Hi All,

I am very, VERY interested in the Inspire 1. I would really love to purchase one as I have saved up for long enough now, to buy a decent craft.
I love everything about the Inspire. From functionality, style to simpicity of flying. I have watched many, many clips on the Inspire and it truly has me wanting to buy one now.

I am one of these people who like to know what I am getting so before I make a purchase, I do a lot of reading. So far, from these forums and others like Inspire Pilots, I found my self reading more about issue after issue, rather than positive after positive. I understand that the Inspire has not been on the market for an extended period of time however I would have thought that such a craft would be made very safe before release.

Issues I read about are;

Inspires hovering at a few meters only to shoot off in to trees (changing from GPS to ATTI mode randomly),
Inspires coming to land, hovering, losing signal and shooting straight up,
Inspires hovering at a few meters and motors shutting off (possible cause due to activating shut down sequence in flight. NOT GOOD)'
Landing gear traveling higher on one side than the other causing major vibrations,
Langing gear not retracting at all and having to take a screwdriver to it to move the worm drive, (out of the box)
Propellers flying off (I know a fix has been released),
Motors smoking,
Batteries dropping from 40% to below 10% in a matter of seconds almost crashing the craft.
And the latest, cells in the batteries not having the same voltage and being told this is normal. This is NOT normal. That is why LiPo an LiOn equalise. This maybe the cause of the issue I listed above.

So with all this negative news, I am wondering, has anyone yet, have any 100% positive, trouble free stories they can share with me/us about their Inspire?
Is there going to be a firmware update soon and do you think that the issues will be resolved in this update?

I really do not want to hold off much longer however at the same time, I do not want to spend $3.7k to only crash and burn or more inportantly, injure someone!

Any stories or info would be greatly appreciated.

I have had absolutely no problems with mine. It has been A+ perfect every time I've gone out to fly.
No trouble with batteries, controllers, flight time, or  navigation. No landing gear issues, no fly aways, no issues upgrading the firmware.

It's been 100% solid every time I've taken it out of the case.
Hope that helps!

I fly my Inspire 1 almost every day! I have had a few little glitches but none of the issues i have read about here. It's a new bird and is bound to have a few growing pains. I was very stressed about all I had read when I received mine. I was worried the firmware wouldn't upload properly, No problems, all went great, I was worried about fly aways, hasn't happened.
I have experienced GPS loss, thought it was not a problem because I like to fly in ATTI, and I don't take my eyes off her yet.
The Inspire 1 is probably the nicest UAV I flown, great response, Fast, Agile, smooth,.
I personally LOVE my Inspire 1 and fly it any and every chance I get. Every new product has lemons, I didn't get one!!!!!

Hi,

Order mine in December 20th 2014, receive it at the end of January 2015, has fly around 50 times and no problem at all.
Of course for each flight, before, during and after : accuracy, focus, precision... Must be concentrated...
I am using it as a hobby and i am very very happy about what DJI has produce, thanks DJI !

Hobby flyer here no problems...been flying almost daily for two weeks.
Enjoying my Inspire

All good for me - However very aware of the GPS issue so..

Learn to fly manual (if you don't already) add $80 to your budget for a little Syma X5c or similar.
Calibrate the compass every time you fly
Calibrate the IMU on a known level surface

Get extra batteries
Remember to put the landing gear up!!!

Most importantly however - HAVE FUN!!

Not to jinx it, but I have had no issues with my bird at all. The only time I crashed was due to a rogue wind and me being just under some low hanging trees. Other than that, I have flown her up to 120m and pushed her to great speeds to see what she can do.
I am very happy with my I1. I really do feel sorry for all those having issues and hope that they can eventually get a bird which will behave so that they too can enjoy the experience the I1 has to offer
Fly Safe All!

I LOVE my Inspire!

No problems at all and have had a blast learning how to get the most out of it.

There are always going to be people who have trouble with products and there are always going to be faults with a small percentage.

It's amazing and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

no big issues so far, just few minor ones that can be solved easily. its a great machine that enhance your creativity. fast, accurate, easy to use , stable and if you spend time on it you will be able to create masterpieces. i have one advise for you and for many users here. . . spend time to read the manual carefully and check the videos on you tube, especially the ones by Mr Jim Hare and fly a lot testing it. . . . its great, its fun!!!     

I too love mine and have had no problems except for the very brief switch to ATTI and back to GPS. My Bird and both controllers updated to FW 17 with no issues. I too like to practice with ATTI when I can, so the odd switch is nothing to panic about.  be prepared, do a good and sound pre and post flight check and you should be fine.  As others have said, the thrill of flying this has to be experienced first hand.  It is quite an amazing machine.  I am looking forward to this Easter weekend here in the UK , as we may get a bit of decent flying weather.
Good luck.

Jason

Unfortunately a lot of the posts are users's with an issue. There are some regular users that have come forward with positive comments. Look at the number of complaints and compare them to the number of Inspires in use and I would be willing to be the negatives don't even equal .3%. I would add this, if this is going to be your first Quad I would buy a Phantom 2 Vision and fly that for a while then step up. That is what I did and it worked out well for me. Remember also that there are a lot of errors that are the Pilot's fault as well. Some own up to it and learn, some don't. In any event you will have a great time,

Unfortunately a lot of the posts are users's with an issue. There are some regular users that have come forward with positive comments. Look at the number of complaints and compare them to the number of Inspires in use and I would be willing to be the negatives don't even equal .3%. I would add this, if this is going to be your first Quad I would buy a Phantom 2 Vision and fly that for a while then step up. That is what I did and it worked out well for me. Remember also that there are a lot of errors that are the Pilot's fault as well. Some own up to it and learn, some don't. In any event you will have a great time,

Ph02on Posted at 2015-4-1 19:42
I too love mine and have had no problems except for the very brief switch to ATTI and back to GPS. M ...

I have had my Inspire 1 for about 3 weeks, Im kind of like you. I read all the horror stories and was worried to take it off. I have flown RC's for years and was still worried about putting that much money up in the air, I even considered selling it before I ever even flew it. Well a week ago I got up the nerve and put er in the air.. All I can say is WOW!! What a machine.. She flew just like it should and what a blast to fly.. The only issue I have had was 3 out of 6 Flights I did loose GPS signal for a few seconds, im not sure what is going on there but I did and the bird was in as open of country as you can find. It was not really an issue for me due to I have had allot of practice with quads, but I can see how it would be an issue if you were just learning. When its in GPS mode it is very steady even in winds.. I did the firmware update before I even considered flying it and it installed perfectly.. I would not hesitate to buy another. I do hope they get the GPS loss thing figured out, it was only a few second loss but if conditions were wrong it could mean a crashed bird..

Absolutely only positive stories... too many to tell you all of them

Realize that for every crappy story you see on here there's probably 25 good ones.

I've owned mine for a few weeks now, flown a few dozen times, crashed once in ATTI mode (due to stupidity and me literally learning how to fly.........) and have gotten COUNTLESS incredible video shots/photos which would have been otherwise 100% impossible to get due to flight regulations on real helicopters.

The thing that blows my mind is where the Inspire can go! Due to it's size (and FAA regulations on full-size helicopters) the Inspire has made it possible for a cinematographer to get shots that would only be able to be dreamed of or rendered out in a 3D program...

I was the same as you in regards to my fear  of all the horror stories. But the only thing I can suggest is that if you're smart, read the manual, learn how to fly on a $75 dollar quad, use the simulator (currently only available in the iOS pilot app) and drill, drill, drill, you will have no problems and you will absolutely LOVE your investment.

Hello
Buy one ! I have been flying mine about 40 flights now - and I have had no problems at all. Mine has been rock solid and I am very pleased. There is a lot to learn in this forum and very helpful people. BUT you get easily the impression that the Inspire is only crap. The same goes for the Phantom - on the forum there is a lot of bad descriptions - I have flown mine for over 100 flights with no issues.
I have not for one single day regret either the phantom nor the Inspire 1. See that sombody tell to do an IMU and a compass calibration before each flight. I would never do that - do it when asked to do it - or if you experience problems related to IMU or Compass. I have calibrated my compass once and IMU once for the Inspire and the same for my Phantom and I have 150 flights with no problems.
Do not fix what is not broken !

I have been critical with DJI on a number of issues...However, I also believe they are working diligently to resolve them....Still a bit to soon to dive in I think. Give them a month or two to harden their design and software and you will have one of the best products if not the best in the market...I was out in the Badlands of Alberta yesterday and got some nice pictures and they actually look not to bad...My video still needs work but its coming along as well. As for the Inspire 1 it was a pleasure to fly but it still jumps out of P GPS mode from time to time into P Atti mode and starts to drift a bit. Guess I'm getting used to it now and as long as you have time to react to it and the wind  gods are not messing with you it keeps you on your toes....Remember the product has only been on the market for a couple of months and there is bound to be some churn...Much of the criticisms are more related to the After Market Service and parts  and I am sure that these to will pass...

The Inspire 1 is probably one of the best 'toys' I have ever purchased.  While being an auto enthusiast and always modifying and working on expensive sports cars, I can't believe just how awesome the Inspire 1 is.  I saw this product at the Consumer Electronics Show in January - there were 50 other companies selling UAVs and I wasn't even in the market - one minute of flight demonstration and talk of its capabilities and I was sold.  I ordered her 2 weeks later.

I have never flown any UAVs before, only one simple $300 craft my father purchased and it was impossible to fly - I went against the grain and purchased what I would consider a high-end drone right off the bat.  Hearing of the GPS flying mode, with the ability to fly in modest wind, automated return and take off / landing, I thought, what could be better.   Well, my wife and kids thought I was nuts, like normal.  But, the Inspire has gone WAY beyond what I thought it would be.  I studied the manual, practiced on the simulator and then only flew it once in beginner mode.  Of course, now and then it switches to ATTI, but I have 6 hours of flight time and 47miles of distance under my belt.   It has rekindled my love for photography and graphics and I constantly come up with more locations and ideas for shooting photos/videos.  

I purchased it because of how cool it looks, how simple it seemed to be to control. I have flow it over Lake Michigan with 15-25 mph wind, and on extremely cold days...   Spend your time up front with it reading and practicing until you feel comfortable - think through each flight, weather and obstacles in advance - take baby steps and it is awesome.  Like I have said, possibly the best 'toy' I have ever bought.

If this is your first quadcopter you may want to consider starting with a Phantom 2 Vision+. Not because there's anything wrong with the Inspire (there isn't), but because learning to fly with a $3K aircraft is not the wisest thing to do. There's a lot going on for first time flyers -  learning the controls, working the camera, understanding the app and settings, staying aware of your surroundings, etc. No need to add the risk and pressure of losing $3K to that list. On the other hand, if you already have experience flying and filming with quadcopters, then you'll find the Inspire is a great upgrade from most everything else out there.

I have had NO problems since the latest update! (Prior to that, I had SOME issues i.e...signal loss and video hiccups but since the upgrade All Is Good!)
It is worth the $$ Be confident, get a couple of extra batteries and a decent monitor. I purchased a Samsung 8 4 tab (Though I prefer my iPads ...which I use on my Phantoms) And it works excellent.

Seems to me that the reports of flyaways, crashes and other horrors come from "users" that always pushes and steps over the boundaries that an aircraft like the Inspire 1 has. Same users are also heavily into customizing and alterations that deviates from an already tested unit and will eventually have to pay for their unwillingness to accept the Inspire 1 for what it is. All the others of us are perfectly satisfied flying and learning the already excisting functions and will enjoy an aircraft that is well built and a joy to use.

Absolutely! If you have the means get one or 2..the unit is rock solid. I had an issue with my first one from the first batch but my second one is outstanding and after repairs the first one is perfect also. Yes people have had issues and are sharing their experiences but as long as you are aware of the issues and take the correct steps every flight chances are you will enjoy it just as much as we all have..

No problems with my unit.  My only crash was completely operator dependent, when I forgot to change the controller mode back to Mode 1 (which is what I'm used to from flying other single 'copters before moving into the quad world).  One broken prop, and the bird was otherwise unscathed.  I also learned my lesson, and don't fly in the basement anymore ;)

Slowing down the yaw speed made a great improvement in the footage provided, and now I can't wait until my next good weather day (at least above freezing) for when I can take it out again.  I've had reasonably stable flights outdoors in winds up to 28-30 kmph - and you can't even tell it was windy from how stable the videos looked.

I am also very happy with my Inspire1 purchase!  It is my first quadcopter,  I read lots on the forums and didnt push myself to try difficult maneuvers until I felt I was ready.  I havent got one bad thing to say about the DJI Inspire1!

Hmmmm....Rock solid...My inspire was Rock Solid with version 16...Upgraded to 17 and every flight it would pop in and out of P GPS to P atti mode sometimes a little and sometimes a lot....I finally got my two TB48s and was using a TB47 up until now...I have had three flights using the TB48s and the GPS and performance has been Rock Solid...Until I used the TB47 again and then the GPS dropped in and out again. The TB47 charges up properly and the individual cells are all good.  Im wondering if there may be a correlation between using the TB47 and GPS dropout and Rock Solid using the TB48s...It may be a bit premature but is anyone else out seeing the same thing?  

Flying my Inspire for a month, never had a single problem. This is my sixth drone and by far my most favorite. My favorite points are reliability, stability, video quality and the ease of assembly.   Thank you DJI.

Thank you for all of your feedback and stories.

I am still very much interested in the Inspire however I still feel there is a lot to be done with the firmware before I race out and buy one.
It seems that DJ have started their testing program and hopefully there is an update soon.
I understand that DJI force you keep your firmware updated however is it possible to connect it to a non GSM device so it does not even know there is an update available? I have rang my local supplier and they have said that their stock is still on the release version of firmware. 17 sounds horrible.

Also, I really hope DJI remove/change the CSC shut-down in-flight function. This is stupid! I read that someone suggested a 3 second hold of the sticks for it to shut down. This sounds great however maybe take it one step further. I think there should be a combination of repeatability flicking a switch. just keep switching until it shuts down.

@Wildcat, I too would be getting 2 x TB48's and using the 47 as a backup only. I do not quite understand why DJI would release it with a smaller battery. Everyone knows the longer flight, the better. I will take a guess and say $$$$ though!

Anyway, I will wait until the 8th and see what DJI are releasing!  I am still scared of wasting $3.7k

My first ever I1 flight was tonight.

Dark
cloudy
cold
windy

why not? - lol

Arrived at a big open field, (not in front of my house) for the maiden, (Justin case) -

Turned on the radio, fired up the app, turned on the bird, clicked the map and got the red flashing Update notice - eff that!
No way I'm going to .17 (with new firmware coming out in a few days).

Turned off the bird, cycled the app/radio a few times til the warning went away, (and it did!)
Turned on the bird, instant solid gps lock, took off and hovered at an angle in 18mph wind for a couple of minutes waiting for gps/atti monkey business. None - this bird was rock solid so I took her for a fast cruise around the big empty field til I got down to 30%, then landed.
Man, this bird flies with authority, (no wonder why some noobs crash after gps drop. This bird is strong, fast, deliberate.

I couldn't be happier. Soon as the weather clears I will find something interesting to video and start a vimeo page -

Thanks for the info Bob. How does it know that there is an update? If there is not network connecion to check it on, it should not even know there is an update!

I will admit. I am a noob! I have never flown a quad like this. Only one of those palm sized ones and no GPS on that thing.
I am going to do as  Morrisson suggested and get a small one to practice on.

Over 103 flights and never had a GPS loss. Short and simple, simply rock solid.

       

    Hi Everybody!

    Thought I'd share some positive comments on my new Inspire 1 and me flying it, in contrast to all the negative postings here in the forum.

        1. My Inspire 1 is reliable, stable and so much fun to fly.
        2. The startup time until it's ready to fly is very short indeed. Locks to GPS in a flash!
        3. Using a iPad Mini 3 16GB WIFI only works like a charm. Using an USB cable instead of WIFI is the way to go.
        2. I am currently using the "old" probellers with the provided clips. They are working perfectly but I am looking forward to receiving the new ones with bayonet mounting.
        4. Did I mention that my Inspire 1 is reliable, stable and so much fun to fly?

    I am really looking forward to more flying this summer.
     

About 10 flights, no compass error, no IMU-problem, no lost GPS-signal. Very stable flight, no wobbling.  I'm getting confidence in the bird.

The Inspire 1 has, for the most part, been an amazing experience! I have over 300k ft of distance in 89 flights spanning 11.4 hrs in the air. 75% of my flights are over SALT water, which means I have confidence in the platform AND the Aircraft.
My only negative experience was a result of a minor "clip" of the camera and having to send that back for repair. I've since been able to buy a camera/gimbal assembly on ebay and am back flying with a grin, and still over water. The following are my regular pre-flight "MUST-do" items that have given me confidence to fly as I do:
1- Always check the parameters before any flight for being in normal range.
2- I do a compass calibration EVERY flight. If it fails, I find another place for takeoff. NO comprimises on this one. I have rejected more than a couple of flights due to this "rule"
3- Methodically set home point and receive confirmation in app.
4- No rush to take off! Wait a few more seconds at hover to make sure all is well with signals, calibrations, and parameters.
5- After #4, remember to raise the gear!
6-10 Enjoy the flight, be ready at all times to recover in atti mode (very rare), and enjoy the flight. Again

My channels on YouTube and Vimeo are both searchable "skyvideoCT". and I post embeds on my own site as well.

Bottom line, the Inspire 1 can meet/exceed your expectations on flight, video, and overall experience IF you play with a cool head and understand that you are controlling a flying computer. Do it with a GRIN my friend.
Jay

subliminal Posted at 2015-4-7 13:57
Thanks for the info Bob. How does it know that there is an update? If there is not network connecion ...

Because I rooted and sim unlocked my AT&T Galaxy Note 3 so I could switch to T-Mobile "truly unlimited" plan with unlimited high speed LTE data all over my area at 35mbits download, (but only 5 gigs of tethering).
To get around that, I freeze my t-mo tether hotspot app and trick my att hotspot to coming on.
The att hotspot does NOT communicate with tmo so I have unlimited high speed LTE "tethering" everywhere I go.
I have cancelled my $180 monthly u-verse 8 months ago and now stream for free til my hearts desire.
My children come home from school and their tablets, laptops, and TV's w/chomecast all run off my Note 3 for FREE. I typically use 250 gigs per month and just finished my last cycle 3 days ago at 295 gigs. I pay t-mo on time $80 per month for unlimited everything, and we are both very happy -
The password to join "Bob's High Speed" network,  (if you see it in your list), is iphonessuck - lol

Bob




(I'm not just a lipo guru)

Absolutly no problems. Im pushing 55 flights and love it.