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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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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3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k: when neither machine succeeds in matching the excellence of DJI drones

3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k is a debate that revolves around two different sets of considerations – cost and quality. While 3DR Solo isn’t a bad machine given its low price and the reasonably well-built design, the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k price advantage soon becomes irrelevant when you consider the price of the camera and the gimbal. Yes, you heard it right – 3DR Solo is a drone that doesn’t come with a built-in gimbal; you have to pay separately to get one! On the other hand, when the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k debate concentrates on the quality aspect of the flying machines, both RC quadcopter models frustrate the pilots almost as much as each other.

3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k comparison isn’t always an easy one. 3DR made its Solo drone as a carrier for GoPro and as such their drone and the gimbal are designed to work with GoPro Hero cameras. That could be a great advantage given that the Q500 4k’s camera performance in a 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k comparison isn’t always the greatest. The more recent models in the GoPro Hero series are pretty nice and surely shoot better footage than the Yuneec Q500 4k does.

So, if you don’t own one of the compatible GoPro cameras, the total cost to own a 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k gets very close to the price of the Yuneec drone. In fact, for that much money, you should ask yourself why you are not opting for the far better and more established DJI Phantom 4. There’s no winner in 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k to that end.

On the other hand, 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k does reveal some unique features and qualities that make the Solo stand out. Comparing 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k, UAV drone manufacturers like 3DR give you the option to swap out cameras for the Solo.

Focusing on the Yuneec Q500 4k and forgetting the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k debate for a minute, the Yuneec Q500 4k quadcopter is way behind against a DJI Phantom 4 comparison. In terms of overall quality and flying experience, DJI Phantom 4 review scores are way more positive, and stand as a testament to DJI’s superior R&D capabilities.

The two factors go in favour of the Yuneec Q500 4k in the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k debate. For starters, the Q500 4k has two unique features called Follow Me and Watch Me. And then comes the basic difference between the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k – you don’t get a camera when you buy the 3DR Solo. And therefore, you lose out on the advantages of integration and synchronisation.

And, perhaps the other important differentiation between 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k is the after-sales service and customer support. A lot of reviews on sites like dronecompares or yuneecpilots suggest that the Q500 4k, much like its sibling Yuneec Typhoon H, is prone to signal loss and crash landings. Unfortunately, Yuneec China doesn’t cover crash landing damages in its warranty and service.

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Major causes of Yuneec Breeze indoor crashes…

Scan the Yuneec Breeze forums to discover Breeze drone crashed every now and then, especially indoors. What’s the major causes of indoor crashes?Let’s see the two stories firstly.

“I had several crashes indoor, I would say out of 8 flights the Yuneec Breeze went drifting and ignoring my command 6 times. I could catch her a few times then shutting off, but I got my piano and some probs damaged.

It is certainly an issue with the optical flow sensor or some similar sensor. When the drone flies over a carpet, my black or my grey couch I noticed slow response to my commands. The Breeze drone starts drifting. In two cases, after a short side drift, it went crazily fast to one direction until it crashed (the motors are switched off then).

Please be very careful indoors. At the moment I cannot recommend the Yuneec Breeze indoors. Even an experienced pilot can’t do anything as the drone ignores all commands from my phone in these cases (except emergency shutdown). Low light conditions seem to have a big impact on the sensor.

Yuneec should provide a manual control mode to fly the drone without the optical sensors or just let the pilot override the automatic reactions. Until then I’ll stay outside.”

“Indoor light can be insufficient for the infrared sensors to gauge height. I cannot use the Yuneec Breeze in my studio indoors as I have a dark floor and it cannot map a thing. I have to place a piece of paper under it to get the flow sensor working to take off. Once in the air, it was not good and did do things on its own. This time I was prepared and managed to not crash like the first time I tried this same scenario. My house there is no problem during the day because I get natural light from windows.

I purchased the controller. It’s good and gets you back to being the pilot not a swiping fiddling fool.

The headset is useless for flying as the latency is too nutty for me. I may try it again in a more open space but my FPV needs to be real time. The larger phones are great for the controller and I’m very happy with touch controls for camera being separate from sticks. The tilt has a trim on the dpad that makes it actually work smoothly. It is now a very reliable quick pop up and grab a shot tool. 8 mins is about right for the battery. Battery times are always over stated by everyone in this biz.”

I think the major causes of indoor crashes are:

1. Flying over counters, couches, chairs will throw off the ground distance sensor.
2. Flying with GPS “on” indoors
3. Lots of wifi signals in the area, condos especially
4. Poor piloting

 

 

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Yuneec Breeze indoor and outdoor flight test

Just got my Yuneec Breeze not long ago, decided to test it out inside because weather outside was crap. Followed all the instructions on how to fly in doors, checked the firmware it was up to date and turned GPS off. Everything went accordingly, it hovered at three feet, the wind from the blades caused it to move side to side which was expected. I raised it to about five feet and it became more staple in the air as it hovered. I toggled the camera, I took a picture and viewed it while it hovered. Then it beeped, flew straight up to the ceiling, popped two guards off and vigorously circled the ceiling while bouncing. I tried throttle down but it wasn’t communicating, then it beeped again and just dropped nine feet to the floor. The phone display IPS failure which I assume shut off the drone. I examined the Yuneec Breeze no cracks, three blades are ruined, the GPS cover popped off. I pulled the battery out for awhile and put it back together and powered it up. GPS was showing 15, the drone lights was showing green on the wing and full blue at the back but the IPS was orange on the phone and the camera is working fine. I checked the flight log and it show 3 minutes and 30 seconds, changed the blades but I’m scared to test it again. When I tested inside there is lots of room, good lighting, pine floors and only a couch for an obstacle.

I replaced the damage blades and took my Yuneec Breeze outside the other day. I kept it at a safe flying height, just to test if everything is in good working order. I ran the first battery that was originally used and just hovered at five feet to see if it would reproduce warnings. The second battery. I played with it, moved foward/back and side to side no issues. I’m thinking because indoors, with Wi-Fi on all the devices and three cell phones. I’m wondering if by chance there was some communication disruption. It still doesn’t explain while hovering it beeped and had a radical behavior of its own. I’m just happy it fly’s and not happy looking for replacement blades because no one carries them and I have to order them.

Alright. Took the Breeze drone to work yesterday, large indoor space (warehouse) empty and the only obstacles are four pillars. I haven’t been able to try any other features with the app because I’m always in no GPS mode and the images it took looked great because of the no wind environment. Again I set all the settings of the app to their lowest, recalibrated the Yuneec Breeze at five feet and gave it a whirl. I figured nothing could possibly go wrong, I tested its limitations stop height at 9.8 feet.. it didn’t stop, distance 30 feet… it stopped and became uncontrollable just hovered. So I walked towards it to gain control again, no response.. question is 30 feet my wifi limit or was it doing what it’s suppose to do without GPS landed and shut off. I did however charged both batteries, noticed the actual flight time wasn’t what I expected and it seemed I only got about eight minutes per battery. I am defiantly ordering the controller, I find using the cell phone my fingers are too big, I noticed the Yuneec Breeze drone simulate two motions when controlling it and the response time was almost precise to the action of my movement on the phone. I guess you can say I’m very cautious with this drone, I’ve seen a few videos of Breeze’s acting on its own or maybe issues of inexperience pilots smashing into objects, who can’t blame themselves and I will be honest when I say my first crash was not human error it was just hovering. I guess i have a few more months to properly learn how to control this drone in a safe environment until winter is over and the fun really begins.

 

 

 

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What’s great about the Yuneec H520?

With the Yuneec H520, Yuneec is expanding its multicopter range for professional applications.

This Yuneec H520 is designed for commercial use, but with three different camera options, In addition, it has six rotors to stay stable in the air.

An important detail is that most drone models record ultra high definition videos but the cameras that are available for the Yuneec H520 are different. Three configurations can be purchased which are useful for very particular situations.

The CGO-ET is the first camera of the Yuneec H520. It has a thermal sensor, so it can capture changes in temperature and light. It is very helpful in finding missing persons or who have suffered an accident in very dark areas or in places not accessible to the human eye. This will undoubtedly be the ideal tool to locate people used by rescuers.

The CGO-CI is the second camera of the drone Yuneec H520, is versatile, could be used by filmmakers and reporters. Its main characteristic is that during its flight it can capture better images than those of the competition since it has a wider field of vision. Another of its qualities is that it helps not to distort the images in video.

The third and last camera is called CGO-3 +, it is a simple and standard camera. These cameras fulfill with different functions like: search and rescue and inspections. Among other options this camera, we find that it can be used in panoramic mode and even time-lapse.

The Yuneec H520 promises to be one of the most versatile drones of this 2017, and arguably the toughest. It has an Intel RealSence system which allows the drone to navigate more intelligently through different obstacles without hitting any of them.

The driver of the Yuneec H520 has a seven-inch screen for increased handling, and includes real-time video output with a quality of 720P. The features of the Yuneec H520 focus heavily on safety, industrial and commercial applications.

The Yuneec H520 is coated with a highly visible orange paint and is designed to work even if one of its rotors fails. It will go on sale from the second coming month of this year and not only for rescuers, and filmmakers but also the general public. Its price will be between US $ 2,499 and US $ 4,499.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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Is Yuneec Breeze so simple as Yuneec says

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Some tips for your Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter flight

Maybe you have some issues with your Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter when flight.We have consolidated the answers to some of our customer’s most common questions and listed them here.You could also learn more about the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter.

Yuneec shipped an upgraded version of the Q500 Yuneec drone dubbed the Q500+. This version includes a custom case, an improved camera with new lens and a microphone, and a larger 5.5″ tablet display built into the ST10.

The 3-axis anti-vibration CGO3 gimbal camera and the optimized fixed focus lens capture silky smooth videos and crisp images, which are stored to the internal memory card and streamed in real time to the ST10+ screen. The camera features a 115 degree wide-angle no-distortion lens and the ability to shoot slow motion video at 1080p 120 FPS.  All the controls expected by professionals are standard. For instance, video resolution and white balance can be adjusted, while light exposure can be controlled automatically or manually, including ISO and Shutter Speed. The camera also allows users to take pictures while recording video, and the still images are available in RAW (DNG) and JPEG format.

Smart Mode

• This is the recommended mode for beginners as it enables a geofence (enforces a maximum distance of 300 feet from the operator) and the controls will operate relative to the pilot, regardless which way the nose of the Yuneec drone is pointed.
• In smart mode, the follow-me feature is automatically enabled if the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter has acquired GPS data from 6 or more satellites. This will be indicated by the LEDs blinking white every 3 seconds. When follow-me is active the drone will maintain a constant position relative to the ST10 controller as you move it around.
• If you take off in smart mode, make sure you are at least 26 feet away from the Q500. In smart mode the Q500 maintains a safe distance from the operator to prevent injury. If you need to take off or land within 26 feet of your position, you must switch to angle mode.

Angle Mode

• Recommended for intermediate and experienced pilots, this mode will orient controls relative to the position of the Yuneec drone.This will require the operator to keep track of which way the drone is pointing as pushing up on the right stick will result in the Yuneec drone moving forward in the direction of its nose.
• If you ever lose orientation in angle mode, you can switch to smart mode and pull down on the right stick to bring the Yuneec drone back to you. You can also activate Return to Home mode and let the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter do the work.
• The follow-me feature is not available in angle mode but the Q500 LEDs will still blink white once it has acquired 6 or more satellites to let you know that it is available. To activate follow-me you will need to switch to Smart mode.

Return to Home (RTH)

• Activate this mode to have the Q500 return to its home point and land automatically.
• If follow-me is active (6 or more satellites), the home point will be within 26 feet of the ST10.
• If follow-me is not active the home point will be the take off point.

Disabling GPS (Advanced)

Warning: Smart Mode and Return to Home only work when GPS is enabled.
Note: It is not typically recommended to disable GPS, especially for beginners. GPS will be enabled by default each time you power on the Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter.

In later firmware versions, GPS can be disabled by selecting the Gear icon in the lower right hand corner, accepting the warning, and scrolling to the bottom of the list. Then select GPS Off.

For earlier firmware versions the following procedure will disable GPS:

• While the ST10 and Q500 Yuneec drone are powered on and linked (and the motors are NOT running), move the Proportional Control Rate Slider on the right side of the ST10 to the uppermost (rabbit) position.
• Move the right-hand stick all the way to the right and hold it there until the next step is completed.
• Move the Flight Mode Selection Switch from Smart to Home and Home to Smart mode 4 times in 3 seconds.

When GPS has been disabled successfully the Q500 Yuneec drone will emit an audible indication and the GPS status on the ST10 screen will show ‘Disabled’. Also, the Main LED Status Indicator will flash purple and the Below Motor LED Status Indicators will flash three (3) times per second then will stay off for one (1) second.

No-Fly Zones

With a suitable GPS signal/lock it will not be possible to start the motors, takeoff or fly the TYPHOON in the ‘No-Fly Zones’ within a 4 mile (6.4 kilometer) radius of most major airports.

Stay tuned to us,we will keep updating for more info of Yuneec Typhoon quadcopter.

 

 

 

 

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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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Yuneec 4K Typhoon – the drone sold at a premium price point

An upstart among Chinese UAV drone manufacturers, Yuneec marketed its high-end 4K Typhoon model as the best-value 4k system available in the market. For the Yuneec drone, it’s a big and bold claim – one that needs to be backed by first-hand reviews from experienced users. DroneCompares and other online reviews– including feedback from real users who tried the Yuneec drone – are far less impressive than what the manufacturer would have hoped for.

The Yuneec 4K Typhoon comes with an android-based touch-screen controller, which is supposed to be an all-purpose unit. The reality is, it slows down the entire setting up process for the Yuneec drone. To make it worse, this Yuneec drone is not supported by any smartphone app like DJI Go. The biggest problem arises when its connection with the Q500 is lost due to poor GPS connectivity.

The Yuneec 4K Typhoon has experienced recurrent GPS connectivity problems ever since it was launched – an issue that has caused tens of hundreds of UAV drones from the Chinese manufacturer to either crash, or to make fatally hard landing. Large numbers of the first buyers have had to send their Yuneec drone units back to the manufacturer for repair. And many of these damages and malfunctions were not covered under the Yuneec drone warranty agreement. Yuneec China warranty, unfortunately, does not cover crashing.

The Yuneec drone’s internal WiFi card has had its problems too.

Among a large of pilots who have submitted angry and frustrated reviews of this Yuneec drone, one particular user how her second flight with the Yuneec 4K Typhoon saw the camera losing connection and never recovering it back. Her Yuneec drone started rolling around out of control, switched to the ‘return home’ mode, and made a very hard landing that almost took away her fingernails.

The Yuneec 4K Typhoon version of the Yuneec drone has a QHD camera which captures 1080p slow motion video at 120 frames per second. But experienced videographers have already declared the camera to be sub-par and not up to the level of its DJI counterparts.

In an open area the range of the Yuneec drone is closer to about 1,200 feet. The Phantom 4 is clearly the better drone – it flies longer, higher and farther. As far as range goes, in the suburbs there should no real problem for this Yuneec drone when controlling the aircraft at distances of up to around 900 feet before the pilot starts getting intermittent ‘RC Control lost’ messages.

The Yuneec 4K Typhoon is a good UAV if you’re not a long-range flyer. When being flown in the Smart Mode, this Yuneec drone is severely restricted in its flying ability – no further than 295 feet from the remote. On the contrary, DJI Phantom 4 reviews confirm that the DJI drone has a much larger operating range and altitude ceiling.

 

 

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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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Yuneec Breeze Review: Everything you should know-Part I

The Chinese company Yuneec calls its small quad-copter “Selfie drone” or “flying camera”. It is called Breeze 4K and is to be particularly suitable for simple video recordings and photos, which the pilot himself can make.

The Yuneec Breeze 4K is compact, it fits into a plastic case, which is only 215 x 205 x 73 mm. The drone itself measures 196 x 196 x 65 mm, with attached propeller protection 327 x 327 x 65 mm. The propellers themselves are not rigid, which is why they can be folded inwards to save space. At 385 grams, the copter is relatively light.

Yuneec Breeze 4K is easy to carry

Due to the compact packaging, the Yuneec Breeze can be carried along very easily and comfortably on the road, which is not only practical when traveling: in many large cities in America it is not permissible to fly a drone in the city center. This is far more convenient with such a small drone, especially if you are not driving.

The Yuneec Breeze is ready for use: We just have to fold out the four feet, insert the battery and press the power button. The copter then waits to connect to a smartphone that acts as a remote control.

We need to install the free Breeze cam app, which is available for both Android and iOS. Using this application, we can not only control the drone, but also make settings, view, edit, and edit the captured video, and track the live image of the camera during the flight. The connection between drone and smartphone or tablet is via WLAN, so the range is limited to a few hundred meters.

Speed limits for quiet shots

The maximum flying height is set to 80 meters from home – this restriction makes sense in the sense that users are supposed to film themselves with the drone. Its maximum flight speed is at 18 km/h and the maximum ascent rate is even at 3.6 km / h. This makes the Yuneec Breeze much slower than many competitors, such as Parrot Bebop or DJI Mavic. However, it is also possible to record extremely quiet camshafts and camera movements.

The Breeze Cam app is designed to allow users with little flying experience to get the drone up and take good pictures with it. In addition to the so-called pilot mode, in which we control the drone completely manually via two virtual control buttons on the screen of our smartphone or tablet, there are different flight modes, in which the user is able to release a part of the control and automate it.

The drone as a self-contained stick

The Selfie mode is used to photograph and film yourself without having to pay too much attention to the control of the drone. Correspondingly, this mode should be executed in a range where interference in the trajectory can not occur. The Yuneec Breeze camera will show the user in this mode. The Selfie mode focuses more on the camera image and sets the control of the drone into the background. Accordingly, we do not control the copter with virtual control sticks on the screen as in pilot mode.

These are also as documented as with other copters: The left stick regulates the yaw and the ascent or the speed of the drone, the right is responsible for the direction. This division can also be reversed in the settings. Alternatively, a tilt control is also available: the yaw and the height / speed are still controlled by the virtual stick, while the direction is controlled by the smartphone. To do this, press and hold a corresponding button on the display with our thumb.

Simplified operation

In the Selfie mode, however, we adjust the distance and height simply by means of sliders in the standard setting, also the camera is adjusted in this way in height. This control makes it much easier to focus on the image, but it is also more difficult to react to suddenly appearing objects in the trajectory. Before activating the mode, the user is explicitly advised to pay attention to surrounding structures. The Yuneec Breeze does not have built-in sensors that warn of collisions or even objects.

After a brief familiarization, the selfie mode allows us to take good photos and videos, especially when we are shooting in Full HD. Then, the image is electronically stabilized, as opposed to images in 4K. These are better from the resolution and the details, but by the constant corrections, which the Yuneec Breeze in the flight independently makes, noticeably more jerky.

In orbit mode, the copter circle flies

Beware of surrounding objects, especially in orbit mode where the Yuneec Breeze flies in circles. Again, the control is reduced, we adjust the altitude and the distance by means of the slider. At the push of a button, the drone begins to cir- culate with or counter-clockwise at the set distance. This can take place around the user himself or around an object. The circuit is interrupted at the touch of a button.

In our tests, we found that the chosen circle should not be too tight, because the camera of the drone then has problems to really fly around a center point – this is not determined by tracking. Correspondingly, we were sometimes on the edge of the video recording rather than in the middle. If the circle is big enough, the centering will work better. But then users have to pay attention to other buildings, trees, and especially people.

In Journey mode, the Yuneec Breeze flies away from us and then returns to us. There is no way to determine the coordinates that are being flown here – the Breeze 4K simply flies away and returns. Accordingly, we found the mode of all least useful.

In the follow-me mode the copter follows only conditionally

This is different with the follow-me mode: As the name suggests, the copter follows us in this mode – or the mobile device connected to it. Yuneec does not use a high-resolution object recognition, but follows us exclusively via the smartphone or tablet, with which we control the drone. This means that other objects such as vehicles, other humans or animals can not be tracked.

The tracking works fine in our attempts, sometimes less good. The drone loses sight of us, but the result is satisfactory at normal walking speed. For the Yuneec Breeze to fly us, we have to switch a switch in the preview screen of our smartphone.

We’ll continue to review in the next post,please stay tuned to us.

 

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Yuneec introduces new professional Hexacopter

With the Yuneec H520 and the Yuneec Tornado H920 Plus, Yuneec is expanding its multicopter range with two models for professional applications. The H520 drone is equipped with a 50mm lens or a thermal imaging camera for inspection, the H920 Plus is designed with a zoom camera for camera shots.

The H520 and Tornado H920 Plus both have six rotors and are designed for professional use. The Tornado H920 Plus is designed for users who are interested in filming; The H520 is designed with a possible payload of half a kilo for the commercial or industrial market.

The Yuneec drone H520 is striking orange lacquered and allows a flight time of 30 minutes. The systems, including the control system, are largely redundant, and the drone has a new precision compass. It is also equipped with a real-sense camera from Intel for environmental detection.

Three available camera models for the H520

The Yuneec H520 can be equipped with a total of three different cameras: the first model corresponds to a classic copter camera with a lens with a wide angle of view of 95 degrees. The CGO 3+ can record videos in 4K quality at 30 fps, in full-HD the picture rate is up to 120 fps. The camera sits in a three-way gimbal and can be rotated endlessly by 360 degrees.

The CGO-CI is also equipped with a second camera that uses a 50mm focal length lens. This leads to a less wide-angle recording angle, which is intended to facilitate close-up shots. According to Yuneec, the camera model is particularly suitable for inspection flights. Also the CGO-CI can record in 4K at 30 fps.

The third available camera model is the CGO-ET, a residual light and thermal imaging camera. The RGB and thermal image signals can be combined or displayed individually. In RGB mode, the CGO-ET can record video to a maximum of full-HD. The H520 is controlled by Yuneec’s well-known control unit ST16, which runs on Android and has a large 7-inch display. The drone weighs 1.890 grams including camera and battery and flies at a maximum speed of 72 km / h.

Tornado H920 Plus for film makers

 

The Yuneec Hexacopter Tornado H920 Plus has a shorter flight time of 20 minutes, but also a far higher maximum of 4,000 meters – the H520 is only 122 meters. The Tornado H920 Plus is designed for videofilms. As a camera, a new model, developed together with Panasonic is used.

The CGO-4 has a triple optical zoom, 16 megapixels and can record videos with a maximum of 4K and 30 fps. It hangs in a three-way gimbal, which can be rotated 360 degrees as in the case of the H520.

Like the H520, the Tornado H920 Plus can be easily used for camera shots thanks to the Curve Cable Cam mode. In this mode, the pilot flies the desired distance before recording, including the desired camera setting. Then the drone controls this route fully automatically and records the video material. The points between the waypoints are interpolated and linked. In addition, there are numerous other flight modes, such as a follow-me function.

Prices not yet known

Also the Tornado H920 Plus comes with the ground station ST16, the maximum airspeed is 70 km / h. The two new Yuneec drones are expected to hit the market in the second quarter of 2017, according to Yuneec.

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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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Yuneec drone quality issues cascade from unit to unit

Buying a Yuneec drone means living with quality issues that can run from minor to major, hurting the brand image and raising questions on R&D efforts and learning from customer feedback.

The quality control issues are not unlike those that plagued the U.S. auto industry in the 1970s as companies were more interested in turning out volume.

Those companies kept assembly lines going even as buyers of cars complained of “lemons” and raised a stink with dealers for repairs and replacements–or more ominously turned to manufacturers that stressed quality. This is something already happening with many a Yuneec drone.

Reports have suggested something similar has happened with the Typhoon H series of Yuneec drone.

Talk has centered on a massive backlog of repairs needed for Yuneec Q500 models, another Yuneec drone, that are returned under warranty to the factory where they can sit for more than a month before any work is completed and hopefully sent back repaired. This issue alone has driven a high-volume of customer service feedback complaints about the Yuneec drone.

That means the company is dealing with legacy issues and not as focused on the assembly line production for the Typhoon H, resulting in a need to retool the process and design of the units from initial beta models.

Of course Yuneec is not alone as a company that has a steep learning curve, but the issues appear to be quite visible in the Yuneec drone. Some of the issues with more than one Yuneec drone are constant and call into question where the company wants to be in a competitive industry that has seen chief rival DJI deploy massive R&D resources to develop proprietary technologies, such as Lightbridge 2 to keep communications stable between drones and controllers, and pays attention to issues such as batter life and quality by using high-end LiPo units.

On the other hand, a Yuneec drone pilot needs fixes for the internal WiFi card of Yuneec Q500 –a solder that basically places the antenna in a better position to receive a signal. That seems basic.

For the higher end models, Yuneec has not yet solved problems with the access to GPS satellites needed to ensure better connections and operations. Many a Yuneec drone ends up flying blind. DJI on the other hand has access to more low-earth satellite connections and uses GLONASS satellite positioning, marking a sharp difference.

Those efforts have caught the attention of reviewers around the world.

“Yuneec has also been living in the shadow of DJI for the past few years. No matter how advanced or capable Yuneec’s Typhoon drones have gotten, the company just can’t seem to unseat DJI from its throne,” Drew Prindle writes.

To be fair, Yuneec has added new features that Yuneec drone pilots can tap into in response to industry trends and customer demand, but innovation comes slow.

The DJI Phantom 4 for example has a visual avoidance technology that rotates with the camera, while the Typhoon H uses sonar. Both are good, except in a drone it matters how many objects can be seen and on the Yuneec drone the avoidance system is mounted on the nose of the drone and only detect obstacles if it approaches them facing forward.

 

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