We have made the jump from DJI to Yuneec Typhoon H drones with real sense! And have totaly walked away from the DJI Phantom 4 Pro's we were fed up with not having reliable support with!
1. Firmware: What version is the most stable and should we even upgrade?
2. Problems that can arise by upgrading the firmware in the birds and the controllers.
3. Critical notations the membership has recorded within the support of Yuneec for the (USA) pilots.
Good morning Gary, and welcome to the forum.
1) I cannot speak for the most current version of the firmware but have have used all of them with that exception through V27, the one previous to the latest. I have not personally experienced an issue with any of the firmware versions. Of more importance is that the previous firmware releases added more user functions with each release. I believe V25 had an altitude limiter in it that was removed with either V27 or V30. Because of the increased functionality, which added things like "cruise control' that are very useful for video operations, I would use V27 as the lowest version for a foundation. It should be noted there is no manufacturer requirement to upgrade firmware. If what you have provides all the functionality you need you can run what you have. You have freed yourself of having to be connected by an umbilical cord to a manufacturer and can do pretty much what you want with the H.
2) This question should be prefaced with why problems can arise with upgrades to firmware. Most issues that arise with firmware updates occur because users fail to review or follow upgrade instructions. Others have tried to perform upgrades immediately after obtaining the H before they had gained familiarity of the system. I will say Yuneec has been complicit in this by failing to provide clear and concise instructions for the process, which left some people fumbling through a process that is not tolerant of multiple errors. However, others have put in the effort to produce videos that accurately describe the process and if followed provide the user the information necessary to correctly upgrade their firmware. One thing of note, the H will fly fine as it arrives and not require an immediate firmware upgrade to function properly. I'll suggest the same here as I do for others, get to know the system a little first before making changes, although I well understand that crew time is expensive and will influence how long they can spend in getting to know the H.
The most common problems with an update gone bad is loss of connectivity between the aircraft and controller. The worst that can occur is a total loss of transmitter or aircraft functionality, which will require a reset if the Android folders can still be accessed, or a return to Yuneec for reset if they cannot. The aircraft can be the most difficult but if it will connect to the GUI a full reset can be performed by the user. More often than not upgrade issues can be overcome by uploading the firmware again, taking care to follow the YouTube video instructions from several U.K. dealers and from Terrestrial Imaging. There are small things that may be missing that can be helpful, such as putting the ST-16 in Team mode when binding the systems after a firmware upgrade. That helps the system "see" the new autopilot/flightmode firmware. We are here to help so feel free to make inquiries as desired.
I cannot stress enough the importance of reviewing and downloading the information at the Yuneec support pages. Many miss critical information that would have made their initial experiences much, much better. The GUI is one of those items often overlooked and it is important for performing system checks and adjustments.
3) Probably the greatest issue experienced with customer support is the telephone wait times. Steve mentioned the call back option if provided. Use it if you have a need to contact customer support. The second largest complaint is turn around times when something has to be sent back. Plan on 30-35 days minimum for turn around. On average, understand that ~two weeks of that time should be credited to the common carrier that is moving the package. Being a larger commercial operator, whenever possible insist on sending things to the Ontario, CA facility. That removes potential issues with contract facilities incurring delays with repairs or making incorrect repairs. There are a couple of contract repair facilities that seem to do quite well, and at least two locations outside of the warranty chain that do excellent repairs; Terrestrial Imaging and CarolinaDronz. Be advised that repair costs will be on you if using them, but there may be times that choice is a better option due to turn around time. There may be times that making a repair yourself will be faster, cheaper, and easier. Much of the H is modular and quite simple to repair. landing gear is something I would keep a few parts on hand for. Two screws out and in and the job is done. Left and right motor booms are another part you might consider. If one fails you can change one out in an hour or so if you have reasonably talented technician staff.
Yuneec typically provides excellent customer service once you get through the phone back log, The personnel generally are quite pleasant to deal with, and those with more system knowledge can often walk you through minor problems over the phone. Like anyplace else, there are from time to time new people that have yet to acquire system knowledge so if you get one don't be afraid to ask if you might speak with someone having more experience of if your agent might consult with another agent while you wait on hold. If there is an incident you believe to be system induced Yuneec will require
all of the telemetry for review before issuing a warranty RMA
. More often than not we have seen Yuneec provide warranty even when a warranty repair was not justified. They have been pretty darn good with their customer base, often even when the customer was wrong.
The H is much different from DJI products. P4 and above do have better hardware and app functionality that you may miss. On the other hand, the H is more stable in flight and does not generate imagery issues when yawing the gimbal or aircraft. The ability to use a two operator system is extremely beneficial to camera operations. Tuna is likely conversing with you about his App, which you would find extremely useful. Flight time per battery is less than with DJI products and you should obtain a good after market charger(s) and battery charge adapters to maintain readiness. GensAce/Tattu sell an excellent battery for the Typhoon H, at minimum equal to the OEM battery, normally running about $55.00/ea with free shipping in the U.S.
I am presuming your operation or operators are FAA licensed for commercial operations. As such you would be able to submit an application for a commercial waiver to Yuneec for each aircraft that removes
all flight restrictions in the software. Initiate the application process with a call to Yuneec's customer support department, and maintain correspondence within the e-mail that is sent containing the waiver application. Lacking a waiver you can encounter some NFZ restrictions at select locations around the country. Not nearly as many as you have seen previously though.