Giving solo another try

Dannyc99 · May 20, 2021

Hey guys I used to own a 3Dr solo and absolutely loved it I got rid of it and always miss that drone for some reason
I am getting one back today.. well actually two and 8 batteries a couple gimbals a couple controllers and a whole bunch of stuff.
but anyways my thought plan is purchasing solex and using open solo4 , at least I think that's what it's called, but using those two items to make it flyable again is this a good path to take.

Wetstone · May 20, 2021

It’s really the only practicable path forward. But don’t forget the batteries are at least five or six years old. Plenty of aftermarket solutions here.

Dannyc99 · May 20, 2021

Wetstone said:
It’s really the only practicable path forward. But don’t forget the batteries are at least five or six years old. Plenty of aftermarket solutions here.

Thanks for the confirmation, i havent checked yet because i forget what the mod was......was there not something really simple to do to increase satillites or gps or something like that?

Wetstone · May 21, 2021

Which GPS chip do you have? The original rev A (green) was crap. But the black rev B worked well with GPS satellites only. You might only need that level depending on how you fly.

mRo had a plug and play replacement but those may be in low supply these days. That chip does GPS and GLONASS satellites. Vast improvement.

Dannyc99 · May 21, 2021

I actually have one of each but the drone that I have flashed open solo on has the blackboard so that was a lucky guess LOL I don't do a ton of long distance flying I do like to run some missions once in awhile but the range is nothing silly I'm assuming that's where the GPS satellites would come in handier I also don't fly in the city or near buildings I am out in the country if you think it is a big improvement though I will try and find one before they are completely lost forever. With the black GPS do you have to do that cardboard mod

jonbrotherton · May 22, 2021

Don't put cardboard in your Solo or do anything else the guy giving that advice says.

You can fix your batteries yourself following this tutorial Solo Battery Mod for Dummies (Rev).pdf or get them done via SoloFlies.com.

Or look into the BMSOne PnP which allows you to use off the shelf Lipo or Li-ion packs.

RC Zee · May 24, 2021

What JB said is solid advice and he knows what he is talking about. Personally, I went with the BMSOne PnP. It is simple to using a standard 5200 mah 4S or if familiar with changing parameters on the Solo via the Solex app (an absolute must in my mind for flying Solo, well worth the money even for the missions upgrade!!), you can manual change the battery capacity so battery data is accurate.
I have a whole bunch of original solo batteries some NIB but age is biggest determination. When I get time, I will look at modifying my own batteries but the PnP option is best bet for flying safely without Solo dropping from the sky.
Welcome back, Solo is still my favourite and I own a variety of multirotors from DIY to RTF. Plus there is an active community who are using the Solo hardware for modifying into larger or different aircraft. Solo is truly a very good machine that continues to evolve thanks to dedicated group of volunteers.