Why you should NOT buy the 3DR Solo Drone
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- *UPDATE OCT 5, 2016*
I just wanted to follow up today with an article released by Forbes. 3DR has stopped production of all drones and will not be making any more. The sales at Best Buy people keep commenting on are simply to move stock and they are being sold at an incredible loss. I stand by my review and encourage people to NOT buy the drone as they are obsolete and will not be supported by 3DR in the future.
Watch my follow up review here
• 3DR Is No Longer Makin...
I've had the Solo Drone by 3DR for 5 months and have nothing but bad experiences. It's time to share this with others and hopefully you can learn from my mistakes. I bought into the media hype and PR from them. I dove in deep. Don't make the same mistake.
The Drone I Replaced my 3DR Solo With;
click.dji.com/A...
I bought mine back in July 2015 along with 4 spare batteries. It has behaved and flown flawlessly for over 200 flights and I am still using the original props. I am sure that there are a few Solos out there that have developed faults, but there are hundreds that haven't. The same can be said for any drone whether it's made by 3DR, DJI or any other proven manufacturer.
Only talking about feelings, need to focus more in technical details
Dario Rivera I agree. Mine works great. Even crashed it several times and replaced parts and it’s still trucking.
Three years later and my 3DR is still flying. Never crashed, never failed to return to the spot I launch from. My friend is on his 4th DJI after two fly aways with no recovery, and two RTMs. Looks like I chose correctly.
That's too bad you didn't have good luck with yours. I just got mine and it Flys great.
pro tip : you can watch series at Kaldrostream. Me and my gf have been using it for watching all kinds of movies during the lockdown.
@Mathias Hunter yup, been watching on Kaldrostream for years myself :D
@Mathias Hunter yea, been using KaldroStream for since december myself =)
Ive had my solo for over 6 months and have had nothing but great flights. I also fly Dji Drones and they too are great, The solo has much more to offer and has been much better as far as video quality. I flew it a few days ago and the range was awesome. Right now you can pick these up for a song, add a gopro and you will have a pro caliber camera platform...good job 3DR !!!
Lol! "Range was awesome" ya ok. Range SUCKED on al non modded 3DRs
3dr solo is still the must stable and nicely made than all the other drone I have it and I never get an issue with it
2019 into November, still flying mine...along with my spark
Been flying mine for awhile now. Never had an issue. Best Drone for the money!
Roberts R/C Radio just bought two of them myself where did you get yours at?
Still feel the same?
Im thinking about getting one.
I had the parrot b was great but batt battery time voor the first verion
I had a dji phantom did not likes this
So how is this one
Hell no even back then we all knew this was a dud from what we've seen and heard how the company made these.
i have had mine over a year and still flys amazing.
that's awesome. sounds like you received a good one. hopefully you'll never have issues and you can hold on to that one.
Tallguysd do have issue losing signal when Solo is not visible?
Fastbloom Messi i have flown mine out over 1/2 mile
Tallguysd considering the Phantom 3 can easily fly a mile & a half without losing signal you have to factor in all the pros & cons. Especially since this device & the Phantom 3 series were the same price point when they were first released. I was in Best Buy today & couldn't believe they still had this & the Karma in their display case.
Same, but now I'm nervous since they no longer make or will be supporting. Gonna have to drop another G on the Mavic. Still it was a good drone to learn on.
Totally understand your sentiment, but I don't share it. My experience with the Solo has been excellent. No troubles at all and very happy with it. That being said, I have a Mavic on order! Mainly due to the size. But I will say one reason I went with Solo was I had heard horror stories about DJI support. I don't know if support has ever improved, but I am sure their support with be better than 3DR once they have completely closed down their consumer division. I guess it is all relative. Thanks for sharing your opinion. I would probably share it if I had your experience with it.
That was part of the point of my comment. I said that, as bad as DJI's support has been, it will be better than 3DR's since they are leaving the consumer space. BTW, love my Mavic. But DJI sure screwed people over in their launch and the long wait to get it. I think they launched earlier than planned to take on Karma. But Karma is now dead too! But very happy with the Mavic.
Had mine for over a year. Used it in high winds, used in temperature between below 0 and over 80 degrees F. Always steady footage and has always worked. Follow me mode and orbit are awesome. Sorry to hear your experience was not as good as mine.
You are very lucky and seem to be one of the rare models that wasn't messed up from factory. Glad it has worked for you!
I bought this during this years Amazon Prime Day sale. Took a while to get, and when I got it, I had problems from the beginning. First issue got fixed after 6 days chatting with their customer service. I finally got it to work more than a week after receiving it. It worked amazingly perfect for about 5 flights, then got weird sounds coming from the gimbal. I contacted them again about it and they wanted me to send it in for repair....I Said "sorry, I got it from Amazon 3 weeks ago, I'll send it back to them and get a new one" Well, that happened, and Amazon sent me a new one before I sent the first one back. Unfortunately, the 2nd one never worked out of the box. After contacting 3DR about it, they said it was an issue internally, and nothing could be fixed by me or over the air. Sent it back to Amazon, got refunded, they wouldn't send me another one. I was upset because I really wanted it.....now I have a Mavic on its way.
The features were great, being able to use a GoPro was a plus in my mind, but it failed. I'm looking forward to my Mavic.
Isn't Amazon awesome!?!? Sorry for your back experience but I'm glad Amazon is making things right for us.
Timothy Sunday Amazon was great, 3DR was great too... But all this happening in such a short time was bad. It did have some great features and the price was at my price point. Nice video too.. Watched another one today about the Solo being the a good fit to be your first... Haha.
Scott Lawless thanks. Be sure and subscribe as I've got some awesome products on the way for more reviews
I have 3 Solos, 2 Inspires, P4, and older diy quads. Your problems with the Solo are not uncommon. You are going to find the same problems with DJI as well. 3dr's customer service can be frustrating but so is DJI's. Your drifting problem is due to a poor GPS lock. You should get more comfortable flying in manual mode. Never trust the gps. You can loose gps at anytime, even if the app says you are still locked. I notice you are using the alpha antennas. The alpha antennas don't help at all, actually make it worse. Someone made a youtube review saying Alpha gave them better range, but its not true. Use your stock antennas, you will maintain better connection. The green screen is due to a poor HDMI cable connection from the main board to the gimbal. I still fly the shit out of my solo and get awesome shots. Now that BB has them so cheap I do more risky shots with them. I dont want to do that with my $4k Inspire. I think your biggest problem is this is your first drone and you dont understand how they work. It would help if you bought a cheap Syma x5c-1 and fly the crap out of it. If you can fly the cheap little drones, (fix them too) you can fly and understand/pilot the big ones even better.
+Mike Johnsen Hey thanks for watching and commenting. I agree with a lot of what you said. But I still stand by my review. As a consumer who paid over $1200 for this setup, the use/down time ratio was horrible. And the amount of defective hardware I encountered is inexcusable when purchasing a high end drone, in my opinion...software and GPS aside.
Be sure to subscribe as I have the mavic pro.on it's way for a full review.
This reply is spot on.
Because of your response. I'm going to buy a solo it sounds like you know what the hell you're talkin about thanks man.
I never liked the idea of using a phone and WiFi on any of the quads. That is one reason why I fly the X380 with a decent camera
using a 600 mw transmitter at 5.8 ghz. The camera captures the video on a SD card and the camera also sends the video feed
back to a 7 inch dual-channel monitor for FPV. You can get some breakup on the FPV feed signal while flying and changing
direction but the video saved on the SD card is always perfect. There are too many things that can interfere with WiFi signals
including the gimbal and WiFi is limited in range and can even interfere with the quad's receiver. Thanks for the review.
3DR is out of the consumer market, but they're still using the Solo platform for their commercial systems, so they're not dropping support any time soon. Parts are still readily available.
Sounds like my Experience with DJI. Had my quad go full throttle for 1/2 mile until it lost connection, then it RTH just fine. not trusting them any more.
Bryce Fountain that's pretty vague ...did you use a 3rd party software for flight plans ? did you enable rth when you lost control and then it went in a random direction ? did you set the home point on a map at a different location than yours ?
had that happen to 2 off my 450's but thats why i build them, so i can fix them too new gps and ones flying like a dream now think thats what is gone on the other one too, don't matter what you get you will have the odd problem!! one's got a naza fc, the other one is apm. they do me fine and there cheep
BRYCE YOU KNOW THE MISTAKE YOU MADE!!! BUYING ANYTHING DJI THATS THE MISTAKE!!!
I'm pretty sure the Phantom 3 is dead also, didn't DJI stop production of that model does that mean no one should buy or they should all sail their Phantom threes, no. this is the most drone you will ever get for $400 in your lifetime
Yes, the Phantom 3 is dead, and so is the original Phantom 4. No more being made - obsolete after being on the market only 10 months. If the reasoning of the poster of this video was correct, you shouldn't buy any of those either.
The fact is - he is wrong. The DJI Phantoms are perfectly fine, and so is the 3DR Solo. When things go wrong with any of them, it's almost always operator error and ignorance.
GPS technology is not 100% reliable in every situation, and the pilot must be prepared for that and be competent enough to fly it manually.
Unfortunately our society today has enormous numbers of people who refuse to take personal responsibility for anything and always want to blame some one else for their own incompetence.
Even worse, they will *never* admit it...
Amazons return policy has gone down hill in the last four years.
I bought the same drone from best buy about a month ago, came in a bundle package. For $399 got the drone, gimbal, extra battery and some extra propellers. I fly it almost every weekend till both batteries die out and only had 1 problem with it. In mid flight over a cliff LOL its controls stopped working and after a minute or 2 just being able to spin around it lost signal and just came right back to me. Besides that I have had nothing bad to say about it! I think I got a great deal so no complaints here! sorry you had such a bad experience but now you can get the new Mavic! hahaha
Would be good if you have a FOOTAGE of this thing drifting.This is androids of drone its moddable.Maybe you need an Apple of drones.Most of the time its user error especially for people with ZERO Flying experience. There is a couple if us here that flies this drone and I know couple of guys in FB and we dont have issues with it.
Mine did the same thing and I'm using a iPhone
dude, that was a analogy ..the phone you use is irrelevant. he was giving a comparison
He didn't say if he recalibrated the compass at either of the new locations. You have to do that if you move your launch point by more than a couple of miles, or closer if there's a chance of possible EMF interference. That could have been the cause of the drift. He doesn't sound like he has much drone experience.
Mikel Berry nor did he say how many GPS satellites it had locked during this incident. Not enough technical information.
As it turns out, 3DR was just out produced and out marketed by DJI. But, it's interesting that DJI and 3DR have now teamed up. DJI is producing the drones. 3DR is producing software. 3DR is still a viable company worth billions of dollars. For my money, the Solo is still a perfectly good drone. And, this guy is still a perfectly good asshole.
I agree. My 3DR Solo was great at first but then went south. I haven't flown it in over 5 months. I just got my Mavic Pro and so far love it. Loved my Phantom 4 and loved it too. I know what you mean. Sorry man.
I wish I had purchased mine from Amazon. I got it from B&H. I've had a myriad of problems with mine and can rarely use it. Glad you can return yours.
+MFMG I'm sorry to hear that. Have you tried reaching out to B&H? That is a really great company as well
I spoke with a customer service rep at B&H and they sent me back to 3DR since they have a 1 year warranty. I tried to repair the drone again as I'm not getting a video feed. The new HDMI cable didn't fix the problem. In a last-ditch effort, I tried to get 3DR to honor their warranty. They would not. So, I guess I'm going to crash it into a wall at full speed and film it since it's completely useless.
bummed
I love my 3dr solo and don’t have a single problem with it
You are lucky. Glad it's worked well for you
I stopped listening when he said "Ive not really used drones before" ...
Your forgetting to tell everyone how inexpensive this drone was. I only paid 249.99 for mine and bought a back up for 189.99 never had 1 problem with the Solo or the add on gimbal for $40.00 Best Value out their right now! GRAB ONE BEFORE THEY ARE GONE!
I've got several of these, with no problems. Oldest one is over a year old and it performs great. Too bad you got a bad one. For the current Best buy deal you can't find a better video drone for the money. I would suggest learning to fly manually with a cheap drone first. Same kind of failure could happen with any of the current drones regardless of brand.
unfortunately, I had 2 bad ones and a faulty gimbal. Not worth the hassle for me to keep dealing with returns and defective products. Although this is my first quad copter of this quality, it is not my first time flying. In fact, the majority of all my shots over the summer were done manually and not using their smart shot features. I'm glad to hear you've had success with your units. I just felt I needed to share my experience so people are aware that not everyone has had the great experience that you have. thanks for watching!
I also have 2 Solos, bought 2 of them at Best Buy with the gimbal, xtra battery and props for $299 each. I also have a Phantom 3 and a CX 20. I called 3DR last week with a question and had no problem getting help. I watched his video before i bought them and im glade i didn't take his advise, sorry about his luck but telling people not to buy something that's a really good drone at a better price is bad advise.
I've been building diy kits from 3dr for the last 5 years and never had any problems... picked up my 1st solo when they 1st came out and got 2 more from Best Buy last month no problems either. The fact that its open source makes it even more valuable , especially for those who write code... which is now what is being thought to elementary and high school kids in robotics class around the country... using one of my solos for a VTOL project...I also have DJI and have built their kits even longer than 3DR , i even got a Phantom 4 . Its a great drone but i've had problems with the gimbal that they've been trying to fix now for the last 6 months... also had problems with their NAZA controllers that couldn't keep a program setting on 3 out of 4 customer builds , might have changed by now but back then i couldn't get any ... nada ... zero tech support , no phone answer ... not even an email answer ... Between the Solo and the Phantom i feel safer flying the Solo and it can handle more higher winds than the Phantom . We lost one at a real estate (1500 acre ) shoot when the winds picked up to 45+ mph . My Solo returned but the Phantom couldn't ... went back 3 months later and found it with my Solo. They are both good platforms ... it just depends on what you want ...
Seems more people like you post than do the ones that have good luck. This is the same as all of the complaints on youtube of samsung tv's, gopro's etc....when you sell a large number of products you're bound to have a large number of issues. I've purchased 4 of these at all different times and zero issues so far even while flying out of sight in high winds. I bet you would slam a certain tv, phone, computer etc. if you had the same luck claiming they weren't worth purchasing all while many others have no issues. I have friends with autels and phantoms that have just as many problems and fly aways as the solo...no brand is without faults and considering DJI sells more they have many more fly aways than any other brand and by far the worst customer service...but you won't make a video on that.
Learning to fly manually with a cheap drone like a Syma X8C is a good way to hone your piloting skills. But, one thing that I've learned is; the likelihood of losing or crashing a manual drone is exponentially higher than with a GPS enabled quad. The difference is huge. Flying a manual quad, all your doing is speeding up or slowing down motors. With a GPS quad, you're actually telling the quad to adjust it's altitude, attitude and lat-long position through a complex series of microprocessors that are constantly monitoring those inputs.
Thanks for the honest review dude !! almost buy Solo but now i go for DJI.
watch it flyaway
GitarStu dji haters!!! face it solo tanked.... my p4 is superior and so is my soon to be mavic😂
Hi can i ask a question. Why my 3dr starts alarm when i turn it on and the front lights turns white and back is red ?? Can you please help me what are those alarms ???
Thanks for sharing! Back when I was deciding to upgrade a prosumer drone, 3DR was one I was seriously considering. I'm SO glad I went with the Phantom 3 Professional. It's been such a positive experience flying DJI that I preordered their latest Phantom 4 Professional a couple weeks ago... hopefully it will arrive this week! As for Amazon, I've been purchasing from them regularly for 14 years now and they provide the absolute best shipping & customer service in the industry! The only reason I purchased my P4PRO directly through DJI, is because nobody else was carrying it yet, otherwise I would have gone through Amazon. Thanks again for sharing your experience. I'm a new sub to your channel and look forward to following you going forward. Take care!
Chris
Thanks for this insightful video. I just sent my 2nd Solo back to 3DR today due to both the original and the 2nd one crashing as a result of Motor Failures. I bought mine at a Cabella's in June of this year and am now planning on taking the brand new one they send me back to Cabella's to see if they will give me a refund. 3DR told me the same thing that I am outside the 30 day window. I did several months of research before deciding to purchase a 3DR and now have zero confidence that Solo #3 won't fall out of the sky as the other ones did.
Hey Brian, thanks for watching. Sorry to hear of your experience. I know exactly what you're going through. I did all the research too. Unfortunately, I've found 3DR to be much better at marketing and PR than actually making reliable gear.
We shall see how this all works out. Good luck with you as well.
at more than half off the drone is an excellent buy for those willing to do the mods to make it work right. This drone was designed for the DiY guys not for the big box guys who just want to mash buttons and go. it's an amazing drone no matter what this guy's experience is you'll never see a feature packed drone like this at 399 at least for a decade, and buying used drones well buyer beware.
I bought two at the special deal Best Buy had for $400. Like you, probably will be a long time seeing such a great drone so inexpensive.
ummmmm "won't see another...blah...for a decade", the mavic was just launched
Rudi Novem how much was mavic again? 599?
this crap and the mavic is not even in the same caliber. btw I paid $760 for my mavic with case.... right now solo is going for $300 BUT you still have to buy a $300 go pro. 1/2 mile range and its its bulky... sorry ill take a mavic any day over this and It's worth the extra money...
carlito aviso 299...now
I have one of the original solo since it was first release. I have not had any issues at all.
I have upgrade parts on my solo, since I first got it a year ago.
+Craig Johnson Thanks for watching, Craig. That's great to hear! Sounds like you got one of the few solid ones. Hold on to it and hopefully it will keep working great for you!
If I remember right, this quad was to compete against the DJI quadcopter but I don't remember what model the DJI was at the
time? The Public had so much trouble with it that people quite buying them. You can get a LEMON in any of them but the reviews
on it killed it and most of the people reviewing it couldn't be wrong with their finding. Amazon's customer service is great even
though some of their prices are higher than their competitors but you get the service with them.
thank you for this. we had picked one up at best buy and watched this and decided to return it right away... as best buy only has 15 days to return these and no warranty!
Great review! I know your experience was maddening. I had the same deal with the Aries x10 Blackbird drone. Thankfully, Adorama took mine back for a full refund, and I got smart and went with DJI. :)
I got my 3dr solo a week ago on Ebay for 180. The first time I flew it it lost GPS signal and crashed into my garage shattering all of the propellers. After buying new propellers and thinking it was just user error I attempted a second time in a more open field. This time it wouldn't take off properly. Whenever I hit the fly button to let it take off it took off several times at an angle even when it was flat on the ground and crashed. I don't know if there is something wrong with the motors or what but that obviously shouldn't happen.
Bought mine 3DR Solo from bestbuy $349 bundle with the gimbal, extra battery, extra props, bag. later purchase a used gopro hero 3+ black on ebay. birthday present for myself. been flying everyday I possible since 12/22/16. has been nearly flawless. I had several drones before, but always fond them to be more work than hobby. this birds make me love the hobby. holds steady in high winds, and outperforms most of the other drones that fly in the park with me. Sorry for your experiences, but I have not shared them. I saw both of your videos and almost didn't purchase, at the price, I took the risk and have not regretted it. I have contacted supported and they have been very helpful, as have been the forums. There is even a parts and repair spot, recommended by 3DR support and again, they has been very helpful. Good luck with you need drone. happy new year.
Just put green cube retracts external antenna and here gps on one. Never a problem with it. Most issues with them are operator issues.
Solo is way worth the money especially at $299 for the full kit at best buy. Ridiculous to say its "obsolete". It's a great platform.
nomoslogos it IS obsolete ...if you took time to actually see what the competition offers.
I paid $299.00 new for my Solo when Best Buy was closing them out. Mine included the gimbal and I've never had an issue. "Fingers crossed"
thanks for this vid, I was just about to go to the local store th buy this drone but now I'm going to get the dji phantom 4.
From personal experience, I bought a refurbished one even after watching this video. I weighed the negative stuff I read against the positive and decided to pull the trigger for Solo. I paid $179 thru Best Buy and manged to pick up a gimbal for $54 (before the prices skyrocketed). I got mine in June and I have flown it 2-3 times every week without any problems. The only issue I had was my own fault. I started with a generic camera and when I got a GoPro I had taken the gimbal off and when I re-installed it, I accidentally left the HDMI cable in contact with the gimbal causing some video vibration, an easy fix. In retrospect, I have continued to buy accessories (2 extra batteries, a DroneKit carrier, lens filters, sun shade, leg extensions, etc) so I have raised my overall investment but I guess you can do that for whatever brand you choose. If you can find a Solo with gimbal out there in the $299 you should give it a shot. You can spend that on a drone with 1/4 of the features you get with a Solo.
I bought it during the Best Buy sale with the extras and it's been great so far for me. With an extra battery, free gimble and free spare props you really can't beat it so long as you don't have any issues. Fortunately, I haven't. It was a cheaper way to get into drones for me without spending a ton of money on a DJI. Sure, the standard is $500 but that's still $120 more than I spent plus you don't get any extra batteries. Will I buy a DJI? Probably so and I'll probably get most of my money back when I sell the 3DR. Would I have bought it at full price knowing of all the problems I've heard? Not at all.
There are already aftermarket batteries available from 3rd party vendors and that goes the same for parts.
I'm having the green video feed problem
+Joe Stevens aw that sucks. They told me it was the gimbal but they have ways to troubleshoot it. Reach out to 3dr and see what they can do for you
Timothy Sunday thanks. man I just emailed them.. I have until January to return it to best buy.. my fly time was 10-12 minutes.. not impressed
I got the same deal at Best Buy, the drone, the gimbal, extra battery and extra props. Plus, they also had a package deal that included the back pack for $30 more. I got that and bought another battery. Total was about two sixty something. Then, I got these great little folding leg extensions from Amazon that give additional gimbal clearance while unfolded and the quad still fits perfectly into the back pack when they are folded. The most expensive part of my set up was the GoPro Hero 4 Silver. It cost twice as much as my Solo set up. I'd also like to mention that there's another app out there that is an enhanced version of the Solo app, called Solex. That app has the same UI, plus flight planning. It's awesome. I'm extremely happy with my Solo.
If you are experiencing a fly-away, and you use the air-brake/pause button to try and stop it, you are not techy... better solution, replace the GPS with one that picks up non-us contellations as well, and problem solved. Want more range? replace the modem in the controller with I higher power RF modem, and use quality antennas.
the basic hardware in the Solo is open source, and does not need support from the company to function properly, get updated, and improved. The most reliably systems out there are based on the ardu- copter and arduous-plane software, and can even fly autonomous waypoint based missions with ease using more full-featured software like mission planner.
Just a heads up, 3dr is NOT replacing your GoPro camera when it crashes even though its their fault. That sucks.
EscobarTV45 that's not correct, I had crash with my solo and they gave me replacement and new gopro 4
Danijel Akrap I just rmr mine a month ago and they did not replace mine. they no longer replace GoPro cams. you must've got yours replaced a while ago.
Sorry to hear that. Yes I crashed mine several months ago. I still have mine but just don't fly anymore often like before. Just scared that doesn't fall from the sky like first time
Danijel Akrap it'll be hard to sell mine when just last week best buy had a package on sale for $299. I damn near bought another but they replaced my cam with a hero 5. I'll admit that when I was flying it work good for the price. I think I'm going to hang on to mine and find a hero 4 cam.
be happy, I paid mine $1200 plus $400 for gimbal backpack $150. 2 extra batteries $160. I lost a lot of money.
The 3DR solo is a much nicer looking drone than the Phantom. It's a pity they went bust and couldn't sort their products. If I could get one with a gimbal for 300 euro I'd still get it.
Sell you mine
My solo 3DR has been flying amazing for over a year and a half! Never had a problem with it. Sorry to hear about your problems, but it is a spot on drone. Better that the phantom in my opinion.
Best buy is selling this same drone for 299.00 dollars gimbal included. Would you say that is a decent drone for that price?
+Joe C. Only if you're versed in tweaking and modding drones. You met get a great unit, you might get one like mine. Either way, you need to be prepared to use third party apps and resources to get the most out of it.
I picked up 4 of them for $299.00 each its a hell of a deal! The software is open source APM and will be supported for a very long time. Plus parts can be found also, others are already making GPS upgrades and CPU upgrades.
You are very very diplomatic about the whole issue, l admire you for that!
They are not out of business. They only now sell to agricultural companies survey companies and the like. No sales to the public, only commercial sales. That means if you have one or want to get one second hand, There will be parts and support for it.
I haven't had ANY problems with the Solo. Always works, great 2.7 footage with my Hero 3. It's awesome.
I have this drone it works great never had any problems have had for 2 years
I have heard horror stories with the entire phantom line with the 3's being the worst with the cracking bodies. I have recently had a Phantom 4 to use for a few months. It is a really stable aircraft but the app and camera are big let downs.
I think the first post hits the nail on the head, this is not a first time user drone. You need to take baby steps. I’ve flown drones professionally for over 20 years and the 3DR Solo is one of the best consumer drones I’ve flown, yes you have fuss with this or that but it is rock solid. The gps problem is simply a shielding issue easily fixed. Sorry your experience was so bad, but truthfully you were most of the problem. I know this is an old video, but I hate when someone trashes a good product because they didn’t take the time to search out an answer to their problem and when you posted this video UA-cam had a fix for every problem you encountered save one; your ignorance. There is an old saying that has to do with leavers. Leaver “A” and leaver “B”: If you don’t know what leaver “A” does leaver B.
I just wanted to follow up today with an article released by Forbes. I'll link it in this comment but essentially, 3DR has stopped production of all drones and will not be making anymore. The sales at Best Buy people keep commenting on are simply to move stock and they are being sold at an incredible loss. I stand by my review and encourage people to NOT buy the drone as they are obsolete and will not be supported by 3DR in the future. Here is a quote from the article,
"“We’re not making anymore Solos and we’re not going to make another drone,” said Anderson, who suggested that 3D Robotics would start developing software for other drone makers. “I love the idea of other companies making hardware so we don’t have to and we can focus on the software and services side. We’re a Silicon Valley company and we’re supposed to be doing software and there are Chinese companies that are supposed to be doing hardware.”
In the meantime, consumers can still purchase the drone that helped Anderson arrive at that conclusion. While Solo and its accompanying gimbal cost more than $750 to manufacture and ship and once retailed for $1,400, a savvy shopper can now find it at a significant discount. Best Buy now offers both products together for $500."
There you have it.
www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2016/10/05/3d-robotics-solo-crash-chris-anderson/#7ce8f8ae4840
$380 today
Gotta move that stock. I'm uploading a video now explaining the Forbes article and what it means to Solo owners. Check it out later today!
I bit, I don't want to afford a DJI yet, just want to test out how a REAL drone works and get some experience first, and if I like it Ill go for a higher end DJI down the road. Ill probably be able to get most of my money back if I sell it.
DJI Phantom 3 Standard is just around that price. Without the problems, or dead end product/company.
Regardless of whether the solo is discontinued or not it is a far better option than a P4/mavic due to cost, besides the superior flight modes.
Sounds like a great product however it was sold to the wrong person. Stop complaining on UA-cam
Can you provide backstory on this statement? It seems like you know him and believe his statements to not be factual to his situation. From what I've read about the company his statements fall inline with whats happening with the company. They've exited the drone hardware industry. Writers around the world have written about the list of issues known to plague the solo drone. I believe a lot of people come to UA-cam to watch people complain about their product experiences. I personally call them reviews but to each their own. Then again we are both commenting almost 3 year old video about a product that is no longer manufactured partly due to all the issues it had. Also partially due to its hard for any company to compete against some Chinese companies as they are known for stealing others successful intellectual property regardless if its copyrighted and profiting off it. With no R&D costs as they just reverse engineer someone else's hard work.
sounded like a promoto for Amazon rather that a review on the drone...
I have my solo and it's great. Never had issues. I run open solo 4 and it's got Sport and drift mode it goes about 60mph. My brother gave it to me and he bought it in 2019 I fly it every day. I added a transmitter and foxeer race cam. I 3d printed my gimbal mount to.
Great review and I COMPLETELY agree with regards to Amazon!! If they keep the customer service they have and their business model, I will shop there for LIFE!! Thanks for the heads up, because I was just ABOUT TO BUY ONE!
Sorry to hear you got screwed by a company that doesn't stand by their products. For those here that have a problem understanding this, simply put are they still around making drones?
dude you rock.
Through HOURS of HD video from drones,
Through HOURS of wankers talking NONSENSE about packaging and such,
Through HOURS of shop-talk with non-techie, industry users, who really don't know what's GOOD,
Through HOURS of pre-prosumer tacky Target and BestBuy 1st Generation solutions,
Through angst and agony, I have hunted for ACTUAL USAGE REPORTAGE. (not open box, not masturbation!)
YOU my fellow, have hit the nail on the head!
(and fyi we shall likely NOT be buying a 3DR)
Well done indeed.
HMU if you'd like to make a new friend!
Many dont understand the true power of this drone. This is one of the drones to have the processing power on the controller itself for many complicated Multi point cable cam. I am using it since 2015 and no major issue. I got a limp gimbal once and 3DR support was excellent and swapped for me with no issues !!
Mayoo N ...what the hell are you talking about :)) the processing power of the drone means squat if the design is flawed. Cable cam is nothing special ,my Phantom 3 Advanced can do this.Not only that ,with 3rd party software like Litchi it can track an object using the camera . You can do a flight plan outside the controller (it's called transmitter) range. ...
Thank you for an EXCELLENT video!
I live in Costa Rica and fly drones that for the most part are toy grade but have been moving up to more challenging quads. I saw Fry's Electronics has the 3DR Solo including gimbal and 2 extra batteries for $469 which is tempting. But after seeing your video, I think I'll give it a pass. Well done!
+Robert Arne Dresslar glad to help. Thanks for the kind words. Hope you'll consider subscribing for more content
I'm going to roll the dice and am picking one up tomorrow, can't pass up the deal, $299! If your a solo or should I say single drone operator meaning your the one to control the drone plus the camera, and want to shoot more complicated shots, there is still no better system than the cable cam(of course right after I buy it dji will probably come out with something to compare,lol) and with the option for mission planer and the solex apps...I will be modifying it for better GPS lock though.If your after the simpler scenic shots then yeah the phantom 3 is probably the best deal out there.
Thanks for the info. I was looking for an affordable option for car videos. I feel lucky that I watched this before I hit the purchase button
When u buy from Amazon make sure it is sealed. i bought one this past august and sent with opened box and I can tell its is lightly used. They overnighted a sealed replacement and flies like a champ. I must say im one of the lucky ones not having a single issue with it.
I was looking for a new drone myself someone told me to buy the 3dr I want to UA-cam there was a lot of people complaining about the performance of that drone and I knew then that wasn't for me I am not looking for a drone that I have to wonder what's going to happen to it day after day that could be very annoying when all I want to do is fly it so I decided against that drone before I even saw your video that I see your video it just confirms my hunches that I've had a long time ago not to buy that drone thanks for the video good luck with that drone I hope you sell it
Had one out of the box screwed up. This system blows chunks. Contacted 3DR only to find they stopped manning the phone support. Email support was 3-6 days response time. Shipped it back to Amazon and I said "Eff it". Amazon worked with me and even offered a Gift card for the issue. Evidently it's their procedure for this system because they said there was a technical note in the system about 3DR products. The PR machine that was 3DR sure played a good game on people. Even a past DJI user was pulled into it. Never again.
Hey man. I am investigating different drone options because I live in Guatemala and work with a non profit there and want to do some video for that! Pretty crazy hearing you talk about the same exact thing! I would be interested in hearing about where you were and with what organization! Also would love to see your video work with the drone in Guate!
Thanks for the review... teh review and comments below stopped me from buying one today! Cheers
+ajayonline glad to have helped! Thanks for watching and reading. Be sure and subscribe to the channel as I have a full review of the Mavic Pro coming soon
Perfect! Can't wait. Looking at the Mavic and Karma at the moment. Going to decide on one soon :)
Sorry you had a bad time with the Solo. I bought one a few weeks ago at BB for $299.00, battery, extra props, backpack,etc. It flies PERFECTLY. It has the Rev B GPS board and gets lock almost immediately. I've flown it out over 1000 feet away with no trouble. I know that's not very far, blah,blah,blah. Might this all go horribly wrong in the future? Maybe. But after paying $299.00 for a pro quality drone that a year ago was $1800.00 how could I NOT buy one?? I say go for it!
I watched this and I could not agree more. This was my 1st drone. I thought I was buying into the Cadillac of drones. I had the green screen appear recently and got my gimbal for $88 from Amazon I paid $1300 for my drone right when it came out.
I defended 3DR Solo and talked it up because I was so excited. From the GPS locking on the satellite problems to limp gimbal out of the box, to needing to purchase leg extenders right away, to the aerial video feed locking up frequently even right in front of me with FPLVR Antennas..I should have known it was "Crapping the bed" but my "delusional Optimism mixed with pride made me overlook so many egregious things. It was always embarrassing me when I was trying to show it off. Its ridiculous now. I really really am disappointed in 3DR.. So much potential, I guess DJI or Autell is maybe going to be next..
I agree with Tim. 3DR is not worth the money. I used this drone for over two years. Not a great experience. The problems I faced are:
1. Magnetic interference
!!!2. Connect drone with phones. I found sometimes it took a really long time to connect get drone connected with 3DR app on my phone.
!!!3. Distance range (!!!) is kind of short. Comparing to my DJI PH3 (an even older gen than 3DR), 3DR can only fly less than 400ft.
4. Finding satellites. It may take a long time to connect enough satellites before taking off.
5. Indoor fly. I fly DJI indoor, smooth flying. I fly 3DR, it is unpredictable and easily out of control.
!!!6. Battery quality!!! After around half year, one of my original batteries can be finished within 4mins flying. I have to order a new one.
7. The 4k video can only reach 30fps.
Its too bad you got a lemon. You really should have stuck up for yourself and swapped it for another. I've had mine for quite some time and own and fly many other quads. Mine has never once glitched. I have only installed a piece of cardboard between the GPS and the EM shield. It acquires sat fast and is rock steady in winds that nothing else can handle. With the gimbal it is the best camera platform out there sub $1k. If you want to spice it up, "Acro" mode will outperform any Dji out there. I've been side by side Djrs and they cant even keep up or do aerobatics.
It is too bad 3DR is gone but there is aftermarket parts for these drones and being open source keeps the updates coming.
XD thanks for watching. I actually did have the entire drone replaced. Also the gimbal replaced. I received multiple defective products and even their replacements were faulty. So I did give them a fair chance. I'm glad you're having a good experience with it!
I feel for you man. Good luck with your next camera platform.
XD thanks. be sure and subscribe as I have a Mavic Pro on the way and I'll be doing a lot of reviews on it once it arrives
XD thanks. be sure and subscribe as I have a Mavic Pro on the way and I'll be doing a lot of reviews on it once it arrives
XD Exactly. This is beautiful open engineering with 2 Linux computers, open source, expandable by partners via that port. Awesome concept, an American classic. I've been to China several times so I get it, even GoPro is scared now. Not sure why Sunday is such a h8r.
There are lots of good deals on amazon for the phantom 3 pro. I got one back in June and had in the next day with prime. Bundle with extra batt .and backpack case for about $1000. It has been rock solid so far, I love it . And now there's the mavic . I want one Nobody has what dji has .
I've got a full series planned once my Mavic arrives. Be sure and subscribe so you don't miss it!
Even tho they don't make them anymore, they still have support for them. And if you go by the idea that if something isn't made anymore, then don't buy it, look at all the classic cars that are not made anymore but people still have them. You take your chance pretty much with any items that come out. Look at all the recalls on brand new items being built. Its just part of the way things are. I have a 3dr solo, have had no problems at all. Just my opinion...
I Have Had Mine Since They Came Out, I have Had No Issues (YET) At All That Were Not My Fault
I Love This Drone..
I have one that is sitting at the bottom of a lake right now. Flew it up, hit the home button. The drone stuttered and slowly descended into the lake. Pressed every button possible but it did not respond. In the process of dealing with the logs and 3dr solo.
Dear Timothy,
After surfing over the internet looking for an affordable but good drone to take shots of fountains and water features I make, I ended up looking at your video/review.
It's clear that you don't like the 3DR drone.
What or which drones are suitable for doing some semi professional filming and work with a GoPro (hero4 black)?
You must know which drones in the market are affordable and do the job (i hope)?
I would like to keep it as cheap as possible, but realise that i will probably be looking at a few hundred dollars.
Hope to hear from you.
KR
Bert Spee (The Netherlands).
Although I can understand this video at the time, now in 2018 I want to tell people how great this bird is. Yes it was filled up with bugs but these days it can be found at very cheap price and can be customised and even maintainted up to date with newer electronics and software. Today in September 2018 I can tell I love my Solo. OK from time to time I have to take it apart and change its components but damn it's easy, cheap and fun.
I have the phantom 3 standard never had an issue
Thank you for sharing that I' was going buy one . I been looking for one not trying spend too much money so not sure which one I should buy
Welcome to the world of Drones. None of them are perfect. It's wireless technology. DJI has a lot of issues too. I've seen several people lose them in the water. I've had great experiences with my Solo. It's survived some serious crashes, and always comes back with smooth flights. I had some issues with the gimbal, but I reset the factory settings and it worked like new. The only real drawback is the level of noise - it's a lot louder then DJI, but it's also bigger and can carry more weight. For the cost, now with the price cuts, this still has to be the best on the market.
Thanks for your honest feedback...i got the phantom 4..and "knock on wood" it's been great..please do a review when you get your new drone..your videos are direct and to-to-point..keep up the good work
+Mike Marley my new drone is the Mavic Pro and I have a full series on it on my channel. Check it out. Thanks for watching
I am sorry you had problems with your 3DR SOLO, I think it was one in a million... I bought one when it came into the market and still flies like a champ.... and after I saw your review... I bought another one... hahahaha.... To me... this is one of the most amazing drone ever... I had a DJI Mavic and I hated it... to light and too wobble to mine needs and this is not only a very smart drone with good features but it carries a good weight so it works just fine with little heavy winds... and it is just amazing to me and I know some others will agree with me... it is an excellent drone to me and I'm in about to buy my third one... sorry for your bud luck but I wouldn't change mine for another brand.... good luck and I'm going to fly mine now.... peace...!!!!
Was seriously on the verge of buying this drone, was looking forward to it until I seen this video, thanks a mill man!
Conor Dunne Sooo you were buying this drone, then you saw one video made by a man that didn't like it, and by his opinion you decide not to buy it?? What?? I have a Solo 3DR and all i can say about it is that it's great. Works really well, good camera quality even WITHOUT the camera stabilizer. It doesn't break easily, it's easy to control and the camera even without a stabilizer is great. I say that you made a huge mistake when you decided not to buy it. Solo 3DR is the best.
Take this crap off the air. All you needed to do is update the GPS. One of the best drones I ever owned. I have over 120 hours logged on 12 batteries not one problem.
Glad you have had a great experience. The majority of owners who purchased originally have not.
Timothy Sunday thanks for getting back to me. I up grated the GPS with the Mrobtices.io get 20+ sat in about 45 seconds.
Timothy Sunday “the majority of owners who purchased originally have not...”
You seem like an intelligent guy. Why would you make such a ridiculous statement? “The majority of owners”? Do you have a list of every verified Solo owner that you are polling ?
I own and fly 30 different types of RC Aircraft. They all have issues sometimes. My 2 Solos are still going strong after 2.5 years of twice weekly flying. . There’s all kinds of fantastic , reliable and useful upgrades, mods, and development happening. Software and Hardware. The Solo is far from obsolete. Sorry you had a lemon. I had one once . Yeah a Solo lemon. So what? Shit happens. Still love them . Still fly them.
You might want to consider taking this video down. I would guess that compared to the you who originally posted this video a year or two ago you are now a much wiser and better informed human being. Unless you are making bank off of the views , and If you are ....well ....more power to ya!
You may just have more to gain in the long run by letting it go and moving on. I don’t think it censorship as much as it is your right to choose how you wish to be regarded and for what things you consider worthy of you time and energy.
Regards, Ed
Sorry but my Solo has been great. For $300 w/gimbal how do you go wrong? I already had the gopro. Upgraded the GPS chip to mRo for $80 and I'm hitting 22 satellites all the time with a HDOP of 0.6 I think you should have done some homework and made some mods before heading out the door and flying off to some other continent. It would have served you well.
Well the thing is I bought this early last year before anyone was modding it. So there wasn't the community behind it that there now is. I think the GPS chip was part of my problem and people weren't modding them at that point. I'm glad it's working for you. It definitely takes some DIY. Also remember that I was in at the $1200+ price point at which needing DIY is a joke for the way it was advertisesd
That was great information about this drone, I'm interested in your comments about buying it thru Amazon, i too am going to purchase a DJI Mavic Pro, does it matter who we buy it from on Amazon, and how did it work to get the refund on your solo. I currently own a Xiro Xplorer, Yuneec Q500 4K and a little Hubsan H501S and very very happy with all three. I cant wait to see your review and flights of the DJI Mavic Pro. More great information about the Karma too, i just watched it.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words! For the Amazon refund I just gave them a call and the wonderful customer service rep took care of it for me. They sent me return labels, I repackaged it all and dropped it off at UPS. They subtracted out return shipping costs (since it was way outside the 30day return policy) and refunded me the rest. Super easy and I'm very happy with how it turned out.
Here is a link to order the Mavic Pro from Amazon. The seller doesn't matter too much just be sure they are reputable. I usually prefer the ones that are shipped by Amazon so I can take advantage of my Prime membership.
Drone only; amzn.to/2eHhUWX
Drone w/Fly More Combo; amzn.to/2eNGk0R
When you buy, if you don't mind using those links it really helps me and the channel as I'm an Amazon affiliate so clikcing through my links helps the channel here on UA-cam.
My Mavic Pro is shipping soon so subscribe to the channel and you won't miss the series I'll be making it once it arrives.
Bro you have either a defective quad or operator error. I have a solo and an Iris plus from 3DR and I have the best experience from Africa to Japan.
+Douala Jimmy I had 2 defective quads.
I got one for Xmas and have had no issues NOT tied to user error...
What bunk. I've had a ball with mine and am still getting support....
I'm from Guatemala and I have a lot of problems with my Solo Drone. The drone does not connect with satellites or takes too long to do that.
Cool! what part of Guatemala? I live in San Cristobal, Mixco. I saw them being sold at el Duende. I actually had better luck connecting to sat in guate than in US. inconsistency with 3DR is the theme for me though.
I live in zona 17, Guatemala City too.
You are going to be disappointed if you are thinking your going to get better customer service out of DJI. Great product most of the time but customer service, not so much.
Purchased mine a year ago with not one problem I have over 100 flights.
Dude what a terrible experience! I remember hearing the best things about 3DR support and how they even replace the whole drone if it's their fault. I just bought the Solo from Best Buy for $400 that includes the gimbal, extra battery and props because I already own a GoPro. I've only flown it once and had no issues.
I'm torn now if I should invest in a different drone or roll the dice with 3DR...
that's a lot better price point than I was at. I dropped around 1300 for this whole setup. Personally, I just preordred the DJI Mavric Pro and I could not be more excited about it. I'm hoping to put all this 3DR crap behind me and push the restart button. I'm looking forward to being a part of the DJI community and the Mavric Pro is everything I ever wanted in a drone. Hopefully, it lives up better than the solo.
Timothy,I bought one yesterday from Best Buy also.Same deal that Mitch got.$438 out the door with tax. In you opinion mind you. Would you keep it for that price point or return it??I have quad experience with Horizon Hobby Blade 350 qx3/Yuneec. The reason for buying the Solo was for my Gopro compatibility.
Thanks,Perry Brokaw
hey there. thanks for watching! Personally, I would return it because it's completely unreliable in my experience. Some others have commented here saying they haven't had issue so to me it's a roll of the dice if you get a good unit or not. To me, I wouldn't roll the dice with a part of my gear I rely on so heavily. I ordered the DJI Mavic Pro and I can't wait for it to arrive. Also, if you're keen on GoPro syncronicity, check out the new Karma drone by GoPro. That might be the best of both worlds for you.
I ended up returning the Solo after reading so many bad experiences on forums. One specific person said they're Solo dropped right into the ocean due to motor failure and it was just over a year old. If I'm going to spend over $400 on a product, I expect it to work for a few years at least without total failure. Having my GoPro go down with the drone is also nerve racking so I decided just to walk away from the drone scene altogether until they're more affordable and as reliable as say GoPro products. Good luck with your Solo! Hope it doesn't end up to be a poor investment
The 3DR Solo is still the best choice for someone who wants a hackable off-the-shelf multicopter. All the DJI stuff is becoming more and more locked down and controlled. They are at the point now where they are forcing updates to limit and track your drone. If you don't comply, they will cripple your drone so that it will barely fly. They seem to forget that it's YOUR drone - not theirs. Any company that intentionally cripples or removes value from a product that you bought and own should be boycotted. No company, person, or self-proclaimed authority has the right to force you to do anything.
It's actually sad that DJI is gaining a monopoly on the consumer drone market. This is allowing them to get away with things that they couldn't do in a free and competitive market.
I been having issues with mine and no help. I have contacted them several times. This drone is a accident ready to happen. I didn't buy from amazon so I can't return. Waste of money.
+spykeeable I have to agree with you. I'm sorry you are stuck with it.
Very useful and insightful, helped me dodge that bullet! So the Mavic is out now.....what you think? My only problem with it is the fact that you can't upgrade much. I am looking for a platform that I can add an infrared/other cameras to later. Range on the MAVIC....mmmmmmm
I agree with some of this stuff because I have a 3DR and have had similar issues. But thinking that getting a different brand is going to solve all these types of issues is not going to help 100%. I say that because I know others who have different brands that did the same thing. I've seen a Phantom have firmware issues mid flight and drop. It's electronics. There not perfect. I do think you'll have less issues with some other brands but it won't fix everything.
+JBE thanks for watching and commenting. I agree with you. Check out my other video on 3DR though. I discuss how they've decided to no longer make drones and how support will be falling off for the solo. So I stand by the fact that I think there are better options out there with less defects and any support will be better than the no support 3DR will soon have. Be sure and hit that subscribe button as I have a full series coming on the Mavic Pro
Timothy Sunday Sure! After some of the issues I've had I feel like I don't trust the Solo either but at the same time I've gotten some great shots on it. Yeah I've stocked up on a few parts since there no longer producing! I have the Karma now and love it way better! The Mavic is on the way as well! Already seen a couple Mavic crashes though with software.Yikes! It's way better than the Solo though.
+JBE wow! You have all 3drones? Do you use them for your business or just a hobby?
Timothy Sunday More for hobby but some business. I know it's a little extreme but I don't care and I love it! lol! Most likely I'll end up "trying" to sell the Solo.
+JBE that's awesome!
We made it clear over a year ago that this model was defective and deficient. 3DR has been dumping stock for a year - all the while knowing 100% that they would never produce another one and likely will eventually close the doors.
www.droneflyers.com/2016/03/3d-robotics-failure-to-launch-and-unicorn-dreams/
So whats the best drone??
Thanks for the info dude! Figured they were on their way out. But my solo has been pretty solid only annoying issue has been it not wanting to connect to the controller sometimes. Which is kind of a big deal haha. But overall she has been a work horse for me. Feel free to check out a Drone Reel shot using the solo on my channel 😉