Mavic 2 Sunshade Support

thingiverse

This is my prototype for a sunshade that fits the Mavic 2 (Pro or Zoom) drone controller from DJI. I have examined numerous commercial sunshades and all the sunshade designs here on Thingiverse, and they all have significant shortcomings. Some fail to provide adequate shade and only feature walls on the sides without any hood over the top. Others do a good job of shading smartphone and controller screens but make it difficult to access all the buttons on the controller or easily use the touchscreen on the smartphone. I wanted a sunshade that allows me to operate the controller and smartphone just like I do without the sunshade, while still being able to use range extenders that fit over the two antennas. I found a part designed to fit into the controller handle, originally intended for an attachment point for a lanyard. After printing it, I was impressed by its fit and strength in supporting the controller from a lanyard strap. I then took this idea and created a longer version of the part so that the pole supporting the shade is completely out of the way of my right hand. The cardboard prototype demonstrates that the design achieves all my goals, and after flying the drone in full sun, it does an excellent job of eliminating all glare. This project is labeled as a "work in progress" because at this point only the key part providing support has been printed. For now, I am using a 5/16" wooden dowel for the support, and the back is supported with a cardboard tab attached to velcro that is taped between the antennas. If there's interest, I'll publish a diagram of how to cut and fold the cardboard shade. I plan to use this prototype for several weeks before taking my next step. The obvious next step is to replace the wooden dowel with a 3D printed part that will have a "skirt" where it fits into the support on one end, and into the shade on the other. I might also print the box, although I'm unsure if it will provide any functional advantage over cardboard. Lastly, I dislike using Velcro and while it keeps the back from moving up or down, the shade still wobbles slightly. This doesn't affect its function but offends my design sensibility.