Dear 3DR I love pixhawk FC and used it for years,, But Solo *********

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As I have said before,,
I'm not an expert,, In this hobby I don't believe in the word EXPERT.
I believe words like EXPERIENCED,,, honesty and truthfulness come to mind ,, Over my 40 + years of building, designing, repairing, flying, floating, rolling, and having done most everything that can be done with a TX. RX and a hand full of servos I do feel I am qualified enough to write this post.

I am writing this for the ones that HAVE NOT been in this hobby very long and think everything they see is COOL or the best just because they purchased it so they don't feel buyer remorse. Or for the ones that start an argument and fight tooth and nail to convince others that what they have purchased is the best product ever made just to justify there purchase mistake and want others to believe it for vindication.

For example,,
In my years I have owned over 45 radios of different brands trying THE BEST keeping up with technology and new electronics. Today I am down to a JR10X, (retired) Jeti DS-16 and waiting on a new Jeti DS-24.
I also have a Spektrum DX-18 and a Futaba 18MZ. I have well over $10000.00 in radios and radio equipment not counting helicopters, planes, FPV, Multi rotors and boxes and cabinets packed with engines servos and well you get my point,, I do love this hobby..

Please ask me what Radio is the best.
I can tell you that all of them have there good points and there bad and any answer I would give someone would not like my answer and I would have to close this thread because the flames would get HOT. I can say there is Good,, Bad and JUNK... I will also tell you that I wish I would not have purchased the radio with a $800.00 price point nor the radio with a $3000.00 price point..
I'm not one for the feel of a Plastic radio, I'm old school and have man hands and don't like the feel of plastic radios. I'm sure someone will say that plastic is better for flying in the cold.. BS.. I live in Minnesota we have had -40 below winter days and I have flown in -20 or colder ,, its don't matter.. cold is cold but I can tell you this,,, aluminum case retains heat longer then plastic does so if you fly with a hand warmer in a radio bag aluminum is a good heat sink and will keep your hands warmer then any plastic radio.
I guess for you younger adolescence lads it would probably be like comparing a living breathing women to a BLOW UP DOLL..
I personally like something with a little weight and don't have to worry about cracking it if it bumps the table.

So you all know,,
I have also owned and "Sent Back" my Solo, months ago ,,
Being one of first to get it awhile back and after two weeks of heavy test flying I was not impressed at all.
Again if your a novice and have never owned anything RC and the SOLO is your first aircraft please don't start flaming this post because you don't have the experience or the flight time to know a GOOD product from a BAD product..

I am one that I have always built my own stuff and I wanted for the first time in my life try an OUT OF THE BOX..setup because I believe in 3DR and for all the people that have used 3DR Pixhawk I personally have never had a problem or issues with it..
As a matter of fact I own 4 Pixhawks and have logged over 200,, 30 min flights on one of the units without issues. Personally I find it to be a great product as my experience with the Pixhawk has shown that.

So were did 3DR go wrong with SOLO?? I don't know.. To many investors, to many people wanting a return on there investment and pushing to get the product out the door unfinished ,, Greedy ,, maybe all of the above.. Solo was not close to being in the hands of the public let alone the hands of NOVICE ..
EVEN A MONKEY CAN FLY IT.. Sorry not from the testing I had done and the issues I have seen.
I will not say Pilots.. just novice..
Just because you purchase a aircraft does not make you a pilot, it takes years and hours of experience to be a PILOT. Not days and minutes..

SO I'm sure by now I have a few of you that are starting to get upset,, That's OK remember what I said at the beginning of this post about people that purchase things.. If your one of them than you better not read any further because your really going to defend your SOLO to justify your purchase.

My expectations of ANY Product better match the MANUFACTURE HYPE and should be able to do what the manufacture had designed it to do and to do it right,,, RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.
NO GPS modifications,, NO WIFI modifications and many others that will come along to MAKE the SOLO do what it was suppose to do out of the box..

I was expecting to be WOWED with the new PIXHAWK II on board.. the 25 Min flight times without gimbal.
and much more. I was expecting 100% performance and design ready just as the manufacture promised.. ADVERTISED...

I have found that the SOLO falls short on many of its promises on many topics so I sent it back because it was unfinished, overpriced and over hyped.. It simply could not deliver what was promised from 3DR...
For the ones that are starting to smolder and feel the heat rising.. better Run..

I own DJI and 3DR products and a few others so I'm not talking out of my DONKEY..(ass)
Again I have never had any issues with my DJI equipment,, I know there service sucks and warranty is awful from what I understand but again I have never had to warranty anything so I guess I'm lucky..

SO by now you are all wondering what the point of this post is..
3DR better make some changes and do it soon....Fire who you have too and start over..

I just spent the day with DJI inspire 1 with the new updated app and camera operation and control options and flight controller..

I can say and I do HATE TO SAY IT,, DJI Inspire has nothing to worry about sitting next to the SOLO,,
Its like comparing a VW bug to Harrier jump jet.. The Inspire that I was using has about 50 flight hours and still performs flawless.. yes others have had issues with the Inspire just as others have had issues with the SOLO and Phantoms and anything else that flies ..
Personally experiencing issues with the SOLO I took the Inspire for a full day of testing in the same area I had flown the Solo,, I had ZERO issues with the Inspire flying in the same area I had flown the SOLO..

Inspire
TWO mile FULL HD SOLID video link ,,
NO fancy aftermarket antennas.
No fighting GPS issues.
No compass issues.
The App is very well setup with all flight data and even warns you when you are reaching the point of no return on battery life. Once your flight time and battery power data intersect its time to turn back for home.. Very nice..
SOLO app,, no comment.
No issues with GPS compared to the SOLO testing in the same test area and environment.
There is so much with the Inspire that the SOLO is lacking..

Yes,, YES I know you cant compare the SOLO to the Inspire 1 and you have to compare it to the Phantom but my point is this... Price point,,, BANG FOR THE BUCK..

By the time you purchase a SOLO , GOPRO 4 , Gimbal and all the other updates to get the SOLO to be reliable enough to use your pushing over $2000.00.
Inspire 1 cost $2900.00..
For $900.00 more you get 80% more machine...

3DR
I had HIGH HOPES for SOLO but it was only a wet dream.. I was wishing that 3DR would give DJI a run for there money but its not going to happen this year. I hope that Summer of 2016 the SOLO II will be released and I will once more try a SOLO.. If you have no SOLO 2.0 please start selling the Pixhawk II FC So I can try this in some of my new designs.
 
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This bird flies like a champ. I almost don't want to add a gimbal because it will limit aggressive flying......which I am very much enjoying. I'll leave off any extensive background info because it has nothing to do with how great this copter performs. Sorry you missed out.
 
This is just a comment, not a rebuttal, no defense in the sense of trying to start anything other than a constructive dialogue. You certainly have worlds more experience than probably most of us. Especially me. So from my perspective, here's what SOLO offers me in spite of the issues which are undeniable. What happens when I have a problem? Whether I caused it, a crash, whatever, or an "issue" with a motor pod, a GPS, gimbal, whatever. I know and 3DR has demonstrated that they are covering the owners, replacements, RMA's, etc. Yes, I know it shouldn't happen but it has. At least there is a safety net, someone on the other end of the line. And I am sure you also know there have been plenty of "pilot error" incidents and also incidents that some have claimed were not their fault, but really were but didn't have enough personal character and integrity to own up to them. So, bottom line, if I am a novice, thinking I am probably at some point going to need service whether it's a tech support someone walk-me-through this kind thing or I just crashed my thing and I need to send it in to get it fixed, or my thing just died. What are our choices? Yes, DJI is there but do I want to go to them for a full range of services. Probably not. Does on the shelf price comparison favor P3, absolutely. But service costs money and in my opinion a part of the premium for SOLO is for that tech support, customer support, totally stand behind the warranty policy,,and you yourself took advantage of the try and buy offer. Who else does that?

So, my point is that a good number of us NEED that support and service because without it in a matter of hours many of us would have useless junk to throw in the trash can. So, notwithstanding your personal experience and that of others I submit that there are a lot of things to consider before pulling the plug on SOLO.

Lastly, this is my personal experience. I purchased my SOLO on June 16th. I had 2 1/2 months of flawless flying. Received my gimbal in the 1st wave. It was flawless. Then something happened. At the time I didn't know what. Solo took a low altitude dive and crashed. Still flew but gimbal wasn't quite right, some very slight intermittent shake in video. Opened a ticket, emailed logs. Three days later got a response from 3DR. #3 motor was not performing properly and "most likely" caused the crash. RMA'ed the motor and gimbal, new one's scheduled for delivery late next week. It happened. It could happen to any machine. But where would if I had ANY other mfg?? Most likely up the proverbial S**T Creek. Again, I respect your experience and insight. This is just a view from a much different perspective. Thank you and good flying.
 
Rodney and I have a similar background and flying/building experience and PM'd each other about people we both knew in the industry 30 years ago. All of his points are valid and based on his expectations and product failings. I was with him on this forum when he was trying to work through them.

The only difference is I decided to stick it out with 3DR as I knew updates would (and have) followed quickly. I have not had an issue yet and still using the original props that came with my Solo when it was shipped in the first shipments. I have not done any mods except the FPVLR antenna. I got that even though I had not been out further than 1500' with the stock and still no RTH, but thought it might concentrate the signal better when behind trees, etc..Is Solo perfect and flying exactly per the marketing hype? Nope and few products do. But with each update it continues to get better and I enjoy flying it and using the smart shots as needed. I also know that since Rodney returned his Solo there have been several updates, and while it would still not meet his expectations I believe it would have been better.

Thanks for posting Rodney.
 
This is just a comment, not a rebuttal, no defense in the sense of trying to start anything other than a constructive dialogue. You certainly have worlds more experience than probably most of us. Especially me. So from my perspective, here's what SOLO offers me in spite of the issues which are undeniable. What happens when I have a problem? Whether I caused it, a crash, whatever, or an "issue" with a motor pod, a GPS, gimbal, whatever. I know and 3DR has demonstrated that they are covering the owners, replacements, RMA's, etc. Yes, I know it shouldn't happen but it has. At least there is a safety net, someone on the other end of the line. And I am sure you also know there have been plenty of "pilot error" incidents and also incidents that some have claimed were not their fault, but really were but didn't have enough personal character and integrity to own up to them. So, bottom line, if I am a novice, thinking I am probably at some point going to need service whether it's a tech support someone walk-me-through this kind thing or I just crashed my thing and I need to send it in to get it fixed, or my thing just died. What are our choices? Yes, DJI is there but do I want to go to them for a full range of services. Probably not. Does on the shelf price comparison favor P3, absolutely. But service costs money and in my opinion a part of the premium for SOLO is for that tech support, customer support, totally stand behind the warranty policy,,and you yourself took advantage of the try and buy offer. Who else does that?

So, my point is that a good number of us NEED that support and service because without it in a matter of hours many of us would have useless junk to throw in the trash can. So, notwithstanding your personal experience and that of others I submit that there are a lot of things to consider before pulling the plug on SOLO.

Lastly, this is my personal experience. I purchased my SOLO on June 16th. I had 2 1/2 months of flawless flying. Received my gimbal in the 1st wave. It was flawless. Then something happened. At the time I didn't know what. Solo took a low altitude dive and crashed. Still flew but gimbal wasn't quite right, some very slight intermittent shake in video. Opened a ticket, emailed logs. Three days later got a response from 3DR. #3 motor was not performing properly and "most likely" caused the crash. RMA'ed the motor and gimbal, new one's scheduled for delivery late next week. It happened. It could happen to any machine. But where would if I had ANY other mfg?? Most likely up the proverbial S**T Creek. Again, I respect your experience and insight. This is just a view from a much different perspective. Thank you and good flying.

David
What needs to be done is this,,
Solo's... That don't have problems that people have had and been flying the hell out of with no issues should be sent back to 3DR and looked at very close and see what the difference is between the ones that have problems and the ones that have not..
Start with the GPS issues that I myself HAD and others are still having and that 3DR has admitted to also.. so its not a fantasy..

As I said,, I LOVE 3DR and I will continue to Purchase there FC's for my personal endeavors...
I hope next summer things change for everyone that have had issues and are hanging on by a thread..
But again,, as long as I have been in this game.. I know better..
I'm still on this forum looking for change..
Remember this also.... I didn't say I purchased a Inspire I just spent the day with it.. And for me to be impressed it takes a LOT... and I was..

I really hope that 3DR can get a reliable undisputed champion in the air and kick DJI down a few notches.. that's my personal feeling...
And yes,,, 3DR has been very good to me over the many years I have used there equipment for personal projects and again with NO issues with there Pixhawk FC's..
That is a great track record..

Jubalr
Thanks
By next summer I will take the plunge again" I'm sure" and with better luck that I know.
I keep reading this forum hopping to see more change and I still see the GPS issues showing up..
I have to be able to rely, depend and trust my equipment.. and when you cant,,, you have nothing...
Its like having a bad servo on your tail rotor or gyro that kicks out on the middle inverted 3D with rotor blades spinning 2200 rpm.. No matter how much distance there is between you and the heli.. your still to close.. I'm sure you have had the feeling...

I'm not mad,, Just let down.. I had high hopes for 3DR first attempt at DJI.. I'm sure if 3DR reads this they are probably thinking the same thing ..
But as I was told months ago from a 3DR employee ,, the solo was not ready to go and marketing messed up..
 
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@Rodney Johnson - it's very hard for me justify keeping the Solo especially since I do have an Inspire 1. I figured I'd use Solo in spaces where my I1 might be too intimidating to use. Tonight I had to continue to field questions about why the only thing I was doing with my Solo was going straight up and down.... Like literally in a straight vertical line for about 15 minutes. .. Dude that was at the field said, "that's a cool looking quad" I was like, yup.. Cool looking is about all it's good for right now.
 
Interesting read Rodney. Cant say I argue with any of it.
 
Good posts on this thread, and some great info. I appear to be one of the lucky few with a good bird.

My only beef with your first post is that you clearly don't understand thermodynamics and what a heat sink is. Other than that - good stuff.
 
Good points.

I agree, I love the look and feel and promise of the Solo, but am disappointed in its range. No problem with GPS where I live.

However, the cost of the Solo w/ gimbal is $1400, not $2000. I had a H3+ GoPro that I use without the drone often (I also use it in my P2). I might spend the $120 to improve the antenna, but that's about it. So more like $1500.

Why can you only go straight up and down?
 
Well, as long as it's just experience that counts...
I've been RC flying for 35 years, both fixed wing and rotor, glow, gas and electric power, recently jet turbines, competitive in the Dayton International Airshow for the last fifteen years, etc., so I guess I've been around just a bit.
I have my favorite brands of gear also, and for my own reasons, not someone else's - someone who's not in my position or subject to my particular wants or needs.
The thing is, I honestly don't know - and from what posts I've read in the last couple of days I'm not alone - what all the crying's about. My Solo flies great - it's never given me a single moment of grief. It has worked the way I wanted it to on every single flight I've made.
EVERY SINGLE ONE.
I understand that experiences vary - but seriously, even as some wish to tell me I'm the exception to the rule, I'd ask those same people to ask themselves the same question:
Could they be the exception to the rule?
Could great experience flying various types of craft actually be detrimental to your performance as a drone pilot? You might, for instance, be directly contributing to the severity of perceived problems?
Just sayin'.
 
As I have said before,,
I'm not an expert,, In this hobby I don't believe in the word EXPERT.
I believe words like EXPERIENCED,,, honesty and truthfulness come to mind ,, Over my 40 + years of building, designing, repairing, flying, floating, rolling, and having done most everything that can be done with a TX. RX and a hand full of servos I do feel I am qualified enough to write this post.

I am writing this for the ones that HAVE NOT been in this hobby very long and think everything they see is COOL or the best just because they purchased it so they don't feel buyer remorse. Or for the ones that start an argument and fight tooth and nail to convince others that what they have purchased is the best product ever made just to justify there purchase mistake and want others to believe it for vindication.

For example,,
In my years I have owned over 45 radios of different brands trying THE BEST keeping up with technology and new electronics. Today I am down to a JR10X, (retired) Jeti DS-16 and waiting on a new Jeti DS-24.
I also have a Spektrum DX-18 and a Futaba 18MZ. I have well over $10000.00 in radios and radio equipment not counting helicopters, planes, FPV, Multi rotors and boxes and cabinets packed with engines servos and well you get my point,, I do love this hobby..

Please ask me what Radio is the best.
I can tell you that all of them have there good points and there bad and any answer I would give someone would not like my answer and I would have to close this thread because the flames would get HOT. I can say there is Good,, Bad and JUNK... I will also tell you that I wish I would not have purchased the radio with a $800.00 price point nor the radio with a $3000.00 price point..
I'm not one for the feel of a Plastic radio, I'm old school and have man hands and don't like the feel of plastic radios. I'm sure someone will say that plastic is better for flying in the cold.. BS.. I live in Minnesota we have had -40 below winter days and I have flown in -20 or colder ,, its don't matter.. cold is cold but I can tell you this,,, aluminum case retains heat longer then plastic does so if you fly with a hand warmer in a radio bag aluminum is a good heat sink and will keep your hands warmer then any plastic radio.
I guess for you younger adolescence lads it would probably be like comparing a living breathing women to a BLOW UP DOLL..
I personally like something with a little weight and don't have to worry about cracking it if it bumps the table.

So you all know,,
I have also owned and "Sent Back" my Solo, months ago ,,
Being one of first to get it awhile back and after two weeks of heavy test flying I was not impressed at all.
Again if your a novice and have never owned anything RC and the SOLO is your first aircraft please don't start flaming this post because you don't have the experience or the flight time to know a GOOD product from a BAD product..

I am one that I have always built my own stuff and I wanted for the first time in my life try an OUT OF THE BOX..setup because I believe in 3DR and for all the people that have used 3DR Pixhawk I personally have never had a problem or issues with it..
As a matter of fact I own 4 Pixhawks and have logged over 200,, 30 min flights on one of the units without issues. Personally I find it to be a great product as my experience with the Pixhawk has shown that.

So were did 3DR go wrong with SOLO?? I don't know.. To many investors, to many people wanting a return on there investment and pushing to get the product out the door unfinished ,, Greedy ,, maybe all of the above.. Solo was not close to being in the hands of the public let alone the hands of NOVICE ..
EVEN A MONKEY CAN FLY IT.. Sorry not from the testing I had done and the issues I have seen.
I will not say Pilots.. just novice..
Just because you purchase a aircraft does not make you a pilot, it takes years and hours of experience to be a PILOT. Not days and minutes..

SO I'm sure by now I have a few of you that are starting to get upset,, That's OK remember what I said at the beginning of this post about people that purchase things.. If your one of them than you better not read any further because your really going to defend your SOLO to justify your purchase.

My expectations of ANY Product better match the MANUFACTURE HYPE and should be able to do what the manufacture had designed it to do and to do it right,,, RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.
NO GPS modifications,, NO WIFI modifications and many others that will come along to MAKE the SOLO do what it was suppose to do out of the box..

I was expecting to be WOWED with the new PIXHAWK II on board.. the 25 Min flight times without gimbal.
and much more. I was expecting 100% performance and design ready just as the manufacture promised.. ADVERTISED...

I have found that the SOLO falls short on many of its promises on many topics so I sent it back because it was unfinished, overpriced and over hyped.. It simply could not deliver what was promised from 3DR...
For the ones that are starting to smolder and feel the heat rising.. better Run..

I own DJI and 3DR products and a few others so I'm not talking out of my DONKEY..(ass)
Again I have never had any issues with my DJI equipment,, I know there service sucks and warranty is awful from what I understand but again I have never had to warranty anything so I guess I'm lucky..

SO by now you are all wondering what the point of this post is..
3DR better make some changes and do it soon....Fire who you have too and start over..

I just spent the day with DJI inspire 1 with the new updated app and camera operation and control options and flight controller..

I can say and I do HATE TO SAY IT,, DJI Inspire has nothing to worry about sitting next to the SOLO,,
Its like comparing a VW bug to Harrier jump jet.. The Inspire that I was using has about 50 flight hours and still performs flawless.. yes others have had issues with the Inspire just as others have had issues with the SOLO and Phantoms and anything else that flies ..
Personally experiencing issues with the SOLO I took the Inspire for a full day of testing in the same area I had flown the Solo,, I had ZERO issues with the Inspire flying in the same area I had flown the SOLO..

Inspire
TWO mile FULL HD SOLID video link ,,
NO fancy aftermarket antennas.
No fighting GPS issues.
No compass issues.
The App is very well setup with all flight data and even warns you when you are reaching the point of no return on battery life. Once your flight time and battery power data intersect its time to turn back for home.. Very nice..
SOLO app,, no comment.
No issues with GPS compared to the SOLO testing in the same test area and environment.
There is so much with the Inspire that the SOLO is lacking..

Yes,, YES I know you cant compare the SOLO to the Inspire 1 and you have to compare it to the Phantom but my point is this... Price point,,, BANG FOR THE BUCK..

By the time you purchase a SOLO , GOPRO 4 , Gimbal and all the other updates to get the SOLO to be reliable enough to use your pushing over $2000.00.
Inspire 1 cost $2900.00..
For $900.00 more you get 80% more machine...

3DR
I had HIGH HOPES for SOLO but it was only a wet dream.. I was wishing that 3DR would give DJI a run for there money but its not going to happen this year. I hope that Summer of 2016 the SOLO II will be released and I will once more try a SOLO.. If you have no SOLO 2.0 please start selling the Pixhawk II FC So I can try this in some of my new designs.
This is very true. 3DR over promised and under delivered. Its basically still in beta and by the time they get their issues sorted out there will be an inspire 2 and phantom 4.
 
My opinions just that an opinion and it's obvious some solos have been junk and others like Jubalr, mine, Rich and a ton of others have been near perfect. You certainly have more experience, I'm only 33 but I've also had a ton of products with an rx and tx and if you got a winner, solo is ahead of nearly all of them. Today I have 20 or so RCs with plenty of radio options from nearly every company thats worth mentioning but this is only my second multi.

No argument but after all these fixes and updates they pushed with free software my solo is nearly perfect. I honestly couldn't be much happier and as is solo is already ahead of phantom IMO and in 6 months I see solo being not only compared to inspire but likley preferred to it by alot who own both. Sure inspire is cool looking and different but so is solo, only thing I see different is carbon fiber build wise and solo had proven to be much tougher than either dji bird in impact resistance.

Not trying to start issues I own a phantom as well and am not a brand loyal guy, I use what works best, but I honestly believe if you had a solo now with gimbal and it functioned like mine has you'd have a much harder time complaining about it. Inspires bigger yes but why would I want a bigger bird, my bet is smaller will likley be the norm soon just like every other piece of tech ever made outside of a display. If solo could carry a larger camera maybe it would have reason to be bigger but for what it and inspire both are they have all they need. Solo isn't huge but does great in wind as I'm sure inspire does with its size. I'm not saying solo is better yet, but I do bet it will be preferred to have a solo you can carry easily and get on a plane with rather than an inspire that's heavier and much less portable in a lot of situations. I debated between inspire and solo on this purchase and actually I was debating returning my solo over the lies and all the mess 3dr made of this launch recently, but after getting my gimbal in the air I fell in love all over again. Yes I needed a fpvlr antenna yet I'm still well under inspires price and that's all you need to have range and connectivity just like djis birds, I've not lost signal one time since.

All three are great birds and both companies have their issues without a doubt, I'd bet once both you and McCabe get the chance to fly a solo again you hold on to it this time if you go in not holding a grudge from this experience. I can't fault either of you and if I'd of had the issues McCabe had with two solos I'd of probably returned too, I didn't see your problems but I'm sure your return was after a mess as well. Not trying to sway anybody just saying if you expected solo to be complete and perfect day one like 3dr said, than you weren't thinking. Yes there were more issues than I assumed but launching any new product to the world especially one that does all this does you had to expect that in version 1 if you've seen other similar launches. I mean there's been how many phantom iterations and versions of each now and they still have a bunch to work out, as is now my solo is nearly flawless. Also every update has fixed issues quickly and not messed up other things in the process, unlike some other quads. I don't see a solo 2 coming soon since those that are working are flawless so I'd bet you folks who returned will most likley have to buy a solo 1 next year after you see and hear of its success. Missed opportunity for 3dr so far sure, they could have stole a much larger chunk from dji. That said after flying my complete solo I've nearly forgotten how $hitty this launch has been and am just happy with my final product now that it's all over.

Fly safe, fly whatever and enjoy it like I am, these things are only going to get better and a lot faster now with competition, so now we all win as consumers. Both companies have things to work on and both seem to be heading in the right direction now, even if at different speeds. Pick your poison and enjoy.

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Good points.

I agree, I love the look and feel and promise of the Solo, but am disappointed in its range. No problem with GPS where I live.

However, the cost of the Solo w/ gimbal is $1400, not $2000. So more like $1500.

Please read again very closely
As I said before, ,, As per 3DR spec,,,
new Solo $999.95, Gimbal 399.95 and new gopro 4, $499.99,,, that is what is specified to be used with the Solo ,, That is 1899.89 round up to $1900.00.
Now add the cost of aftermarket wifi antennas and aftermarket GPS not including time and other materials for GPS instalation it will be over $2000.00
So yes,, $2000.00
 
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My biggest disappointment is that so many folks are having issues beside me, it seems a lot are being fixed but even if some of us have perfect birds the platform won't grow unless it's more successful overall. With all the opportunity solo has being open I really hope they have now or get their QC together soon or a lot of potential will go untapped. Good luck to those with issues and safe flying to the rest, I'm about outta here for the night, great thread though seeing both sides of the spektrum without the arguing and my teams better BS.
 
My opinions just that an opinion and it's obvious some solos have been junk and others like Jubalr, mine, Rich and a ton of others have been near perfect. You certainly have more experience, I'm only 33 but I've also had a ton of products with an rx and tx and if you got a winner, solo is ahead of nearly all of them. Today I have 20 or so RCs with plenty of radio options from nearly every company thats worth mentioning but this is only my second multi.

No argument but after all these fixes and updates they pushed with free software my solo is perfect. I honestly couldn't be much happier and as is solo is already ahead of phantom IMO and in 6 months I see solo being not only compared to inspire but likley preferred to it by alot who own both. Sure inspire is cool looking and different but so is solo, only thing I see different is carbon fiber build wise and solo had proven to be much tougher than either dji bird in impact resistance.

Not trying to start issues I own a phantom as well and am not a brand loyal guy, I use what works best, but I honestly believe if you had a solo now with gimbal and it functioned like mine has you'd have a much harder time complaining about it. Inspires bigger yes but why would I want a bigger bird, my bet is smaller will likley be the norm soon just like every other piece of tech ever made outside of a display. If solo could carry a larger camera maybe it would have reason to be bigger but for what it and inspire both are they have all they need. Solo isn't huge but does great in wind as I'm sure inspire does with its size. I'm not saying solo is better yet, but I do bet it will be preferred to have a solo you can carry easily and get on a plane with rather than an inspire that's heavier and much less portable in a lot of situations. I debated between inspire and solo on this purchase and actually I was debating returning my solo over the lies and all the mess 3dr made of this launch recently, but after getting my gimbal in the air I fell in love all over again. Yes I needed a fpvlr antenna yet I'm still well under inspires price and that's all you need to have range and connectivity just like djis birds, I've not lost signal one time since.

All three are great birds and both companies have their issues without a doubt, I'd bet once both you and McCabe get the chance to fly a solo again you hold on to it this time if you go in not holding a grudge from this experience. I can't fault either of you and if I'd of had the issues McCabe had with two solos I'd of probably returned too, I didn't see your problems but I'm sure your return was after a mess as well. Not trying to sway anybody just saying if you expected solo to be complete and perfect day one like 3dr said, than you weren't thinking. Yes there were more issues than I assumed but launching any new product to the world especially one that does all this does you had to expect that in version 1 if you've seen other similar launches. I mean there's been how many phantom iterations and versions of each now and they still have a bunch to work out, as is now my solo is nearly flawless. Also every update has fixed issues quickly and not messed up other things in the process, unlike some other quads. I don't see a solo 2 coming soon since those that are working are flawless so I'd bet you folks who returned will most likley have to buy a solo 1 next year after you see and hear of its success. Missed opportunity for 3dr so far sure, they could have stole a much larger chunk from dji. That said after flying my complete solo I've nearly forgotten how $hitty this launch has been and am just happy with my final product now that it's all over.

Fly safe, fly whatever and enjoy it like I am, these things are only going to get better and a lot faster now with competition, so now we all win as consumers. Both companies have things to work on and both seem to be heading in the right direction now, even if at different speeds. Pick your poison and enjoy.

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Yes
Maybe next summer I just may grab another Solo,, I do hope the 25 min advertised flight time without gimbal will be better then the 18 min I would get with my Solo without gimbal.. 7 min flight time might not sound like much but it is when you need it... and don't have it..

Please do me a favor if you would...
Now that you have your Solo complete take it out on a full charge and fly it until you have to land ,, take the battery down to 8% and note your flight time...
Let me know what your flight time is with gimbal and gopro...
Would realy like to know what your flight time is..
Thanks in advance
 
Yes
Maybe next summer I just may grab another Solo,, I do hope the 25 min advertised flight time without gimbal will be better then the 18 min I would get with my Solo without gimbal.. 7 min flight time might not sound like much but it is when you need it... and don't have it..

Please do me a favor if you would...
Now that you have your Solo complete take it out on a full charge and fly it until you have to land ,, take the battery down to 8% and note your flight time...
Let me know what your flight time is with gimbal and gopro...
Would realy like to know what your flight time is..
Thanks in advance

Will do in the morning I know flight time is well below any of what was advertised, that and feet being in wide view are the two areas that as of yet are still not up to par even on the good ones. I'm sure they'll put out an upgraded battery soon but since the normal ones 150 I'm afraid to even see how much that's going to be. It'd be nice if they put it out at the same price point since the advertised times so off but I won't hold my breath there. I'm not going to wait for that release either I'm happy to have a complete bird now, last thing I wants to be checking my accounts and sites again for shipping info.

Seriously though if you get a chance to maybe at a field or with a buddy give it a shot now, it's come a long way in these few months. It's met a good deal of what was pushed, not all but I'm pretty confident 3dr will make good on most of their hype. My gps in tight areas takes a bit to lock but once locked it's stabile now and I've not had a RTH once. I fly Los but about as far as I can see and it's pretty congested on both fronts around here without issue. I'd bet long range fpv isn't going to be a legal option for much longer so the well over a mile with fpvlr is plenty for me.
 
Please read again very closely
As I said before, ,, As per 3DR spec,,,
new Solo $999.95, Gimbal 399.95 and new gopro 4, $499.99,,, that is what is specified to be used with the Solo ,, That is 1899.89 round up to $1900.00.
Now add the cost of aftermarket wifi antennas and aftermarket GPS not including time and other materials for GPS instalation it will be over $2000.00
So yes,, $2000.00
My only point is that when you buy a Solo for $2000, you also have a GoPro camera. You don't with the PV's or Inspire. I have a P2 and use the same GoPro in both birds, as well as in the GoPro helmet mount, suction mount, etc.

I will attempt to time a fully charged battery tomorrow down to 8% with GoPro and gimbal, and let you know. I'm curious myself. :)
 
So far heading in at 25% warning I'm getting about 15 mins or there about, I'm kinda iffy on 8% but I'll take it down a good amount at least. I think it's about 10% it auto lands now, could be 8% though, don't usually let it get that low since I've not seen confirmation if they fudged the percentage numbers or not.
 
I guess for you younger adolescence lads it would probably be like comparing a living breathing women to a BLOW UP DOLL..
I personally like something with a little weight and don't have to worry about cracking it if it bumps the table.
Wait are we still talking about living breathing women?
 

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