RockChucker
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Highland
the mavic air is quite attractive looking for jeep adventures since it is so small! and it can fly 40+ mph. Could follow along pretty well when you're mobbing down the road
Helicopters/drones for filming
- Thread starter Skylinerider
- Start date
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Yeah, the Mavic Air is looking quite capable... I think the portability and size are the biggest features. I like how the camera & gimbal are more protected and built into the body. Digging the front and rear obstacle sensors, too.
Devin Graham did a review...
Casey Neistat did a review... he can be a little annoying, but has plenty of experience.
Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
Word is that the Mavic Pro II is soon to be upon us. Probably March. Most are speculating a 1" sensor in the camera like the Phantom 4 Pro. 
Have any of you ever had a prop break mid flight with no impact? A Yuneec Typhoon H (used) was donated for our search and rescue stuff. I've been practicing flying around no real issue other than the battery occasionally giving a low voltage warning very early into flight then going away.
Today I was flying around in a school field, no obstacles of any kind. According to the telemetry I pulled off it later, when I started having issues it was 20m in the air. While flying I noticed the camera start shaking, it was in a hover. I looked up and saw the drone was losing altitude. I gave it input to increase altitude and started flying it back toward me, almost simultaneously I got a low voltage warning, showing the battery completely flat ( had only been airborne about 3 minutes). The drone went into emergency home mode and started flying itself back. As it was coming in for landing it came in quite fast and according to telemetry also was experiencing a GPS error. It landed itself hard and bounced a few times before I could get the props shut off, seemed like it was trying to go lower because it thought it was still above the ground.
It bounced so hard it knocked the camera off its shock absorbers and broke one of the landing struts. I got it powered down and that's when I noticed one of the props was missing a blade. I know it didn't hit anything in the air because it was in the middle of a field and I'm 98% sure it didn't have a prop strike during its bouncing fit.
I think I'm learning why the drone was donated. I'm pretty sure its having some sort of electrical issue, don't know if its a bad battery or something with the drone. We were given two batteries, the first one about doubled in size on my first flight with it so I junked it. This one has been fine other than the early warnings about low voltage.
The telemetry also shows when I was having the issues the voltage went from 16v - 13v, when I got it back to the station and put the gimble back together to check if the camera was okay I powered it up and it was showing a full battery.
Today I was flying around in a school field, no obstacles of any kind. According to the telemetry I pulled off it later, when I started having issues it was 20m in the air. While flying I noticed the camera start shaking, it was in a hover. I looked up and saw the drone was losing altitude. I gave it input to increase altitude and started flying it back toward me, almost simultaneously I got a low voltage warning, showing the battery completely flat ( had only been airborne about 3 minutes). The drone went into emergency home mode and started flying itself back. As it was coming in for landing it came in quite fast and according to telemetry also was experiencing a GPS error. It landed itself hard and bounced a few times before I could get the props shut off, seemed like it was trying to go lower because it thought it was still above the ground.
It bounced so hard it knocked the camera off its shock absorbers and broke one of the landing struts. I got it powered down and that's when I noticed one of the props was missing a blade. I know it didn't hit anything in the air because it was in the middle of a field and I'm 98% sure it didn't have a prop strike during its bouncing fit.
I think I'm learning why the drone was donated. I'm pretty sure its having some sort of electrical issue, don't know if its a bad battery or something with the drone. We were given two batteries, the first one about doubled in size on my first flight with it so I junked it. This one has been fine other than the early warnings about low voltage.
The telemetry also shows when I was having the issues the voltage went from 16v - 13v, when I got it back to the station and put the gimble back together to check if the camera was okay I powered it up and it was showing a full battery.
rholbrook
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Kaysville, Ut
Send it in to Yuneec. It was free so to get it fixed shouldn’t be too bad
Sounds like a bad battery cell... Also sounds like you got it for the right price... I'd never rely on anything made by Yuneec. I wouldn't put it past them to be cheap on the plastic and have props blow off mid air.
RogueJeepr
Here!
- Location
- Utah
Props; Never heard of that.
We're you flying in smart OR angle mode ?
I hear most like to use angle mode. Haven't flown mine enough to try that mode yet.
We're you flying in smart OR angle mode ?
I hear most like to use angle mode. Haven't flown mine enough to try that mode yet.
RogueJeepr
Here!
- Location
- Utah
If you go to the yuneec website you can download the GUI and firmware update's .
Then you can do diagnostics and see if anything is wrong right from you computer.
Then you can do diagnostics and see if anything is wrong right from you computer.
I have the latest and greatest firmware installed, the telemetry data shows the voltage dropping to 13v for a few seconds then going back to 15.9v. I can't download any software for it, they have our work computers so locked down I can't even delete a printer I haven't had for 3 years.
I was flying angle mode, don't like smart "headless" mode. The telemetry shows it was in "landing" mode when the emergency voltage hit, it was trying to get itself on the ground.
RogueJeepr
Here!
- Location
- Utah
I'd probably get a new battery or two and see if you can push the I.T. guy to allow you to download the GUI for diagnosing purposes. If not then maybe your home computer.
There's carbon fiber props out there for these , just make sure they are balanced.
Also you may want to recalibrate the compass after a crash.
I like this guy's videos for yuneec. Lots of good info.
There's carbon fiber props out there for these , just make sure they are balanced.
Also you may want to recalibrate the compass after a crash.
I like this guy's videos for yuneec. Lots of good info.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I know nothing about the Yuneec, but after my experience with older Phantoms I would HIGHLY suggest not running anything but factory batteries and props. There are a lot of junk Chinese parts out there and cheap parts will cause crashes.
Latest piece from this years KOH really turned out great. We had one of the helicopter film crews call us asking if we used their footage and we told them we don’t need a helicopter because we know how to drone! Super pleased with how it turned out!
Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
Looks great!!
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Amazing footage, Spence!
Continuing the saga of the Typhoon, finally received replacement parts a few weeks ago aside from the landing gear fix because they are on backorder. Also got a new battery. Out doing more testing today and had another prop break. Just prior it had been pretty far from me so I was lucky I had just brought it back. After some walking through the woods I was lucky enough to find it. The locking lugs sheared I have pretty much no confidence in this thing anymore.
Edit: Also these are a brand new set of props fresh from Yuneec, I know nothing has happened to them because I'm the only that's flown it. Maybe two hours of flight time on them
I have pretty much no confidence in this thing anymore.Edit: Also these are a brand new set of props fresh from Yuneec, I know nothing has happened to them because I'm the only that's flown it. Maybe two hours of flight time on them
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Wow, that's not right.
Brisauce
New Member
I love the Mavic for quick video shots and the follow-me is pretty darn great for jeeping. I've sent it up, selected the jeep, and just let it do it's thing for 20+ minutes. I'm not comfortable with lots of altitude changes since it will plow into a tree or rock depending on direction of travel and which way it's pointing.
For the bigger shots, I use the Inspire 2 Pro. I've done some aerial video for music videos, 6k video for cinematic mountain scenes, and well jeeping of course. I have several other drones but the Mavic is my go-to for size, convenience, and packing it in the jeep. I've seen the Yuneec fly, helped a friend figure it out, and know that there are better options out there. The Mavic, in my opinion can't be beat right now.
Bri
For the bigger shots, I use the Inspire 2 Pro. I've done some aerial video for music videos, 6k video for cinematic mountain scenes, and well jeeping of course. I have several other drones but the Mavic is my go-to for size, convenience, and packing it in the jeep. I've seen the Yuneec fly, helped a friend figure it out, and know that there are better options out there. The Mavic, in my opinion can't be beat right now.
Bri
gijohn40
too poor to wheel... :(
- Location
- Layton, Utah
I was going to do the same with the follow me but was worried that if something went wrong while I was driving and it decided to return to home I would miss it and have to back track to go get it... I have read somewhere that in the follow me mode you can change the return to home to where the jeep is... need to study this more...
And another one did the same thing off a different motor
Edit: And another broke the blade off today, I've grounded this POS I'm not willing to fly it anymore
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So while repairing the Typhoon again tonight I noticed something interesting. I was taking inventory of props and noticed one of these things didn't look like the other. Turns out I replaced my bad props with the same junk. I was operating under the assumption what I had was original equipment, so when my new stuff came and they looked exactly the same so I thought they were factory.
I've had one prop I've never used because it was pretty obvious it had been in some sort of a collision I was just holding onto it as a back up as it seemed fine other than a bunch of scratches. Well this one prop actually has "Yuneec" imprinted on one of the blades. None of my other props have that. It also has a much thinner silver line painted around the center designating it as a "B" prop and that silver ring is much darker.
Intrigued I inspect further, seems to be a bit more material on the locking lugs and when I flex them I can tell its made out of a much better plastic. So all the problems I've had may not be Yuneec's fault after all. Just deceived I was ordering factory props. I've suggested some new ones be ordered from Yuneec's website for further testing.
I've had one prop I've never used because it was pretty obvious it had been in some sort of a collision I was just holding onto it as a back up as it seemed fine other than a bunch of scratches. Well this one prop actually has "Yuneec" imprinted on one of the blades. None of my other props have that. It also has a much thinner silver line painted around the center designating it as a "B" prop and that silver ring is much darker.
Intrigued I inspect further, seems to be a bit more material on the locking lugs and when I flex them I can tell its made out of a much better plastic. So all the problems I've had may not be Yuneec's fault after all. Just deceived I was ordering factory props. I've suggested some new ones be ordered from Yuneec's website for further testing.