Just wanted to leave this here in case someone searches for info later.
The phone app rarely connects, so no controls or camera feed most of the time.
Even after calibration, the drone won’t hover in place. As soon as it takes off, it drifts randomly with no wind around. It’s hit the house several times, so the propellers are all dinged up now.
Between the phone app issues, unstable hovering, and the jerky manual controls… it’s a mess. $350+ down the drain and can’t return it.
Holy Stone is garbage. DJI is the only camera drone brand worth considering. If you’re after fun, check out FPV drones.
Hale said:
Holy Stone is garbage. DJI is the only camera drone brand worth considering. If you’re after fun, check out FPV drones.
DJI is the best, but the Atom 2 looks pretty solid if you’re on a budget. White label drones aren’t bad either.
@Kieran
Or the Specta or Specta Air—basically DJI drones with a lower price tag.
I bought the HS600D… wouldn’t hold position, video was super laggy, and I lost connection past 120 feet.
Drained the battery to 50%, boxed it back up, and returned it to Amazon.
I always wondered if those little YouTube channels hyping these drones were getting paid. My DJI Mini 4K blew the HS out of the water. I’ve since upgraded to the Air 3 and love it.
I started with Holy Stone too, and their customer service used to be great. They sent me replacement drones and parts for free even after the warranty expired. Maybe reach out to them and see if they’ll help.
Autel or DJI only. Skydio is just chasing government contracts now.
Marsden said:
Autel or DJI only. Skydio is just chasing government contracts now.
Yeah, Skydio dropped their consumer drones years ago to focus on public sector stuff.
Marsden said:
Autel or DJI only. Skydio is just chasing government contracts now.
Yeah, Skydio dropped their consumer drones years ago to focus on public sector stuff.
Yep, you remember right.
Get a DJI. The Neo or Flip models are affordable and do everything you’d want. Easy to fly with great support.
Lesson learned. A lot of posts said Holy Stone was a decent beginner drone for crashing practice.
From my experience, it’s basically unflyable unless you’re in a huge open field and don’t care about the camera at all.
The HS600D is okay, but the rest of their drones are junk in my opinion.
I’ve had a RUKO F11GIM2 for a week and it’s been great. Call me a DJI hater, but I refuse to buy one.
Holy Stone 360 barely worked beyond 100 feet, and the video froze constantly. Mine flew off into some trees and I never found it!
Customer service was great though—they sent me a replacement even though I bought it used at a garage sale. The new one still drifted all over the place though. For $350, you could have gotten a decent DJI instead.
@Dylan
I never got it higher than 10 feet—wasn’t even close to roof height on a one-story house.