, the camera draws a small current of about 200 mA. At 6 V, the camera begins to charge, and once recording starts, it no longer uses the internal battery. As the voltage increases, the current draw gradually decreases. At 13 V, the current flow stops abruptly and the camera enters a protective safety mode, which resets once the power source is removed.
Based on these measurements, the commonly available magnetic clamp mounts (Search term DJI 1/ “6327001336A”) that claim to power the Osmo 360 via the waterproof contacts do not work. They lack a USB‑C Power Delivery (PD) controller, meaning they cannot negotiate or boost the voltage to the levels the camera expects.
I was unable to initiate a fast charging function for the internal battery via the external contacts; the maximum current flow via the Osmo 360 housing contacts is approximately 1,5 A, which suggests that choosing an external voltage source for the housing contacts with 7,5 volts and 3 A should be sufficient. Example: Amazon.de
There’s also a practical issue: the USB‑C plug attached to this magnetic mount protrudes into the 360° field of view, which breaks the “invisible stick” effect and makes it unsuitable for clean Mapillary or Street View captures.
When an OSMO 360 is placed on this magnetic mount, it wobbles slightly. This problem can be fixed by sticking a thin rubber sticker underneath it.
In summary, this Chinese accessory can currently only be used productively with extensive technical modifications. Such work requires electrical expertise, and you risk voiding the DJI warranty if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.