Well, I'm I need of (3DR) group therapy!

[Bilge]

Any drone technology whether it is 3DR, DJI, Yuneec, or Autel is not 100% bulletproof. Remember, the evolution of computers...386, 486, Pentium, Pentium II, etc.etc.

Well the consumer drone industry is just evolving. It will take years before obtaining a level of technology that is truly acceptable....

Us early bird adopters are just paying top prices now........except if you are buying a Solo ....lol

Remember, my first computer ( 486/66mhz ) was almost $3k......I just built my own recently with top of line components for around a $1k....

Drones will only get cheaper over time.....We need more manufacturers to enter & stay in the game........for competitiveness to drive prices downward......we can not let DJI monopolize the market.....Strong 2nd is Yuneec, 3rd place is Autel.....

I would have love for Intel or AMD or Apple to have bought 3DR & make a go of it, but it didn't happen...........or to have partnered with GoPro......but each company could not come to agreement on their % share.

 

[Lon Denard]

I didn't do a single mod the whole first year. Then played with the GPS mods. Not because I was having an issue, but for margin when flying in fringe areas. Have you seen the Yuneec in person? My first impression was it seemed but together cheap and not as well made. But that was just a first impression.

Yea I looked at it today. It's got lot of carbon fibre which as a motorcycle guy gets me all excited! It's got a lot of really cool features but now I'm afraid they may just be more points of failure. I'm honestly thinking about insurance and hoping for the best! I still have a complete Solo plus spare parts, so I'm not out yet! The future remains to be seen. I'm honestly hoping that someone comes out with something amazing and reliable soon!

 

[Lon Denard]

Any drone technology whether it is 3DR, DJI, Yuneec, or Autel is not 100% bulletproof. Remember, the evolution of computers...386, 486, Pentium, Pentium II, etc.etc.

Well the consumer drone industry is just evolving. It will take years before obtaining a level of technology that is truly acceptable....

Us early bird adopters are just paying top prices now........except if you are buying a Solo ....lol

Remember, my first computer ( 486/66mhz ) was almost $3k......I just built my own recently with top of line components for around a $1k....

Drones will only get cheaper over time.....We need more manufacturers to enter & stay in the game........for competitiveness to drive prices downward......we can not let DJI monopolize the market.....Strong 2nd is Yuneec, 3rd place is Autel.....

I would have love for Intel or AMD or Apple to have bought 3DR & make a go of it, but it didn't happen...........or to have partnered with GoPro......but each company could not come to agreement on their % share.

I agree with that. I guess it chaffs my butt that they all market these things as foolproof and ready to fly by anyone right out of the box.

 

[Lon Denard]

Btw I've been reading other forums and you all are of course right. All of the platforms have their problems for sure.

 

[Bilge]

Lon,

Hopefully some of answers that were given today, we not to berate you by any means. You have to be a little thick-skinned in this forum.

I for sure have taken my beatings at the very beginning. I am fairly new to all of this myself.....about a month only in the drone world.


In the end, a lot of us just got into the drone market because it was fairly cheap if one had a underutilized GoPro lying around ( me become one ). I saw the Solo has a great entry point as compared to the P4 @ $1.2K ( It was $999 at Christmas ) or the P4 Pro @ $ 1.6k....too rich for my blood for first drone....

There is a learning curve with these toys.....so again the Solo made sense.....if I crash & burn it.....no great loss ( hopefully GoPro is recoverable & salvageable ....lol )

I am sure I will migrate to another manufacturer down the road as the technology will only get better thru time....( oops ..did I just say that ) but hopefully I can have fun with this Solo for a few years a least and hopefully prices will come down thru time as well........I did buy a 2nd Solo because they were cheap.....so I do have a backup plan for now........

Who knows...I may be out on a hike someday & come across a flyaway Phantom, Typhoon, Autel....................................................or...........Solo ( hopefully not Solo )

I all comes down to "fly what you like" &" like what you fly"

Good luck with whatever you decide......Just have fun & keep an open mind.....

 

[BigTulsa]

And technology is NEVER 100% foolproof. You do your best to minimize the risk but risk is always there. I learned flying gassers and my dad wrecked MANY of them. He would just build them over.

 

[Lon Denard]

And technology is NEVER 100% foolproof. You do your best to minimize the risk but risk is always there. I learned flying gassers and my dad wrecked MANY of them. He would just build them over.

Oh I understand that of course. Like I said before, some of my comments were right after wards so I was pretty pissed. Then it was all "be patient" or it's "your fault" . It can just be a bit irritating. For the most part, despite my troubles, I've been very happy with this unit. I've gotten some great footage and had a lot of fun. I just don't like sudden unexplainable problems like the controller going bad.

 

[Bilge]

When the controller, the Solo Drone, and GoPro are all dialed in.....it is perfect low-cost alternative to the much more expensive units out there.....

I just got back from 3 flights taken over Lake Murray in San Diego, Ca.........Solo did me right tonight......it performed flawlessly............

I will try to post some video......still learning that art form.......

 

[Lon Denard]

When the controller, the Solo Drone, and GoPro are all dialed in.....it is perfect low-cost alternative to the much more expensive units out there.....

I just got back from 3 flights taken over Lake Murray in San Diego, Ca.........Solo did me right tonight......it performed flawlessly............

I will try to post some video......still learning that art form.......

I won't disagree with you PROVIDED that you already have a go pro and a tablet or phone you want to use. If you don't, well since you can't hardly buy a new hero 4.... And a Phantom 3 is like $500....Hahaha! Poke, poke...

 

[Lon Denard]

On another note, it's surprising how much support Best Buy is giving Autel. There are several replacement parts on the website. Not too expensive either.

 

[Bilge]

I agree if you have none of the above, securing a Phantom 3 for $500 is a great alternative.....

You are right,.....I already had Hero 3+ Black sitting around collecting dust, Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 collecting more dust, & a Samsung S5 phone being used every day......so the Solo was the right option for me.......

But maybe not for everyone if they have none of the above......the Solo is usually compared to the Phantom 3.....neither have obstacle detection nor collision avoidance.......just have to be on your toes when flying them.....

 

[Bilge]

On another note, it's surprising how much support Best Buy is giving Autel. There are several replacement parts on the website. Not too expensive either.

Autel is great alternative to DJI..........hate that orange.......glad they make it in white also

 

[Lon Denard]

I agree if you have none of the above, securing a Phantom 3 for $500 is a great alternative.....

You are right,.....I already had Hero 3+ Black sitting around collecting dust, Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 collecting more dust, & a Samsung S5 phone being used every day......so the Solo was the right option for me.......

But maybe not for everyone if they have none of the above......the Solo is usually compared to the Phantom 3.....neither have obstacle detection nor collision avoidance.......just have to be on your toes when flying them.....

Boy if that's not the truth!

 

[Lon Denard]

Autel is great alternative to DJI..........hate that orange.......glad they make it in white also

If you feel sporty, the entire body kit with legs costs $70 so you can mix and match. Also the blades come in either black or white.

 

[Vegasrobbi]

The Autel and Phantom may be alternatives but they are not substitutes for Solo.

IMO Solo is more robust and functional then the others. Phantoms, which I own three, are toy grade crap. I don't own an Autel.

What really matters is Solo's smart shots, Solo's autonomous moves are on a different level than even the I2. Solo is simply amazing for autonomous shots unrivalled by any consumer drone that I know of.

I don't need OA or VPS for what I do and my P3P and P4 are disappointing, actually beyond disappointing for autonomous moves.

Solo will take time to figure out, it can be ornery. I get the Waiting for Solo warning occationaly but get through it. The camera/gimbal can be a source of frustration on Solo and I will say if you want to float around like a balloon with a camera on it the Phantom may be for you. Phantom cameras and gimbals are very good IMO.

I've owned Phantoms since the P1 and they were pretty easy to get in the air quickly and were stable. Since the P4 I've had nothing but problems with DJI GO and the SDK's, several hardware failure's too.

My Solo was love-hate for the first 6 months but I find it indispensable today. We have come to terms and I take my Solo everywhere, mostly as a backup to my H. The Pees are crap IMO and I won't go near DJI until thier hardware, software and customer service take a turn for the better.

Solo is definitely a challenge but once dialed in it outperforms the others IMO.

For the record my Solo has the mRo GPS upgrade, 11" APC props, leg extenders and FPVLR antennas.

 

[Lon Denard]

The Autel and Phantom may be alternatives but they are not substitutes for Solo.

IMO Solo is more robust and functional then the others. Phantoms, which I own three, are toy grade crap. I don't own an Autel.

What really matters is Solo's smart shots, Solo's autonomous moves are on a different level than even the I2. Solo is simply amazing for autonomous shots unrivalled by any consumer drone that I know of.

I don't need OA or VPS for what I do and my P3P and P4 are disappointing, actually beyond disappointing for autonomous moves.

Solo will take time to figure out, it can be ornery. I get the Waiting for Solo warning occationaly but get through it. The camera/gimbal can be a source of frustration on Solo and I will say if you want to float around like a balloon with a camera on it the Phantom may be for you. Phantom cameras and gimbals are very good IMO.

I've owned Phantoms since the P1 and they were pretty easy to get in the air quickly and were stable. Since the P4 I've had nothing but problems with DJI GO and the SDK's, several hardware failure's too.

My Solo was love-hate for the first 6 months but I find it indispensable today. We have come to terms and I take my Solo everywhere, mostly as a backup to my H. The Pees are crap IMO and I won't go near DJI until thier hardware, software and customer service take a turn for the better.

Solo is definitely a challenge but once dialed in it outperforms the others IMO.

For the record my Solo has the mRo GPS upgrade, 11" APC props, leg extenders and FPVLR antennas.

Thank you! So if I make these upgrades will i have a reliable and stable platform? If yes, how much are we talking about? Btw did I read that you have an "H"? Would that be the Typhoon H Pro by chance? If so, what do you think about it? I've never wanted a Phantom or even mentioned it as an option. People keep bringing it up for some reason. I do admit to liking the Mavic (portability) and the Typhoon H Pro (features).

 

[Lon Denard]

It's funny really. I'm not a total n00b but what happened was I bought into Parrot when they first came out. At the time, for a consumer drone, it was really cool. It worked indoors and out. Took "okay" video and was reasonably stable. Basically, it was fun and easy to fly. Did some tricks. Always worked without fail. To be honest, I was going to buy the Bebop 2 with a skytroller but ended up getting the Solo. Basically, it was cheaper, had better specs and I had a GoPro. Now don't think for a moment that I think the Bebop is even close to the Solo as a drone.

 

[Spectre95]

Thank you. I'm actually kind of stuck on the Yuneec Typhoon H Pro. All reports say they have decent support. I like Intel. I like the built in screen. I like the Wizard remote. I like the folding arms. I like the upgradable camera. I like the included hand held gimbal. I like how it can lose a motor and still fly. I like the almost 360 degree obstacle avoidance and intelligent follow mode. I'm really close to pulling the trigger.

PM me when your ready to part out, I need a couple of batteries... Maybe another charger as well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Bilge]

Interesting what Vegasrobbi wrote above..... how 3DR Smart Shots is much more advanced than the other manufacturers platforms......

 

[Lon Denard]

PM me when your ready to part out, I need a couple of batteries... Maybe another charger as well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Okay, thanks!