I'm hearing this is the first legitimite contender to the Phatom series.....3DR Solo

http://3drobotics.com/solo/

That company has some interesting products. Thanks for posting the link. I hope I win the free drone

that thing looks legit

I know a guy who has lost 2 Iris plus' in a short period of time. The first froze and crashed into pieces and the second one was purchased on EBay. It disappeared in an orchard a day or 2 ago, still trying to find it.  I  have never seen him fly so who knows if it is pilot error or equipment failure.  Rumor has it the first one had a failure (freeze) of the electronics.  Hearing his stories makes me a little cautious of the 3DR equipment.
I guess the manufacturer is in the SF Bay Area, not too too far from me. I think that could be a plus.

Funny, a friend that has nothing to do with drones just told me about it this morning. Now hiring! Test Pilots! Buy It and be part of our Test Pilots Program! Actually looks kind of cool. The app side looks a bit like what Autopilot App is trying to do.

Jerry

I saw an article on this and how they spent 10 million in development on this thing.  Then I watched the video and read some stuff and frankly, I was not too impressed so far.

Here is the article

Too expensive... Just under $1000. without gimbal and Gopro.

It appears that the GoPro mount is better than what I presently have on the Phantom.  It looks like the camera snaps in place.

I would not have wanted to be this guy at NAB 2015 demonstrating the solo........wheres the hammer??!?!?

Interesting.  Like the part about "world class customer service" and data logger in the controller.  A little competition is a good thing.  

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-4-15 04:51
Interesting.  Like the part about "world class customer service" and data logger in the controller.  ...

I like it.....good thing it's not in the market yet....still needs some tweeking. I like the idea of 2 processors. Have to keep my eye on it and see how it shakes out.

Silicone Valley versus China.  I like it too.  Gonna want some popcorn for this one.  Quite a feat to get GoPro to partner with them and integrate the GoPro into their platform.  I have heard that GoPro has a little bit of money lying around.  

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-4-15 05:11
Silicone Valley versus China.  I like it too.  Gonna want some popcorn for this one.  Quite a feat t ...

With backing from GoPro and good support it could be a winner.

Raybro Posted at 2015-4-15 04:50
I would not have wanted to be this guy at NAB 2015 demonstrating the solo........wheres the hammer?? ...

That must be their version of the "hand catch" method now called "cease and desist" or "drop and stomp-it"..but hey, as long as it works!

I want one! Well, maybe after it's released, the full specs are available, and the bugs get worked out I kicked around the idea of building a quad with the Pixhawk controller before deciding on a P2 instead. I mostly got the P2 because of the smart battery and better gimbal.

If someone wants the advanced flight features - and wants to spend $1800, it could be a machine to look at once thousands of them are out there and tested to be semi-reliable.

But it's not a competitor to the Phantom....not at 40-50% more. Heck, look at people here complain about paying $100 or $200 more...imagine how many consumers drop from the picture when you get up near 2K.

I think they will sell some if they follow through. But so far all their consumer drones have been duds. If you are a hacker and fiddler that's another thing....lots of more settings and programming possibilities.

But it's a long way from here to there. That it, the hard part lies ahead (production, consumer acceptance, reliability, etc.).

The more I look, the more I like.....wireless updates, app detection of problems and allows for submission of trouble ticket from the field, swappable motor pods, HDMI connection on the RC for connection to any screen,........just to name a few....I think they have outpaced the Phantom on this one.

Solo price goes up to $1900. with GoPro 4 and gimbal.

Who doesn't already have a go pro?

Yug Posted at 2015-4-15 11:03
What concerns me is the WYSIWYG (/ˈwɪziwɪɡ/ WIZ-ee-wig) is an acronym for "What You See Is What  ...

the speed at which things are changing

Don't remind me, my only resolution I make every new year now is live long enough to see the next year

Yug Posted at 2015-4-15 11:03
What concerns me is the WYSIWYG (/ˈwɪziwɪɡ/ WIZ-ee-wig) is an acronym for "What You See Is What  ...

Guy,

I'm with you. Jeez, wreck your bird now and you've got to buy the whole damned kit again. You should, at the very least, be able to buy the subsystems separately. The bird or the bird with the camera, etc. I know it's quite a bit different but kind of like the computer systems. Buy the box, the MB and then the guts that you needed for your particular application. The software would typically work with the vast majority of the systems but performance and application would be determined by the hardware choices the consumer made. Someday, I'm sure. (If they're not outlawed first)

Jerry

Yug Posted at 2015-4-15 11:28
Although I already had a GoPro I should have bought a Vision. (stop whinging Guy and take a leaf out ...

Fairly decent review of P3 and Solo, and as oakspi says, it is a little pricier because the camera and gimbal are separate.
http://drnes.com/comparing-phantom-3-vs-solo-drone/

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-4-15 10:23
Who doesn't already have a go pro?

Who doesn't have a credit card?

If anyone has a gopro they paid for it. That's a silly marketing ploy. If you crash your solo and GP black you are out 1800. If you crash your Phantom advanced you are out 1000. Pro - $1300.

It's an $1800 machine.

I would venture to say that over 3/4 of potential Phantom (or any drone of that size) buyers don't have GoPros. The only folk who have gopros are either those in the hobby already or others who do sports like surfing, mountain biking, etc.

Sure not most of the population. I think GoPro sells 6 million per year worldwide - that includes the cheap one ($129) which doesn't work.

The Solo has it's charms. But price is not one of them.

Yug Posted at 2015-4-15 11:03
What concerns me is the WYSIWYG (/ˈwɪziwɪɡ/ WIZ-ee-wig) is an acronym for "What You See Is What  ...

Totally agree. I like my Phantom and it wasn't cheap by the time you put a camera on it and get all the other crap...fpv. It bothers me when I see posts about props coming off in flight, phantoms losing power and dropping to the ground, flyaways, people waiting 2 months for repairs. Are these things being addressed? I don't see any DJI engineers in this forum addressing some of this stuff.
Back when I was flying electric gliders it cost you around $50 for a kit, you fly it, crash it, rebuild it. Not a big deal. These things now days are like investments. I was planning on trying to use it in my Home Inspection business (my weekend job) and provide some free video listings for real estate agents for a possible lead for an inspection. I don't know if I can trust it ......I'm not yet totally comfortable with it.
And support.......we are the support for the Phantom....I'll say you all more than myself.With the cost of these things, it is service after the sale which will dictate who gets the market share.

Raybro Posted at 2015-4-15 04:50
I would not have wanted to be this guy at NAB 2015 demonstrating the solo........wheres the hammer?? ...

I don't get what happened in that video other than the guy stepped on the drone.  It wasn't doing anything crazy, just hovering there.  And it seems to take him an awful long time to shut down the motors.

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-4-15 19:02
Who doesn't have a credit card?

If anyone has a gopro they paid for it. That's a silly marketing  ...

Droneflyer what is it you do that you crash so much?  Every post that seems to be all you ever talk about is the bad juju that happens with these things.  USA today reported that they are selling P2V+ at a clip of about 20,000 a month, but yet we get but a handful of reports of strange behavior.  All in all a very reliable piece of tech.  Pretty sure most people that fly these things and don't have flyaways or crash.  If that is what influences your purchasing decisions might I suggest a different hobby?  

So would I have any reservations sticking my $400 GoPro underneath one of these things?  Well no because I don't plan on crashing.  Add a GoPro to a Phantom with all the functionality they are claiming to provide and its about the same cost.  The benefit over the Vision + or P3 is that when you are not flying you have a GoPro for other stuff.  So yep if you want to put the cost of the GoPro in the equation then it's more expensive than the V+.  But I don't think about it like that.  I started with my GoPro long before I ever thought about DJI.  The fact that they got GoPro in their camp, and that the quad was allowed into the electronics of the camera are a big deal in my book.  Add in US BASED, and I don't these are expensive at all.  I'm sure anybody who does any type of industrial work has run into a spec. line that says no sourced material from China.  Why do you think that is?  Quality control.  China has a reputation of cutting corners and supplying subpar quality.  So again if I got to pay an extra $300 - $400 for a product made in the USA with backing from USA based companies, sign me up.  

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-4-15 19:02
Who doesn't have a credit card?

If anyone has a gopro they paid for it. That's a silly marketing  ...

Oh forgot to mention GoPro annual sales were $600 million not $6 Million.

gary.ok@hotmail Posted at 2015-4-15 22:19
Oh forgot to mention GoPro annual sales were $600 million not $6 Million.

6 Million Cameras, my friend.......not dollars.

Point is that there are probably a couple hundred million potential customers for photo drones worldwide - and less than 10 million of them have modern GoPro cameras. Even if a bunch of cams sell in the next year or two, only a small % of potential drone buyers will already have a camera.

As to crashing - we'd have to get some statistics on it. It's hard to do through the internet..and the Phantom 2 Vision+ has been sold for less than one year! Most buyers and user have had it for far less time than that.

There is a simple reason why SquareTrade and others cannot provide insurance for your drone at a reasonable price. Doing so would cost 20-30% (more if loss is included) per year.

That's one reason the Solo is priced so high, IMHO. They have probably built in $200 to the price of each for their "replace or fix it" policy. Even with that they won't fix or replace it if it's your fault.....

So, yeah, the percentages of crashes and losses are high on all of these machines.

In a year or two we can all report back with the number of hours (approx.) on our machines and how long we've had them

Aren't you the guy that goes to the Apple forums and post advertising on about the Android?

3DR support :
With a newly expanded support team of over 60 in-house technicians and a powerful new tech support solution built right into the app, 3DR is redefining what it means to offer world-class customer support. Solo keeps its own flight journal, continually logging information along over 500 parameters as it flies. You can analyze these files on your own, or instantly share them with our support team to aid in troubleshooting. Since Solo is continuously monitoring flight parameters in real time, if it suspects there’s been a problem, the mobile app will automatically offer the option of immediately submitting a service ticket via your mobile device. If the flight logs show Solo was lost or damaged due to a system error, 3DR will immediately repair or replace not only the drone, but the gimbal and the GoPro as well. In fact, we are so confident in the user experience that Solo offers, there’s even a limited 30-day satisfaction money-back guarantee.

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-4-17 04:17
6 Million Cameras, my friend.......not dollars.

Point is that there are probably a couple hundred ...

Nope not 6 Million cameras either.  GoPro does not release their unit numbers, but they do publish their financials which is roughly $600 Million last year.  Six Million camera's would put them at a three billion dollar company which they are not.  To put it in perspective Apple reports 6.4 Million iPhones in use in the US right now.  GoPro is selling a lot of cameras but not Apple type numbers.  

But beyond that there is not a single fact in anything you say here.  "the percentages of crashes and losses are high on these machines"???  Based on what?  Because that's what you read on the internet?  

They "have built in $200 to the price for warranty"??? Again based on what?  Where are you getting this information?  Highly doubt they have padded the sales price by $200.  Their cost is probably not $200.  

If you want to fly you quad like your a hundred years old go right ahead, but stay in right lane.  These gloom and doom post based on nothing more than anecdotal things people read on the internet are making new users do really dumb over cautious things.  I fly the crap out of mine.  I have only calibrated my compass three times, and those were when I went out of the country.  I am not at all afraid of it, and when I am flying the bird itself is the last thing on my mind.  It's a camera after all.

As far as the topic at hand I don't know how you could say this will not be a competitor to DJI.  They will absolutely compete.  Being available through retail outlets is going to be a game changer.  DJI's all internet based model makes it really hard to market and sell these things.  Pretty hard to get a consumer to spend a grand on something they have never even seen in person coming from China.  Add in US English speaking support and I don't think anyone will notice the added expense. At least I won't.  Like I said before competition is a good thing.

Specifications
1.Up to 25 minutes of flight time (20 with camera and Solo Gimbal)
2.HD video streaming to mobile
3.Top speed: 55 mph
4.Max altitude: 400 ft, per FAA rules
5.Weight: 1500 g; 1800 g with Solo Gimbal and GoPro
6.WiFi range: up to half a mile, depending on environment
7.Controller with color screen and live flight data
8.Pixhawk 2 flight controller
9.APM fully-autonomous flight control software
10.Customizable color LEDs for orientation
11.Solo Battery: 14.8 V LiPo (5200 mAh)
12.Rechargeable controller battery: 2600 mAh / 7.2 Vdc; lasts 4 hours (8 hours with optional extendable battery)
13.10x4.5” self-tightening props
14.880 kV motors
15.Plug and play with 3-axis Solo Gimbal from 3DR (sold separately)
16.Works with GoPro® HERO3, 3+ and 4 cameras (sold separately)
Pixhawk 2 a refined version of pixhawk1, the dual processor flight controller with internal damping and 3 IMU's which are used to for redundancy and improved accuracy of the EKF

It's a nice looking bird... And advertised to provide some great capability... Will be interesting to see some hands on reports once this thing gets delivered to users

I am still looking for an answer about the compatibility of Ground Station for IPad with IOS 8.3. Posted on the Grounstation thread the question to the moderator. Sent an email last week to DJI asking them about it. I finally got a reply yesterday......nearly a week later.
Was on 3DR site looking at all their software, which they have quite a lot. I sent them an email asking about their different varieties of Groundstation. Got a reply in 5 minutes. Very impressed.