Evo Lite+ won't take off (sometimes)

[Mr.Scully]

Has anybody ever had this problem with Autel Lite+? My drone sometimes works normally but sometimes simply doesn't take off (or even start) - when I press the joysticks the propellers start spinning for 1-2 seconds but then stop. No error message at all. Sometimes the drone works, sometimes it doesn't. I did have another Lite+ before and I had multiple drones even before that (some DJI ones, also Autel Evo II Pro) so I'm quite an experienced pilot and I don't think it could be any problem at my side, I've never experienced anything like that before. The Autel EU support does not communicate anymore (they were helpful in other matters until last year but don't respond anymore now). I could send it for a warranty repair but whenever I want to pack it and give it one last try the bastard works normally

Of course when I take it with me for a paid job it won't start at all. It's not about location, in my own garden it also works one day and does not the next day...

A link to a short video of the problem:

72.66 MB file on MEGA

bit.ly

I have bought DJI Mavic 3 in the meantime (which is WAY WAY better, despite me being an Autel fan) but I wanted to keep the Lite+ as a backup. Now I'm not sure what to do with it, sending for a warranty repair is probably pointless considering it sometimes works fine. Is there anything I can try? Calibrating everything or... I don't know what else I could do.

 

[surenmunoo]

Have you tried refreshing the FW? you should be able to download the FW onto an SD card and do a refresh.

 

[Mr.Scully]

So you suggest to download the SAME version of the firmware to the card and force an update (if it's even possible)? Because the drone has the latest version and downgrading is not possible if I'm not mistaken.

I wouldn't mind if the drone wouldn't take of at all, I'd just send it for a warranty repair. It's the inconsistency that makes me worried. It sometimes works fine at home but never at a paid job ))

 

[Bob.EVO.Lite]

Was it working OK before the 2.0.19 firmware upgrade? If so, chalk this up to another reason NOT to upgrade past 1.9.9

 

[rcee]

User error.
You need press both sticks down & in.

 

[Mr.Scully]

Was it working OK before the 2.0.19 firmware upgrade? If so, chalk this up to another reason NOT to upgrade past 1.9.9

Well yes, it was 100% working fine before the firmware upgrade. After the upgrade it works in 50% of cases. But I'm not sure if THAT could be the reason. Is there any unofficial way to downgrade the firmware?

 

[Bob.EVO.Lite]

Not that I've seen on this forum. Autel says in the release notes that after 2.0.19 no downgrades will be possible. I assume if it were possible the only method would be to install the code onto a SD card. I haven't heard of anyone trying that successfully

 

[mark.stolz]

Has anybody ever had this problem with Autel Lite+? My drone sometimes works normally but sometimes simply doesn't take off (or even start) - when I press the joysticks the propellers start spinning for 1-2 seconds but then stop. No error message at all. Sometimes the drone works, sometimes it doesn't. I did have another Lite+ before and I had multiple drones even before that (some DJI ones, also Autel Evo II Pro) so I'm quite an experienced pilot and I don't think it could be any problem at my side, I've never experienced anything like that before. The Autel EU support does not communicate anymore (they were helpful in other matters until last year but don't respond anymore now). I could send it for a warranty repair but whenever I want to pack it and give it one last try the bastard works normally

Of course when I take it with me for a paid job it won't start at all. It's not about location, in my own garden it also works one day and does not the next day...

A link to a short video of the problem:

72.66 MB file on MEGA

bit.ly

I have bought DJI Mavic 3 in the meantime (which is WAY WAY better, despite me being an Autel fan) but I wanted to keep the Lite+ as a backup. Now I'm not sure what to do with it, sending for a warranty repair is probably pointless considering it sometimes works fine. Is there anything I can try? Calibrating everything or... I don't know what else I could do.

Yes, I have this issue from time to time. It's very annoying. Tried a controller calibration and it helped.

 

[shuggins]

>I have bought DJI Mavic 3 in the >meantime (which is WAY WAY better,

Curious what is way way better about the mavic 3? As a flyer and the software (Dji fly is so much better than Autel sky) I believe it. But camera-wise…you think mavic 3 is better? I’ve known people that have owned both and say the camera on lite+ is better, especially in low light. I have only owned the lite+ and I love the camera performance.

 

[BigHub2]

Well yes, it was 100% working fine before the firmware upgrade. After the upgrade it works in 50% of cases. But I'm not sure if THAT could be the reason. Is there any unofficial way to downgrade the firmware?

It’s the Firmware,
Autel sent the firmware update
I read that if firmware wasn’t done correctly it would do that,
Sometimes not take off or start propellers

 

[BigHub2]

It’s the Firmware,
Autel sent the firmware update
I read that if firmware wasn’t done correctly it would do that,
Sometimes not take off or start propellers

So I haven’t did firmware yet,
and don’t know if I will

 

[Mr.Scully]

>I have bought DJI Mavic 3 in the >meantime (which is WAY WAY better,

Curious what is way way better about the mavic 3? As a flyer and the software (Dji fly is so much better than Autel sky) I believe it. But camera-wise…you think mavic 3 is better? I’ve known people that have owned both and say the camera on lite+ is better, especially in low light. I have only owned the lite+ and I love the camera performance.

It's a bit of everything. For a start the flying itself is so much more comfortable and controlled. I had Autel Evo Pro II before and that was flying like a crazy goat, it never did exactly and accurately what I expected, I prefer DJI in this aspect. Lite+ is more like a slow toy and for some reason it's impossible for it to stay in the air without moving for 3 seconds which Evo Pro II or Mavic 3 do without any problems (necessary for night shots / long exposures at reasonable ISO values). The camera performance in daylight is very very similar, Mavic 3 has a better sensor (which means less noise at night) but I'd say the differences aren't big. Lite+ sucks for photography because it seems to lack the semi-auto modes where you for example set ISO + aperture and expect the drone to calculate the time. Autel Sky offers only full auto or full manual, both of which are usually useless. Aperture priority is used in 90% cases but I didn't find a way how to set it in Autel Sky.

First I moved from DJI Mini 2 to Autel Evo II Pro (which was obviously a huge upgrade), then continued to Lite+ (a downgrade - I did it only because of the C1 class, I wanted to fly legally) and now I'm the happiest person with the Mavic 3 and the RC Pro controller (which works great - no more using of phones). For 740 EUR + VAT it was quite a bargain. I sold the 4 years old Autel Evo 2 Pro (which doesn't meet the C1 requirements) for 600 EUR.


Thanks, mark.stolz, I'll try the controller calibration then. Even though it's most likely the firmware fault as others suggest...

 

[Mr.Scully]

I feel like a total idiot but this was really a user error :-D I will keep the information here in case somebody else does the same mistake.

It turned out that I simply keep holding the two sticks for slightly too long. I've flown a thousand times and never had any problems so it means that either Lite+ is more "sensitive" than other drones or something changed in the latest firmware. But it's simply necessary to release the sticks quickly. Holding them for more than a second is too long and the dron will start and then stop spinning the propellers. I've always waited like 1.5-2 seconds until the propellers start spinning but now that's already too late, I have to release them quicker than that.

It's weird because I've flown other Autels and DJIs a thousand times and never had this experience, only now with Lite+ and only since January or so. It's hardly possible that I've done it correctly 1000 times before and suddenly start failing with half of the launches last two months. I think some internal parameter must have slightly changed and now I know I have to release the joysticks quicker than before..