Notice From Autel About Controllers and Compatibility in the Future

[mshmovie]

Nope you are quite literally missing everything I said.
There is nothing anywhere that says the v1 SC will not be compatible with a sub 250 gram future release. That is what I was saying about assuming and jumping to conclusions based on emotions.
Like I said in my first post, they did not say that the V1 controller would not be compatible with future products AFTER there V2 release. Chances are anything after V2 will be backwards compatible with all Autel products.
You shouldn't be so quick to throw them under the bus because you ***-u-me that they are just going to screw everyone. Chances are they don't want to make the absolute worst choices possible for the future of there company.
Autel is a huge company that produces much much more than just drones and have been around for a very long time anyone that is being rationale would know that they are not going to screw there entire base. But you can be upset and twist words or be as rude as you want. I will be optimistic and as kind as possible and
believe me when I say life is much more pleasant that way.

I'm stating fact.

This URL: Autel Smart Controller

States:

That's been removed on most every other page.

The CEO has stated there is no interoperability between V1 and V2 air frame and controllers:


This is something to be addressed. Of course, you can do as you choose.

I do conclude that this is an impactful move and as someone that leads a global tech org, I have a strong sense for that.

Please do read how I addressed the CEO and I think you'll find a ton of professionalism and tact - or you can choose to not do that either; participate any way you wish.

 

[JTech777]

I'm stating fact.

This URL: Autel Smart Controller

States: View attachment 10632

That's been removed on most every other page.

The CEO has stated there is no interoperability between V1 and V2 air frame and controllers:
View attachment 10633

This is something to be addressed. Of course, you can do as you choose.

I do conclude that this is an impactful move and as someone that leads a global tech org, I have a strong sense for that.

Please do read how I addressed the CEO and I think you'll find a ton of professionalism and tact - or you can choose to not do that either; participate any way you wish.

I saw that post already, and I did read your email to the CEO and though you may lead a global tech org you are still missing my point.
It says it will support future Autel aircraft not ALL future aircraft. The only thing there announcement said was it will not be compatible with V2 aircraft, it did not say anything about aircraft after that. You are assuming that when they say V2 they mean ALL future products but we all know that is not true because there will be a V3 and a V4 and so on and so on. The V2 is a mirror of the Evo 2 V1 with a different chip set thats it nothing more nothing less and it is most likely because of delays that would occur in production otherwise right now but it will have no affect on future compatability for any versions after V2.

 

[mshmovie]

I saw that post already, and I did read your email to the CEO and though you may lead a global tech org you are still missing my point.
It says it will support future Autel aircraft not ALL future aircraft. The only thing there announcement said was it will not be compatible with V2 aircraft, it did not say anything about aircraft after that. You are assuming that when they say V2 they mean ALL future products but we all know that is not true because there will be a V3 and a V4 and so on and so on. The V2 is a mirror of the Evo 2 V1 with a different chip set thats it nothing more nothing less and it is most likely because of delays that would occur in production otherwise right now but it will have no affect on future compatability for any versions after V2.

I sure hope you're right, we will soon find out.

However, to me, it is a very bad indicator to:

• retract all mention of future product support
• not support the first next gen rev that is released out the door
• state the lack of interoperability between v1 and v2 controllers and airframes

I'd prefer to be wrong and for you to be right; let's see how this plays out.

BTW, I'm curious as to the origins of 777 in your handle; I led engineering for Moviefone/777-FILM (took it public, sold it to AOL, etc.)

Regards,
Marc

 

[JTech777]

I sure hope you're right, we will soon find out.

However, to me, it is a very bad indicator to:

• retract all mention of future product support
• not support the first next gen rev that is released out the door
• state the lack of interoperability between v1 and v2 controllers and airframes

I'd prefer to be wrong and for you to be right; let's see how this plays out.

BTW, I'm curious as to the origins of 777 in your handle; I led engineering for Moviefone/777-FILM (took it public, sold it to AOL, etc.)

Regards,
Marc

Thats pretty awesome man.
My handle is nothing special. I played hockey for a number of years and 7 was my jersey number..lol. as far as I'm concerned the more 7s the better.. fulll disclosure even my dogs name is Seven..lol

 

[mshmovie]

Thats pretty awesome man.
My handle is nothing special. I played hockey for a number of years and 7 was my jersey number..lol. as far as I'm concerned the more 7s the better.. fulll disclosure even my dogs name is Seven..lol

7 works well, worked for Jeri Ryan and I think it was a name George proposed in Seinfeld too and it's a cool dog's name. Thankfully it worked for us when IVR & the web was emerging.

Good fortune had a lot to do with it, then hard work and good people; the person that funded the venture owns the fourth largest BVI and his problems involved having to get a larger jet because he couldn't fully stand up in the one he had (big money, big problems?). I was then lucky to get two more exits (all done - no more); the opposite of a sure thing, but it can be a lot of fun with the right people.

Let's see how this plays out. We all just want the best.

I'm super chill, just passionate. I want the best for Autel, its resellers and us consumers; I plan to make these a good part of my retirement and decorate parts of the new house with aerial shots printed on aluminum. For now, they let me take my attention away from work (where I literally worked every day for a year to scale up, build product and get us sold- need distractions).

Enjoy the weekend. - Marc

 

[JTech777]

7 works well, worked for Jeri Ryan and I think it was a name George proposed in Seinfeld too and it's a cool dog's name. Thankfully it worked for us when IVR & the web was emerging.

Good fortune had a lot to do with it, then hard work and good people; the person that funded the venture owns the fourth largest BVI and his problems involved having to get a larger jet because he couldn't fully stand up in the one he had (big money, big problems?). I was then lucky to get two more exits (all done - no more); the opposite of a sure thing, but it can be a lot of fun with the right people.

Let's see how this plays out. We all just want the best.

I'm super chill, just passionate. I want the best for Autel, its resellers and us consumers; I plan to make these a good part of my retirement and decorate parts of the new house with aerial shots printed on aluminum. For now, they let me take my attention away from work (where I literally worked every day for a year to scale up, build product and get us sold- need distractions).

Enjoy the weekend. - Marc

That is awesome, I can only hope to be so accomplished one day.
Lets be honest though anything can be a lot of fun with the right people..lol.

I can definitely understand being passionate and respect you position. Time will tell but I am confident this will all work out for the best. I enjoyed the conversation very much and I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend as well.


-Josh

 

[jbregar]

From the research I've done; it's not about not being able to get the current chipsets, it's about not being able to get them soon. The soonest might be Q4 of this year or Q1 of 2022.

If an order is put in today the soonest a chip can be made is months away. This is not just a single chip but a chipset so that means more time to manufacture, test, package, and send the end product.

This video more or less explains the issue better than I can.

I’d be very very surprised if Autel starts making V1 parts again. Once those lines are set up to make the new version, it would be very odd indeed to reconfigure them back to make the older version.

 

[advexure]

@advexure is demonstrating the proper way to run a business and support the consumers; this is aligned with everyone's interests, and I, for one, say thank you.

Thank you for your support and we appreciate you spearheading much of the discussion on this topic here on the forum to share feedback and frustrations. Over the last 7-8 years working with different UAV manufacturers, we've always found the voice of the customer to be most impactful and Autel wants to hear and needs to hear the feedback.

Yes they are great to deal with and that is where my smart controller is preordered from and hopefully Autel will consider at least discounting the controller since now they are essentially releasing a product with promise of a bright future and compatibility now has no future The controller specs are great that’s why I was willing to purchase as soon as orders were available but part of that value was using it with my next drone as well let’s see if Autel at least finds some way to resolve / compensate those who purchased with the belief it would work with future versions. Of course the pre order can be cancelled but I still want and need? It for the two drones I’m flying now. So let’s see Autel make this right

Thank you for your support @Yodamaster623 and entrusting your business with the Advexure team.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

jtech is saying it better than me. I'll let him take this because I'm a little biased anyway. we have to wait and see after we get more information. but I agree with jtech.

 

[advexure]

I’d be very very surprised if Autel starts making V1 parts again. Once those lines are set up to make the new version, it would be very odd indeed to reconfigure them back to make the older version.

Keep in mind that if what everyone knows to the root cause of this – the chip set – is all that is changing in Version 1 to Version 2, then everything outside of the chip set should be the same. When we look at repair and replacement parts, one would think that a significant majority should be the same no matter what chip set is powering the brains of the flight controller, IMU, ESCs, motors, etc. Thoughts? *I am not involved in our service center operations and our technicians most likely have no idea what to make of the V1 and V2 changes from Autel yet given the new progression.

 

[mshmovie]

jtech is saying it better than me. I'll let him take this because I'm a little biased anyway. we have to wait and see after we get more information. but I agree with jtech.

We will all find out. Everyone's heart is in the right place; 100%.

 

[mshmovie]

Keep in mind that if what everyone knows to the root cause of this – the chip set – is all that is changing in Version 1 to Version 2, then everything outside of the chip set should be the same. When we look at repair and replacement parts, one would think that a significant majority should be the same no matter what chip set is powering the brains of the flight controller, IMU, ESCs, motors, etc. Thoughts? *I am not involved in our service center operations and our technicians most likely have no idea what to make of the V1 and V2 changes from Autel yet given the new progression.

That's a reasonable statement. Despite Autel only stating batteries will be cross compatible, it seems obvious that most parts will remain compatible (as you listed and likely more) as well. We will discover the extent of the limitations of the interoperability of v1 and v2 (seems to be extreme - but we'll see) and if there's a way forward to get a radio (smart controller) that will communicate with our current E2 platforms, the new E2 v2 platforms to come and the other releases we can guess will come.

It could be that Randall's statement was an end of a tough week communication and not as precise as intended; I know I've read technical tickets I've created, with great detail, and on subsequent reads was disappointed in leaving some points vague or too open for misunderstanding.

The FCC submissions seem to imply a change of radio chipset (my take), we'll see.

The only thing for certain is this thread is on fire.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

Because the marketing promised a smart controller that would work with the drone I bought and the drones I was considering buying.

If I bought 10Gbps network switches from Dell for $18,000 each to support an Enterprise business on the basis of it having an extensible platform that can be improved for years to come, and I have, and Dell changed course impacting the value of my investment, legal would be involved.

This is analogous to that. I bought my E2pro Rugged with accessories totaling over $2k on the foundation of the feature of the smart controller supporting it and what was to come. Did my preorder accordingly. @

@kenautelevo2pro do you view this as acceptable? Even resellers, such as drone-works, still state, "The Autel Smart Controller will support more Autel Robotics aircrafts in the future. " On the page they're taking preorders on. Is that ok too?

I don't have an opinion about what is acceptable or not because I live in reality and I have the accept the facts which are there are no chips! it's not going to matter if I accept that or not. LOL.

my world is different than another man's world. in my world, there are absolutely zero legal ramifications to this unfortunate chain of events. I've already called this event a disaster...but we'll live; it's not the end of the world.

I've seen stuff happen like this before....and I've long since forgotten about it because it ultimately turned out to be a nothing burger. that's how I approach this; sorry if that doesn't help. but still, I sent an email because I want autel to take the customer view into perspective instead of making a decision solely based on the company's needs; they should know their customer base is watching.....and I would like to get my v1 sc, too.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

I’d be very very surprised if Autel starts making V1 parts again. Once those lines are set up to make the new version, it would be very odd indeed to reconfigure them back to make the older version.

wow take it easy! if this were cross-compatible you wouldn't even be told. we would all be wondering why some of the newer evo 2 drones had a longer range. and....we're probably not being told that we are already on v2 and this is actually v3, how do you know?

 

[mshmovie]

I don't have an opinion about what is acceptable or not because I live in reality and I have the accept the facts which are there are no chips! it's not going to matter if I accept that or not. LOL.

my world is different than another man's world. in my world, there are absolutely zero legal ramifications to this unfortunate chain of events. I've already called this event a disaster...but we'll live; it's not the end of the world.

I've seen stuff happen like this before....and I've long since forgotten about it because it ultimately turned out to be a nothing burger. that's how I approach this; sorry if that doesn't help. but still, I sent an email because I want autel to take the customer view into perspective instead of making a decision solely based on the company's needs; they should know their customer base is watching.....and I would like to get my v1 sc, too.

I appreciate it; everyone has their own considerations and a sweet spot that does it for them.

I just want to get legs (reasonable useful lifespan) out of my technology whether it's for fun or part of my work (where I own more computers than I can count). I bought my E2Pro and gear knowing (hoping?) the smart controller would exceed what I have from DJI (bigger, brighter, forward looking) and would work with Autel's next offerings (which I anticipate would replace my Mavic Mini first and stop me from considering a DJI Mini 2 which is sadly not supported by DJI's smart controller).

I think the concerns have been well stated and I'm sure Autel will enjoy getting a sense of the market. Free market research, albeit in reaction to a decision, has some value.

 

[advexure]

Advexure is where my controller is pre ordered from emailed them yesterday when all this broke waiting for response and clarity. I believe they should take a loss and heavily discount the controller for those who still want it since the value is less with ZERO future use for the next UAVs

We are working to get through our ticketing of emails, chats, PMs, voicemails, etc as quickly as possible. Yesterday's announcement has sure created a huge spike in communications for our team regarding the Autel Robotics servicing of our business, and rightfully so. Hopefully you have now been in communication with a member of our team. If you have not heard from someone, PM us on the forum and we'll be happy to provide any clarity needed.

We as a dealer unfortunately have no ability to discount in this situation as 1) margins are extremely thin, 2) Autel has pricing policies and procedures that we strictly adhere to, 3) demand on the limited supply of Smart Controller (V1) has increased substantially since yesterday's announcement and supply is known to be limited. Maybe you were implying Autel in this message, yes it would be nice to see, but doubtful and would not be expected, could they make it up elsewhere to the user base, absolutely!

 

[advexure]

I'm hoping that dealers (if they care about their CUSTOMERS - which I believe most do) will also apply some pressure and advise Autel that they are not going down a good path. Right now I'm evaluating for myself whether it's better to use DJI equipment and put up with the geofencing or to use Autel and put up with the issues in this discussion. After seeing another pilot use DJI geofencing and unlock a flight in class C airspace about .75 miles from a decent size airport in about 15 seconds - I'm thinking DJI may be the way to go. DJI has worked to bring compatibility of their Smart Controller to MORE models/versions of their drones - while Autel (even when they have the chance to correct before shipping) seems to be taking the OPPOSITE path whilst pricing said controller significantly higher than DJI. I'm also thinking of switching to Skydio or XDynamics. This is an important period of time for Autel - let's see if they have enough care for their customers to change this (in my mind) bad decision.

I will say this humbly and confidently on behalf of Advexure, this is not our first rodeo, and certainly not the first time we have seen a situation like this. Also not Autel's first time having to deal with such adversity within their user base. Compatibility and cross compatibility has been a hot topic ever since the consumer/prosumer drone industry took off in 2013 (release of DJI's original Phantom). DJI has certainly had their fair share of similar cross compatibly frustrations and in our opinion it is expected and standard amongst technology, particularly in fast innovating and high growth technology.

We are agnostic to manufacturers and no manufacturer has a perfect platform and never will, at least perfect for each and every use case and application that drones are used for. Pick and choose your priorities, make your investment, and achieve your ROI on that investment.

 

[JTech777]

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial..lol,
I'm happy to say that I also placed my order with Advexure and have been pleasantly surprised by there incredible customer service and the transparency that they have shown in chat and on this forum.
Regardless of the outcome of all of this I am pleased to have found a dealer I believe I can trust.

That said...The only thing I'm really interested in at this point is getting my hands on the damn thing..lol

 

[alsey7]

We are working to get through our ticketing of emails, chats, PMs, voicemails, etc as quickly as possible. Yesterday's announcement has sure created a huge spike in communications for our team regarding the Autel Robotics servicing of our business, and rightfully so. Hopefully you have now been in communication with a member of our team. If you have not heard from someone, PM us on the forum and we'll be happy to provide any clarity needed.

We as a dealer unfortunately have no ability to discount in this situation as 1) margins are extremely thin, 2) Autel has pricing policies and procedures that we strictly adhere to, 3) demand on the limited supply of Smart Controller (V1) has increased substantially since yesterday's announcement and supply is known to be limited. Maybe you were implying Autel in this message, yes it would be nice to see, but doubtful and would not be expected, could they make it up elsewhere to the user base, absolutely!

I knew demand was going to skyrocket. Im guessing alot of orders did not get cancelled. and those on the Fence decided to Order the version 1 since those will become rare and hard to find. Im a happy with my order and will be waiting for Autel to give a firm release date.

 

[alsey7]

We all know Autel SC has been in production, im guessing they are just building up stock to fulfill those who paid.