I do like both my Anafi’s BUT I have now promised myself that I’ll never buy another “Off The Shelf” Drone/Multirotor.
My reasoning behind this is that the financial investment does not reflect that the life expectancy. I bought a Spark Fly More combo in 2018, I think, but now its days are numbered as replacement batteries are thin on the ground. In contrast I built my first machine, based around a DJI F550, and that still has many years of service ahead of it as it can use any 3s/4s battery with a XT60 connector. The same is true of my Yuneec Q500 because with a simple 3D printed adaptor it can use the same batteries as my F550.
It’s probably due to similar reasoning that manufacturers like Parrot are now concentrating more on the commercial market than the consumer market, whereby a commercial entity can factor in redundancy and upgrades into their financial forecasts. Where as consumer/hobbyists will generally buy a product which once it becomes obsolete that may end their interest, and thus the profit in that market is much reduced. A parody of death due to their own success.
I have purchased one other OTS drone since acquiring my Anafi’s and that is the Powervision PowerEgg X, with waterproof kit, but the price I paid, 1/4 of RRP, reflects my acceptance that this too will become yet another paperweight in the next 18 months or so as I foresee that the proprietary batteries it uses will no longer be available.
With many countries imposing very strict regulations on recreational drone flying the exploitable market is getting smaller and less financially viable where as in contrast the commercial market is becoming a much bigger resource.
Nidge.
dronexl.co
