Hi DJI: Consider selling the FPV rumble stack for builders

If you have followed the forums, you will know that drone pilots are fairly divided over the new DJI FPV drone. Some people – especially those who are not yet new to FPV or who have flown DJI products in the past – seem to like it a lot. And the experienced FPV pilots? Meh. They say it does not react as well as a house building, it is fragile, etc. And it made us think …

DJI’s products will always get haters. And often those with the harshest criticism are those in the First-Person-View building and racing community. And we understand: these people take the time to learn more about all the components. They learn how to build and fly. Then they get stuck, get ready and keep flying. Many people compare DJI’s new FPV drone to an SUV that is easily damaged and expensive to repair.

We say this: they are not the target market. But it does not really matter here …

Forum posts

Print the forums and different Facebook groups if you want proof. You will find no shortage of people attacking the product … and people defending it. Those who like it appreciate the close integration of technology and the fact that you can fly this drone in N and S mode the first day (although you do need to have a visual observer with you). Like every other DJI product, it does what it has to do.

But the DJI drone is not as robust as the carbon frame preferred by experienced FPV pilots. It also has a heavier frame and is not as agile as a 5-inch quad. And that explains a post we saw the other day.

Facebook post

Someone (and we are not going to go looking now) asks if anyone with a crushed DJI FPV drone would like to sell it for spare parts. They said they had a project in mind. And based on other rumbles, we’re pretty sure we know what the project is: take the electronics and stack them on a carbon frame.

This is actually a smart idea. You will get the weight reduction and strength that comes with carbon, and probably a more responsive drone as well. You will also get the technological integration that comes with this system, which contains a warning if an ADS-B equipped aircraft gets too close. In fact, we’ve seen people post that they dropped the warning before they could hear the approaching plane and drop their drones safely. It’s a big safety feature, and one that should probably be in every FPV drone. If you have the camera on a single-axle gimbal, it offers a pilot more options while flying – even if you decide to add a GoPro or other camera for your movie shots.

We added the last point because some people dissected the camera. Today, however, we got a good look at what quality footage looks like from this. And it looks good:

And so …

Trust us in this. Within a few weeks, someone is going to hit YouTube with a video of a quad bike they built using the electronics of the DJI. They may also think that they can then pack a 6s LiPo pack at a significantly lower cost of DJI’s admittedly expensive $ 149 battery. (Yes, the battery seems to deliver fairly long flights, but – wow – expensive compared to buying LiPo packs.)

While this is a pretty good idea for a builder, we also predict that you will be stuck with the factory batteries. Why? Well, do you see three small extra connection points?

We recommend it is not only for balanced charging but also to do something with their intelligent battery system. In fact, the connector on the drone end (not just the charger) has mates for the three small connections. So we bet ‘no dice’ for a standard 6s LiPo.

There is a precedent

But DJI does not make separate FPV components, you might say. Apart from the FPV Air unit, the company has previously manufactured and sold separate cars and ESCs for FPV races. There is the Takyon ESC series and the Snail propulsion system:

Will this happen?

We would like to see it, but somehow doubt it. But after the shutdown period and pending customer feedback, it would be cool for DJI to sell these electronics mounted on a super-rigid carbon frame. It will help to silence the voices of those who do not like this drone, to give buyers another option … and to ensure that most repairs can be handled at home.

Think about it, DJI.

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