Great deal getting expensive

[Daddie O]

Like many others I purchased the Best Buy deal for $299 that came with the Solo, gimbal, 2 batteries and 8 props. Seemed like such an amazing deal that even though I wasn't looking for a drone, at that price it was too hard to pass up. Then it made sense to purchase the backpack at $50. Batteries at $30 each? I'll grab 3 (totalling $100). Gimbals are delicate, used to cost $400, and aren't being made anymore? Better grab a spare while they are $40. So, the best camera for the Solo is the GoPro Hero 4 Black? Grab a used one from Adorama (w/ 6 month warranty) for $250. Then a dual battery charger with extra battery for $50. Grab a Lexar 128GB micro SD card for $75 from Amazon. Read this forum, realize I have a Rev A bird, and decide to get a mRo GPS u-Blox Neo-M8N / 3DR SOLO Upgrade for $80 shipped. Now I need a tablet for the controller. I find a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7" for $105.

$300 Solo
$ 50 Backpack
$100 Three Solo batteries
$ 40 Spare Gimbal
$250 GoPro Hero 4 Black
$ 50 GoPro dual charger
$ 75 Micro SD card
$ 80 GPS upgrade
$105 Tablet

$1,050 Total

So I basically dropped $1,000 on a hobby I hadn't necessarily intended on getting into. Seems expensive to me, but did I get a good deal after all? I guess everything I purchased used to go for a lot more money. Could I have gotten something better with $1000? That's kind of Mavic Pro or Phantom 4 territory isn't it? I'm excited to start flying the damn thing once I install the gps upgrade and get the SD card in the mail today.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

The Solo, backpack, and gimbal package alone cost $1,300 this time last year. Spare batteries were $150 each. Spare gimbals were $300 each. A GoPro 4B was $500. All of these products are still worth that much. They're just being fire saled due to poor business decisions by 3DR. So yes, I'd say you're getting a great deal.

If you're spending $75 on an SD, you're being ripped off. $20 or so is about right.

 

[pyrate]

this is a bit like buying an aquarium
you quickly learn the glass box was just to get you hooked

 

[nikono]

great-deal-getting-more-expensive
$300 Solo
$ 50 Backpack
$100 Three Solo batteries
$ 40 Spare Gimbal
$250 GoPro Hero 4 Black
$ 50 GoPro dual charger
$ 75 Micro SD card
$ 80 GPS upgrade
$105 Tablet

$1,050 Total
$5 FAA registration
$1,055 New Total

Is there a penalty for failing to register?
Failure to register an unmanned aircraft may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Oh gosh. Well once you add in that $5 fee, the whole thing becomes a rip off. I'm returning it (again). lol

 

[SARDG]

...If you're spending $75 on an SD, you're being ripped off. $20 or so is about right.

Actually, balls-to-the-walls 128GB micro SDs can run that much and more. You don't want a user buying a cheap slow-speed SD card one day, and then be on this forum the next day wondering why they have capture issues. Of course if that's for the GP itself, I'm not sure the 128 is recognized. For my tablet, I just buy the fastest/biggest SD card, because I can, and because life is too short to wait for file transfers or video captures.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Sure. But for recreational hobby drone use, a 128GB UHS3 card is not necessary. A UHS1 32 or 64GB quality San Disk or similar brand card can be procured for $20-$30 all day.

 

[Daddie O]

This is the card I got: http://shop.gopro.com/accessories-2/128gb-lexar-microsdxc-memory-card/AMSDC-512.html
Sure, I coulda saved some cash and bought a smaller and slower card, but I plan on filming at 4K on vacations, and sometimes underwater, and I figure the less often I need to pull the card out the better. I also wanted to get one off the GoPro approved list so I rule out any incompatibility. I did buy it at Amazon so it was less than half price than the GoPro site. I did register with the FAA. I also returned the Galaxy Tab A 7", because my wife said I can just have her old Nexus 7 (2013), so that saves me $105. I had $500 in Best Buy Gift Cards, and $100 in Amazon Gift Card, so I really only spent about $300 cash. Not bad I suppose

 

[my-spot]

Thought about getting a high speed card myself. Not because the GoPro needs it but rather to save some time on the transfers to the PC. As for the total cost, I'm in approximately the same ballpark but could not be more pleased. I got the BB deal on New Years Day and started with my son's Hero 3. After a week or two I got a spare battery (3 total), a pile of props, Hero 4 black, mRo GPS, and a spare gimbal... So I figure I'm in for ≈$780 for something I fully expect to destroy after flying into the top of a 100' tree or into a deep lake... (Never buy something you can't afford to loose.)

 

[Daddie O]

Thought about getting a high speed card myself. Not because the GoPro needs it but rather to save some time on the transfers to the PC. As for the total cost, I'm in approximately the same ballpark but could not be more pleased. I got the BB deal on New Years Day and started with my son's Hero 3. After a week or two I got a spare battery (3 total), a pile of props, Hero 4 black, mRo GPS, and a spare gimbal... So I figure I'm in for ≈$780 for something I fully expect to destroy after flying into the top of a 100' tree or into a deep lake... (Never buy something you can't afford to loose.)

If you didn't get one, I highly recommend the 3DR Solo Backpack. It fits everything perfectly. Also, the price of batteries is going up as availability diminishes. I don't know if you have any Fry's Electronics by you, but the one by me still has a few batteries at $45 each.

 

[Bilge]

Daddy O,

Per your math above, with all of those extra's ( gimbal, batteries, gimbals, etc....) you got one hell of a deal.......The DJI equivalent would have been a hell of a lot higher......easily $1,500 to $2,000......

Enjoy your new flying friend.....

 

[Maxheadspace]

If you didn't get one, I highly recommend the 3DR Solo Backpack. It fits everything perfectly. Also, the price of batteries is going up as availability diminishes. I don't know if you have any Fry's Electronics by you, but the one by me still has a few batteries at $45 each.

Agree. I think they're starting to disappear from the shelves. I hesitated getting a backpack for my second Solo, and when I decided to spring for one Best Buy stopped selling them separately. I know you can still find them, like on eBay, but at a much higher price. I picked up a Lowepro drone backpack when they went on sale, but it's not the custom fit of the 3DR backpack. I've been picking up extra parts whenever I can...batteries, propellers, legs, the normal stuff I break or wear out. Knock on wood, no crashes with either of my Solos yet. Nearest Fry's is about a thousand miles from here...

 

[Stardrone]

Like many others I purchased the Best Buy deal for $299 that came with the Solo, gimbal, 2 batteries and 8 props. Seemed like such an amazing deal that even though I wasn't looking for a drone, at that price it was too hard to pass up. Then it made sense to purchase the backpack at $50. Batteries at $30 each? I'll grab 3 (totalling $100). Gimbals are delicate, used to cost $400, and aren't being made anymore? Better grab a spare while they are $40. So, the best camera for the Solo is the GoPro Hero 4 Black? Grab a used one from Adorama (w/ 6 month warranty) for $250. Then a dual battery charger with extra battery for $50. Grab a Lexar 128GB micro SD card for $75 from Amazon. Read this forum, realize I have a Rev A bird, and decide to get a mRo GPS u-Blox Neo-M8N / 3DR SOLO Upgrade for $80 shipped. Now I need a tablet for the controller. I find a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7" for $105.

$300 Solo
$ 50 Backpack
$100 Three Solo batteries
$ 40 Spare Gimbal
$250 GoPro Hero 4 Black
$ 50 GoPro dual charger
$ 75 Micro SD card
$ 80 GPS upgrade
$105 Tablet

$1,050 Total

So I basically dropped $1,000 on a hobby I hadn't necessarily intended on getting into. Seems expensive to me, but did I get a good deal after all? I guess everything I purchased used to go for a lot more money. Could I have gotten something better with $1000? That's kind of Mavic Pro or Phantom 4 territory isn't it? I'm excited to start flying the damn thing once I install the gps upgrade and get the SD card in the mail today.

Don't forgot to join the AMA that another 75 buck haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[andrew.baker.142]

Daddie,
Don't forget, with the exception of the GoPro, all the extras you bought for the Solo would have been 'needed' with any other drone. You just bought so much because they were such a great value! For instance you spent $100 on three batteries, whereas on a Phantom that would have set you back $450!
Don't regret the money you spent, you got an awesome value!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[pyrate]

Don't forgot to join the AMA that another 75 buck haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

optional by far

 

[abptech]

I already owned two other quads and was not looking for a third until i saw the deal over the holidays. I bought one. Then i found out my go pro 3+ wasn't5,t fully compatible so i bought a new 4 silver. Then the batteries and gimbals showed up on sale. Bought 3 more batteries and 1 more gimba and a backpack. Everyone kept talking about how the bought 2 or 3 or4 or 8 solos because of the deal so guess what, i ordered another one. Of course i bought the upgraded antennas and the gps for it. Wife not too happy but at least she have her purses and shoes. Lol

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[FamilyFlyGuy]

Oh gosh. Well once you add in that $5 fee, the whole thing becomes a rip off. I'm returning it (again). lol

Thank God the $5 covers all 3 of my Solos otherwise I'd be SOL! lol

 

[DEFENSIVESPORTS]

just bought a sdxc 64gb class10 u-1 micro card at menards for $12.99, it's a emtec card made by fuji film, great card performs as good as the higher priced cards

 

[DEFENSIVESPORTS]

great-deal-getting-more-expensive
$300 Solo
$ 50 Backpack
$100 Three Solo batteries
$ 40 Spare Gimbal
$250 GoPro Hero 4 Black
$ 50 GoPro dual charger
$ 75 Micro SD card
$ 80 GPS upgrade
$105 Tablet

$1,050 Total
$5 FAA registration
$1,055 New Total

Is there a penalty for failing to register?
Failure to register an unmanned aircraft may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years.

Any hobby you get into is going to cost you money but when you can get quality initial equipment for a ridiculously low price you tend to jump on it, just look what your getting for such a low cost, and if you do any upgrading it does hurt the wallet that much.

 

[DEFENSIVESPORTS]

i'm a precision shooter wanna talk about getting expensive