No, this is not a troll - just a concerned customer.
First the back story:
A couple weeks ago I happen to drop by Precision Camera in Austin, TX to do a little browsing and came across their impressive drone section. I have been interested in possibly getting a drone for photography purposes so I started checking out the different drones they had, and a sales person was quick to push the Solo on me, and it certainly seemed to be a very impressive drone... albeit a tad expensive compared to the DJI models they had on display.
That said, the sales clerk was quick to point out many of it's advantages, like how it is built on an open source platform, and that 3D Robotics is an Austin based company that has been making commercial drones for a long time and are now making consumer drones - locally built and with local customer support. This seemed to be backed up by the fact that the instructional videos on YouTube were shot in Austin near the 360 bridge along Lake Austin.
I am all about supporting our local businesses so I went ahead and pulled the trigger and got the bundle which included the Solo, Gimbal, extra battery, and backpack. I also had to get a GoPro camera, and as I have no need for 4K, I opted for the Hero 3+.
After getting it unpacked I immediately had a problem with the styrofoam packaging that was wedged around the attached gimbal, that if I used too much force to try and remove it could have broken off the Drone.
So I called 3DR, which is when I discovered that they are not based out of Austin, and instead are based out of Berkeley CA, and that they were even closing down their Austin office.
This news was a red flag for me, so I started to do some basic research into this company, and from what I can tell, although they were founded in 2009, they had only been making commercial drones for about a year in 2014-2015 and have since ended all production of those commercial drones.
Not only that, but they apparently have ditched the open source platform?
OK, so at the very least, a sales clerk gave me a lot of bad information to make a sale - OK, normally that would not come as a major shock to anyone - except Precision Camera isn't like the vast majority of stores. They have a long rich history in Austin as a premier shop for photographers with very informed and honest staff.
So this has me left wondering if I should simply return everything or just let it go, and enjoy this drone for what it is...
However, having dug a little deeper into 3D Robotics, I am seeing a lot of indicators that they may be in for a very hard landing. It's clear they have hedged all their bets on this one product, and it's also clear that the initial launch was well below expectations - undoubtedly hurt by the fact that it didn't launch with a gimbal.
Things didn't appear to rebound though even after they came out with the gimbal - cost likely hurting them the most in an ever increasing competitive market. That said, for a superior product, I do not have an issue spending more - but I also know I am not the typical consumer they need to attract.
So with revenue not meeting expectations, as far as I can tell, the only thing keeping 3D Robotics above water are it's investors... but it appears that spigot may be getting shut off. The last time they were able to raise any funding was almost a year ago, and nothing else since... and now I come to find out they are closing their Austin office... at the same time they appear to be heavily discounting their products and parts.
The concept for Solo still seems great, but the number of red flags surrounding this company leaves me wondering if they are going to even be around much longer?
Am I reading to much into all of this, or are there other indicators I am missing that would suggest they are doing just fine and angel investors are waiting in the wings so to speak?
What do you all think is in store for 3D Robotics... is this the beginning of the end for them, and if so, what will that mean for Solo owners and parts?
If I can add my pennies worth ( being from the UK!) I can confirm that the Hero3+ Silver is not compatible with the 3 Axis gimbal (I had one) I think this is stated on the 3DR website
I am curious though, is there a way to set the Follow Me in any specific angle in the sky and not just behind or circling? In other words can you set it to follow you from a side profile or better yet from in front of you?
or does it just maintain the same landing speed and when it recognizes it has stopped, it shuts down?
Sot sure on that one. I've played around with follow me on my smaller quad, and I thought I remember it backing away when I started to walk towards it. Not 100% sure on that though, I'll have to test. Would be good to know.
Fpvlr makes a fantastic antenna that will give you plenty of range and flawless video feed. It's all I use now, the stock set is very lacking on solo. I've not dropped signal since installing it, there are threads on that here as well if ya search fpvlr.
Yea Steves right it's as easy as hooking up an antenna to a tv twice, it's just coax screws and Velcro helps to keep it stable.I just went to see that site. My Solo,shipped this afternoon. Is it difficult to install?
Can you show me where on their site it says that?
I looked at 3DR's main site and their support site and even used their search option and found no such disclaimer.
In fact, here is what it does say:
View attachment 2767
View attachment 2768
And the only reference to GoPro Hero3+ I could find in support was this FAQ response:
View attachment 2769
Not only that, but I was told very clearly from Precision Camera that it supported any GoPro Hero3, 3+, and 4; and not any specific silver or black version of those cameras... just as that response shows in that official FAQ from 3DR.
Solo Gimbal - 3DR
This was also confirmed to me by support via email.
I agree. I still own both - never fly my Phantom. Am actually going to give it to my brother-in-law.Being a former Phantom owner myself, I can tell you from my point of view. When DJI came out with the Phantom 3 line, the value of my Phantom 2 dropped drastically. The only way to keep up with the new DJI technology was to buy a new drone. At about the same time, I was looking at the Solo. After much reading, and making a few calls, I decided to pre-order one, even though they were a newer company and technology. Like a lot of others, I had to be patient, and put up with the delays, and the bumps in the road. Being just a hobbyist, I had plenty of time, and was in no hurry to rush things. I was very focused on the open platform of Solo, and the ability to add new technology when it came out, without buying a whole new setup. That being said, it is now 8 months later, and everything that was promised has come to pass. All the updates are doing what they are supposed to, and 3DR's customer service has been the best, especially after dealing with the customer service from DJI. And if what Vu has hinted at for 2016 is even close, we are in for more surprises in the future. So, I would say to stick with Solo, download the manual and study it, take it slow and easy, and keep using this forum. The members here are the best for helping you out. I wish you the best, whichever way you go, and fly safe.
Regardless, I'm not in the market to spend another few hundred dollars for another GoPro, and with all the red flags I went ahead and returned everything.
I can understand your frustration as I too was given conflicting information. I only decided to purchase Solo when a rep from 3DR at the UK done show last December informed me that it was compatible.Thanks. Although they certainly went out of their way to hide that, as that not only is the only reference to Hero3+ Black, but even on their support page they say as I showed you that Solo is compatible with HERO3, 3+, and 4, and even optimized for HERO3+ and 4. Not a single mention of any issues with the HERO3+ silver not being compatible.
Regardless, I'm not in the market to spend another few hundred dollars for another GoPro, and with all the red flags I went ahead and returned everything.
I'm not totally ruling out a 3DR purchase in the future if given a compelling reason to, and they continue to make drones, but for now, given the issues with Precision Camera, and the fact that it did not work properly with my GoPro HERO3+ Silver, I'm afraid I'm a retired Solo pilot for now.
Not hard to install at all. Unscrew the 2 existing antennas, screw on the new one.
We use essential cookies to make this site work, and optional cookies to enhance your experience.