What's Your Second Drone and Why? What Complements the Evo?

[Apollo11capcom]

So I thought I had my second drone picked out and was just about ready to pull the trigger... then all the air went out of my sails.

I've been looking for a second drone to complement the Evo, something that would cover the bases the Evo wasn't, like a good comprehensive waypoint system, a good camera with the ability to pan 360 degrees, etc.

I heard on this forum somewhere that Yuneec has one of the best flight planning options out there, if not the best... so I start looking at a Typhoon H Plus- here's a drone with a great camera- a 1" sensor, has a fantastic picture, an unlimited 360 degree panning camera, a great remote, Realsense obstacle avoidance, and it's a hex that can lose one prop and still land gracefully. The only drawbacks I could see is that it's a wifi remote with really limited range, but that's not really a problem as this is a second drone to complement the Evo... the Evo has the range covered.

Then I find out, the Typhoon doesn't just not have the best flight planing software, it doesn't have ANY flight planning AT ALL!?!? No waypoint's, no map!? There's not even a map showing me where my drone is, let alone a map to use to plan a flight! How could they leave that off a drone that costs over 2k!? Apparently the screen grab I saw on this forum showing a map planning a flight on a Typhoon was a 3rd party software package that isn't even compatible with the latest drone they make- the H Plus I'm looking at.

So now I feel like I may be back to square one. I haven't totally given up on the Typhoon H Plus, but this latest news has me looking around at other options again. I know Dji has a good well thought out mission planning system, but this is supposed to be complementary to my drone... most Dji drones would be flat out replacements. Plus I hate how Dji thinks they still own every drone they make by telling you when and where you can fly it- when you're doing firmware updates, restrictive NFZs that are hard to get around, etc.

So, if you have a second, complementary drone to your Evo, what did you choose, and why? If you don't but you could or might buy a second, which are you looking at, and why?

 

[Jagerbomb52]

For the Typhoon H plus it is called CCC (curved cable cam)
Here is the manual if you want to read it over.

Typhoon_H_Plus_Manualv0.7.pdf

drive.google.com

 

[Apollo11capcom]

For the Typhoon H plus it is called CCC (curved cable cam)
Here is the manual if you want to read it over.

Typhoon_H_Plus_Manualv0.7.pdf

drive.google.com

Thanks, I've been studying it and watching videos on it since last night.

 

[Ansia]

My second drone is the Autel Evo, because it has no Geofencing and it's small form factor. I looked into the Typhoon H+, but the $1,799 price tag put me off.

 

[OregonDrones]

My first quad is my P4P as it just about perfect, a side from being a little curvey?. My second is a tie right now. It was the Evo but the love is wearing off. I am starting to see the flaws more as barriers. Like the over sensitivity of the sticks, no way to keep OA off by default, the pause in waypoints, the false advertisement in battery life, and such. So my Air is back to equal to it unless I am flying in an area "occusync" type reception is needed. Still love the Evo camera better but...

 

[Apollo11capcom]

My second drone is the Autel Evo, because it has no Geofencing and it's small form factor. I looked into the Typhoon H+, but the $1,799 price tag put me off.

No geofencing and the high ceiling is what first turned me on to Autel. At first I understood it as no ceiling at all, but it's high ceiling is good enough as i'l never hit it anyway. I just like freedom, I like having the full capability of my drone at my disposal, not just knowing it can but not being able to get permission to use it by the manufacturer *coughDJIcough*.

 

[Ansia]

No geofencing and the high ceiling is what first turned me on to Autel. At first I understood it as no ceiling at all, but it's high ceiling is good enough as i'l never hit it anyway. I just like freedom, I like having the full capably of my drone at my disposal, not just knowing it can but not being able to get permission to use it by the manufacturer *coughDJIcough*.

When I started playing with DJI, there was no geofencing. It came along on Nov 2018.

 

[mixchief]

The Auto EVO IS my second drone!

 

[thomasr]

The Evo was my first drone. Maybe the last "retail" drone I purchase. No NFZ's, good range, 4k60 and no lie -- it's orange slim body and underbelly -- were main reasons for grabbing one. Not just for seeing it -- if crashed -- I love orange. SOLD LOL

Too many things seem lacking, like it wasn't ready for the spotlight quite yet. It has been on the market for 9 months? That's long enough to get the software and firmware in better shape than it is currently at. Like a dog chasing it's tail...It is capable in it's own regard, but just doesn't cover everything like it was advertised.

I would so seriously love to just build one from scratch like a PC. I am sure it would still cost the same or be more $$$, but usually a little better outcome. Put time and attention into building it -- instead of hurried/rushed mass production mentality that seems to have it in the state it currently is.

 

[macoman]

I only have three drones, the Evo, mavic pro platinum and the spark. The Evo is my favorite, second is the mavic. I take the Evo sometimes to my job to fly on my lunch break. We have a big river on the side of the building which you can see giant container ships passing sometimes. When I see one love to take the Evo on the air and chase one of these ships and sometimes small boats as well.

 

[mjbok]

I only have three drones, the Evo, mavic pro platinum and the spark. The Evo is my favorite, second is the mavic. I take the Evo sometimes to my job to fly on my lunch break. We have a big river on the side of the building which you can see giant container ships passing sometimes. When I see one love to take the Evo on the air and chase one of these ships and sometimes small boats as well.

We are sad when we say we "only" have three drones. I don't count the 15-100 dollar ones, so I only have 5. Of course I have spares of two of those.

So I thought I had my second drone picked out and was just about ready to pull the trigger... then all the air went out of my sails.

Then I find out, the Typhoon doesn't just not have the best flight planing software, it doesn't have ANY flight planning AT ALL!?!? No waypoint's, no map!? There's not even a map showing me where my drone is, let alone a map to use to plan a flight! How could they leave that off a drone that costs over 2k!? Apparently the screen grab I saw on this forum showing a map planning a flight on a Typhoon was a 3rd party software package that isn't even compatible with the latest drone they make- the H Plus I'm looking at.

So now I feel like I may be back to square one. I haven't totally given up on the Typhoon H Plus, but this latest news has me looking around at other options again. I know Dji has a good well thought out mission planning system, but this is supposed to be complementary to my drone... most Dji drones would be flat out replacements. Plus I hate how Dji thinks they still own every drone they make by telling you when and where you can fly it- when you're doing firmware updates, restrictive NFZs that are hard to get around, etc.

So, if you have a second, complementary drone to your Evo, what did you choose, and why? If you don't but you could or might buy a second, which are you looking at, and why?

I think someone else already covered this, but not only does the Typhoon H (not sure about H+) have flight planning, it has pretty great offline flight planning software. You can put in your waypoints and not only tweak speed and direction, but also direction of the gimbal, tilt, etc. The thing I love about the H is it can fly in a straight line from A to B and your POV can pivot just using the gimbal.

That said my Evo is my primary and it's a toss up between the Typhoon and the Air for second, but I've been using the Karma more as a secondary lately purely because of some of the tricks you can do in camera.

 

[Apollo11capcom]

I think someone else already covered this, but not only does the Typhoon H (not sure about H+) have flight planning, it has pretty great offline flight planning software. You can put in your waypoints and not only tweak speed and direction, but also direction of the gimbal, tilt, etc. The thing I love about the H is it can fly in a straight line from A to B and your POV can pivot just using the gimbal.

Like I said in my post, the UAV Toolbox is a 3rd party app, and it only works on the H and the H Pro, not the Plus that ive been considering.

The Plus currently has no option for flight planning or drone locating using a map. I think the reason is if it did, there would be no reason to have the H520 with its giant price tag.

I know my post was probably too wordy.

 

[Ansia]

Like I said in my post, the UAV Toolbox is a 3rd party app, and it only works on the H and the H Pro, not the Plus that ive been considering.

The Plus currently has no option for flight planning or drone locating using a map. I think the reason is if it did, there would be no reason to have the H520 with its giant price tag.

I know my post was probably too wordy.

So the software for the H520 won't work on the H+? Then what would be the point of spending $1,800 on a drone that can't fly waypoints? For that money, I will end up with DJI, which it does.

 

[Apollo11capcom]

So the software for the H520 won't work on the H+? Then what would be the point of spending $1,800 on a drone that can't fly waypoints? For that money, I will end up with DJI, which it does.

From what I've read, people have successfully loaded the Datapilot software for the 520 on the Plus, but it won't recognize the C23 camera. Perhaps if one were to replace that camera with one of the cameras from the 520, like the E90, you might have the fully operational system? Idk, I'd sure like to try tho!

The E90 cost about 1600 bucks alone tho, might be better just to buy the 520 bundle unless you can find a good refurb or used model... plus you can sell the C23 you won't need anymore, and those are worth a nice chunk of change too.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Toys are so much fun......and expensive
. lol

 

[skimcoat]

got a spark,3 mavic pro's and an evo,looking for another high end drone but none are appealing.

 

[mavicn00b]

got a spark,3 mavic pro's and an evo,looking for another high end drone but none are appealing.

Mavic 2 - In any flavour Its better than all of those combined. Ocusync 2 is just crazy good and leaves Ocusync 1/Evos tech in the dust.

Evo is my 9th drone so it complements the other. It has the lenient NFZs (for now), better camera sub-system, OLED RC but the rest of it is just damn weird. I'm starting to think they should have made it a 4S quad instead like the M2.

 

[macoman]

Mavic 2 - In any flavour Its better than all of those combined. Ocusync 2 is just crazy good and leaves Ocusync 1/Evos tech in the dust.

Evo is my 9th drone so it complements the other. It has the lenient NFZs (for now), better camera sub-system, OLED RC but the rest of it is just damn weird. I'm starting to think they should have made it a 4S quad instead like the M2.

I don't know about that. I can send the Evo three miles down on the river and doesn't lose any signal. I haven't test my mavic pro platinum but she is good as well. This is why I am very satisfied so far with these two drones. Ocusync 2 maybe superior but I am very satisfied with version 1 and the Evo of course.

 

[mavicn00b]

Ocusync 2 maybe superior but I am very satisfied with version 1 and the Evo of course.

I find its the upper band that gives it the edge. On 2.4Ghz they're all about the same as the tech can only do so much to overcome the interference but on 5Ghz there's just so much more opportunity to find a clean channel. Evo would be awesome if it had 5Ghz or 900Mhz as initially promised.

 

[thomasr]

I find its the upper band that gives it the edge. On 2.4Ghz they're all about the same as the tech can only do so much to overcome the interference but on 5Ghz there's just so much more opportunity to find a clean channel. Evo would be awesome if it had 5Ghz or 900Mhz as initially promised.

900mhz will take you the farthest, followed by 2.4ghz. 5ghz will crap out before it get's to the point of the first two.

There are more channels in 5ghz - this would in fact offer a fat pipe for video transmission or whatever -- but the propagation of the higher frequencies are not as far as the other two generally used frequencies.

900mhz on this setup may get you 10 miles out

So 2.4 should give you, just shy of half of that mileage, (since it is more than double the frequency of 900mhz).
Which for the Evo is a true @ 4.5 miles.

The same would apply with 5ghz. (since it is more than double the frequency of 2.4ghz)
You may be lucky to get 2 miles or a little better. Unless something fishy is done/used like high powered non-FCC approved transmitters.


Sprinkle a little interference from everything in those given channels besides the Evo -- no matter what channel you choose, it's going to be some contention -- and that's where everyone's distances will vary.

And as with any radio device -- no obstacles = better line of sight -- whereas lots of obstacles block that needed line of sight, and would hurt 5ghz before anything else. NLOS