Forbes article on the downfall of 3DR

[olesailor]

I am happy with my Solo and Agee with pyrate.
I have been using pixhawk for my DIY for years. So all the the capabilities of the Solo and the price cannot be beat.

Keep this civil & on topic or we'll be forced to close it up.

sorry didn't realize I was being uncivil and will stay on topic.

 

[pyrate]

Don't think he was meaning you.
I tend to not let people get buy with pure BS
as expected some are exploiting this news to bash solo.
I think 3DR blew it, but have a low tolerance to people who come in a solo users group and just spout crap.
Many don't even own solos or no longer own them

 

[Brendon Baddiley]

It's a shame as they have a great product that would and still does beat the competition. I would have liked to see where the company would go


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[bluesgeek]

Don't think he was meaning you.
I tend to not let people get buy with pure BS
as expected some are exploiting this news to bash solo.
I think 3DR blew it, but have a low tolerance to people who come in a solo users group and just spout crap.
Many don't even own solos or no longer own them

I think that casual observers may fail to notice that this forum is different from the other place—friendly, supportive, mutually appreciative of a platform we love. That can lead to comments that turn our threads down the confrontational path, and you and many others are just trying to show vigilance in not letting the mood go negative.

 

[twitchyzero]

I pre-ordered the Solo and got another one this year...I can praise the bird and criticize its company as much as I please.

The criticism of 3DR and its product is very much on-topic, no?

As long as we're not personal attacking each other here, i dont see the problem.

BTW, less than 48 hours over by the Phantom Pilots forum and I can already tell they are way friendlier over there

Too bad there are few members here who are way too uptight and blindingly loyal to the near-defunct inc.

If we don't acknowledge Solo's shortcomings, how are we gonna improve the platform?

 

[LuvMyTJ]

I pre-ordered the Solo and got another one this year...I can praise the bird and criticize its company as much as I please.

The criticism of 3DR and its product is very much on-topic, no?

As long as we're not personal attacking each other here, i dont see the problem.

BTW, less than 48 hours over by the Phantom Pilots forum and I can already tell they are way friendlier over there

Too bad there are few members here who are way too uptight and blindingly loyal to the near-defunct inc.

If we don't acknowledge Solo's shortcomings, how are we gonna improve the platform?

You can debate the Solo, as long as you guys keep it friendly and stay away from troll like comments have at it!
Are ya getting a Phantom or Mavic? Cool, I'll see ya there!

 

[Ian [P13]]

so we now sort of have confirmation that they deceived us with ****** GPS units and denied it until just a few months ago.

That's not correct, that comes from one person and multiple ex-3DR staff have categorically dismissed the claim as BS.

In fact common sense shows the claim of a better Solo used for the Verge review is nonsense, it was a preproduction model that didn't even have a production gimbal, just watch the review, the video was really poor. So if you were putting out your best gear for a review the first thing you'd do is put out a working gimbal.

Philip who has been very open about Solo debunked this claim as did Jason (he works for GoPro so would have an incentive not to back up 3DR), I've also spoken to other staff privately also confirming the REV A GPS was in all the Solos.

Finally you only need look at the REV B photo which itself was leaked from Berkeley and you'll see the PCB design date was 3 months after the Verge review.

I don't know the full history of the GPS but the impression I have is there was debate over whether the GPS should be internal or on a mast, for aethetics pressure won for the GPS to be internal, which presents problems of noise including from the GoPro, I can only assume the GPS design was done early and not revised once a decision was made for it to be internal.

I know 3DR's customer support that wanted to supply all owners with the REV B as a gesture, but the Solo plant had already been closed so it was far too costly to start another run, the price cut of the Solo so it's now selling below cost finally killed off this possibility.

 

[BigTulsa]

As a new member of the forum I will try not to be too controversial.

I just bought a Solo yesterday as part of the Best Buy 'fire sale' as I like to call it. However, I have been a consumer and user of 3DR products since late 2014 (as I bought the Pixhawk and peripherals directly from them).

At the time, I wasn't real knowledgeable about what was going on (re: Solo launch). As a DIY consumer (I have built two hexacopters using their electronics) their customer service was great. I was getting parts and the like shipped to me in a very timely fashion, but I didn't need replacements until about April of 2015. I went on to purchase 2 of the I2C breakout board, paid for the expedited shipping and processing (which gave me an estimate of 3 days delivery), but after 2 weeks I hadn't even had a notification that anything had been shipped. It took three calls to San Diego and me threatening to scream from the rafters to not buy anything 3DR related before they finally shipped what I paid for. It was like pulling teeth for me to just get them to refund me the charge for the 'expedited' processing and shipping.

What I found out is that during the Solo launch, it appeared that 3DR quit caring about those customers that started with them...the DIY customers. I quit purchasing from 3DR after that and maintained that stance...until now. Hard to pass up that price for what I got.

In the long run...you cannot treat customers the way I was treated (and I've heard plenty of other stories so this just isn't an outlier) and expect to maintain viability. Karma (and bad business decisions) caught up to them, I'd like to think.

Haven't flown the new purchase yet but hope to try it tonight.

 

[olesailor]

I feel the same I like the bird happy how it handles and the capabilities. But not happy with company.
I too DIY and been building my own quads for awhile.
As long as there are forums/clubs, and manufactures that supplies accessories I am happy. Tower app just put out an update. Solo Lives. Its' alive.
Yes 3DR made some bad choices, but at least they built a decent UAV it just needed some attention to detail. I have the updated M8N GPS, Shield, and plan to purchase the lens replacement for the GoPro. Also in the future plan to get the FLIR gimbal and camera.

 

[Toiletbowl]

My only concern due of 3dr stop doing any hardware what if those batteries out of stock so our solo probably end of story?

 

[olesailor]

That is a thought. One thought is third party batteries if need be. But we are not there yet. There are a large group mind in 3DR Mod group bound to be some excellent ideas.

 

[pyrate]

actually the maker of solo batteries is already selling them under their brand on Amazon
looks like they plan to make them available

I have heard bodys might be a problem
I have heard motor pods could become a problem
But since you can buy another bird for 399 I dont see an issue really

 

[olesailor]

That is good to know. I might order a couple to see how they work.
Thank You

 

[PdxSteve]

My only concern due of 3dr stop doing any hardware what if those batteries out of stock so our solo probably end of story?

Why wait til you need them? Just buy spares. I have 4 left unopened for future use.

 

[IceFyre13th]

Why wait til you need them? Just buy spares. I have 4 left unopened for future use.

Don't forget, every few months charge them to 50% (I charge to 100% then discharge down to 50%). Lipos will lose all charge if forgotten, then lookout as they are now an explosion waiting to happen

 

[PdxSteve]

Well most if not all of the batteries sold today were manufactured well over a year ago according to the datestamps and still arrive with 50% charge. Should be fine if left unused and stored in decent conditions.

 

[Douggieboy]

Since the first of the year, I’ve bought a Solo with gimbal, controller, 3 batteries, backpack, and extra props from Best Buy, all for less than $400-- brand new.
They cut alot of corners-- the gimbal plate doesn’t stay in place; it’s secured in the back by 2 tiny plastic tabs that don’t hold it flush with the body, so it drops down half an inch or so, even with the 3 main set screws tightly in place.

GPS:~~ I’ve seen a mast-mount modification, which I’m considering, and if it came from the factory with a GPS that’s defective or poorly designed that will affect the drone’s performance adversely in any way, they should either repair/replace, or at least provide the necessary parts and instructions on what to do to remedy the problem, free of additional charge. I think they should have put the GPS module on a mast~~ if there’s a DIY for this, I’ll probably do it myself.

The documentation that came with the drone was in French. Fortunately, I speak the language fluently, so for me that wasn’t a problem. Other American buyers would likely find this a major mal a la tete.

The belly of the aircraft has four screw holes, two at each side, spaced about 2 inches apart. At first glance, it appears that somebody on the assembly line in China either forgot them, or instructions on what they’re for and what should be down with them, didn’t make it across the language barrier. ???There’s also a semicircular port of some kind protruding off the belly at the drone’s rear end. What it is and why it’s there are another 3DR drone design enigma. Any ideas?

For some strange reason, 3DR seems to have wedded this drone to the GoPro 3+ and 4 series of FPV cameras. I wasn’t initially planning to buy this drone:~~ a $400 BB gift card came as a bonus when I upgraded my girlfriend’s smartphone at Christmastime, and when I saw those prices, I went for it!

I’ve been unable to find a compatible camera for this drone for much less than $300. Does there exist any other with the same electronic footprint as the GoPro, that sets into the gimbal fitting the long row of contacts each device require to interface together for maximal utility of both?

Thanks--- God bless, happy droning-

 

[richnat]

They cut alot of corners-- the gimbal plate doesn’t stay in place; it’s secured in the back by 2 tiny plastic tabs that don’t hold it flush with the body, so it drops down half an inch or so, even with the 3 main set screws tightly in place.

Then you are doing something wrong. It holds in place with the tabs alone and most certainly with the screws. The screws are VERY stiff going in the first time as they have a dab of thread locker on them. I would guess you don't have the screws tightened down properly and/or have the cables internally getting pinched by the gimbal motor that protrudes up into the body which tends to force the gimbal belly plate away from the main body. Check yours again closely and adjust as needed.

I’ve been unable to find a compatible camera for this drone for much less than $300. Does there exist any other with the same electronic footprint as the GoPro, that sets into the gimbal fitting the long row of contacts each device require to interface together for maximal utility of both?

You can buy a factory refurbished Hero 4 Black direct from GoPro with full factory warranty for under $300. The buss inside the GoPro is entirely unique to GoPro so I doubt you'd find another camera that would fit and integrate into the gimbal. There are Hero knockoffs all over ebay and alike, but I would guess they don't have the unique buss as it is proprietary to GoPro alone. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong here.)

 

[andrew.baker.142]

The four empty screw holes on the belly are for user installed accessories. Check out the 3DR developers website.
https://dev.3dr.com

The "Solo Link" protrusion at the back of the Solo belly is a design feature. Nothing is inside, although it does provide internal space if you want to get creative.


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[User Name]

Agree that if the gimbal is dropping down 1/2 an inch, it wasn't installed correctly. The tabs along are probably enough to keep it securely in the body, let alone the three screws. If it's dropping down, these screws are not threaded in at all.

As for the camera, yes, 3DR specifically designed the Solo to use the GoPro. No other camera of it's size, weight and quality has the interface to allow full control while in flight. You can hard-mount any camera with an HDMI port and use it with the Solo app - the Solo should transmit the video regardless of camera model. But to use the gimbal, yes, you'd need a GoPro.