What drone is the best to start with and train on for solo to avoid wrecks? (act as training wheels)

[tickingheart]

Advice welcome,
I have no working knowledge of the drone world but from what I've found, (other than Mavic, Karma and Splash, the obvious Cadillacs) Solo seems the best overall package and I'm hoping to buy one soon. Does it seem to others though that it's a pretty common thing to crash a drone, even a solo, if you haven't flown before? If so (as some have wisely suggested) maybe a training wheel drone is needed?. This makes sense (although I really just want to jump straight to the solo.) What, in your opinions, is a good transition drone? So far "Syma" and "The Bug" are looking like they fit pretty ok, like I said though, I am not experienced in any of it.
(My only objective is to find a drone that will carry a go pro, period, and the person it would be for (my constantly giving, big hearted brother) is pretty good on video games and loves cinematography, so I'm thinking that may factor in for a person)
Hey, thank you for the help! I've gained the upmost respect to the brains and fun that the community of drones possess (an' I wanna fly now too ) The force be with you : )))

 

[Dobie Ardmore]

With the price of a Solo these days.....buy a solo AS a trainer. Don't waste $50-$150 on a lessor quad. Use that money to buy a Solo or peripherals for Solo.

The onboard flight controller is superb and ranks as one of the best. It is comparable to other high end quads, and yet Solo's are less money.

It is as user/newbie friendly as it gets. Fly over a grass field without any trees to collide with. (you will more likely run into a tree while in control, than crash it into the ground while out of control.)

It will take off and hover automatically at start, waiting for you to take over and fly it. Keep the controls set to slow in the beginning. Use slow movements back and forth to get a feel for the way it responds. When you let the control sticks center themselves Solo comes to a fixed in place hover. Easy peasy.

To land: Either let Solo land itself or you slowwwwly lower the throttle and it will settle to a perfect landing. It won't crash unless you "deer in the headllights" and jam the sticks in freeze up panic. If you get scared or out of control JUST let go of the flight sticks, it will come to a hover; take a breath and regain your senses.

Additionally, the Solo was designed for a GoPro. If THAT is your ultimate goal then it is another strong reason to get Solo. Just get the gopro 3 black or better. THEY are the only models that work with Solo.

 

[Acroduster]

When you get one, be sure to practice in Manual mode as well (stability on, altitude stable, GPS off - it will drift laterally). Continuous practice in Manual mode is your best defense against crashes. The Solo controller allows you to map one (or both) of the programmable buttons to automatically engage Manual mode. If you ever sense something my be going wrong, hit one of those buttons and you will have control. Of course having control, and knowing what to do with it, are two different things - hence the practice...

 

[Acroduster]

You could by a $20 mini drone for manual control practice. Those things you can beat up and will still fly. This will at least start to set your muscle memory for the flight controls.

 

[Solo_Maverick]

I tried one of the mini-drones but it did not help. The experience of flying Solo was a lot different. It's indeed very stable and easy to fly.

However, do not let that deceive you. As previously said, find an open area like a park with a big lawn and no trees, or very few.

Start by first just connecting the Solo controller to the tablet and exploring the app and settings.

Then turn Solo on and feel the app and settings.

Then, press the Fly button and watch it take off. Only go up and down first. Feel the joysticks. Press Fly again and let it land by itself.

Next, take off again and very slowly move your Solo forward and backwards, place it where it took of from. Move it laterally. Keep low altitude, just 20ft or so. Keep the app in the slow settings and feel the controls.

Do not feel tempted to go far in the beginning. Stay low and close feeling Solo's reactions. During this phase I did not have either the gimbal or the camera installed. Only installed them after several of these practice flights, which also serve to test whether everything is working as it should.

That's not much different as test-flying new airplanes.

Once you feel more confident, install only the camera e watch the videos. Train to keep an eye on the video stream and your Solo at the same time.

After feeling comfortable there, install the gimbal and practice moving it with Solo's motors still off. Practice changing the camera settings and only then take off.

Go slow. Good luck and enjoy your Solo!

 

[Scoutltd]

Don't get a Solo, your better off to get a cheapo or something from DJI. Or pretty much anything other than a Solo. 3DR doesn't even have a phone number anymore! There is lots of advice here but that is all there is. There's a good chance if you crash it, it'll still be repairable not if it's a Solo cause the parts are getting scarce. You will likely have to buy used parts hahah

 

[just_bruce]

Wow. Not sure that is either correct or necessary. But I guess you're entitled to your opinion like anyone else

 

[Scoutltd]

I have nothing against Solo, I just wish someone would have told me this before I started investing in 3DR equipment. Safe to say this is a fairly biast page for Solo and I think the majority of the members enjoy the challenge of keeping their units going without support. But for someone who knows little on the matter should not be buying into a company that has become a fart in the wind. After multiple atempts at contacting 3DR I have given up. Just oredered 2 Phantoms and a Mavic. I'm just being honest with her.

 

[just_bruce]

My issue isn't with your honesty, it was with the tone of the message.

 

[Solo_Maverick]

The truth is that Solo is quickly becoming like Linux in the operating systems world. There's a community that maintains it and keeps it at pace with the larger Microsoft and Apple stuff and does an excellent job at it.
Nothing is perfect in life.
For the crowd that wants freedom of deciding our own fate Solo is better. The counter side is that we need to put more effort (freedom is not free).
For the crowd that is fine being pushed around but has more support DJI is better. However, like Microsoft's Win 10 that dictates when to update and commonly screws PCs up and spies on the users, DJI also limits its drones' usage, forces updates and sometimes screws-up.
To each their own.

 

[Dobie Ardmore]

I have nothing against Solo, I just wish someone would have told me this before I started investing in 3DR equipment. Safe to say this is a fairly biast page for Solo and I think the majority of the members enjoy the challenge of keeping their units going without support. But for someone who knows little on the matter should not be buying into a company that has become a fart in the wind. After multiple atempts at contacting 3DR I have given up. Just oredered 2 Phantoms and a Mavic. I'm just being honest with her.

What challenge to keeping Solos flying??????
Mine flies perfect EVERYTIME I fly it. There is NO need for further factory support.
In fly mode Solos will NOT crash on their own; you have to fly it into something YOURSELF. Flying high will mitigate that. Altitude is life.

They are sturdy enough. Most crashes only damage the props. If one does crash it can be replaced with another Solo (now you WILL have spare parts) for LESS than what DJI will charge to repairs, AND you won't have to wait for weeks/months to get it back!!!

Curiously WHY would you buy 3 high priced quads all at once??????
Further, it sounds like she doesn't have deep pockets LIKE YOU (rolls eyes)
In which case you could be the opposite of a douche and GIVE her your Solo AND said equipment.
Step up Mr Spendy and just give the gal your Solo; or we can just call you Mr Summers Eve.

 

[Scoutltd]

The choice of "fate" is really irelevant after something happens to it and she has no warranty or anyone willing to fix it. I admire the excentrique folk out there, that root for the underdog, I really do. I drive old trucks and love the challenge of keeping them on the road, however the difference being the aftermarket support that makes it feasable. One doesn't even need to leave this form to see the struggles of having or finding a working gimbal, just as an example. Long term another concern would be that the Solo can only run a gopro hero 4 and how long those will be available, most store have already stopped selling them.

 

[just_bruce]

The gimbal would seem to be the one thing there isn't an aftermarket replacement for....yet. But it is probably the only widely available UAS with a future possibility for multiple aftermarket gimbals.

 

[Scoutltd]

Haha deep pockets has nothing to do with it. There are a million options out there from a price point perspective. Advising her to buy something that will have hardware support is all the more pennywise... I can tell my time is not much longer on this forum. Advising a newbie to buy into a obsolete product seems wrong in every way. I mean no disrespect to anyone here. I best just leave now.

 

[Dobie Ardmore]

Haha deep pockets has nothing to do with it. There are a million options out there from a price point perspective. Advising her to buy something that will have hardware support is all the more pennywise... I can tell my time is not much longer on this forum. Advising a newbie to buy into a obsolete product seems wrong in every way. I mean no disrespect to anyone here. I best just leave now.

Yada yada. Advising a newbie to buy an inferior/lesser product for less $$$ OR a HIGH priced quad is fiscally irresponsible. Did you even read my points about Solos merits cost wise?????

Gimbals are readily available AS ARE ALL GoPro models on EBay and will be for some time dude.

In any event, you have ONLY sidestepped the questions.
However, ONE question remains. If these Solos are soooooo worthless WHY DON'T YOU GIVE HER YOURS????????? Come on bubby Be a good guy instead of a.....(are you lilac or dinglelberry Mr Eve?) So why did you buy 3 high priced quads anyway?

 

[Scoutltd]

Cause resorting to using "eye roll" and calling someone a douche bag with no grounds for it isnt douchey at all. Here comes the trolls.

 

[tickingheart]

Well, I was caught up for a few days and come back to a flood of advice. -Thank you -. I will have to take a minute to go through it. One thing I know right off, I don't want anything given to me or anyone pressuring someone to give me anything, and def do not want any kind of interactions that are rough with another human being, we're entitled to our opinions, as well as decency towards each other, thanks (will delete thread if not kind/delete account, I have brothers, so I know all is good banter and only brings out more wisdom, but I'm a girl ) Thanks for the help, think I'm set enough. I don't want to regret that I ever asked a question with hopes for unbiased opinions, I respect all here and 'ppreciate the help. Thank you very much for all the time. All set.

 

[so low still grounded]

I am a newbe and bought a solo for exactly that = training wheels. in my research and looking at what options were available solo was on top. And I am very grateful for the folks at solo and hope that they continue making them and up grading them. So when the time comes to get something better I will get another solo. It simply means I have to look after what I have more so than normal. It's the same as buying an expensive camera. They can last a very long time if you are careful and educate and train yourself. I still use very old unclicked film lenses on newer digital cameras and they are ireplaceable. I was expecting the worst in learning to fly a drone because my interest is simply filming but solo so far has been an amazing experience . So sure accidents happen but they happen mostly to people who are unprepared. Be shrewed and prepare for what can go wrong.

 

[Dobie Ardmore]

Cause resorting to using "eye roll" and calling someone a douche bag with no grounds for it isnt douchey at all. Here comes the trolls.

So sorry if I melted you. Douchey IS not answering a question to something that you brought up as a brag or ??? (why did you even reference that you bought three DJI's? (which are clearly out of her price range))

SO why did you buy three high priced quads? (Wassa matta Y no ansa?) Especially ones that have been known to flyyyyyyyyy away; even the Mavics say bye bye. Casey lost one on his YT channel.

Further, I hear the cameras on Mavics are not getting 5 stars (chuckles, or even 2 stars)
Just look at Google: "We answer what is wrong with the camera", "My mavics camera is broken","bad camera","Broken gimbal","bad sensor", "The DJI Mavic Pro footage looks like a cheap HD action camera","plz fix Mavic's horrible camera focusing issues" and on and on and on.

I can understand why you would want a factory available for these DJI's--Because they DO NEED FACTORY SERVICE. They ALWAYS have had problems. Turn around time on a repair is awful, and $$$$ too!

I'll stick with a GoPro and Solo which have wonderful reliability, and be flying while you are waiting for 7 weeks to get your high priced "factory" quad fixed in ways that Solos DON'T need.

 

[User Name]

It's true that with the price of the Solo, it seems crazy to spend 1/4 to 1/3 of that on a toy grade mini drone to practice on. And it is true that Solo is very beginner friendly and perfectly able to serve as a trainer.

However... if someone is totally new, it's going to take a decent amount of time to learn to fly proficiently in all orientations. That means lots of flights, burning through lots of batteries. In that respect, Solo's size and cost (with extra batteries) can be an issue. Unless you have a large open yard, you'll be driving someplace to practice, which will inherently limit the amout of flights one can make over a given span of time.

So the value of a small practice drone is higher since it can be flown in any small yard or even indoors, extra batteries are cheap and charge fast. Now the little $20 ones from Amazon fly like crap and will be more frustrating than anything else.

It may seem expensive compared to what you get in a Solo, but the Blade Inductrix is an awesome trainer. It's really stable and flies very much like a larger drone like the Solo. Doesn't have any of the skittish nature of the cheap $20 ones. You actually do learn how to fly with it, and with the shrouded props, you can fly into anything - walls, pets, offspring, without any fear of damage or injury. Even if you did manage to break something, a replacement frame is $8.

I bought one for my son, and I'll admit to flying it way more than he has. It's just really fun to fly. Even if/when you own a Solo, you'll still be flying this thing indoors, at night, when it's raining. It really is perfect for training and keeping your skills up, and that, in my opinion, justifies the cost. Here's a link to it:

Blade® Inductrix™ RTF RC Ducted Fan Quadcopter with SAFE® Technology | Horizon Hobby