What we gonna do?

[ORANGE CRUSH]

What happens when we crash & need a gimble replacement? What will happen when i destroy my Autel & want to replace the ship only? These questions come to mind, i have been looking & can't find our ships or gimbles anywhere. I have invested a lot into batteries, tracking systems, etc. I can still find DJI phantom 3 even after the 4 was released. Are we screwed in the event something happens to our Autels? Even if they release a new model in the future they should still keep producing the ones we own, why aren't they? Any answers that will make myself & others feel comfortable? Just a thought guys!

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

Hell , Amazon even has the phantom 2 for sale, but no Autels, why? Just saying

 

[Mavikhan]

I bought a Phantom 4 last week and gave my x-star to my daughter, along with ND filters and extra batteries. That was my solution.

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

At this point i feel i made a mistake on my purchase, it was between X-STAR & PHANTOM 4, I love the CS but its no good with no parts, i have to much invested to re- invest in another product so i'm screwed if it crashes, cross the fingers & fly like a wuss i guess.

 

[yrless]

At this point i feel i made a mistake on my purchase, it was between X-STAR & PHANTOM 4, I love the CS but its no good with no parts, i have to much invested to re- invest in another product so i'm screwed if it crashes, cross the fingers & fly like a wuss i guess.

I have a super clean refurb I'm putting up for sale next week.....I bought it as backup for a critical commercial job but now it's just sitting here....if you're interested PM me otherwise have a look in the classified area shortly after Xmas....Art.

 

[Mavikhan]

I learned to fly with the patience of Autel customer service answering my endless stupid questions, which I never would’ve gotten with DJI. I would have given up without the help of the Autel people, and I will always be grateful for that.

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

Thanks Art, But i want a product that can be fix by me if possible with parts that are available, if it goes down then i will look for a used unit, for now all is well. Just thinking ahead i guess, i'm kinda pro-active that way. I found a white one in like new condition for $400 about 30 miles from me for sale, might snag it for a spare, still thinking about it. I would still like to know what Autel is doing or not doing. No matter how much you love the product & company, as i do, we still need stability & access to parts & replacement items.

 

[Donda]

Great points Crush!!

Does anyone from Autel even think that it might be good for business to check in on this site, or other sites now and again to get the pulse of their customer base? HELL NO, it's sell and get "new" money!!

Screw up and I tell 10 people, do it right and I tell 3 people!!!

Do the math Autel!!!

 

[Electron Mover]

This topic has been discussed here: https://autelxpilots.com/threads/is-the-autel-x-star-all-tuckered-out.1410/page-3

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

I guess what got me stirred up today & for some time is the facts: Autel has had very little if any ships, cameras, etc. in stock. During the holidays i did not see any sale prices on Amazon or other websites as i did last year when i bought mine for $699. A lot of vendors are out of stock & have been for some time. I would just like to know if my investment of 8 batteries, nd filters, 2 tracking systems, 2 chargers, dual strobe lights, battery discharger, lipo charging box, plus many smaller items will be worthless in the next year? I hope your not correct Donda on the only the sales of a product & move on. Although that is the corporate America way! Don't get me wrong, i love my ship! But when Dji is still offering a phantom 2 on Amazon brand new shows me they are still producing or had massive overstock from several years ago. I just want us dedicated Autel owners & future owners to have the same ability to maintain our ships & future ships, without discarding the previous models for newer models. Anyone have answers as to the questions i have laid down would be helpful to all owners, thanks!

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

Thanks Electron Mover, I was aware of that but wanted to put a spin on parts availability & future concerns of older Autel owners that are out of warranty, this is a subject that all of us should be talking about. Money doesn't free & i worked lots of overtime to make my purchase as everyone here has one way or another. I just want some answers, as we all should.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

That is a benefit of buying from the largest manufacturer (DJI), is lots of parts out there. I have gotten used parts easily for my Phantoms. There are several people who buy crashed birds to salvage them. I know you guys don't care for DJI but they make a robust UAV, yes their CS has issues but in all the DJI quads I have owned I have never needed them. If I ever do need servicing, I am fortunate enough to have a local DJI authorized repair shop.

I have had a bad feeling about Autel abandoning the X-Star for about the last year. I fear it won't be long. I hope I am wrong, but signs don't point to a profitable, high volume product. When we invested in Autel it was a gamble.

 

[Donda]

It's a world where social media, chat boards, etc. are factors on a companies bottom line. They know what we are discussing (no one will convince me otherwise) and they are ignoring it.
I can't confirm it in any way, but my gut tells me I have as much time with my Drone as she has life left in her. After that, I'll have to decide if I'm sticking with owning one or not.

This kid don't keep putting money in the Coke machine that fails to "drop the pop" on the first try.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

It's a world where social media, chat boards, etc. are factors on a companies bottom line. They know what we are discussing (no one will convince me otherwise) and they are ignoring it.
I can't confirm it in any way, but my gut tells me I have as much time with my Drone as she has life left in her. After that, I'll have to decide if I'm sticking with owning one or not.

This kid don't keep putting money in the Coke machine that fails to "drop the pop" on the first try.

There is nothing wrong with your current Autel, they are great machines. I just don't know if we will get the option to own an X-Star Premium 2, I hope we do but that glimmer of light is growing dimmer.

 

[HiloHawaiian]

Agreed, the CES splash on 1/17 teased us with several new products. I think only the FLIR Duo camera was released, pretty cool if you need that capability, I don’t. I wonder how much of Autel’s resources were burned on the super high-end Kestrel?

What will Autel say next month, aahhhh, sorry?

You can find parts, I’ve bought them all over, mostly eBay, but also Carolina Dronz, B&H, Adorama, and a few others. I think the only way to get a gimbal is to buy a camera from Autel?

autel robotics x-star premium shell | eBay

 

[Jagerbomb52]

If you need a camera buy the WiFi Refub when they have one in stock, they say it might take 3 weeks to have one ready but thats your best chance at a camera. Cameras have been out of stock for well over 4 months and I do not see them getting anymore in as a separate unit. Besides the refub wifi is about 100 dollars cheaper than a brand new camera. Same camera so why would you not buy the refurb and get a few extra parts like shell, motors and blades.

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

Good point on a refurbished

 

[kroorda]

I think that, before there is too much speculation, we should simply wait and see what happens. I have been in electronics all my life (and that's a long time ) and I have seen many instances in which production has come to a stop (for months), simply because the manufacturer couldn't get a part, or get the preferred part.

I am the first one to agree that 'things look strange' right now, and it gives us (owners) mixed feelings (to say the least. However, speculation, in itself, can be as much, or more damaging to a manufacturer, than a defective product might actually be. Rather than speculating about anything, we should take our concerns directly to Autel, (who we have HIGHLY commended for their responsiveness), rather than speculate amongst ourselves.

As soon as I make this post, I will contact Autel and will see if they can give us a better idea of things. In the meantime, Happy Flying, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.

 

[Donda]

"Any answers that will make myself & others feel comfortable?" -Orange Crush

It only takes a few keystrokes from an Autel rep to do this.

 

[kroorda]

As I said above, I would contact Autel directly, rather than speculate about their future. As ALL of us have experienced (and love about) Autel, Sarah at Autel immediately replied to my communication with Autel and she provided the reply which is at the bottom of this message. I would like to take advantage of this moment to note that public 'speculation' about a companys' future can actually damage existing confidence, as well as the confidence that a future prospective buyer might have. It would be like shooting ourselves in the foot. Sarah's reply is below, but I want to point out that the future for Autel looks positive and we need to settle down and look forward to better times with an already great company. Here's Sarah's reply:
Here's the message:

Hello Kent,
Thank you for contacting us at Autel support!
We get this question a lot. I can tell you that we are still around and we are not going anywhere. We are just a much smaller company than our competitors. We don't release things just to release them. We take our time and make sure everything meets our specifications. We want something that not only impresses us, but especially impresses our customers. Any news or announcements will always be made on our website and other social media channels. So keep an ear out for us! Cool things are soon to come!
Regards,
Sarah M
Customer Support
AUTEL ROBOTICS