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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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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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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Yuneec Breeze teardown: A flying white chubby boy

It was known for being acquired by Intel, and amazed everyone at CES by performing a stunning obstacle avoidance show, which was revealed as a fake one. Its flagship, Typhoon H is seldom seen in Chinese market. But the reason behind it seems to be Yuneec’s focus abroad, nothing strange if the Typhoon H is little known in China. And today I’m going to give review to another Yuneec product, Yuneec Breeze.

Unboxing | Build Quality

The box is white, same as the aircraft itself, showing a sense of minimalism.

In the box: accessories as well as a storage box, which I personally like, for it makes the drone’s storage easier.

Aircraft X1, propeller protector X4, flight batteryX1, storage box X1, spared propeller set X1, charger X1, cable X1, user menu.

There are screws for the spared propellers, but no screwdriver is included. The capacity of the battery is 1150mAh, a little higher than Dobby’s 970mAh.

The plastic storage box is quite soft but with a very tight “Push” button, creating a lot of trouble when trying to open it.

Yuneec Breeze has soft lines, which makes it look chubby and cute, despite an obvious bump on top of the aircraft for GPS antennas. The white color is also appealing, though might be a bit hard to keep it clean, I guess.

Like many drones in the market, Yuneec Breeze is plastic, too. But its shell is thinner, with a poor texture and even some cracks on it. The build quality is not impressive in general.

Sensors at the bottom of the drone: the large one is IRS, and small one is OFM, for hovering and positioning respectively.

Landing gears at the bottom need to be unfolded manually, otherwise the glass of the sensors will directly touch the ground and get scratched, affecting the precision of hovering and positioning.

When the landing gears are unfolded, the Yuneec Breeze is lifted to about 1cm above the ground, giving effective protection to its bottom. But folding the gears back is a tough job, because the springback is very strong. With no cushion on the gears, the frame arms are hurt due to the strong impact force when folding the gears back.

And the openings on aircraft body is rough too. You can see the cables connecting the main board and motors straightly from the back of the battery compartment. Thermovents are set on the top of the arms, left no cover or protection from the rain which can directly get to the battery and main board, and you can say goodbye to your drone.

Rain can get into the aircraft body from the thermovents on top, risking short-circuited problems.

Cables can be seen from the gap between a motor and the frame arm.

Probably because Breeze is not properly sealed, I found something inside the IRS (on the other side of the glass).
There is no way to remove it, driving an OCD like me crazy.

A huge interface exposes the USB connection as well as the main board inside the aircraft, something so rough that I’ve never seen in other drones…

The camera of the OFM is not at the center, again, driving me crazy.

Though the build quality is not impressive at all, still there is highlights. The camera, for example, is 1-axis and can be adjusted with the dedicated app, instead of doing it manually like Dobby.

Mounting propeller protectors to Yuneec Breeze is very easy, because they are simply fixed by snaps. It brings convenience for setting, but also risk of falling off by a slight impact.

Though Dobby’s body is thick, thanks for its foldable design, it’s still narrower than an iPhone 7 Plus. Apparently Breeze is less portable than Dobby. Its size reaches 196x196x65mm, larger than iPhone 7 Plus even when it’s folded up, impossible to fit in your pocket.

Put Breeze in the storage box and it has nothing to do with portability anymore. The box is a bit larger than an 8-inch cake box, which can only be put in a backpack instead of a chest bag.

Flight | Control

Because the controller and the aircraft is connected with Wi-Fi, the maximum controllable range of Yuneec Breeze is only 80m (at height) and 100m (at distance), typical spec of mini drones emerged since last year. Selfie is the main application scenario.

Yuneec Breeze uses app— the most common way for control. There are two ways of control, joystick and slider. The former serves just like a controller, with the right stick for horizontal moves, and left for ascend/descend and heading. But still, the virtual sticks are not sensitive enough to peer the real ones.

Also when you are flying Yuneec Breeze in joystick mode, you can press a button and the drone will mimic your smart phone’s motion. Latency for this mode is not bad, but still not sensitive enough to get the drone back when accidents happen. So my suggestion is to fly in a wide open space.

The setting of Slider mode, on the other hand, is disastrous. Pushing up for controlling the done back and forth, down for heading, right for ascending/descending and left for pitch. The design is unreasonable and every difficult to predict the attitude of the drone if you don’t look at it.
But the most complicated thing is you can’t control the flight and camera simultaneously.

There are six flight modes:

Pilot Mode：Joystick control, ordinary flight mode

Selfie Mode：Slider control, with the drone facing to the pilot

Orbit Mode：Slider control, using GPS to circle around a certain point

Journey Mode：Slider control, by using camera pitch to calculate the trajectory of the aircraft, Breeze will fly away from you and then back to you.

VisionTrack Mode: Joystick control. In Follow Me, Yuneec Breeze uses GPS to track your movement.

*FPV Mode: Not released yet.

Orbit: In Orbit mode, you need to manually choose a point, and Breeze will circle around it basing on the GPS information of this point. Besides, the camera gimbal also needs manual adjustment, too. But due to GPS error, Breeze is often astray when circling.

Journey: By using camera pitch to calculate the trajectory of the aircraft, Breeze will fly away from you and then back to you. Because Breeze doesn’t have any obstacle avoidance on board, always watch out for obstacles when using this mode.

VisionTrack: In VisionTrack mode, use two fingers to frame a target on the screen, and Yuneec Breeze will adjust its heading and automatically follow the target. You can switch between Watch and Track modes manually.

In our test, the Watch mode is very unstable, with a lot of shakings during recording, because the gimbal keeps tilting up and down. While the Track mode often goes off course when following a target. Can’t figure out why.

Yuneec Breeze is equipped with a 13 megapixel camera, capable of recording 4K/30fps without electronic stabilization, common among small-size drones.

Remember Dobby’s image quality? Due to the lack of built-in damping balls and stabilization gimbal, the edges of images that Dobby shoots will blur out, and videos shows severe jello effect like the screenshot above.

Equipped with built-in damping balls, Yuneec Breeze does a much better job in shooting and recording, compared to Dobby. No sign of jello effect basically. However, limited by its flight stability and camera quality, the overall camera performance is just so-so.

Resolution of the above image reaches 4160X3120, but image quality is not impressive. Color reproduction isn’t precise; details are not clear; ISO and shutter cannot be adjusted either.

In terms of recording, the footage at 1080p shows visible shakings even when Breeze is hovering and with stabilization. It seems the single axis can only control the camera’s pitch, instead of reducing shakes.

Although Yuneec Breeze manages to satisfy the most basic shooting needs, consider its price is as high as 3000RMB (3299RMB originally), its price/performance ratio is low.

Duration | Summary

After several landings and taking-offs, the real flight time of Breeze is a little longer than 10min, still a gap with the announced 12min. Given the wind speed and operation during the test, such a gap is acceptable, anyway.

Still, 10min flight time is too short for a mini drones with portability and such a high price, meaning it’s not suitable for daily use. Few people will spend this amount of money and effort just for a 10min flight.

But on the other hand, it’s encouraging to see drones like Breeze launched to the market. Small and smart drones are the future of drone industry. In whichever industry, it’s good to have someone dare to give it a go.

Yuneec Breeze

Good points:

1. Adorable appearance, fresh color, appealing to female consumers
2. Storage box to protect the aircraft from collision and scratches
3. Built-in damping balls reduces shakes and increase camera performance
4. Single axis gimbal to control camera movement

Weak points:

1. Poor build quality and material texture. Exposed connector and unreasonable design
2. Not foldable. Poor portability.
3. Mushy control. Slider design is a nightmare
4. Flight and camera cannot be control at the same time
5. The quality of images and videos is not satisfactory
6. Flight time is too short
7. The price is too high.

Tear apart | Notes


From top to bottom: cooling fin, IRS and OFM. Processor and ISP should be behind the fin. Modules are properly set on the main board, cables are well organized and neat.

The camera in Yuneec Breeze can be tilted by a steering gear, and the camera is directly connected to the main board. Damping balls serve as cushions between main board, frame arms and motors, effectively reducing vertical high frequency shakes, the best way to solve jello effect problems.

The build quality inside Breeze is better than that of Typhoon H. however, Yuneec should really improve Breeze’s shell…

 

 

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Yuneec Typhoon H let my girlfriend and me down!

OMG! What a nightmare. My Yuneec Typhoon H remote controller is dead on arrival. It ruined my mood for the flight of Yuneec Typhoon H.

I called Yuneec support and was requested to return it back for repair after spending $1300.

Repair, well, I don’t think anyone agrees to have a repaired unit after spending so much dollars. I learned from the forum that the repaired unit doesn’t work as well as the brand new one.

With my tons of phone calls to push for an exchange, they agreed to send me new one considering I’m the valued customer.

A week later, I received my new controller. I have to say that I’m a beginner. I had to call the support again and again to get it work. It took around 2 hours and many tries to bind the hex.

The support told that if it still didn’t work, I might need to have the remote controller sent back to them again. Again? I did want to kick the Typhoon H off at that time. I told the support, I needed a full refund if it didn’t work this time and I would tell my friends not to purchase anything from Yuneec.

The support seemed to sense something and became very patient after that. With his help, I get the remote controller bind to the hex. I thought the nightmare ended up there. I started to try my first flight after everything was set up. I took off the Typhoon H. It ascended to 10 meters high. I noticed the landing gear was in the live video. Shouldn’t the landing gear retract itself at this height? I tried with my remote controller but still failed to have the landing gear retract. I ascended the Typhoon H and thought the landing gear might retract. But nothing changed when it was 20 meters high.

I landed the Typhoon H and call the tech support. I operated with their instructions but it would start and one leg would get stuck. My patience worn thinner and thinner. I didn’t even want to fly it anymore.

Three days later, my girlfriend told me she would like to watch me flying the typhoon H. I thought it could still fly at least. So we took the drone to an open area. When I tried to fly the typhoon H, the new controller had lost the binding to the aircraft body again. I started to try to bind them again and it took us 30 minutes with trials. It worked finally. But what most ridiculous thing was it lost signal from the aircraft again when my girlfriend was ready to what me flying.

I started the procedure again and again but my trials went in vain. I called tech support and they were even not able to help. I was recommended to send my Typhoon H for test. Seriously?!!!

The Typhoon H just ruined my day! I could see how frustrated my girlfriend was.

Should I send it back to repair or full refund? It is like an endless nightmare and I’m tired of everything about Typhoon H.

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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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What a bad Yuneec customer service

I am an experienced pilot, both full-size fixed- and rotary-wing and RC. This Yuneec Typhoon Q500 flies wonderfully, both with and without GPS lock, and functions as advertised EXCEPT: BE ADVISED YOU CANNOT CONTROL A GOPRO WITH THIS UNIT.

Took a 30-minute phone call with Yuneec to even determine this, because it’s not documented at all.

In addition, there were missing parts (no SD card in the package) and even after the phone call to Yuneec, and after they told me they would send me the card, nothing happened. I also ‘ordered’ the 4K camera to mount on the hard point, so as to ‘convert’ my unit to the Typhoon quadcopter, but apparently my order got lost by the tech I spoke with and ten days later I still have that crappy GoPro gimbal, which itself doesn’t hold camera steady under ANY conditions.

Disappointed…

Later,I heard so many complaints about Yuneec customer service, just one example here.

“I elected to go with Yuneec because of the customer service reputation.I was very pleased with the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter, so much so that I purchased another Yuneec drone as backup should anything go wrong.

It did, big style. First I installed the camera off the new one to test it out and the copter behaved independently crashing and breaking one side of the slide mount off the gimbal.

I ran the GUI and everything checked out. So, the next flight it again goes off at a tangent and took a notion to take a swim and drowned. It behaved as if a rotor was missing but I could see that all were still in place so I am guessing a motor packed up.I’m wary of using the new one until I can determine what actually happened.

Yuneec promised to send a new one or replace at a “deep discount” dependent on the cause.Now they say the telemetry files are unreadable (I can read them????)They also promised to email me a return form to have the second camera (the first is still with the fish) repaired.

The Yuneec return form email promise was over a week ago.The post office would have been quicker i am sure. Beginning to think my desire to obtain an Yuneec drone Typhoon H is not a good idea after all.”

Yuneec customer service and warranty are a joke.

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Yuneec DJI comparison – Phantom drones make it an uneven battle

The Yuneec DJI comparison is a popular topic among drone enthusiasts given the fact that DJI and Yuneec are probably two of the most important players in the consumer drones market so the battle between them is quite fierce.

Yuneec has been putting a lot of effort to challenge DJI, which currently enjoys the biggest market share in the consumer drone market. Yuneec DJI comparison reports or reviews often put a model from each UAV drone manufacturer side-by-side and compare their specs and performances. The most common Yuneec DJI comparison standard is the Yuneec Typhoon H vs DJI Phantom 4 benchmarking.

DroneCompares has done a lot of Yuneec DJI comparison work and almost all the commentators agree that the Phantom 4 has a much better camera than the Typhoon H. While the Yuneec drone has similar specs – both cameras being QHD and high megapixels – the Phantom delivers final outputs that are clearer, sharper and crisper. If you ask a neutral analyst about which camera is the winner in Yuneec DJI comparison, expect to hear that Phantom 4 offers better video quality. The captured aerial videos are crispier with better dynamic range and more ‘natural’ colour contrasts.

And it’s not just the quality of images and video footage that determine the Yuneec DJI comparison. DJI Phantom 4 reviews endorse its proprietary Lightbridge 2 technology and the best available video downlink solution. A Yuneec DJI comparison based on live video streaming is therefore obviously in favour of DJI.

One of the biggest advantages of the Phantom over the Yuneec Typhoon H is the DJI drone’s much greater flight range, first person view and altitude range. Certainly, Phantom 4 wins in terms of control range over Typhoon H in a Yuneec DJI comparison, allowing the Phantom about five times higher distance flights.

In terms of ease of operating the drones, a Yuneec DJI comparison seems evenly poised towards DJI. Both UAVs come in as ready to fly, which mostly means there’s no assembly required – just charge the batteries and fly. However, a closer Yuneec DJI comparison reveals that it takes much longer to get the Typhoon airborne due to the long time it takes to pair with the control unit and to lock its GPS.

Contrary to the Typhoon H unboxing experience, where after few flights you will find that you need to purchase additional accessories, the DJI Phantom 4 package is very rich. Some factors that differentiate the Yuneec DJI comparison are the carrying case, the battery, the remote control unit and, of course, the DJI GO app.

On a Yuneec DJI comparison, both models have a nice design in their own ways. Doing a Yuneec DJI comparison solely based on the looks of the drones is difficult. Some people love the rugged and aggressive look of the Yuneec Typhoon while a lot of people appreciate the clean, contemporary, elegant lines of the DJI Phantom 4.

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Back to the future with Yuneec Breeze 4k

Yuneec China 12-minute flying selfie stick not what the world needs.

Good ideas catch on and are quickly imitated, as the selfie stick shows. But it is unlikely that UAV drone manufacturers will look to copy a drone “selfie” like the Yuneec Breeze 4k that gets easily buffeted by the wind with a battery life counted optimistically at 12 minutes.

Indeed, unlike the Yuneec Breeze 4k, if a selfie stick is damaged or lost it can be easily replaced. But the beetle-shaped 1-pound Yuneec drone at US$500 makes the prospect of damage or flyaways a bit costlier.

On damages, the Yuneec Breeze 4K does come with fold-in propellers, but not a dedicated carrier offering foam or other protection. The landing gear in the Breeze is made of plastic that can easily chip or break if carried in a backpack unprotected and hand guards for the propellers are missing-in-action.

Just that R&D effort alone raises question about the commitment of Yuneec to quality and reliable usage as it targets first-time drone buyers in a push that UAV drone manufacturers just starting out appear to have already won with prices as low as $99 for versatile models that can add 4K cameras from other manufacturers.

In fact, even the 4K in the Yuneec Breeze 4K name should be taken with a grain of salt as many early reviewers suggest using 1080P to get a more stable and ready-to-use video because of the patchy connection via an APP to smartphone WiFi and limited range of 80 meters–and then hopefully post it to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Instagram or WhatsApp.

At that price and for far better camera features at a 2.7K video feed and a 3-axis gimbal and reliability the DJI Phantom 3 Standard is true value for money, especially for first-time drone buyers, and time tested for GPS reliability and under $500. There is really no comparison that the Yuneec Breeze 4K can stand up to.

In fact, unlike the Yuneec drone, the DJI Phantom 3 returns to the user at the press of a button and does the same if the control signal is ever lost and the stability of the drone in flight and hover brings back razor-sharp images.

However, the Yuneec Breeze 4k camera is not mechanically stabilized when filming in 4K, though images are electronically stabilized at 1080p–showing that 4K is not always 4K.

All of this has caught the attention of initial reviews of the Breeze with comparisons not at the nimbler and reliable models like the DJI series, but at newer drones that have flying times more than double the Yuneec Breeze 4K.

And the inevitable comparison of the Yuneec Breeze 4K is to the Yuneec Q500 4K, which has struggled as a bulky product beset by internal WiFi card issues and GPS reliability. Yuneec has attempted to move on from the Q500 4K with the Typhoon H class-but the legacy problems have reportedly impacted production and engineering fixes for the hexacopter.

In fact, some drone pilots suggest Yuneec risks getting lost in the crowd of low-end drone manufacturers that for now are not in the long-term game of innovation to gain customer loyalty like DJI.

 

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The typical Yuneec drone:Yuneec Typhoon H

Yuneec is the Chinese aircraft manufacturer that’s giving DJI a run for its money. Yuneec has launched a series of typhoon Yuneec drone models Typhoon H,Typhoon G and Typhoon Q500. As the Typhoon H is the advanced Yuneec drone model,finally it came to my choice.

In this article, I’d like to share some information of Yuneec drone model Typhoon H to you.

The first thing you notice about this monster is its size. The six arms can fold down for easy storage, but it’s a lot more fun to have this sitting around like a giant flying face-hugger waiting to unleash havoc. Once you get over the initial shock of the drone’s size you’re surprised by its simplicity. Except for a fiddly gimbal under the legs, it is about as elegant a piece of consumer electronics as I’ve seen in a long time.

This six-rotor flying machine is actually a camera platform. The webcam-like ball camera on the rotating gimbal records video in 4K UHD 30fps or 1080p 120fps. It can also take 12-megapixel photos.

Charging the battery takes a few hours and it lasts for about 15 minutes of hard flying. There are multiple warnings when you’re about to run out of juice, and the drone will lower itself toward the ground if it’s about to hit empty. You can lift the landing pads up and out of the way with the flip of a switch and you have full 360-control of the camera.

There is also a little “wizard” controller that lets you point the drone in different directions like a Wii controller, allowing for one person to control the flight pattern and another to record images and video.

The drone also has obstacle avoidance and a fairly robust landing system. When it gets too close to a tree or building, the drone will tend to move away from the obstacle. And when you bring it down it will, for the most part, slow itself down. In many cases, however, I noticed that the drone experienced a bumpy landing on almost every surface including cement. Unless you slam down the power button as quickly as possible, the thing will tip and you’ll be out a few propellers.

The best things of the Typhoon H is that it’s amazingly easy to fly even for the beginners. The obvious worst thing about this drone is the price. At $1,200 you could get a few DJI drones. I’d also worry a bit about the camera and gimbal. The entire enclosure is made of plastic and it cannot survive a direct hit with the ground unscathed. Luckily the big landing gear bears most of the weight when the drone comes down too fast but a direct hit on the camera with a tree branch or overhang can cause some major damage. It’s easy enough to replace the pieces but it’s a bit frustrating.

Despite not being a true “game changer”, the Yuneec drone will likely sell well and satisfy many users, especially those who desire a simpler out-of-the-box experience.

 

 

 

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What sets DJI Phantom 4 and Yuneec Typhoon H apart?

With all of the core specifications being similar such as flight time, 4K camera, obstacle avoidance,what sets DJI Phantom 4 and Yuneec Typhoon H apart?

Currently the Phantom 4 wins because of its lower price (when you include the realsense module on the Yuneec Typhoon H). Although the obstacle avoidance system is not perfect (especially with small objects like smaller tree branches), the fact that it also allows for visual object tracking makes it easier to record professional looking videos with ease by keeping your subject in shot as you fly around (most of the time). However if you prefer to film yourself doing stuff from the drone, then the Yuneec Typhoon H follow me functionality is better when using the wizard wand as it still relies on GPS to track you.

The key feature of these two flagship drones of 2016 is the fact that they include object avoidance / anti collision technology. This is a game changer as it takes the safety factor of flying your drone to the next level. This means that when you are flying and your drone detects that it is approaching an obstacle in front of it like a person, tree, or a building, the autopilot will take over and stop your quadcopter, preventing a crash.

Both the Phantom 4 and Yuneec Typhoon H have the ability for obstacle avoidance to prevent you crashing. Assuming you upgrade to the realsense module on your Typhoon H, the performance should be similar as I don’t think the basic ultrasonic sensor will be very useful for smaller obstacles like poles. So what sets the two apart?

For starter the price, when you add the realsense module the overall unit price will be more than the Phantom 4. That said the key thing here is that because the typhoon as a 360 degree gimbal it means that for obstacle avoidance it’s much more useful. If you are flying your Phantom backwards, it’s got no way of detecting an obstacle. If flying the Typhoon you can fly it forwards to the realsense module will detect obstacle, but you can turn the camera gimbal to face backwards allowing you to look backwards without needing to worry about crashing into something.

So there you have it, I tried to keep things brief so you get the basic idea.Which do you prefer the Phantom 4 or Typhoon H and why? Or do you prefer neither?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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An up and a down side of Yuneec Typhoon H

Yuneec Typhoon H,the flagship of Yuneec drone.In this article,we here analyse the up and a down side of the drone.

The first thing you notice about Yuneec Typhoon H is its size. The six arms can fold down for easy storage, but it’s a lot more fun to have this sitting around like a giant flying face-hugger waiting to unleash havoc.

The Yuneec Typhoon H also has obstacle avoidance and a fairly robust landing system. When it gets too close to a tree or building, the drone will tend to move away from the obstacle.

The good

The Yuneec Typhoon H is amazingly easy to fly. Getting it up into the air is as simple as pressing a button and the controls are unique if a little odd in that, when set in their default configuration, forward is always forward for the drone. In other words, if you’re facing North and push the left stick forward the drone will fly north. If you turn to face East and you press forward, the Yuneec drone will fly East. It’s an odd experience.

The Yuneec Typhoon H controller looks complex at first but there’s not much to worry about when you’re taking the drone through its paces. In short, you’re basically dealing with a powerful drone with a powerful internal computer and you practically can’t crash it unless you’re reckless.

The Bad

The obvious worst thing about this Yuneec Typhoon H is the price. At $1,200 you could get a few Parrot drones or an old Phantom 4. However, the features and power of this Yuneec Typhoon H drone make it well worth a look if you’re in the market for a mobile camera platform.

I’d also worry a bit about the camera and gimbal.The entire enclosure is made of plastic and it cannot survive a direct hit with the ground unscathed. Luckily the big landing gear bears most of the weight when the Yuneec Typhoon H comes down too fast but a direct hit on the camera with a tree branch or overhang can cause some major damage. It’s easy enough to replace the pieces but it’s a bit frustrating.

I’m also slightly concerned about Yuneec drone support. Yuneec is a smaller company in California and I’d be concerned about follow-up support if your drone goes into the drink. I didn’t have trouble getting a new landing gear after a crash, though, so they’re definitely doing their best to be responsive.

 

 

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Meet the Yuneec H920 plus

Drone manufacturer Yuneec has presented the multicopter Tornado H920 Plus, which is aimed at professional and commercial markets.

The six rotor arms that protrude from the carbon-fiber chassis are easily detached for portability; likewise, the carbon fiber propellers can be quickly attached and removed for storing the drone between shoots. Once airborne, the Yuneec H920 Plus will stay aloft for twice as long as its smaller cousin, the Yuneec Breeze, giving drone pilot 24 minutes of flight time on a single charge.

Yuneec worked in tandem with Panasonic to develop the CG04 interchangeable-lens compact Micro Four Thirds-format camera that’s designed for use with the hexacopter. Utilizing a 16MP CMOS sensor, the camera is slated to pump out still images or 4K video at 30 fps.

While it will ship with an Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 EZ lens, you’ll also be able to two other optics to suit your needs. The other lenses, a 12mm f.2 and 45mm f/1.8, also from Olympus should provide an array of options for still and video shooters alike looking to glean more professional-looking results from their drone.

A three-axis gimbal, which will also work a number of other Yuneec cameras (including a thermal one), promises to provide for smooth shooting in windy conditions.

Control of the drone itself has been upgrade from a mere smartphone app to a dedicated remote called ST16 Ground Station, which integrates a transmitter, manual flight controls, and a 7-inch 720p screen to show real-time flight footage from the hexacopter’s camera. The Ground Stations runs off a variant of the Android operating system and will also provide the array of automated selfie and “hero shot” flying features that drone pilots have become accustomed to.

Features of the Yuneec H920 Plus

• Waypoint programming
• Curve Cable Cam
• Follow Me and Watch Me
• Journey
• POI and Orbit Me
• ST16 remote control system with Intel Quadcore processor
• HD image transmission
• Modern flight controller
• Increased and stabilized range for the image signal
• Quick Release Propeller as standard

Technical specifications

• Flight time: 20 min
• Diagonal length without rotor blades: 920 mm
• Diameter of propeller / rotor: 440 mm
• Batteries: 6S 4000 mAh 8C LiPo
• Charger: 2x 100W AC-DC
• Transmitter: 16 channels, 2.4 GHz with 5.8 GHz video downlink (included)
• Maximum altitude (absolute altitude): 4000 meters (above sea level)
• Maximum relative airfield: 122 meters
• Maximum rotational speed: 100 ° / s
• Maximum rotation angle: 35 ° Maximum
• Flight speed: 70km / h radio control
• Frequency band: 2.4GHz
• Operating temperature: 10º to 50º C

Remote control

• Operating system: Android
• Number of channels: 16
• Range Control signal: Up to 1.6 km
• Video resolution: HD 720p
• Videolink frequency band: 5.8 GHz
• WiFi range of video transmission: up to 1.6 km
• Flight system Telemetry data on display (OSD): Yes
• LCD screen size: 7 inch
• Vibration and Audio feedback: Yes
• Built-in LiPo battery: 3.6 V 8700 mAh 31.32 Wh Li-Ion

 

 

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First hand on review on Yuneec Typhoon H pro

Yuneec Typhoon H pro features 6 rotors, 360-degree gimbal camera. The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro uses the amazing power of Intel RealSense Technology to avoid obstacles and keep you in the shot. It’s a very outstanding design and most of customer think it’s powerful and practicable.

The key innovative feature of the Yuneec Typhoon H pro is the collision avoidance technology based on the ‘RealSense’ solution from Intel. It combines laser infra-red and ultra-sonic sensor technologies to detect and avoid even moving obstacles which might cross the flight path of the Yuneec Typhoon H pro. The Yuneec Typhoon H pro will take evasive manoeuvres as needed autonomously. It works in congested areas offering a carefree follow me function like it has never been seen before.

The RealSense technology by Intel offers several smart functions integrated into the system including CYCLE, Point of interest (POI), Curve Cable Cam (CCC), JOURNEY and Front Ultrasound Sensor function. These functions add to the other proven safety features from Yuneec like Geo-fencing, Dynamic Return home, Low Battery Return Home and No Fly Zones.

But the RealSense on Yuneec Typhoon H pro effective distance of 5 meters, and infrared light structure “outdoors” is almost failure, can only rely on infrared light detection sensors continue to work, indicating that the module itself is not designed for outdoor, so the effect can be imagined that in low quantity. Not only that, but also lead to drone flight performance down. Limit the greater speed and responsiveness. Otherwise, the effective distance of 5 meters buffer is not only not an effective auxiliary tool, but also as a tasteless.

Furthermore, Yuneec Typhoon H pro do rely on GPS positioning. GPS error and flight performance is low let the “obstacle avoidance flight” and “tracking shot” These two features are a mess, Because the effect is really not good, obstacle avoidance flight will be with the lost, targeted shooting deviation, tracking shot is not smooth.

Another problem is the battery of Yuneec Typhoon H pro. It’s not as good as same as the advertisement. In my new Yuneec Typhoon H pro drone 2-minutes into flight, My Yuneec Typhoon H pro had a complete power failure at 40 meters, at a full charge. It fell like a rock and was totaled on a gentle grassy hill side. The flight log shows all was well then nothing from the time of the failure. After the crash the battery still says it has a near full charge. Yuneec sent me a RMA label. It’s been 7 days and I have not heard from Yuneec yet as what they are going to do for me. On calling they acknowledged they received my busted-up drone.

All I want to say that it’s not worth for my waiting to this new Yuneec Typhoon H pro before .

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Yuneec Typhoon H battery: longer charging time and shorter flight time

The Yuneec Typhoon H battery is one focal point in an ongoing debate among drone pilots in the context of the broader DJI Phantom 4 vs Yuneec Typhoon H discussion.

DJI, which has the much larger market share and loyal fan-base, has world-class R&D capabilities.

Yuneec China is the challenger that is not quite up to the challenge.

In a way, the competition is good for the market. It may be less of an ideal situation for pilots who find themselves holding products that are not best in class or on the losing side of the competition. .

The Yuneec Typhoon H may fall in that category. While the specs and six propellers look impressive, three obvious issues have been identified by reviewers, issues that keep the DJI Phantom series clearly in the lead.

These issues are Yuneec Typhoon H battery performance, ease of control and size.

It was DJI who popularised drone flying as a hobby with its extremely popular Phantom line. Yuneec and other followers have since come up with their own models – making the market a vibrant and competitive one.

DJI’s RC quadcopter the Phantom 4 and the larger Yuneec H are both equipped with excellent video cameras, both are accessibly priced, and both have autonomous and safety-minded features that make flying easy. However, the Phantom 4 edges ahead 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 is its battery recharge time—a full charge takes well over two hours. That’s twice as long as the Phantom 4 takes. Talking about flight time, DJI Phantom 4 reviews report a flight time of close to 28 minutes. On the other hand, against Yuneec’s own claim of 24 minutes, live tests average only about 22 minutes. With a two-hour recharge time, Yuneec H pilots will definitely want at least a couple of extra batteries on hand.

Upon Typhoon H unboxing you can see that the hexacopter design is meant to add stability in flight, it has also made the Typhoon H a pretty hefty drone. With its remote control unit stacked with a multitude of buttons and switches, the Typhoon H can also be a lot to control at first.

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