H Plus vs H520 ponder

[Ty Pilot]

Yup.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

We don't need no steekin manual... that's what we got Ty for...

 

[Ty Pilot]

 

[PatR]

Along with the other forum members owing a Plus willing to contribute. Thus far Ty, Michael, Steve, Arruntus, and Oliver are leaders of that group though.

Just for clarity, I truly hope the Plus proves itself as an effective and reliable imagery platform. If the camera and firmware see further improvement it will be a welcome addition to my aerial toolbox. For the moment it falls a little short and lacking official word from Yuneec I can’t buy one or more with the hope it gets better. As Ron mentions, perhaps a firmware update will bring it to where it needs to be.

 

[Ty Pilot]

If by track record you mean the lack of some features expected by Yuneec pilots, a comprehensive manual and a set of good videos covering getting started and making the most of the aircraft and camera then I agree fully.

@rdonson I was thinking about "the record" a little more and I think there are two categories that things fall under, as you mention; there are those things we Know Yuneec is going to lack - the Known unknowns so to speak - like a horrible manual, no info on whether we should or shouldn't update and so on. Then we have the ones that I think that are worse and potentially more dangerous - the Unknown - unknowns. I can't help but remember reading this forum for two months before joining and seeing all the fly aways being talked about and bricking and so much more. It was enough that I did not buy until after the November (I think it was) 2016 Firmware update. I feel like I am about two thirds of the way across a field of land mines and my metal detector has been silent so far.

 

[rdonson]

I'm with you, Pat.

I remember I couldn't apply the firmware update when I got mine in Jan 2017, My H was a brick until I saw a YouTube video by Jeff Sibelius on the update. He couldn't get the OTA update to work either and showed the procedure for downloading and installing the update to the ST16 and CGO3+ via microSD card. That got things rolling. I didn't know what I was really doing but I got my H into the air for almost a dozen flights on a 50 acre farm in VA. My knowledge of the camera and settings were pitiful but by golly I had some video to look at.

I think that you and others have learned and then shared a LOT about the trials and tribulations of the early H. I've learned so much from this forum and from Charles Ogden's efforts to create a meaningful manual. Yuneek UK upped their game with videos and that helped as well.

As usual there were a ton of useless YouTube videos but also some real gems that were worthwhile. That includes your series. Mike from Terrestrial Imaging says he's going to release more videos on the H Plus.

The tough part of a new aircraft is learning the ins and outs. In a way we're lucky because the H Plus is breaking some new ground but it kind of follows in the path of the H so we have some idea where things should go. It's not a trip into a dark tunnel.

May your mine detector stay silent.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

Along with the other forum members owing a Plus willing to contribute. Thus far Ty, Michael, Steve, Arruntus, and Oliver are leaders of that group though.

And in the interest of clarity, I did not intend to minimize the contributions of all those you have mentioned... I mentioned Ty specifically on the excellent video tutorials he has put together...

 

[PatR]

No worries mate, I think we all knew what you were saying.

Taking a lot of poetic license from a phrase, it’s because of the village we have few idiots. Some do much, some less, and some little but all that contribute their experiences and solutions contribute to the “book” we all use for reference. With the H-480 some of the U.K. folks eliminated a lot of headaches well before Yuneec U.S. figured out what to do. This time around the E.U. got the ball rolling. A debt of gratitude to all.

I have to admit my focus has been much less with the Plus than it was with the H-480 as the attention has been devoted of late more to the larger Yuneec end of life platform.

 

[Ty Pilot]

This is surely a team effort, some of us are on the field now, later it will be others, and some like @PatR (and so many more) just came off the field so to speak. That is what is so great about forums like this, something had to replace hanging out at the hobby shop talking about models and flying stuff.

 

[robport]

Does Yuneec even know this forum exists? They have a great potential set of products, but their corporate decision making and long term strategy are more than somewhat questionable.

 

[Ty Pilot]

My guess is; Yuneec China? Doubtful, and even if they did know they don't care. Yuneec USA? They probably do know but they seem to have no real decision making powers at the corporate level and therefore it doesn't matter.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

Best evidence that this board or commentary from it, are completely off of Yuneec's radar...

Search Results for Query: "aux button" | Yuneec Drone Forum

 

[Ty Pilot]

Yeah that about sums it up

 

[PatR]

Back to business;

The attached image is a screenshot courtesy of Jagerbomb showing a feature available with a 4k, 21mp drone that costs $1,100.00 less than an H Plus. Reports thus far indicate it's range is also considerably better than the Plus, although anything further than LOS is not truly relevant.

With the understanding Yuneec does not want the Plus to have the ability to compete with the 520's commercial customers, it would not be difficult to provide for the Plus to contain a mission planning feature that could be constructed on the ground without having to first fly it. Simply limiting the number of available waypoints for the mission would effectively eliminate conducting a mapping mission. There's also the possibility of removing EXIF photo data as they did with the 920's CGO-4, effectively eliminating the possibility of mapping use. It's pretty stupid to have to use up half or more of a flight battery to set up a CCC mission that may or may not be safely executable because of a reduced power supply. It's even dumber to save a CCC mission that will not be position or altitude accurate when used any time after it's creation. As Parrot and others have well established, it's not necessary to spend $1,800.00 to $4,000.00 obtain waypoint mission planning capability. The ability to construct and execute a flight plan also compliments increased flight safety when accurate maps are employed as the operator can maintain safe separation from objects without having to be standing right next to them.

It's pretty much reached the point that Yuneec is the only maker of higher level consumer drones that prevents their customers from programming a waypoint mission before the aircraft leaves the ground. How much longer do they want to maintain their bottom position?


Image courtesy Jagerbomb, captured from Parrot Anafi flight planning software.

 

[rdonson]

Pretty much the same capability exists in the Autel EVO

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[PatR]

Even Walkera provides for it but it should be noted they use a Pixhawk derivative. Oh, so does the H-480 and 920...

 

[rdonson]

I guess what remains is how do we convince Yuneec that the H Plus should have this capability?

 

[PatR]

Only two ways to get a Chinese company’s attention, but the first won’t work without the last. Their Facebook page and low sales volume.

I’m just a little concerned the latter is going to be the case the moment DJI releases their 1” sensor Mavic with swappable lenses. At that moment there will be 3 other new and smaller platforms at lower prices with more functionality, and it’s likely the Mavic camera will be better. Perhaps it should be mentioned that Yuneec had a very good camera with lens swap options but elected to discard it. The Plus will be up against a cost/portability/benefit/service/advertising equation. Parrot is coming on strong with their service and firmware upgrades, Autel is already good with service, DJI is improving but still a ways to go. Forget Walkera.

Yuneec needs to get after it with a firmware update.

 

[rdonson]

Well, I don’t do Facebook so that will be up to others.

 

[Barton]

Only two ways to get a Chinese company’s attention, but the first won’t work without the last. Their Facebook page and low sales volume.

I’m just a little concerned the latter is going to be the case the moment DJI releases their 1” sensor Mavic with swappable lenses. At that moment there will be 3 other new and smaller platforms at lower prices with more functionality, and it’s likely the Mavic camera will be better. The Plus will be up against a cost/portability/benefit/service/advertising equation. Parrot is coming on strong with their service and firmware upgrades, Autel is already good with service, DJI is improving but still a ways to go. Forget Walkera.

Yuneec needs to get after it with a firmware update.

Pat, my internal 'yikes!' keep happening from a number of your posts on this topic. The yikes are a result of me not having done as much homework on Yuneec as I should have before purchasing the H+. I had mistakenly assumed that the H+ was a product that Yuneec would use to compete against the likes of DJI Phantom 4 Pro, P5P, etc (i.e. their external competition). I was naive in not realizing that they might hobble the H+ if it cannibalized some of the sales of their commercial market products. If they actually do hobble the H+ features to protect sales of their other products, they are in for a swift spin in the toilet bowl.

Don't get me wrong, I like my H+ and for my level of need, it will work just fine (except for travel portability). Do I want programmable way points that don't require me to fly the CCC route first? Sure. Do I presently need them? No.

The two features of the H+ that swayed me to go ahead and purchase the H+, knowing a DJI Mavic 2 was coming soon, was the 360 degree gimbaled camera and its low noise level. If the Mavic 2 1" system can yaw and fly as smoothly as the H+ flys with gimbal-pans, that feature is mitigated. If DJI can do something about making quieter UAVs, there goes #2. My assumption was that in general (as a hobbyist) I would be satisfied with the results of any decent 1" 4K camera. So, let's assume that the Mavic 2 Pro 1" comes out at a price similar to the H+, if I were purchasing what would I chose? I, along with the majority of consumers would probably go with the Mavic 2 because of the portability and the robust communication system between transmitter and UAV. For me, I just added support to your fear of low sales volume.

As I said before, I'll fly VLOS but I want a robust communication system. Maybe the 4Hawks antenna will solve this issue on the H+, maybe not (BTW, the antenna is scheduled for Aug 2 delivery from Poland) but how many buyers of the H+ will want to buy additional hardware to solve the issue when the competitor doesn't have the problem? In addition, I'm not looking forward to hauling the H+ to Bonaire in the Fall, given the other items that need to be taken there. In fact I may just leave it in Oregon. If I find I really can not survive on Bonaire without a UAV, I'll wait for the dust to settle and will likely go DJI, given what I now know.

In the meantime, I'm having a blast flying the P-51 Mustang on the RealFlight 8 simulator on a 4K, 27" monitor.