Some really weird stuff going on since the firmware update!

[Catweazle]

What i missed after installing the firmware is my compass was highlighted to "calibrate". I got so comfortable with it always landing on the mark, i was not checking compass status before taking off. I,ll be more alert and untrustworthy of flying with any new firmware unless pre flight checks are all in order.
However, It would be a nice communication touch by Autel to alert flyers to complete a settings check after firmware installation.

 

[KevinP]

What i missed after installing the firmware is my compass was highlighted to "calibrate". I got so comfortable with it always landing on the mark, i was not checking compass status before taking off. I,ll be more alert and untrustworthy of flying with any new firmware unless pre flight checks are all in order.
However, It would be a nice communication touch by Autel to alert flyers to complete a settings check after firmware installation.

Well I am kind of new to this, but, I have gotten into the habit to scroll thru the menus after starting the props. it only takes a few to check thu .....

 

[GLEvideo]

Mine seemed to loose that accurate landing ability some time ago, I've been wondering about that too. It used to land right on the spot where it took off, now it just comes down and lands right below where I press the land button. ?

If I remember correctly, its supposed to take a snapshot of the spot it takes off from and look for that spot when landing, I don't think it's doing that anymore.

It also gives me a warning message every time it's landing regarding 'visual obstacle avoidance being disabled, safe to land' or something of that nature.

Mine has the same issue which started right after the previous update back around February or March 2019. It used to land spot on, within an inch or two of the take off spot, every time. Since that update it lands typically five or six feet or more away from the take off spot. I even take off and hover a few feet up and set a new HOME position right there and that doesn't seem to help.

 

[mavicn00b]

five or six feet or more away

That is typical of GPS accuracy only and implies yours isnt working at all. Have you tried wiping down the bottom cameras with a Q-tip in-case of any debris and dirt that may have accumulated?

 

[thomasr]

Whatever is default... I don't ever change it.

What I mean when I say what you've highlighted is that it will land straight down, which will be maybe a foot to the left of where it took off or to the right, wherever it happens to come down. I do remember when I first got the Evo, it did seem to land within inches, at most, of its take-off point.

Idk, was that just coincidental, am I expecting too much? Am I not understanding the system and how it's supposed to operate?

I complained with Autel about this -- it seems like exactly a month ago... Not landing accurate, claiming uncertain environments when landing and the messages about the visual obstacle avoidance being disabled during landings -- when it used to not say these things.

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After I supplied some video -- I was taught that I was taking off in a manner that was not allowing the VPS system to work as it was suppose to. It seemed odd to me that it used to land just fine -- but as stated -- subsequent firmware updates have done something with the landing sequence...

If I follow Autel's instructions and upon lift-off climb to at least 60-70 feet -- the system seems to work. When I do not ascend to this height immediately on take-off -- the accurate landing never works. This does make sense in the subsequent flights and tests -- but it wasn't so "picky" the first few times I flew or ever updated anything.

I am not one to take off and immediately ascend the Evo to these heights -- I really may not need to in some situations. I am not sure if maybe this is how you may be taking off also?

Are you pressing and holding the "lift-off/land" button or RTH button to land?

Accurate landing is only a part of the RTH process. If you are just pressing the land button -- there is nothing too accurate about landing -- it will land right where it it is told unless it see's the surface is un-level - and should pause/hover and ask for confirmation to land in that situation.

As I learn more about flying the Evo - RTH has become "use in case of emergency", the more I have learned what can and can not go wrong -- mostly what can go wrong. RTH sounds nice -- but really should be treated as a fail-safe feature that it is. GPS is NOT PRECISE and as mentioned by Autel -- GPS can be off as much as +/- 3 meters (~10 feet) and be considered accurate.

I have also learned to check all of your flight stats before hitting RTH. If you do not see enough GPS satellites -- it may complain about the GPS signal being weak during landing and that the landing may not be accurate. This usually only happens on cloudy days or when you really have the Evo in a bad reception area for the GPS signals. But what can you complain about here?

If it is cloudy -- you may not see many satellites OR If you are around metal, power lines or the Evo can not see enough sky because of obstructions -- nothing would be wrong with the Evo should it misbehave. lol

I find flying an Evo as a game of check check and double check -- as mentioned by other people.

- make sure your take-off status is normal -- and if abnormal -- land immediately and investigate!
- make sure your Evo is responding to your controls exactly -- if not -- land immediately and consider calibrating your controller!
- make sure you are not taking off near metal, concrete with re-bar, power lines, motors, or other sources of magnetic interference
- make sure the compass does not indicated a need of calibration,
- make sure you have at least 10-12 GPS satellites when possible -- it may work on less -- but will be less accurate.
- make sure your battery is fully charged and showing voltages on all three cells that are in-line with the other cells - anything too far out of balance can cause problems with systems or just cause the Evo to fall out of the sky because the battery shorts out.
- make sure your RTH height is set correctly for your environment
- make sure NOTHING casts a shadow on your take-off/landing position. I have actually had my Evo freak out over this before since the landing area does not "look" the same when I attempted to RTH.
- make sure you wipe clean the downward camera lenses -- ever so often -- a Q-tip should work here just fine.
- If you do have "weak GPS" or messages/errors about the compass needing calibrating -- DO NOT EXPECT RTH TO WORK AT ALL... lol this should be a no-brainer If Evo does come back and lands 10 feet from the pad -- just be lucky it didn't fly away!


It turns out -- there may be a real reason you are seeing what you are seeing due to every factor imaginable -- this does not say something isn't wrong with the Evo -- or the firmware sent to our Evo's hasn't screwed up something.

Just sharing my learning experience and back and forth with Autel -- maybe it will help someone else... as my only true complaint ongoing with my Evo is that my remote controller's antennas are cracking -- and most of the plastic used in production of the Evo seems to be cheap in general.

 

[Apollo11capcom]

I complained with Autel about this -- it seems like exactly a month ago... Not landing accurate, claiming uncertain environments when landing and the messages about the visual obstacle avoidance being disabled during landings -- when it used to not say these things.

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After I supplied some video -- I was taught that I was taking off in a manner that was not allowing the VPS system to work as it was suppose to. It seemed odd to me that it used to land just fine -- but as stated -- subsequent firmware updates have done something with the landing sequence...

If I follow Autel's instructions and upon lift-off climb to at least 60-70 feet -- the system seems to work. When I do not ascend to this height immediately on take-off -- the accurate landing never works. This does make sense in the subsequent flights and tests -- but it wasn't so "picky" the first few times I flew or ever updated anything.

I am not one to take off and immediately ascend the Evo to these heights -- I really may not need to in some situations. I am not sure if maybe this is how you may be taking off also?

Are you pressing and holding the "lift-off/land" button or RTH button to land?

Accurate landing is only a part of the RTH process. If you are just pressing the land button -- there is nothing too accurate about landing -- it will land right where it it is told unless it see's the surface is un-level - and should pause/hover and ask for confirmation to land in that situation.

As I learn more about flying the Evo - RTH has become "use in case of emergency", the more I have learned what can and can not go wrong -- mostly what can go wrong. RTH sounds nice -- but really should be treated as a fail-safe feature that it is. GPS is NOT PRECISE and as mentioned by Autel -- GPS can be off as much as +/- 3 meters (~10 feet) and be considered accurate.

I have also learned to check all of your flight stats before hitting RTH. If you do not see enough GPS satellites -- it may complain about the GPS signal being weak during landing and that the landing may not be accurate. This usually only happens on cloudy days or when you really have the Evo in a bad reception area for the GPS signals. But what can you complain about here?

If it is cloudy -- you may not see many satellites OR If you are around metal, power lines or the Evo can not see enough sky because of obstructions -- nothing would be wrong with the Evo should it misbehave. lol

I find flying an Evo as a game of check check and double check -- as mentioned by other people.

- make sure your take-off status is normal -- and if abnormal -- land immediately and investigate!
- make sure your Evo is responding to your controls exactly -- if not -- land immediately and consider calibrating your controller!
- make sure you are not taking off near metal, concrete with re-bar, power lines, motors, or other sources of magnetic interference
- make sure the compass does not indicated a need of calibration,
- make sure you have at least 10-12 GPS satellites when possible -- it may work on less -- but will be less accurate.
- make sure your battery is fully charged and showing voltages on all three cells that are in-line with the other cells - anything too far out of balance can cause problems with systems or just cause the Evo to fall out of the sky because the battery shorts out.
- make sure your RTH height is set correctly for your environment
- make sure NOTHING casts a shadow on your take-off/landing position. I have actually had my Evo freak out over this before since the landing area does not "look" the same when I attempted to RTH.
- make sure you wipe clean the downward camera lenses -- ever so often -- a Q-tip should work here just fine.
- If you do have "weak GPS" or messages/errors about the compass needing calibrating -- DO NOT EXPECT RTH TO WORK AT ALL... lol this should be a no-brainer If Evo does come back and lands 10 feet from the pad -- just be lucky it didn't fly away!


It turns out -- there may be a real reason you are seeing what you are seeing due to every factor imaginable -- this does not say something isn't wrong with the Evo -- or the firmware sent to our Evo's hasn't screwed up something.

Just sharing my learning experience and back and forth with Autel -- maybe it will help someone else... as my only true complaint ongoing with my Evo is that my remote controller's antennas are cracking -- and most of the plastic used in production of the Evo seems to be cheap in general.

I didn't know that the accurate landing was only part of the RTH feature. Ive never actually tested the RTH button, so maybe there's the trouble. I could have sworn it worked before by just passing the land button. Looks like itwas maybe a little user error here!