I have two Solo's I use professionally and I have never had a problem with flyaways. I am disappointed that 3DR has changed it's focus but I still stand behind my Solo's.
Newbie Question\Concern
- Thread starter CoolDad5
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I have two Solo's I use professionally and I have never had a problem with flyaways. I am disappointed that 3DR has changed it's focus but I still stand behind my Solo's.
I bought a Solo back when they were $349 at Best Buy (they refunded me the $50 when they went down to $299). I had read all the negative things about them, but for then-$349, it was worth the risk. And it paid out. It's dead simple to fly, and a lot of fun. The only time I had an issue with it was when the Solo Android app had some sort of conflict with another app - but that was a phone issue, and had nothing to do with the Solo. Otherwise it's been rock solid (but flies a lot better than a rock).
...and I bought a second one at $299 I liked it so much.
...and I bought a second one at $299 I liked it so much.
I was too, but my first solo, purchased at well over a grand is still going strong and my backup is stowed after some shake down.
I am building a large DIY with solo capabilities with the opensource PH2
I am building a large DIY with solo capabilities with the opensource PH2
Not true, the user most likely panic and hit a lot of buttons and stick movement that result in a crash.
Making mod IMHO is the number 1 reason for newbie crashes. Combination of unfamiliar of the hardware and the lack of flying skills will do more damage than the poor GPS design. You can overcome the GPS design by a long wait and open field. The best pilot can't rescue a poorly done mod by the newbie.
My advice to the first time solo owner, take your time calibration the Solo at home with a level table and away from any metal, get familiar with the stick functions using the simulator, take your Solo to a wild open field, wait for the GPS, launch your Solo, fly it within 300 meter, do all the stick functions, do simple forward and back pattern, learn to recognize the Solo orientation in air. Then do simple circle. When you gain comfortable with the stick and couple flying hours under the bell, do the smart shots and try rth or follow me. Until you have confident in Solo abilities, don't let it go out the 300m circle.
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You forgot the most important part; learning to fly without GPS. Because it will happen.
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Been flying fixed wing planes and helicopters for over 20 years, started on quadcopters about 4 years ago, I finally bit the bullet and bought a solo a few weeks ago and I love it, first flight was in manual mode to get a feel for the bird, then went to the factory settings and used the auto takeoff and return to home. It worked perfectly. Very pleased, so go have fun, but be safe and responsible.
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I was just reminiscing a bit tonight, Christmas Eve, about all that RC stuff under the tree over the years - man, how things have changed.
It seems the main fear of new flyers is losing their aircraft. Makes sense.
When we'd take out a new plane in my early flying years - I really began experimenting in earnest in the mid seventies - our RC equipment wasn't the source of most jitters. For the first trimming flights, the goal was simply to achieve a smooth and steady climb to the left! We'd establish a stable orbit of the field before doing anything else, and usually this didn't have much to do with radio trimming (assuming your radio had trimming).
Instead it was squirt in about thirty seconds of fuel, hook up the glow plug, flip the prop, and do a hand launch. Usually the transmitter was left on the ground. The routine was to launch and just observe the flight, trimming rudder and elevator manually after every twenty second hop. Only when the plane had adjusted into a smooth circling turn did we turn to our radios.
In other words, our first "training" flights" were uncontrolled free flights. I'd say the great majority of us had pulse systems, rudder control only. It sure as heck would sound funny today to ask someone if they'd remembered to wind up their rubber band actuators!
Oh man... waves of nostalgia here. Just recalling the sight (and sound) of those rudder flopping left-right-left-right waiting to be interrupted to stop at one side or another has me itching to search eBay for a working vintage rig.
Funny... generally we were so nervous a fly-away seemed a small possibility. The ground itself was very hard, and any trees within three hundred years were way to close!
It seems the main fear of new flyers is losing their aircraft. Makes sense.
When we'd take out a new plane in my early flying years - I really began experimenting in earnest in the mid seventies - our RC equipment wasn't the source of most jitters. For the first trimming flights, the goal was simply to achieve a smooth and steady climb to the left! We'd establish a stable orbit of the field before doing anything else, and usually this didn't have much to do with radio trimming (assuming your radio had trimming).
Instead it was squirt in about thirty seconds of fuel, hook up the glow plug, flip the prop, and do a hand launch. Usually the transmitter was left on the ground. The routine was to launch and just observe the flight, trimming rudder and elevator manually after every twenty second hop. Only when the plane had adjusted into a smooth circling turn did we turn to our radios.
In other words, our first "training" flights" were uncontrolled free flights. I'd say the great majority of us had pulse systems, rudder control only. It sure as heck would sound funny today to ask someone if they'd remembered to wind up their rubber band actuators!
Oh man... waves of nostalgia here. Just recalling the sight (and sound) of those rudder flopping left-right-left-right waiting to be interrupted to stop at one side or another has me itching to search eBay for a working vintage rig.
Funny... generally we were so nervous a fly-away seemed a small possibility. The ground itself was very hard, and any trees within three hundred years were way to close!
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I'm glad I found this forum. I think y'all have helped ME decide to jump on the $299 deal. Although I don't own a go pro and won't have live video feed...
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Hello Jubalr, Central PA USA here, I started with toy grade cars then went to nitro cars and trucks then migrated to electric airplanes in the mid 90's. Just for the record I have to agree learn to fly manual it may just save your investment and/or prevent a more tragic accident. I do like the auto features but we never know when something will fail
Merry Christmas!
Am I understanding this correctly? All drones can fail with GPS. The solo fails at times and that's what causes the FlyAway issues. Other brands will do the same? If I learn to fly in manual, I will be able to prevent most issues? Is there away to tell that I have a GPS issue or not before the Drone starts acting up. I would love to use this drone for photography purposes. The issue I have is that most of the photography chances happened to be in populated areas where a crash would no be good.
Also, if I stay in line of sight, I should have no problems with the controller reception? That to me is way more preventable then a failed GPS. Am I right in thinking this?
Am I understanding this correctly? All drones can fail with GPS. The solo fails at times and that's what causes the FlyAway issues. Other brands will do the same? If I learn to fly in manual, I will be able to prevent most issues? Is there away to tell that I have a GPS issue or not before the Drone starts acting up. I would love to use this drone for photography purposes. The issue I have is that most of the photography chances happened to be in populated areas where a crash would no be good.
Also, if I stay in line of sight, I should have no problems with the controller reception? That to me is way more preventable then a failed GPS. Am I right in thinking this?
You have to understand that you can't control unforeseen problems 100% of the time. The purpose of establishing a "home point" using gps, is to allow Solo to have a point to return to if it loses signal from the controller. It will also allow Solo to maintain it's position in the sky and just hover, when using "Fly" mode. The reason to practice flying in manual, and assigning one of your buttons to manual, is to be able to take over if Solo happens to lose gps, or if the gps is interrupted by whatever reason. In manual, Solo will maintain altitude, but will drift with the wind or with forward momentum, meaning you will have to compensate manually. Remember that flying in populated areas increase the chances that something will interfere with your signals. That is why it is so important to practice in an open area until you can get used to both "Fly" and "Manual" modes. Flying in "Manual' will not prevent issues from happening, but it will help you recover when those issues do happen. Good luck, and Merry Christmas.
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Learn manual mode and be comfortable with it. You may never lose GPS at all, but when you do you will be very comfortable with bringing it back in. New pilots that don't learn it can quickly become disoriented can make the situation worse. For instance if it happens to be nose in to you and you go the wrong way with the sticks. Some new pilots will be quick to say 'Solo took off quickly in the opposite way I was controlling with the sticks.
Solo will go into manual mode with the loss of GPS and the controller will vibrate. Personally, I'm in manual anyway unless I need a smart shot, only because I enjoy flying the Solo and manual and Stabilize modes are more fun and responsive.
Fly Safe..
Wow, that is going back. Rubber band escapements. Our dad had us kids building and flying models in the 60s and 70s. He had a Controllaire Mule system. An on off switch and a button. That was it. Rudder only. Then he graduated to an Ace pulse control single channel rudder only system. That was an odd one. The rudder would flap left and right at a rapid rate. If you moved the stick left or right it would bias the rudder more right or left.
It worked well and he flew it for years.
Thanks for the memories.
Don.
Yea, I had one of those "paddle rudder" things. Looked like a fish out of water, trying to swim! The good ole days!
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