After purchasing a DJI drone

[danielbackward]

Hello, I am moving forward with getting commercial opportunities lined up. In researching drones, I have known about the Drone Phantom series for awhile but have just now seriously started delving into different aspects of it.
I am surprised to be finding so many recent threads on flyaways, crashes, hardware and firmware issues. It is honestly making me have serious second thoughts about owning one of DJI's products.
Am I just seeing all the negative because the positive comments simply are not existent? Does this aerial platform really have all these issues as indicated here? How could they stay in business with such a horrid reputation on the forums? In planning my initial purchase, was considering a few extra batteries-but they can't even get that right??

 

[Flyboymedia]

I am flying a new Inspire 2, in spite of the fact that the FPV camera is disappointing i think this particular product is fantastic. Tuly feel confident with the airframe software etc... when flying!
Good Luck

 

[Advexure]

Good morning @danielbackward –

First off, welcome to the forum. We are happy to have you here.

Over many years of being in the industry we do typically find that what you see on the web, especially forums and owner's groups contains a lot more of the negative. Simply because of human nature, if we're happy with something and all is going smooth we are less prone to share a positive experience, whereas if we have issues and need help, we're stomping our way over to the forum or support group and seeking advice and sharing our issues and frustrations.

It is very hard to consider a non-DJI platform simply due to DJI's pure dominance in their innovation and track record. One thing you will see well documented in your research is DJI's poor track record for after sales support and that's where purchasing from a dealer comes into play. I'm not sure where you're located but finding a dealer in your country that you know you can count on for sales, support and service is the key to purchasing DJI product and ensuring a positive experience.

There are herds of folks out there that are extremely satisfied with DJI aerial platforms, maybe some of those folks will chime in! We all definitely have our frustrations but without a doubt, the positives outweigh the negatives in DJI's platforms, particularly in the Inspire product line.

Regarding extra batteries, could you elaborate on what is not right with the batteries?

Should you have any questions throughout your research don't hesitate to reach out to our team if we can be of any assistance.

Best of luck in your venture into the world of commercial drone operations.

 

[Casey53]

It's pot luck on getting a good one and best to find a dealer where you can exchange it quickly for another if bad, e.g. Best Buy, etc. I got two bad P4's right out of the box (Defective cameras with soft images to one side due to lack of any quality control no doubt.) and BB gave me new ones same day until I got one that is satisfactory. They also extended the 14 day in house warranty out from the time I've return defective ones too (BB "Elites" get a better warranty deal I think too.). These things aren't perfect, and they all seem different if you own a bunch too. Probably like a corporate car fleet where some just break down for whatever reason while others never do.

Best luck on getting a good one, but if it is flaky for any reason like not working after an update, etc. exchange it immediately!

 

[kcobello]

Also throw in the complexity of the word "commercial", flying a rig under the regulations, dealing with the people who dislike rigs, the investment and planning that you have to do. The test is nothing really. Knowledge based and when it's over you pass or fail......The enjoyment when everything works perfectly and you get that awesome image is the best high you can ever have......

The rig is the other equation.. I had great luck with the kits I bought and soldering my own components together. Setting exposures on the ground and getting some great imagery. Now it's different with DJI and the industry. More firmware updates that control things a little, sometimes you can fly sometimes not. If you get used to the "complexities" and over that hump, take a deep breath, you will be ok. Just get ready for some glitches in the industry. I think it is a great challenge and you will enjoy...
Kevin

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

There are horror stories on every forum, just keep in mind the pilots having no issues by far outweigh the ones that have. I have been flying DJI drones for about 5 years now and have never experienced a fly away or crash because of hardware failures, I did have one crash but it was my own stupid fault LOL.

 

[AeroMirage]

.... in spite of the fact that the FPV camera is disappointing....
Good Luck

That was my first thought, but after thinking it over, the FPV camera is better than the one that was (not) on the Inspire 1.

 

[Casey53]

Sometimes I think this drone stuff is a little bit of masochism tossed in for our sadistic enjoyment. Once we hit a roadblock, it's satisfying to figure out how we managed to correct it, and sometimes short-lived too. If not, then we'll shout and b***h a lot about it until we figure it out - if we ever can.

DJI does make it difficult at times. May as well say, "You must use a $900 iPad Pro model else it might not work well or at all in the next GO update." DJI does help to sell a lot of cheaper Samsungs though (I fell twice for that Android pitch!) - until one finally learns they get under-powered in GO 4 and do the video lag nonsense which leads to an Apple Air 2 or Pro tablet purchase. Ugh!.

 

[danielbackward]

Gosh guys. Thank you for the insights. Currently I have bought an DJI phantom 4. I don't mind crashing, and expect that all the time. But when it comes to this level of drone, when reviewing their implied capabilities, I was surprised to hear/read the horror stories. Again, thanks for the responses. Gonna do some soul searching but think I have to take my chance with the "overlord" as it was put earlier..LOL

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

The biggest issue with flying them is not actually flying them, they practically fly themselves and keep you out of trouble for the most part. The hard part is if something fails like GPS signal drops or compass errors out and the drone stops 'helping' you fly, that's when people get into trouble. If you can't fly it manually and get it home without the automated systems, you'll be guaranteed a flyaway or a mishap of somekind.

If you don't have any experience flying without aids, best thing to do is to buy a small, 4 channel, quad for under $100 and practice flying it all around. I have one that I fly in my house. Not for practice, but for fun and it's far harder to fly the little one than it is to fly the inspire unaided. So if you can learn to fly the little one, you're all set.

Experience helps too. I have it through 25+ years flying R/C planes and helis. When the drone goes into 'return to home' mode unexpectedly, or tries to land unexpectedly, you have to react in a split second or you could be landing in the water, or flying through a building. I2 has collision avoidance so that helps in that scenario.

Then once you're past all that, the next hard thing to do is to pass the Remote Pilot Cert exam. If you don't have any full scale piloting experience, be ready for a lot of studying. A large part of the test is about reading sectionals, weather briefs and ATC procedures and if you're not already a pilot, that can be overwhelming.

Of course if you're not doing it commercially (which you said you are planning on), you don't have to take the test.

 

[Advexure]

The biggest issue with flying them is not actually flying them, they practically fly themselves and keep you out of trouble for the most part. The hard part is if something fails like GPS signal drops or compass errors out and the drone stops 'helping' you fly, that's when people get into trouble. If you can't fly it manually and get it home without the automated systems, you'll be guaranteed a flyaway or a mishap of somekind.

If you don't have any experience flying without aids, best thing to do is to buy a small, 4 channel, quad for under $100 and practice flying it all around. I have one that I fly in my house. Not for practice, but for fun and it's far harder to fly the little one than it is to fly the inspire unaided. So if you can learn to fly the little one, you're all set.

Experience helps too. I have it through 25+ years flying R/C planes and helis. When the drone goes into 'return to home' mode unexpectedly, or tries to land unexpectedly, you have to react in a split second or you could be landing in the water, or flying through a building. I2 has collision avoidance so that helps in that scenario.

Then once you're past all that, the next hard thing to do is to pass the Remote Pilot Cert exam. If you don't have any full scale piloting experience, be ready for a lot of studying. A large part of the test is about reading sectionals, weather briefs and ATC procedures and if you're not already a pilot, that can be overwhelming.

Of course if you're not doing it commercially (which you said you are planning on), you don't have to take the test.

Very well said, Steve. All the fancy schmancy features and pilot aids are great when they're working seamlessly but you've always gotta have a game plan if you have any sort of inflight adversity. Was flying an I2 for a decent sized group of enterprise users the other day and out of the clear blue the copter went into a slow, continuous clockwise yaw rotation and not reacting to stick inputs. Some sort of GPS issue I believe. Has not been a problem with later flights since. First instinct is panic and say oh sh*t but calmly popped it right into ATTI mode to gain control, had sort of an open emergency landing and got it down within a few seconds. The onlookers did not even notice that I was experiencing some sort of issue.

As with manned aircraft, little things here and there are bound to happen, but having a plan in the back of your head is key to being confident that you can handle an unaided, less than ideal situation.

Inspire 2 is absolute workhorse. Yes, you'll see the rants and frustrations to outweigh the positives but as @Casey53 mentioned, when there is a problem with something aren't we all quickly to shout and b***h a lot about it until we figure it out?

 

[Deleted member 37921]

I wouldn't worry about DJI's overall performance. It's like a Honda Civic forum, people don't go there to talk about how much they love their car that has zero problems... I've had my I1 for over a year, no problems, no real issues. The overall success of your flying and operation performance are directly related to how you mission plan, pre flight, fly and post flight your flight operations. I don't rush to upgrade the firmware, which seems to be a weak link.

I think what you'll find is that you can mitigate the vast majority of problems be being methodical and thorough in how you operate.

 

[Casey53]

I'll add an image (Click to enlarge.) something to my second paragraph above about the $900 iPad Pro. While trying to figure out what to toss out of the Inspire 2 box, I read the wrapper that is around the foam carry case and surprised to see the following:



Notice that no where is an Android device mentioned. Given the issues people have with Android devices of late, I don't know if this is a new recommended policy of DJI, but it does read odd with the exclusion of any of them.

 

[Mixchief]

Isn't the crystal sky or however the new DJI super display is called, an android platform? Just another DJI dark side. I just started flying drones last year and basically did it for photo/videography sake, to that effect, looking for the best possible image, my first drone just didn't cut it (yuneek Q500), I figured, you get what you pay for. Within my budget with a quality camera the only logical choice was the Inspire 1, the 2 is way out of my range at this point. I hate to say it but it's been plagued with little issues with firmware, hardware, latest is the battery having what the app calls a broken cell. I love this beast, and it is a beast, but frankly every time I take it out I see a pretty fair investment fly away not knowing for sure I can count on it flying back. Yes a few of the issues were caused by my own inexperience, but seriously, DJI is like buying the lottery, except the odds are hard to pin down. DJI might be at the forefront, but it cannot get out of it's way with contradictions and lack of customer support.

 

[Mark Taylor]

Notice that no where is an Android device mentioned. Given the issues people have with Android devices of late, I don't know if this is a new recommended policy of DJI, but it does read odd with the exclusion of any of them.

I wouldn't read too much into this, it is simply part of the Apple MFi programme that is required for devices that connect via the Lightning port to Apple devices.

There isn't really anything equivalent for Android (thankfully)...