Sorta to some people $1000 is pocket change (not me) and for the most part those are the ones that care about nothing .
Most of you are on the newer firmware witch has a lot of restrictions if you want some fun put her in manual mode
Scary Thoughts ..... Best Buy Email .....
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Most of you are on the newer firmware witch has a lot of restrictions if you want some fun put her in manual mode
Best Buy has been selling the Solo for about a month now. I bought mine from one of their stores, I had preordered it and that turned out to be a cluster phuck. I also returned it a few days later after the GPS had issues. Got to love their 15 day return policy along with 3DR's 30 day.
For what it's worth, none of the BB stores in my area stock quads... Around here Best Buy is only selling them online. That being the case I think they Best Buy is probably only in the quad business because they know that some people will be inclined to buy from them for the finance incentives.
BB could care less what they sell. If 3DR, DJI or anyone else wants to pay for floor space.........you get the idea
We were all newbies at one time but the big box stores do attract a different crowd than Hobby stores or online. I think most of us have done our due diligence before buying as most are truly technical enthusiast.
Best buy is more likely to get the "grandma I want that" crowd than a Hobby store or online retailer.
Not all of course but just saying the mix WILL be greater.
Best buy is more likely to get the "grandma I want that" crowd than a Hobby store or online retailer.
Not all of course but just saying the mix WILL be greater.
Yeah very scary that people can just buy these off the shelf.
Curious though, what sort of special stuff did you have to do before you were able to walk into a store or click a button on your 'puter to purchase yours?
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Just because this forum is phantom pilots doesn't make me a pilot, glad you have a pilots license.
Phantom was my first quad that cost more than $30. And I'd argue that a $15 slingshot purchased from walmart is more problematic than a $1XXX drone.
Not sure that a license is required to buy a motorcycle. You don't even really need to have a license to ride it on the road, the license is only required to keep not having a license out of the equation when you do get in trouble for doing something you shouldn't have done.
I don't know if it is a worldwide thing, but BestBuy in Canada has been selling quadcopters for a few years now. They have carried all the DJI products as well as the full line of Parrott quads. They also sell the entire line of Traxxas RC cars that can go over 100kph and boats that can push 80kph; also many lower end helicopters too. Selling quadcopters and the like at BestBuy just means better access to spare parts without having to deal with inflated prices of dedicated hobby stores. People have always had access to anything they wanted with Amazon and those kinds of stores always carrying everything, this just gives us another place to price match.
You don't need a license in the us to buy a motor cycle or even a sports car. all you need to do is walk in plop your money down and you can to be the proud owner of a death machine. A license is only required to "legally" drive it on the road.
and even tho any idiot can get a drivers license as long as they pay the fee and can demonstrate that they know how to parallel park and can make a right or left turn. and can sit threw the 5 hour course. which don't even seem to have much to do with driving other then drinking and driving. Nether of which really test any ones skills at driving. I'm the worlds worst drive and should NEVER be trusted behind the wheel of a car other then a bumper car and still the state of ny thinks its ok to give me a drivers license as long as I give them there $
In Canada (or Ontario at least) it costs less than $20 and a very easy written test to get an M1 (a learner's permit for a Motorcycle); no on-bike tests, no physical test, nothing. I have the metal in my arm to prove how easy it is to get a license and how little that actually means.
I guess the advantage of the quadcopters you can buy at BestBuy now is that almost all of them have no-fly-zones built in to the firmware. This will limit one potential stupid thing to do for those who are buying the latest ready-to-fly quads. Of course this doesn't stop them from flying over crowds, beside tall buildings, so any of the other stupid things people will do because they either don't know better or don't care about the rules. While more average people flying means more stupid things will happen which means tighter restrictions -- it also means wider acceptance and less fear about quads will come sooner as well.
If we're going to judge folks let's do it by their actions and not by where they bought their Phantoms.
I'll make an assumption here, though. I'm sure there's a sample of the Phantom population that sees one flight and then ends up on a shelf, or never sees flight time at all. Kind of like exercise equipment. I'll bet the Best Buy-purchased drones have a bigger ratio of impulse purchases and non-thoughtful gift purchases, and end up in this category.
I'll make an assumption here, though. I'm sure there's a sample of the Phantom population that sees one flight and then ends up on a shelf, or never sees flight time at all. Kind of like exercise equipment. I'll bet the Best Buy-purchased drones have a bigger ratio of impulse purchases and non-thoughtful gift purchases, and end up in this category.
Of course no one asks for a license to buy a motorcycle and I'm fairly sure no one asks to see your pilot's license before they sell you a Lear jet, just your cash. We are getting into the weeds now. My point was that there is a system in place to minimize the harm a brainless juvenile can do with a motorcycle, license, law enforcement, court system. Not so with high end quads (at least not yet).
True, but if that one flight ends cracking someone on the head, CNN will crow "drone attacks and wounds child." Bad press hurts us all.
You better get over the demeaning talk. I know many juveniles who are more responsible than adults and many people who have more common sense than some people on this very site. If you can RTFM and watch a youtube video you are more than capable of safely flying a Phantom. Responsibility is what sets people apart not if you bought your drone on Amazon vs Best Buy or even if you belong to an internet forum dedicated to what you bought.
I can attack and wound a child whether I purchased from Best Buy or BH Photo. When I upgrade, I may buy from Best Buy if they have a better deal.
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