3 weeks ago I purchased a phantom 3 and then sold it last night because I want to upgrade to the Inspire 1.  We are working on getting our 333.  My wife is a pilot and she will be responsible for flying while I use the other controller to get the video.  When I bought the Phantom 3 I didn't reallly know much about the Drone world but over the last 3 weeks I have flown many hours and been reading everything I can get my hands on.  I know many of you have been flying for years so I thought I would come and ask if there is anything I should know before I purchase the Inspire 1?  Where is the best place to buy it?  Is right now the best time to buy it (i really don't need it for a few weeks or maybe even a month)?  Are there any updates expected anytime soon that I should wait for (ie..camera upgrades, etc..)?  Are there packages that can save me money if I buy everything at once; extra batteries, controller, etc...?  Is there anything else I should be asking?  I plan to use the 333 to work with companies in my area that need drone services.  Is the Inspire 1 the best choice to accomplish that goal?

Thanks for your time in helping the newbie.

Honestly the inspire 1 is amazing but to invest 3k and have the worst customer service in the world is getting ridiculous. I and worried to even fly mine because of all the people I'm reading that have been waiting for months and still don't have a response or there drone back. If I was you I would find another company with a equal machine and get it because if your doing this for a business you need reliability and customer service. Just my 2 cents

jaredharrismusi Posted at 2015-8-5 07:21
Honestly the inspire 1 is amazing but to invest 3k and have the worst customer service in the world  ...

thanks for the reply, what other options make sense?

Avoid DJI, that's my advice

The main problem for you right now will be that dual operator just doesn't work on the Inspire.
Sorry, but they have displayed no intention to fix this - shop elsewhere.

If you are going to be making money from flight ops, stay away from hobby level stuff like this - look at platforms that are actually designed and supported for commercial use.

Farnk666 Posted at 2015-8-5 08:10
The main problem for you right now will be that dual operator just doesn't work on the Inspire.
Sorr ...

wow, this is really bad news.  I had high hopes for the I1.  Is it really this bad, I mean, is everyone as upset as you guys.  I hate to sound worse than a newbie but could there be a bad batch or something.  Its just really puzzling that so many people love them and hate them at the same time.  I am very confused at this point.  Thanks for the replies though.  

dennis.flagfoot Posted at 2015-8-5 08:46
wow, this is really bad news.  I had high hopes for the I1.  Is it really this bad, I mean, is eve ...

I received mine on the 23rd.  The TB47 came dead.  I have to send the whole thing back and get a total replacement.  I bought two additional TB48's and they work fine.  The I1 is awesome.  Just follow the instructions; update the firmware, calibrate the compass in new areas, and calibrate the IMU after every firmware update.  I haven't had any operational issues with flight, range, etc.  Just the battery.  I refuse to wait 6 weeks for a replacement from DJI so sadly, the Inspire is going back to NY.  What a waste but thats what Adorama wants!  Good luck!

centeramla Posted at 2015-8-5 09:36
I received mine on the 23rd.  The TB47 came dead.  I have to send the whole thing back and get a t ...

that sounds a little better, ok, not depressed any more  I say depressed because when i search the internet for "top commercial drones" in search of something competitive to the I1 i don't find anything that really stands out.

dennis.flagfoot Posted at 2015-8-5 09:48
that sounds a little better, ok, not depressed any more  I say depressed because when i search t ...

Because you need to spend significantly more to get a professional platform.
Don't get fooled by DJI's marketing - the I1 is not up to professional standards.
It's great as a hobby RTF - but I would not depend on it for a source of income.

I"m sure there are always unhappy people with any company and product.  I have only had my Inspire for a few days.  It was shipped and delivered promptly.  I find the quality of the build to be excellent, software well thought out and picture quality very good.  It has performed perfectly right out of the box, no problems.

I plan on getting the FAA exemption and doing commercial work as well.   To calibrate you, I am retired, but taught photography at the university level for 37 years and have been involved in flying RC for over 35 years.   I don't have enough experience with the Inspire to speak with certainty, but felt I needed to respond to the negative remarks.   I have been researching possible camera platforms over the last couple of years.  I don't think you can do better for the money.  If you can justify over twice the investment and want to put a DSLR in the air, then great, but for the money the Inspire seems hard to beat.  There are many people doing commercial work with the Inspire quite happily.   
I don't plan on using a second controller.  I have read several posts on the forums where people felt that one person could do the shoot.  I've shot some tests and trying to polish technique for video.  Stills are easy for one person.   Having said that, I did read posts that indicated a dedicated team that worked together regularly could put a second controller to good use.   

I don't agree with pretty much any of the negative comments.  Dual operator works great, used it a couple of days ago!   

I've used the Inspire for almost 6 months and it's been flawless 100% of the time!  

Seriously it's awesome!   If you do get caught out and need repairs then you need to settle in for the long haul.  They will get done and get done right, but there have been instances of people waiting two months.  DJI say they are opening a new facility to deal with this problem.

But my advice is to get one and love it, they are fantastic!

Check out some of the videos I've made with it:

dennis.flagfoot Posted at 2015-8-5 08:46
wow, this is really bad news.  I had high hopes for the I1.  Is it really this bad, I mean, is eve ...

You will find extremely variable responses because customer experiences are all over the map.  We've been pretty happy with ours EXCEPT that the Inspire's flavor of H.264 encoding uses too much compression and this appears baked into the hardware and not firmware upgradable.  For many projects you can work around it but not for really high end corporate or broadcast.  So it depends what you're planning to use it for.  As Jim Hare demonstrates, with some talent and skill you can produce subjectively great results for many applications.

The real problem comes if something goes wrong (which, knock on wood, we have not experienced yet).  DJI underestimated how many orders they would get and had an underpowered service department and insufficient repair parts, so repairs were taking two months or more and sometimes having to be repaired AGAIN due to poor repair quality control.  DJI recently moved to a new U.S. repair facility but are probably still training new employees so no dramatic improvement in repair times has been seen.  It probably will be soon.

Lastly is the fact that some features (Ground Station, waypoints, etc) were promised but never delivered, leading to understandable hostility from those who purchased for those specific features and have not received them.  That, and the fact that DJI does not communicate well, so no one knows if those features will ever be delivered.

dennis.flagfoot Posted at 2015-8-5 09:48
that sounds a little better, ok, not depressed any more  I say depressed because when i search t ...

Right on!  I think the Inspire is an incredible platform.  I am starting to focus more on what's in front of the camera anyway;)  I think it's beyond my wildest dreams to fly this thing.  Cheers!

I am enjoying my experience with the Inspire 1. With any new technology things can go wrong.  Customer Service support has been very lacking and they are working on improving this. I agree with Jim Hare that the Inspire is a great tool and fun to use.
I am a retired Helicopter / Fixed wing pilot. I have been in RC since I was young. If you take your time and learn this sport / hobby...,. it will serve you well.

Good luck with your decision

Rich

I to love my Inspire, I bought a P3 and kept it for about a month and sold it to get the Inspire, I am so glad that I did,  Dji made a mistake with the P3, by not addressing the shell crack issues that were inherent in the P2, and by not thoroughly having the product ready to market ,  My P3 flew flawlessly except for the vps system, and the shell cracking.  This seems to be a wholesale problem with the P3's. The large numbers of P3's requiring service has had an affect on the service overall, and in my opinion has probably had an affect on the Inspire and its related service.

I have been in to RC since its inception, my first radio had vacuum tubes in it,  with 2- 67,1/2 volt batteries, the circuitry ran on 135 volts with a 1.5 volt D battery to heat the heaters in the tubes, the transmitter (called a remote now) had one button on the front of it that you could push to send a signal to to a single channel receiver controlling a rubber band escapement.  I thought that I had the most incredible piece of technology on the planet in my possession.  I flew control line for years before that.

With that said, there has never been a company, in RC that backs there product like DJI has,  I have read a whole lot of these threads in several forums, I can tell you that a very large percentage of these crashes, fly away's, and screw ups is, pilot error.  If you can not fly a Hubsan h4 proficiently you have no business flying a 1300.00 or 3000.00 flying camera,  Now pardon my language but I have read some absolutely stupid ass things,  Tricks people have pulled, that cant fly a Frisbee, and they come up here on these forums and blame everything on DJI,  I have done my share of complaining, but I have had hundreds of absolutely flawless flights on My Phantoms and my Inspire.

Buy one, you cant get anything close to the technology for the price , have someone teach you to use it if you can, and enjoy it ,  I  do feel for those that have had problems, and I hope all of this smooths out for all of them and DJI.

I absolutely love it. It is a breeze and a rush to fly.  I don't know if you can do better at this price point but I have not needed to look.   I have had some hiccups that were solved with either firmware updates or further operating experience.   As for the video and still image aspects, you can see the professional results, opinions and techniques above and elsewhere.

As for dissatisfaction with customer service, I can't shed much light on that as I have not needed it.  The worries that I have had have been mostly dealt with in firmware and Pilot App updates over time. That alone tells me something about their openness to customer input.   I guess I think I am getting value for money with the Inspire.  When the time comes to go to the next level, I will probably look to this company first because of this experience.  

Dan

Seeing these replies makes me feel a little better but we all share one thing in common and agree the inspire is a amazing aircraft. BUT no pointing any fingers. The support and communication could be MUCH better. Though this might not be a 100% commercial platform it still is 3k and that is not a small amount of money.


I was not aware of the support issues before i purchased mine and from one person to another just wanted to let the OP know the downside of DJI so he can make the best decesion for what he wants to do.

dsinfiel Posted at 2015-8-5 08:02
Avoid DJI, that's my advice

What is the problem? with DJI        

Filmax Posted at 2015-8-5 20:19
What is the problem? with DJI

"Whats the problem with DJI?"

thanks for all the feedback, I am going to buy one today.  I will take it very slowly and make sure I always have a good communication before flying any significant distance.  After my P3 flew away one time I developed a set-up/preparation ritual that seemed to serve me well with all subsequent P3 flights.  I think if i take it slowly and stick to that I should be ok.  thanks again for all the feedback.

Why didnt you like the p3 and what about the inspire do you consider an upgrade?  I though they have the same camera?  The dual controller mode seems quite useless in my opinion.  It causes the pilot to have no FPV and not know which way the other person is moving the camera in relation to the nose of the craft which makes flying much more difficult unless you do some modifications and add an additional aftermarket camera for the pilot or dont fly very far from yourself as they must maintain a good visual of the inspire and the desired camera target to fly well enough for you to get the shot.  I find it quite easy to fly and control the camera with one controller and therefore stay in much better control of both flying and getting the shot turning the craft as well as the camera to maintain lock on the target.  Ive never tried dual controllers but it just seems to me if you had one person flying and one running the camera youd be fighting the pilot where if you do it all yourself you can move the inspire instead of or as well as the camera in most cases to get/maintain the shot you want.  Was a video on youtube of a guy testing dual controllers and he crashed into a tower he was trying to fly around and destroyed the inspire, it started on fire, lol!  perhaps he was just a complete moron but with the wheel on top of the controller its really easy to move the camera position while also flying, especially if you set one of the customization buttons on the back to switch between up/down and side to side movement.  That way its much easier to remember which way you moved the camera in relation to the front of the craft and are able to fly the right direction much easier.

Save $600 and only get one controller if you do get the inspire is my opinion, however im not that impressed overall with the inspire and the lack of support, majorly buggy versions of firmware theve released(though the newest one has been beta tested and looks like they are improving on this front) and lack of features they could easily implement although i dont know of anything better on the market to be honest.  New competition from 3dr looks as though it may do wonders in getting dji to step up their game, but only time will tell.  Havent been following the 3dr much lately so i dont know how it compares but its more on the phantom 3 level i believe, last i looked at it they didnt have a camera gimble yet and their fly by itself features seem mostly useless to me.   The inspires larger size is very helpful in combating higher winds than the smaller phantom drones, but it also has significantly shorter flight times and makes it more of a pain to transport requiring assembly/dis-assembly if you want to use the case(i leave mine assembled and sit it on the back seat in my f350).  I loved how the p2 is smaller and fits fully assembled in the case so you can pull it out and fly instantly vs the inspire switch from travel to landing mode, add camera and props which takes a few minutes and can sometimes cost you a good photo op.   im only getting 10-16 min out of my inspire even on the tb48 batteries where my P2 is 20-25 minutes but its much slower and less responsive than the inspire so it really depends on your intended usage i guess.  The phantoms arent bad either if you use atti mode, at least with the P2 it increases the top speed of 30mph in gps mode to 48mph in atti mode which allows it to combat the wind better, but being smaller and less responsive than the inspire cause it to move around a little more when the wind gusts which might make your video a bit shaky if its gusting hard but ive flown my p2 in some pretty heavy winds just flying for fun and was very impressed with its ability to handle them in atti mode.   

Forget DJI, no support worth while and empty promises.

dsinfiel Posted at 2015-8-5 08:02
Avoid DJI, that's my advice

I don't have any DJI products but from what I read DJI is a nice copter company. But it's up to you Dennis

I would think DJI has a lot to lose is they don't fix their customer service /response, or lack of. If a competitor came to market with a Apple, Tesla, or Gopro level of customer care, they would lose a significant amount of their market share. There is something about knowing with confidence that if you have an issue you will get it resolved quickly... Vs. your SOL  There are a lot of new players entering the market and it wont be long until a savy company gets this right.

Mine is a love hate relationship with the I1 since January...I initially had problems with the firmware bugs and didn't trust it to much and had to replace broken blades a couple of times ...Part of it was my inexperience and the other part flaky software in equal parts. Over time they dealt with most of the issues and seem to be getting better. My flying includes about 100 flights now...I trust my bird a lot more than I did initially and have few problems with it.  I agree there service has not been what it should and at times has bordered on the ridiculous...But this to seems to be improving. It is almost like we are all learning together...Would I buy another I1 or go with another 65% Yes 35% No...They still have hardly delivered on their main promises and misled customers on its capabilities. I think their biggest customer problem is they seem disengaged from the customer which leads to speculation, frustration and anger in some cases.  

I updated the firmware on my new Inspire it is sitting here now a 3k paper weight, one light led is lit solid the moment you turn it on , and the motors will not start. with the message on the app esc error call dji. This has ruined my endeavor into this hobby-business venture. I just ran an ad, applied for my faa exemption, and had some shoots lined up for next week, Now I am dead in the water, I am on a very limited income as I am retired and I invested a lot of money in this project and equipment to help supplement my income. I can not tolerate
this magnitude of problems, nor the loss that I am now experiencing. I will never buy another DJI product. MY Inspire was perfect until it was destroyed by dji upgrade. This is totally insane and more that I can bear both mentally and financially. I spent an enormous amount of time and money on this project, I thought that it was something that I could do to help with my survival, that I would really enjoy. I am not going to be able to recover from this firmware upgrade, It will be winter here in the mountains before I get my Inspire back. If I get it back at all. I dont see anything good in the future, for me and the pursuit of this endeavor. I really have no way to recover my so called business in the use of my Inspire to commercially make any money. My Inspire will be for sale when I get it back.I have to concentrate on taking care of my wife who is not well, as we are getting up there in age. Thanks DJI for destroying my business. Do not buy anything from dji.  I posted earlier that I would buy again that was nuts. I am through stick a fork in me.