Evo - cracked antennas

[Ansia]

Gotcha. Now it makes sense.

Will follow up with Autel's response to my email.

Continue reading from this point on, to see my process when I replaced the OEM antennas and returned to them.

Should I Void My Warranty On My Controller

I did not even consider that. Oh well I went and did it anyway. LOL It makes a huge difference in signal. Night and day. And two Instant Pots so you have lots of additional time to fly. LOL BTW, I love the idea of adding standard antenna connectors. Did you do it yourself or did you have...

autelpilots.com

 

[TravisPNW]

Well they replied... and it was what I expected.


Hello Travis,

I am sorry hear about your RC. I can definitely can help you send it in for repair! Since you already sent all the information we require to get the process started, I will be sending you the prepaid shipping labels.

Attached to this email is your FedEX shipping label. You will be receiving an RMA form in another email shortly. Please print the RMA form and place it inside the returning shipment (Not including the RMA will delay your repair time).

Please pack it in a manner that will prevent any additional damage. Do NOT send the aircraft battery or accessories back to us. Please bring the retail box to your local shipping center and place it inside a cardboard box- this will protect the box and ensure all items are concealed. Autel Robotics is not responsible for any loss or damage due to improperly packed items.

Once your drone arrives our technicians will be in touch with you about the progress of your repair.

If you have other questions regarding our products and not about this repair, please contact us at [email protected] again to start a new ticket.

Thank you very much and we will have you back in the air soon!


They are 12 miles from my work. I could go by and drop it off... not that it matters either way. Some have said that the replacement OEMs will just crack again anyway.

If you were me... what would you do? Send it back and miss out on 3 weeks of flight... deal with the cracked antennas... or say to hell with it and mod the controller?

Kinda torn here. Love the drone... hate the fact I'm dealing with such a poor design flaw.

 

[macoman]

Well they replied... and it was what I expected.


Hello Travis,

I am sorry hear about your RC. I can definitely can help you send it in for repair! Since you already sent all the information we require to get the process started, I will be sending you the prepaid shipping labels.

Attached to this email is your FedEX shipping label. You will be receiving an RMA form in another email shortly. Please print the RMA form and place it inside the returning shipment (Not including the RMA will delay your repair time).

Please pack it in a manner that will prevent any additional damage. Do NOT send the aircraft battery or accessories back to us. Please bring the retail box to your local shipping center and place it inside a cardboard box- this will protect the box and ensure all items are concealed. Autel Robotics is not responsible for any loss or damage due to improperly packed items.

Once your drone arrives our technicians will be in touch with you about the progress of your repair.

If you have other questions regarding our products and not about this repair, please contact us at [email protected] again to start a new ticket.

Thank you very much and we will have you back in the air soon!


They are 12 miles from my work. I could go by and drop it off... not that it matters either way. Some have said that the replacement OEMs will just crack again anyway.

If you were me... what would you do? Send it back and miss out on 3 weeks of flight... deal with the cracked antennas... or say to hell with it and mod the controller?

Kinda torn here. Love the drone... hate the fact I'm dealing with such a poor design flaw.

I would keep flying until it broke or stop working. Like I mentioned before, the crazy glue may help in stop the crack in getting bigger.

 

[TravisPNW]

I would keep flying until it broke or stop working. Like I mentioned before, the crazy glue may help in stop the crack in getting bigger.

Yeah... the glue may keep the one from falling apart... but the other has already had the plastic pieces break away so the antenna is literally held to the base by the one side that isn't broke. You can even flex it sideways (gently of course) and it will want to come apart on the broke side because there's nothing holding it to the base. Hanging on by a plastic thread... literally.

You know, there is another option I just thought of. I'm a BB elite plus member and just pulled up my account... I still have 5 days left in my return period. There's a 15% restocking fee on returns... but shouldn't be if I exchange it?

I could just take it back and swap it for a new one?

But wouldn't it just crack at the antennas as well? I guess my question should be... anyone out there NOT have their antennas crack on the Evo? LOL

 

[LeafPeeper]

Yeah... the glue may keep the one from falling apart... but the other has already had the plastic pieces break away so the antenna is literally held to the base by the one side that isn't broke. You can even flex it sideways (gently of course) and it will want to come apart on the broke side because there's nothing holding it to the base. Hanging on by a plastic thread... literally.

You know, there is another option I just thought of. I'm a BB elite plus member and just pulled up my account... I still have 5 days left in my return period. There's a 15% restocking fee on returns... but shouldn't be if I exchange it?

I could just take it back and swap it for a new one?

But wouldn't it just crack at the antennas as well? I guess my question should be... anyone out there NOT have their antennas crack on the Evo? LOL

Geez...definitely go the BB route if you can. If it's defective...which I think we all agree is (as not everyone has this issue), they should exchange it without a restocking fee.

I've wondered myself about your last comment. There are several complaints here about cracked antennas, but from a Google search it doesn't seem too prevalent. Not much on YT either. Are MOST people's antennas holding up?

LP

 

[Ansia]

Well they replied... and it was what I expected.


Hello Travis,

I am sorry hear about your RC. I can definitely can help you send it in for repair! Since you already sent all the information we require to get the process started, I will be sending you the prepaid shipping labels.

Attached to this email is your FedEX shipping label. You will be receiving an RMA form in another email shortly. Please print the RMA form and place it inside the returning shipment (Not including the RMA will delay your repair time).

Please pack it in a manner that will prevent any additional damage. Do NOT send the aircraft battery or accessories back to us. Please bring the retail box to your local shipping center and place it inside a cardboard box- this will protect the box and ensure all items are concealed. Autel Robotics is not responsible for any loss or damage due to improperly packed items.

Once your drone arrives our technicians will be in touch with you about the progress of your repair.

If you have other questions regarding our products and not about this repair, please contact us at [email protected] again to start a new ticket.

Thank you very much and we will have you back in the air soon!


They are 12 miles from my work. I could go by and drop it off... not that it matters either way. Some have said that the replacement OEMs will just crack again anyway.

If you were me... what would you do? Send it back and miss out on 3 weeks of flight... deal with the cracked antennas... or say to hell with it and mod the controller?

Kinda torn here. Love the drone... hate the fact I'm dealing with such a poor design flaw.

I would send it out for repairs and here is why. Your drone is under warranty still (I think) and you do the modifications. Later something happens and you need warranty repair, but Autel can say that you modified your controller, therefore you voided your warranty. No one wants a $1,000 orange paper weight.

 

[TravisPNW]

Geez...definitely go the BB route if you can. If it's defective...which I think we all agree is (as not everyone has this issue), they should exchange it without a restocking fee.

I've wondered myself about your last comment. There are several complaints here about cracked antennas, but from a Google search it doesn't seem too prevalent. Not much on YT either. Are MOST people's antennas holding up?

LP

Yeah it's a question I'd surely like to know. Maybe someone can start a poll?

I just spent 20 mins on hold with BB... no answer. Still, I'm an elite plus member (hence the 45 day return period with 5 days remaining)... they know I spend a lot of money there LOL... Gonna box it up and try to exchange later this evening. I don't expect it to be a problem honestly... I'm just gonna be like "this is defective, I want it swapped." The fact one is broke and the other has the visible cracks should make my point obvious.

I would send it out for repairs and here is why. Your drone is under warranty still (I think) and you do the modifications. Later something happens and you need warranty repair, but Autel can say that you modified your controller, therefore you voided your warranty. No one wants a $1,000 orange paper weight.

Very good point. I thought about that too.

Gonna proceed with trying to exchange it later today and keep this as option 2.

Will post back later. Thanks for all the replies everyone!

 

[Ansia]

This is the crack on my second pair of antennas. They came this way from warranty repairs. I pulled them off from the controller and anyone who has done this, know how hard it is.... It didn't break them further. Once they get as bad as yours, I will replace them. With the ones I posted above. If you can exchange it with BB, they shouldn't deny you since it did break within the 15 days period. If they refuse, go the Autel way. Either way, you have options that are cost free for you.

 

[G_G]

Yeah it's a question I'd surely like to know. Maybe someone can start a poll?

I just spent 20 mins on hold with BB... no answer. Still, I'm an elite plus member (hence the 45 day return period with 5 days remaining)... they know I spend a lot of money there LOL... Gonna box it up and try to exchange later this evening. I don't expect it to be a problem honestly... I'm just gonna be like "this is defective, I want it swapped." The fact one is broke and the other has the visible cracks should make my point obvious.



Very good point. I thought about that too.

Gonna proceed with trying to exchange it later today and keep this as option 2.

Will post back later. Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Definitely do the BB exchange of a defective product, which has no 15% restocking fee, and no 3 week turnaround. Ask for a manager if they give you any flak, as the managers have a lot of discretion. One other option still exists. The 15% BB restocking fee also does not apply on refunds for defective products. Make sure you want to own the EVO. Also, by doing the exchange at BB, even if they don't have another in stock tonight (they will order you another), you will also be completely resetting your BB Elite exchange and return time period back to that of a brand new purchase today, at whatever discounted price was in place when you first bought it. Good luck!

 

[TravisPNW]

Definitely do the BB exchange of a defective product, which has no 15% restocking fee, and no 3 week turnaround. Ask for a manager if they give you any flak, as the managers have a lot of discretion. One other option still exists. The 15% BB restocking fee also does not apply on refunds for defective products. Make sure you want to own the EVO. Also, by doing the exchange at BB, even if they don't have another in stock tonight (they will order you another), you will also be completely resetting your BB Elite exchange and return time period back to that of a brand new purchase today, at whatever discounted price was in place when you first bought it. Good luck!

I exchanged it tonight and there wasn't any hassle. The drone rep looked at it and saw the antennas and swapped it no questions asked. I did make sure I returned my most used battery that was replaced with a new one. I also kept the extra propellers I had and don't feel guilty about it either. My purchase date was reset to today... I have a new max return date of 9/5/19. If I have more issues with the antennas (that are currently flawless) I will most likely refund it as a defective product and go a different route.

I really don't want to though, I like the Evo. Still, the antennas are flimsy and you better believe I will be babying them every time I touch them for fear of breaking them. Poor design but overall I'm happy with the drone.

One thing I did notice the other day is in some of my footage the horizon is slightly tilted... and research leads me to believe this is a common problem. It showed its face in the video I shot yesterday. I wonder if the new drone will fix this?

Anyway... I want to own the drone. I'm 40 days in and have another 45 to see if I have any more antenna issues. My only real complaint... but the slanted horizon is also annoying.

Not ready to give up just yet though. I did email Autel and told them I swapped it and they can cancel the RMA. 3 weeks turnaround is ridiculous anyway.

 

[LeafPeeper]

I exchanged it tonight and there wasn't any hassle. The drone rep looked at it and saw the antennas and swapped it no questions asked. I did make sure I returned my most used battery that was replaced with a new one. I also kept the extra propellers I had and don't feel guilty about it either. My purchase date was reset to today... I have a new max return date of 9/5/19. If I have more issues with the antennas (that are currently flawless) I will most likely refund it as a defective product and go a different route.

I really don't want to though, I like the Evo. Still, the antennas are flimsy and you better believe I will be babying them every time I touch them for fear of breaking them. Poor design but overall I'm happy with the drone.

One thing I did notice the other day is in some of my footage the horizon is slightly tilted... and research leads me to believe this is a common problem. It showed its face in the video I shot yesterday. I wonder if the new drone will fix this?

Anyway... I want to own the drone. I'm 40 days in and have another 45 to see if I have any more antenna issues. My only real complaint... but the slanted horizon is also annoying.

Not ready to give up just yet though. I did email Autel and told them I swapped it and they can cancel the RMA. 3 weeks turnaround is ridiculous anyway.

Your research is right. The tilted horizon has been a thing since before the Evo was formally available (beta vloggers complained about it). Autel has been working on it ever since. It's worlds better than it was, but you're not going to fix it by swapping the drone. Calibrate the gimbal, adjust the roll, and live with it. I have found that upon bootup, most of the time it adjusts itself to be level, but occasionally it doesn't...and I reboot. If I don't reboot, it seems to stay tilted for the flight. YMMV....

Congrats on an easy exchange. Let's hope it lasts longer. Mine are a month old now, and no cracks so far - crossing my fingers that my babying them will pay off for a while.

LP

 

[Tufargon]

I exchanged it tonight and there wasn't any hassle. The drone rep looked at it and saw the antennas and swapped it no questions asked. I did make sure I returned my most used battery that was replaced with a new one. I also kept the extra propellers I had and don't feel guilty about it either. My purchase date was reset to today... I have a new max return date of 9/5/19. If I have more issues with the antennas (that are currently flawless) I will most likely refund it as a defective product and go a different route.

I really don't want to though, I like the Evo. Still, the antennas are flimsy and you better believe I will be babying them every time I touch them for fear of breaking them. Poor design but overall I'm happy with the drone.

One thing I did notice the other day is in some of my footage the horizon is slightly tilted... and research leads me to believe this is a common problem. It showed its face in the video I shot yesterday. I wonder if the new drone will fix this?

Anyway... I want to own the drone. I'm 40 days in and have another 45 to see if I have any more antenna issues. My only real complaint... but the slanted horizon is also annoying.

Not ready to give up just yet though. I did email Autel and told them I swapped it and they can cancel the RMA. 3 weeks turnaround is ridiculous anyway.

This should actually give you a new one year warranty on the bird when you re-register this one with Autel. Good thinking on what you did.

 

[G_G]

I exchanged it tonight and there wasn't any hassle. The drone rep looked at it and saw the antennas and swapped it no questions asked. I did make sure I returned my most used battery that was replaced with a new one. I also kept the extra propellers I had and don't feel guilty about it either. My purchase date was reset to today... I have a new max return date of 9/5/19. If I have more issues with the antennas (that are currently flawless) I will most likely refund it as a defective product and go a different route.

I really don't want to though, I like the Evo. Still, the antennas are flimsy and you better believe I will be babying them every time I touch them for fear of breaking them. Poor design but overall I'm happy with the drone.

One thing I did notice the other day is in some of my footage the horizon is slightly tilted... and research leads me to believe this is a common problem. It showed its face in the video I shot yesterday. I wonder if the new drone will fix this?

Anyway... I want to own the drone. I'm 40 days in and have another 45 to see if I have any more antenna issues. My only real complaint... but the slanted horizon is also annoying.

Not ready to give up just yet though. I did email Autel and told them I swapped it and they can cancel the RMA. 3 weeks turnaround is ridiculous anyway.

Terrific! You got the best of all worlds! Working the system at BB is the way to go! Another 45 day risk free evaluation preserves all your options! Elite membership has its privileges! Fly the heck out of it, and make sure it works for you and your intended uses. The 4K 60fps is really stellar if you stay within a mile and don't get too radical with your turns. At that distance, the FPV will keep up and the battery life is appropriate. Happy flying!

 

[SilverDragon]

Hi all,

I've had my Evo just over a month and am totally happy with the performance and range. I've read that the antennas are garbage... cheap and flimsy... etc... etc...

Well I got back from a flight today and noticed both are cracked. See attached pictures. It's at the base where they rotate. One is cracked but still together and the other has already had the small plastic pieces fall apart. The other side of both antennas appear to be fine.

So I'm wondering... how did this happen? I've been gentle with them the entire time and most definitely haven't put any pressure or force on them.

What are my options here? Both are still together and the flight today went well.. 2600 ft away with no signal issues. I don't wanna send to Autel if I don't have to. They are less than an hour drive from me though here in Washington state. Will they accept fault for a cheap design or is it gonna be user error? LOL.... I was half considering an antenna mod anyway based on all the hate I've read lately and now that it's happened to me I'm thinking about it even more.

Thoughts?

Yup, I already sent my Late Evo in for the repair/ new installation of the antenna swivels. You noticed I said Late Evo. I'm getting a new Evo per Warranty claim.... the 28th of this month is the estimated delivery date. Why is it the Late Evo...read here...

Thanks Autel, EVO covered under warranty...

I had an issue with a crack on the left and bubbling up on the right. I am stumped to why it has happened. First, I thought it was from not holding the AC while swapping batteries then it came to me. The only time I swapped batteries with the AC on all 4 was when I first bought it in Nov . Of...

autelpilots.com

 

[TravisPNW]

Hey everyone... thanks for the replies!

I'm very happy with the easy BB exchange. After calibration I did a 25 min test flight last night here at the house... went straight up to 400 ft and got some nice views of Mt. Rainier then flew around the neighborhood a bit. Everything was fine as expected.

The new remote is flawless... and I will be babying the antennas indefinitely. As for the gimbal/horizon I will give that a try... if not centered at boot up I'll reboot the drone and/or make the software adjustment.

As said overall I'm happy with it... just glad these bumps in the road are out of the way. The reset of the BB purchase was nice... elite plus definitely has its privileges. A new battery and a extra set of propellers was a nice perk as well. Will register the new drone with Autel for the fresh warranty. I will update my FAA registration too.

Will be posting more videos soon.

Thanks for the comments and advice! Cheers!

 

[Mlostutter]

Hi all,

I've had my Evo just over a month and am totally happy with the performance and range. I've read that the antennas are garbage... cheap and flimsy... etc... etc...

Well I got back from a flight today and noticed both are cracked. See attached pictures. It's at the base where they rotate. One is cracked but still together and the other has already had the small plastic pieces fall apart. The other side of both antennas appear to be fine.

So I'm wondering... how did this happen? I've been gentle with them the entire time and most definitely haven't put any pressure or force on them.

What are my options here? Both are still together and the flight today went well.. 2600 ft away with no signal issues. I don't wanna send to Autel if I don't have to. They are less than an hour drive from me though here in Washington state. Will they accept fault for a cheap design or is it gonna be user error? LOL.... I was half considering an antenna mod anyway based on all the hate I've read lately and now that it's happened to me I'm thinking about it even more.

Thoughts?

Autel replaced both of mine without question under warranty.

 

[G_G]

Autel replaced both of mine without question under warranty.

Indeed. They will cover them via a free warranty "repair" but the three week loss of use of your EVO during the repair is the real downside. Until you actually experience antenna problems during flight, I'd postpone sending it in until closer to the end of your warranty period. Otherwise, you'll be sending it in monthly! No evidence exists that the replacement antennas are any more immune to the cracks.

 

[Ansia]

Indeed. They will cover them via a free warranty "repair" but the three week loss of use of your EVO during the repair is the real downside. Until you actually experience antenna problems during flight, I'd postpone sending it in until closer to the end of your warranty period. Otherwise, you'll be sending it in monthly! No evidence exists that the replacement antennas are any more immune to the cracks.

Has this been your experience? Or are you just asuming from the experience of others?

 

[macoman]

Indeed. They will cover them via a free warranty "repair" but the three week loss of use of your EVO during the repair is the real downside. Until you actually experience antenna problems during flight, I'd postpone sending it in until closer to the end of your warranty period. Otherwise, you'll be sending it in monthly! No evidence exists that the replacement antennas are any more immune to the cracks.

The only way that I found to enforce the plastic on the antennas, it's to drop a tiny bit of crazy glue on the crack area. Make sure to cover only the crack... That will stop the crack getting extended.

 

[G_G]

Has this been your experience? Or are you just asuming from the experience of others?

My personal experience, and yours, too! It is my belief that the cracks are more cosmetic than detrimental. Had I not been having also having disconnects without FPV restoration which were not fixed or resolved by replacing the antennas, I would have accepted the cracks and not wasted 3 weeks of use sending in the RC to repair them under warranty, which is what I recommended in my post above. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Cosmetic cracks that don't affect the performance are just that.