Yuneec Typhoon H Plus 4K Drone -1" 4K 60p camera
- Thread starter Camera Expert
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puredrifting
Major Contributor
But will they be around long enough for the warranty to be supported and parts available? Go Pro just dumped the consumer drone business because they couldn't compete with DJI. Yuneec is obviously more commited to drones than Go Pro was but I would have to think long and hard before buying a drone like this, even though it looks nice. Sadly, in the consumer space, DJI is the 800lb Gorilla.
Matt Gottshalk
Resident Preditor
I have been pretty impressed with what Yuneec offers in the drone market.
Kudos to them.
Kudos to them.
Thanks for posting. This looks really interesting!
Does anyone know if Yuneec is plagued with the constant software issues that DJI is?
It might be able to lose a motor and stay airborne unlike a quad.
I like the controller with integrated screen as opposed to using a tablet from another party
DJI makes great gear but on the software side of things they are extremely annoying. A lot of people are getting fed up with them. Since they are king right now they don't seem to care: The crashing, glitching, malfunctioning and sneaky "features" they force in can leave you inoperable on a job in front of an unhappy client.
You suddenly cannot fly where you have gone through all the proper clearance procedures, inlcuding the online DJi ones. Or it decides not to let you fly more than 100ft away all the sudden. Or suddenly bricks your drone and it no longer works.
It seems each new app version is worse than the previous and they don't let you download the older ones. The amount of tracking stuff they keep adding is also not cool.
They need some real competition.
We have a P3 Pro, P4 and Inspire 1 pro, and it's near constant problems.
The P4 is not reliable if recording over 24fps.
The Inspire has had a load of problems. Now it magically is stuck in beginner mode and will not come out.
The P3 is the least problematic probably because it is the oldest and has the least amount of spyware in it. I'm still running tn old app and old firmware.
I expect the govt comes down heavy on DJi since they are by far the biggest and forces them to do some of what they do. So some of it may not be Dji's fault.
Does anyone know if yuneec has so much troublesome crippling spyware garbage in their gear and software and unrealiable software?
Does anyone know if Yuneec is plagued with the constant software issues that DJI is?
It might be able to lose a motor and stay airborne unlike a quad.
I like the controller with integrated screen as opposed to using a tablet from another party
DJI makes great gear but on the software side of things they are extremely annoying. A lot of people are getting fed up with them. Since they are king right now they don't seem to care: The crashing, glitching, malfunctioning and sneaky "features" they force in can leave you inoperable on a job in front of an unhappy client.
You suddenly cannot fly where you have gone through all the proper clearance procedures, inlcuding the online DJi ones. Or it decides not to let you fly more than 100ft away all the sudden. Or suddenly bricks your drone and it no longer works.
It seems each new app version is worse than the previous and they don't let you download the older ones. The amount of tracking stuff they keep adding is also not cool.
They need some real competition.
We have a P3 Pro, P4 and Inspire 1 pro, and it's near constant problems.
The P4 is not reliable if recording over 24fps.
The Inspire has had a load of problems. Now it magically is stuck in beginner mode and will not come out.
The P3 is the least problematic probably because it is the oldest and has the least amount of spyware in it. I'm still running tn old app and old firmware.
I expect the govt comes down heavy on DJi since they are by far the biggest and forces them to do some of what they do. So some of it may not be Dji's fault.
Does anyone know if yuneec has so much troublesome crippling spyware garbage in their gear and software and unrealiable software?
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Camera Expert
Well-known member
Back in 2015, Intel have invested 60 million into Yuneec and they are the ones who made the sensing technology that is in the drones. Basically with a big company like Intel strongly backing Yuneec, it seams like Yuneec is going to be making drones for a while. Yuneec been selling drones since 2014 and they are still releasing new drones.
DJI tried to sue Yuneec in 2016 for patent reasons. Not sure what was the outcome of the case but the original Typhoon H got released despite threats from DJI. Either Youneec won or are paying DJI to keep the drones in the market.
DJI tried to sue Yuneec in 2016 for patent reasons. Not sure what was the outcome of the case but the original Typhoon H got released despite threats from DJI. Either Youneec won or are paying DJI to keep the drones in the market.
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indiawilds
Veteran
Well, 3DR who failed with their Solo had marquee investors like Richard Branson and chip company Qualcomm. It also has Autodesk and a host of other investors. So quality of investors is no guarantee that a drone will work.
My partner still flies the Solo. I had paid about 1700+ for 3DR Solo with batteries and backpack. So technically I am open to paying 1800 for Yuneec. However, I want to see how the camera works. Is it good in low light?
When my Phantom plunged from the air like a rocket, my heart sank. Since that day I haven't flown even once. I direct and my partner flies. I don't see myself buying a DJI ever.
My partner still flies the Solo. I had paid about 1700+ for 3DR Solo with batteries and backpack. So technically I am open to paying 1800 for Yuneec. However, I want to see how the camera works. Is it good in low light?
When my Phantom plunged from the air like a rocket, my heart sank. Since that day I haven't flown even once. I direct and my partner flies. I don't see myself buying a DJI ever.
Keep in mind that Yuneec does not suggest that their airships are professional level, the camera is almost certainly not as good as a DJI X7. But that said, I'm guessing that the H series is as good or slightly better than DJI Phantom series.
As I have mentioned in this or other threads, I've had one experience with DJI, and they were quick to start the run around game with support... That tells me to never return to them.
As far as suing any multicopter company, lets not forget where these aircraft first started! They first started with some very smart RC hobby guys designing and building control boards from other toys and tools (Wii was very popular), then designing their own control boards around the raw electronics available. If not for these people, DJI would not exist. Their first few products were directly "ripping off" what was at the time free and open sourced products built by passionate hobby people (note the quotes). They contributed NOTHING back to those projects, not a single line of code, but were more than happy to steal the fixes that users created for issues that came up in those dark days at the beginning. Now they (DJI) certainly have created their own improvements, built up from the money that they basically stole (my opinion) from the open sourced projects. Had they bothered to treat things like a real open sourced community and contributed code back to the projects, I'd have more respect for them. If they didn't start the run around at the very first hint that they might actually have to fix something, I'd have more respect for them. Both of those combined lead me to not put my money in their pockets. The above is my opinion based on what I saw happening in the RC community when I was more heavily involved there. Most of the progress from rough barely flying to what we have today is documented on RCGroups, you'll need to go back to around 2006 or maybe earlier to catch the beginning phases of the rise of the multicopter (note the name multicopter) and into the beginnings or the Quad and Hexacopters. This is back in the days of rate control gyros and the complex hoops that guys would jump through to make them fly.
The rise of the electronic camera gimbal is very similar and spurred on by many of those same RC hobby people using very similar control boards.
As I have mentioned in this or other threads, I've had one experience with DJI, and they were quick to start the run around game with support... That tells me to never return to them.
As far as suing any multicopter company, lets not forget where these aircraft first started! They first started with some very smart RC hobby guys designing and building control boards from other toys and tools (Wii was very popular), then designing their own control boards around the raw electronics available. If not for these people, DJI would not exist. Their first few products were directly "ripping off" what was at the time free and open sourced products built by passionate hobby people (note the quotes). They contributed NOTHING back to those projects, not a single line of code, but were more than happy to steal the fixes that users created for issues that came up in those dark days at the beginning. Now they (DJI) certainly have created their own improvements, built up from the money that they basically stole (my opinion) from the open sourced projects. Had they bothered to treat things like a real open sourced community and contributed code back to the projects, I'd have more respect for them. If they didn't start the run around at the very first hint that they might actually have to fix something, I'd have more respect for them. Both of those combined lead me to not put my money in their pockets. The above is my opinion based on what I saw happening in the RC community when I was more heavily involved there. Most of the progress from rough barely flying to what we have today is documented on RCGroups, you'll need to go back to around 2006 or maybe earlier to catch the beginning phases of the rise of the multicopter (note the name multicopter) and into the beginnings or the Quad and Hexacopters. This is back in the days of rate control gyros and the complex hoops that guys would jump through to make them fly.
The rise of the electronic camera gimbal is very similar and spurred on by many of those same RC hobby people using very similar control boards.
David_Manning
Active member
I'm still trying to decide what to do with my GoPro Karma drone, bought new just before Christmas. I like the Hero 5 Black--no complaints about the camera--and the drone is very straightforward. Doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the DJIs and the Yuneecs. But I worry about support in the future.
Am I being naive? Is there such a thing as long-term support for $800-consumer devices? I could fly it happily until it quits, or return it now and buy a *gulp* DJI or something. But then I'd have duplicated the camera.
Am I being naive? Is there such a thing as long-term support for $800-consumer devices? I could fly it happily until it quits, or return it now and buy a *gulp* DJI or something. But then I'd have duplicated the camera.
Is there really any support from GoPro for any of their products? Pretty much as soon as the next model comes out, you are out of luck (my experience from many years ago). Once again, I think (my opinion) was that they didn't care about any single customer because there would always be another sucker right behind that will buy a new camera. Maybe this changed, but it was taught to me (by GoPro) back in the HD days. I pre-ordered the HD (1) expecting a certain feature that I knew I needed. That feature was advertised and printed on the box. Not only did the wait time turn from 1 month to almost 4 months to get the camera, but I had to wait another 9 months for that single feature that I knew I needed (and helped me decide to buy their camera) to finally be released. Suggestions that I made came back with replies that amounted to "we know what we are doing better than you, go away". This from my 25+ years in TV. They eventually gave in to demand and put those features into newer models (I think it took until the 3 for a couple of them). Guess I wasn't so dumb after all. None of my suggestions required hardware changes, it was all software. But they decided they were going to do things their way, and if we didn't like it, we could go away. Looks like lots of people are going away from them. I guess it must be Karma (sorry, had too).
If it were me, and there was a window to return it... I'd ditch it as fast as I could. The camera will still have value, if you need an action camera. If not then you can probably sell it and not lose too much money (maybe). I need to contact Yi and see if their 4k action cams will do one specific thing. If so I'm going to buy a couple for testing (can't test with 1, need about 8 in the end, but no less than 4).
Still not sure I want to get into multicopters, my piloting skills kind of suck. Even airplanes are a bit of a challenge. And some of the things I want to do as my hobby, will look a lot like commercial use. That's the problem when you work on the tech side of TV and your hobby might be to produce some videos of other hobby activities (like motorcycle racing). The Yuneec H looks like the level of craft that would make me happy, but a lot of dough to find out that I just can't coordinate the flight controls. And if I get decent, that I get hit with FAA investigations left and right because the video ends up as part of a youtube video that makes me no money (my channel is not monetized, but I'm thinking maybe I will turn that on to help with the racing expenses). If I do this for my hobby, but I turn monetization on and get a few cents or dollars from Youtube, is that them commercial use of the "drone"? (personally I hate that word as they barely fly back to home to land by themselves)
If it were me, and there was a window to return it... I'd ditch it as fast as I could. The camera will still have value, if you need an action camera. If not then you can probably sell it and not lose too much money (maybe). I need to contact Yi and see if their 4k action cams will do one specific thing. If so I'm going to buy a couple for testing (can't test with 1, need about 8 in the end, but no less than 4).
Still not sure I want to get into multicopters, my piloting skills kind of suck. Even airplanes are a bit of a challenge. And some of the things I want to do as my hobby, will look a lot like commercial use. That's the problem when you work on the tech side of TV and your hobby might be to produce some videos of other hobby activities (like motorcycle racing). The Yuneec H looks like the level of craft that would make me happy, but a lot of dough to find out that I just can't coordinate the flight controls. And if I get decent, that I get hit with FAA investigations left and right because the video ends up as part of a youtube video that makes me no money (my channel is not monetized, but I'm thinking maybe I will turn that on to help with the racing expenses). If I do this for my hobby, but I turn monetization on and get a few cents or dollars from Youtube, is that them commercial use of the "drone"? (personally I hate that word as they barely fly back to home to land by themselves)
indiawilds
Veteran
Can you use the Go Pro 6 in it?
Chris Santucci
Veteran
Coming from DJI as a noob, and having spent recently a number of hours flying the Typhoon H Pro, I'm completely sold on Yuneec. Completely. The difference in flying Yuneec over DJI P4P is immense, to my mind. DJI are so crashy & particular with warnings & errors showing constantly that I was ready to give up droning completely, and I know people who have given up completely just based on frequency of crashes.
Forums are filled with DJI drone pilots complaining of crashes & erratic behavior. The all-in-one Yuneec controller & attendant software are SO easy to use, I can't even believe it after coming from DJI. I've flown almost every day for the past 5 days with not a single glitch, hiccup, or moment of unexpected flight behavior.
That said, the Typhoon H seems to not hold position as well as P4P, camera is not as good (but it appears TH+ will have a comparable camera), and it's larger. Operation IMO is WAY better with Yuneec, it's more stable in wind, camera seems more streamlined so less susceptible to wind forces (I've had wind actually forcibly pan the P4P camera), you have 360 degree camera pan, no screwing around finding the right tablet to use, smart modes are easy and simple to use, and from what I hear, Yuneec's support is amazing.
And, Yuneec has been committed to electric aviation for over 15 years (longer than DJI has even existed), so I feel pretty good about their drones.
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Thanks for taking the time to share all that, Chris.
If you don't mind, let us know how it works out as more time goes by.
Sounds like the app crashing/problems are much better with Yuneec.
Do you have to go online to clear your flight ahead of time? My friend goes through the whole DJi online process with his P4 and it often still won't let him fly even after it's all been done. And sometimes Dji randomly forces you to log into your account and won't let you fly until you do, which is a problem when it pops up way out in the field with no internet.
And they continually force you to update to their latest spyware and buggy version and it won't fly until you do. Any of that stuff the same with the Typhoon?
Typhoon H plus looks especially interesting with improved camera.
Can it do a quality HDMI out feed?
If you don't mind, let us know how it works out as more time goes by.
Sounds like the app crashing/problems are much better with Yuneec.
Do you have to go online to clear your flight ahead of time? My friend goes through the whole DJi online process with his P4 and it often still won't let him fly even after it's all been done. And sometimes Dji randomly forces you to log into your account and won't let you fly until you do, which is a problem when it pops up way out in the field with no internet.
And they continually force you to update to their latest spyware and buggy version and it won't fly until you do. Any of that stuff the same with the Typhoon?
Typhoon H plus looks especially interesting with improved camera.
Can it do a quality HDMI out feed?
Chris Santucci
Veteran
No, there's no need to ever clear a flight with the FAA unless you need to operate in or maybe near restricted airspace. With Typhoon, I just go fly. I used to get some kind of helpful warning on DJI controller in one area I fly in, but as far as I can tell, Yuneec has no such annoying warnings at all. Yuneec has built in HDMI output unlike P4P. You need to buy a $100 module to output HDMI with P4P controller. I haven't used the output yet, but will be soon with Yuneec's FPV goggles. .
David_Manning
Active member
As an aside regarding my previous post, my GoPro Karma drone has been flying flawlessly. It doesn't have most of the smart modes of the DJI, but it flies well, has a good controller/interface and screen, and the Hero 5 Black camera is really good. Parts are available, and customer service has been quick and flawless (I had a battery stop working...it was replaced and FedEx'd to me, no cost or questions...they just needed a picture of the serial number).
When it quits working, I'll be looking at 1" sensor drones or larger. I think customer service might be the key to these aerial camera decisions.
When it quits working, I'll be looking at 1" sensor drones or larger. I think customer service might be the key to these aerial camera decisions.
The built-in HDMI output from the controller is meant to be a reference stream - it’s at 720p.
Yuneec’s approach is much different than DJI’s, imo. Yes, there are some no-fly spaces. My understanding is that you can get a support code to turn off no-fly zones when you establish with Y that you are Part 107 licensed and perhaps sign a waiver.
From the forums I read, Yuneec’s support experience is much better than DJI’s, according to pilots who have been through both. I’ve not had to call...
Thanks for sharing your experience! I certainly will give Yuneec a serious look next time I get a drone.