3DR Solo vs Mavic Air, do you agree?

Very good points. I feel pretty much the same. I don’t agree the Solex Dev is all that responsive. I’ve had a few emails that were never answered. The DJI go app is really easy to use compared to Solex.
I have the Mro gps in mine and it acquires pretty fast after the first use.
Though I’ve never timed it, I don’t find the Air batteries last that much longer. Could be flying style.
One thing the Solo will do hands down is run away from the MA.
I initially read reports how fast it, the MA was and it was very responsive etc.
I was a little anxious on the first flight with the MA only to find that it is a dog compared to the Solo. Within 2-3minutes I switched to sport mode. It was better but I think the Solo handles better that the MA.
Now the Solo resides in its back pack in the spare room. It hasn’t seen air since New Years. For that matter, the MA has maybe a dozen flights on it since I got it in April. Getting kinda bored with multis. I’m trending back to fixed wing.

Good video.
 
I would have to say I agree with pretty much everything he said in the video. Very nice video...as are most all of his stuff.
 
Peter,
Your videos are the best. Your knowledge of this hobby and your videos both entertain and educate. Realizing the technology is always becoming more advanced, I still am not ready to throw in the towel on Solo. It was The Basic Pilot who informed us of the price drop on Solo and your enthusiasm with Solo is what convinced me to purchase one! I just happened to come into this hobby in February 2017 when one could get Solo, 3-Axis Gimbal and an additional battery for $299 plus tax totaling $314. This was a fraction of what Solo pioneers paid. For us late bloomers, it was like Best Buy’s taking a hundred bucks off the gimbal and throwing in Solo with an additional battery for free! That’s a deal I don’t believe we will see from DJI-,so maybe you can give another point to Solo?
It was great seeing you again. Tell me, was it just a coincidence that those Emmy’s were photo-bombing you? You look like you’re catching up with Ellen!
 
Peter,
Your videos are the best. Your knowledge of this hobby and your videos both entertain and educate. Realizing the technology is always becoming more advanced, I still am not ready to throw in the towel on Solo. It was The Basic Pilot who informed us of the price drop on Solo and your enthusiasm with Solo is what convinced me to purchase one! I just happened to come into this hobby in February 2017 when one could get Solo, 3-Axis Gimbal and an additional battery for $299 plus tax totaling $314. This was a fraction of what Solo pioneers paid. For us late bloomers, it was like Best Buy’s taking a hundred bucks off the gimbal and throwing in Solo with an additional battery for free! That’s a deal I don’t believe we will see from DJI-,so maybe you can give another point to Solo?
It was great seeing you again. Tell me, was it just a coincidence that those Emmy’s were photo-bombing you? You look like you’re catching up with Ellen!

That will most likely be in the 2nd video.
I still love flying the Solo, it just feels like it has some weight to it when it's flying.
 
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I think the solo wins big points for something else. Here's the thing, when it was launched the solo had a multitude of problems. Crappy GPS ( Rev A taking nearly 5 minutes or more to get sat locks, or on an overcast day, not getting a lock at all). The terrible vibrations ruining that expensive gimbal footage. The limited flying range and of course the noisy props. So why does the solo deserve some extra points? Because the people that bought them suddenly wanted to make upgrades to the drone to improve it. The upgraded the GPS with MRO and HERE GPS systems. They started replacing the stiff HDMI cables with soft vibration absorbing cables. They swapped out their antenna's and wifi cards to increase the range. The solo suddenly became their launch pad to customizing and even building their own drone (who with a DJI was inspired to do that?). Even now there's still people working on an alternative gimbal, there's people working on replacing and extending the batteries. The solo became (and still is!) a stepping stone to learning how to build your own drone. With DJI, you have an issue, you send the drone back. With 3DR, you have an issue, you learn how to solve it.
So it may just be one point to the 3DR solo for this, but I think it's an important point!
 
It's got a bit of weight but that’s what makes it so stable when it gets a little windy. I flew it in Vermont in the dead of winter, the winds were blowing and Solo held its own. The video was pretty steady.
Peter- the Solo with the HERE is yours I assume? That’s another thing cool about Solo- you feel like you’re under the hood tinkering to make it better and it gives you some appreciation for what kind of engineering goes into this kind of device. I am looking forward to the sequel.
 
Nice video and agree with Peter totally, I also have a Mavic Pro and am flabergasted that it does not control the gimbal pitch during smart shots WTF! 3DR's smartshots wins hands down but the mavic shines in other area's.
 
Let’s also not forget the Solo community. On just this forum alone, we witness brilliance on almost a daily basis- to the point where it almost goes unnoticed. Folks out there who donate their time to identify, resolve and then share important, sometimes critical information to assist Solo operators in keeping Solo safe. Go ahead and look at DJI Mavic Air, Mavic Pro and Spark. Every single one is identical to its species. All the MA’s are the same, the MP’s are the same and the Sparks are all the same. You can add a couple stickers or a nifty skin- but that’s it.
Now, look at Solo- and all of the different configurations, HERE, m8n, green cube, 3 axis gimbal, bait release, Rev A, Rev B and who knows what else. Hell, you could put 30 in a room and no two could be replicated.
This point- goes to Solo.
 
It's got a bit of weight but that’s what makes it so stable when it gets a little windy. I flew it in Vermont in the dead of winter, the winds were blowing and Solo held its own. The video was pretty steady.
Peter- the Solo with the HERE is yours I assume? That’s another thing cool about Solo- you feel like you’re under the hood tinkering to make it better and it gives you some appreciation for what kind of engineering goes into this kind of device. I am looking forward to the sequel.
No it's not mine, the Here is the guy who I credited on the bottom. If you are talking about the shot where I am holding the "DIY" Solo, that's actually a sprinkler head that I gaffer taped to the Solo.
 
No it's not mine, the Here is the guy who I credited on the bottom. If you are talking about the shot where I am holding the "DIY" Solo, that's actually a sprinkler head that I gaffer taped to the Solo.
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I was referring to the Solo with the HERE- your prop Solo- I paused the video to carefully look at all the contraptions you had on it! Hilarious!
 
I think the solo wins big points for something else. Here's the thing, when it was launched the solo had a multitude of problems. Crappy GPS ( Rev A taking nearly 5 minutes or more to get sat locks, or on an overcast day, not getting a lock at all). The terrible vibrations ruining that expensive gimbal footage. The limited flying range and of course the noisy props. So why does the solo deserve some extra points? Because the people that bought them suddenly wanted to make upgrades to the drone to improve it. The upgraded the GPS with MRO and HERE GPS systems. They started replacing the stiff HDMI cables with soft vibration absorbing cables. They swapped out their antenna's and wifi cards to increase the range. The solo suddenly became their launch pad to customizing and even building their own drone (who with a DJI was inspired to do that?). Even now there's still people working on an alternative gimbal, there's people working on replacing and extending the batteries. The solo became (and still is!) a stepping stone to learning how to build your own drone. With DJI, you have an issue, you send the drone back. With 3DR, you have an issue, you learn how to solve it.
So it may just be one point to the 3DR solo for this, but I think it's an important point!
While I do agree that Solo has increased knowledge in the DIY community...I do not agree that this is a good thing in drone. It's like being happy that a new car has problems, because it affords me the opportunity to learn how to work on cars.
 
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On the other hand... are you going to scrap that ‘66 Shelby Cobra Super Snake because it has a blown fuse or Ford’s 2018 Focus has a back up camera?
Solo is definitely a DIY platform now- support is pretty much gone, so to keep Solo flying, the ties to 3DR are severed and modifications may be necessary. But for the enthusiasts- this is a good thing. Take a look at Xevets’ creation- he has developed some badass machines using Solo components. Enthusiasts love Solo, they want to go inside and tinker- and novice; they get the opportunity to see what’s inside of Solo, what the pieces do and a chance to replace some internals to make Solo what they prefer.
Now someone who just wants to fly around and use their drone to take pictures and video, DJI make be your best bet.
 
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