Suggested improvements for the EVO

[Bapp1236]

I n my opinion, there are 4 changes Autel could/should make to improve the flight reliability and quality of the Evo.

1. Include the ability to increase the speed of RTH by pushing forward on the stick.
I love to push the envelop and have found the Evo will not make it back from over 16,000 ft in RTH, even in calm wind. However, It easily makes it back at over 20,000 ft in winds up to 10 Mph if I cancel RTH and come back in standard 34 mph. The ability to fly faster in RTH would eliminate most of the forced landings.

2. The ability to override the 10% forced landing with the sick similar to the DJI drones.
I lost my first Evo over a lake because the RTH calculation was not correct and It forced landed at 10% power about 30 ft from shore. If I could have easily made it back if it had this feature.

3. Add a compass in the Explorer App that shows the orientation of the controller to the aircraft.
In situations where I fly a route that is not in a straight line, it is easy to lose signal because I cannot easily determine the exact orientation of the controller to the aircraft.

4. Add 5.8 for high interference areas.
I say this because the signal strength can be a crapshoot in urban and high interference areas. My experience with the Mavic Air shows me that the signal is much more reliable in 5.8 in high interference areas.

 

[jafemu1]

After flying the EVO a couple of month’s, my suggested improvements are primarily being able to dampen the yaw and gimbal controls even more for more cinematic footage. Still a little jerky at times.

 

[San2C]

Yeah, I really wish stick input could be tuned. I still don't love the curves they have for the 3 axis.

Auto-horizon would be really amazing. I don't always have the ability to level the aircraft before takeoff.

Would be great to be able to disable the A & B buttons.

 

[Palawan]

Maybe it's already there and I haven't found it. I'd like to be able to edit the waypoint feature so that I could enter GPS coordinates directly. My Garmin device produces a text file filename.gpx that is all scrunched up. I can break it up into paragraphs, add new waypoints, and then feed it back to the Garmin, which doesn't mind more human format. Photos have GPS data and that's useful
EVO seems to know the current date and time, though we're not asked to tell EVO, why not use it to name photos instead of MAX***.jpg? Maybe with the current Boeing problems I just don't like the word MAX.?

 

[Palawan]

When I was a kid I had a David White Stereo Realist camera, which was two cameras built into one. Let's have a stereo camera on EVO.

 

[G_G]

I n my opinion, there are 4 changes Autel could/should make to improve the flight reliability and quality of the Evo.

1. Include the ability to increase the speed of RTH by pushing forward on the stick.
I love to push the envelop and have found the Evo will not make it back from over 16,000 ft in RTH, even in calm wind. However, It easily makes it back at over 20,000 ft in winds up to 10 Mph if I cancel RTH and come back in standard 34 mph. The ability to fly faster in RTH would eliminate most of the forced landings.

2. The ability to override the 10% forced landing with the sick similar to the DJI drones.
I lost my first Evo over a lake because the RTH calculation was not correct and It forced landed at 10% power about 30 ft from shore. If I could have easily made it back if it had this feature.

3. Add a compass in the Explorer App that shows the orientation of the controller to the aircraft.
In situations where I fly a route that is not in a straight line, it is easy to lose signal because I cannot easily determine the exact orientation of the controller to the aircraft.

4. Add 5.8 for high interference areas.
I say this because the signal strength can be a crapshoot in urban and high interference areas. My experience with the Mavic Air shows me that the signal is much more reliable in 5.8 in high interference areas.

1. Just cancel RTH as soon as signal is restored, and take over manual control at whatever speed you want.
2. Use left stick elevation to counteract the descension, and you can still ascend during the 10% forced landing, with full lateral control. Ask me how I know! Ascend high enough before reaching 10% to counter the final forced descension at around 3%, and return on a glide path.
3. Compass orientation exists in the iOS Explorer app on the full screen map, when toggling the North Up icon, but is not currently retained when minimizing the map. It only turns North Up to East Up in Android Explorer. Go figure!
4. I just learned from you the Mavic Air has 5.8 Ghz, and I returned it because of crappy video signal (wish I had known that, before returning it!) , but the EVO was originally promoted as having a supplemental 900 mhz band for long range signal (it's even in the manual!) , but they removed the 900 mhz band from all production units, supposedly because they planned to sell internationally, and other countries restrict use of the 900mhz band for emergency services. DJI has no problem controlling band use and range based upon the country the drone is operating in, without crippling it everywhere! To date, no EVO has ever been sold outside of the United States! Go figure!

 

[Palawan]

Maybe it's already there and I haven't found it. I'd like to be able to edit the waypoint feature so that I could enter GPS coordinates directly.

I'm searching for property boundary markers in dense jungle, and my Garmin had trouble seeing through the canopy. If I could enter GPS coordinates directly into the waypoint feature, then hover above the canopy over the marker, I could better pinpoint just where the marker is supposed to be.

 

[Bapp1236]

1. Just cancel RTH as soon as signal is restored, and take over manual control at whatever speed you want.
2. Use left stick elevation to counteract the descension, and you can still ascend during the 10% forced landing, with full lateral control. Ask me how I know! Ascend high enough before reaching 10% to counter the final forced descension at around 3%, and return on a glide path.
3. Compass orientation exists in the iOS Explorer app on the full screen map, when toggling the North Up icon, but is not currently retained when minimizing the map. It only turns North Up to East Up in Android Explorer. Go figure!
4. I just learned from you the Mavic Air has 5.8 Ghz, and I returned it because of crappy video signal (wish I had known that, before returning it!) , but the EVO was originally promoted as having a supplemental 900 mhz band for long range signal (it's even in the manual!) , but they removed the 900 mhz band from all production units, supposedly because they planned to sell internationally, and other countries restrict use of the 900mhz band for emergency services. DJI has no problem controlling band use and range based upon the country the drone is operating in, without crippling it everywhere! To date, no EVO has ever been sold outside of the United States! Go figure!

I to know how to do the work-arounds like you are explaining, but they are just bandaids for problems that should be addressed by Autel. Many of which catch veteran piolets by surprise and cause loss of aircraft, which does cause people to stay with DJI, even at a higher price.

 

[G_G]

I to know how to do the work-arounds like you are explaining, but they are just bandaids for problems that should be addressed by Autel. Many of which catch veteran piolets by surprise and cause loss of aircraft, which does cause people to stay with DJI, even at a higher price.

You are preaching to the choir! Completely agree! Most don't even know these workarounds exist. EVO's advantage to me has never been price, as it sells for about the same as a Mavic Pro Platinum. Instead, it's the 4K 60fps at 100mbps in a really awesome camera and no geofencing from China! However, that will only get them so far. They need to fix the glaring deficiencies that veteran pilots have come to expect and now demand. Right now, I am left with the Sophie's Choice of Android's flight logs OR iOS's compass in the Explorer App that shows the orientation of the controller to the aircraft. I need both, but have to settle for one or the other, until they get their act together, which won't happen any time soon. Forget about it being in the Android app! They haven't updated that since October, and the new Beta has already been shipped, and a working orientation compass wasn't included, so we'll have wait at least another 6 months! The missing flight logs from iOS are on their fix list for the next iOS version, but that isn't even in Beta yet. I'm guessing 3 months or longer for the next iOS update that should contain everything that Android has, plus fixes the glaring Android deficiencies! By that time, DJI will have a Mavic 3 Zoom with a true 1" sensor and a 3x optical zoom for $1399 with a GEO remover for all 107 pilots!

 

[GLEvideo]

Add 5.8 for high interference areas.

I would say add the 900 MHz link as they originally had planned and advertised. I would much rather have 900 MHz than 5.8 GHz for the penetration of trees, walls, roofs, etc. that 5.8 GHz could never achieve.

 

[G_G]

I would say add the 900 MHz link as they originally had planned and advertised. I would much rather have 900 MHz than 5.8 GHz for the penetration of trees, walls, roofs, etc. that 5.8 GHz could never achieve.

Totally agree. 900 MHz for the win! 900 MHz is so good that other countries reserve it exclusively for first responders. I would also have preferred the originally advertised 1" sensor. Those two features, with the same camera quality as the current EVO, would have given DJI a run for their money! Without any supplemental transmission band and only a smaller sensor, EVO is no threat to DJI, as good as it is, at what is can do.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

The 1" sensor was never advertised as standard equipment on the EVO. As always Autel has prototypes that never seem to make it to market or if they do its always to late to make difference for them.

 

[mjbok]

One thing to consider, a 1" sensor doesn't guarantee quality. IIRC the Typhoon H Plus has a 1" sensor and the camera is pretty widely dismissed as hot garbage. I don't have this drone (but do have the regular H) and considered the Plus because of the new camera until I saw the reviews for it.

 

[G_G]

The 1" sensor was never advertised as standard equipment on the EVO. As always Autel has prototypes that never seem to make it to market or if they do its always to late to make difference for them.

I loosely used the term "advertised," as the 1" sensor option was in all the press releases for the EVO when first announced, but never made it into production, as you clarified.

 

[G_G]

One thing to consider, a 1" sensor doesn't guarantee quality. IIRC the Typhoon H Plus has a 1" sensor and the camera is pretty widely dismissed as hot garbage. I don't have this drone (but do have the regular H) and considered the Plus because of the new camera until I saw the reviews for it.

Exactly, which is why I previously qualified it "with the same quality" as the current smaller sensor EVO camera, which is awesome for its size. Even the Mavic 2 Pro does not deliver on a parity with DJI's own P4P sensor, yet they are both 1" sensors. The EVO output from its smaller sensor even rivals the M2P output from its 1" sensor, which is not being fully used! EVO also squeezed out 4K at 60fps at 100 mbps, which no Mavic 2 will ever be able to offer! That cannot be upgraded in FW! Go EVO!

 

[mixchief]

When I was a kid I had a David White Stereo Realist camera, which was two cameras built into one. Let's have a stereo camera on EVO.

I've been dreaming and might still do it, of a stereo camera for my Inspire for FPV as it will allow for better depth perception and make for a wicked flying experience. There are a couple of cameras on the market and stereo goggles to pair them with, I feel like a little kid writing a Christmas wish list when I think about it. Total cost to retrofit either a racing drone or something like an inspire is around the area of $500, not cheap, but wicked. There are YT reviews also.

 

[clort]

To date, no EVO has ever been sold outside of the United States! Go figure!

I know of Evo pilots in Spain, France and Germany. One is up for sale in France as I type this.

Thanks for the helpful tips though.

 

[G_G]

I know of Evo pilots in Spain, France and Germany. One is up for sale in France as I type this.

Thanks for the helpful tips though.

It's unclear to me that Autel is currently selling through international distributors outside of the U.S.. Could these pilots have bought their EVO's in the U.S. or somehow arranged for delivery in the U.S., from which they were forwarded to Europe?

 

[Nightbat2]

It's unclear to me that Autel is currently selling through international distributors outside of the U.S.. Could these pilots have bought their EVO's in the U.S. or somehow arranged for delivery in the U.S., from which they were forwarded to Europe?

Certainly they have an Australian distributor, through whom I bought mine.

 

[Nightbat2]

I know of Evo pilots in Spain, France and Germany. One is up for sale in France as I type this.

Thanks for the helpful tips though.

Not so. I know of several in thE uk Too.