Are drones like coffee shops?

[RichWest]

Would you assume that this motor is bad and is the source of my vibrations?

Yes.

 

[JonW]

Well, there's a no-nonsense definite answer if I've ever heard one.

 

[J R]

Jon,

Yeah, I knew that. Just wanted to keep you posted. I know you're trying to use this thing professionally and I've been following all of these posts so I know you're going to want it as steady as possible.

Jerry

 

[Cosber]

The one big similarity in your comparison is personal service - you'll get the plastered-on grin from the guy at Starbucks, but he really couldn't give a hoot. The folks at the local joint really care about your satisfaction...

Excellent analogy.

 

[Arthur Burke - N4PJ]

You asked, and given that I frequent both shops, I will answer. I don't agree with the analogy, as Starbucks actually does care.

DJI (in my experience) cares less. Both UAV's have problems. Just different problems. Plenty evidence of that on Phantom forums (and in my personal experience).

I think part of the difference is in two areas. I don't have the stats, but from what I see, there is a difference with percentage of types of owners.

Many people that use DJI products, have for a long time. They know DJI service sucks, they know how the birds operate, and they know what to expect. The ones there are "new" have more problems. Along comes Solo, and it also works a bit different. They expect something else, which causes problems. The clue is, you see much less of this issue with new Solo owners.

Many Solo owners are brand new to RC, quads, aerial photography, etc. though, and that is a double edged sword. Contrary to the monkey commercial, they have a lot to learn, so they are getting their mind around a lot of things, from GPS to shutter speed. And they do things they shouldn't. In my experience, it is also tough to admit that, so with both companies, a lot of pilot error comes out (at least from the owners) as copter problems. I am not saying "all". I am saying a "lot".

And then add that the nature of Solo is different. It is like a slick implementation of Android, where it is nailed down fairly tight, but also highly configurable. It isn't as "locked down" or "vertically integrated" as DJI products.

Things like the Phantom are more like IOS. Slick and tightly integrated, but locked down, and not very expandable.

And then last but not least, is the personal experience. I have a P3P that I "just" got back for the second time. It has spent a total of 13 weeks down since I bought it at the end of May and 11 those weeks either traveling to/from ,or at DJI. In contrast, I had to send in 1 of 2 Solo's and that turnaround was less than 2 weeks.

Is that everyone's experience? No.. And that is the point. I see people that are having problems, thinking that everyone is also, mainly because they are looking for them, based (naturally) on interest in their problem.

If you did that though on Phantom forums, you would see dozens of fly aways and cracked shells, video problems (like mine) etc. etc.

One thing I tell all my friends looking in to getting a "drone" In this class, and asking for advice as to which one...

You are already screwed No matter which one you get (or don't) you will regret it at some point.

Your very last statement got a chuckle from me. How true!

About 18 months back I got interested in RC planes. The quadcopter craze hit me a little later. Although I had/have somewhat of a mentor for my flying, he was far more experienced than I and was comfortable flying with lots and lots of trees close by. It was semi-disastrous for me. I finally had to go somewhere else (much more wide open space to maneuver). But my supposed mentor did have one caveat I've followed as I've delved into the world of quads. "You can't go flying and be constantly worried about it crashing."

Pilot error (the most common "problem" that many of us will not admit), motor failure, ESC failure, loss of contact because of loss of line-of-sight - the list goes on.

Personally, I ended up spending between $3,000 and $4,000 trying to totally decide which one I should "have faith in." I've lurked here for months, but still never bought a Solo. Own a Phantom, a Chroma and an old (still dependable) Blade 350 QX series bird.

None of my quads have been perfect either, but, self-confessing, most of the problems I encountered were because I tried too many shortcuts. With less than a dozen flights under my belt, I discovered I was attempting "experienced" flights - essentially attempting things I wasn't really ready for.

One of my birds did have what was apparently a total fly-away and that company replaced it - almost with no questions asked. They have been pleasant to deal with and never fail to give me some kind of response in a timely manner. Rather than state who they are, I'll tell you privately if you'd like to know - my email is aburkefl at gmail dot com

Love 'em all and they're all still working very well. Every once in a while I still get scared, but I'm learning better and better at how to avoid a panic attack and get my bird back safely.

Even though I do not yet own a Solo, I'm crossing my fingers that they'll succeed with this product and one day I'll be eagerly awaiting the addition to my hangar.

Art Burke - N4PJ
Leesburg, FL