Anybody have a Solo-based business?

Maddog · Oct 20, 2016

I was wondering how many folks have a business using Solo that actually makes money?

Tell us about it- where your at, what you do, etc.

twitchyzero · Oct 20, 2016

probably not a bad idea
considering they can now be treated as consumables...if you crash one not the end of the world without coverage...only $380 a pop

emilio mendoza · Oct 22, 2016

I have four solos and I do aerial photography I have one solo that I use mostly with a non fisheye GoPro lens. I have another one with modded Motors and GPS and the relish cable that I use for following cars or anything fast I've even taking it up to 70 miles an hour. And then I have another solo with no gimbal that I use for survey which I am going to make a gimbal for it to carry the GoPro 5. Going to have a fourth solo which I am taking apart and putting all the internals inside of a heavy lift quad which will carry a DSLR. I'm trying to get every little dollar out of this 3dr drones that I have been buying for the past year. If they were all the original price I would say that I'm just hitting my money back but since now they have lowered and price I have probably made my money back 5 times fold

emilio mendoza · Oct 22, 2016

I forgot to mention I'm in New York

franknitty69 · Oct 22, 2016

i assemble accessory bay boards for solo. they sell like hot cakes. i can't keep any in stock and i have to order from osh park damn near every two weeks to fulfill orders. lots of gov and edu clients. i also sell other accessories to interface solo with other devices like the sequoia, red edge and flir vue.

aside from selling things, i use one of my solos for mapping. i have another dedicated for aerial photography. i make money on both. i also make money renting the a/p one out.

i'm in washington dc.

Maddog · Oct 22, 2016

IMP Concepts said:
I make parts for Solo. Making Money is a different issue. I cover my costs and it keeps me busy. I am a Retired engineer. www.impconcepts.com

Awesome! If you can cover your costs, then technically you're making some money.

Maddog · Oct 22, 2016

emilio mendoza said:
I have four solos and I do aerial photography I have one solo that I use mostly with a non fisheye GoPro lens. I have another one with modded Motors and GPS and the relish cable that I use for following cars or anything fast I've even taking it up to 70 miles an hour. And then I have another solo with no gimbal that I use for survey which I am going to make a gimbal for it to carry the GoPro 5. Going to have a fourth solo which I am taking apart and putting all the internals inside of a heavy lift quad which will carry a DSLR. I'm trying to get every little dollar out of this 3dr drones that I have been buying for the past year. If they were all the original price I would say that I'm just hitting my money back but since now they have lowered and price I have probably made my money back 5 times fold

Thanks Emilio! How do you advertise your services?

Maddog · Oct 22, 2016

franknitty69 said:
i assemble accessory bay boards for solo. they sell like hot cakes. i can't keep any in stock and i have to order from osh park damn near every two weeks to fulfill orders. lots of gov and edu clients. i also sell other accessories to interface solo with other devices like the sequoia, red edge and flir vue.

aside from selling things, i use one of my solos for mapping. i have another dedicated for aerial photography. i make money on both. i also make money renting the a/p one out.

i'm in washington dc.

Wow Frank- I knew you were into that but I had no idea how popular they were.
How do people contact you to buy?

Craig L. Johnson - USMC · Oct 22, 2016

good to know you, if I ever need any parts for my solo

Goldie · Oct 23, 2016

Do you have a link to what you're building.

franknitty69 said:
i assemble accessory bay boards for solo. they sell like hot cakes. i can't keep any in stock and i have to order from osh park damn near every two weeks to fulfill orders. lots of gov and edu clients. i also sell other accessories to interface solo with other devices like the sequoia, red edge and flir vue.

aside from selling things, i use one of my solos for mapping. i have another dedicated for aerial photography. i make money on both. i also make money renting the a/p one out.

i'm in washington dc.

?

franknitty69 · Oct 24, 2016

Maddog said:
Wow Frank- I knew you were into that but I had no idea how popular they were.
How do people contact you to buy?

everything availble is in the store
3DR Solo Accessory Breakout Board

Goldie said:
Do you have a link to what you're building.?

so i'm not building anything specific, more like trying this and trying that.

i was working on a battery warmer. the parts are there and i tested it last winter. don't know how popular this would be though. not sure if i'm going to move forward with this one. i was working on a multiple battery charger too. toaster shape, charges 4 batteries and only has status leds (no lcd screen). i'm at the prototype stage. i don't know if i'll continue with it, as people don't even want to support the one that Curtis Leo has developed. i made a smart shot too. it was an auto pan, but Jason Shorts was better and besides there isn't anyway to trigger custom smart shots anymore.

the other thing that really interests me is computer vision. every since i have had a solo i have been trying to get it to do identify apriltags (kinda like qr codes), identify/avoid objects and automatically land on moving vehicles.

hackbard23 · Oct 25, 2016

emilio mendoza said:
I have four solos and I do aerial photography I have one solo that I use mostly with a non fisheye GoPro lens. I have another one with modded Motors and GPS and the relish cable that I use for following cars or anything fast I've even taking it up to 70 miles an hour. And then I have another solo with no gimbal that I use for survey which I am going to make a gimbal for it to carry the GoPro 5. Going to have a fourth solo which I am taking apart and putting all the internals inside of a heavy lift quad which will carry a DSLR. I'm trying to get every little dollar out of this 3dr drones that I have been buying for the past year. If they were all the original price I would say that I'm just hitting my money back but since now they have lowered and price I have probably made my money back 5 times fold

what motors did you use on your racing solo ?

Mountain Flyer · Oct 25, 2016

I use Solo to do real estate shoots. It takes me roughly a minute and a half of airtime to get the aerial shots. I then do the ground shots as well and for a package of 15 to 25 photos(# changes with listing requirements). I am pretty excited about the HDR function of Solex for this but have yet to get it to work in Solex. I wish he would post instructions with his updates for that app. Considering how little time it takes to get pictures the short flight time of solo doesn't bother me much and the smart shots make it very quick and easy.

Maddog · Oct 25, 2016

Mountain Flyer said:
I use Solo to do real estate shoots. It takes me roughly a minute and a half of airtime to get the aerial shots. I then do the ground shots as well and for a package of 15 to 25 photos(# changes with listing requirements). I am pretty excited about the HDR function of Solex for this but have yet to get it to work in Solex. I wish he would post instructions with his updates for that app. Considering how little time it takes to get pictures the short flight time of solo doesn't bother me much and the smart shots make it very quick and easy.

Nice! What camera do you use for the ground shots?

John Githens · Jan 3, 2018

Even though the most recent comment was way back in October 2016, I am adding a link >here< to a YouTube video I stumbled across by Drone Camps RC. Recommended to watch if you think you can make a living using a drone. If there is an improvement to the video, I think it would be to focus not so much on pitching in Corporate Boardrooms, but also focus on networking and exploring your local area for small jobs from individuals and small companies. That said, it is worth pondering: When's the last time that I or anyone I know hired a professional photographer? That's a clue to the volume of jobs that might happen, and the challenge of getting jobs using any drone and camera. By now, most established real estate photographers have added a drone to their toolkit and offered products. Of course, you may be the exception in your location.