Notice From Autel About Controllers and Compatibility in the Future

[SARty]

Completely agree and like I said I dont think they will do anything for the SC and live deck, but the V1 and V2 are essentially exactly the same except for a chip so if all Autel needs to do is swap 1 chip and whatever on the standard controller I can see them doing that and at the very most charging like 100.00 upgrade fee or something.. if that.

At this point, I doubt very many folks affected by the Evo II v1's poor signal issues (that you and I discuss above) would lose any more sleep over a $100 "upgrade" - the issue is having to purchase an entirely new bird for 1-2 magnitudes more.....

 

[mshmovie]

Conspiracy Theory #1) I find it hard to believe that none of the dealers were aware of "somehting happening" the days before the fire-sale began 3 weeks ago,

Comment on marketing: What if they simply called this Evo 2 V2 an EVO 3 ?? I would bet the uproar would be WAY LESS. I think that was a BIG marketing mistake. Since the V2 won't be out for "months" they should have announced an "EVO 3 coming soon in the 4th quarter" which was expected anyway.

Comment on Resale Value: Thinking about it, since so many pros have so much invested in the V1's one would think they would be buying up used ones for backup.

The Evo 3 approach wouldn't have been viable as the Smart Controller was promised with a feature to support our existing Evo IIs and product in the future; whatever you call it, it's product in the future.

I give the dealers the benefit of the doubt and trust their motivation to be good for their business and customers; it's what I would do if it was my business.

 

[mshmovie]

At this point, I doubt very many folks affected by the Evo II v1's poor signal issues (that you and I discuss above) would lose any more sleep over a $100 "upgrade" - the issue is having to purchase an entirely new bird for 1-2 magnitudes more.....

The assumption to vet is if the chip can be swapped. There are variables to consider that makes a chip swap more complicated than changing a brand or underlying technology of a incandescent style lightbulb.

 

[SARty]

The assumption to vet is if the chip can be swapped. There are variables to consider that makes a chip swap more complicated than changing a brand or underlying technology of a incandescent style lightbulb.

I agree there's much more to consider. Especially if the update incorporates a dual band system in both the RC and AC. For now, we're completely in the dark...

 

[mshmovie]

Since the V2 news dropped the Empire Drone team, to avoid causing more confusion, made the decision to remain silent and not join the fray. Since the dust has, somewhat, settled we think it's best to lay-out what dealers know. Especially now that folks are calling "conspiracy" between dealers and Autel.

Here are the order of events:

1. 4/20/21 Smart Controller Pre-orders open to dealers. Pre-order window to close 5/7/21. We pre-order a ton because we know they are going to be a hit.
2. 4/29/21 Spring Savings ("The Fire-sale") announced. Up to 30% savings. This announcement was a total surprise and had our team making quick updates before the sale started 5/3/21.
3. 5/14/21 Spring Savings ("The Fire-sale") cancelled. It was supposed to run for weeks, and again this announcement caught us off guard. "The unfortunate delay comes as a result of the ongoing shortage of semiconductor chips, which has impacted our production schedule and supply chain."
4. 6/4/21 V2 Product Announcement via email from Autel. The news spreads like wildfire before we even get a chance to read the communication from Autel. Again, caught off guard.

And here's what we know about the systems as of right now:

• EVO 2 V1 will work the SC V1, it will not work with SC V2
• EVO 2 V2 will work the SC V2, it will not work with SC V1
• LiveDeck will not work with EVO 2 V2, it will still work with EVO 2 V1
• EVO 2 V1 and V2 will be the exact same drone except for the chip and 2.4/5.8 frequencies. Batteries and all other accessories to remain the same.
• Along with no chips being available, there was no long-term future with the previous chip manufacturer. The old chip manufacturer was on the "entity list."
• The new chip manufacturer is not on the "entity list." This leads the way to NDAA compliance which is a huge deal for long-term competitiveness for Autel in the United States. Especially when many American bids and contracts require "non-covered" parts and components when using federal money. Anyone who works for the federal government, wins a federal contract job, or tries to procure drones with a federal grant knows what a PITA it is trying to use "Chinese" drones. You're left with the current crop of NDAA compliant drones which are no where near the capability of Autel (We would know, we represent most of the NDAA compliant drone manufactures).
  • Fun fact. DJI Executives wake at night in a cold sweat when they dream of NDAA compliance, because they know they can never achieve this with their current tech roadmap.

In conclusion; dealers have, unfortunately, both been blind-sided by the manufacturer's announcements and now bear the brunt of customer dissatisfaction. Do we remain a firm Autel partner? Absolutely. They are one of the best partners we work with and make some great products with a bright future. Are we defending this move by Autel? Nope! As a dealer, we like consistency and the ability to plan. Can they make V1 and V2 play nice so this all goes way? No idea. Do we have crystal ball to know where all of this is going? Hell no, we are along for the ride just like you all.

That being said we'll keep doing our best to bring great tech to the market, and support you guys in every step of the way.

Thank you for unemotionally stating (and sharing) the facts. You deserve trust and not to be connected to a conspiracy theory (as entertaining as conjecture can be for some).

Working for a common win is the best we can do and I certainly view @Empire Drone as we.

 

[mshmovie]

If Autel had called the V2 the Evo3....how many would be bitching that it wasn't enough of an upgrade?

Point well expressed. Just everyone.

Maybe if it was green? Just kidding.

 

[mshmovie]

I agree there's much more to consider. Especially if the update incorporates a dual band system in both the RC and AC. For now, we're completely in the dark...

We all look forward to the lights being turned on when Autel provides clarification.

May we all be smiling when that occurs.

 

[JTech777]

Unfortunately, and with due respect, this couldn't be further from the truth.

The Evo II "v1" performs no where near as well as a Mavic 2 (or Air 2s) flown in the exact same location under identical flight parameters and conditions. I fly for Public Safety and have tested this extensively - the Evo II v1 suffers poor signal events and complete disconnects where the Mavic 2 does not. No Youtube "review" or the like, that flies a drone straight out over a field or body of water, relates at all to everyday real world scenarios; especially in mixed terrain.

You commented that the v2 is a mirror image of the [Evo II] v1 on a thread discussing the pending (and yet unknown) v2 upgrades?

From the sound of it, Autel is implementing much needed radio modifications that will effectively bring the Evo II v1 up to the claims they made about it from day one. This should absolutely be done on their dime (as a recall) and not require the purchase of an entirely new aircraft. This issue isn't about component shortages or technology advancements - it's about Autel standing by their customers and honoring their original advertising/marketing claims.

If you're unaffected by the issue, great, but many of us are...

Im sorry to hear you have signal issues, I do more than 80% of my flying in a very big city and have never had any issue as with any of my DJI drones I always do.. maybe you got a bad controller or something. As far as " pending upgrades" Autel and dealers have already made it clear the only change is the chip which will change the frequency. I'm not sure where you got them making further upgrades from, but if they were I doubt they would have branded it Evo 2 and made this big fuss. They would have just come out with a Evo 3. You assume way to many things. As far as me not being effected, the truth is no body at this point is effected except maybe there feeling, whatever happens I will be affected just as much as the next guy but no matter what the outcome is I will keep a cool head, rational thought, and a smile on my face.
Life is too short .

 

[edgardcafe]

I wrote an email yesterday to [email protected] as some you guys also did. I got a replay today, but I’m in doubt if it is really from Mr. Randall Warnas because I guess he is too busy to answer concerns of the customers and maybe this is just from an Autel agent. Just [emoji848].

 

[Eagle928]

On the piXL Drone Show this morning they had someone from Autel in the Enterprise area on for an interview. At the end of the broadcast Greg D. from the Pilot Institute mentioned they will be interviewing the new Autel CEO, Randall Warnas, next week which I believe will happen this week but published next Tuesday morning. Greg did say this issue will be asked of Randall so we can hope for some clarification at that time. I know they are working on this at Autel and the 2nd email I received from Randall tells me they are very aware of our concerns and hope to figure this out together.

 

[SARty]

Im sorry to hear you have signal issues, I do more than 80% of my flying in a very big city and have never had any issue as with any of my DJI drones I always do.. maybe you got a bad controller or something. As far as " pending upgrades" Autel and dealers have already made it clear the only change is the chip which will change the frequency. I'm not sure where you got them making further upgrades from, but if they were I doubt they would have branded it Evo 2 and made this big fuss. They would have just come out with a Evo 3. You assume way to many things. As far as me not being effected, the truth is no body at this point is effected except maybe there feeling, whatever happens I will be affected just as much as the next guy but no matter what the outcome is I will keep a cool head, rational thought, and a smile on my face.
Life is too short .

I'm not saying the issues aren't caused by defects, but it definitely isn't just this specific RC or AC and Autel refuses to lift a finger. Is the entire platform affected? I don't know, but like I mention later in this reply, Autel Enterprise dealers have much to share on the subject and many owners have been in the same boat with these issues since day one (plenty of discussions about it here and elsewhere).

Cities, especially big ones, are tough signal environments. I don't know which models you're referring to when you mention your DJI drones, but if you have Ocusync birds with 5.8 and they're not faring better, it sounds like other factors/variables are in play.

What are you referring to as assumptions? If you took my previous reply to mshmovie, where I said "if" they also incorporate a dual band system (which is only a matter of time, given that the smart controller v1, billed as being forward compatible, already has it) to be an assumption, rather than simply one of the many possibilities we might also consider, then you missed both of our points. As I said, we're completely in the dark for now. But you were already telling me I'm wrong before all of that, remember?

I'm a diehard optimist, but I don't expect anything from Autel, other than that they'll continue covering their own tail. Which is exactly what a lot of us feel this is all about to begin with. Chip shortage or giving their customers what they promised in the first place?

A lot of people are understandably feeling burned. Hopefully the new CEO, Randall Warnas (who has a solid track record of doing the right thing) will shed light on everything soon. But there's only so much he can do. A no cost/inexpensive upgrade would be great, but no one will be holding their breath on that one.

It's insulting for you to tell me, or anyone else, that we're not legitimately affected by the Evo II's poor signal issues. If you haven't experienced them yourself, as I've already said, more power to you...but you don't get to speak for everyone. Autel Enterprise dealers (all or most of which are also DJI Enterprise dealers) will tell you all about it themselves - in many environments, the platform comes nowhere near to meeting, let alone exceeding, Ocusync 2 or 3 performance. Empirical evidence and A/B testing against its counterparts bore this out long ago.

UAS are used everyday around the world for Public Safety, very often in life and death situations. Radio issues can literally ground an otherwise life saving mission. It's not something to trivialize. Many Public Safety agencies, especially Search and Rescue, rely on donations and grants for their equipment. Having enough funds for an Evo II Dual (approx $10,000 USD, plus Livedeck, etc.) or 640T is very very hard to come by and would be a dream come true for any team. Many agencies struggled hard to get theirs, only to be hamstrung by radio issues because Autel chose to roll out a beta level product. A lot of people have been banking on the Smart Controller's claims of improved signal strength - that might be the answer for some. But this v2 update or fix, or whatever you want to call it is long overdue and a very big deal for those that need it. Hopefully it's at least on par with Ocusync 2/3. Time will tell.

 

[mshmovie]

I'm not saying the issues aren't caused by defects, but it definitely isn't just this specific RC or AC and Autel refuses to lift a finger. Is the entire platform affected? I don't know, but like I mention later in this reply, Autel Enterprise dealers have much to share on the subject and many owners have been in the same boat with these issues since day one (plenty of discussions about it here and elsewhere).

Cities, especially big ones, are tough signal environments. I don't know which models you're referring to when you mention your DJI drones, but if you have Ocusync birds with 5.8 and they're not faring better, it sounds like other factors/variables are in play.

What are you referring to as assumptions? If you took my previous reply to mshmovie, where I said "if" they also incorporate a dual band system (which is only a matter of time, given that the smart controller v1, billed as being forward compatible, already has it) to be an assumption, rather than simply one of the many possibilities we might also consider, then you missed both of our points. As I said, we're completely in the dark for now. But you were already telling me I'm wrong before all of that, remember?

I'm a diehard optimist, but I don't expect anything from Autel, other than that they'll continue covering their own tail. Which is exactly what a lot of us feel this is all about to begin with. Chip shortage or giving their customers what they promised in the first place?

A lot of people are understandably feeling burned. Hopefully the new CEO, Randall Warnas (who has a solid track record of doing the right thing) will shed light on everything soon. But there's only so much he can do. A no cost/inexpensive upgrade would be great, but no one will be holding their breath on that one.

It's insulting for you to tell me, or anyone else, that we're not legitimately affected by the Evo II's poor signal issues. If you haven't experienced them yourself, as I've already said, more power to you...but you don't get to speak for everyone. Autel Enterprise dealers (all or most of which are also DJI Enterprise dealers) will tell you all about it themselves - in many environments, the platform comes nowhere near to meeting, let alone exceeding, Ocusync 2 or 3 performance. Empirical evidence and A/B testing against its counterparts bore this out long ago.

UAS are used everyday around the world for Public Safety, very often in life and death situations. Radio issues can literally ground an otherwise life saving mission. It's not something to trivialize. Many Public Safety agencies, especially Search and Rescue, rely on donations and grants for their equipment. Having enough funds for an Evo II Dual (approx $10,000 USD, plus Livedeck, etc.) or 640T is very very hard to come by and would be a dream come true for any team. Many agencies struggled hard to get theirs, only to be hamstrung by radio issues because Autel chose to roll out a beta level product. A lot of people have been banking on the Smart Controller's claims of improved signal strength - that might be the answer for some. But this v2 update or fix, or whatever you want to call it is long overdue and a very big deal for those that need it. Hopefully it's at least on par with Ocusync 2/3. Time will tell.

All of that said, this isn't the time or place for that part of this discussion...smile all you want, but your comments and tone are uninformed and out of line....

Ideation was introduced to me in a product cycle when I was at AOL; express any idea, no judgement, you don't know who will come up with the next great idea. We tossed around some beauts! Transport by AIM was a non starter, but we had fun and other ideas made it to product.

Everyone has unique experiences to base their observations and suggestions on.

No one here would contribute if they didn't care; all want the best outcome.

Keep contributing and do make room for all; we are the sum of our experiences and that is what's most likely to get this favorable consideration and a desirable outcome, which is not a sure thing, but good stuff.

 

[mshmovie]

I wrote an email yesterday to [email protected] as some you guys also did. I got a replay today, but I’m in doubt if it is really from Mr. Randall Warnas because I guess he is too busy to answer concerns of the customers and maybe this is just from an Autel agent. Just [emoji848].
View attachment 10643

That's engagement. Nice!

 

[Wieg1]

.. I insist that the only acceptable solution for everyone would be that Autel supplied together with the SC with the new chip a naked version of the aircraft intended for version 1 owners at a favorable price. I also wonder if at this moment anyone would be willing to buy version 1 of the SC, born old, at that exorbitant price ... I don't.

 

[Eagle928]

.. I insist that the only acceptable solution for everyone would be that Autel supplied together with the SC with the new chip a naked version of the aircraft intended for version 1 owners at a favorable price. I also wonder if at this moment anyone would be willing to buy version 1 of the SC, born old, at that exorbitant price ... I don't.

Well, I don't know if that would be the only workable solution, but it is one for sure.

As long as someone has a working controller matched with their E2 nothing has changed. Yes, it starts getting sticky when getting into the SC, but I suspect the percentage of people getting those compared to those not is not very high due to price. Those who use drones for a living will definitely want one. For others it will be a luxury item.

 

[PingSpike]

If they are changing the hardware from single band radio to dual band on the aircraft, the remote controller, live deck and the smart controller they'll need firmware updates for each of those four items.

The Autel Explorer app will also need coding changes to support it too (iOS and Android).

And all that then needs to be backwards compatible with the old Evo II v1 single band hardware (again, all four items) too.

This is not a five minute job.

 

[mshmovie]

.. I insist that the only acceptable solution for everyone would be that Autel supplied together with the SC with the new chip a naked version of the aircraft intended for version 1 owners at a favorable price. I also wonder if at this moment anyone would be willing to buy version 1 of the SC, born old, at that exorbitant price ... I don't.

That is one viable solution for sure. Another it to just build a smart controller with both chipsets that will control the Evo II v1's as well as the v2's and future releases. Just (casually throwing this around - it needs to be vetted by engineering) have the v1 chips socketed so we can plug them in when the chip shortage subsides; that would provide universal compatibility.

There was also a response from Autel querying a member as to whether a buy back of the v1 would be acceptable to provide to the promised upgrade path; a good sign that Autel is working on this rather than locking in on their announcement.

 

[MattMPA]

That is one viable solution for sure. Another it to just build a smart controller with both chipsets that will control the Evo II v1's as well as the v2's and future releases. Just (casually throwing this around - it needs to be vetted by engineering) have the v1 chips socketed so we can plug them in when the chip shortage subsides; that would provide universal compatibility.

There was also a response from Autel querying a member as to whether a buy back of the v1 would be acceptable to provide to the promised upgrade path; a good sign that Autel is working on this rather than locking in on their announcement.

If I understand correctly, the problem is getting the chips used in the V1 is the reason for the change. How would Autel build with both chips?

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

That is one viable solution for sure. Another it to just build a smart controller with both chipsets that will control the Evo II v1's as well as the v2's and future releases. Just (casually throwing this around - it needs to be vetted by engineering) have the v1 chips socketed so we can plug them in when the chip shortage subsides; that would provide universal compatibility.

There was also a response from Autel querying a member as to whether a buy back of the v1 would be acceptable to provide to the promised upgrade path; a good sign that Autel is working on this rather than locking in on their announcement.

if you are a professional pilot with a fair amount of equipment, it is always an option to reach out to autel for satisfaction. you don't need a buyback program to do that. it is likely you could work out a deal better than any buyback program can provide. i'm not a huge fan of a buyback program because the vast majority of the v1 equipment on the market there's nothing wrong with it. i'm always in favor of trade-in program that emphasize technology upgrades and help drive refurb programs but trade-in usually means you'll get less money for your drone. recreational and individual pilots don't always have as much flexibility but i still believe the secondary market is favorable despite some of the doubts expressed in this thread.

 

[steve2497]

While I understand the reasoning behind Autel’s move, there’s no way this doesn’t hurt them long term. While I like my 6K, I don’t love it. Connectivity and range have never been my issues with this quad. It’s got plenty of other “quirks” that I would consider bigger issues. This move has made me sour on Autel products, as a one year shelf life on a $1700 quad is a hard pill to swallow. My SC preorder refund is now waiting to see what the Mavic 3 brings to the table.

sounds like a good plan, I'm going to get my upfront payment back too - there is no point waiting any longer, Autel have given me zero confidence in them and I am pretty confident that the mavic 3 will be an impressive drone - my only concern is the extent of geofencing they introduce!