Who Else Besides DJI?

[2lowterrain]

So who is the Up & Coming Company that is gonna take DJI down? From what I have seen it looks like maybe Parrot?….Sounds like a lot of unhappy DJI people out there!!!…I’m one of them

 

[Starz]

Take DJI down?
Somewhat doubtful. Anything is possible, but if there is a bet going on, my money will be on the DJI survivor table.

 

[dirkclod]

Oh boy another ..Who’s going to take DJI thread..
No offense op but we see so many of these.
If your unhappy with what ya got sell it and get a lesser brand.
Me happy with em and won’t have nothing else.
FanBoy ya might say.?‍

 

[Meta4]

Sounds like a lot of unhappy DJI people out there!!!…I’m one of them

It's not surprising that there are a lot of unhappy DJI people out there!!!
DJI have a lot of customers.
In a large part it's because they do produce a very good product.
If 1% of DJI customers were unhappy, they would still have > 10x as many customers as any other drone manufacturer.
Another interesting question is what proportion of the unhappy customers have a valid objection?

So who is the Up & Coming Company that is gonna take DJI down? From what I have seen it looks like maybe Parrot?….

I don't see too many serious contenders to take the lead in the mass market drone sector.
Most are following the lead rather than advancing the technology.
But there are some contenders in particular niches.
I'm watching for the release of one new drone from a small maker later this year.
DJI haven't advanced in affordable serious still photography drones since the P4 pro, 3.5 years ago and the stills version of this one might get my money:

Evolve 2 – RTF Kit

<div class="evolve evolve-default"> <h4>Everything you need to start flying day one is in this package.</h4> <span style="font-family: bookman old style, new york, times, serif; font-size: medium;" data-ogsc="rgb(252, 252, 252)">Micro Four Thirds camera system, interchangeable gimbal, swapable...

store.xdynamics.com

 

[dirkclod]

$3700 bucks ?

 

[Starz]

Easy to put up that much in an I2.

 

[Meta4]

Easy to put up that much in an I2.

It costs more than a current Phantom but is only a little bigger.
It's a lot smaller and costs a lot less than an I2 with equivalent camera.
Not for the mass market but it would be just the thing for serious photographers or video people looking to go beyond what's achievable with current consumer drones.

 

[dirkclod]

But..it is not a

. Up & Coming Company that is gonna take DJI down

.?‍

 

[2lowterrain]

I knew that I would “Stir the Pot” on that post!…In all Seriousness, DJI REALLY NEEDS To Relocate to Oak City and become part of the FAA...I just don’t understand a Company that Sells a quite Expensive Product only to turn around and be a pain by implementing their OWN “Lockdown GEO”...Basically, if you Own a DJI Product and need a waiver, not only do you have to get the Fed’s Blessing, but why does DJI need to Sign off on it, especially after the Fed has said “Granted” and DJI keeps ya Locked Down!…And ADS-B on Drones...REALLY?…Part 91 says no airplanes lower than 500AGL...Part 107 says 0-400 AGL....Build the “Drone World” An Airspace System up to 400AGL, Keep us Away from Runway Approach Ends, and Above 500 is there’s. Trust Me, No Airplane should be below 400 unless they are on a 1 mile final or buzzing their Girlfriends House!…I’m Sorry, It’s Stupid! ?....Thanks for letting me Vent!…Feds say yes, DJI says No is NOT a very Good Business Model!…

 

[PhantomFandom]

I knew that I would “Stir the Pot” on that post!…In all Seriousness, DJI REALLY NEEDS To Relocate to Oak City and become part of the FAA...I just don’t understand a Company that Sells a quite Expensive Product only to turn around and be a pain by implementing their OWN “Lockdown GEO”...Basically, if you Own a DJI Product and need a waiver, not only do you have to get the Fed’s Blessing, but why does DJI need to Sign off on it, especially after the Fed has said “Granted” and DJI keeps ya Locked Down!…And ADS-B on Drones...REALLY?…Part 91 says no airplanes lower than 500AGL...Part 107 says 0-400 AGL....Build the “Drone World” An Airspace System up to 400AGL, Keep us Away from Runway Approach Ends, and Above 500 is there’s. Trust Me, No Airplane should be below 400 unless they are on a 1 mile final or buzzing their Girlfriends House!…I’m Sorry, It’s Stupid! ?....Thanks for letting me Vent!…Feds say yes, DJI says No is NOT a very Good Business Model!…

There are always two sides to every coin. In general YES I totally agree that the geo-fencing rules only hamper the serious, responsible, and professional drone pilots. However...people are stupid. Sorry but that's the crux of the matter and the USA is such a litigious society that DJI would soon get inundated with lawsuits. It's all about liability and mitigation of risk due to the stupid people.

This is a mass-market and VERY popular commodity item now. Especially with the newer MM, it makes a drone seem like a toy or a flying selfie cam that anyone can pick up at Best buy and start flying without any knowledge of what they are doing or what danger they can get into above their head (literally and figuratively).

So DJI puts in the geo-fencing and zone unlock so that at least they can say the safety measures were in place. That way when some weekend warrior floats into Class B airspace, they affirmatively agreed that they knew what they were doing first. It shifts the blame from DJI to the pilot (term used loosely in this case).

Without these even rudimentary protections in place, we would see so many more incidents and then lawsuits. of course the lawsuits go after the deep pockets and the oblivious pilot would blame DJI for letting them violate FAA regulations without any warning. We have a legal system where someone can sue and win for spilling hot coffee on themselves because the cup was not labeled as HOT! (I need a face palm emoji here)

One thing about the DJI Zone unlock system is that it is easy and quick for those of us who know what we are doing. however it is just "complicated enough" to confuse the casual pilot who knows nothing about airspace. In a way the little bit of complexity protects us all.

So the opposite to me would be much worse. Many would ask why can these drones fly up to 500 meters in altitude and distances over 5 miles when (at least in the USA) we are limited to 400 feet and VLOS? Would we be happy if the firmware has a hard stop at 400' AGL and some very short distance that guarantees VLOS? No! Everyone would be up in arms and drone sales would drop drastically. No doubt the lawyers at DJI have made all the calculations on how to cover themselves and still keep sales brisk.

Over all it is just one of those things we deal with and move on. Unlike the hundreds of complaints I have seen on this forum about the geo-fencing ruining someone's day or preventing them from doing their job, it has never prevented me from flying where and when I need to (legally). In most cases it was just a drone owner with little technical knowledge and/or terrible planning! If you need the drone for your business and livelihood, would it not be smart to plan ahead, test everything, get the zone unlock, and have a backup plan PRIOR to heading out to the job site? YES it would, but people are lazy and then they complain about DJI keeping them from doing their job.

Back to the original post, yes there are unhappy people but as @Meta4 aptly pointed out, it's a numbers game. Plus you are on a forum where people come to ask questions and complain. They don't come here to extoll the virtues of how wonderful DJI is. So the view of the community is obviously skewed.

So the Reader's Digest version....problems are largely due to stupidity and laziness. Not saying that is you or anyone in particular. Just in general why issues like this pop up.

 

[Starz]

“Stir the Pot”

Not really. Subject matter walks with a cane.

 

[Capt KO]

Not really. Subject matter walks with a cane.

Me too. ?

 

[Cavepig7]

I knew that I would “Stir the Pot” on that post!…In all Seriousness, DJI REALLY NEEDS To Relocate to Oak City and become part of the FAA...I just don’t understand a Company that Sells a quite Expensive Product only to turn around and be a pain by implementing their OWN “Lockdown GEO”...Basically, if you Own a DJI Product and need a waiver, not only do you have to get the Fed’s Blessing, but why does DJI need to Sign off on it, especially after the Fed has said “Granted” and DJI keeps ya Locked Down!…And ADS-B on Drones...REALLY?…Part 91 says no airplanes lower than 500AGL...Part 107 says 0-400 AGL....Build the “Drone World” An Airspace System up to 400AGL, Keep us Away from Runway Approach Ends, and Above 500 is there’s. Trust Me, No Airplane should be below 400 unless they are on a 1 mile final or buzzing their Girlfriends House!…I’m Sorry, It’s Stupid! ?....Thanks for letting me Vent!…Feds say yes, DJI says No is NOT a very Good Business Model!…

I'm a retired air traffic controller. You are absolutely right!

 

[3rdof5]

There are always two sides to every coin. In general YES I totally agree that the geo-fencing rules only hamper the serious, responsible, and professional drone pilots. However...people are stupid. Sorry but that's the crux of the matter and the USA is such a litigious society that DJI would soon get inundated with lawsuits. It's all about liability and mitigation of risk due to the stupid people.

This is a mass-market and VERY popular commodity item now. Especially with the newer MM, it makes a drone seem like a toy or a flying selfie cam that anyone can pick up at Best buy and start flying without any knowledge of what they are doing or what danger they can get into above their head (literally and figuratively).

So DJI puts in the geo-fencing and zone unlock so that at least they can say the safety measures were in place. That way when some weekend warrior floats into Class B airspace, they affirmatively agreed that they knew what they were doing first. It shifts the blame from DJI to the pilot (term used loosely in this case).

Without these even rudimentary protections in place, we would see so many more incidents and then lawsuits. of course the lawsuits go after the deep pockets and the oblivious pilot would blame DJI for letting them violate FAA regulations without any warning. We have a legal system where someone can sue and win for spilling hot coffee on themselves because the cup was not labeled as HOT! (I need a face palm emoji here)

One thing about the DJI Zone unlock system is that it is easy and quick for those of us who know what we are doing. however it is just "complicated enough" to confuse the casual pilot who knows nothing about airspace. In a way the little bit of complexity protects us all.

So the opposite to me would be much worse. Many would ask why can these drones fly up to 500 meters in altitude and distances over 5 miles when (at least in the USA) we are limited to 400 feet and VLOS? Would we be happy if the firmware has a hard stop at 400' AGL and some very short distance that guarantees VLOS? No! Everyone would be up in arms and drone sales would drop drastically. No doubt the lawyers at DJI have made all the calculations on how to cover themselves and still keep sales brisk.

Over all it is just one of those things we deal with and move on. Unlike the hundreds of complaints I have seen on this forum about the geo-fencing ruining someone's day or preventing them from doing their job, it has never prevented me from flying where and when I need to (legally). In most cases it was just a drone owner with little technical knowledge and/or terrible planning! If you need the drone for your business and livelihood, would it not be smart to plan ahead, test everything, get the zone unlock, and have a backup plan PRIOR to heading out to the job site? YES it would, but people are lazy and then they complain about DJI keeping them from doing their job.

Back to the original post, yes there are unhappy people but as @Meta4 aptly pointed out, it's a numbers game. Plus you are on a forum where people come to ask questions and complain. They don't come here to extoll the virtues of how wonderful DJI is. So the view of the community is obviously skewed.

So the Reader's Digest version....problems are largely due to stupidity and laziness. Not saying that is you or anyone in particular. Just in general why issues like this pop up.

Very well said!!! And really, this is just like any other "vehicle". Most any self propelled moving vehicle, regardless of whether it moves in water, on land, or in the air, all have capabilities that exceed whats actually legal to do. The onus is always on the "driver" to be safe and responsible and law abiding, not the manufacturer. The reasons we have laws and restrictions, whether sensible or not, is because some people just don't care about anything or anyone else.

 

[docrock066]

Today I spent over 4 hours on hold with DJI customer service trying to make arrangements to return my P4 for repair. Tried on line to get it done, several times, when I hit the screen that asked where I'm at, North America, US, some red, Chinese writing popped up on the top and I couldn't go any farther. Tried online chat, they told me to do it on line. Called, first 3 people told me that was something they didn't know about, one because I have a P4, can't remember what the other two had for reasons. Every time I got referred to someone else it took about a hour wait. All told me to go online, try different browsers. Which I did. Last guy said Oh, I can fix that, I'll email you a question air to fill out and I'll get the repair order for you. I have not had good luck with their customer service and I don't understand how something so seemingly simple can be so difficult. I sincerely hope someone takes them down, either that or they re invent their customer dis service.

 

[3rdof5]

No one will take down DJI but themselves, and I don't see that happening. Companies goes thru change and learn to adapt and this year has been a challenge for every company in the world. They know how to create a quality product and they know that. And they will continue to do so IMO.

 

[Osmosis]

Oh boy another ..Who’s going to take DJI thread..
No offense op but we see so many of these.
If your unhappy with what ya got sell it and get a lesser brand.
Me happy with em and won’t have nothing else.
FanBoy ya might say.?‍

100% agree. Also, DJI being the largest manufacturer in the business, maybe they can push a bit for a more user friendly Remote User ID - according to FAA docs, coming soon!

 

[monteolsen1]

I knew that I would “Stir the Pot” on that post!…In all Seriousness, DJI REALLY NEEDS To Relocate to Oak City and become part of the FAA...I just don’t understand a Company that Sells a quite Expensive Product only to turn around and be a pain by implementing their OWN “Lockdown GEO”...Basically, if you Own a DJI Product and need a waiver, not only do you have to get the Fed’s Blessing, but why does DJI need to Sign off on it, especially after the Fed has said “Granted” and DJI keeps ya Locked Down!…And ADS-B on Drones...REALLY?…Part 91 says no airplanes lower than 500AGL...Part 107 says 0-400 AGL....Build the “Drone World” An Airspace System up to 400AGL, Keep us Away from Runway Approach Ends, and Above 500 is there’s. Trust Me, No Airplane should be below 400 unless they are on a 1 mile final or buzzing their Girlfriends House!…I’m Sorry, It’s Stupid! ?....Thanks for letting me Vent!…Feds say yes, DJI says No is NOT a very Good Business Model!…

I think Skydio is the one to watch. The big thing limiting is the transmission distance for their drone. The camera and drone are well designed, and its quality of construction (in the US) is said to be excellent as is it's customer support. (I don't own one, I own a Mavic Air 2, but I am very impressed with theie business model and ethics.)

 

[dirkclod]

Only 1 component is made in the US. The frame.
It is a great drone from what they say for what it’s purpose
is but really don’t see it as any competition to DJI.

 

[John Gowland]

I have an issue with a member that I am trying to sort out, but as far as business go, DJI have been absolutely amazing with me. Outstanding. Sorry if you don’t want to hear it. But that is what my dealings have been with me.