Solo and P3P Owner... Real honest discussion please

[Toiletbowl]

sshhhhhh keep quite guys maybe droneflyers.com reading solo forum group lmaoooo..

 

[Earldgrayjr]

So folks. I want to start a serious (NON FLAMING) thread on the real thoughts of owners of both.
I know at least 2 people (we live within miles of each other) that own both. We are both in roughly the same spot.
So i want to start a valuable discussion to hopefully shed some additional light on things to help me make a decision on which to keep, and perhaps help others.

These are MY opinion today. some may seem harsh towards SOLO and some may seem harsh towards DJI

Solo Pros
- Badass look
- Flight modes (really love these... amazing.... can/will DJI do these modes? how long will i have to wait?)
- Radio Display (this is low on the list, but it will be nice to see some data there vs having to always look at the app, which may allow the app to be less cluttered going foward)
- Battery Location - I really like it up top. First off, it makes the bird a bit top heavy and in roll over crashes (which Rich and I have both had, it lands on its back and does no damage to the quad at all, besides props) . Secondly it will allow for a larger battery in the future.
- Motor Pods - I know Rich and I differ here, but i like the easy removal pods. With the larger battery options, moving up to a larger motor to carry more weight/payload is something im very interested in.
- Accessory bay - IF and this is a big IF right now, they come out with some cool additions (like the FLIR camera, aka bigfoot and ghost hunting device. parachute, etc) it will be a REALLY cool feature.
- Speed - I love the fact that this can be acrobatic. Not that ill ever do flips, or fly it 60mph (or more like Rich) but I like the option. I just hope they open up some GPS modes to be able to use the additional speed and manueverability while still being under GPS control of my quad.
- Speed or lack there of - I love the option to dial down the rabbit to the turtle and slow it down to my full stick up moves it ever so slightly. I think thats an amazing feature.
- Tower App - If they can get it to stop crashing, flying missions, etc will be pretty damm cool.
- BYOC - I love the option to bring my own go pro. I know people look down on this, but I personally dont want to replace my quad each year. Next spring, if my solo (if its the one i keep) is working great and there arent any staggeringly new and awesome features, why would I buy a new one? Ill get a new go pro.
- HDMI Out - Integrated HDMI out is nice - Is going to cost me $150 on the P3P if I want that. For use with my headplay FPV goggles (which ROCK btw)
- Four Legs - Seems minor but landing this thing is 10x more stable than landing the P3P.
- Its Black - You can see it in the air, against clouds 10x better than a white P3P
- Support - Although its often hard to get ahold of them, in the end they do the right thing. Once they clear a massive backlog and get this all squared away, i think support will be a MAJOR selling point for 3dr

I may think of more, and ill edit this then.

P3P Pros
- Solid 3rd generation product - Roll out has been MUCH less buggy than the solo. To be expected, but its un-deniable. Right now its a much more polished Quad.
- Lightbridge - With Lightbridge the range is MUCH greater on the P3P than it is on the solo. To some this doesnt matter, to a lot of us, it does. Ive gone over 1.5 miles stock with my P3P and quite frankly, I dont even look at the controller or get concerned. I know it will be fine.
- Built in camera - Now i know i listed BYOC as a pro for solo and it is, but for those that want a camera included, this is a major pro here too. TCO is much lower on the P3P because of it.
- Built in Gimbal - this should be negated soon. Also, in my con list, I can see this being brought up because of the fragile nature of the gimbal/camera combo, which will lead to massive repair costs.
- Pilot App - The app is good. No denying that. Its a solid app with great features and telemetry.
- Extra part and tool pouch - seems like a minor thing, but I like it
- Vision positioning system - nice for indoor flying etc. - I think currently mine is disabled, but its nice to know its there.
- Torque / zippiness - No doubt about it, this is a major factor for a lot of people. In GPS mode, even with it all the way to Rabbit (the solo), its much more sluggish than the P3P. DJIs quad is snappy, and it just gets out and nails it. Solo can level this, but opening up more power in GPS mode.
- No Fish eye - yes, this is a huge benefit. I cant find a lens for my go pro (for my solo) that I want to use. so right now I'm stuck with Fish eye, and I hate it.

I may add things to the pro list as well, when I think of them.



Solo Cons
- Range - This is first and foremost for me. The range is generally pretty lackluster. Stock, I get around 2000 feet, which is about 4x less than that of my P3P. I have antennas on order, but this is still a concern.
- Torque - Just as torque is a pro for P3P it is certainly a CON here. Even full Rabbit it does not get off the line and go. Its top speed is fine, and it maneuvers very well, but its off the line speed is terrible. This can be changed by 3DR, but will they?
- Bugs - Every newly released product will have some major bugs and issues to work out. 3DR is no different. I would have liked to have seen a 100 person pre-release and they could have likely found many of these bugs.


P3P Cons
- Looks - DJIs phantom look is VERY stale by now. In fact I hate it, with a passion. So much so, that if I do keep it, Im going to skin it with something just so I dont have to look at it in quite the same light.
- Gimbal/Camera combo - It can be a pro, and a con, which it is. Its a good camera, without fisheye, but it also causes some MAJOR repair cost issues if/when you break it.
- Landing gear - Hand catching has become such an important thing to do because the phantoms tip over half the time. They could have just as easily put a little angle to the legs and split them apart (ala the solo) . The solo lands perfect each and every time. This is a major oversight on DJIs part. Easy to correct, but my guess is they didnt want to foot the bill. China - faster, cheaper.


As you can see, from my point of view there are not many cons in either camp, but the Solo Cons (at least today) are a pretty big deal. Much more so than the P3P IMO.

So there is my issue. The pros (in my book) are higher for the solo, but the cons are higher too.
The P3P is a workhorse. It just does its job and does it quite well.

This is a really hard decision, and ill continue to add to this list as the dialogue continues.
thank you all, and PLEASE no BS or Flames.

I agree with everything, but would add one item to the "P3 Cons"

The P3 has a pretty serious structural problem that is showing its head, and from my estimation will end up on every P3 copter eventually.

The housing is to weak in the area of the motors, and a great number of people are developing cracks, which will fairly quickly lead to failure. Given all the talk of range and GPS, this may sound mundane. It isn't.

This in combination with the warranty being voided if you open it up (to reinforce it or what ever) and 6 to 8 week turn around time for a warranty repair that just swaps the same parts that will have the same problem, it's a pretty big deal for some... Including me.

 

[Dunginhawk]

Ill add it to my list for sure.. i either havent flown mine enough, or what. but i dont have cracks yet... maybe im not looking in the right spot.

 

[Earldgrayjr]

Ill add it to my list for sure.. i either havent flown mine enough, or what. but i dont have cracks yet... maybe im not looking in the right spot.

Where the screws are on the motor arms. They start small...

 

[Dunginhawk]

i guess i better look closer. is it happening on most of them? 50%?
my guess is its the exact same hardware as the p2v+. not sure whats changed besides the possibility of manufacturing having their air screwdrivers torqued too high.

 

[Earldgrayjr]

i guess i better look closer. is it happening on most of them? 50%?
my guess is its the exact same hardware as the p2v+. not sure whats changed besides the possibility of manufacturing having their air screwdrivers torqued too high.

Not sure yet. The original word was excess torque (factory or otherwise) but that is looking less likely as some are showing after careful check and torque from the beginning. The commonalty seems to be hours.....

At the risk of getting flamed (I am also a Solo owner people) but also saving interpretation on my part (and a lot of key strokes) here is a link to a pertinent thread from a sister site..

http://www.phantompilots.com/thread...the-fire-guys-got-my-first-shell-crack.47906/

 

[rrmccabe]

I dont think the cracking is new. My V+ had them as well. I considering swapping out the shell but did not. Ended up with another 150 hard flights on it before I sold it.

I dont think the Phantoms will be as tough as the Solo in crashes but I am not concerned about the P3 crack issue either. I think from a percentage standpoint its lower than people with Solo GPS issues.

But point taken. Its a con for sure.

 

[Dunginhawk]

So right now i have no cracking of any kind on my P3P, but ill be damm sure to loosen those back few screws and tighten them back down, not quite as tight this time
oh and i can verify (through a fun adventure today) that the solo will perform 100x better than phantoms in crashes

 

[Toiletbowl]

3 reasons I went for Solo instead of P3

1. No support for Ground Station on P3 (Tower on Solo)

2. Good support from 3DR

3. U.S. Company

4. Good replacement warranty

5. Cutting edge technology on a quad

I said 3 didn't i? I could go on......

i have p2 and in my mind expectation soon will crash in the face of the earth because of bad dji workmanship, my p2 was crash itself with faulty motor wiring and dji find a way not to compensate the warranty sometimes im planning buy a gasoline a burn this crappy dji drone

 

[Burkeam]

3 reasons I went for Solo instead of P3

1. No support for Ground Station on P3 (Tower on Solo)

2. Good support from 3DR

3. U.S. Company

4. Good replacement warranty

5. Cutting edge technology on a quad

I said 3 didn't i? I could go on......

Not only a US company but supporting wise drone laws in the US. I haven't seen DJI pushing the political issues to benefit us drone pilots

 

[GoodnNuff]

Not only a US company but supporting wise drone laws in the US. I haven't seen DJI pushing the political issues to benefit us drone pilots

DJI just adds more "no-fly-zones" to their drones.

 

[Flying Squirrel]

I do not own both, but performed a lot of research and will most likely own a P3 in addition to my Solo.

I am going to offer my perspective as a consumer - not quite a professional - photographer who wants to capture video and stills from an aerial perspective, without spending $3000 to $4000 on one particular unit.

This is essentially my buying thought process summarized:

DJI P3 Advanced

The P3 was my first choice as it comes with a tremendous following and I expect the P3 to be polished - the benefit of having several prior versions. The inclusion of Light Bridge is a big plus, as is the built in camera and gimbal. The ability to fly indoors is of great consideration for me ... I am a fair pilot, but having a system that can help me with detecting the floor is in my opinion a great feature. Price point and "All in one" packages is highly appealing.

3DR Solo

"Bleeding Edge" technology ... I am a bit dramatic and so a new product such as Solo has great appeal. The creativity behind the launch video spoke to me and I like Collin's clear mode of communication and sincerity. I believe in the concept of Solo more so than the actual product. Flight modes ... this is what sold me. I love Orbit and Cable Cam ... perfect for what I want to do ... let Solo do the work while I film. Use my own camera ... I hate when technology expires. Solo was built for expansion and is "future proof" ... I like the fact someone is thinking about this.

OK ... My point here is rather than comparing these two side-by-side I looked at both and asked myself "What can I do with it?" ... I chose Solo for flight modes and to support the underdog. I believe in the company and the product. I will also purchase a DJI Phantom as I believe the P3, while capable of performing similar jobs, is better suited for indoor flight.

If I had to choose one, it would come down to budget. The Solo is over $2000 by the time you include the GoPro, gimbal, tablet, etc ... DJI P3 price point is consumer friendly and equally as capable... I would have chosen the P3 if I was constrained by budget.

Bugs ... I have yet to encounter an RC model that did not have some sort of inherent problem. I have come to expect it ... Solo is not better because the Phantom experiences stress cracks ... Phantom is not better because Solo experiences fly-aways and is unproven. In my opinion these are factors that both products are subject to and are used to create competition between the two products.

My 1.9 cents ...

 

[JohnSal]

Not only a US company but supporting wise drone laws in the US. I haven't seen DJI pushing the political issues to benefit us drone pilots

Just happened to see this last week. They all better start pouring money into lobbying (and in turn the politicians pockets).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ngs-on-leading-drone-lawyer-brendan-schulman/

 

[Sarah B]

It really isn't fair to compare the two, since the main purposes of both are aerial photography.

Having said that, however, the P3 rocks. Yesterday, I flew both at a farm. The Solo obtained a maximum of eight satellites. The Phantom had eighteen. There's other stuff, of course, but to be fair to 3DR, we should wait till the gimbal is available.

 

[rrmccabe]

It really isn't fair to compare the two, since the main purposes of both are aerial photography.

Having said that, however, the P3 rocks. Yesterday, I flew both at a farm. The Solo obtained a maximum of eight satellites. The Phantom had eighteen. There's other stuff, of course, but to be fair to 3DR, we should wait till the gimbal is available.

I wondered when you were going to confess your sins

 

[Sarah B]

Indeed ....

 

[Burkeam]

Just happened to see this last week. They all better start pouring money into lobbying (and in turn the politicians pockets).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ngs-on-leading-drone-lawyer-brendan-schulman/

Good news. more the better for us pilots

 

[Walter]

Thanks for your contribution SDharris.

With regards to your SDK issue with DJI, I cant say its any different right now with 3DR... There is a promise of some ability to code, or make accessories, but reality is, right now there isnt much.
I do believe them however, and I do feel the future is bright for something open source, even if not 100% open source.

I have two Solo's and I love them. I considered the Phantom of course because of all the pluses it has and it's general reliability. I landed on Solo for two reasons: I believe customer service is and will be superior to anything in China. And, the airframe is scalable. The fact that you can upgrade without buying a totally new craft is priceless. I'm hoping this concept is the future of aerial videography. At this point, especially since i've had zero problems with my birds, I'm going to stick with 3DR even though DJI makes good birds as well.

 

[David Weston]

Ms. Sarah,
Just a comment, and I will always defer to Sir Rich The Gallant, as I read in another technical discussion, obtaining satellites, ie" Glosnass, 18 sat's, etc, doesn't necessarily mean it's a better bird. I am probably wrong but I thought the the argument was that" just obtaining sat's doesn't mean that they are being utilized",,or something like that. I believe Ian was the post? Maybe Ian and Rich, Duningbird etc can clarify. I'm learning too.

 

[Sarah B]

It isn't just the GPS, but it IS frustrating when the Solo can't take off due to a lack of satellites. My boyfriend and I use drones in neighborhoods and congested areas for our business. Similar to the old cliche, time is money, and it's senseless to bring along the Solo when we don't know if it will even be able to become airborne. And ... If there is a low number is satellites, and one too many is lost, the Solo flys away into who knows what? This has happened to me, in our backyard. It wasn't operator error. The Solo lost GPS and dove into a bunch of flowers.

Otherwise, the Phantom has great range, and I've flown it out 2,500 feet at 200 feet high. I lost connectivity at 600 feet with the Solo before the antennae were upgraded.

Like I've said, comparisons really aren't fair, since the Solo has no gimbal. But for me, the Phantom inspires--pun intended--confidence, whereas with the Solo, there's a little voice that cautions me that something crazy could happen at any moment. For me, that takes the fun out of something that's supposed to be ... well, fun.