10th anniversary Yuneec mania

[h-elsner]

I'm sitting here looking at old pictures. Then I remembered that there's an anniversary. q500log2kml is ten years old. That's quite an age for software. Its time may be up, but as long as there is still a Yuneec drone, it has a right to exist and can enjoy its retirement, just like me.



And the accompanying Q500 is still there and flying. I made my best videos with it. Even its predecessor, the Blade 350QX2 is still there ready to fly, but in the “new” (also quite old now) outfit. Only the batteries are getting old and should be used with caution.

All my ST16 have problems over the years with the stick potis. Not so for the ST10's. All in perfect condition.

 

[Enrico Jorysch]

February 2026 marks the start of my 10th year with Yuneec.
I received my first certificate from Yuneec for training on the Q500 and Tornado H920.
Those were good times... Yuneec was like a family, which unfortunately fell apart.
I enjoyed those years... especially the many good contacts I made, some of which I still have today.

 

[DoomMeister]

We appreciate the contributions to the Yuneec community and this forum from both @h-elsner and @Enrico Jorysch from the European side of the pond.

On the American side of the Atlantic the same goes for @Steve Carr and @WTFDproject.

It would really be a great thing if ATL would work with the group here on the forum.

 

[7cyclops]

Same credit goes to you also Doomeister. You have helped me several times and are greatly appreciated.Thanks a million. Peace.KC

 

[DoomMeister]

q500log2kml is ten years old. That's quite an age for software. Its time may be up, but as long as there is still a Yuneec drone, it has a right to exist and can enjoy its retirement, just like me.

It has existed this long thanks to its evolution over those years! That is all thanks to its author adapting it to encompass more aircraft and more functions as your understanding of their systems grew.

Many thanks for Q500log2kml and the other software you have developed to fill a niche left empty by Yuneec.

 

[Enrico Jorysch]

It would really be a great thing if ATL would work with the group here on the forum.

On Saturday, I visited ATL in Zurich (Switzerland) for the second time
and was able to take various spare parts with me (a whole trunk full).

ATL in Zurich, the headquarters, has completely parted ways with Yuneec.
This is quickly apparent when you visit the ATL Switzerland website. www.atl.ch

Tomorrow, Tuesday, through Saturday, I will be in Hamburg, Germany.
On the one hand, we are visiting family... my wife is from Hamburg.

On the other hand, I am trying to visit the company "minitec-btd.de," where the rest of Yuneec has found a home.

I am in contact with Ronny Xu and hope to meet you and a technician.
I have not yet received confirmation.

ATL is phasing out the Yuneec brand name... still selling what is in stock and also carrying out repairs through the company minitec.
But ATL wants to realign itself and real help can no longer be expected from there.

I will report on how it went when I return to Switzerland.

 

[WTFDproject]

Is the minitec relationship with only ATL or does traditional "Yuneec" management still have an involvement?
I do not have any understanding of how ATL and Yuneec management was merged.

 

[h-elsner]

Tomorrow, Tuesday, through Saturday, I will be in Hamburg, Germany.
On the one hand, we are visiting family... my wife is from Hamburg.

Good luck for you. I hope you can make fruitful contacts there.
For your wife: have a nice trip.

 

[Enrico Jorysch]

Here is some news regarding ATL, Yuneec, and Minitec.

I had an informative conversation in Hamburg and Switzerland with the respective managers at ATL.
ATL is discontinuing the Yuneec brand name. A new beginning is planned under the name ATL. Minitec is currently working for ATL and Yuneec as long as demand for Yuneec continues and the warehouses are not yet empty.

Minitec is responsible for service, repairs, and sales within Europe. Switzerland is not included... I will continue to do this as long as the conditions are right, I receive technical support, and demand remains. If trust is restored, I will continue to work with ATL in the future.

ATL develops drone solutions and payloads with various partners, currently in China and Taiwan. In the future, development and the first drones will be manufactured in Switzerland... approx. 10 units. The next 90 drones will then be manufactured at Minitec. However, the goal is to produce in Poland in the future.

In addition to semi-professional drones, ATL will focus primarily on models for the military. Many are jumping on this bandwagon, hoping for lucrative contracts and profits.

Communication in Switzerland and Germany is rather difficult for me, as almost all of my contacts speak Chinese and English... I am not fluent in either language.

On February 10-11, I will be in Hamburg at "windrove Urban AIR Hamburg." I will arrive on the 9th and return on the 12th, so that I have enough time to network and get to know Minitec technicians.

On this occasion, ATL, together with Minitec, will have two small stands where new products will be presented. The stand will be manned by a Minitek technician and a leading ATL employee, and I will be accompanying and supporting them during these two days... I don't know yet what that will look like.

I hope that by contacting the technician, I will be able to obtain repair manuals and important firmware so that I can continue to provide my Yuneec customers with the best possible support for as long as possible. Of course, I will report back here and continue to help solve any problems.

 

[Stephen1988]

Here is some news regarding ATL, Yuneec, and Minitec.

I had an informative conversation in Hamburg and Switzerland with the respective managers at ATL.
ATL is discontinuing the Yuneec brand name. A new beginning is planned under the name ATL. Minitec is currently working for ATL and Yuneec as long as demand for Yuneec continues and the warehouses are not yet empty.

Minitec is responsible for service, repairs, and sales within Europe. Switzerland is not included... I will continue to do this as long as the conditions are right, I receive technical support, and demand remains. If trust is restored, I will continue to work with ATL in the future.

ATL develops drone solutions and payloads with various partners, currently in China and Taiwan. In the future, development and the first drones will be manufactured in Switzerland... approx. 10 units. The next 90 drones will then be manufactured at Minitec. However, the goal is to produce in Poland in the future.

In addition to semi-professional drones, ATL will focus primarily on models for the military. Many are jumping on this bandwagon, hoping for lucrative contracts and profits.

Communication in Switzerland and Germany is rather difficult for me, as almost all of my contacts speak Chinese and English... I am not fluent in either language.

On February 10-11, I will be in Hamburg at "windrove Urban AIR Hamburg." I will arrive on the 9th and return on the 12th, so that I have enough time to network and get to know Minitec technicians.

On this occasion, ATL, together with Minitec, will have two small stands where new products will be presented. The stand will be manned by a Minitek technician and a leading ATL employee, and I will be accompanying and supporting them during these two days... I don't know yet what that will look like.

I hope that by contacting the technician, I will be able to obtain repair manuals and important firmware so that I can continue to provide my Yuneec customers with the best possible support for as long as possible. Of course, I will report back here and continue to help solve any problems.

Thank you for taking the time to share this update and for the effort you are clearly putting in to maintain communication with ATL, Minitec, and the remaining Yuneec ecosystem. Any transparency at this stage is appreciated by a community that has been left in uncertainty for far too long.

From my perspective, it has been apparent for some time that the Yuneec brand was unlikely to continue in its original form. Unfortunately, many loyal customers were left without clear communication or long-term support, which has understandably damaged trust. While Yuneec produced solid hardware and innovative ideas, they ultimately struggled to compete with DJI—not necessarily due to product quality alone, but due to market positioning, consumer focus, and DJI’s relentless development pace and marketing strength.

It appears that ATL’s decision to move away from the Yuneec brand and focus on military and specialized drone solutions is a financial and strategic one. That path may make sense from a business standpoint, particularly given the difficulty of competing with DJI’s dominance in the consumer and prosumer market. However, this shift effectively confirms that there are no meaningful resources being allocated toward the future development of existing Yuneec consumer platforms.

Given this reality, I strongly believe ATL and its partners now have a responsibility to the customers who originally invested in Yuneec products. Specifically:

• Remaining Yuneec parts, batteries, and accessories should be offered at fair and significantly reduced prices, allowing existing owners to continue flying for as long as possible.
• Since no further development is planned, the technical value of service manuals, firmware, and system documentation is no longer commercially sensitive. Making this information available—either publicly or through trusted service partners—would go a long way toward restoring goodwill.
• Enabling independent repair and long-term maintenance would cost ATL very little, yet it would demonstrate respect for the community that supported Yuneec from the beginning.

Many of us are still clinging to hope that some form of positive legacy remains, even if the company itself has moved on. Transparency, fair pricing of remaining stock, and the release of technical documentation would not weaken ATL’s future—it would strengthen its reputation.

I genuinely hope your efforts in Hamburg result in access to repair manuals and firmware, as that would be a meaningful step toward keeping these aircraft safely operational for the people who invested in them.

Thank you again for keeping the community informed, and please continue to share any developments.

 

[h-elsner]

I have moved the source code to Codeberg.
The link is: Q500log2kml
The latest release is: Q500log2kml

 

[Enrico Jorysch]

I have some news from ATL, formerly Yuneec.

Yuneec is now focusing solely on model aircraft, while ATL handles the drones.


Three ATL drones will be released by the end of 2027.
H9, H520E, H600... all under the ATL brand name

For the new H520E and H600, I have some technical specs for you, but no price yet. I’ve already had a chance to test the new flight controller and camera... I’m thrilled.

I’m disappointed by other things, though... for example, the landing gear is no longer retractable.

I’m looking forward to the prototypes (I already have the one for the H9). It’s going to be interesting.

Now I’m hoping for fair prices and, even more so, a good service network.

Don’t bombard me with questions... I’m just sharing here what I know and am allowed to reveal.

Here you’ll find the comparison table of technical specifications.

 

[Stephen1988]

I have some news from ATL, formerly Yuneec.

Yuneec is now focusing solely on model aircraft, while ATL handles the drones.


Three ATL drones will be released by the end of 2027.
H9, H520E, H600... all under the ATL brand name

For the new H520E and H600, I have some technical specs for you, but no price yet. I’ve already had a chance to test the new flight controller and camera... I’m thrilled.

I’m disappointed by other things, though... for example, the landing gear is no longer retractable.

I’m looking forward to the prototypes (I already have the one for the H9). It’s going to be interesting.

Now I’m hoping for fair prices and, even more so, a good service network.

Don’t bombard me with questions... I’m just sharing here what I know and am allowed to reveal.

Here you’ll find the comparison table of technical specifications.

This is really cool news . I’m praying the h9 is a new version of the hplus . Thanks for sharing

 

[Enrico Jorysch]

The H9 is the successor to the H850.

The drones manufactured by ATL are primarily intended for mountain rescue, water rescue, firefighting, law enforcement, and surveying and inspection work... not for photographers or filmmakers.

 

[Stephen1988]

The H9 is the successor to the H850.

The drones manufactured by ATL are primarily intended for mountain rescue, water rescue, firefighting, law enforcement, and surveying and inspection work... not for photographers or filmmakers.

It’s all very exciting, looking forward to future information. Thank you Enrico. Wishing all the best for success