Yuneec NFZ - No-Fly Zone - Altitude Limitation

[Yuneec Skins]

This Thread is to determine the Maximum Altitude allowed with Yuneec Drones before and after Firmware Updates and if it's with or without the No-Fly Restrictions were removed from your Aircraft.
Please understand this is not a Contest, it's only to determine the Maximum Altitude Achieved by your specific Yuneec Model, and it's not to find out who has flown the Highest.
I received a phone call from a Customer who's Typhoon H I issued an NFZ release for wanted to know if the NFZ Release removes the Elevation/Altitude Limitation of his Drone. My answer was the NFZ Release removes all Flight Restrictions from his Aircraft, but I could not say if it Removes any Maximum Altitude Limitation. I reside in the Sacramento Valley in California, where my approximate Altitude above Sea Level is around 200 feet. I have never attempted to Test one of the Yuneec Aircraft I have to see if there is a limitation, as I have no reason to reach or exceed the 1,000 meter maximum that can be set with the Yuneec GUI. I also wonder if this 1,000 meter limit is determined by the Take-Off Location Altitude, or from ASL (Above Sea Level), I doubt it's from ASL, because if you try to take off from a location High in the mountains your drone wouldn't arm for take-off, and I have flown from locations above 5,000 feet, but I never attempted to see what, or if any Maximum Altitude Limits were in place.
Please Respond with the Yuneec Drone Model you have, and if there was a Altitude Limit, the Maximum Altitude you achieved, and whether or not you have the NFZ Restrictions Removed.
Thank you

 

[h-elsner]

To make it more clear, we have to diffenciate two limitations:
- Geofence: Distance and altitude (elevation) is relative to start position.
- Max-Altitude limits to arm motors are relative to MSL.

As far as I know, only Q500 has Max-Altitude limitation that avoids to arm the motors above 8000ft. I never heard about this for Typhoon H (which not means that it not exists ;-). I never started my Typhoon H above 1800m MSL.

For Q500 there are two additional FW files: One for NFZ and another to remove 8000ft limitation (callled Q500_v1.07_10_05_2015_no_max_altitude.bin). I don't know if there is a combination of both or if NFZ includes removal of the 8000ft limitation.

br HE

 

[Enrico Jorysch]

With my Typhoon H, without deactivated NFZ, I took off on the glacier of the small Matterhorn in Switzerland.

Height of the kelines Matterhorn is 3850 meters above sea level.
From there, with the permission of the Helliport Zermatt, I ascended 150 meters, that is, to 4000 meters above sea level.

The temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius and the thin air at altitude, resulted in a flight time of kmapp 8 minutes to the first battery warning.

With the Q500 with the original Firmare, I started on the Gotthardpass (Switzerland). The pass is about 2300 m above sea level. After a climb of about 80 meters, the flight became quite spongy.... I think the motors and rotors are not designed for more, even if there is a firmware with which you can still fly above 2500 m above sea level.

Greetings Enrico

 

[Steve Carr]

The limit is determined by the battery. Every 2 minutes of ascent takes at least 3 minutes to descend. With the H Plus, I routinely fly to 1200' up a steep hillside (while maintaining less than 400' AGL). I watch battery voltage carefully so I never exceed the limits of the battery. And I always descend at an angle to avoid VRS. This is especially important with the Q500 which is more likely to enter VRS on descent.
There are plenty of videos of those who have flown into the clouds only to loose their drone while descending because the battery ran out of fuel. The glide path is vertical.

 

[Richie]

Ive accidently gone up over 400 ft on a couple occaisions, almost 500.then quickly brought it back down after noticing. I do not have any NFZ software and I havent even got a warning for flying too high, Only when Im too close to an airport will I get a warning

 

[h-elsner]

@Richie: What drone you refer?

 

[Richie]

@Richie: What drone you refer?

My Typoon H

 

[h-elsner]

I tested yesterday with my Typhoon H and the geofence altitude limitation works for me also in Angle Mode. I could not getting it higher above start position as the geofence limitation was set. There is no warning message but it simply stops climbing.

@Richie: I wonder why you can go higher. Can you please check your geofence settings in GUI?

br HE

 

[Peter b]

To make it more clear, we have to diffenciate two limitations:
- Geofence: Distance and altitude (elevation) is relative to start position.
- Max-Altitude limits to arm motors are relative to MSL.

As far as I know, only Q500 has Max-Altitude limitation that avoids to arm the motors above 8000ft. I never heard about this for Typhoon H (which not means that it not exists ;-). I never started my Typhoon H above 1800m MSL.

For Q500 there are two additional FW files: One for NFZ and another to remove 8000ft limitation (callled Q500_v1.07_10_05_2015_no_max_altitude.bin). I don't know if there is a combination of both or if NFZ includes removal of the 8000ft limitation.

br HE

Every time I read these important info. threads I end up once again at the back of the class.

 

[Richie]

@Richie: What drone you refer?

sorry, its a typhoon h

 

[slw74]

With the challenge that John presented, I charged several batteries and did flights with my primary drones. I don't fly them all very often, so it was a good chance to see how they and the controllers were working. None of my drones have the NFZ removed. In Matthews, NC, the MSL at my address is 728 feet (222m). I flew each of the pairs of drones to their maximum AGL. For each pair, I used the same controller. Here's what I found out this morning:

Typhoon H480; maximum altitude for first: 393.7 feet (119.9 m); for the second: 394.1 feet (120.1 m); within the error of measurement
Typhoon H Plus: maximum for first and second 393.7 feet (120 m), as listed in the controller settings
Typhoon H 520: both went to 393.7 feet (120 m); they did not stop there, but I did. The geofence limits are not entered on either drone.

I hope that helps with the information for the discussion,
Stephen