Shame on Autel Nano, Nano + and EVO Lite.

[RetArmy]

SC V1 doesn't have skylink protocol. I think that future drones from Autel will work only with skylink.

Use an Alientech and then none of the protocols matter. My Evo with Alientech can way outdo my Air 2 with Occusync.

 

[SARty]

Use an Alientech and then none of the protocols matter. My Evo with Alientech can way outdo my Air 2 with Occusync.

That's great @RetArmy, but how does your Air 2 with Alientech compare?

 

[mshmovie]

SC V1 doesn't have skylink protocol. I think that future drones from Autel will work only with skylink.

The Autel Robotics Smart controller was supposed to be forward compatible; a promised feature regardless of skylink or not. If we look at the competitive landscape, the DJI smart controller was not built to support Occusync 3 (DJI's new protocol introduced with the FPV and then the Air 2S) and with the release of the Air 2S DJI managed to add support for Occusync 3 to a controller designed years before that protocol existed.

While my Autel Smart controller is a nice piece of equipment, it's falling well short of the utility my DJI smart controller is prodiving:

• Autel supports my Evo II Pro V1 (and can only support V1 Evo II airframes - that's not what was promised and Randall promised to make us whole, bt he's gone)
• DJI supports my Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic 2 Zoom, Air 2S and Mini 2

Autel is not competitive regarding utility and future product compatibility with either V1 or V2 of their smart controller. Being that I enjoy the ease of flying without cables, and I've only once been geofenced (near an airport in central america - warranted), this in not looking great for Autel despite their nice new offerings; things need to sort themselves out for anyone that enjoys a smart controller to control all their quads - I'm not dropping $1,200 for each of at least three protocols even if the opportunity presents itself.

Additionally, we do not know if the EVO III is skylink of is a V2 protocol.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

^are you really comparing a few months with the autel sc (launched during a pandemic and in the middle of a technology shortage) with the years that dji has had to "refine" their inferior product?

what future are you referring to when the autel sc and skylink just launched? are you really trying to piece together the troubled history of dji apps and features and product launch and compare it to brand new autel just getting started? think about the phantom. do you think the dji sc is being called a success by longtime dji fanboys? the dji sc hurt a lot of people for years, don't forget that; it's nothing to brag about since they finally got around to halfway getting it to work out with a few of their newer drones. dji lied about it's future compatibility at first, have you forgotten about that?

everyone here knew the v1 sc didn't have a future before they bought it and everyone here (who cannot predict the future) continues to hope that the v2 sc does have a bright future, so what's the problem? maybe this is a good post for late 2023 when we see what actually happened?

talk about a dead product. I have a pair of dji white goggles and it will only work with my m2z, why is that? keep in mind there were people that were so upset they actually believed their ma2 is crippled and useless and no future without functional goggles. does the dji fpv googles work with your mavics, airs, and minis? some people believe fpv googles are essential to flying a drone, just like some people (here) believe a sc is essential to flying a drone. one man's floor, another man's ceiling.

please give autel time to launch their new products, sort out the details, tighten up their roadmap, and give their customers what they want/need during this most chaotic time in the world that no one else has had to face in the past. maybe we can focus on and think about the true pressures everyone will face when the real challenge to the drone space (government rules and regulations and requirements) start to get to work; this equipment dance will seem like a distant memory.

 

[herein2021]

I have 2 Evo II Pro 6k. I bought the 2nd when it was on sale at Best Buy for 1199. So it was worth buying the V1 SC as I'll have those drones for 2-3 yrs with 2 of them. To be honest, not sure we should worry about any drones until 2023 once Remote ID takes full impact. It's going to take that long for chip supply to normalize.

The biggest reason is because batteries, controllers, and other parts are suddenly going to get really hard to find as soon as the EVO III comes out, by 2023 the resale value of the EVO II will be pretty low due to difficulty sourcing batteries if history is any indication. My approach is to buy only the bare minimum needed for me to complete my typical projects, rent whatever I need for special projects, and sell everything as soon as a new model is released.

That was definitely a great deal that you got on the EVO II 6K.

 

[mshmovie]

^are you really comparing a few months with the autel sc (launched during a pandemic and in the middle of a technology shortage) with the years that dji has had to "refine" their inferior product?

what future are you referring to when the autel sc and skylink just launched? are you really trying to piece together the troubled history of dji apps and features and product launch and compare it to brand new autel just getting started? think about the phantom. do you think the dji sc is being called a success by longtime dji fanboys? the dji sc hurt a lot of people for years, don't forget that; it's nothing to brag about since they finally got around to halfway getting it to work out with a few of their newer drones. dji lied about it's future compatibility at first, have you forgotten about that?

everyone here knew the v1 sc didn't have a future before they bought it and everyone here (who cannot predict the future) continues to hope that the v2 sc does have a bright future, so what's the problem? maybe this is a good post for late 2023 when we see what actually happened?

talk about a dead product. I have a pair of dji white goggles and it will only work with my m2z, why is that? keep in mind there were people that were so upset they actually believed their ma2 is crippled and useless and no future without functional goggles. does the dji fpv googles work with your mavics, airs, and minis? some people believe fpv googles are essential to flying a drone, just like some people (here) believe a sc is essential to flying a drone. one man's floor, another man's ceiling.

please give autel time to launch their new products, sort out the details, tighten up their roadmap, and give their customers what they want/need during this most chaotic time in the world that no one else has had to face in the past. maybe we can focus on and think about the true pressures everyone will face when the real challenge to the drone space (government rules and regulations and requirements) start to get to work; this equipment dance will seem like a distant memory.

Hi Ken,

Yes, I am comparing because the promise of future compatibility seems to be lost, there are now single, dual and triple frequency products either on the market or shortly on the market and I can grab and go with my DJI smart controller with any of four of my drones.

I sure over time this will sort itself out, but I'm going to let my $ sit it out while it does (it's not a financial thing, it's a what I want my money to do thing). My prime objective is to be able to choose from my collection based on what I'm doing on any given day and I'd prefer to have one premium controller per brand's generation and that preference has been thwarted by numerous things.

- M

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

Hi Ken,

Yes, I am comparing because the promise of future compatibility seems to be lost, there are now single, dual and triple frequency products either on the market or shortly on the market and I can grab and go with my DJI smart controller with any of four of my drones.

I sure over time this will sort itself out, but I'm going to let my $ sit it out while it does (it's not a financial thing, it's a what I want my money to do thing). My prime objective is to be able to choose from my collection based on what I'm doing on any given day and I'd prefer to have one premium controller per brand's generation and that preference has been thwarted by numerous things.

- M

sure I get it, we all have to make choices. I'm just not sure why autel is singled out when pretty much every oem across the consumer electronics spectrum does exactly the same thing. tivo shuts off service and bricks their older devices, sonos informs their speaker owners directly that your product no longer get support, mobile phone carriers tell their Xg subscribers the network is going to turn off on December 1st your phone is now a paperweight. all decisions completely within their control. and then they endure customer backlash and either changes their mind or move on. I guess we should get used to it by now.

 

[mshmovie]

sure I get it, we all have to make choices. I'm just not sure why autel is singled out when pretty much every oem across the consumer electronics spectrum does exactly the same thing. tivo shuts off service and bricks their older devices, sonos informs their speaker owners directly that your product no longer get support, mobile phone carriers tell their Xg subscribers the network is going to turn off on December 1st your phone is now a paperweight. all decisions completely within their control. and then they endure customer backlash and either changes their mind or move on. I guess we should get used to it by now.

Hi Ken,

I love what I have from Autel, like what I have from Skydio (for what is uniquely offers), and will grab my DJI Air 2S for domestic travel and Mini 2 for International. My craftsman toolbox has an assortment of tools too - each has its own purposes (some are sentimental - were my dad's) - they let me do everything from hang pictures, build bathrooms, decks, etc. despite being a tech guy.

This is purely a way for me to say, I wish it would all come together and improve, not bad Autel. If they read that their users would like radio compatibility, and it would sell more product, that's what their product team should consider when building a roadmap (considering a lot more factors as well; e.g., they may have decided to go with a third radio protocol as it may be superior to the chip they selected for V2 - I do not know).

That Autel Robotics can get product out that is competitive in this craptastic global landscape is amazing. That they've gotten a V2 and Skylink radio option to market in months of each other is equally amazing. The only wish I have is that it comes together. If it came together, I'd be imminently buying a lite+, a nano and likely the EVO III. I was even contemplating selling my Evo II Pro and SC V1 for an Evo II Enterprise, but there's so much changing, I'd like to see it settle down to the point my crystal ball can see how they might all work together. It's something that would be good for all. In the mean time, the Autel Smart Controller is a nice piece of technology that controls my Evo II Pro and I do enjoy using it.

This is somewhat tough for me as I'm a first mover when it comes to technology (live it, breath it, invent it and love to play with it); I'd rather be in on these new offerings, but I'm just going to sit and wait (which is massively uncharacteristic of me - I'll get over it). ;-)

There are plenty of other vendors and product to critique and I critique the product I've led my team to build and encourage them to not settle and be introspective; I'm presenting tomorrow as to how we will restructure our approach to different technical disciplines to get the most from many technical acquisitions. Why should tomorrow be like today instead of better? Why not reflect in an effort to embrace continual improvement (and ask it of the companies we do business with)? I ask and encourage my team to be considerate dissenters; if it's a problem, not a good idea, regardless of the title of the person that suggested it, state the issue, what can be done that's better, etc. If they're right, we fix it, if not, they hear the rationale and understand how something came to be and proceed with understanding.

Other product manufacturers have either consistently great to mixed levels of service. Autel replaced by SC when is was cosmetically imperfect out of the box (Randall jumped all over my email over one weekend); that was great service. I had your Tivo experience, but I couldn't complain as I got it for free with a lifetime subscription. I was one of many beta testers for Tivo as my team built features of AOL TV (like Web TV) into Tivo; a way to get people on the web when computers were still scaring people but a TV with a bad interface to email & the web did not & got us into the living room. I ultimately sent my Tivo to hazardous waste years ago; great first mover in the space that's been commoditized by providers' DVRs & EPGs followed by them not seriously playing in the OTT/CTV. My Sling Boxes are going to get a ride to the the hazardous waste dump next as they can't sling anything over the web anymore; once great, now heat generators.

This is just a matter of framing. In summary, Autel is doing an amazing job getting solid product to market drung a very challenging time, but the three incompatible radio protocols make it hard to buy their entire product line (for me) as I prefer having a unified controller. My strong preference is to be able to but one of everything. (I'd say, don't tell the wife, but she knows - I'm a lost cause that way.)

Regards,
Marc

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

Hi Ken,

I love what I have from Autel, like what I have from Skydio (for what is uniquely offers), and will grab my DJI Air 2S for domestic travel and Mini 2 for International. My craftsman toolbox has an assortment of tools too - each has its own purposes (some are sentimental - were my dad's) - they let me do everything from hang pictures, build bathrooms, decks, etc. despite being a tech guy.

This is purely a way for me to say, I wish it would all come together and improve, not bad Autel. If they read that their users would like radio compatibility, and it would sell more product, that's what their product team should consider when building a roadmap (considering a lot more factors as well; e.g., they may have decided to go with a third radio protocol as it may be superior to the chip they selected for V2 - I do not know).

That Autel Robotics can get product out that is competitive in this craptastic global landscape is amazing. That they've gotten a V2 and Skylink radio option to market in months of each other is equally amazing. The only wish I have is that it comes together. If it came together, I'd be imminently buying a lite+, a nano and likely the EVO III. I was even contemplating selling my Evo II Pro and SC V1 for an Evo II Enterprise, but there's so much changing, I'd like to see it settle down to the point my crystal ball can see how they might all work together. It's something that would be good for all. In the mean time, the Autel Smart Controller is a nice piece of technology that controls my Evo II Pro and I do enjoy using it.

This is somewhat tough for me as I'm a first mover when it comes to technology (live it, breath it, invent it and love to play with it); I'd rather be in on these new offerings, but I'm just going to sit and wait (which is massively uncharacteristic of me - I'll get over it). ;-)

There are plenty of other vendors and product to critique and I critique the product I've led my team to build and encourage them to not settle and be introspective; I'm presenting tomorrow as to how we will restructure our approach to different technical disciplines to get the most from many technical acquisitions. Why should tomorrow be like today instead of better? Why not reflect in an effort to embrace continual improvement (and ask it of the companies we do business with)? I ask and encourage my team to be considerate dissenters; if it's a problem, not a good idea, regardless of the title of the person that suggested it, state the issue, what can be done that's better, etc. If they're right, we fix it, if not, they hear the rationale and understand how something came to be and proceed with understanding.

Other product manufacturers have either consistently great to mixed levels of service. Autel replaced by SC when is was cosmetically imperfect out of the box (Randall jumped all over my email over one weekend); that was great service. I had your Tivo experience, but I couldn't complain as I got it for free with a lifetime subscription. I was one of many beta testers for Tivo as my team built features of AOL TV (like Web TV) into Tivo; a way to get people on the web when computers were still scaring people but a TV with a bad interface to email & the web did not & got us into the living room. I ultimately sent my Tivo to hazardous waste years ago; great first mover in the space that's been commoditized by providers' DVRs & EPGs followed by them not seriously playing in the OTT/CTV. My Sling Boxes are going to get a ride to the the hazardous waste dump next as they can't sling anything over the web anymore; once great, now heat generators.

This is just a matter of framing. In summary, Autel is doing an amazing job getting solid product to market drung a very challenging time, but the three incompatible radio protocols make it hard to buy their entire product line (for me) as I prefer having a unified controller. My strong preference is to be able to but one of everything. (I'd say, don't tell the wife, but she knows - I'm a lost cause that way.)

Regards,
Marc

thanks for the reply, marc. I hear you and I agree with you. I have a stack of defunct tivo boxes and I'm sure I have a lifetime or two on a couple of those harddrives that were swapped all over. and slingbox, same thing...one of every model, none of them still in service. so much electronic junk around here, it's astounding so I know what you mean. appreciate the insight and your thoughts on the current situation, I know we'll look back on these days and remember how it all came together during impossible times. I hope it all works out for you (and all of us) and if autel usa needs some help, I'm sure they know where to look.

 

[mshmovie]

thanks for the reply, marc. I hear you and I agree with you. I have a stack of defunct tivo boxes and I'm sure I have a lifetime or two on a couple of those harddrives that were swapped all over. and slingbox, same thing...one of every model, none of them still in service. so much electronic junk around here, it's astounding so I know what you mean. appreciate the insight and your thoughts on the current situation, I know we'll look back on these days and remember how it all came together during impossible times. I hope it all works out for you (and all of us) and if autel usa needs some help, I'm sure they know where to look.

Hi Ken,

It'll work out. This is truly one of the most challenging moments in time. That we're able to discuss drones, and what companies are doing to innovate when the world is somewhat mad makes us fortunate (exceptionally fortunate).

There will always be good companies gone mad (Akio Toyoda stated Toyota going electric will be over his dead body - which may be accurate if they're to survive the next ten years). There will be companies that appear mad that shake up the world for good, I bought a Z06 in 2007 and did not consider a Tesla roadster - thought it was laughable and the company would fail; Tesla has disrupted the automotive world for good.

I feel, not know, that Autel is doing all it can to innovate in this hellish environment and justify a solid grab at some of DJI's market share (perhaps Skydio too if we're lucky - range, a great camera, autonomy and obstacle avoidance would be a killer package).

Needless to say, it'll surely be interesting to watch the next few months as these products come to market.

Best Regards,
Marc

 

[Theborg]

I have the smart controller 2 for my Evo 2 Enterprise, and to be frank I don't want to use it with the Nano...the thing is huge and heavy and the entire point of the Nano is to be light and small. The Nano is the device I want to throw in my backpack and take hiking, biking, boating, etc...it's not meant for the kind of work the Smart Controller is. I was actually thrilled to see the new controller, as I was worried they'd go the DJI route and introduce a controller that's larger than the drone.

Amen - I just ordered the Nano + premium bundle - selling my Mini 2 - the Mini 2 was good but not great and as I'm a photographer first it really didn't fit the bill. I'm looking for the Nano to be quieter than my EVO 2 Pro and less likely to attract attention when I'm out getting nature shot's and video - not to mention the specs look pretty impressive. I'm hoping that it will ship in the next few weeks.

 

[Josh1340]

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With the onset of the Autel Nano, Nano + and EVO Lite announced yesterday on their site I believe the Autel team has some 'splainin' to do. I called them in Washington and asked about the support for the Smart Controller Version 1 and the Smart Controller Version 2 with the new Nano, Nano + and the EVO Lite? The person on the phone said he would have to ask the tech in the back whether the V1 or V2 Smart Controller worked with the new drones. He came back and said that none of the Smart Controllers V1 or V2 will work with the new drones.

This begs the question then why did I buy the EVO 2 Pro 6K Pro Version 2 and WHY do I have the Smart Controller Version 2 ordered through drone-works.com? Autel seems to be a one trick pony in that their drones and smart controllers only work with certain drones and specific chips. I do like the Autel products in the EVO 2 drones but now it seems my ability to resell my V2 drone will only be sold with the V2 smart controller. Seems like my drone is pigeon holed into selling to very specific buyers.

It also stops me buying the new sub 250 gram drones to use with my smart controller. That smart controller V2 still IS NOT delivered to me yet. Seems to me that Autel keeps throwing out products and information then sit on their hands with deliveries. Have waited all summer to get a V2 drone and now I sit and wait this fall for the V2 smart controller. When you call the headquarters they just keep saying that WE DON'T KNOW WHEN the new product will be shipped to your retailer.

Wonder if they make good on deliveries on their latest code readers for automotive? Hmmmmmm.............

I spoke with autel and the evo 2 pro v2 isn't happening because they are keeping the resources for Evo III R&D etc. And the smart controller WILL work with the lite drone, I suspect the Nano also. Coming from Eric at autel.

 

[advexure]

I spoke with autel and the evo 2 pro v2 isn't happening because they are keeping the resources for Evo III R&D etc. And the smart controller WILL work with the lite drone, I suspect the Nano also. Coming from Eric at autel.

Not sure what you mean by "isn't happening"? It already happened The V2 EVO II and V2 Smart Controller began shipping a couple months ago.

Autel Smart Controllers are not currently compatible with the Nano or Lite. Maybe this could change in the future, but right now the official word from Autel is that they will not be compatible when the Nano and Lite begin shipping in December.

 

[Ismael]

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Con el inicio de Autel Nano, Nano + y EVO Lite anunciados ayer en su sitio, creo que el equipo de Autel tiene algunas 'explicaciones' que hacer. Los llamé en Washington y les pregunté sobre la compatibilidad con el controlador inteligente versión 1 y el controlador inteligente versión 2 con los nuevos Nano, Nano + y EVO Lite. La persona en el teléfono dijo que tendría que preguntarle al técnico en la parte de atrás si el controlador inteligente V1 o V2 funcionaba con los nuevos drones. Regresó y dijo que ninguno de los Smart Controllers V1 o V2 funcionará con los nuevos drones.

Esto plantea la pregunta, entonces, ¿por qué compré el EVO 2 Pro 6K Pro Versión 2 y POR QUÉ tengo el Controlador inteligente Versión 2 ordenado a través de drone-works.com? Autel parece ser un pony de un solo truco en el sentido de que sus drones y controladores inteligentes solo funcionan con ciertos drones y chips específicos. Me gustan los productos Autel en los drones EVO 2, pero ahora parece que mi capacidad para revender mi dron V2 solo se venderá con el controlador inteligente V2. Parece que mi dron está empeñado en vender a compradores muy específicos.

También me impide comprar los nuevos drones de menos de 250 gramos para usar con mi controlador inteligente. Ese controlador inteligente V2 todavía NO me ha sido entregado. Me parece que Autel sigue tirando productos e información y luego se queda en sus manos con las entregas. He esperado todo el verano para conseguir un dron V2 y ahora me siento y espero este otoño por el controlador inteligente V2. Cuando llama a la oficina central, siguen diciendo que NO SABEMOS CUÁNDO se enviará el nuevo producto a su distribuidor.

¿Me pregunto si cumplen con las entregas de sus últimos lectores de códigos para automoción? Hmmmmmm .............

Me gustan los productos de Autel, pero la lealtad de Autel hacia sus clientes no existe. Solo piensan en lanzar productos limitados a usos específicos y limitados a un producto en particular. Lo que compras en Autel solo se usará para algo específico, te obligan a comprar todo lo nuevo para cualquier producto que lancen. Y son pésimos para cumplir con las entregas. Prefería Autel a DJI, pero ante esta realidad me vi obligado a vender todo lo que tenía de Autel y ahora, aunque me limitan en cuanto a espacios de vuelo, volví a DJI. Es una pena porque como mencioné al principio me gusta lo que dan los drones Autel, pero DJI es mucho mejor servicio y combina sus productos para que puedan ser funcionales con los demás.

 

[Roscow31]

EVO 2 V2" data-source="post: 79724" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

With the onset of the Autel Nano, Nano + and EVO Lite announced yesterday on their site I believe the Autel team has some 'splainin' to do. I called them in Washington and asked about the support for the Smart Controller Version 1 and the Smart Controller Version 2 with the new Nano, Nano + and the EVO Lite? The person on the phone said he would have to ask the tech in the back whether the V1 or V2 Smart Controller worked with the new drones. He came back and said that none of the Smart Controllers V1 or V2 will work with the new drones.

This begs the question then why did I buy the EVO 2 Pro 6K Pro Version 2 and WHY do I have the Smart Controller Version 2 ordered through drone-works.com? Autel seems to be a one trick pony in that their drones and smart controllers only work with certain drones and specific chips. I do like the Autel products in the EVO 2 drones but now it seems my ability to resell my V2 drone will only be sold with the V2 smart controller. Seems like my drone is pigeon holed into selling to very specific buyers.

It also stops me buying the new sub 250 gram drones to use with my smart controller. That smart controller V2 still IS NOT delivered to me yet. Seems to me that Autel keeps throwing out products and information then sit on their hands with deliveries. Have waited all summer to get a V2 drone and now I sit and wait this fall for the V2 smart controller. When you call the headquarters they just keep saying that WE DON'T KNOW WHEN the new product will be shipped to your retailer.

Wonder if they make good on deliveries on their latest code readers for automotive? Hmmmmmm.............

It's no secret that the new models work off different frequencies. That's why.
Yes it's frustrating but it is what is is.

 

[rvl]

It's no secret that the new models work off different frequencies. That's why.
Yes it's frustrating but it is what is is.

All modern consumer drones work on the same 2.4/5.8GHz channels with same basic principles of modulation/(de)multiplexing/encoding. The incompatibility of different devices is rarely physical. It is forced by manufacturers on software level.