About the product
The release of the quadrocopter took place in October last year. With the looks of the premium Mavic Pro, foldable arm design, claimed features, exemplary workmanship and affordable price, the quad almost immediately caught the eye of a novice consumer audience. We also could not pass by and decided to try out the quadrocopter in order to subsequently prepare for you a detailed review of the most discussed budget quadric for beginners today – Eachine E58.
Peculiarities
- folding beams
- Camera 480/720P (depending on configuration)
- FPV flying over Wi-Fi
- Altitude hold (barometer)
- Auto takeoff/landing
- Headless Mode
- Return to the equipment in one click
- 3 × speed modes
- Flips 360°
- LED backlight
- Does not require registration (weight with battery: 94.5 grams)
- Ready to fly out of the box (RTF)
Equipment
Two kit options are available to choose from: 480P (optional) and 720P, which generally determines the quality of the drone’s onboard camera.
The review presents the top-end 720P equipment:
- Quadcopter Eachine E58
- Control equipment
- Battery 3.7v 500mAh LiPo
- 2 × spare rotors (CW/CCW)
- 4 × rotor protection
- USB cable for drone battery charging
- Screwdriver
- User’s Manual
Appearance
Specification
Brand:
Eachine
Model:
E58
Operating frequency range:
2.4GHz
Number of channels:
four
Headless mode:
Yes
Return to hardware:
Yes
Motors:
0720 manifold type
Stabilization:
6 axis gyroscope
Height hold:
barometer
FPV flight:
via Wi-Fi at a frequency of 2.4GHz
Auto takeoff/landing:
Yes
Drone Power:
3.7v 500mAh LiPo
Control equipment power supply:
3 × 1.5 AA (sold separately)
Flight time:
7-9 minutes
Charging time:
60-70 minutes
Removal distance (without FPV):
80-100 meters (in interference-free area)
Camera:
2MP 720P FOV 120°/0.3MP 480P (optional)
Dimensions (folded):
12.5 × 7.5 × 5 cm
Dimensions (in flight condition):
27×19.5×5 cm
Drone weight (with battery and propeller protection):
98.8 grams
Motors
The Eachine E58 quadcopter is equipped with 0720 collector-type motors, laid in a horizontal position in the rays of the quadric, the torque is transmitted through the gearbox. The developer does not specify information about the performance of the motors.
In the test, it was revealed that the E58 flies well and is controlled only in complete calm, any presence of wind at least complicates the control process or even sets the quadric in its flight direction. This is due to the low potential of collector motors, the thrust of which is not enough for a confident flight in conditions of even a slight wind.
Eachine E58 speed indicators regulate three modes: 30%, 60%, 100%. They can be changed using the button on the remote control, as well as in the menu of the JY UFO application (IOS/Android).
Camera
As mentioned above, the E58 quadcopter, depending on the configuration, can be equipped with two types of cameras: 0.3MP/2MP. The top camera boasts an impressive 120° wide field of view (FOV), which is optimal for FPV flying. For a budget drone, the shooting quality of the 2MP camera can be noted as one of the best, the color reproduction was a pleasant surprise. The angle of inclination is set manually: from 15° to 70°. Photo and video material can be recorded both on a MicroSD card pre-installed in the drone slot (purchased separately) and on the smartphone’s memory (the most energy-consuming way).
*slot for microSD
15° camera tilt angle, taking into account the roll of the quadrocopter at the moment of gaining horizontal speed, limits visibility in the forward direction, thereby complicating piloting in FPV mode.
During operation, a bug was discovered. If you insert a defective memory card into the aircraft slot, Wi-Fi connection becomes impossible. In our case, we did not know that the installed memory card was not working properly and could not understand why none of our smartphones could see the Wi-Fi network of the video transmitter and already began to think about a malfunction.
FPV
To ensure FPV flight, the camera works in conjunction with a Wi-Fi video transmitter that broadcasts the image from the camera at a frequency of 2.4GHz. This fact can be immediately attributed to significant disadvantages, since the frequency of the video link coincides with the frequency of the radio control. As a rule, the result of such a “tandem” is always the same, poor FPV quality and an extremely short distance of removal. The FPV removal distance declared in the specification is 30 meters. In practice, this distance has been halved.
battery
The E58 quadcopter is powered by a single-cell (3.7V) lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 500mAh. The battery itself is packed in a plastic box like modern UAVs of the premium segment, no wires or plugs. According to the specification, the flight time should be within the range of 7-9 minutes. In practice, max. flight time was: 7 minutes in FPV mode and 8 minutes when controlled by one remote control (30% expenses, video recording is disabled).
A low battery will be warned by the drone’s front (2 × white LEDs) and rear (1 × red) LED indicators that start flashing simultaneously.
The indication, which is located on the quadric itself under the power button, does not carry information about the current charge, as it was with the premium drone. Its role is much simpler – to indicate the state of the included drone and nothing more.
Charger
The battery is charged from the included USB cable, which is connected to the battery at one end (microUSB), and the other into the USB port. When connected to the battery, the red LED lights up, indicating the charging process has begun, it will burn steadily until the battery is charged. The charging time as a whole corresponds to the declared figures in the specification, each practical cycle fit into 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Control
Control Options
The Eachine E58 quadcopter supports three control options:
Control equipment
- Activate the drone by holding down the button (top of the quad) for about 2 seconds. All LEDs on the quadric will start flashing rapidly.
- Activate control equipment. Move the left stick in one motion up and down, the LEDs will stop flashing. The quadcopter is ready to take off.
Smartphone (via “JY UFO” IOS/Android APP)
- Activate the drone by holding down the button (on top of the quad) for about 2 seconds, all the quad LEDs will flash rapidly.
- In the smartphone menu, go to the “Wi-Fi” settings, from the list of found networks, select: “WiFi-720P-XXXXXX” (X – the last six characters for each smartphone will be different). Searching for a video link usually takes about 20-30 seconds (no password required)!
- Next, launch the pre-downloaded “JY UFO” application, before tapping on the “Play” icon, go to the settings (to the left of the gear icon), activate “Preview 720P”, then exit the settings and go to the “Play” icon. A broadcast image from the quadrocopter’s camera will indicate a successful connection.
- At the top of the display, tap on the “Off” icon, after which virtual sticks will appear on the display. The quadric LEDs will stop flashing.
- After tapping on the hourglass icon, the icons for auto takeoff and landing, emergency motor shutdown, 360° flips and blocking will be added to the virtual sticks. You can start taking off.
Control equipment + smartphone (IOS/Android)
- Activate the drone by holding down the button (on top of the quad) for about 2 seconds, all the quad LEDs will flash rapidly.
- Activate the control equipment, move the left stick with one movement up and down, the LEDs will stop flashing.
- In the smartphone menu, go to the “Wi-Fi” settings, from the list of found networks, select: “WiFi-720P-XXXXXX” (X – the last six characters for each smartphone will be different). Searching for a video link usually takes about 20-30 seconds (no password required)!
- Next, launch the pre-downloaded “JY UFO” application, before tapping on the “Play” icon, go to the settings (to the left of the gear icon), activate “Preview 720P”, then exit the settings and go to the “Play” icon. A broadcast image from the quadrocopter’s camera will indicate a successful connection.
- Place your smartphone in the retractable frame of the remote control. Start taking off.
The motors can be started by simultaneously moving the sticks apart from each other to the extreme lower corner. With this launch, the drone does not take off, the propellers spin in idle mode.
The control equipment of the E58 visually resembles the remote control of three premium drones at once: DJI Mavic Pro, Mavic Air and Spark. Operates at a frequency of 2.4GHz. Power is supplied from 3 × AA (purchased separately). According to the specification, it provides confident control of the quadcopter at a distance of 80-100 meters. In practice, this distance in the interference-free zone was 30-35 meters.
The folding antennas of the control equipment have only a decorative function. The antenna itself is located in the interior of the console, so there is no special need for unfolding them at the time of the flight.
The design of the remote control has a retractable frame for installing a smartphone in it (max. Width of the gadget is 7.5 cm). Having installed a smartphone in it, at the moment of fixing it with a frame, the user will first encounter the problem of spontaneous pressing of the side buttons of the phone. The first thing you want to do in this case is to turn the smartphone upside down and I must say it will be a good position, but due to the fact that the application does not support the auto-rotate screen function, this position becomes irrelevant. The smartphone will have to be returned to its original position and set with a shift to the left, thereby complicating the process of controlling the quadcopter.
Despite the fact that the control equipment has the “Photo” and “Video” buttons, the activation of shooting modes will be possible only through the menu of the JY UFO mobile application. When the Video mode is active, the blue LED built into the card slot will flash rapidly, if the user stops recording, the flashing frequency will become slow.
Due to the peculiarities of the electronic filling, the drone can only be bound with one control equipment and this is the one that comes with the kit.
Button assignment
Recommendations
- The first launch is recommended to be carried out on the street, this will allow you to quickly adapt to control and save on rotors. At the first stages of training, do not neglect the screw protection that comes with the kit.
- Due to the fragility of the material from which the main rotors of the quadrocopter are made, we recommend that you take care of a spare kit in advance, since by default only two spare CW / CCW propellers are included in the package.
- Despite the exponential flight time, in fact, one battery will not be enough to fully immerse yourself in the learning process. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to buy 2-3 additional batteries.
- For accurate operation of the gyroscope, it is recommended to calibrate it after even a slight crash. To do this, immediately after the accident, return the drone to the pre-flight horizontal position. Then, on the control equipment in one movement, move both sticks (joystick) to the lower right corner at an angle of 45 ° (long beep), hold them in this position until the red indication of the drone (on the back) stops flashing quickly. Calibration completed.
Price
On various Internet trading platforms, the top version of the Eachine E58 quadrocopter can be purchased at an average price of $40. The version with a 0.3MP camera will cost the consumer $30.
Conclusion
Eachine E58 ₽2300
pros
- Appearance
- Foldable arms/Dimensions
- Execution quality
- 2MP camera (video)
- Stable and manageable (in calm weather)
- Altitude hold (in calm weather)
- Auto takeoff/landing
- Flight time
- Price
Minuses
- FPV signal quality
- Removal distance in FPV mode
- Incorrect 15° camera angle
- The app does not support screen auto-rotation
- Fragile rotors
In our opinion, the Eachine E58 quadcopter is one of the best budget replicas of the DJI Mavic Pro portable drone in the sub-$50 price range. The quality of the product without exaggeration deserves respect. Building on the strengths of the E58, the quadcopter will be fully appreciated by novice users who are challenged to master the initial skills of safely flying a drone.
If the main focus is on FPV flying, then it would be better to turn your attention to something else, such as Eachine Q90C or Hubsan X4 H502S.
The E58 is no doubt worth the money spent and is a long-term purchase for the first-time consumer segment. Age limit 14+. Registration is not required.
Video
You can watch the video in original quality here.