Hello Drone Pro
MSRP $1497.00
“The Halo Drone Pro isn’t bad, it just doesn’t measure up to other drones that cost over $1,000.”
Average
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Excellent build quality
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Impressively long flight time
Against
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Video transmission delay
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A bulky setup
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Low feature-price ratio
Halo is not a very big name in the world of drones. The company started selling hoverboards that (much to our dismay) don’t technically float. Shortly after finding success in commercial technology, the company moved into drones (which thankfully float) and now offers a quadcopter called the Halo Drone Pro—an upgraded version of its full-size flying machine at full price. We took one for an extended test to see how it stacked up against drones from well-known companies like DJI and Yuneec.
What is in the box?
The Halo Drone Pro arrived in its own heavy-duty hardshell backpack and immediately impressed us with its metallic gray plastic body, which immediately reminded us of something you can fly in real life. aura video game – only without weapons.
Fortunately, the Halo Drone is armed with at least a 4K camera that can capture photos and videos. The remote control has a nice and classic RC airplane look with precision, matching metal analog sticks and many mystery buttons. Inside the cavernous backpack are a multitude of small gadgets that go with the drone.
It looked like something you could really fly in aura video game – only without weapons.
There is a tracking module, which acts as a beacon for the drone, as long as it has a direct line of sight to the GPS satellites. There’s also a James Bond-style wrist controller and a Wi-Fi module that you insert into the back of the controller to stream video to your phone. The Halo even includes two extra rotors for those of us who tend to break them.
There are two different sides to playing with Halo Drone Pro. Flying is obviously a key element in the enjoyment of any drone, and the Halo is extremely fun to fly through the sky. On the other hand, however, are all the things you have to do before you can fly the drone. Things are decidedly less fun here.
city synchronization
All of that stuff in the handy case needs to be synced up before you can do anything, and as is often the case, pairing the Halo Drone’s bunch of peripherals with your mobile device can be a pain. Using the Android-based Samsung Note 8, it was a constant struggle to get the controller, Wi-Fi transmitter, tracking module, and the drone itself to quickly sync up and work well together. To make matters worse, we were forced to go through this loop every time we wanted to fly the drone.
This meant connecting to the drone’s Wi-Fi network (which always took a few minutes to find), waiting for the app to find a Bluetooth signal from both the controller and the drone, and making sure the tracking module had line of sight. clear to the sky for a GPS signal. If you want to use a clock driver, you should make sure you sync it instead of the main driver, as this will not allow them to run simultaneously.
The actual app (and you’ll need to use the mobile app to use Halo Drone) is far from intuitive, especially when you’re having syncing issues. However, it’s easy to argue that since this is a “Pro” drone, the interface is more dense and complicated. Either way, Halo could use a UI expert to streamline the timing and calibration process, among other more advanced control settings.
Learning to fly
However, when it all works out, Halo has a lot going for it. It is a durable piece of equipment that has continued to perform despite several crashes caused by pilot error. At one point while testing the steering, we accidentally had it whiz right into the side of the house, causing a painful series of bumps and jolts. We lost a rotor thanks to that accident, but the drone was still perfectly fine.
It was a constant struggle to synchronize the controller, the Wi-Fi transmitter, the tracking module and the drone itself.
Another questionable part of flying is caused, at least in part, by a video signal failure. The video transmission is not very clear and sharp, despite the fact that this drone is equipped with a 4K camera. Video quality when played on a TV or other display is okay, but not exceptional. On sunny days (which there were hardly any during testing), image quality is better, but the camera has real problems with the low-light settings that plague the winter months here.
Worse, despite the Wi-Fi streaming package, there’s a noticeable delay in streaming video of about a second and a half. This means you can’t really control it via streaming video and you’re forced to maintain a visual lock on the Halo Drone while it’s buzzing.
Sturdy enough to tip over
I discovered the Halo Drone’s video playback lag quite dramatically while mischievously trying to follow my young son around the yard. After flying smoothly for a few minutes, I suddenly heard a horrible crackling and screeching sound as the drone became entangled in tall, dead vegetation at the property line, even though the video on my phone screen still didn’t show up. had gotten there. Strangely, as bad as it sounds from afar, he didn’t even lose a rotor that time, though my son now makes fun of my poor piloting skills.
Jason D’Aprile/Digital Trends
If I were a smarter kind of human parent, I’d just attach a tracking module to her arm and let her run wild while the drone followed her from afar. To be honest, I’m personally not sure what people are using the following module for, but I have to assume it includes things with the word “extreme” in it. I ended up walking the drone like a floating dog that, unlike my real dog, doesn’t chase cars/cats/other people at every opportunity. Although in hindsight, a people-hunting drone could have real entertainment value where I live.
When it doesn’t crash, the Halo Drone is great. It’s fast (up to 45 mph), maneuverable, and responsive. You can get faster gear if you go for a racing drone, but the Halo feels snappy enough to be exciting for non-racers without compromising handling.
Whether I’m flying above the treetops around my house or hitting the ground because I’m the horrible person who laughs maniacally while scaring ducks, the Halo drone flies great. It also floats very well. The broadcast time under normal conditions easily reached about 45 minutes. Even in sub-zero weather, the Halo ran for over a half hour without issue. That’s incredible battery life for a drone of this size.
Wires… Wires everywhere
However, charging is a bit tricky, especially if you’re using all the accessories. The camera is usually charged via the Halo drone’s battery, which didn’t cause any problems, but we found that charging the drone’s main battery (it only comes with one) took several hours. Worse yet, there is a charger that has multiple charging heads for both the remote control and the drone battery, and you can’t charge both at the same time.
There is a charger that has multiple charging heads for the remote controller and the drone battery, and you can’t charge both at the same time.
Basically this means that once your battery is depleted, you have to wait at least six hours before all your batteries are fully charged. On the other hand, the remote will only need to be charged after a few flights. Even weirder is the alligator clip-shaped charger for the add-on module and hand controller. Again, only one is included, meaning you’re bound to load them alternately, though it only took around an hour to load both during our tests. The Halo here shows a glaring lack of simplified user access, not to mention a large number of cables.
The controller’s range is listed as 1 kilometer (0.62 miles), but thanks to mobile GPS capabilities, you can set the routes the drone will follow: a simple tap sends you from point A to point B on the map, or more complex routes by setting waypoints.
our download
The market for $1,000 and up drones is incredibly competitive and rapidly evolving, and unfortunately Halo Drone Pro just can’t keep up. At $1100, this drone costs the same as some of the best drones on the planet right now, but it also lacks some perks that have become standard on drones half the price, especially object avoidance.
With the ability to track, program routes, and return to your starting point, the Halo offers some nice features and has certainly proven itself to be durable, but it’s still not quite as complete a package as some of the other higher-end offerings in this price range. prices. .
Are there better alternatives?
That. $1,100 can get you a pretty cool drone these days, and if you’re willing to spend that much, you’re spoiled for choice.
First of all, we recommend checking out DJI’s Mavic Pro and Mavic Air drones. Both are compact, durable, and absolutely packed with features. They have obstacle avoidance, collapsible form factors, excellent flight performance, and more intelligent flight modes than you can shake a stick at. At $999 and $799 respectively, they’re also slightly cheaper than the Halo Drone Pro.
DJI’s Phantom 4 is also a strong contender here, as is the Yuneec Typhoon H. Both are comparable in price to the Halo Drone Pro, but boast superior handling and more features. They’re also much less demanding to use and don’t require as many finicky peripherals. It’s worth noting, though, that the Halo Drone outperformed both the P4 and Typhoon H in our flight tests, so if you’re looking to fly for a long time, the Halo might be the way to go.
How long will it last?
This is a difficult decision. Since the Halo Drone itself is quite durable and replacement parts are readily available online, the drone’s essential hardware and components should definitely stand the test of time.
On the other hand, Halo may not stay in the drone business forever. The drone market is incredibly competitive right now, and if Halo can’t last, there’s a chance you’ll decide to discontinue your drone, which means no more firmware patches, bug fixes, or software updates. To be honest, this is all speculation and there’s no way to tell if Halo will stay in the drone game or not, but it’s something to keep in mind.
If the company decides to move, this drone will age quickly and become obsolete within a few years.
Should you buy it?
Probably not. You can get more for your money elsewhere.
editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn