Typhoon H Plus issues with ST16S controller

[DarienR1]

Hello Everyone, It has been a while since I've posted an issue, but alas, the problems pursue me.

I had my Typhoon H Plus in storage for a while (about 2 years). The batteries don't hold a charge and one comes up with a blue light when put in the OEM Charger, and for some reason, I had to disassemble the drone to remove one my 3rd Battery as it was swollen. Regardless, that is not my issue but if anyone has any insight on that or where to get new batteries because Yuneec isn't answering my calls (more on this later), I would appreciate it.

What is going on that I cannot understand is the ST16S controller will not boot up when powered on. I plug it in with the USB cable and I have 2 chargers, 2 batteries, and even a regular 5V charger, and no combination of the above works. When the power switch is moved to the on position, the controller beeps once, the blue light turns on, and the screen lights up but shows nothing. You hear the fan turn on for a second, then it all powers down. nothing ever boots. I got it to stay on for about 10 minutes by removing the battery, plugging in the micro USB power cable, powering it on, and then inserting the battery pack, but it never booted the controller. It just stayed with a blank lit screen and the internal fan running. I thought it may be updating or some sort of internal check, but it just ended up turning off after about 10 minutes.

I connected an external video recorder to the HDMI output on the controller to see if it would give me anything (as I thought maybe it was just the screen on the controller that was bad): The results were that when I powered on the controller and It beeped, the external video recorder showed that the controller went from no signal to 1080P@60fps during the beep, and then back to no signal again.

This controller was never dropped or manhandled. It has always been in the case and always kept in a closet with the house temp around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't understand why it would do this as it was fully functioning the last time I flew it. I had even taken it out to power up in the house as I was testing something with the camera and then I put it all away. I know the system is based on Android in the background but other than something going corrupt, I'm not sure how to proceed. Is there a way to reload the software or go into diagnostic mode by pressing a sequence of hardware buttons? Is there a way to check or reload Android on the controller like you do with cell phones? Or, do I just have to buy another controller? can i not get support for this from Yuneec? and now that we're on the subject of Yuneec...

What is up with Yuneec tech support? I called what I had as the Customer/Tech Support number at the time (844) 898-6332, and it talked about some gift card in the recording, and when I pressed 1 to continue, some guy came on and said they were gonna send a "mechanic" out to my place, and then he proceeded to hang up on me? ( Yuneec support had me ship my drone to them last time.) He didn't even ask for my info or even verify anything as they did previously which seemed very shady...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. I'm trying to attach a video or a screenshot of what is happening.

 

[WTFDproject]

Hello Everyone, It has been a while since I've posted an issue, but alas, the problems pursue me.

I had my Typhoon H Plus in storage for a while (about 2 years). The batteries don't hold a charge and one comes up with a blue light when put in the OEM Charger, and for some reason, I had to disassemble the drone to remove one my 3rd Battery as it was swollen. Regardless, that is not my issue but if anyone has any insight on that or where to get new batteries because Yuneec isn't answering my calls (more on this later), I would appreciate it.

What is going on that I cannot understand is the ST16S controller will not boot up when powered on. I plug it in with the USB cable and I have 2 chargers, 2 batteries, and even a regular 5V charger, and no combination of the above works. When the power switch is moved to the on position, the controller beeps once, the blue light turns on, and the screen lights up but shows nothing. You hear the fan turn on for a second, then it all powers down. nothing ever boots. I got it to stay on for about 10 minutes by removing the battery, plugging in the micro USB power cable, powering it on, and then inserting the battery pack, but it never booted the controller. It just stayed with a blank lit screen and the internal fan running. I thought it may be updating or some sort of internal check, but it just ended up turning off after about 10 minutes.

I connected an external video recorder to the HDMI output on the controller to see if it would give me anything (as I thought maybe it was just the screen on the controller that was bad): The results were that when I powered on the controller and It beeped, the external video recorder showed that the controller went from no signal to 1080P@60fps during the beep, and then back to no signal again.

This controller was never dropped or manhandled. It has always been in the case and always kept in a closet with the house temp around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't understand why it would do this as it was fully functioning the last time I flew it. I had even taken it out to power up in the house as I was testing something with the camera and then I put it all away. I know the system is based on Android in the background but other than something going corrupt, I'm not sure how to proceed. Is there a way to reload the software or go into diagnostic mode by pressing a sequence of hardware buttons? Is there a way to check or reload Android on the controller like you do with cell phones? Or, do I just have to buy another controller? can i not get support for this from Yuneec? and now that we're on the subject of Yuneec...

What is up with Yuneec tech support? I called what I had as the Customer/Tech Support number at the time (844) 898-6332, and it talked about some gift card in the recording, and when I pressed 1 to continue, some guy came on and said they were gonna send a "mechanic" out to my place, and then he proceeded to hang up on me? ( Yuneec support had me ship my drone to them last time.) He didn't even ask for my info or even verify anything as they did previously which seemed very shady...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. I'm trying to attach a video or a screenshot of what is happening.

Did you charge the controller battery? The controller will not work directly from the charger. Plug the battery back into the controller. Connect the charger to the controller. Watch the screen for a couple of minutes. It wii do nothing for maybe a minute or so. Then it will do some off/on shenanigans, finally displaying a charging status icon for a few seconds before going dark. Let it charge for a couple of hours. Swipe the screen every once in a while to see the charging status Icon for a couple seconds at a time.

 

[DarienR1]

Did you charge the controller battery? The controller will not work directly from the charger. Plug the battery back into the controller. Connect the charger to the controller. Watch the screen for a couple of minutes. It wii do nothing for maybe a minute or so. Then it will do some off/on shenanigans, finally displaying a charging status icon for a few seconds before going dark. Let it charge for a couple of hours. Swipe the screen every once in a while to see the charging status Icon for a couple seconds at a time.

Yes, for about 6 hours or so. I thought it may be a problem with the Batteries and as I have 2, I tried with both...I got nothing. Do you think I need to charge the batteries externally? Is there even a way to do that?

 

[WTFDproject]

Yes, for about 6 hours or so. I thought it may be a problem with the Batteries and as I have 2, I tried with both...I got nothing. Do you think I need to charge the batteries externally? Is there even a way to do that?

You can check the voltage with a multimeter to see if the battery charge is the issue.
This particular post shows a way to charge the battery with an external charger.

ST16S Charging Issue

So my 18 month old ST16S is acting up. When I plug in a charger to the transmitter it looks normal at first. Yuneec name pops up, then the battery icon. But then it keeps doing this same cycle repeatedly without actually charing the battery. So I cleaned the terminals best I could. No change...

yuneecpilots.com

Folks have come up with other methods, such as using a 5 volt USB charger long enough to get the controller battery charge high enough for the built in charger to work.

You can search on the forum for something like "ST16S battery" and find some variations folks have tried and also some issues they have had with the batteries and charging system.

 

[DarienR1]

You can check the voltage with a multimeter to see if the battery charge is the issue.
This particular post shows a way to charge the battery with an external charger.

ST16S Charging Issue

So my 18 month old ST16S is acting up. When I plug in a charger to the transmitter it looks normal at first. Yuneec name pops up, then the battery icon. But then it keeps doing this same cycle repeatedly without actually charing the battery. So I cleaned the terminals best I could. No change...

yuneecpilots.com

Folks have come up with other methods, such as using a 5 volt USB charger long enough to get the controller battery charge high enough for the built in charger to work.

You can search on the forum for something like "ST16S battery" and find some variations folks have tried and also some issues they have had with the batteries and charging system.

I just looked at the post and tested one of the batteries with a multimeter: the battery shows 4.12 volts so I'm pretty sure it's good.

 

[WTFDproject]

.....I know the system is based on Android in the background but other than something going corrupt, I'm not sure how to proceed. Is there a way to reload the software or go into diagnostic mode by pressing a sequence of hardware buttons? Is there a way to check or reload Android on the controller like you do with cell phones? Or, do I just have to buy another controller?

Back in your original post, you asked about ways to access the android. Weellll,,, Maybe.

First, you have to decide if you have a hardware problem or if this is somehow a firmware issue. You can't fix hardware problems with firmware. And if you attempt to fix a hardware problem with firmware, you are pretty much going to now have a firmware problem as well.
I sounds like a bad video board to me. Firmware will not fix that. But I don't know for sure it is hardware.
If you recognize the issues and the odds and just want to try a firmware reset, yeah, that can possibly be done. There is a phony "Update.exe" that can be used to force an entry into the android menu. The menu includes factory reset as an option. If the video board is bad, you won't be able to see the menu, of course. And all kinds of things could get worse.

Read through these instructions. Think hard if you want to try it. It is the only reasonable home method I know of. (You can learn some android stuff at home if you have a couple days, but since I doubt it is a firmware issue anyway, that does not sound reasonable).

ST16S Unlock for HPlus.pdf

Shared with Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

A good alternative to trying this guidance would be to wait awhile and see if someone else can suggest anything that sounds a little less "off the wall".

 

[DarienR1]

Thank You, I will wait a few days to see, but I'll check the document in the mean time. I also saw some used controllers on ebay but they were ST16 and not ST16S: will those work or can they be configures to work, do I have to stick with the ST16S?

 

[WTFDproject]

Thank You, I will wait a few days to see, but I'll check the document in the mean time. I also saw some used controllers on ebay but they were ST16 and not ST16S: will those work or can they be configures to work, do I have to stick with the ST16S?

Although VERY similar in external appearance, the ST16 is lighter built and is more difficult to do maintenance when needed. However:

Yes, the ST16 can be loaded with ST16S firmware. I have briefly experimented with it and saw no problems in general flight. At least one other member reported using that configuration as the normal flight controller.
You can do a simple conversion simply by installing the ST16S flight APP. I am not comfortable with that. Especially with the H Plus, which had a pretty significant update to the operating system part way through the model support period. I prefer to keep the Android side of the controller on the same firmware version used by Yuneec when they developed each flight APP.
Let us know if you decide to go that way. Instructions and links to the firmware can be provided.

Late note to avoid confusion:
If you do Forum searches on the subject of ST16 series firmware swapping you may find several posts stating that it cannot be done. That was true at the time and was true for a long time. Those posts are still out there. What changed was introduction of the H520. The H520 came with an update system that can override the problem of the ST16 firmware update system and convert a Typhoon H (H480/H PRO) ST16 to an all H520 ST16S firmware system. Once on H520 ST16S firmware, it is very easy to convert to HPlus or H3 ST16S firmware.

 

[DarienR1]

Although VERY similar in external appearance, the ST16 is lighter built and is more difficult to do maintenance when needed. However:

Yes, the ST16 can be loaded with ST16S firmware. I have briefly experimented with it and saw no problems in general flight. At least one other member reported using that configuration as the normal flight controller.
You can do a simple conversion simply by installing the ST16S flight APP. I am not comfortable with that. Especially with the H Plus, which had a pretty significant update to the operating system part way through the model support period. I prefer to keep the Android side of the controller on the same firmware version used by Yuneec when they developed each flight APP.
Let us know if you decide to go that way. Instructions and links to the firmware can be provided.

Late note to avoid confusion:
If you do Forum searches on the subject of ST16 series firmware swapping you may find several posts stating that it cannot be done. That was true at the time and was true for a long time. Those posts are still out there. What changed was introduction of the H520. The H520 came with an update system that can override the problem of the ST16 firmware update system and convert a Typhoon H (H480/H PRO) ST16 to an all H520 ST16S firmware system. Once on H520 ST16S firmware, it is very easy to convert to HPlus or H3 ST16S firmware.

Okay. I understand and will use this as a last resort. In your opinion, what are the major risk factors should I make this conversion? Would it be possible to use parts from the st16 to make my st16s work (you spoke of possibly a bad video board)?

 

[DarienR1]

Also, has Yuneec closed down its US office? Why can I no longer reach support? Is everyone having an issue or is it just me?

 

[WTFDproject]

Also, has Yuneec closed down its US office? Why can I no longer reach support? Is everyone having an issue or is it just me?

Yuneec itself is pretty much out of business in the US. Various attempts and rumors occasionally appear, but mostly I don't even consider the actual company as a resource for the individual customers.

 

[WTFDproject]

Okay. I understand and will use this as a last resort. In your opinion, what are the major risk factors should I make this conversion? Would it be possible to use parts from the st16 to make my st16s work (you spoke of possibly a bad video board)?

The major risk is just that I don't have much history to offer. It may be fine. But I don't have any useful personal experience with it. Hopefully one of the members that uses the conversion will see this thread and chime in.

It would not be possible to swap video boards. There are very few parts that can be exchanged between ST16 and ST16S. The great similarity in appearance and function are deceptive. The major hardware is very different.

I probably should have been more cautious mentioning the video board. The video board is only a possibility. It is very hard to diagnose a controller problem without having the controller in hand. And the parts are too expensive to buy them one at a time just to see if it is the right part. Especially with the ST16S, where the video board is part of a larger board.

Have you tried removing the pack panel and checking/cleaning all the connectors inside?

 

[DarienR1]

Yuneec itself is pretty much out of business in the US. Various attempts and rumors occasionally appear, but mostly I don't even consider the actual company as a resource for the individual customers.

WOW...is Germany a viable option?

 

[DarienR1]

The major risk is just that I don't have much history to offer. It may be fine. But I don't have any useful personal experience with it. Hopefully one of the members that uses the conversion will see this thread and chime in.

It would not be possible to swap video boards. There are very few parts that can be exchanged between ST16 and ST16S. The great similarity in appearance and function are deceptive. The major hardware is very different.

I probably should have been more cautious mentioning the video board. The video board is only a possibility. It is very hard to diagnose a controller problem without having the controller in hand. And the parts are too expensive to buy them one at a time just to see if it is the right part. Especially with the ST16S, where the video board is part of a larger board.

Have you tried removing the pack panel and checking/cleaning all the connectors inside?

No, I have not. My fear is making a bad situation, worse. If no one else has anything further to add, I will look on ebay and see about a replacement controller. The ST16 swap if it runs too expensive. I also have to figure out batteries for the drone itself... This may turn out to be a unit I end up just selling for what I can get, and buying a unit that I can get support with. The problem is I hate DJI drones. They seem so cheap to me. I wish there were more options in the $2000-$3000 range for film and video.

 

[WTFDproject]

WOW...is Germany a viable option?

The shipping would be expensive. And might be pretty slow.

Vertigo Drones is in Rochester, New York:

Certified Repairs and Services by Vertigo Drones: Yuneec Typhoon H, Q500, Breeze, CGO3+, CGO3, CGO2, DJI, Spark, Mavic Air, Mavic Pro, Mavic Pro Platinum, Phantom 4 Pro, P4P, Phantom 4 Advanced, Plus,

John Mitchell @Yuneec Skins is in Citrus Heights, California:

Yuneec ST16s Controller Diagnostic and Repair Estimate Service

Yuneec ST16s Controller Diagnostic & Repair Estimate Service - Shipping Instructions: Find a Box Approximately: 14" x 10" x 4". Place your Controller in the Box, on Crushed Paper, Packing Pillows, or Packing Foam Peanuts, then Fill remaining Voids, and Cover the Entire Controller with with the...

yuneecskins.com

 

[RudaR]

Ahoj všichni, už je to nějaký čas, co jsem napsal problém, ale bohužel, problémy mě pronásledují.

Měl jsem svůj Typhoon H Plus nějakou dobu ve skladu (asi 2 roky). Baterie se nenabíjejí a jedna se po vložení do OEM nabíječky rozsvítí modrým světlem az nějakého důvodu jsem musel dron rozebrat, abych vyjmul jednu svou 3. baterii, protože byla oteklá. Bez ohledu na to to není můj problém, ale pokud by o tom někdo věděl nebo o tom, kde získat nové baterie, protože Yuneec neodpovídá na mé hovory (více o tom později), ocenil bych to.

Nerozumím tomu, co se děje, je, že řadič ST16S se po zapnutí nespustí. Připojím to kabelem USB a mám 2 nabíječky, 2 baterie a dokonce i běžnou 5V nabíječku a žádná kombinace výše uvedeného nefunguje. Když se vypínač přesune do polohy zapnuto, ovladač jednou pípne, rozsvítí se modré světlo a obrazovka se rozsvítí, ale nic neukazuje. Uslyšíte, jak se na vteřinu zapíná ventilátor, pak se vše vypne. nikdy nic nenaběhne. Zůstalo mi zapnuté asi 10 minut vyjmutím baterie, zapojením napájecího kabelu micro USB, zapnutím a vložením baterie, ale ovladač se nikdy nespustil. Zůstalo jen u prázdné osvětlené obrazovky a běžícího vnitřního ventilátoru. Myslel jsem, že to může být aktualizace nebo nějaká interní kontrola, ale skončilo to tak, že se to asi po 10 minutách vypnulo.

Připojil jsem externí videorekordér k výstupu HDMI na ovladači, abych zjistil, zda mi něco dá (jak jsem si myslel, že možná byla špatná jen obrazovka ovladače): Výsledky byly, že když jsem zapnul ovladač a Zapípalo to, externí videorekordér ukázal, že ovladač během pípnutí přešel z žádného signálu na 1080P@60fps a pak se zase vrátil na žádný signál.

Tento ovladač nebyl nikdy upuštěn ani s ním nebylo manipulováno. Vždy byl v pouzdře a vždy byl uložen ve skříni s teplotou v domě kolem 70 stupňů Fahrenheita. Nechápu, proč by to dělalo, když jsem s tím letěl naposledy, plně fungoval. Dokonce jsem ho vyndal, abych ho zapnul v domě, když jsem něco testoval s kamerou, a pak jsem to všechno odložil. Vím, že systém je založen na Androidu na pozadí, ale kromě něčeho, co se poškodí, si nejsem jistý, jak postupovat. Existuje způsob, jak znovu načíst software nebo přejít do diagnostického režimu stisknutím sekvence hardwarových tlačítek? Existuje způsob, jak zkontrolovat nebo znovu načíst Android na ovladači, jako to děláte u mobilních telefonů? Nebo si musím koupit jiný ovladač? nemohu pro to získat podporu od Yuneec? a teď, když jsme u tématu Yuneec...

Co se děje s technickou podporou Yuneec? Zavolal jsem to, co jsem měl jako číslo zákaznické/technické podpory v té době (844) 898-6332, a mluvilo o nějaké dárkové kartě v nahrávce, a když jsem zmáčkl 1, abych pokračoval, ozval se nějaký chlap a řekl, že chtějí poslat ke mně "mechanika" a on mi pak zavěsil? (Podpora Yuneec mě naposledy nechala poslat jim svůj dron.) Ani se mě neptal na informace, ani si nic neověřoval, jako to dělali předtím, což vypadalo velmi pochybně...

Jakákoli pomoc by byla velmi oceněna!
PS Snažím se připojit video nebo snímek obrazovky toho, co se děje.

Moje poznatky. Když baterie byla dlouho bez dobíjení, kleslo napětí (klesly Volty). Obyčejné nabíječky budou hlásit chybu baterie. Ty musíš použít nejdřív ŘIDITELNOU nabíječku a nastavit ručně Volty. Nejdřív málo, potom víc. Podle svého nápadu. Potom pomalu dávat víc Voltů. Až bude baterie trochu nabitá, tak nyní můžeš připojit standardní nabíječku. Snad již bude nabíjet, pokud není baterie opravdu mrtvá. Nutno trochu rozumět elektřině. Není to složité. Pokud je baterie hodně vybitá, tak obyčejná nabíječka píše chybu.

My findings. When the battery was not charged for a long time, the voltage dropped (Volts dropped). Ordinary chargers will report a battery error. You have to use the CONTROLLED charger first and set the Volts manually. Little at first, then more. According to your idea. Then slowly add more Volts. When the battery is a little charged, you can now connect a standard charger. Hopefully it will already be charging, unless the battery is really dead. A little understanding of electricity is required. It's not complicated. If the battery is very discharged, the ordinary charger writes an error.

 

[Dmd56]

Hello Everyone, It has been a while since I've posted an issue, but alas, the problems pursue me.

I had my Typhoon H Plus in storage for a while (about 2 years). The batteries don't hold a charge and one comes up with a blue light when put in the OEM Charger, and for some reason, I had to disassemble the drone to remove one my 3rd Battery as it was swollen. Regardless, that is not my issue but if anyone has any insight on that or where to get new batteries because Yuneec isn't answering my calls (more on this later), I would appreciate it.

What is going on that I cannot understand is the ST16S controller will not boot up when powered on. I plug it in with the USB cable and I have 2 chargers, 2 batteries, and even a regular 5V charger, and no combination of the above works. When the power switch is moved to the on position, the controller beeps once, the blue light turns on, and the screen lights up but shows nothing. You hear the fan turn on for a second, then it all powers down. nothing ever boots. I got it to stay on for about 10 minutes by removing the battery, plugging in the micro USB power cable, powering it on, and then inserting the battery pack, but it never booted the controller. It just stayed with a blank lit screen and the internal fan running. I thought it may be updating or some sort of internal check, but it just ended up turning off after about 10 minutes.

I connected an external video recorder to the HDMI output on the controller to see if it would give me anything (as I thought maybe it was just the screen on the controller that was bad): The results were that when I powered on the controller and It beeped, the external video recorder showed that the controller went from no signal to 1080P@60fps during the beep, and then back to no signal again.

This controller was never dropped or manhandled. It has always been in the case and always kept in a closet with the house temp around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't understand why it would do this as it was fully functioning the last time I flew it. I had even taken it out to power up in the house as I was testing something with the camera and then I put it all away. I know the system is based on Android in the background but other than something going corrupt, I'm not sure how to proceed. Is there a way to reload the software or go into diagnostic mode by pressing a sequence of hardware buttons? Is there a way to check or reload Android on the controller like you do with cell phones? Or, do I just have to buy another controller? can i not get support for this from Yuneec? and now that we're on the subject of Yuneec...

What is up with Yuneec tech support? I called what I had as the Customer/Tech Support number at the time (844) 898-6332, and it talked about some gift card in the recording, and when I pressed 1 to continue, some guy came on and said they were gonna send a "mechanic" out to my place, and then he proceeded to hang up on me? ( Yuneec support had me ship my drone to them last time.) He didn't even ask for my info or even verify anything as they did previously which seemed very shady...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. I'm trying to attach a video or a screenshot of what is happening.

Hey did you ever get any input on your S16S controller? I have a similar problem with mine. The only difference is when I power it up I get no screen flash and no fan it just doesn’t do anything but the blue light.
Let me know,any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated