EVO Lite + | This Drone Is Worth a Second Look

[@hotrodindaytona5658]

The Lite+ is a cleaned up Evo II Pro which I also have. This drone is a killer drone. It's been fun watching some of the DJI guys who ended up with it being so surprised at how good this drone is. You can't go wrong with this drone.

[@andrewdrone]

If it had 10-bit log it'd have everything I use on the E2, it's a really great drone

[@Dronevalley]

I've worked with Autel on testing their gear since the X-star premium and agree that they were "learning" with some of their earlier EVO models and this one has a lot of the gremlins sorted out. It's a worth competitor to some of the DJI gear, specifically the Air 2S. The Air 2S still edges it out in some areas (ADS-B, Software, A.P.A.S) but the EVO Lite + provides a few as well (No Geo-fencing, adjustable aperture). I'm a fan of folks flying what they like and choice is always a good thing.

[@waddac2]

So, in your opinion buddy. What is best, Evo or dji????

[@Dronyankyvictor]

Good afternoon, thank you very much for your video. I wanted to know if you could do me the favor of telling me if there is a download system for this drone, what they call the airdrop. Thank you.

[@RonaldBrown59]

I've heard good things about this drone. Nice overview Rick, it's an impressive drone, that's for sure. Thanks for sharing.

[@flypirat8973]

And what EXP settings do you have on autel for smooth shooting?

[@g.donuts3551]

If it was closer in size/weight to a Mavic Air 2/2s it would’ve been on my radar, but as it is for me it’s more drone(+accessories) then I care to lug in my backpack (already laden with other electronics) thru an airport. Really like, and use frequently, my Nano+ though.

[@tentmaran]

Was very disappointed in the following modes... When did they updated those?

[@shsechas]

Hey Rick. Autel drones are awesome, but I did go with the M3P because I just had to have the RC😁 I have the older Evo1 and it's still a worthy drone.

[@Lunafilms12]

Hey Rick, great review as always! Love your videos. I had this drone when it first came out. Fell in love with image some people even said it was way over sharpened but I loved it. The only problem I had was the constant disconnects and the lack of support from autel. I ended up returning it. I am not sure if software updates have improved the disconnects.

[@BlairAir]

They have not. Mine was fine. Them in February they released firmware and... disconnects. Worse it resets the homepoint. Virtually no support. So no, little has changed.

[@thomascalleson861]

How much does a drone cost from downtown Downtown Winter Haven

[@thirty3fpv]

Great video! Question, with a lot of States and Govt agencies moving towards banning DJI platforms, do you think this is a viable replacement for professional pilots?

[@jakesdronelife6307]

Actually had it when it first released not bad camera quality is awesome especially at night ! But don’t like the flight characteristics! So it went to a close friend ! He loves it coming from flying 40$ Amazon drones so he’s super happy!

[@Dronevalley]

Jake I agree on the flight characteristics and it's a lot different in the air compared to DJI's tuning. The Autel models seem to be a lot more "robotic" in the air and not as smooth when turning in flight with the factory settings. I was able to tweak them to smooth things out. The OA is also different in the way it reacts to objects and sort of slows down the closer it gets to a hazard instead of coming in at speed like DJI and breaking hard. It's a matter of preference for the pilot but the imaging is pin-sharp.

[@mikew1435]

Thanks Rick, Does this drone have remote ID built in?

[@mikey3387]

Yes

[@mikey3387]

I got that straight from Autel before I bought it

[@troy9er]

This has peaked my interest. I have been an RC Pilot for over 20+ years. Have only flown drones a little bit. Mostly fly pusher prop Jet’s Acrobatic planes, Helicopters and the like. Will keep watching when you upload. Have you started a channel on Rumble?

[@Dronevalley]

The two mid-sized drones that are on the top of the list right now are the Evo Lite Plus and the DJI Air 2S. Both have similar features and provide an amazing flight experience with incredible video capabilities. I fly both and like the Air 2S a little more because of the ADS-B, better obstacle avoidance and the less expensive Smart Controller they offer. The honest answer is that you can't go wrong with either of them.

[@troy9er]

@@Dronevalley thanks for the fast response! 😉

[@Dronevalley]

@@troy9er You're welcome and thanks for the interest.

[@dennisbrooks240]

Any comments on the V-COPTR FALCON?

[@Dronevalley]

Dennis, interesting that you asked that. I was one of the early adopters of the V-Copter and placed an order as soon as the website opened up. Like most folks, I waited over a year for delivery and have flown it a bunch. The honest answer is that I LOVE the tech and think they accomplished an amazing engineering feat creating a totally new drone with only 2 props but the flight (and specs) were way behind other current technology. Even the Mini 3 Pro had a better flight time and image than the V-Copter, so it fell short for me. I have a policy on the channel where I never review a product I can recommend and don't like to trash products and that's why you never saw a review for it. I'm hoping the next generation is better and I can finally review it and rave about it.

[@dennisbrooks240]

@@Dronevalley I understand several firmware updates have helped. The video is still not the best. I was offered one, NIB, and looking for comparable to the MINI 2 in flight, not video. I still give presentations to the club, VP of a seniors club with most over 70. I just reviewed skins for color and a variety of accessories that have been good or not worth using. Thank you for the comments. I have yet to buy Autel, actually non in the club. I will send some folks to your review and see if we can get one in to compare.

[@dennisbrooks240]

Hey Rick, I am still using the goodies you sent. The fob is on my cart key, as my only vehicle, it travels a lot. It is also my drone pad, launching from the roof. Seems few people ask, but how are you doing? Certainly a variety of products reviewed. I am home bound and can’t use the power sources, but great reviews! Thank you!!!

[@Dronevalley]

Dennis, I'm glad you're getting use from the gear and appreciate you asking about how I'm doing. I finally went in for a knee replacement over the holidays and have been recovering for the past few months, which has limited my flying and testing. The good news is that I'm back in the saddle and the knee is better than ever so I'll be posting a lot more content with the weather getting warmer. I've also decided to expand the channel a bit to cover more tech than just drones since I get a chance to play with a lot of different gear. I'm hoping that folks that fly are nerds like us and will appreciate hearing about the advancements in all sorts of tech.

[@dennisbrooks240]

@@Dronevalley I enjoy seeing the tech and use one pocket sized battery bank with light wand to light the top of my cart during night flights. Glad the knee is better. I started falling so now my “wheels” are on a Rollator! Fancy walker with four wheels. I picked one with vertical handles and forearm rests. Lights for flying in front of the house at night and a seat since standing is a problem. Take care!

[@hedleythorne]

I was so close to getting one of these before I diverted to buy the Mavic 3. But it was close! Great drone

[@Dronevalley]

Thanks for the post and it's closer to the Air 2S in features so the Mavic 3 is a big step up. You really can't go wrong with any one of the three and I hope you're getting a lot of air time!

[@flywrightdrones]

It was overpriced compared to the Air2S when it was released. How’s the video transmission system VS O3?

[@Dronevalley]

Fly Wright - It was initially pricier than the Air 2S (which hurt it's initial sales) but it's come down quite a bit. In some ways the Autel transmission is better (2K live fee up to 1km) and in some ways not as good (secure transmission). The bottom line is that they are both excellent within VLOS so it's not really a deciding factor for me as I've never had either break the binding while flying.

[@carlpatten8768]

Costco has these on sale with 4 batteries for $900 rn

[@Mr.Riffian]

Red flag!

[@KING_NIMROD]

Honestly who buys drones from a company who puts a leash on you like DJI does. Id buy the Autel anyday.

[@Dronevalley]

Thanks for the post and I fly both of them (as well as Skydio and Parrot) regularly and find a major difference in both performance and features between them. The DJI drones are more "mature" in the air with a smoother flight and a ton more refined features. The Autel drones still feel very mechanical and their crash avoidance is really, really clumsy and too sensitive. The Geo-fencing doesn't bother me since I never fly in restricted air space so I appreciate a feature that helps me avoid breaking the rules. When I do have to fly in sensitive areas, it's easy to apply for an unlock. For me it comes down to a consistent delivery of a product that's stable with leading-edge features and DJI has the edge here with their Mini 3 Pro, Air 2S and Mavic 3.

[@postngo]

But video transmission is open and no encryption, unlike wifi wpa2

[@Dronevalley]

Yep, they are still improving the transmission tech and have not caught up with O3 from DJI. Having said that, the Autel transmission is still the best out there when compared to others like Parrot and Skydio that are still using vanilla Wifi.

[@postngo]

@@Dronevalley Yes it seems every year they are finding problems with wifi 5 but at least it is encrypted. I see the very expensive Autel Evo max 4T and skylink 3 offers AES-256 for video, but it lists it as a future update. We will just have to give it time.

[@Dronevalley]

@@postngo I never trust a "future" update will fix an existing problem. Adding AES-256 is a little easier than fixing a hardware issue but with Autel's history of incompatibility between drones and controllers, I wouldn't count on it.

[@BigFireDave]

There seems to be a little disagreement with newer drone flyers. Some of them seem to be ignoring the line of visual site rules as being UNADED. Using binoculars or gun scopes or telescopes o keep line of site is illegal. Nobody seems to be paying any attention to that rule though.

[@Dronevalley]

You just hit on one of my major pet-peeves about the hobby. There is no legal way currently to fly beyond visual line of sight, period. You can't use a spotter, you can't use binoculars, you can't use a telescope and it doesn't matter if you're flying low over an unpopulated area. You have to keep the drone in sight while flying to stay within the law. It drives me crazy when I see responsible drone fliers (and channels) posting these ridiculous "range tests" where they try and fly the drone as far as they can to "test" it. They are creating a huge hazard for other aircraft and putting all of our flight privileges at risk. The reason this rule is in place is because even with the best drones, you can only see about 120 degrees of the sky in front of you, which means that you're effectively blind to 2/3 of the airspace behind and on either side of you. That's a HUGE crash potential and a danger to other aircraft. I do think that future technology will allow this type of BVLOS fight to occur when we have "detect and avoid" systems in future drones, but it's not here today. I might have to do a clip on this for the channel.

[@SW-Video]

Question: How much time do you actually look at the drone when it's more than 300' away? I look at it maybe 1% of the time, otherwise my eyes are on the monitor and telemetry. VLOS is a guideline left over from flying airplanes and helicopters without cameras at FRIA's. In real life the VLOS is not practical for drones, especially Mini drones that all but disappear in the sky.

[@Dronevalley]

@@SW-Video I agree that it may be a holdover but it still applies today for all of the reasons I mentioned in my reply above. If you read the regulation, it's actually referring to a visual line of sight to the sky where you're flying your drone. This is an important distinction because even though you may not be able to read the label on your drone at that distance, you have an awareness of the airspace in the general area where your drone is flying and can take evasive action if needed when another aircraft enters the airspace. You can't do this if your drone is over the horizon. It's also not a mandate that you keep your eyes on your drone for every second of flight as this would be impractical. It's totally fine to check your position, telemetry, battery levels and frame your video using the app as long as you maintain awareness of the airspace. I know I sound like a Boy Scout with this issue but I think it's important. The ADS-B feature of the Air 2S helps with this a little since it alerts you to planes in the area and is a first step in getting us to actual BVLOS flights.

[@BigFireDave]

@@SW-Video I guess that is between you and the law so you would need to make that argument in court... and see how far it gets you.

[@BigFireDave]

@@Dronevalley Just curious, if you could find a small enough rechargeable flashing light to put on your drone does being able see the light constitute "seeing your drone" You would be able to tell where your done is in relation to other aircraft possibly in the area.

[@squaddingquads]

Nope, mine got send back after 10 months and 14 flights due to the fact it wouldn't read any sd card

[@Dronevalley]

I've not had that issue but would have sent mine back as well if I did. I stick with the SanDisk 256GB version for all of my drones and haven't had any issues.

[@kathmandun8749]

It is a good drone but expansive compared to dji

[@ernestsill2853]

He could just use his hands gesture will still understand what he trying to say.

[@Quis85]

This is about to be funny! Fyi I'm not angry! Ok here is my take! 😂I'm late to the party but I've been flying for two years now! A year with the Lite Plus. And wow 👌🏿 you hit it right on the money! 🎉🎉🎉 If you are a professional photographer who does mapping, etc etc. Autel Evo Lite Plus is not for you! I believe the Evo 2 has that. But I say all that to say. It gets on my LAST nerves when DJI fanboys love to state how their DJI does this or that when flying the Autel! 🤪😡🤡. That's like me driving a Jeep 4x4 and then saying yeah this ain't like my Cadillac DTS luxury version! Me; well no Sh**! 🤦🏿‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️! In other words duh we all know no car or truck or drone or socks or shoes is treated the same! Everything has its own PERSONALITY! Please for the love of GOD! DJI fanboys please stop with the THIS AIN'T DJI rhetoric! I don't even own a pair of Jordans because of this same bs. Lmao 😂 if you didn't wear Jordan's you were looked down on. That's the same vibe I get from DJI fanboys. Fyi not all y'all are like this 😂. Most of my subscribers fly DJI drones but they also fly Autel as well! As a secondary drone. Nevertheless, I purposely went with Autel because of this. As well as Autel lite plus is perfect for ya average recreational pilot. I rarely color log or do any extra! I enjoy that 🥰😍! I don't want to have to spend hours fixing changing and correcting stuff. Just want to fly and post. Minimum work! So if you are a recreational pilot you will enjoy flying this drone! My page is proof! The only changes I make often really depends on the weather and lighting. It's either the fog setting or HDR or between 4k 30 and 60 the same with 6k. Every blue moon I'll use an ND filter. Even when flying at night! I hardly USE the other night settings. The Autel Evo lite series is a set-up and fly drone. Does all that work for you! Sorry so long lmao 😂. When ask; i tell them if you trying to make money and you love color grade. Dji is number one. If you want to have the perks if needed but simply want to fly and post. The Autel Lite series and the Evo series are the drones for you! Autel definitely is close /neck and neck with DJI

[@Dronevalley]

Thanks for the post and I agree that Autel has come a long way and they make some decent drones. I'm a fan of anyone flying what they like but in a side by side comparison, nothing touches the DJI gear. I know you have only been flying for a few years, but in the short history of modern drones, DJI is the innovator that is constantly introducing new drones and tech into the market and Autel (and others) follow. The reason I am constantly impressed by them is that they look at a market (drones, action cameras, wireless mics, power stations) and just build a better product. With drones, they were the first to release a lot of tech that Autel now uses in their gear. They came out with a folding air-frame (Mavic Pro) years ahead of everyone else. They also introduced RTH, automated flights, crash avoidance and APAS. That last feature is freaky good for avoiding objects. They are also constantly upgrading the gear they sell through OTA firmware updates and they stand behind their gear. Again, Autel is a sold number 2 in the drone space but are years behind DJI with their engineering.

[@Quis85]

@dronevalley I just had to make that comment. Because oh my gosh I'm tired of hearing how autel not like DJI. Of course, it's an autel lmao 🤣

[@billsterling5790]

They need a smart controller period

[@alsey7]

wont happen Autel stopped any future consumer drones products

[@MitchellPetersoncustomdrone]

Nice drone but would never go back to flying with a phone

[@Dronevalley]

I am spoiled as well with the Smart Controllers I use and they make things so much easier. That's one area where Autel needs to step it up and they've had a few missteps with their integrated controllers. If they released one like the DJI RC, they would sell a LOT of them.

[@MrMitch1955]

@@Dronevalley I'd buy one if they came out with a 1000-1200 nit controller.

[@KING_NIMROD]

What do you fly curiously

[@MitchellPetersoncustomdrone]

@@KING_NIMROD I have both Mavic 2's, Air 2s, Inspre 2, Mini 3 pro and Avata

[@KING_NIMROD]

@@MitchellPetersoncustomdrone Do the flight restrictions bother you? I really dont want to buy a dji and find that it doesnt work on some occasion when I need it to, in a safe area.

[@DroneStories]

I had it for 6 months. Does it have 10bit? Does it have some kind of log profile? The same company that made it, abandoned it. While it has the same camera as the Evo2pro, it only has 20% of the capabilities of the Evo2pro. The image it produces is so artificial, as if it had been produced by an average cell phone!! Really the simple Autel Lite version (without +, 🤣) which is it? If you have money to...spend, it's better to open the window and throw it at the world, than to buy this particular model...

[@poletkolibri]

It's immediately clear from your comment that you don't understand drones at all. This model has LOG, and the camera produces the best colors I've seen. DJI, with its cheap-to-manufacture plastic lenses, is noticeably worse at the moment.

[@Themachinewon]

TOTAL SCAM : ONE small thing NO One is speaking about,,, DON'T BUY AUTEL DRONES.. They do not sell any repair parts...Period you are stuck sending it back to WA state and they repair it... Reminds me of Tesla in the beginning. Can't purchase parts, leg caps? arms? yoke parts ? NONE

[@Dronyankyvictor]

Thank you for your point of view, I am about to purchase one that I got on sale at Costco for 850 with four batteries, the offer looks tempting but your opinion is decisive

[@Themachinewon]

I've watched a lot of reviews of this drone, great review, simple and to the point for the Average guy that wants the toy... The other guys go way to deep.. "No where to put the joy sticks",, How about up your ass... Talk about nit picking. Not everyone is doing jobs with the drones.. Thanks to this review, its to the point, USER Friendy...

[@walker-snow]

Use the drone for a few days then try to not complain about the RC sticks 😂

[@Themachinewon]

Starting my campaign to boycott Autel. No one should buy their products, Until they start selling repair parts. The company holds you hostage once you buy their product. Something they fail to tell a customer. The idiots there offered me 10% off, What a joke, seeing they already had my $1,000 drone for parts. All I needed was 3 small parts, and they wanted $800 to send me another drone. What a rip off. I believe these idiots don't even repair drones, they swap them out. This is like Tesla in the early days, not selling parts. Total BS. If I had known this deceptive practice, I would have never purchased a Autel product.