My big blunder

[ZefPanda]

Bought a crashed solo 3 weeks ago and repaired it. Took it out for its first working video flight with a refurbished gopro hero5, and I managed to crash it into 40-50ft tree on the edge of a retention pond. It beeped and beeped for half the night, keeping all my neighbors up. Got a tree climber out this morning for 100$, who was able to get high enough safely to shake it out of the tree, while my neighbor and I stood underneath with a big sheet to try and catch it. The Solo managed to land in the sheet, bounce off and into the pond where it got submerged for several seconds. I got it out immediately and took out batteries from Solo and then gopro, but I could smell that something definitely got fried. Got it disassembled and now sitting in containers of rice. The mainboard looks visually okay and I couldn't smell anything burnt on it. One of the CW grey motors is definitely fried, one of its circuits on the underside of motor is toasted.

So yea, don't be an idiot like me and crash your solo into the top of a tree or other objects, because it will quickly burn a hole in your pocket.


Yesterday before the crash...


The big blunder

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The next morning.... came the big splash
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and now the Solo is disassembled and sitting in rice, awaiting its fate.

 

[makatanav]

have you done levels and compass calibration before flight?
What was the issue of crash?

 

[ZefPanda]

have you done levels and compass calibration before flight?
What was the issue of crash?

Yes I did both of those things. Issue of crash was User/Pilot error. It was my 5th time ever flying a drone, or anything for that matter and mistakes were made.

I tried to get a video of the pond, got to the far side, tried to raise elevation above the trees, but i was slightly thumbing left and up, instead of just up so the drone was pitching left as raising in elevation and by the time I noticed, it was to late.

 

[NumberThree]

Well, don't feel too bad. I've had my two 3D IRIS drones (I purchased used) for a little over three years now. Given the lack of open space that is outside of any 'no-fly' zones around here in SW Florida, coupled with my lack of experience, I've only made short fights so far... Only two crash-free events out of the six I've flown! I've arrived at the conclusion that I'm a TERRIBLE RC pilot --- mostly because I'm a 'green' one! But it also takes a cooperative bird, and I'm still not confidant mine are, as they were both used when I bought them.
It's not that I've given up on learning how to fly them safely, but "air time" has been ZERO for over a year. This is due to the combination of not having access to any football field-sized areas around here to practice, much less, learn the bird. Don't give up. I haven't either... Bummer about the motors, but I hope she dries-out ok. I suspect you may have dodged a much worse 'bullet' due to the fact that the battery was surely flat by the time she hit the water.