I'm on the fence.

[wrench567]

Hi pilots.
I have been considering buying an H. But also looking at the Autel X star premium too. Anything but a DJI product.
What kind of support for the H will there be after the H+ comes out? Will Yuneec drop future firmware updates? Does anyone have both (H and X star) and can give insight of what to look for for potential problems to either?
Thank you.
Pete

 

[PatR]

Good questions.!

The one I’ll take a guess at is firmware updates. For all intents and purposes those have already ceased with the most recent occurring March last year. It’s possible one will be released to permit use of the E-90/C-23 camera but my guess has anything further will specifically target the camera and little else.

Yuneec will want to sell Plus models more than the older H which would have a lower profit margin. Throwing existing H owners a bone with a new camera will generate some profitability through a one time accessory sale but my guess has H production ending, if it hasn’t already, while they clear the shelves of old inventory to focus on the Plus.

Note that Yuneec does not have a history of announcing products will be discontinued. They just let them fade away.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

I have been flying Typhoon Q500's since late 2014 and still do today. I also have had a Autel X-Star for over a year.
First Yuneec stopped the firmware updates on the Q about six months before ending production. They did have a ton of parts for the retailers to sell so even to this day there is no shortage of parts for the Q500. So if they follow the same plan with the Typhoon H there should be a lot of parts around for a very long time to come.
My experience with customer service has been good and bad. I have seen them go from great service to just plain terrible and back to great again. Your best bet with Yuneec is to phone them, emails go unanswered most times.

Now for the Autel X-Star it was just taken out of production because they have gone the way of the folding UAV (EVO).
They came out with a firmware update for the X-Star and dropped the line at CES 2018 announcing the EVO line which still has not hit the stores. All we here is SOON.
The one thing I can say about Autel is they have the best customer service bar none. Every other company needs to learn form them on how to treat customers. That goes a long way in my books. If the EVO lives up to all the hype it will be a great little UAV comparing to the Mavic Pro.
Personally I like the smaller footprint in the sky. A hex can draw a lot of attention.

If you are in a hurry to buy then your decision is a easy one as the Autel EVO is not ready yet and nobody really knows how long it might take to go to market.
You can still find used X-Star's for sale at a really good price but why buy something that is discontinued already.

Last words from Autel the EVO's are in production but they making a few firmware adjustments and they just want a **** good product that they are proud of. I can’t fault them for that.
Good luck with your quest. Each brand out there has their good and bad, just think about what you want to do with it and which brand will fit the bill better.

 

[Slawson]

Best buy has the base model H for 799.99, you can't find a hex worth it's salt for that price ANYWHERE, retail.

I personally would purchase a used H from a forum member, save the $ and enjoy the product.

 

[wrench567]

Best buy has the base model H for 799.99, you can't find a hex worth it's salt for that price ANYWHERE, retail.

I personally would purchase a used H from a forum member, save the $ and enjoy the product.

Thank you.
I see either new unsold or refurbished units at decent prices. The X star is a little more pricey than the H considering having to use a tablet or phone to see what the camera is looking at. The H seems to be the best bang for your buck.
Since both are discontinued the prices should still be falling. I don't mind an older design because it will still do the job it was designed for. Yuneec has refurbished units on sale. Online camera retailers have new units for good prices too.
Pete.

 

[Dave Stingray]

Bought a 2nd hand H last spring and just sold it for a bit less than what I paid.
It’s a very capable bird and has a lot of great features. I will miss the 360 gimbal, cruise and cablecam, but I’ve opted for the portability of the Mavic Air. Typhoon H prices are falling, get yourself a bargain.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Bought a 2nd hand H last spring and just sold it for a bit less than what I paid.
It’s a very capable bird and has a lot of great features. I will miss the 360 gimbal, cruise and cablecam, but I’ve opted for the portability of the Mavic Air. Typhoon H prices are falling, get yourself a bargain.

If you have the Mavic Air you might be interested in this:
Waypoints are finally available on the DJI Mavic Air… Made possible by Litchi!

 

[Slawson]

I work on Autel in my shop, and I dislike them very much.

I have yet to have one come in for work that wasn't crashed or flown away and caused severe damage..

Huge difference between breaking an arm and still being able to get the bird home as opposed to having the cheap plastic warped from the crash.

 

[YuKay]

The Evo sounded great to me initially but I'm now reading that they will offer three models with three different cameras, none of them interchangeable! If true, that's so daft that I wouldn't buy one on principle.

Not that I'll be able to anyway since Autel have stated that it won't be marketed in Europe. I'm guessing that could be because they aren't ready to meet the requirements of the upcoming new EC drone regs.

So, I'm having some sour grapes instead. The H Plus was always the apple of my eye anyway.