Smart Controller from Autelpilot

[G_G]

I’ve been reading through you previous posts. You have been whining and bleating about how bad Autel is and how fantastic DJI is for the better part of 2 years now. And you still spend significant money on the smart controller….
More fool you I think. I would have thought that by now you would have learned about advertised performance vs real performance is never spot on.
I really don’t understand your bad performance over the water from elevated platform. It doesn’t match the performance I get, or anyone else I read about. But if this is what I was getting, I could never justify spending more money on the product.
You best option would be to leave Autel, try and recoup some money from the smart controller while it’s still worth good money and stop wasting your time on a platform you can’t use

I haven't even posted here in well over a year. I only posted now because of acquiring an EVO 2 Pro, with claimed improved range over the EVO, to attempt to circumvent GEO with a 1” sensor, and found it wanting, too, just like the EVO. However, hope springs eternal, and I held out hopes for the Smart Controller, which was advertised as fixing the very problem I was experiencing! I tested it out and found that is is just as bad as the stock controller. It has been returned. I was not stupid enough to buy one without an advance agreement to be able to return it, risk free, based upon my past experience with Autel. Fool me once!

Anyone who couldn't get the Smart Controller V1 should be counting their blessings. It is a disaster. That is my own unbiased personal opinion, based upon solid evidence. I'll have the stock EVO 2 controller modified with third party equipment and use it with both the EVO and EVO 2 for a few hundred dollars with a full sized iPad, getting a larger screen, and saving $1100 over the clunky, heavy, now discontinued Smart Controller V1, and getting what I am paying for. We are done here. No more time or money wasted on Autel Robotics by me.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

I haven't even posted here in well over a year. I only posted now because of acquiring an EVO 2 Pro, with claimed improved range over the EVO, to attempt to circumvent GEO with a 1” sensor, and found it wanting, too, just like the EVO. However, hope springs eternal, and I held out hopes for the Smart Controller, which was advertised as fixing the very problem I was experiencing! I tested it out and found that is is just as bad as the stock controller. It has been returned. I was not stupid enough to buy one without an advance agreement to be able to return it, risk free, based upon my past experience with Autel. Fool me once!

Anyone who couldn't get the Smart Controller V1 should be counting their blessings. It is a disaster. That is my own unbiased personal opinion, based upon solid evidence. I'll have the stock EVO 2 controller modified with third party equipment and use it with both the EVO and EVO 2 for a few hundred dollars with a full sized iPad, getting a larger screen, and saving $1100 over the clunky, heavy, now discontinued Smart Controller V1, and getting what I am paying for. We are done here. No more time or money wasted on Autel Robotics by me.

well, the autel and the sc are not for everyone; won't make everyone happy. exactly why we have alternatives on the market and I sounds like you enjoy your dji. good luck to you!

 

[G_G]

well, the autel and the sc are not for everyone; won't make everyone happy. exactly why we have alternatives on the market and I sounds like you enjoy your dji. good luck to you!

Indeed! I can still make the EVO 2 work for bypassing GEO problems at short range. Just won't work for long range. All good!

 

[Anzacjack]

good luck. A shame yours doesnt work as well as almost everyone else I have heard from.
DJI is a good product, as ive said its the brand i use for all of training fleet so Im in no way anti-DJI. But im also very happy with the Autel Evo 2 and smart controller and live deck setup. Ive never used the original evo so have no opinion there
Also, I dont believe you can use the same controller for the evo 1 and 2 like you are suggestion, but i could be wrong.
Anyway, you have made plenty of posts about your range issue and how fantastic DJI is, so i guess your done with that line of conversation?

 

[G_G]

good luck. A shame yours doesnt work as well as almost everyone else I have heard from.
DJI is a good product, as ive said its the brand i use for all of training fleet so Im in no way anti-DJI. But im also very happy with the Autel Evo 2 and smart controller and live deck setup. Ive never used the original evo so have no opinion there
Also, I dont believe you can use the same controller for the evo 1 and 2 like you are suggestion, but i could be wrong.
Anyway, you have made plenty of posts about your range issue and how fantastic DJI is, so i guess your done with that line of conversation?

Thanks! It is a shame, but every environment is different, and Autel Robotics uses a different control/transmission system than DJI, which happens to work perfectly for my environment. So be it. The EVO 2 controller can be used with both the EVO 2 and the original EVO, but the original EVO controller is not compatible with the EVO 2, so modifying the EVO 2 controller will indeed work for both drones. The Smart Controller was clearly intended to be compatible with both the EVO and the EVO 2, as the opening splash screen asks you to select which drone you wish to control, but I couldn't get that to work, so either I missed something, or Autel never wrote the code for it, as everything is blank when you select EVO camera view.
Yes, I am done with the range issues, after trying everything under the sun to improve them.

 

[Rubik3x]

Back to the SC volume issue; have you noticed how LOUD the obstacle avoidance warning beeps are? It's just the voice notifications that are too quiet.

 

[Sky High]

Hi. Has anyone received a new Smart Controller from the store Autelpilot? Preordered in April from them, and been emailing them back and forth and all they say is they’re waiting for their shipments. Seems like most suppliers are shipping out at least some Smart Controller V1s, just don’t know if the supplier Autelpilot is. Purchased my Evo 2 Pro from them by placing, and paying for the preorder, shortly after the announcement of the drone production, and received it during the period most other early adopters were receiving theirs. Everything for that purchase worked out well.
Impatient trending towards slightly worried.
Thanks for any response.

It is true, they are trickling into the dealers now. One here, one there.

 

[GeekOnTheWing]

Back to the SC volume issue; have you noticed how LOUD the obstacle avoidance warning beeps are? It's just the voice notifications that are too quiet.

Brilliant observation!

I hadn't noticed because I turn the OA warnings off. But your observation got me looking at the TTS engine:

Settings > Laguages & Inputs > Text-to-speech output > [gear] > Settings for Google Text-to-speech Engine

Wherein there is a setting to "Amplify speech volume."

Still not great, but it helps some.

 

[Rubik3x]

On the frequency issue; I'm not an RF geek, but a little research reveals that:

1. lower frequencies (like 900MHz) have better range and are better at passing through clutter (like trees) but have slower transmission speed.
2. higher frequencies (like 5.8GHz) provide faster transmission speed but have lower range and tend to bounce off of dense objects.
3. 2.4GHz is the most common for RF devices and may be over crowded.

That's why we like frequency switching. It looks for the frequency that gives the best performance in your situation.

 

[Blade Strike]

Hi. Has anyone received a new Smart Controller from the store Autelpilot? Preordered in April from them, and been emailing them back and forth and all they say is they’re waiting for their shipments. Seems like most suppliers are shipping out at least some Smart Controller V1s, just don’t know if the supplier Autelpilot is. Purchased my Evo 2 Pro from them by placing, and paying for the preorder, shortly after the announcement of the drone production, and received it during the period most other early adopters were receiving theirs. Everything for that purchase worked out well.
Impatient trending towards slightly worried.
Thanks for any response.

Unfortunately I can’t say they have stock coming or not. But they are not a direct dealer, so I would be a little skeptical if they are breaking promises.

There are a limited supply and more than likely won’t filter this far down the food chain.

I wish I could provide more information but I’m afraid I can not.

 

[Blade Strike]

All-

I would love to comment on the SC but I have zero experience with it and been spending most of my time on the RTK and dual models.

I’ve requested an SC And they are trying to pull one from another support member. They do not want to pull from internal customer / warranty stock.

I will comment on issues or fixes when I can and after review of the unit.

I would like to comment on something though. While the AC and SC can operate on 900, public firmware and app will not run on this frequency.

 

[AirStreamPictures]

B&H Photo just sent me a notice that the SC is discontinued, and I would not be available for purchase.

 

[bikemonster]

Hi. Has anyone received a new Smart Controller from the store Autelpilot? Preordered in April from them, and been emailing them back and forth and all they say is they’re waiting for their shipments. Seems like most suppliers are shipping out at least some Smart Controller V1s, just don’t know if the supplier Autelpilot is. Purchased my Evo 2 Pro from them by placing, and paying for the preorder, shortly after the announcement of the drone production, and received it during the period most other early adopters were receiving theirs. Everything for that purchase worked out well.
Impatient trending towards slightly worried.
Thanks for any response.

Since I didn’t get too big a response to my question I called Autel Robotics customer service in Bothell, Washington for answers. By the way, when you Google Autel Robotics (the manufacturer of Evo drones) you get directed to Autelpilot which is a Chinese store selling Evo products. Asked the gentleman at Autel Robotics if any of the new controllers have been shipped to Autelpilot so they could distribute them and his reply was he didn’t know. He did state that Smart Controllers were being shipped in small lots on rotation to the dealers. The suipposed 500 that are being manufactured are NOT being shipped out all at once. I take this as good news, not having received my controller. There is room for optimism that mine still may arrive. I hope I have not preordered (4/26) and paid for the V1 just to have my order cancelled when it’s too late to order from a different supplier or dealer. Feel free to correct me on any of the above. Thank you.

 

[Rubik3x]

All-

I would love to comment on the SC but I have zero experience with it and been spending most of my time on the RTK and dual models.

I’ve requested an SC And they are trying to pull one from another support member. They do not want to pull from internal customer / warranty stock.

I will comment on issues or fixes when I can and after review of the unit.

I would like to comment on something though. While the AC and SC can operate on 900, public firmware and app will not run on this frequency.

I got my SC about 3 weeks ago from Kuker Ranken in Mount Lake Terrace in Western Washington (not far from Autel). I ordered it from them several months ago. That's also where I got my E2P last year. Good people.

Autel Robotics Smart Controller

Autel Robotics Smart Controller, V2 - Portable, efficient, and easy to use. 2000nit Super-Bright Screen Autel Smart Controller's built in display is twice as bright as the next leading competitor and 4 times brighter than conventional cell phone screen. The 7.9-inch QHD display offers anti-glare...

www.krinc.net

 

[Twoheadlines]

Hi. Has anyone received a new Smart Controller from the store Autelpilot? Preordered in April from them, and been emailing them back and forth and all they say is they’re waiting for their shipments. Seems like most suppliers are shipping out at least some Smart Controller V1s, just don’t know if the supplier Autelpilot is. Purchased my Evo 2 Pro from them by placing, and paying for the preorder, shortly after the announcement of the drone production, and received it during the period most other early adopters were receiving theirs. Everything for that purchase worked out well.
Impatient trending towards slightly worried.
Thanks for any response.

While we probably live in different parts of the same global village, I suspect our Smart Controller experiences have a very similar genesis.
I pre-ordered my SC unit around the end of March, early April also; with the advice being from my local supplier I could expect delivery May or early June.
Taking time out for some personal health issues during that time meant it was late June before I chased up the supplier about an updated SC delivery timeline.

Long story short; after my supplier was apparently getting little in the way of straight answers from his supplier about a revised ETA I did a bit of investigation of my own, contacting a Chinese supply agent with whom I have done a good deal of business with - both UAV/ROV and other equipment being shipped by the agent, mostly out of Shenzhen.

The intel' that came back to me, which has largely been corroborated by other information, Autel produced around 500 units of the V1 SC before chip supply became the issue it has. Initially - I suspect before the number of pre-orders for the V1 unit was known to Autel - these units were to then be distributed world wide, but on a first come basis. At some point in the process of trying to work out how to stretch 500 SC across xxxx pre-orders the decision was made to consolidate all 500 units into the US pre-order pool. The trouble with that plan was, A) a singular lack of communication - straight from the mouth of the Autel CEO, and B) there was likely way more than 500 supplier outlets across the US trying to fill "xxxx" customer pre-orders.

Trying to shoehorn a whole bunch of round pegs when there weren't enough square holes to squeeze them into simply was never going to work - but again Autel seems to have forgotten to get that message across in a way the was (is) understandable to its world-wide customer base.

So, like you, I put the folding stuff down - months ago now - for a product which does not look like it is going to materialise anytime soon. Purchasing from my supplier has always gone well, and on this occasion he has expressed sufficient embarrassment at what has been happening that a full refund has been offered - no questions. In fairness to the supplier, I have said I will wait until the end of July, just in case CEO Warnas somehow manages to find a way to pull more than just rabbits out of the Autel hat. I'm not holding my breath though!

NOTE: The Chinese supply agent suggested the v2 SC was in production at present - obviously not compatible with the EVO 2 Pro most of us are probably wanting though. When this production run is finished, a production run of v1 SC may happen, but will be very much subject to chip availability.

UPDATE: August 4th. No further intel available from my supplier on a delivery date for a V1 SC (pre-ordered and paid for late March). Decided to take up the supplier's offer of a refund, which was in my bank account this morning. Very glad of the ongoing integrity of my supplier. Same can't be said for Autel at this time though, who seem to continue to not communicate with the very people who pay their salaries - the "customer"!

Happy and safe flying ??

 

[G_G]

On the frequency issue; I'm not an RF geek, but a little research reveals that:

1. lower frequencies (like 900MHz) have better range and are better at passing through clutter (like trees) but have slower transmission speed.
2. higher frequencies (like 5.8GHz) provide faster transmission speed but have lower range and tend to bounce off of dense objects.
3. 2.4GHz is the most common for RF devices and may be over crowded.

That's why we like frequency switching. It looks for the frequency that gives the best performance in your situation.

Indeed. Here in the U.S., 5.8GHz seems to work best in urban areas where the 2.4GHz band is over crowded. Unfortunately, Autel chose the 900 MHz as the only alternate band for the U.S versions of the Smart Controller, instead of the far better 5.8GHz band, and then disabled the 900Mhz frequency on all units! No public FW can use the 900Mhz frequency, and the app can't use it either!

 

[G_G]

I would like to comment on something though. While the AC and SC can operate on 900, public firmware and app will not run on this frequency.

That would certainly explain why the SC has no range improvement over the stock EVO 2 controller, as it is using the exact same frequency band, and cannot use the 900 frequency, which is the only listed alternate band in the U.S.. The far better 5.8Ghz band in congested urban wifi areas is not even available for selection on the SC. Only the unusable 900 MHz band appears as an alternate choice in the Explorer app on the SC.

 

[Anzacjack]

Indeed. Here in the U.S., 5.8GHz seems to work best in urban areas where the 2.4GHz band is over crowded. Unfortunately, Autel chose the 900 MHz as the only alternate band for the U.S versions of the Smart Controller, while making the far better 5.8Ghz band the only alternate band only in Australia and Europe.

Nope. 5.8 is not an option here in Australia. 2.4 only

 

[G_G]

Nope. 5.8 is not an option here in Australia. 2.4 only

Thanks! I just found that out, too! We have all been misled, and all only got 2.4, instead of the promised better dual band!

 

[Blade Strike]

and 5.8 is limited in the EU to 25mw..