Bulky, problem-prone Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter ready for a phase out?

DJI’s Phantom 3 and Phantom 4 have clearly won the RC quadcopter war with the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter to the point that it may be time to wonder if newer model launches are an attempt by the company to move on.

The basic Yuneec Q500 model has been adapted a few times from a pre-4K camera variant to one that can hold a GoPro, but Yuneec has faced a lot of blowback over flaws in the overall model.

The top complaints on the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter center on communications between the controller and the drone on two fronts – poor GPS fix and lock in many cases and access to fewer satellites overall in a DJI vs Yuneec comparison. The other communication aspect is the weak internal WiFi card of the Yuneec drone and the badly soldered antenna that needs a trip back to the factory to fix.

Reviewers of the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter had initially expressed hopes that these issues were production line bugs that could be fixed in subsequent sales, but the talk is that there is such a repair backlog for the RC quadcopter from Yuneec that a logjam has been created in a rush to get new models of the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter into the market and deal with units sent back at the same time.

This flawed R&D approach to testing products rigorously in the design phase and in beta is evident in the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter and has flowed through to newer models such as the Yuneec Breeze “selfie” drone aimed at a potential large market that wants some fun for under $500 – a penny under, in this case.

But these new buyers then have to deal with a drone that has less than a dozen minutes of battery life, less than 80 meters of range, poor connections to a smartphone or tablet and that can be easily blown around by even mild gusts of wind.

On top of that, Yuneec has tried to go high-end with a massive hexacopter – the Yuneec Typhoon H – and compete with a far superior Phantom 4 model from DJI that regularly receives rave reviews. The Yuneec Typhoon has been faulted for cheap plastic in key parts such as the joints holding together the folding arms – and for the landing gear that is nominally retractable, but regularly seizes up in flight.

But maybe if Yuneec looks to streamline offerings it can at least cut the backlog of repairs enough to concentrate on the newer entries into the market. As it is, the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter just keeps logging complaints over flight hours with issues such as a burning smell during batter recharges and flight times less than 20 minutes, far below the 25 minutes advertised.

Of course DJI is coming out with some new models too, the Mavic Pro, which runs off an APP on a smartphone or controller and flies for up to 27 minutes at just a few hundred dollars above the Yuneec Breeze, and which has the ability to live-stream full HD video to Facebook Live, Periscope and YouTube.

 

 

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Is Yuneec Breeze so simple as Yuneec says

There’s a drone in drone industry, and the company that makes it, Yuneec, says it’s a total breeze to fly.

No flight experience or even a flight controller is needed–you operate it all on your smart phone, with an app.

Yuneec doesn’t even call the Yuneec Breeze a drone, but instead a “flying camera,” one which the company suggests should be used for group shots and selfies.

The Breeze sells for around $400, which is a pretty low price for a drone. A comparable device from no. 1 drone manufacturer DJI also sells for $499–but DJI’s Phantom 3 Standard comes with a flight controller that must be mastered before the drone can take off–and videos are recorded at 2.7k resolution.

The Phantom weighs 2.6 pounds, while the teeny Yuneec Breeze is under a pound, and promises heftier 4K video resolution. The Breeze has internal memory, offering only 12 minutes of flight time before re-charging.

I spent some time with Yuneec recently checking out the Yuneec Breeze, flying it by a seaside cliff here in the South Bay area of Los Angeles with product manager Trent Siggard.

In Siggard’s hands, the Yuneec drone took off as a flying camera swiftly. The app offers choices like “Selfie” mode, where the camera flies in place at eye level, to snap shots of you and your friends, and “Follow Me,” mode–where the Yuneec Breeze camera senses your presence and moves with you as you change locations.

We played back the footage on my phone pretty easily, and I later transferred the files to the computer, where they looked decent–about what you’d expect for a $400 drone. (That day we also looked at Yuneec’s top of the line Typhoon H, which blew the Yuneec Breeze, as you would expect out of the water. The images were steadier, richer in color and looked outright amazing.)

After our cliffside drone sessions, Siggard and I went into town and sat at an outdoor cafe, where we both got the Yuneec Breeze to fly at eye level, for some selfies. All worked well.

But then, when I went home–remember this is a first impression–I tried again and user error came in.

I clicked the Yuneec Breeze “launch” button on the app, the Yuneec drone took off a walloping 40-50 feet above my backyard deck. This was way, way higher than expected, or desired.

I kept clicking on the app it to bring it back down to earth, and there was initially no response. After a few agonizing minutes, it finally did what it was supposed to do and landed atop an outside plant.

At my first glance, the Yuneec Breeze wasn’t a total breeze for me– but with time to master it, hopefully it will be as simple for me as Yuneec says it should be.

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Xiaomi Mi drone test

Now it is possible to order Xiaomi Mi drone. We have put a hand on a specimen after the announcement that we could evaluate with much pleasure despite the notice written in Chinese.

Characteristics

• Camera and video: 1080p / 60fps or 4K UHD (3840 x 2160px) / 30fps with a lens with an angle of view of 104 °.
• GPS and GLONASS with Return to Home, flight zone prohibited and location available.
• Folding landing gear (convenient for quick storage)
• Live Streaming Video on Application
• 27 minutes flying through the 5100mAh battery – 17.4V

Xiaomi Mi Drone unboxing 

The drone is delivered in a simple white cardboard packaging, typical of Xiaomi. The drone and accessories are arranged in such a way that the space is used in the most rational manner possible. And as the pictures speak better than anything, you can notice it for yourself on the picture below. Everything is written only in Chinese, until the instructions for use. There is therefore a small tension when opening the boxes.

As can be seen from the pictures, there are two sets of rotor blades with protections, the installation of which is optional. For the rest, these are the necessary accessories, and other screws, as well as the cables for the load. The Xiaomi Mi Drone‘s camera was in a separate box.

Step by step, until the first flight of the Mi Drone

Even if Xiaomi emphasizes the ease of use of its drone, which must be intuitive, the manual and application in Chinese will confuse so many pilots. That is why, apart from describing the particularities of the drone, we have also set up a guide to help you navigate through the installation step by step.

The rotor blades are installed quickly and easily. They are colored, which makes it possible to distinguish the corresponding places.

The landing gear of the Mi drone is folded in the package.

The orange color protections certainly add charm to the device, but they are not mandatory. Since they do not interfere, let us say that it is better to mount them, especially at the beginning, because they make the drone more visible. The only “disadvantage” when mounting them, is the loud noise that this causes.

The installation of the camera does not require much effort either. A small latch below releases the output where the camera plugs in. It is possible that a slight pressure is required to insert it completely.

Battery

The 5100 mAh battery is simply inserted behind the drone. You just have to be careful of what’s on the right side. The button is located at the bottom.

To recharge the battery, use the supplied cable. But an adapter for the electrical outlets is necessary.

Remote control

After the previous steps, the Mi drone is already ready for use. But the remote also has to undergo some preparations. Thanks to a micro-USB output located underneath, it can be recharged.

The other end of the cable can be useful for connecting your smartphone. Note: without smartphone and Xiaomi account, you can not do anything. A hidden support allows you to attach the smartphone to the remote control.

Despite a rather unusual appearance, the remote control holds well in the palm of the hand. It would have been even more fun if it had been a little smaller. Next to the steering sticks are an ignition button, a start or take-off button and the Return Home button.

Instead of the triggers, there are casters that allow the adjustment of the illumination and the inclination of the camera and the adjustment of the white LEDs. The two buttons on the back of the remote control allow you to take photos and videos.

We’ll update the feature of Xiaomi Mi drone in the next post, please stay tuned.

 

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Any 90% satisfied Mavic Pro pilots?-Part I

Surfing online and reading through forums can find many horror stories of the Mavic Pro.It probably doesn’t help that folks often seem less likely to post about the times that the expected or satisfactory happens.However, many owners still want to know are there any satisfaction stories?

Then we post the thread on some Mavic forums to get the idea.

Loving it at 37 flights, 6.5 hours of flying time so far. The toolset is deep and there’s a lot for me to learn still about advanced functionality, what works best for the kind of photography I want to take, etc.

# Mine has been trouble free and flys great. May be a slight blurry on right side. I’ve been using basic auto focus and need to learn camera settings which I’m doing now.

# I’m satisfied with my purchase.  It would be nice if the camera was a notch higher grade than it is but it’s been a trouble free unit so far. Only a bit over 4 hours of flight time so far.

# It’s portable and the distance stock is better than expected. What’s not to like? The thing that puts it over the top is the dji programmable modes, poi, waypoints, pano, active track. There’s other software for it too.

# I’m at the 95% Satisfied column. I’ve logged 30 flights/5 hours 10 minutes of flight time and over 38,000 meters. I’ve flown higher, longer distances and got the best pictures/video with the Mavic Pro than all of the previous quads I have built. This is a good platform for the size factor.

# Mavic Pro is the first drone that I have ever owned, and I am loving it! The only problem is with me not knowing enough about it! To date, I have had not problems at all and have accumulated just under eight hours of flight time in 42 flights!100% satisfied!

# At this point, less than a month in and only a few hours of flight I would call Mavic Pro 95% satisfied.

I’m carefully learning to fly and exploring all the controls.  So far I’ve found it superior to most quads I’ve flown. It has good picture quality and is well stabilized even in moderate winds.  The packaging was maybe a little excessive but it felt like you were opening a premium product. So far it’s performed like one.

I think my only point of concern is that the remote holds my Samsung G6 only without it’s case and that makes me nervous. Plus taking the case off to fly and putting it back on again when I’m done flying is a bother. Just going to have to buy a small tablet to use when I’m flying.

# 98% satisfied. I had a problem with softness in video but hopefully it solved by changing profile and set sharpness to +1 to remove the NR.

The only thing i miss is the 60/96 FPS which is a huge disappointment. Others from that it is pure fun and love, tested all intelligent flight modes. Been flying where I had hundreds of errors with my phantom 3 without any problems nor errors.

# Delighted with mine – first time drone owner and loving the toolset and YouTube rabbit holes its opened up for me to learn more.

Absolutely love the Mavic Pro and surprised at how exciting it is to use, as usual though if you hang around the Internet forums you can get a bit overwhelmed with the negativity and moaning going on.

I’m 46 now and if you told the 10y old me this sort of thing would be possible and I’d have it one day I’d have thought you were mad (god I wish I had one of these when I was 10)

#The Camera is of course not as good as that on an Phantom 4 Pro and Inspire, but this was never the claim of DJI.

Overall I’m almost 100% happy with my Mavic Pro! This is really a great piece of hightech and does the job very well!

We’ll continue to collect the feedback,please stay tuned to us.

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