- Joined
- Jun 28, 2016
- Messages
- 158
- Reaction score
- 18
Please send it to me as well. I finally got all the parts so I can actually fly mine!
Thinking of Buying a 920
- Thread starter PatR
- Start date
Please send it to me as well. I finally got all the parts so I can actually fly mine!
How is your German? The English translated captions are not very good. It does provide a good view of the waypoint function.
Just received an e-mail forwarded from Yuneec. The Tornado has all the ST-16 features that are available with the Typhoon H. If true it means cruise control is available through the D Pads.
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2017
- Messages
- 40
- Reaction score
- 14
- Age
- 46
I've been flying a Tornado/ CG04 for almost two years so I feel I'm qualified to give some input on this bird.
First off, I'm a full-time commercial pilot. Who does real estate (both residential and commercial), construction, inspections, film and tv, and special projects.
I fly the Tornado at least three times a week and have 8 batteries that I use on rotation. I have not upgraded to the Plus although I'm considering it this winter while I'm out of action with shoulder surgery. For $400 Yuneec will upgrade our original Tornados to the Plus model. The comments about propellers coming off in flight are certainly worrysome. Most of the points mentioned in this thread are certainly on point. But let me list my pros and cons:
PROS:
(1) It is a large UAV and wind has little effect on it. I've flown it in 35+mph winds on the ground I can only imagine the additional winds aloft with ZERO jello. In fact, I've only seen jello ONCE in any of my videos and it was due to one of the arm nuts coming loose in flight (more on this later).
(2) The CGO4 (Panasonic GH4) Is an AMAZING video camera. The 100mb bit-rate 4k video on my color calibrated 4k 27 inch LED look absolutely amazing and holds its own against any raw video I've seen short of an Alexa or Red variety. The 4/3 sensor in terms of video quality puts the CGO3 variety to shame and should still produce a better video image than the highly touted new E series due to its sensor size. But this is only the video, images are a con, more on it later.
(3) It just works... Yes, it does not have all the bells and whistles that newer uav's have. No way points, no auto cable cam etc. (obviously the Plus version does and I know nothing of this). I fly exclusively in ANGLE mode and it's always come home when I tell it to. It doesn't do weird things in the air like my DJI products do.
(4) It's built like a tank... I've crashed her once. Well not really a crash... I backed her into a tree at 60 feet up and she wobbled to the ground. The only thing I broke was the carbon fiber gimbal mounting plate ($45) . No damage to the camera, no damage to the arm or ESC's, I didn't even break one of the carbon fiber props. Amazing.
(5) It's impressive to look at and even more impressive while in the air. It re-enforces the image you are trying to project--that you are a professional. Everybody and their brother has a Phantom and even an Inspire now a days. I know people will be flame me here and be like... it's not the drone but how you use it yadda yadda yadda. Maybe for you that's true. But I have gained more business because I have owned this particular uav. Your milage will vary. When you show up to a shoot of a 13.5 million dollar commercial complex and pull out the tornado... people stop and say "WOW!" I'm not kidding.
Those are the good... but truthfully there is a lot of bad too. =(
CONS:
(1) True, it's built like a tank, but it also flies like one. It takes a lot of stick command to move it around the sky. It took me weeks to work out the custom exponential and gain setup to my liking.
(2) RANGE... an added range extender is MANDATORY. Stock... I was getting out to 1000 feet or so before I would lose video signal even in the most favorable setting(s). With the added range extender, I can comfortably get out to 2500 feet (that's enough for me) before my video starts to wane. NOTE: not once under any circumstances have I lost RC control at any time.
(3) Support... non-existent.... Manuals? what Manuals? seriously.... if you're new and need hand holding, this probably isn't the UAV for you.
(4) BATTERIES... oh the batteries. Yuneec doesn't make great Tornado batteries. I'm on my second set of 8 and about ready to have to purchase my third set of 8. That's more than a grand. I'm meticulous with them too. I never leave them fully charged. I put them in storage mode if they're going to sit for more than a week. I never run them down too low etc and I charge them at 4amps which is very conservative.
My flight times when I first start is around 20-25 minutes with three new batteries. After a year, I'm getting 12-15 minutes with three batteries and then it's time for new ones.
On the NEW Tornado PLUS. There is a problem with the Yuneec Tornado batteries. It's giving a low battery warning after only 5 minutes of flight. (Check Facebook Tornado group). When owners report this to Yuneec, they are told to purchase and use TATTU Tornado batteries. There's something different and better with the TATTU's that I can't remember higher something... The PROBLEM for us in the good ole' US of A is that TATTU Tornado batteries AREN'T available here. You can find them all day long in Europe, but not in the USA. And nobody will ship them here.
So this is huge and we're stuck using the stock Yuneec batteries.
(5) The threaded nut that locks the arms in place has a tendency to come loose with vibrations. Some added loctite to the threads but I added plumbers tape more than a year and half ago and it has completely solved the issue for me. Note I have the Version 2 of the original Tornado. The first batch of Tornados had a weird hinge system that was quickly changed. I got my Tornado in th second batch.
(6) Image quality. The CGO4 is NOT a great camera for still images. In fact, the new E90 is actually better for still images than the CGO4. BUT, I don't take images with the CGO4. I actually find the quality better to grab 60mb TIFF screen shots from 4k video. Work them in Lightroom and photoshop and export 8mb jpegs for the clients.
CONCLUSION:
If I could go back, would I have purchased the Tornado again? Probably... I have DJI product too and I like it. But motor redundancy is huge for me. I know DJI has the Matrice and prodigy in the hexa-motor department, but it's incredibly more expensive than the Tornado when well equipped. If I had 4 grand and needed this type of aircraft, I'd probably pull the trigger. I have tremendous confidence with it in the air and it has always done what I have asked of it (even to back itself into a tree).
Is it the perfect "drone?" God no... it's flawed and really your intended purposes are really going to make it obvious if this is the right uav for you. If you need something that is absolutely rock solid in the air under almost any weather situation and will put incredible 4k footage on your monitor flight after flight, then maybe it's for you. But go into the purchase well informed from those of us who use it daily.
First off, I'm a full-time commercial pilot. Who does real estate (both residential and commercial), construction, inspections, film and tv, and special projects.
I fly the Tornado at least three times a week and have 8 batteries that I use on rotation. I have not upgraded to the Plus although I'm considering it this winter while I'm out of action with shoulder surgery. For $400 Yuneec will upgrade our original Tornados to the Plus model. The comments about propellers coming off in flight are certainly worrysome. Most of the points mentioned in this thread are certainly on point. But let me list my pros and cons:
PROS:
(1) It is a large UAV and wind has little effect on it. I've flown it in 35+mph winds on the ground I can only imagine the additional winds aloft with ZERO jello. In fact, I've only seen jello ONCE in any of my videos and it was due to one of the arm nuts coming loose in flight (more on this later).
(2) The CGO4 (Panasonic GH4) Is an AMAZING video camera. The 100mb bit-rate 4k video on my color calibrated 4k 27 inch LED look absolutely amazing and holds its own against any raw video I've seen short of an Alexa or Red variety. The 4/3 sensor in terms of video quality puts the CGO3 variety to shame and should still produce a better video image than the highly touted new E series due to its sensor size. But this is only the video, images are a con, more on it later.
(3) It just works... Yes, it does not have all the bells and whistles that newer uav's have. No way points, no auto cable cam etc. (obviously the Plus version does and I know nothing of this). I fly exclusively in ANGLE mode and it's always come home when I tell it to. It doesn't do weird things in the air like my DJI products do.
(4) It's built like a tank... I've crashed her once. Well not really a crash... I backed her into a tree at 60 feet up and she wobbled to the ground. The only thing I broke was the carbon fiber gimbal mounting plate ($45) . No damage to the camera, no damage to the arm or ESC's, I didn't even break one of the carbon fiber props. Amazing.
(5) It's impressive to look at and even more impressive while in the air. It re-enforces the image you are trying to project--that you are a professional. Everybody and their brother has a Phantom and even an Inspire now a days. I know people will be flame me here and be like... it's not the drone but how you use it yadda yadda yadda. Maybe for you that's true. But I have gained more business because I have owned this particular uav. Your milage will vary. When you show up to a shoot of a 13.5 million dollar commercial complex and pull out the tornado... people stop and say "WOW!" I'm not kidding.
Those are the good... but truthfully there is a lot of bad too. =(
CONS:
(1) True, it's built like a tank, but it also flies like one. It takes a lot of stick command to move it around the sky. It took me weeks to work out the custom exponential and gain setup to my liking.
(2) RANGE... an added range extender is MANDATORY. Stock... I was getting out to 1000 feet or so before I would lose video signal even in the most favorable setting(s). With the added range extender, I can comfortably get out to 2500 feet (that's enough for me) before my video starts to wane. NOTE: not once under any circumstances have I lost RC control at any time.
(3) Support... non-existent.... Manuals? what Manuals? seriously.... if you're new and need hand holding, this probably isn't the UAV for you.
(4) BATTERIES... oh the batteries. Yuneec doesn't make great Tornado batteries. I'm on my second set of 8 and about ready to have to purchase my third set of 8. That's more than a grand. I'm meticulous with them too. I never leave them fully charged. I put them in storage mode if they're going to sit for more than a week. I never run them down too low etc and I charge them at 4amps which is very conservative.
My flight times when I first start is around 20-25 minutes with three new batteries. After a year, I'm getting 12-15 minutes with three batteries and then it's time for new ones.
On the NEW Tornado PLUS. There is a problem with the Yuneec Tornado batteries. It's giving a low battery warning after only 5 minutes of flight. (Check Facebook Tornado group). When owners report this to Yuneec, they are told to purchase and use TATTU Tornado batteries. There's something different and better with the TATTU's that I can't remember higher something... The PROBLEM for us in the good ole' US of A is that TATTU Tornado batteries AREN'T available here. You can find them all day long in Europe, but not in the USA. And nobody will ship them here.
So this is huge and we're stuck using the stock Yuneec batteries.
(5) The threaded nut that locks the arms in place has a tendency to come loose with vibrations. Some added loctite to the threads but I added plumbers tape more than a year and half ago and it has completely solved the issue for me. Note I have the Version 2 of the original Tornado. The first batch of Tornados had a weird hinge system that was quickly changed. I got my Tornado in th second batch.
(6) Image quality. The CGO4 is NOT a great camera for still images. In fact, the new E90 is actually better for still images than the CGO4. BUT, I don't take images with the CGO4. I actually find the quality better to grab 60mb TIFF screen shots from 4k video. Work them in Lightroom and photoshop and export 8mb jpegs for the clients.
CONCLUSION:
If I could go back, would I have purchased the Tornado again? Probably... I have DJI product too and I like it. But motor redundancy is huge for me. I know DJI has the Matrice and prodigy in the hexa-motor department, but it's incredibly more expensive than the Tornado when well equipped. If I had 4 grand and needed this type of aircraft, I'd probably pull the trigger. I have tremendous confidence with it in the air and it has always done what I have asked of it (even to back itself into a tree).
Is it the perfect "drone?" God no... it's flawed and really your intended purposes are really going to make it obvious if this is the right uav for you. If you need something that is absolutely rock solid in the air under almost any weather situation and will put incredible 4k footage on your monitor flight after flight, then maybe it's for you. But go into the purchase well informed from those of us who use it daily.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2016
- Messages
- 158
- Reaction score
- 18
Thank you! The problem is finding the people that have been flying it and getting them to talk about it.
Would you mind sharing the issues you've seen with the stills? Perhaps posting some of the stills, with EXIF data references, you have found objectionable?
Would you mind sharing the issues you've seen with the stills? Perhaps posting some of the stills, with EXIF data references, you have found objectionable?
Last edited:
My dealer made an inquiry about the 920"s ST-16 functionality to Yuneec's Commercial division. The query and response is copied and pasted below.
"
A quick question regarding the H920+ and the CGO4.
Have a customer ready to purchase one and he wants to know if journey mode, curved cable cam, orbit and other modes will work when using the H920+, ST16 and CGO4. In addition, he is wanting to know if the CGO4 camera can be programmed to pitch to a particular angle at each different waypoint just like the CGO3+ can on the H.
I'm thinking the CGO4 and the H920+ using the ST16 will have all of the same features as the CGO3+ on the H using the ST16.
Thank you so much for your reply."
****************************************
"Yes, it has all the same features as the Typhoon H"
If the reply is 100% factual it would mean that the D pad cruise control may be available and functional for the 920. It is a function I use quite often with the Typhoon H as it relieves the flight control work load on a single operator, freeing up hands for control of the camera. It's extremely useful. Seabee, might you be able to confirm or deny the function is present with the ST-16?
"
A quick question regarding the H920+ and the CGO4.
Have a customer ready to purchase one and he wants to know if journey mode, curved cable cam, orbit and other modes will work when using the H920+, ST16 and CGO4. In addition, he is wanting to know if the CGO4 camera can be programmed to pitch to a particular angle at each different waypoint just like the CGO3+ can on the H.
I'm thinking the CGO4 and the H920+ using the ST16 will have all of the same features as the CGO3+ on the H using the ST16.
Thank you so much for your reply."
****************************************
"Yes, it has all the same features as the Typhoon H"
If the reply is 100% factual it would mean that the D pad cruise control may be available and functional for the 920. It is a function I use quite often with the Typhoon H as it relieves the flight control work load on a single operator, freeing up hands for control of the camera. It's extremely useful. Seabee, might you be able to confirm or deny the function is present with the ST-16?
Last edited:
This is wonderful information contained in the last few posts. Ace you are the first Tornado operator I have found who has given a meaningful analysis of this machine. 4k shooting in proper 4k quality with my present H flying features is very good news indeed. If the reliability of the Tornado is not messed up with the transfer of the H software to a Tornado ST16+ then that changes things.
Since I just placed the order for a 920 I suppose I'll be finding out soon enough.
I have yet to meet the "one drone fits all uses" category. Even the high end cinema custom builds have quirks and fail to serve every possible demand. I have yet to encounter any activity where a single piece of equipment fulfills 100% of what everyone whats or needs. With input from previous and current users, the limited documentation that's available, and a lot of phone time with Terrestrial Imaging I believe I've obtained enough information to allow a reasonably competent decision. Even allowing for the strong potential the 920 will be discontinued, and little firmware support will be there for it going forward, I feel it will be a better fit for my operations than the 520. Perhaps in 6 months to a year the 520 will be a little better "fleshed out" and be more attractive for me but since I don't do mapping work it doesn't suit my needs as well as the 920 appears to. DJI products can be really good in hardware but there's simply no way I can trust them.
So, I'm now a 920 owner with much to learn about it. Payload stuff mostly since it flies the same as the Typhoon, which flies the same as the Chroma and Q series models. If you are competent flying those I don't see where flying the 920 will present any problems. There will be a learning curve with the ST-16 functions.
I have yet to meet the "one drone fits all uses" category. Even the high end cinema custom builds have quirks and fail to serve every possible demand. I have yet to encounter any activity where a single piece of equipment fulfills 100% of what everyone whats or needs. With input from previous and current users, the limited documentation that's available, and a lot of phone time with Terrestrial Imaging I believe I've obtained enough information to allow a reasonably competent decision. Even allowing for the strong potential the 920 will be discontinued, and little firmware support will be there for it going forward, I feel it will be a better fit for my operations than the 520. Perhaps in 6 months to a year the 520 will be a little better "fleshed out" and be more attractive for me but since I don't do mapping work it doesn't suit my needs as well as the 920 appears to. DJI products can be really good in hardware but there's simply no way I can trust them.
So, I'm now a 920 owner with much to learn about it. Payload stuff mostly since it flies the same as the Typhoon, which flies the same as the Chroma and Q series models. If you are competent flying those I don't see where flying the 920 will present any problems. There will be a learning curve with the ST-16 functions.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2016
- Messages
- 158
- Reaction score
- 18
Welcome to the H920 @PatR !! I own a H920 upgraded to a plus and I am thinking about getting an Inspire 2
Having been part of the military UAV system, and part of some of the early tests of their products for use in military applications, I won't touch heir stuff. Fantastic hardware but if you trust them to maintain any data security, regardless of anything they say, it's on you. Always remember there are no businesses operating in China that are not controlled by their government, who also controls their internet and everything that comes through it.
Enjoy the 920--I pulled the trigger on an Inspire 2--the decsion came down to degree of portability--lowepro makes a good backpack for carrying around the Inspire 2
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2017
- Messages
- 40
- Reaction score
- 14
- Age
- 46
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2017
- Messages
- 40
- Reaction score
- 14
- Age
- 46
It's not a matter of the images being "objectionable" it's just at 16/9 format your images are only 12mega pixels. If you use the full-sensor at 4/3 then you get 16mega pixels images. In today's world, that's considered below average. The H520 90 for example can pull 20mega pixels images even though its sensor is considerably smaller than the CGO4. But like I said, I pull 4k screen grabs and my clients are very happy. Thank you!
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2017
- Messages
- 40
- Reaction score
- 14
- Age
- 46
Thank you... the video quality on the CGO4 is absolutely fantastic. But I do use different glass than the stock Yuneec lens. I use the Zuiko 12mm and 45mm prime lens. Footage is amazing.
Just got the word mine ships Monday. Just fitting the CGO-3 adapter now. There's potential an FPV mount might be obtainable for future personal modifications.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2016
- Messages
- 158
- Reaction score
- 18
