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Evo Hand Launch or Boat Launch - Is it possible? (Maybe... with latest "Boat Mode" update)

fly186

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I would like to be able to hand launch my Evo for shots on the water of boats. I tried this last week from the deck of the boat and I was unable to arm the aircraft. I contacted Evo support to ask about this and so far have not had a response other than "...try turning off obstacle avoidance and downward vision positioning". That did not work. I was even unable to hand launch from the yard while trying to hold the aircraft as steady as possible. This is even after letting the Evo calibrate itself on level ground.
One of the main reasons I purchased this drone was to take shots on the water and so far that's a no-go.
If anyone knows the procedure to hand launch please advise.
BTW... hand catch on landing is not a problem.
Thanks!
 
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Is it a tiny little boat with no deck to speak of? You should be able to launch it from the deck, I could be wrong> Hand catching I think os more important on a boat as hitting a moving target is tough at best specially if the water is a bit rough.
 
Not a tiny boat... 30' center console. Doesn't matter though because you can't hand launch standing stock still on land.
I'm still waiting for Autel support to try it and respond.
If anyone on the forum can do it I'd like to know how.
Thanks.
 
It seems that you cannot launch the Evo unless it's firmly planted on terra firma.
Just a guess but this is probably because the IMUs are sensing small movements and will not allow the aircraft to be armed while this is happening.
This is a real problem if you want to hand launch from a boat or from an area that is wet, muddy, sandy, or has uneven ground.
 
Latest update from Autel support states that you will NOT be able to hand launch the Evo due to "gimbal sensitivity" settings. However support tells me you should be able to launch from the deck of a boat but I have not been able to do that and it was the main reason I was attempting to hand launch.

Again, I would very interested to hear from any Evo owners who have been able to successfully launch from a boat... not counting huge vessels like cruise ships and aircraft carriers.
 
Launch Evo from land, then land on the boat deck but keep engines running
 
"Launch Evo from land, then land on the boat deck but keep engines running"
In a few scenarios that might work but it's not a solution. I need to use the drone offshore to film boats miles from land in deep water or around coral reef areas, etc.
Also, what about the following situations that would require a hand-launch?
  • Muddy, swampy, or very wet ground
  • Meadows or other areas with a lot of tall grasses or low vegetation that would even make it difficult to use a folding or collapsible drone pad
  • Rocky or uneven terrain like a hillside
  • Deep sand
Autel support confirmed last week that hand launching the Evo is not really possible and therefor also not possible from the deck of most boats due to camera gimbal IMS sensitivity settings used during initialization.

My feedback to Autel support was basically this: "... I realize that proper IMU calibration is required to get the best stability in flight and also the best camera gimbal performance but having the option to back off the sensitivity levels to enable a hand launch at the cost of a small loss in stability would be a fair compromise in my opinion - especially if this is an option that the pilot can select. To me it's the same as being able to turn off the Visual Navigation features."

I was informed that my feedback would be shared with engineering so that's where things stand.
 
"Launch Evo from land, then land on the boat deck but keep engines running"
In a few scenarios that might work but it's not a solution. I need to use the drone offshore to film boats miles from land in deep water or around coral reef areas, etc.
Also, what about the following situations that would require a hand-launch?
  • Muddy, swampy, or very wet ground
  • Meadows or other areas with a lot of tall grasses or low vegetation that would even make it difficult to use a folding or collapsible drone pad
  • Rocky or uneven terrain like a hillside
  • Deep sand
Autel support confirmed last week that hand launching the Evo is not really possible and therefor also not possible from the deck of most boats due to camera gimbal IMS sensitivity settings used during initialization.

My feedback to Autel support was basically this: "... I realize that proper IMU calibration is required to get the best stability in flight and also the best camera gimbal performance but having the option to back off the sensitivity levels to enable a hand launch at the cost of a small loss in stability would be a fair compromise in my opinion - especially if this is an option that the pilot can select. To me it's the same as being able to turn off the Visual Navigation features."

I was informed that my feedback would be shared with engineering so that's where things stand.

Have you tried taking off from a platform that is being held in the air by a helper? Maybe a 2x2 square on a monopod. That way the pitch and roll of waves isn't translated to the AC through the hull? You can land it in your hand, I've done that a few times already.
 
Have you tried taking off from a platform that is being held in the air by a helper? Maybe a 2x2 square on a monopod. That way the pitch and roll of waves isn't translated to the AC through the hull? You can land it in your hand, I've done that a few times already.

Maybe I should not have mentioned launching from a boat because that's confusing everyone. The main issue is that I've been unable to hand-launch the Evo on land no matter how still I try to hold it. This is true even with a helper - it just doesn't work. This has been confirmed by Autel support as well since they were unable to hand launch.
There is new beta firmware available which I have not tried yet but plan too even though I did not see anything in the fixes/updates list about a setting for decreasing IMU sensitivity to enable hand launching.
 
Maybe I should not have mentioned launching from a boat because that's confusing everyone. The main issue is that I've been unable to hand-launch the Evo on land no matter how still I try to hold it. This is true even with a helper - it just doesn't work. This has been confirmed by Autel support as well since they were unable to hand launch.
There is new beta firmware available which I have not tried yet but plan too even though I did not see anything in the fixes/updates list about a setting for decreasing IMU sensitivity to enable hand launching.

I just tried before I saw this, you are correct. I got a"Gimbal not ready" message no matter how long, or still I held it. I let it sit on the ground then placed it into a platform and immediate got a GNR
 
Maybe I should not have mentioned launching from a boat because that's confusing everyone. The main issue is that I've been unable to hand-launch the Evo on land no matter how still I try to hold it. This is true even with a helper - it just doesn't work. This has been confirmed by Autel support as well since they were unable to hand launch.
There is new beta firmware available which I have not tried yet but plan too even though I did not see anything in the fixes/updates list about a setting for decreasing IMU sensitivity to enable hand launching.


Did it! Turned off Vision obstacle avoidance. Started the props on the ground, very gently and carefully slid my hand under it and picked it up, from a flat Palm I was able to get liftoff into a hover. Since I held it at face level, I'm calling it a success,. Even though it was risky and dumb.. since I was standing in my kitchen. If you want, I'll video it later, but I'm not sure a rocking boat will allow you to even fire up the motors. Try it and let me know if you are successful. If not I'll go back and do a "Hold my Beer and watch this" video for you.
 
Thanks - I figured that way would be possible but it's not realistic. And, as you mentioned, it would not be possible from the deck of a boat anyway.
Thanks again but don't bother with the video - I don't want to see you get hit by spinning props!
 
Thanks - I figured that way would be possible but it's not realistic. And, as you mentioned, it would not be possible from the deck of a boat anyway.
Thanks again but don't bother with the video - I don't want to see you get hit by spinning props!

No problem. Definitely possible on stable solid ground tho. And that will come in handy for wet areas, gravel, dirt, sand and tall grass.
 
... not really because you still need to put the Evo on the ground to arm it. So if that is sand, or rocks, or mud, or tall grass... forget it.
 
This is one of the reasons I joined this forum. I'm trying to decide between the Mavic 2 and the Evo. This issue of not being able to take-off from your hand would be a major ding against getting the Evo. Like fly186 I have a 16' runabout boat, so hand launch is the only way to go here. I also live in rural area where a level clearing area free from rock/gravel/dirt/tall grass to take-off from would be very hard to come by. I currently have a Spark and all flights I do are hand launched and retrieved.
 
This is one of the reasons I joined this forum. I'm trying to decide between the Mavic 2 and the Evo. This issue of not being able to take-off from your hand would be a major ding against getting the Evo. Like fly186 I have a 16' runabout boat, so hand launch is the only way to go here. I also live in rural area where a level clearing area free from rock/gravel/dirt/tall grass to take-off from would be very hard to come by. I currently have a Spark and all flights I do are hand launched and retrieved.

It's doable from land but takes planning and effort. Definitely not happening from a moving surface. I have a stick table that just became an all terrain launch pad, I'll just catch the landing. This is my first drone, and I love it! I got a better deal than the Mavic2. And none of the restrictive software. I'll deal with any little problems.
I got the EVO last week directly from Autel, it came with a free add on bundle for the holidays, so I bought the GPC Rugged case, an extra battery and the ND filters and extra gimbal. $1260, and I have four batteries 2 sets of props, hard and soft case, and the filters...I just checked, that deal is still availabe. Wish I could buy two at this price.
 
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I had an email exchange with Autel support asking about the status of the hand launch problem. I was asked to try the latest firmware release (V1.3.3.25). I was hopeful, but after the upgrade and numerous hand launching attempts, even with a friend helping, I was still not able to do it.

IF ANYONE CAN HAND LAUNCH THEIR EVO PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS THREAD AND LET US KNOW HOW YOU DID IT!
 
I had an email exchange with Autel support asking about the status of the hand launch problem. I was asked to try the latest firmware release (V1.3.3.25). I was hopeful, but after the upgrade and numerous hand launching attempts, even with a friend helping, I was still not able to do it.

IF ANYONE CAN HAND LAUNCH THEIR EVO PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS THREAD AND LET US KNOW HOW YOU DID IT!


The best EVO promo video ever

This video in this thread started by another member is shot with an EVO... From a 30-40 foot sailboat in fairly Rocky conditions.. just watched it again. At the 2:50 mark, they take off from the deck... Water looked to be smooth. Filmed by Autel in New Zealand..
 
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