DJI Phantom 4 Advanced Compromises Obstacle Avoidance for…

From Netease Drone

While the DJI Phantom 4’s production is to be dropped from the production line by the end of this month, DJI released the Phantom 4 Advanced with similar configuration but much cheaper price. Well, is the Phantom 4 Advanced an update or simplified version of Phantom 4?

Twin Brother of Phantom 4

Phantom 4 Advanced continues the appearance of Phantom 4 series. It is hard to tell the specific model when looking at it in the front. But when you look at it from the side, it is similar to Phantom 4 without the left and right infrared sensors. It is said that the remote controller of Phantom 4 Advanced only supports 2.4GHz instead of the 2.4GHz & 5.8GHz dual bands in Phantom 4 Pro. The Phantom 4 Advanced is like a “twin brother” of Phantom 4.

Similar Configuration to Phantom 4 Pro

Yet, Phantom 4 Advanced also feature similar configuration to Phantom 4 Pro: equipped with the same camera of Phantom 4 Pro, it can record professional 4K video. A mechanical shutter is used to eliminate rolling shutter distortion which can occur when taking images of fast moving subjects or when flying at high speed. And the remote controller is simplified without compromise in image transmission and control range.

Besides, Phantom 4 Advanced also feature a wide range of intelligent flight options: Draw, TapFly, ActiveTrack, Gesture Mode, etc. allowing the users more freedom in aerial photography.
 

Draw

Many customers think that the Phantom 4 Pro is remarkable but the price is too high compared to the Phantom 4. The Obstacle Avoidance can only be used in Beginner Mode and Tripod Mode. Without the right, left and rearward vision sensors, and with a simplified remote controller, the Phantom 4 Advanced is 1000 CNY cheaper than the Phantom 4 Pro. This must be DJI’s response to the market feedback. According to Mr. Paul Xu, Director of DJI Enterprise Solutions, General Manager of Unmanned Aerial System Training Center, the Phantom 4 Advanced features the best aerial camera, which indicates that DJI will focus on this function to cut down the cost. Undoubtedly, the Phantom 4 Advanced will affect the sales of Phantom 4 Pro.

 

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DJI Merge Power and Smart Features to Give the Gift of Flight to All

If you’ve never experienced flying a drone then taking the first steps to selecting which drone to purchase and flying for the very first time may seem a little daunting.  There are several different manufacturers out there offering different types of drones for different uses. These uses include racing, video and photography or simply for the fun of flying and it’s important to select the drone that best matches your needs.

One of the world’s largest drone manufacturers, with seven out of every ten consumer drones in the sky, is DJI.  DJI have a range of drones in their line-up ranging from the easy-to-fly straight of the box Phantom range to the more prosumer interchangeable lens Inspire series and onto the professional Matrice series used for films and industrial inspections.

The latest addition to the Phantom series, the Phantom 4 Advanced Credit:DJI

The latest addition to the Inspire series, the Inspire 2 Credit: DJI

The latest addition to the Matrice series, the M210 Credit:DJI

DJI also shook up the market with the Mavic Pro, a drone that folds up to just the size of a small water bottle and weighs less than 750g.  You may think that in order to achieve a drone of this size some of the smart features included in other DJI drones needed to be discarded but this is not the case.  The DJI Mavic Pro not only includes the same intelligent features as other DJI drones but goes even further and enhances them. Its compact size hides a high degree of complexity that makes it one of DJI’s most sophisticated flying cameras ever.

“We merged power and smart features making it easy for everyone to fly and create beautiful images,” explained a DJI spokesperson.  “The toughest challenge for us was finding the sweet spots between form and function.”

With 24 high-performance computing cores, five vision sensors to help avoid bumps and scrapes, and a 4K camera stabilized by a 3-axis mechanical gimbal, the Mavic Pro helps to turn the sky into your very own canvas ready for you to create your own masterpiece easily and without worry.

The DJI Mavic Pro fits in the palm of your hand Credit: The Verge

The DJI Mavic Pro is the perfect example of what the DJI CEO Frank Wang strived for when first setting up the company just over ten years ago. His aim was to make it easy for anyone to pick-up a radio control and fly without the frustrations and difficulty associated with keeping radio controlled helicopters in the air.

They say that a picture tells a thousand words and thanks to DJI innovations simplifying flight and aerial imaging for all, there are an almost infinite number of words to be told.

 

 

 

 

 

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Drones: An Evolving New Tool for Realtors

Drones are transforming a variety of industries, from delivery services through to inspecting solar panels and everything in between. One pioneering sector that long ago embraced drone technology is real estate. Back in 2012, when drones were still in their infancy, realty commentators like Anita Cooper broadened the industry for the new breed of airborne robots by writing educational articles in trade magazines and websites. With the passage of time, drones have now become a crutial part of the realty business landscape.

Ernie Miller of Cecil County, for example, has been an avid cinematographer since childhood. He has integrated that passion into his realty day job by capturing shots of properties with a drone. To do so legally in the USA, realtors must have an appropriate exemption or pass the Part 107 exam from the FAA.

Ernie uses a Phantom 4 aircraft manufactured by the drone industry leader, DJI. The Phantom 4 has a 4K camera, can travel up to 4.3 miles from the operator and has a front-facing obstacle sensing system. The camera can capture butter-smooth, fluid shots which is a crucial feature for real estate footage.

Miller explains the virtues of using drones, particularly in rural areas, “it is ideal when you have a large property or a farm,” he explains. “It’s also great for waterfront properties. Shooting from the air gives you a good angle of the property from the water. You are able to get the dock and the home in the background. Getting a shot from a boat, you don’t get the scope of the property like you do shooting from a drone.”

Hud Benson, is another local realtor who utilizes drones. He began his drone journey using the DJI Phantom 2 Vision in 2014.

The legacy drone models used by both Miller and Benson have been superseded by far more capable aircraft, recently launched by DJI. Notably, the Phantom 4 Professional has a 1-inch 20MP CMOS sensor able to capture 4K-resolution at 60fps. The aircraft boasts a network of forward, rear, side and downward sensors for obstacle avoidance.

The brand new Phantom 4 Advanced released by DJI in April 2017 features an identical camera sensor to the Phantom 4 Professional, but does not have the rear and side obstacle avoidance sensors.

With both models you get the option to have DJI’s remote controller with an integrated high-brightness display.

The advantage of using a drone for real estate is that the full overview of a property can be captured – cheaply. The only alternative would be using an expensive helicopter or airplane. Luxury properties, in particular, benefit from the characteristic cinematic long sweeping shot that can be achieved with a drone.

“I have used my drone to shoot farms that are for sale,” Benson comments, “it is also a nice tool for doing an elevation photo of a home in a case where the neighborhood is an asset and you want to show where that home is in relationship to the other homes and the surroundings.”

Very generously, Benson also frames an aerial shot of a property and gifts that to the realty customer after they transition into their new home.

As evidenced by both Miller and Benson, realtors have much to gain from incorporating drones into their workflow. Utilizing drones in the realty sector will only become more popular as this astounding technology continues to evolve.

 

 

 

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DJI Phantom 4 Pro-A Spring Trip to Dapeng (Shooting Equipment)

Did everyone watch the spring trip video? If not, click the link and watch.

This video was shot by two gadgets.

Aerial footages were captured by DJI Phantom 4 Pro, and the ground footages by SONY a7s M2.

Here we will introduce you the powerful equipment we used.

DJI Phantom 4 Pro

The camera on the Phantom 4 Pro

Sensor size comparison. A CMOS sensor is imbedded in the Phantom 4 Pro camera which is the same with the SONY RX100‘s, leaving more room for photography. It collects more lights and brings stunning images like never before.

You can find a lot of backlight footages in the video, compared to the Phantom 4, the Phantom 4 Pro preserves more details of the shades.

A Photo

The resolution of this photo is 5472 × 3078, the size is 7.5MB. You can even see the details of the remote controller when enlarging it. It’s obvious that the photo shot by Phantom 4 Pro is in high quality and ready for printing.

Maneuver / Control

I have flown Inspire 2 and Mavic Pro for a very long time, however, I was still amazed by the powerful propulsion and quick response of the Phantom 4 Pro.

In this task, we had to shoot from the west gate to the east gate, the Phantom 4 Pro was able to be in the camera set very quickly, saving us a large amount of time and work.

I have to say DJI engineers really worked hard on building the Phantom 4 Pro – it is the best out of Phantom series with abilities to response and move instantly.

Narrow streets and messy power lines make the old town a less ideal flying area. But with its ability to sense in five directions and avoid obstacles in four directions, the Phantom 4 Pro made its flight worry-free.

What’s worth mentioning here is that the video transmission didn’t get interrupted when the aircraft passing through the gate and flying over the roofs. It is a proof of the enhanced anti-interference ability of the Phantom 4 Pro.

However, I disenabled the obstacle avoidance when getting this one-take shot, it was not safe actually, please don’t try imitate my operation, or else your drone may end up with a crash.

Integrated Remote Controller

This integrated remote controller makes an awkward answering a friend’s call during flight a long gone history.

This time we’d brought five batteries.

I applaud for the flight time. Five batteries are enough for a long day shooting with a surprise of the remote controller still showing two LED lights on.

SONY a7s M2 full-frame compact camera with anti-shake functionality in five axis.

It’s capable of shooting video at 1080p, 120 fps, and it’s quite heavy when mounted with a FE24-70 2.8 GM lens. Thanks to the Phantom 4 Pro’s stable hovering capability, when capturing the drone’s flight altitude, I can just put the remote controller aside and use the Sony a7s M2 to shoot the drone. As for footages of flying drones, I can control the drone by one hand, and use the other hand to control the Sony a7s M2.

However, if you don’t have a professional camera at hand, you can also use an iPhone to shoot slow motion videos, the image quality is good as well.

Summary

To me, the greatest improvement of Phantom 4 Pro is its camera, I believe most photography enthusiasts will agree with me on this point. The image quality achieved by the Phantom 4 Pro can fulfill most people’s need, can even compete with the Inspire 2.

The CMOS sensor that also used in SONY RX100 makes the Phantom 4 Pro’s camera a top aerial camera in the market, I believe the 1 inch sensor is a perfect balance of the size and performance.

SONY RX100 was once selected to be the best backup camera for professional photographers, and the Phantom 4 Pro is also absolutely the best back up aerial camera for professional aerial photographers, for example, in the first phase of a big aerial photography project, you can use the Phantom 4 Pro to check around the shooting site and help with composition, make preparation for formal aerial shooting, what’s more, the footages taken by the Phantom 4 Pro can also be used as backups.

A little supplement here, for general non-professional users, the Mavic Pro is still the best choice.

Whether a new product is worth buying or not depends on your specific needs, it will be your best companion when it fulfills your needs.

Today’s drone market is a segmented market, which is good news to us.

If you are a drone beginner, and have high requirements for the portability, then you should not look for anything besides Mavic Pro.

If you have high requirements for image quality and relatively lower requirements for portability (Compared to the Inspire series), then then Phantom 4 Pro is quite a nice choice.

However, if you are a professional photographer, then don’t hesitate to get an Inspire 2 or a M600 PRO.

 

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Yuneec Typhoon H: when two extra propellers don’t compensate for camera and control issues

Yuneec Typhoon H is a hexacopter and the landing gear retracts during flight. The design – with six rotors as opposed to four in the DJI Phantom 4 – is supposed to be futuristic. But this apparent aesthetic appeal of the Yuneec Typhoon H is easily lost among in the complexity to handle the drone. To make it worse, the additional weight caused by the six propellers actually compromised the flying time and altitude limit of the drone.

As experienced by many pilots, the sheer weight of the Yuneec Typhoon H makes it more cumbersome to travel with, as evidenced by a DJI Phantom 4 comparison. A Yuneec Typhoon H unboxing may manage to impress the user at first glance. The carbon-fiber material looks neat. The build quality looks good. The controller feels and includes a built-in screen.

However, the impressions start to turn negative when a simple DJI Phantom 4 vs Yuneec Typhoon H benchmarking is carried out. The concerns start appearing soon after a quick inspection of the Typhoon H remote controller. Also, the various ways of controlling the DJI UAV compared to how the Typhoon H is handled make an interesting comparison.

As seen in almost any DJI Phantom 4 review, the drone’s neat and compact control has thoroughly impressed UAV experts and pilots alike. Compared to Yuneec Typhoon H reviews on forums like DroneCompares or yuneecpilots.com, DJI Phantom 4 has received overwhelmingly positive responses. The icing on the cake is the cool DJI Go app, which allows users to do a lot of stuff from their smartphones or tablets. Moreover, features like ActiveTrack or TapFly – that are nowhere to be found on a Typhoon H – make flying the Phantom a cakewalk. Yuneec drone relies solely on GPS and instances of signal loss are far too frequent.

The deal-breaker for the Yuneec Typhoon H actually comes through its video. Its 4K video quality doesn’t appear as crisp and clear as they’re supposed to. The colors look washed out. And the frames look edgy. One Typhoon H reviewer on a popular social media network actually complained that he “couldn’t capture close to the level of video quality that was possible even with the Phantom 3.” The camera is a modular one, but it’ not supported by a live streaming technology as good as the Phantom’s Lightbridge 2.

Although on paper the Yuneec Typhoon H does remain a strong, high-end drone, it’s the little details that made it an inferior proposition than the Phantom 4. There’s nothing majorly wrong with the machine itself and Yuneec China seems to have put in a lot of R&D efforts to offer a ‘whole package’. However, unfortunately, when control and connectivity features are taken into account, Yuneec Typhoon H simply didn’t reach the top-notch level of engineering. It is ‘just another OK drone” – and that’s a pity because Typhoon H did promise to be something spectacular especially after the Yuneec Intel alliance was announced.

 

 

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What’s the PLUS of Phantom 4 Pro+?

Looks like the purpose of having an integrated screen on Phantom 4 Pro+ is to save users the trouble of bringing cables and connecting mobile device to RC manually. But is it convenient to use? Let’s find out.

Looks like a phone

The screen on Phantom 4 Pro+ is as large as a smart phone. It’s powered by RC, with only one button to lock/wake up the screen, or reset it by pressing and hold.

Interface

The screen turns on along with the RC by pressing the power button of the RC. The main interface comes after the DJI logo, waiting to connect with a Phantom 4 Pro.

After connecting the aircraft with RC, the screen is fully functional, whose operation interfaces are the same with DJI GO app in mobile devices.

Moreover, SkyPixel, photo album, editor, DJI Academy, flight logs and settings are also integrated on the home page.

Some of you have discovered the photo album has been separated from the editor in this integrated screen. Now you can use editor only for editing, after which the photos will be kept in album, along with original photos and screenshots.

Brightness

When conducting outdoor flight, the brightness of screen is essential.

While using smart phones as monitors has many disadvantages. Apart from being disturbed by phone calls and messages, the screen of smart phone is not bright enough to withstand strong sunlight, causing difficulty of seeing things clearly.

But all these problems are solved by the integrated screen on P4P+. With a highest brightness of 1000cd/m², you are able to see everything shot by the camera clearly. If it’s still not enough, you can go to “Settings” and enable the SRE function to increase color contrast and concentration.

There are more options included in Setting, including Wi-Fi, device, system and so on.

You can also get access to control multiple connectors directly on the screen, for example HDMI connector switch on/off, check content stored in SD card and connecting different devices though USB etc.

There is one more thing to be noticed, which is mobile network connection settings. Does that mean SIM card is available in the future?

More functions

Apart from DJI Go app, more apps are integrated in the screen, for example, Instagram, Weibo and twitter. The purpose is to enable users to share what they shoot immediately to friends.

Web browser is available too.

But the integrate screen doesn’t support third-party app download, including games. Reason could be less interference for DJI GO operation. After all, aero photography is the main purpose.

Despite a screen has been integrated into the RC, power consumption remains almost the same.

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Longer charging and shorter flight time spoils the Typhoon H Pro

While the Typhoon H Pro is the premium offering from Yuneec, DJI sits firmly at the top with a much higher market share and loyal fan-base. DJI, faced with the Yuneec attempt to challenge it, has simply stepped up its R&D and offerings. And from the average consumer point of view, it is clearly superior in the market.

The latest consumer drone in the Yuneec arsenal of RC quadcopter and hexacopter drones is the Typhoon H Pro. While the specs and six propellers of the Typhoon H Pro look nice, three obvious and serious issues have been identified by experts, keeping the DJI Phantom series ahead—the battery performance, ease of control, and size.

DJI Phantom 4 and Typhoon H Pro are both equipped with excellent video cameras and are similarly priced, and both have autonomous and safety features that make flying easy. However, Phantom 4 is significantly ahead of the it with two distinct and patented features—TapFly and ActiveTrack. These make it possible even for inexperienced pilots to fly the drone and do it safely and smoothly.

A major drawback of the Typhoon H Pro is its battery recharge time—a full charge takes well over two hours. That is twice as long as the time it takes the Phantom 4 to fuel up. Typhoon H Pro flight time can be shorter. Almost any DJI Phantom 4 review suggests flight time of close to 28 minutes. On the other hand, despite Yuneec claims of 24 minutes, live tests average only about 22 minutes for the Pro With a two-hour recharge time, Typhoon H Pro pilots will definitely need to keep a few extra batteries on hand.

Although the Typhoon H Pro hexacopter design is meant to add stability in flight, it has also made the drone a very heavy and bulky drone. With its remote control unit stacked with a multitude of buttons and switches, the Yuneec drone can be difficult to control.

The Typhoon H Pro is a hexacopter—its design is supposed to offer an added degree of stability in flight. In addition to making the drone heavier and harder to carry, the extra weight has also led to a shorter flight time, compared to DJI Phantom 4.

The Typhoon H Pro is one of the many modern drones with a 4K camera. While the Typhoon H Pro camera is likely to get some acceptable reviews, some experts have already pointed out the washed-out colors and the blurry frames. In addition, its video downlink relies entirely on the internal wifi card, lagging behind DJI, which offers its revolutionary Lightbridge 2 streaming feature.

The remote control unit has a display that is only basic in resolution. And the crowd of buttons and switches only adds confusion for the users.

 

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Just the battery you could know why the Typhoon H is worse

The battery performance of Yuneec Typhoon H is annoying for its recharge time.It takes more than two hours for a full charge which is twice as long as the Phantom 4.

Here is some case from pilots with Yuneec Typhoon H battery.

“I was out today and tried an experiment I have suspected that when running videos most of the time 15 minutes is about as safe as I can get on a new Typhoon H battery. Next battery flew for 35 minutes taking about half dozen photos at about 400 feet out and 200 feet up. The third battery I flew fast and high taking a few videos and photos and got a low battery at 400 feet up and barely got it down in time, 20 minutes.

Bottom line you have to pay attention to ‘everything’ when you fly, weather, wind, taking videos, flying fast and climbing fast. I have two DJI Phantoms and they will fly circles around these Yuneec’s, the Yuneec’s are very slow in response time. Do love the camera that takes fantastic videos in 4K though.”

“I took my Typhoon H up for its first flight. All I basically did was hover at different altitudes and moved short distances taking a series of pictures. From the first picture to the last picture was only about 15mins. Then I was forced to land with low voltage warning. The battery meter on the st16 was showing over 14 volts and the little icon showed half battery. So I took it up again to about 85 feet to take one last picture and before I could frame the shot it started to return to home. Will the battery break in or is something defective. Other Typhoon H owners say they are getting 18 to 20 mins. Oh, and the wind was minimal.”

Of course, the battery performance of a drone will depend on what the pilot does with his bird, and what the conditions are on any given day. More wind means less flight time, as the drone has to work harder to stay stable. Still, with a two-hour recharge time, Typhoon H users will have to bear with the inconvenience of carrying two extra batteries or three.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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It is GoPro Karma again?！

GoPro Karma drone has had a bit of a troubled recent history since it was first introduced last year. After being delayed throughout most of 2016, it finally went on sale in October, only to be recalled in November due to what the camera company later said was a faulty battery latch, which could cause the batteries to lose power mid-flight.

Three months off the market, the GoPro Karma went up for sale again at the beginning of February. However, it reportedly crashed into a New York City apartment window according to the New York Post at the end of February.

A GoPro Karma drone smashed though the window of a 66-year-old lady living on the 27th floor of 20 Waterside Plaza in Manhattan, New York. The woman was working on a computer when the drone smashed right though her window and fell within 4 feet of her. Currently, the Police and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the accident. They are planning to use the drone’s serial number to locate the drone owner in the FAA’s database.

Scan some comments to discover reviews like “This sounds hoax. 27th floor windows won’t break that easily, and no point in throwing shit on a brand for “being unreliable”… all drones are unreliable to a degree.”

However, the news is absolutely real. New York Post has reported this issue. The building is about 30 years old with smaller windows, not floor to ceiling commercial windows. Some pilots added, “If I was choosing a drone to fly around Manhattan illegally or not, I wouldn’t choose one prone to drift without avoidance technologies available at the same price. The GoPro Karma is a clumsy drone, whether a gust of wind took it or not, it had too many things going against it in the first place, before it took off. Now we all suffer as a result of poor drawing board choices.”

All drones are unreliable? I think it depends on two factors. One is what kind of drones do you choose. As the GoPro Karma lacks features such as obstacle avoidance and “Follow Me” mode, so you should find a deserted wide open field with no obstacles. If you want to fly around Manhattan, then some drones like the Phantom 4/4 Pro and Mavic Pro which have obstacle avoidance may be a better choice. The other thing is that the drone operators make safe flying their priority. Although drone manufacturers are doing everything technically possible to ensure flight safety, drone enthusiasts must also do their part.

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Compared to DJI,Yuneec is also full of power

Now the consumer drone market is becoming crowded and companies like Yuneec, and DJI, will have to focus on honing drones and software for business users.

Flying a drone is tricky business. The prosumer models are powerful, fast and can get into trouble in a hurry if you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why smart, logical design and intuitive controls are so important in the drone game.

Don’t get me wrong, the $1,299, six-rotor drone is expertly designed. It has a third more rotors than, say, the DJI Phantom 4 and, unlike virtually every other drone I’ve tested, folds up for relatively easy transport: the rotor arms fold down to the body when not in flight.

The Yuneec Typhoon H is also an intelligent drone, more or less matching DJI on autonomous flight control features, including built-in obstacle avoidance and the ability to track objects on its 4K camera.

It is paired, though, with one of the more confusing remote controls, called a ground station, I’ve encountered in some time.

Like the DJI Phantom 4, Yuneec’s Typhoon H arrives in a rather large gray foam box. Lacking a handle, it doesn’t quite qualify as a carrying case (you can buy a drone backpack separately). Inside is the drone, with all its rotors folded down, the sizable remote control (the ST16 Ground Station), a bag of a dozen propellers, a large drone battery, AC/DC charger with cables for both the drone and remote, a sunshade for the remote’s 7-inch screen, a neck strap to hold the remote and a 16GB micro SD card and SD card-sized micro SD card adapter.

Before we get to flying, it’s worth spending some time talking about the remote control. Unlike the DJI Phantom 4, which uses a much smaller and lighter remote that’s paired with your iPad or iPhone running DJI flight software, Yuneec’s Ground station is an all-in-one device. The centerpiece is a 7-inch screen running Yuneec’s Android-based ground control interface, which offers real-time updates on altitude GPS and satellite availability, current position, altitude, speed, distance from pilot and photography presets. It’s also where you access most of the drone’s deeper settings and more powerful modes.

Yet despite my reservations about the Yuneec Typhoon H, especially its bloated Ground System, I still think it’s a really good prosumer drone. Yes, it will take more time to figure out.

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Why I choose the yuneec Q500 as my first drone?

If you are shopping your first drone, or you are searching a drone which is easy to fly and has a noticeable camera. Then I’d like to recommend you the Yuneec Typhoon Q500, just as I choose the Typhoon Q500 as my first drone.

When we choose drones, one model rules the skies. DJI’s Phantom drone, the Phantom 4 in particular.

Though similar in size, weight, and price, the Typhoon is no Phantom knockoff. It’s not a Phantom killer, either. Both have their strengths, and which one is best for you depends largely on what you plan to do with it. The Typhoon’s camera produces excellent results, and while the drone is slower and more sluggish than others, it’s remarkably easy to pilot. It’s a drone for people nervous about trying to control a $1,200 piece of flying equipment.

The Typhoon Q500 looks a bit more aggressive than DJI’s shining happy drones, with sleeker lines and a back end that resembles the head of the space-creatures in Alien. It’s also larger than the more familiar Phantoms, and made of plastic far flimsier than I’m used to seeing. That’s partly due to the fact that the Typhoon Q500 landing gear (and gimbal) can be snapped off with no special tools and stored in a much flatter package.

Unlike DJI’s offerings, the Typhoon’s base controller ships with a built-in screen in the form of a small Android device sporting 480p resolution. On one hand, it’s nice not to have so many different parts to keep track of. But there’s no way to add a bigger, clearer screen when, for example, a new iPad mini is released (the mobile device I currently use with the Phantom 3).

The screen is bright, though flying in direct sunlight remains difficult. To be fair, that’s true of every screen I’ve ever used to fly a drone. Yuneec helpfully includes a sunshade that attaches, awkwardly, to the controller with suction cups. It doesn’t completely solve the problem, but it does help.

I found the controller familiar enough to all but eliminate a learning curve. First-timers should have an easy time with it. The Typhoon’s video and still image capture buttons are chunkier than anything I’ve used, but that makes them easier to find without looking down at your hands. The included app is intuitive enough that I never cracked the manual. The touch screen is responsive as well, which is good because some of the menus and buttons are really tiny.

The Typhoon’s flight control system is great overall, it makes flying dead simple and trumps everything I’ve used save the new controller for the Phantom 3.

If you are a green hand, Yuneec Typhoon Q500 is quite a good choice.It might take a fairly skilled pilot to take advantage of all these options and features, but at the end of it all, it’s more than worth it.

 

 

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GoPro Karma vs Phantom 4: Duel of drones

The GoPro Karma was recalled last year due to sudden loss of power which would cause the drone to crash mid-flight. The re-release for the Karma drones fixed the issue by adding latches to keep the battery secure during flight.

Note that since we did not have the New GoPro Karma in our hands at the moment, we can only rely on what the manufacturer says about the old version, namely the technical data sheet.

Control and functionality

Let’s start with the item that we have … the least information. Indeed, for lack of test, difficult to get an idea on what is worth the GoPro Karma in flight. However, on paper, the Phantom 4 seems to us far better provided than its competitor.

The TapFly has two very interesting functions: the TapFly, which allows it to fly to a destination marked on the smartphone and tablet, and the ActiveTrack, which is the tracking mode. Without target beacon) of the Phantom 4.

These automatic modes require the presence of an obstacle detector at the front of the drone, which it is actually equipped with.

The GoPro Karma only has an “auto path” mode, which aims to optimize the shooting and avoid the hazards of manual driving by making the flight more fluid.

As for controlling, DJI and GoPro have taken quite different paths: when the first one is displaying on a smartphone (or a tablet), GoPro proposes a dedicated controller, with a large screen rather bright on the paper (900 nits ). The counterpart is that if this controller is damaged, you have no choice but to replace it.

Finally, GoPro allows, with its Passenger App, to share video in real time with other users (available on iOS and Android). The latter can, while you are piloting the drone, take care of the capture and the shooting.

Performance and autonomy

Regarding performance and autonomy, once again, the Phantom 4 seems to be still ahead of GoPro Karma. Whether it is the top speed (20 m / s, compared to 15 for the Karma), the range (3.5 km, versus 1 km for the GoPro drone) or the maximum altitude (6,000 meters, while the Karma only “4,500 meters”), the Phantom 4 data sheet surpasses that of the Karma drone.

From the point of view of autonomy, the observation is identical; DJI announces 28 minutes of flight, against 20 minutes for GoPro. The battery onboard the Phantom 4 (81.3 Wh against 75.4 Wh for Karma) is probably not unrelated to this difference of 8 minutes.

Compactness

The GoPro Karma is considerably heavier: counting the mass of the drone, the battery, the camera and the stabilizer, we arrive at 2,144 kg. The Phantom 4 is 300 grams less. Its width and length are also larger than those of the DJI drone (411 x 305 mm, compared to 229 x 229 mm for the Phantom 4).

On the other hand, it is less than 6 cm high and above all, its articulated structure allows it to take more compact dimensions, which allow it to fit in a backpack (delivered by GoPro). A real asset for Karma.

The quality of the shot

It is certainly in this area that the difference between the two drones is the most significant. The Phantom 4 has a dedicated camera, this is not the case with Karma, where you can adapt a GoPro Hero 4 (Black or Silver), a Hero 5 Session or a Hero 5 Black.

This choice makes the GoPro Karma very scalable, and from this point of view, GoPro was rather smart, rightly focusing on the quality of its pocket cameras.

In the case of the Phantom 4, a 9-element lens overhangs a 1/2-inch sensor that shares 12 million pixels, an aperture at f / 2.8 and a sensitivity that ranges from 100 to 3,200 ISO. GoPro is less hard on the subject: just know that the GoPro Hero 5 has a 6-element aspherical glass lens, which brings light to 12 million pixels as well.

In video, performance is similar, but GoPro reaches 30 fps in 4K, where the Phantom 4 is content with 25 fps. Both drones can shoot in Full HD at 120 fps.

In Conclusion

This comparison between these two drones highlights their different orientation: when GoPro Karma relies on the simplicity and the quality of the videos, trying to attract a large audience, Phantom 4 are oriented more towards the users more demanding, which will have uses more exotic than a “simple” shot.

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Yuneec Typhoon wifi problems reconfirm why Yuneec fails to challenge market leader DJI

Yuneec China has long been striving to offer a formidable challenge to DJI – the largest of all UAV drone manufacturers in the world. Unfortunately, Typhoon wifi problems, along with other issues with the hexacopter, have made pilots deeply disappointed and frustrated. Online forums like dronecompares or yuneecpilots are already swamped with tens of hundreds of complaints from users who say the Typhoon wifi problem is bigger than what Yuneec is willing to admit publicly.

The Typhoon wifi problem has a clear precursor in the way pilots struggle to get their drone airborne – it takes forever to establish the GPS connection and to get the Typhoon wifi going. As a result, the connection of the camera keeps snapping back and forth with the ground and the Typhoon wifi connection is lost intermittently. Pilots have submitted first-hand reports of Typhoon wifi problems where they experienced sudden loss of connection and the recording stopped without any notice.

Having set up waypoints, some pilots would take off and start recording aerial footage and then, all of a sudden, see the Typhoon wifi connection stop working. And they’re not a small number if online reviews are any indication. In comparison, DJI Phantom 4 signal loss instances are far less frequent – the internal wifi card of the DJI machine delivers a much more reliable performance, speaking volumes for DJI’s superior R&D.

One particular Yuneec user even went on to say that she struggled for 15 minutes to simply get the Typhoon wifi connection established – that’s the extent of Typhoon wifi problems. The drone’s owners have since made numerous complaints about the quality of the Typhoon wifi connection. For some, it is just impossible to connect using Typhoon wifi, because the wifi network on their drones simply doesn’t show up on their devices.

Yuneec Typhoon H vs DJI Phantom 4 benchmarking is not only about the Typhoon wifi performance. Even from a basic navigation and tracking point of view, Phantom 4 is a much more superior product. DJI Phantom 4 reviews are all praise for unique features like ActiveTrack and TapFly. Most importantly, inconsistent Typhoon wifi problem and issues with its GPS connection mean that its video downlink is also unreliable. In comparison, DJI offers its highly advanced and proprietary Lightbridge 2 video downlink technology.

Yuneec Typhoon H has a smaller operating range – about a kilometer – against a DJI Phantom 4 comparison, which can be safely controlled from over five kilometres away. One may think the Typhoon wifi problem is a function of how far the drone is from the ground. In fact, Typhoon wifi problems have been reported at a wide variety of ranges – from 30 feet to 500 feet. Considering the extent of Typhoon wifi problems, experts have concluded that DJI’s RC quadcopter is obviously a better machine than the more expensive Typhoon H.

One of the big promises made to the market when Yuneec announced its alliance with Intel was better navigation and safer flights. Unfortunately, the Yuneec Intel partnership has had no impact on the Typhoon wifi outage. Pilots are more frustrated than ever, and market analysts are just negative in their outlook.

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Will DJI Phantom 5 be your drone?

What are the typical time frames for versions with DJI? What are the rumors concerning Phantom 5?

We scoured the internet to find all of the rumors, leaks, and allegations that are surrounding the drone that has everybody at the edge of their seats.

Design

The shell of the DJI Phantom 5 will be available in two colors (white and black) this will give it a sporty look and a glossy finish to it. The motors are firmly attached and stand tall while the top of the drone is mounted by a quick release propeller. These are raised in particular, so that the stators can allow the props to get out of the way and so that the brakes can be applied at high speeds.

Another upgrade that you will immediately notice is that to the Gimbal as well as the camera that has been fitted. Why don’t the legs retract? With the legs out of the way you could have a gimbal that rotates 360 degrees, you could put on shorter focal length lenses or you could swap out that lens for one-half of a 360° camera. Maybe the other side of the 360° could snap onto the top of the drone? Anything can happen.

Camera 

The Phantom 5 will have a better camera. The Inspire 2 has a 5K capable camera. We would be surprised if the Phantom 5 doesn’t follow suit with upgraded video processing.

It is capable of taking high-quality images which can also be streamed to the controller live. It is ideal for those who want to use it for surveillance purposes or just for appreciating mother nature and clicking still images of birds, sunsets, etc. The high resolution of the camera ensures that the pictures do not get pixelated, thus allowing you to enjoy them full later on.

It’s also rumored that, the Phantom 5 comes with a removable camera which allows you to replace it, upgrade it or even swap it out with a 360 degree or thermal camera.

The Flight Time

The Phantom 5 will have a longer flight time. The Phantom 4 Pro can fly up to 30 minutes.

The Phantom 5 has been rumored to have a flight time that is up to 30 minutes long on a single charge, but some are saying it can even go up to 33 minutes. Others are claiming that it could even be 40 minutes on a single charge, which makes sense if the rumors of a never before seen battery are actually true.

Others are also saying that when the Phantom 5 is in Sports Mode you can get more than the average 30-minute claim, which doesn’t seem all that true considering Sports Mode usually drains the battery faster. However, these are all rumors, so there isn’t anything too solid yet.

Range

The Phantom 5 will have a longer range. The Phantom 4 Pro has a range of 7000 m. We expect the Phantom 5 to have a range of at least 8000 m, but potentially even up to 10,000 m.

The Features

The Phantom 5 will have front, rear and side cameras to help it avoid obstacles. The side cameras will give the Phantom 5 full 360-degree obstacle avoidance.Top and bottom obstacle avoidance.

It’s rumored to feature a second FPV camera. A second stationary lag-free camera could allow the pilot to fly the drone with an FPV headset while a second cameraman operates the camera and gimbal. The Inspire 2 has this feature so the Phantom could follow suit, but only if they also add retractable legs.

We may even be getting a waterproof drone. How awesome would it be to fly your Phantom at the beach and not have to worry about getting it wet? They might not make all Phantom 5s waterproof, but maybe we can hope for a dual release with a Phantom 5W model that can handle the elements and take off out of the water.

We may also have newer flight modes that are going to be paired with older ones, too. For example, Auto Takeoff and Auto Return, similar to Return to Home, may be coming into play here. We may also see GPS, which has supposedly improved drastically, reliant features, such as TapFly, ActiveTracking, and features that do not need GPS while in Sports Mode. In fact, Sports Mode is rumored to have replaced Flight Mode completely for the purpose of providing 10 additional minutes to flight time, but we can’t be too sure yet.

One of the more popular rumors is when the release date is. Some say that it will be in April, while others are thinking it’s going to be much closer to the holidays. We expect the Phantom 5 will not be around until the second half of the year as there is no need for improvement because the previous newly Phantom 4 Pro are awesome, so why keep going soon?

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Typhoon H RealSense not so much bang for the big bucks

Yuneec hexacopter equipped with Intel’s RealSense gets mixed reviews.

Yuneec is gaining a lot of attention from top drone pilots testing out the Typhoon H RealSense for marked quality improvements over the bulky Yuneec Q500 4K and rival DJI Phantom 4.

So far however the added cost for the Typhoon H RealSense for the Yuneec drone, running at $1,800 to $1,900 before any accessories, has called into question the bang for buck of the sensor initially designed for in-house equipment.

In particular, the advertised 3-5 meters of effective distance of the Typhoon H RealSense using structured infrared light has not proven true in higher-speed outdoor aerial photography.

Plus, in a DJI vs Yuneec comparison, the Typhoon H RealSense lacks the more numerous and stable GPS connections available to the DJI Phantom 4, calling into question the ability to dodge obstacles.

In fact, when Yuneec made a sort of debut with the Typhoon H RealSense at the Las Vegas CES show at the start of 2016, a high-tech and expensive VICON demo system was employed to avoid any slipups. That is not the case for the Typhoon H RealSense models on sale now and the comparison to the top-notch DJI Phantom 4 tracking system could prove it a poor cousin.

The idea from Yuneec R&D was to install the Intel RealSense R200 camera at the factory – current Typhoon H models can upgrade for $600 – and use an Intel Atom processor module to map the drone’s surroundings in 3D.

Getting the new parts onto the drone for the Typhoon H RealSense and in sync with other equipment could be a challenge, though Yuneec has not highlighted any particular weight issue or other issues with battery life that may result. Still, electronic equipment has a way of testing patience.

However, it is not a bad plan, but as seen with the Yuneec Q500 4K – products leaving the Yuneec production line have a way of coming back for tweaks, or outright part replacements as in the case of the antenna for the patchy internal WiFi card that has caused all kinds of connection complaints. That is unlike the proprietary and superior DJI Lightbridge 2, which has drawn praise for solid connections.

However, it may be the willingness of existing Typhoon H owners to pay the $600 premium that provides the best evidence for the Typhoon H RealSense because it would have to far outshine the existing ultrasonic collision prevention already installed.

So far, several reviewers who own a Q500 4K or a Typhoon H without the Typhoon H RealSense said they would wait, especially since production glitches are apparently delaying a wider rollout and Yuneec has only vaguely promised a separate Typhoon H RealSense technology at some point in the future.

And at least one early reviewer on Amazon said replacing parts broken during flyaways and erratic crashes has bumped up the cost considerably.

“I’m a little over $2800 in on a $1800 copter,” Bifster said. “I should have waited and researched issues with this unit better, before I bought it.”

 

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DJI PHANTOM 4: IN AUTOMATIC PILOT MODE

They begin with the introduction of a stereoscopic detection system: based on the presence of 4 sensors in front and below the drone, it provides recognition of obstacles. The range of this system is 15 m at the front and 10 m below. Used in automatic mode, it allows the Phantom 4 to brake automatically in front of an obstacle until it stops to avoid the collision and, in the “Return to Home” mode, it allows to automatically return to its original position more efficient thanks to an optimization of its trajectory.

The intelligent functions of the Phantom 4 are operated in the “TapFly” autonomous flight mode. Simply specify the destination by clicking on the touch screen of the control box so that the drone goes there by adapting to its Environment and bypassing obstacles.

More interestingly, the DJI engineers worked on a tracking method called “Active Track”. The Phantom 4 will automatically follow a moving subject while leaving the user with control over camera movements as well as the ability to rotate around the subject that will always remain in the center of the frame. At any time, the user retains the possibility of pressing the “pause” button of the drone control to place it in the stationary position and resume control of the flight conditions.

Other features include “Sport” mode, which allows faster acceleration and deceleration of the Phantom 4 and a top speed of 20 m / s in flight. This speed can be reached thanks to the redesigned engines.

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Yuneec Typhoon G wifi comparing the DJI Phantom 4’s Lightbridge

“I have been losing Yuneec Typhoon G wifi connectivity as of late. I look down and the display as saying it is trying to reconnect. This was a short flight. I was at 55 feet and 267 feet away. One flight I lost connectivity and it never re-connected. I hit home, landed craft, and had to cycle power to Typhoon to re-establish connection to camera. Any ideas??”

“I have had the exact same issue three times now…..but it displays the last connected still video frame instead of plain black….have to land, power down and wait for a new connection to get rid of the still frame video image stuck on the st10. …will test again to see if i was not keeping the st10 pointed directly at the Q500 within a 30¤ window.”

These are some cases from Yuneec forum, Yuneec Typhoon G wifi issues still bother some pilots.

Compared to Yuneec Typhoon G wifi, DJI’lightbridge is a great work. Lightbridge is a DJI proprietary communication link technology used to broadcast 720P live “near real time” video from a drone to the ground, over a mile, often 2+ miles. Lightbridge uses the same 2.4Ghz frequency band that Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi uses, however Lightbridge is much different than the standard WiFi communications other drone manufactures use (think Yuneec, Blade, 3DR). Lightbridge is a one way stream of data with no two way handshaking. It’s literally a broadcast of data, like TV broadcasters use from the top of hills. This is very different than Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi that requires constant two way “hand shake” communications with every packet of data. With WiFi, each data packet has to confirm a packet was received, and all 512 bytes in the packet was received intact. If one byte is lost, the whole 512 byte packet is sent again! This is where latency occurs. Resending data for one byte loss is a waste of time in the wireless video world of drone flying. Although wifi is very fast from a data point of view, the two way handshaking of the TCP/IP protocol WiFi hinders the goal of “real time” video, which everyone needs to fly drones FPV. There is NO TIME for resending packets when real time video is the goal.

When you reach the distance limits with Lightbridge the screen will typically show streaks and you’ll get a warning of connection weakness. Most of the time reconnecting is generally fairly quick, because there’s NO requirement for two-way handshaking to re-establish connection, like Yuneec Typhoon G Wifi. Lightbridge is much faster at re-establishing a connection when it reaches it’s distance limit.

Another weakness of Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi is wooded flight locations. Briefly going behind a tree with leaves can disrupt Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi signals and affect video a lot easier than Lightbridge. Wifi is more sensitive to lockups and disconnects with tree/leaf interferance. Trees contain moisture, a signal blocker, and will trigger Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi will lose a few bytes, triggering re-sending of large packets, impacting the latency and video consistency. Lightbridge reacts a little different with slight data is lost from trees. This looks more like video streaks or static, but you’ll always see an image, with a low latency of 100 to 200ms.

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