repair shops and dealers

[oscar19]

I had written a post a few months ago asking for help. I had crashed my pv2 and experienced motor issues. I had written asking for input on a repair shop I could use that does good work, is quick, has good customer service, is reasonably priced.

I had 1 follow-up post that mentioned acesdeals.com. More on this later. I really want to understand why first, there are no areas on this board specifically for repair/dealer feedback. And second, it seems more posters here are hands on in terms of fixing things on their own. Unfortunately, I am not currently mechanically (or electronically) inclined. Maybe as I get more experience, but for now I need to rely on 3rd parties for help.

Having a forum that newbies can turn to for dealer or repair advice may come in handy. As it turns out I had a VERY BAD experience dealing with acesdeals. There was no part of their repair, enhancement (remote and wifi extender) or parts sales that was good. The owner talked a good game but his service was really lacking.

I guess my post here is two-fold. First, can there be a section set up for advice on repair shops, etc? I see posts scattered throughout, but I think if a specific section was used people would know exactly where to turn. My second point is for those who are looking for repair shops, beware of acesdeals.

Thanks.

 

[MadMitch88]

Just my opinion --- but 99% of us in here do our own repair work to our Phantoms. If you are afraid to even pop the lid off your bird, then maybe this aint the right hobby for you?

I dunno, sorry if I seem harsh. I just get a little perturbed when I see so many "noobs" entering this hobby with an absolute lack of basic skills to work on RC aircraft. Just the mere thought of thousands of Phantoms being fired up this Christmas by pimply-faced spoiled kiddies makes my spine shudder. :shock:

Not saying you need to be a certified and licensed electrical or computer engineer who can re-program a NAZA flight controller in your sleep --- but at least learn some basic soldering skills --- and become adept at using a volt-meter, precision pliers and screwdrivers! These are ESSENTIAL skills that will serve you well as the world steamrolls quickly into a Drone Future.

My father is 66 yrs. old and saw me flying my Vision+ a few times out to 1.8 miles distance and now he wants one! However, he is almost totally useless when it comes to operating his Windows PC, and needs basic help with simple tasks like deleting/copying files. I have dissuaded him from buying a Phantom for now because I told him it's more than just a "turn on and fly" machine. He could be rather dangerous with it because of his ignorance about how it works and all the capabilities.

Phantom pilots are a proud bunch of tinkerers --- and this hobby satisfies our need to tinker and innovate while we conquer the skies above the apathetic, unwashed masses.

 

[Larry L]

Oscar, Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Several people are using Hunch. If you search the boards you will find him. Or look on face book for Hani UAV. He does great work with gimbals & such. If you are looking for a authorized DJI dealer/service center. I would recommend UAV direct. They are in liberty Hill Texas.( They are on the DJI website also ) A great group of people. Their # is 855-778-6363. They are right down the road from me & they have been very helpful & courteous. Steve the owner will just about do anything to make sure you are satisfied.
Good Luck, Larry

 

[msinger]

Check out the repair shops at:
https://www.phantomhelp.com

 

[oscar19]

Thanks guys, for your responses. I do appreciate it!

When it comes to being able to "tinker", I get your gist about those who fly and want to know the inner workings of their machines. I get that. But please understand, I am no "pimple faced" teen that flies in an irresponsible manner. I am actually quite adept at technology as I am a software programmer and have hobbies in astrophotography and the sciences. Its just with electronics I've never felt comfortable. In the future, who knows. And I do know these are not toys and are meant to be flown with respect.

But yes, I can understand the fear of people getting these and treating them as toys and giving "drones" a bad name. I am making sure I am not part of that crowd.

So again, thanks for responding and I will keep UAV Direct and PhantomHelp.com in mind. Hopefully I won't need them but just in case....

 

[RobertMfromLI]

Thanks guys, for your responses. I do appreciate it!

When it comes to being able to "tinker"...

...Its just with electronics I've never felt comfortable. In the future, who knows.

Much of the repair and maintenance work for most scenarios require very little electronics skills (though, I might be biased, considering my professional background). I had a little crash that bent an arm, and I found no point in my repair where I needed any of my electronics experience (no ESC damage - the ESC is the board in the arm). Worst case, had this been you or someone else with a low comfort level for electronics, some minor soldering would have been necessary... 6 connections on an ESC - the rest of the repair being easy.

I've installed numerous upgrades that require a basic ability to follow directions (or think through poorly written or inaccurate ones), but even those, it was usually as simple as "red to red, brown to brown, yellow to yellow" wiring and some shrink tube.

 

[pilsburypie]

Just my opinion --- but 99% of us in here do our own repair work to our Phantoms. If you are afraid to even pop the lid off your bird, then maybe this aint the right hobby for you?

I dunno, sorry if I seem harsh. I just get a little perturbed when I see so many "noobs" entering this hobby with an absolute lack of basic skills to work on RC aircraft. Just the mere thought of thousands of Phantoms being fired up this Christmas by pimply-faced spoiled kiddies makes my spine shudder. :shock:

Not saying you need to be a certified and licensed electrical or computer engineer who can re-program a NAZA flight controller in your sleep --- but at least learn some basic soldering skills --- and become adept at using a volt-meter, precision pliers and screwdrivers! These are ESSENTIAL skills that will serve you well as the world steamrolls quickly into a Drone Future.

My father is 66 yrs. old and saw me flying my Vision+ a few times out to 1.8 miles distance and now he wants one! However, he is almost totally useless when it comes to operating his Windows PC, and needs basic help with simple tasks like deleting/copying files. I have dissuaded him from buying a Phantom for now because I told him it's more than just a "turn on and fly" machine. He could be rather dangerous with it because of his ignorance about how it works and all the capabilities.

Phantom pilots are a proud bunch of tinkerers --- and this hobby satisfies our need to tinker and innovate while we conquer the skies above the apathetic, unwashed masses.

The hobby of flying quads can be as in depth as you want it. From owning one and flying with no idea what lies underneath "the hood" to building your own bird from scratch. As long as you are responsible with flying, I do not see how knowing how to work on it has any bearing on you having it as a hobby.

Don't get me wrong, any work you can do on it will boost your understanding, but it is not a pre requisite. It is often said "If you want a job done properly, do it yourself". You have found out that a pro shop does not always lead to the desired result. Sometimes we are at the mercy of others. Currently my Phantom is with "professionals" as I have a FPV no signal issue that has me stumped no matter how much I tested and asked on here for advice. I just hope my experience is better than yours (not at same shop)

 

[Great Pumpkin]

Oscar 19,
First, let me welcome you to the forum, because from your comment, it sounds as though no one else has welcomed you yet.

Second, I agree with PilsburyPie's comment about "The hobby of flying quads can be as in depth as you want it." I have no experience with RC but I saw how I could use a Phantom for photography and have been having much fun and success with it even though I haven't been "under the hood" nor have I needed to be. I am electronics-challenged, too, although I can and have soldered wires, and I know which end of a screwdriver is the working end. I also know how to read the manual and do.

Third, when I did have a couple operator error crashes and broke some things I could not even think of fixing, I took it to Dronefly in southern California, and they fixed it both times over the counter in less time than it is taking me to write this note. You'll see on this forum another thread that is currently bashing Dronefly, although I don't know if it is the same shop. I do know I was completely satisfied with their work as were several other responders to the basher. And I second Larry L's recommendation for Hani UAV from what I've read on this forum.

Good luck, fly responsibly, and let us know how things turn out,

 

[tonylumps]

i remember when Acesdeals was recommended to you Even though I had a negative experience with him ,I did not comment because I thought it was just me But that is another story .As far as good repair shop goes 90% are just parts changers.(That is a good thing about the Phantom) .Dealers have the luxury of having all of the spare parts, we do not.Take it from someone who crashed both of my birds in tall trees and they sat out in the rain and snow for a week.You will not find more knowledge about the Phantom than on this forum. If you have a problem and you can pinpoint it or show a Video of what it is doing this is the place to ask. I am a new guy, I have only been flying for about 4 or 5 months .If it was not for the members of this forum my Phantom would have been in the trash 2 weeks after I bought it.Now I have had them both apart and installed FPV in both.Before I bought the Phantom I did not know what FPV meant.So stick around you will learn.

 

[oscar19]

Oscar 19,
First, let me welcome you to the forum, because from your comment, it sounds as though no one else has welcomed you yet.

Second, I agree with PilsburyPie's comment about "The hobby of flying quads can be as in depth as you want it." I have no experience with RC but I saw how I could use a Phantom for photography and have been having much fun and success with it even though I haven't been "under the hood" nor have I needed to be. I am electronics-challenged, too, although I can and have soldered wires, and I know which end of a screwdriver is the working end. I also know how to read the manual and do.

Third, when I did have a couple operator error crashes and broke some things I could not even think of fixing, I took it to Dronefly in southern California, and they fixed it both times over the counter in less time than it is taking me to write this note. You'll see on this forum another thread that is currently bashing Dronefly, although I don't know if it is the same shop. I do know I was completely satisfied with their work as were several other responders to the basher. And I second Larry L's recommendation for Hani UAV from what I've read on this forum.

Good luck, fly responsibly, and let us know how things turn out,

GreatPumpkin, thanks for your response. I agree, the need to know this hobby "under the hood" is kind of an elitist attitude some have towards us who get gratification from the flying, not the tinkering. I have taken pictures on earthly subjects, under the sea, into space. I felt the next logical step is from the sky looking downward. This hobby has allowed me to take this step.

I will take dronefly into consideration also. Thanks for that.

And yes, thank you for the "welcome to the forum".

 

[oscar19]

i remember when Acesdeals was recommended to you Even though I had a negative experience with him ,I did not comment because I thought it was just me But that is another story .As far as good repair shop goes 90% are just parts changers.(That is a good thing about the Phantom) .Dealers have the luxury of having all of the spare parts, we do not.Take it from someone who crashed both of my birds in tall trees and they sat out in the rain and snow for a week.You will not find more knowledge about the Phantom than on this forum. If you have a problem and you can pinpoint it or show a Video of what it is doing this is the place to ask. I am a new guy, I have only been flying for about 4 or 5 months .If it was not for the members of this forum my Phantom would have been in the trash 2 weeks after I bought it.Now I have had them both apart and installed FPV in both.Before I bought the Phantom I did not know what FPV meant.So stick around you will learn.

Thanks Tonylumps.

The fact you also had a bad experience with acesdeals along with my bad experience could possibly help someone in the future.

I know its hard to post negatives when you think you are an aberration. But when there are multiple abberations it may point to an actual problem. That's why a central location of vendor feedback may be helpful.

Just a thought.

And yes, I have picked up quite a few helpful tips on this forum. While I have not requested technical info I have asked about flyaways and trackers, etc. And I always am learning things I didn't even know where issues until I read them here. So yes, this forum has REALLY helped me so far. And for all these posters on this message board, thank you.

 

[hunch]

just to correct, it is "UAV Repair Shop" on facebook and you can go to www.uavrepairshop.com if you need my info.

also, starting last week if you are going to call UAV Direct with a gimbal problem they will forward your call to my cell phone (don't ask :mrgreen: )

hani

 

[Larry L]

just to correct, it is "UAV Repair Shop" on facebook and you can go to http://www.uavrepairshop.com if you need my info.

also, starting last week if you are going to call UAV Direct with a gimbal problem they will forward your call to my cell phone (don't ask :mrgreen: )

hani

That's great news! I guess

 

[hunch]

yes it is Larry...

 

[expedite]

Hey Oscar, Ignore MadMitch 's educated comments. There are lots of us behind the scenes who have no desire or intention of tearing these things apart..

I also endorse Hani, aka Hunch on the forum he is awesome. Just last week he repaired my gimbal replacing ribbon cable and installed stage one FPVLR. I'm afraid we ll inundate him and he will soon have to do this full time! In the interim, accept crashing and have fun.

Hey Mitch get your dad a quad and stfu .

 

[sdtrojan]

Madmitch's stupid *** comments are like saying "you can't enjoy driving a Ferrari if you don't know how to work on one." I think he is the same guy as that hemorrhage idiot.

 

[mxovrdrv69]

Hey I'm in Cleveland, Ohio and have been very disappointed at the lack of qualified repair and replacement parts here in northeast Ohio. Having said that, I agree we do our own repair 99% of the time but I can lend a hand if your still in distress

 

[rodbuilder]

Just my opinion --- but 99% of us in here do our own repair work to our Phantoms. If you are afraid to even pop the lid off your bird, then maybe this aint the right hobby for you?

I dunno, sorry if I seem harsh. I just get a little perturbed when I see so many "noobs" entering this hobby with an absolute lack of basic skills to work on RC aircraft. Just the mere thought of thousands of Phantoms being fired up this Christmas by pimply-faced spoiled kiddies makes my spine shudder. :shock:

Not saying you need to be a certified and licensed electrical or computer engineer who can re-program a NAZA flight controller in your sleep --- but at least learn some basic soldering skills --- and become adept at using a volt-meter, precision pliers and screwdrivers! These are ESSENTIAL skills that will serve you well as the world steamrolls quickly into a Drone Future.

My father is 66 yrs. old and saw me flying my Vision+ a few times out to 1.8 miles distance and now he wants one! However, he is almost totally useless when it comes to operating his Windows PC, and needs basic help with simple tasks like deleting/copying files. I have dissuaded him from buying a Phantom for now because I told him it's more than just a "turn on and fly" machine. He could be rather dangerous with it because of his ignorance about how it works and all the capabilities.

Phantom pilots are a proud bunch of tinkerers --- and this hobby satisfies our need to tinker and innovate while we conquer the skies above the apathetic, unwashed masses.

You sound like such a nice guy. How could anyone possibly dislike you? But I'll bet you had a LOT different attitude when you dove into your first car engine (IF you have!) and discovered something you didn't know anything about - huh?

 

[rodbuilder]

For "MadMitch88"........................

You remind me of the clown on the Harley that pulled up about 2 feet from my rear bumper today!!! Then when the light turned green I switched placed with him at the next light! He looked back at me as if to say: "why are you so close to me" and I mouthed back to him: "I'm just doing what YOU did to ME!!!

Things are always pissy for people like you when the shoe's on the other foot - isn't that right?




".

 

[rodbuilder]

That's great news! I guess

I am DEEPLY indebted to you - or at least will be if those guys can eradicate the gremlin(s) that DJI put in my Phantom when they built it!!!!! UAV Repair is gettin' a call from me this coming Tuesday!!!