EVO Updates- scary thought!

mixchief · Dec 21, 2019

Firmware updates for a bird that flies and does all well are irrelevant, what counts is that the company still provides support and spare parts if needed, DJI will kill off a product no matter how much it is still being used and leave owners out to dry, the Inspire 1 is on it's death bed literally as new batteries are not being produced, leaving owners to the hands of aftermarket suppliers making the possibility of a drop from the sky a very serious possibility. I love my Inspire 1 even if it has been a roller coaster ride, but now I'm looking at the possibility of it becoming a very expensive paperweight.

DanielC · Dec 21, 2019

Good point. These are devices that require ongoing support and parts replacement. They will get EOL’d by the manufacturer at their discretion. This market is moving quickly and that means platforms and even companies it the market space will be left behind and eliminated.

I am a hobbyist right now, but as I move to a commercial entity, I will have to make purchase decisions that can be supported by the business. That will take some serious thought and calculation if I am to remain solvent. I think that is why many companies go with DJI. Their market share makes them a good bet, but as you point out, they will move along and EOL products as it suits them.

Drgnfli · Dec 21, 2019

macoman said:
That's crazy... Just couple months and stopped supporting with updates.

Hey, it is a "business!" They want you to buy a NEW one...

Drgnfli · Dec 21, 2019

macoman said:
Dji usually add more restrictions than improving it when a new firmware is released for an old aircraft.

You stated exactly why I won't buy another DJI product ever again...

Catweazle · Dec 21, 2019

So from this point we should just keep loading firm wares until Autel says otherwise?.
Hopefully they inform us at time of the last firm ware release that it is the last. Maybe by that time, EVO 2 will be in the sky and bug free ready for me to replace. (if EVO2 is any good that is ! and the AU$ is around 0.90c to the US$.)

Tufargon · Dec 21, 2019

When it's not beta anymore it will probably be the final one.

G_G · Dec 22, 2019

Ansia said:
You must also understand that the Phantom series was plagued by a shortage of parts due to corruption within the company. Although the v2.0 was an updated Phantom, it still was based on the original Phantom 4 Pro series, so my guess is most of the code was the same.

Indeed, the only change from the year old P4P when the V2 was released was OcuSync instead of Lightbridge. Almost everything else was the same, except the RC control, and quieter props.

"All in all, it seems that the new DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is a very minor upgrade to the old Phantom 4 Pro. The new model has a better transmission system with DJI’s OcuSync, connect to your DJI Goggles wirelessly, is quieter with the low-noise props, weighs slightly less, and costs the same as the current model. Other than that it is really the same quadcopter. So, if you’re in the market for a DJI Phantom 4 Pro than by all means get the V2.0. However, if you already own a P4P than there really is no reason to upgrade. Just buy the silent props once they become available in the DJI store."

Ansia · Dec 22, 2019

G_G said:
Indeed, the only change from the year old P4P when the V2 was released was OcuSync instead of Lightbridge. Almost everything else was the same, except the RC control, and quieter props.

"All in all, it seems that the new DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is a very minor upgrade to the old Phantom 4 Pro. The new model has a better transmission system with DJI’s OcuSync, connect to your DJI Goggles wirelessly, is quieter with the low-noise props, weighs slightly less, and costs the same as the current model. Other than that it is really the same quadcopter. So, if you’re in the market for a DJI Phantom 4 Pro than by all means get the V2.0. However, if you already own a P4P than there really is no reason to upgrade. Just buy the silent props once they become available in the DJI store."

The "silent" props really don't do anything. It's the new ESC that makes the drone quieter.

LeafPeeper · Dec 22, 2019

Ansia said:
The "silent" props really don't do anything. It's the new ESC that makes the drone quieter.

Based on my experience, I'll disagree.

At least on my Mavics, the quiet props make a big difference in the 'tone' of the angry bees. They do a pretty good job of removing some of the more annoying frequencies & overtones. Are they quieter on a pure db scale, probably not - but they ARE less annoying. Again, YMMV....

LP

Ansia · Dec 22, 2019

LeafPeeper said:
Based on my experience, I'll disagree. At least on my Mavics, the quiet props make a big difference in the 'tone' of the angry bees. They do a pretty good job of removing some of the more annoying frequencies & overtones. Are they quieter on a pure db scale, probably not - but they ARE less annoying. Again, YMMV....

LP

Yes, but on both Mavic Pro and Mavic Pro Platinum, they both use the same ESC and brushless motors. This isn't the case for the Phantom 4 Pro and Pro v2.0. The way the motors perform, it will make the v2.0 run "quieter" even with the original P4P props. Upon running a decibel meter, I noticed that the different is 1 or 2, it's just how the human perceives the pitch why we find one more annoying than the other.

LeafPeeper · Dec 22, 2019

The Mavic Pro Platinum has the new quieter ESCs as well....that's why it's still quieter than a Mavic Pro with the new props.

LP

Ansia · Dec 22, 2019

LeafPeeper said:
The Mavic Pro Platinum has the new quieter ESCs as well....that's why it's still quieter than a Mavic Pro with the new props.

LP

Fair enough, but according to DJI, the noise reduction is caused by the ESC and props. They work together.

LeafPeeper · Dec 22, 2019

Oh yes! I agree....didn't meant to imply that I didn't. The full reduced noise effect comes from a combination of the new ESCs and prop design. My point was that even without the improved ESCs, the new props made a difference in the tone and annoyance on the original Mavic Pro, that's all.

LP

G_G · Dec 22, 2019

Ansia said:
Yes, but on both Mavic Pro and Mavic Pro Platinum, they both use the same ESC and brushless motors. This isn't the case for the Phantom 4 Pro and Pro v2.0. The way the motors perform, it will make the v2.0 run "quieter" even with the original P4P props. Upon running a decibel meter, I noticed that the different is 1 or 2, it's just how the human perceives the pitch why we find one more annoying than the other.

Unless I misunderstood, surely the new ESC's and quieter props didn't require further FW updates, after the first couple of months, since everything else, except for OcuSync replacing LightBridge was the same. It was a very mildly updated P4P that did not require any additional regular FW updates to an already optimized one year old aircraft. Lack of additional FW updates did not make it obsolete. The P4P V2 will be available for purchase from DJI again in January in limited quantities. It's still the best workhorse for certain jobs. It needs no further updates, unlike the EVO, which still has a list a mile long of fixes, that Autel has acknowledged for over a year, and keeps promising to get around to, but still hasn't. They just get implemented very S L O W L Y.

Ansia · Dec 22, 2019

G_G said:
Unless I misunderstood, surely the new ESC's and quieter props didn't require further FW updates, after the first couple of months, since everything else, except for OcuSync replacing LightBridge was the same. It was a very mildly updated P4P that did not require any additional regular FW updates to an already optimized one year old aircraft. Lack of additional FW updates did not make it obsolete. The P4P V2 will be available for purchase from DJI again in January in limited quantities. It's still the best workhorse for certain jobs. It needs no further updates, unlike the EVO, which still has a list a mile long of fixes, that Autel has acknowledged for over a year, and keeps promising to get around to, but still hasn't. They just get implemented very S L O W L Y.

The P4P v2.0 has a yaw problem where if left hovering it will turn to the left on it's own. DJI hasn't been able to correct this. Some people even experience this while flying.

G_G · Dec 22, 2019

Ansia said:
The P4P v2.0 has a yaw problem where if left hovering it will turn to the left on it's own. DJI hasn't been able to correct this. Some people even experience this while flying.

Good point. That's why I never felt the need to buy the V2. P4P was already perfect with added low noise props. If it ain't broke don't fix it!