Remnants of Solo for Sale

[Lance]

You're in the minority and should buy a lotto ticket for how lucky you are.

 

[Jubalr]

You're in the minority and should buy a lotto ticket for how lucky you are.

Actually, you are in the minority. Tens of Thousands of Solos are in the field. The ones that complain will always be the loudest and on the forums looking for help. How many can you find? 50 or 100 different owners with your experience? Most Solo owners simply use them as intended and don't get online or join forums. Most estimates have put the return rate at 5-7%. Certainly high for some products and should be lower, but a long way from the 51% you claim.

 

[Odogster]

People who are unhappy with their Solos may be the minority, but unfortunately a company's success and their ability to meet their promises are not judged by just having a minority of unhappy users. That could mean that 4.9 out of every 10 customers is unhappy. I find it hard to believe Jubalr that you have experienced none of the issues anyone else has. The GPS is pitiful, people are placing pieces of old soda can box in their $2000 drones to remedy an unacceptable wait time for GPS lock. The Phantom and Yuneec both do this in mere seconds after they are turned on. Wifi cards are being replaced because of the lack of range. It is awful, pretty much on par with the Yuneec Q500 which I found totally unacceptable but Yuneec (Horizon Hobby) did not make claims that they will do 175 things better than anyone else. The only things I saw the Solo do better was its top Speed and its extremely rugged construction, everything else was worse. I would suggest you fly a Phantom 3 for a while, as no one, after trying both could possibly state the Solo is an equal. Out of the 7 or 8 times I called 3DR Service Dept. they were aware of the issues people are facing and could not offer a feasible solution. The fact that you supposedly have experienced none of them is either fable or like I was doing, you are lying to yourself because it is very difficult to cope with the fact that a company jacked us out of so much money. All you have to do is read some of the many articles detailing their failures, describing unsatisfied customers and investors, and speculating how much longer they will be around. They have already started liquidating all of their non-Solo parts for pennies on the dollar. It is one thing to extol the virtues of a Solo, or any product one is fond of, but another thing entirely to make blanket categorization statements. What does Solo do better in your opinion? 3DR had great intentions and it seems like a situation where Sales over promised and tech could not deliver, which is why the hubris displayed by them will be their downfall. If you did in fact get one of the coveted perfectly functioning Solos you are indeed very lucky. I had nothing against 3DR and went into the purchase with high expectations and was very happy until I actually flew the thing. I wanted it to be everything they said it was, and went through so many parts that didnt even make it off my kitchen table. Let's be real here, Solo is a No Go, maybe its called that because if you do have a good one, you are indeed Solo.

 

[Jubalr]

I am not

People who are unhappy with their Solos may be the minority, but unfortunately a company's success and their ability to meet their promises are not judged by just having a minority of unhappy users. That could mean that 4.9 out of every 10 customers is unhappy. I find it hard to believe Jubalr that you have experienced none of the issues anyone else has. The GPS is pitiful, people are placing pieces of old soda can box in their $2000 drones to remedy an unacceptable wait time for GPS lock. The Phantom and Yuneec both do this in mere seconds after they are turned on. Wifi cards are being replaced because of the lack of range. It is awful, pretty much on par with the Yuneec Q500 which I found totally unacceptable but Yuneec (Horizon Hobby) did not make claims that they will do 175 things better than anyone else. The only things I saw the Solo do better was its top Speed and its extremely rugged construction, everything else was worse. I would suggest you fly a Phantom 3 for a while, as no one, after trying both could possibly state the Solo is an equal. Out of the 7 or 8 times I called 3DR Service Dept. they were aware of the issues people are facing and could not offer a feasible solution. The fact that you supposedly have experienced none of them is either fable or like I was doing, you are lying to yourself because it is very difficult to cope with the fact that a company jacked us out of so much money. All you have to do is read some of the many articles detailing their failures, describing unsatisfied customers and investors, and speculating how much longer they will be around. They have already started liquidating all of their non-Solo parts for pennies on the dollar. It is one thing to extol the virtues of a Solo, or any product one is fond of, but another thing entirely to make blanket categorization statements. What does Solo do better in your opinion? 3DR had great intentions and it seems like a situation where Sales over promised and tech could not deliver, which is why the hubris displayed by them will be their downfall. If you did in fact get one of the coveted perfectly functioning Solos you are indeed very lucky. I had nothing against 3DR and went into the purchase with high expectations and was very happy until I actually flew the thing. I wanted it to be everything they said it was, and went through so many parts that didnt even make it off my kitchen table. Let's be real here, Solo is a No Go, maybe its called that because if you do have a good one, you are indeed Solo.

I am not going to get into a vs thread. I can only speak from experience as do you. I have been flying RC since 1983 and building quad & hex MRs for almost 5 years. My builds have included 7 different flight controllers from 5 different companies including 3DR and 2 from DJI. I and others on here do not have your displeasure with the Solo, so we can all only speak from experience. I prefer the Solo and the way it flies for what I do. I have always got gps lock in a minute or less. Did some of the others l had lock faster? Sure, but not the determining factor in what I fly. I also primarily fly in Manual for everything I fly except when doing smart or guided shots. I hope you enjoy what you choose to fly as well.

 

[Odogster]

I am not

I am not going to get into a vs thread. I can only speak from experience as do you. I have been flying RC since 1983 and building quad & hex MRs for almost 5 years. My builds have included 7 different flight controllers from 5 different companies including 3DR and 2 from DJI. I and others on here do not have your displeasure with the Solo, so we can all only speak from experience. I prefer the Solo and the way it flies for what I do. I have always got gps lock in a minute or less. Did some of the others l had lock faster? Sure, but not the determining factor in what I fly. I also primarily fly in Manual for everything I fly except when doing smart or guided shots. I hope you enjoy what you choose to fly as well.

Fair enough, I must say you're threads are always respectful which says a lot about the type of person you are. It is nice to be able to discuss opposing viewpoints without inflammatory statements. I actually am happy like it as you seem like a good guy, always helping people out. If You do work for 3DR you are still alright in my book.

 

[Jubalr]

Thanks. You as well. I'm afraid that my 2 full time jobs leave no time for any 3dr stuff. I have only talked to a 3dr employee twice in all these years and those were order related. Plus with my 333 I've started the marketing, Web, insurance, etc for a 3rd business.
Take care and fly Safe..

 

[Mauiwind]

re: False adwork
I think that one can make a case that upon Solo's launch, 3DR was touting hardware and capabilities that simply did not exist. I can't say that at present. It certainly is troubling that there was such a major disconnect on the ads and the facts. Purposeful deception, or one hand not being in sync with the other? Perhaps, one day the story will be shared. Let's move on though... there is cinematography that needs to be done.
I tell you what, I wouldn't want to run a drone company.

 

[Mauiwind]

After a month and a half of frustration I decided to finally give up on the Solo. First I had purchased a gimbal and could not get it to work properly. Mid flight it kept going limp making the video appear like the Solo was going down, wobbling everywhere. I had installed it three times trying to get the HDMI cord placed properly. It was not until I saw a 3rd party video that explained how to seat it properly that showed how you had to remove the top and unseat the main board, then I was able to get it to work. Really? What a bad joke (on myself and other people who bought Solo) a $2000 drone should not have issues like that. Given the price of the Solo, I was able to lie to myself for a while and convinced myself that it was as good or better than the Phantom. I extolled the virtues of its 55 MPH top speed (which it had never reached) until I realized that it was only supposedly attainable in Manual mode. I had a Yuneec Q500, and without the GPS it was much faster than the Solo. Difference being 3dr uses shady advertising techniques to reel people in, while Yuneec doesn't even mention their top speed. The gimbal feels fragile and I felt like much care needed to be taken when inserting or removing the camera. So I moved my attention to the expansion bay. This would be the feature that made it worth the money. NOT! To this point I have seen nothing special produced for the bay. The best Solo mod I have seen is a way to get the legs out of the picture.
I figured I may as well keep flying and I was beat down again by 3dr false advertising. Long story short, it does not hold altitude in FLY:MANUAL mode and it went sailing into a tree. I bought a new shell and rebuilt it, and the Gimbal worked but was slightly bent so I went out and bought another one. It wouldn't install and kept blinking red. 3dr said it was bad so I went and exchanged it. Guess what? Same problem plus it kept telling me I was using an incompatible Gopro version (Hero 4 Silver). 3dr service is responsive and polite, but in my experience from solution and culpability accepting standpoints, they are no better than DJI.
My Phantom is much quieter, much more responsive, the DJI Go App is far far superior, the GPS puts the Solo to shame as does the range, the camera control is much better than the Gopro, and the Smart Shots were nothing like they said they would be. I use Litchi Magic Leash for Follow me mode as it is useless for me if the Controller needs to be held. I really, really tried to like it, but at the end of the day it just doesn't measure up, especially for the price and I have no tolerance for companies like 3dr with their shady tactics. Obviously nothing personal if you like your Solo, just not for me. So....I have a new gimbal, a slightly bent for parts gimbal, an extra battery, FPVLR antenna, and an upgraded wifi card for sale. If interested let me know.

got the cards? I'll buy em, right now. The fpvlr too. You have to send via USPS. (Hawaii) It's cheap

 

[Lance]

Well I get home from work this morning and there's a package from 3DR. I was thinking it was my gimbal. I open the package and pleasantly find a package of leg extensions, about 10 3DR stickers and a nice tote bag. Wasn't my gimbal but it was a nice gesture on 3DR's part. Thanks 3DR.

 

[Odogster]

got the cards? I'll buy em, right now. The fpvlr too. You have to send via USPS. (Hawaii) It's cheap

@Mauiwind I only have one of the wifi cards as when I ordered them I wasnt comfortable opening up the solo so I just put the one in the controller. Of course at that point I wasnt aware that I would have to do so to get the gimbal working or I would have ordered two. They are pretty cheap even new though, I only paid like $39 from somewhere on amazon. I'll give you both the fpvlr antennas (which are incredible, it is unreal how much of a difference they make) and the wifi card for $125. Once you install the wifi card in the controller and the fpvlr setup, I don't think you

 

[Odogster]

Well I get home from work this morning and there's a package from 3DR. I was thinking it was my gimbal. I open the package and pleasantly find a package of leg extensions, about 10 3DR stickers and a nice tote bag. Wasn't my gimbal but it was a nice gesture on 3DR's part. Thanks 3DR.

@Lance I didnt catch why you were expecting a gimbal, ruined in a crash? Ill tell ya, by the time they find the unicorn that is gonna be one stretched out prison style butt. Also, Im curious as to what color the gimbal control cable input on the gimbal is. There seems to be two versions, one with black and one with off white.

 

[Lance]

@Lance I didnt catch why you were expecting a gimbal, ruined in a crash? Ill tell ya, by the time they find the unicorn that is gonna be one stretched out prison style butt. Also, Im curious as to what color the gimbal control cable input on the gimbal is. There seems to be two versions, one with black and one with off white.

No crash...I installed it exactly like the video instructed and right from new, the gimbal would make a noise like the motor was constantly running. The instalation was not the issue. Bought a new gopro 4 black and when in the gimbal recording in 4k, the gopro would overheat within 10 minutues to the point it would shut itself down (hot to touch). Recording outside the gimbal for 15 minutes and the gopro had no issues. No matter what I tried the gimbal would only center itself when it felt like it. The majority of the time it would sit about 10° off center. I read every recommendation and tried everything possible but issues still there. I made a video of all the issues I was having and sent it to 3DR. At that point, after about 30 hours of troubleshooting and convincing the FedEx lady that the gimbal wasn't a bomb, I was able to send it back to 3DR for either repair, refund or return. It's been 10 days now and I'm still waiting for a decision from 3DR as to what they're going to do with it. The control cable inside the gimbal Bay is in a black sheath.

 

[Mauiwind]

@Mauiwind I only have one of the wifi cards as when I ordered them I wasnt comfortable opening up the solo so I just put the one in the controller. Of course at that point I wasnt aware that I would have to do so to get the gimbal working or I would have ordered two. They are pretty cheap even new though, I only paid like $39 from somewhere on amazon. I'll give you both the fpvlr antennas (which are incredible, it is unreal how much of a difference they make) and the wifi card for $125. Once you install the wifi card in the controller and the fpvlr setup, I don't think you

bummer, I thought you had both cards. I'd have to try and buy a card. I can't seem to do it as everyone selling them will only send via UPS. that sucks for Hawaii.
How about a c-note ($100) for the FPVLR including the USPS shipping? How do I pay you? let's do this...

 

[Mauiwind]

Actually, you are in the minority. Tens of Thousands of Solos are in the field. The ones that complain will always be the loudest and on the forums looking for help. How many can you find? 50 or 100 different owners with your experience? Most Solo owners simply use them as intended and don't get online or join forums. Most estimates have put the return rate at 5-7%. Certainly high for some products and should be lower, but a long way from the 51% you claim.

Neither one of you guys have quoted the source of your analytics.

 

[Jubalr]

Neither one of you guys have quoted the source of your analytics.

The last I saw quotes was in the fall and was over 20k, with over 5k to Best Buy alone. Not sure what it is now.

 

[Odogster]

bummer, I thought you had both cards. I'd have to try and buy a card. I can't seem to do it as everyone selling them will only send via UPS. that sucks for Hawaii.
How about a c-note ($100) for the FPVLR including the USPS shipping? How do I pay you? let's do this...

I can do that, providing shipping isn't too much. You can install one card at a time if you would like. What is your zip I'll check shipping cost.

 

[Odogster]

The last I saw quotes was in the fall and was over 20k, with over 5k to Best Buy alone. Not sure what it is now.

You can make that 6K to Best Buy now.

 

[Odogster]

I can do that, providing shipping isn't too much. You can install one card at a time if you would like. What is your zip I'll check shipping cost.

Terms they ship to Hawaii if you need a 2nd card.

 

[Ian [P13]]

All you have to do is read some of the many articles detailing their failures, describing unsatisfied customers and investors, and speculating how much longer they will be around.

There aren't many articles, there's Craig's blog, a guy that write DJI books on Amazon that has never owned a Solo that has blogged opinion that has been debunked by the sources he has cited.

So that's one person having not owned a Solo blogging, that's hardly a conclusive analysis.

 

[Odogster]

There aren't many articles, there's Craig's blog, a guy that write DJI books on Amazon that has never owned a Solo that has blogged opinion that has been debunked by the sources he has cited.

So that's one person having not owned a Solo blogging, that's hardly a conclusive analysis.

There aren't many articles, there's Craig's blog, a guy that write DJI books on Amazon that has never owned a Solo that has blogged opinion that has been debunked by the sources he has cited.

So that's one person having not owned a Solo blogging, that's hardly a conclusive analysis.

3DR Solo is a NoGo - Drone Flyers

Metrics and Indications for Dot-Drone Bust - Drone Flyers

I didn't want to admit i got ripped off either, and it is a fact that 3dr discontinued their entire product line besides Solo. Why do you think that is? Straight garbage for $1400. If it cost around 700, it may have been accepted. No one thinks their baby is ugly.