DJI Osmo Action GPS for racing: what the GPS remote gives you

If you run a DJI Osmo Action, there's one thing to get straight before you rely on it for telemetry. The camera itself has no GPS. To get speed and position data you need DJI's GPS remote. Once you've got that, a DJI is a strong telemetry camera.

No built-in GPS, and that's fine

The Osmo Action 4, Action 5 Pro and the Osmo 360 don't have a GPS chip inside. What they do have is the DJI GPS Bluetooth Remote, a small accessory that straps to your wrist or mounts on the kart. It has its own satellite receiver, records your speed, route and elevation, and sends that to the camera over Bluetooth so it ends up in the footage.

The camera's own motion sensors handle tilt and G-force. The remote handles position. Together they give you the full picture. The remote is sold separately, so factor that in when you're comparing a DJI setup to a GoPro with GPS built in.

Why bother, if GoPro has GPS built in?

Plenty of racers prefer DJI's image quality, low-light performance or mounting options, and the GPS remote brings the telemetry up to par. If you've already got an Osmo Action, you don't need to switch to a GoPro. You just need the remote.

Getting good data from the remote

Same principles as any GPS device. Give the remote a clear view of the sky, and let it lock onto satellites before your run. Mount it where it isn't shielded by your body or bodywork. A wrist mount works, but on a kart a clear spot on the bodywork often gets a better signal.

From DJI footage to lap analysis

With the GPS remote recording, your DJI footage carries the position data Race Ninja needs. Upload it and you get the same treatment as a GoPro: automatic lap detection, sector splits, your racing line on the track map, lap comparisons and AI coaching. Race Ninja supports the Osmo Action 4, 5 and 6 and the Osmo 360 with the GPS remote fitted.

So a DJI absolutely works for racing telemetry. Just remember the remote isn't optional. It's the part that makes the data happen.