Best Upgrade for $$

[CoolDad5]

I have a stock Solo with a RevA gps board that I have yet to fly because of where I live (Fargo, ND). My question is....Should I consider any mods before flying my Solo and if so, where would my money be best spent.

1. Leave as is with cardboard mod
2. Upgrade GPS board $80
3. Purchase Shield $30
4. Buy Solex App
5. Other

 

[David Boulanger]

I have a stock Solo with a RevA gps board that I have yet to fly because of where I live (Fargo, ND). My question is....Should I consider any mods before flying my Solo and if so, where would my money be best spent.

1. Leave as is with cardboard mod
2. Upgrade GPS board $80
3. Purchase Shield $30
4. Buy Solex App
5. Other

It will fly fine. make sure you have FLY: Manual programed to a button. I have one with the upgraded GPS and shield. Flew fine before I did the mod but having the m8N GPS just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[Chuck]

I have a stock Solo with a RevA gps board that I have yet to fly because of where I live (Fargo, ND). My question is....Should I consider any mods before flying my Solo and if so, where would my money be best spent.

1. Leave as is with cardboard mod
2. Upgrade GPS board $80
3. Purchase Shield $30
4. Buy Solex App
5. Other

I have a stock Solo with a RevA gps board that I have yet to fly because of where I live (Fargo, ND). My question is....Should I consider any mods before flying my Solo and if so, where would my money be best spent.

1. Leave as is with cardboard mod
2. Upgrade GPS board $80
3. Purchase Shield $30
4. Buy Solex App
5. Other

If you have studied the manual and are familiar with it, it should be fine to fly out of the box. Just make sure you are in an open area and take it slow and easy. As far as your list of mods, if you are going to pursue them, I would do #'s 2, 3, &4. You can't go wrong with any of those, and they will be worth the investment.

 

[CoolDad5]

With the upgraded gps board, is there a need for the shield? Would the shield make any improvement for the new GPS board or is it a one or the other mod?

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

My Rev A with the new shield is a completely new drone compared to without the shield. The mRo GPS would be even more of an improvement, but I don't personally have a need for more than I'm getting now anyway. In my opinion, the shield should be used regardless of what GPS you have. The RFI it blocks is still there no matter what.

 

[erikgraham]

I never got around to doing the GPS mod and I was always fine with the stock Solo as it was. I never really had any GPS issues and didn't mind waiting around for it to get a lock. In my experience, it's usually the first lock in a new location that's a bit slow. After that it seemed fine to me. I know the upgraded board is better, but I was just too lazy to do the upgrade. If you are up for it, I'd do that. Why take the half step of only doing the shield?

Solex is worth it.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Mine would take minutes to get a lock, and it was a crappy lock. Then 20 minutes later, it would take minutes again. Sometimes it would just never get a lock at all. And god forbid I went somewhere else. I could burn half a battery waiting for a lock sometimes. It was unacceptably poor performance. The new shield make it get a lock within 30 seconds of powering up consistently without fail every time, even at a new location hundreds of miles away. That said, it still takes very little to interrupt that lock when it comes to surrounding trees and terrain. Terrestrial weather and space weather have noticeable effects on it still. The mRo GPS would alleviate a lot of that.

 

[CheapoHeli]

Mine so far has been..

Alfa antenna($20 on amazon/2x range)
Samsung 7" tablet(phone is too small to setup shots)
Solex although I haven't really used it to its capability.
Haven't done or needed anything else.

Also have 3 batteries and the backpack.

 

[User Name]

Mine would take minutes to get a lock, and it was a crappy lock. Then 20 minutes later, it would take minutes again

Same here, sometimes, in the same location I've flown before, I'd wait 10 minutes and still not have a lock. By the time I got one, 2 lights were already off the battery. I'll say, I never had a GPS loss in flight, but standing around fiddling my thumbs waiting for a lock got old. The virtually instantaneous locks (by the time I walk a few feet away and turn around Solo is usually ready to fly), and the reassurance of 16+ satellites makes the upgraded GPS totally worth it.

As for the OP, the Solo will fly just fine stock, with the aforementioned delays in lock time. If you have the money, the upgraded GPS and Solex are definitely the best bang-for-the-buck upgrades. Don't pay $30 for the V2 shield, look around, there's a coupon code for 1/2 off that still worked as of a few weeks ago. But even that, in my experience, is borderline not worth it. I didn't notice any improvement at all when I added them to mine with stock GPSs. For $15, I figured what the heck... but there's no way I'd spend $30 for it.

The cardboard mod was dubious as well. I'm not saying that the copper foil couldn't short something on the GPS, but it would be rare. There's a thick adhesive on the bottom of the foil, so it'd have to really work to get through to the actual metal. I did it to mine, and like the V2 shield, I saw no objective improvement at all.

The stock GPS is/was just a very poor design. Not saying it doesn't work, but for what Solo is/was, it should have been better.

 

[SARDG]

Anecdotally, I did notice an improvement with the cardboard, but not so much with the shield(s). I have however, installed the shield on all 4 of my Solos, regardless of GPS flavor (Rev A, A w/ cardboard, Rev B, mRobotics). I offer that it is called a "shield" because it shields RFI. If it insulated anything against shorts, it would be marketed as an "insulator".

 

[PdxSteve]

IMO the FPVLR antenna is the best thing you can purchase. Like others, the gps may be a bit of an annoyance losing gps from time to time or waiting a few extra minutes for a lock, but I was losing controller signal a lot more than gps causing RTH. I rarely, if ever, lose the signal now, even when flying through a forest canopy or flying behind some other objects, or in wifi congested areas. And the range is insane, but I'm more concerned with signal strength and penetrating power than I am with range.

 

[CoolDad5]

So, besides user error. What upgrade would make this bird easier fly for a new user? Stronger GPS or WiFi. I would like to cap my spending with one of the below options..My biggest fear is that I will accumulate all this equipment and crash the drone. If I can upgrade components that will help me prevent crashes and save my investment, I am willing to spend the money within reason.

1. mRo GPS with Alpha antenna
2. GPS shield with FPVLR antenna
3. Leave as is
4. other combo

 

[Chuck]

Granted,quite a lot of mishaps are pilot error, mostly due to lack of knowledge before flying. Knowing your Solo and the system it employs, makes flying the stock equipment just fine. A lot of people are doing so. As for the mods you mention, IMO this is the order I would do:

1. 3DR V2 GPS Shield
2. mRo M8N GPS upgrade (along with the shield)
3. FPVLR Solo antenna upgrade

I did the 3DR v2 shield, and the M8N GPS at the same time so I only had to take the battery tray out once. I chose the FPVLR upgrade for a stronger controller signal closer in when obstacles such as trees and buildings may come into play. Remember, none of these mods outweigh the importance of just knowing your Solo the way it came out of the box. Good luck.

 

[User Name]

So, besides user error. What upgrade would make this bird easier fly for a new user? Stronger GPS or WiFi.

To be precise, none of those upgrades will make Solo *easier* to fly as they don't change the flight characteristics at all. Just wouldn't want you thinking otherwise.

Upgraded GPS will make lock times quicker, and the position fix more accurate and robust. I never had an issue with the original GPS (never lost fix in-flight), but did experience long lock times. That and the increased safety of a more robust positon fix (by picking up far more satellites) make this the most important/worthy upgrade, in my opinion.

Long range antennas will do just that, give you more range. As a new user, I would definitely recommend AGAINST this, especially if you're new or relatively new to drones in general. These things are tricky to fly until you really get your head wrapped around orientation. The stock antennas will take the Solo beyond the ability to determine orientation by sight alone - they're good got about a half mile. Taking it even further out is just asking for trouble unless you can quickly work out orientation by watching how inputs change the movement of a spec in the sky. As a new user, I think a half mile radius is more than enough.

When I first bought the Solo, I just flew it in big open fields. Totally stock. The only thing I've upgraded since is the GPS, and that was only when I started flying in more obstructed areas where GPS lock was more tenuous - taking off from gaps in trees, flying hear cliffs and lower in valleys where more of the sky was obstructed. If you have the money to spend, the GPS is a good investment at an time just for the increased safety. But the others, I'd wait until you're experience is up and you need/can use such capabilities more safely.

Just my 2c.

 

[CoolDad5]

Thank you all for all the great information. As a new drone owner, I am definitely nieve and uneducated. Maybe, I should have asked the question as...Which one is a better failsafe for a new user, GPS or WiFI? Which I think has been answered, GPS. If I lose GPS, I have to be able to fly the bird manually to safe landing. If I lose WiFi, Solo should RTM unscathed as long as I have my settings correct (RTH height). I will be learning to fly manually as I go but would to keep as much safety features in place as possible.

When I purchased this drone, I had envisioned taking it out to the backyard and flying it around. After a bit of research, I have realized how powerful this drone can be and that it is my responsibility to be in total control. So now, my new vision is to have my Solo be a gateway into the world of drones for me. Learn to fly in the country and hope that as my skills grow, so that I will be able to utilize the power of this drone more and more. I would love to be able to use it for photography purposes where houses and people may be present. Some day!

Thanks again for all the insight.

 

[Chuck]

Thank you all for all the great information. As a new drone owner, I am definitely nieve and uneducated. Maybe, I should have asked the question as...Which one is a better failsafe for a new user, GPS or WiFI? Which I think has been answered, GPS. If I lose GPS, I have to be able to fly the bird manually to safe landing. If I lose WiFi, Solo should RTM unscathed as long as I have my settings correct (RTH height). I will be learning to fly manually as I go but would to keep as much safety features in place as possible.

When I purchased this drone, I had envisioned taking it out to the backyard and flying it around. After a bit of research, I have realized how powerful this drone can be and that it is my responsibility to be in total control. So now, my new vision is to have my Solo be a gateway into the world of drones for me. Learn to fly in the country and hope that as my skills grow, so that I will be able to utilize the power of this drone more and more. I would love to be able to use it for photography purposes where houses people maybe present. Some day!

Thanks again for all the insight.

Well put. Keep thinking like that, take it slow, and you will be just fine.

 

[User Name]

Thank you all for all the great information.

It sounds like you're approaching it the right way. Definitely better off practicing in a large field, that will give you room to put it in manual and really get used to controlling it. You're correct in the GPS being the best failsafe - if Solo looses connection, a solid GPS position fix is the only thing that'll bring it back.

It's a really great platform, just take your time and you'll be rewarded with one of the best camera platform out there, and an insane value at what you probably paid for it (being a new user, I'm assuming you got it in the $300 to $400 range, as opposed to a lot of us who spent upwards of $1500!)

 

[Scott McCloud]

Solex is worth it at twice the price. I don't mind the delay in GPS lock. I am cautious by nature and figure the time is best spent going through a pre-flight checklist. I've flown many, many times. One time I forgot to put my aftermarket antennae on the controller. Scared me. I check everything. Make sure my vehicle is secure. Battery charger AC/DC converter is working. Visually inspect props. etc.

I mod the software a bit, so I want the basics all working and in-place. Never crashed, never flipped over, never flew away, etc.

Stable, capable, slow and steady bird. If you've invested in a Go-Pro I assume you want good video. If that is the case, you don't need high-speed flights or acrobatics.

Invest in a couple little cheap quads (search this forum/reddit for advice) and fly indoors
I flip acrobatics with little birds with my dad and grand kids in a school/church gym. Great fun both ways. Find someone to fly with. I don't have much more time left in the world for doing all things RC (cars, crawlers, boats) with my dad so take the time to enjoy every little thing.
Good luck.

Join AMA while you're at it.

 

[budokaiboy]

I thought I'd chime in here. I installed the shield and didn't see much difference. I then installed the mRo GPS unit and went from it taking 3-4 minutes to acquire 7 satellites, to almost instantly acquiring 7 satellites and a minute later getting 5 more for a total of 12. I'm going to be getting the FPVLR too. With Solex though, my understanding is that the drone will fly autonomously even if it loses connection with the transmitter. I might do the wifi mod too. The $80 m8N is plug and play like the other member said, the ones from Ready To Fly are only $30 (Mini uBlox M8N GPS GLONASS W/ (35x35mm) Mounting backplane and Compass V2 - Flight Controllers) but you have to splice them in. Not sure if they're any worse. Maybe someone can elaborate on the pro's and con's of the 2 units?

I would definitely go for one of those GPS mods first. The Solex app is definitely worth $30 too.

 

[dmyhill]

...Don't pay $30 for the V2 shield, look around, there's a coupon code for 1/2 off that still worked as of a few weeks ago...

Do you know if there is a current one?