To drone or not

[srclemmons]

Hello all,

I have a Typhhon H that has never left the ground and am now thinking about whether it’s worth it to keep. The OEM batteries are no good, since the whole kit sat in my closet for too long. I now need new batteries and a proper conditioner no doubt, but it seems the rules around flying are becoming more of a hassle for a hobbiest too. The most I’ve done is use the sim software with the controller when I first got the unit to learn the basics, then some life happened and it sat in the backpack. I thought I might finally give it a go, went to charge the batteries and they were all puffy on the labeled sections, but the controller still held a full charge! What are your thoughts?

I’ll take a big loss selling it I know, but it might be better than investing even more into it.

 

[Ty Pilot]

The Typhoon H is a solid flyer and the CG03+ is a decent camera for it's time. Support for the Typhoon has been sketchy in the past but there are people that are now stepping up to provide parts and supplies if needed such as our own @Yuneec Skins - It sounds like your batteries are toast so if you're going to keep it I would suggest getting new batteries. In addition, if you're going to get new batteries it might be worth your while to invest in a proper aftermarket charger to charge and (more importantly), maintain them.

If you're not sure which way to go it might help to ask yourself what you want to do and in which direction you wish to go. For a hobbyist, the Typhoon is a very capable all-around good drone. All the bugs have been discussed and/or eliminated.

Drone rules are getting more prevalent and even a hobbyist now needs to have a good understanding of just what the rules are. One of the biggest confusion points for newcomers is that sometimes the rules for recreationally and commercial use are intermingled in some discussions which; causes more confusion. In addition, the future rules also cause confusion because some think they apply now when they don't. To cut confusion I would advise spending an evening reading what's on the FAA website in regards to the type of flying you wish to do.

In a nutshell, you will need to become more aware of the types of places you can and cannot fly. There are many apps Such as 'Aloft' (Formally known as Kittyhawk) that provide real-time data that is invaluable to both recreational and commercial pilots alike.

I sold my Typhoon after I upgraded to the Typhoon H Plus and with three good batteries and a lot of extras I got less than 600 bucks so yeah, their not worth what they once were. I would look at it like this - if you want to keep flying the typhoon - the cheapest route might be a couple hundred dollars for batteries and maybe a hundred more if you invest in a charger. If you fly for year then want to sell, the Typhoon won't depreciate too much and they might even be worth more.

 

[srclemmons]

Thanks for the respons…good information.

 

[ChadSteele]

Investing in a good battery tester / discharger is worthwhile if you routinely deal with lipo batteries, even though the batteries you have are puffy, doesn't mean they are done.
I have lipo's that are 15 years old, still going strong, The easiest way to test is in the drone, just do some test hovers, the H is super stable and easy to fly.

 

[Tazmanic]

Hi,

I noticed when I charged my 2 batteries last week since 2019, that 1 was flashing red then took it out and tried again and was charging OK, but when I used it, it was only half charged.

I have a after market charger and balance checker and they both indicated it was 50% charged.

Charged battery again with after market and got 22 mins of Flight Time.

I would contact John at Yuneec Skins and order a new battery from him, Always helpful or China has some non oem batteries it all depends on your urgency.

Regards,

T

 

[Nesher]

I used to fly an ultralight aircraft, was able to use it only on rare occasions, but enjoyed it.
Then the FAA introduced new regulations, which were actually a great improvement, but just didn't work out for me. Since the whole point of flying was to have fun, I shelved my craft, which is now slowly rotting.
I then switched to flying UAV's! Been having a blast.
If it's not fun, don't do it. Yeah, you sank some time and money into it, but the whole point is you should feel like you WANT to fly, not like you HAVE to fly to justify your investment.
And no, you won't get full price for your Typhoon, but you will get a few hundred bucks. That's not chicken feed, IMHO.
And don't forget, for the price you may get for your Typhoon, you can always buy a Mavic Mini/Parrot Anafi, and still have lots of fun.
Typhoon H sells for $500 on eBay

 

[Tazmanic]

Are that be the rub Horatio... as Shakespeare once wrote.

Yes i agreed 100% but on good days, when the sun is shining and the wind is low ... boy do I want to fly all day long ....

Yep seen a few cheap drones on Ebay over here but always there damaged or with bits missing, and it's temping but then if it cannot be repaired is it worth it ??.

John at Yuneec Skins is great for repairing drone cameras, I have had 2 done now and they both came back as new so he is worth contacting if you ever get stuck, as he is a flyer and he knows what your going through ????

T