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[droneadmin]

Me too. I dislike Facebook immensely

The best forums grow organically. Its doesn't really matter the number of different threads or how their divided up as long as they have a real purpose for being there and the purpose is provided by the users. When MRF was first launched it had very few TOPIC's, as the number of unrelated threads started to develop they were then categorized by what people cared about.

What changed it, in part, was the product reviews. They were good, probably the best around. Trouble was that they were so good that SleepC started getting more requests for reviews by hobbyists who were migrating over from RCGroups and it started, over time, to address the hobbyists concerns more then the professionals.

No one likes to be told how to run their business, especially in a forum, particularly when the forum is the business. Bart deserves a lot of credit launching MRF but if there was a place that we disagreed it was that you could be a forum for hobbyists or a forum for professionals, but not both. I believe that every bit as much today as I did then.

If DroneVibes wants to grow this forum, they have to pick a side. And the reason I'm more convinced of that today is because MRF did not pick a side and today it is a fraction of its former self.

I'm not complaining, this is me trying to help...

We very much appreciate the feedback and the time you have taken to communicate it. This goes for you and all of those who had input here.

I think there are some great observations and ideas offered. We definitely would be open to help from those willing and able to assist. We could discuss potential equity stakes in the site to make it worthwhile and let you feel you have skin in the game. Our resident experts when we launched have had other things come up that have monopolized their time so we are little short of the expertise and insights we were hoping for.

I can see you, as well as a few others, have this expertise and insight and might be able to create something special here. The site traffic is about flat last few months. No growth or loss either. Some postings were down for a bit due to some server and software changes that We believe are worked out. We do need to tighten up the forum structure and as you said decide on a focus or niche. Let's discuss!

 

[Av8Chuck]

Are you available for a call? If so pm me some times and your number and I'll give you a call.

 

[John Doecliff]

I would also like to add that if I were searching for a MR forum to check out and join I would pass right over one called "Drone Vibes". The name itself doesn't make me think that I could find anything serious or helpful there at all. One of the things I was originally attracted to with the old MRF was initially the name then secondly the fact that it seemed to be more professional related. You can only go through so many posts of people that got a random toy drone for a gift and need help figuring it out because it broke on the first day.

 

[Hexacrafter]

I would also like to add that if I were searching for a MR forum to check out and join I would pass right over one called "Drone Vibes". The name itself doesn't make me think that I could find anything serious or helpful there at all. One of the things I was originally attracted to with the old MRF was initially the name then secondly the fact that it seemed to be more professional related. You can only go through so many posts of people that got a random toy drone for a gift and need help figuring it out because it broke on the first day.

John....
I concur as stated in my earlier posting
"I hate the "Drone" label.... It makes me think of a kid in the backyard with a plastic quadcopter....
Small UAS/ sUAS/ Multicopter/ Aerial Video Platform/ Aerial Photography/ Videography..... something that sounds a bit more professional."
Drone seems to bring an image of a toy quadcopter to the non-industry folks I know....
Try and explain to someone what HexaCrafter ltd. is to a non-industry type.... "So you make toy drones?"
Ya.... 48# toy drones!!!!!!!
I vote to kill the Drone Vibes forum label....

 

[droneadmin]

John....
I concur as stated in my earlier posting
"I hate the "Drone" label.... It makes me think of a kid in the backyard with a plastic quadcopter....
Small UAS/ sUAS/ Multicopter/ Aerial Video Platform/ Aerial Photography/ Videography..... something that sounds a bit more professional."
Drone seems to bring an image of a toy quadcopter to the non-industry folks I know....
Try and explain to someone what HexaCrafter ltd. is to a non-industry type.... "So you make toy drones?"
Ya.... 48# toy drones!!!!!!!
I vote to kill the Drone Vibes forum label....

Like it or not "Drones" is the word that is used these days to describe everything from a toy drone up to the most expensive multirotor aircraft. It is just that way whether you read about them or listen on the news. Drone has taken on the same meaning as other things have like "google this" or "Kleenex". I didn't make it that way but I do have to play by the hand dealt.

We specifically used drone in the site name because that is the name people know regardless of hobby or professional. Also names usually don't make or break a site. I've been doing this for 20 years now and have seen some horrific site names garner incredible success. Each name is in the eye of the beholder as well.

Last let's remember that just about every drone related domain name has been mined and no longer available so one must also make choices from what is available. I also owned uavforums.com but I know by searching google trends I can see the difference in people searching for UAV vs drone is over 1000 to 1. Matter of fact it was extensive google trends searching of every drone and drone related word where we settled on drones as it is by far the most searched term. more than all the others combined.

 

[John Doecliff]

I agree that whether we like it or not the word "drone" Has become synonymous with what we call multirotors. I always try to say multirotor and I have even got my wife correcting people who say Drone. We lost that battle in large part due to the media attention given to others that were irresponsible with their "drones". You do bring up good points about search engines and available domain names and that explains why it is what it is.

 

[Hexacrafter]

I call "Uncle"...
When I fly for ABC/ Disney, they call us the "Drone" crew.... so I accept your logic....
Commercial Drone???? Professional Drone???
Plastic POS drone????
Oops.... I've gone bonkers!!!!
Happy Holidays group!!!

 

[Elie 1]

How do I start a thread?

 

[Gabriel Yee]

The forum is great just need more active members...
Maybe focus more on the news section or some ads here and there for the forum itself...not sure

 

[DroneTalk]

Facebook killed our traffic.

 

[JCLs]

FaceBook is not a good forum in my opinion, but I am an old fart.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SleepyC]

Facebook killed our traffic.

Actually the industry killed your traffic. The hordes of asshat new Part 107 pilots killed your traffic.
And the industry for a lot of people.

I was one of the guys who put YEARS into building a business with REAL machines and expert camera work and knowledge just to be bumped out by the "Professional Part 107 Phantom pilots".

I have no interest in playing the clown like promotion game that has taken place since the Part 107 came into effect.

Why would you want to pay to fly a real camera when "This other guy quoted me $200 for the day and he has a 4K camera".

I actually started a private Facebook group that had 50+ members that were all the old pro's from MRF. We started talking shop again, and there were no Phantom posts, no "I changed props and now my race drone won't fly" No" First drone! Check out my 18 minute video with no edits!!"

That FB group was 50X more active than the threads on here.

But alas, after fighting with the Part 107 Phantom clowns long enough, I retired my aerial business and have slowly sold my fleet for such low prices it's embarrassing. I took a job doing professional videography for a larger company and quit all social media completely.

It's a breath of fresh air...

I actually converted my Hexacrafter hex and one of my VVulcan X8's into "fun machines" and just go out and "race track" them in a big field when I'm flying my RC helicopters.

ANYWAY... the "drone world" has changed, There is no need for a forum for these reasons.

1) RTF drones.. everyone is an expert right out of the box.

2) Part 107... now in about 2 weeks you can be an expert with CREDENTIALS!

3) Part 107/RTF - why hire a company? "Jim from the advertising department can take that test and we will just buy a drone, I saw them on sale at Best Buy for 1/3 of what that silly drone company was going to charge us."

Have fun guys.. If you are not Aerial Mob or Aerobo then you ain't doing cinema anymore, and if you aren't flying a Professional 4K DJI Maverick for $100 a day you won't get the rest of the available work either... If you don't already have a complete fleet and a consulting department then you won't be doing AG, SAR or Insp work...

I think I'll go back 11 years, pull out the Cinestar 8 put an NEX5 on my servo driven gimbal, dampen it with some foam ear plugs, fly it with a NON GPS HoverFly Pro board and earn my footage.

Peace out.

 

[John Doecliff]

"I was one of the guys who put YEARS into building a business with REAL machines and expert camera work and knowledge just to be bumped out by the "Professional Part 107 Phantom pilots".

all true sleepyc, but you sound like your bitter. Not sure why except that you had a good thing going and now you don't. Kodak could make the same complaints about digital which killed film. Cell phones put a camera in everyone's hands and now any drunk frat boy can get a photo as good as a professional photographer could. Old school machinist's got creamed by CNC and DJI killed the "semi" professional drone operator. The list goes on an on of jobs that were pushed out by technology. I imagine the guy that made buggy whips was pretty bitter about the invention of the car. Its just plain old capitalism that brought down prices and natural progress that made the technology easy enough for any one to use. Yes its true that a bunch of rank amateurs can now do what you did for pennies on the dollar but I don't see why that's a bad thing." Professional" drone/camera operators are still used in the film industry and the 107 rookies don't hold a candle to them. Go work for them if you want to be a pro. I have worked with a lot of guys that get bitter about technology preforming skills that they thought they had a lock on and made them indispensable. Some of them sucked it up and improved their skills and others just bitched about it. Its just not that rare of a skill anymore so it makes sense that prices came down. Besides, there's dozens of related jobs that you could still do in this industry that pay well and could use your expertise.

 

[DroneTalk]

I started at the VERY beginning myself and designs and CNC'ed all my parts to build my own custom drones including gimbal and after 6 years I hung my hat because of all the of "pros" who go out and by a phantom and poof they are experts and fly for nothing. I get people in my repair shop all day that do not have a 107 and fly for money after only a few months on learning. So I feel ya sleepy....

 

[Elie 1]

I started at the VERY beginning myself and designs and CNC'ed all my parts to build my own custom drones including gimbal and after 6 years I hung my hat because of all the of "pros" who go out and by a phantom and poof they are experts and fly for nothing. I get people in my repair shop all day that do not have a 107 and fly for money after only a few months on learning. So I feel ya sleepy....

I joined for one reason, to find people in my area to race, and I have asked 3 times for somebody to tell me how to post? Somebody please help a brother out!

 

[Elie 1]

I joined for one reason, to find people in my area to race, and I have asked 3 times for somebody to tell me how to post? Somebody please help a brother out!

Maybe the term is start a thread?

 

[Av8Chuck]

Actually the industry killed your traffic. The hordes of asshat new Part 107 pilots killed your traffic.
And the industry for a lot of people.

I was one of the guys who put YEARS into building a business with REAL machines and expert camera work and knowledge just to be bumped out by the "Professional Part 107 Phantom pilots".

I have no interest in playing the clown like promotion game that has taken place since the Part 107 came into effect.

Why would you want to pay to fly a real camera when "This other guy quoted me $200 for the day and he has a 4K camera".

I actually started a private Facebook group that had 50+ members that were all the old pro's from MRF. We started talking shop again, and there were no Phantom posts, no "I changed props and now my race drone won't fly" No" First drone! Check out my 18 minute video with no edits!!"

That FB group was 50X more active than the threads on here.

But alas, after fighting with the Part 107 Phantom clowns long enough, I retired my aerial business and have slowly sold my fleet for such low prices it's embarrassing. I took a job doing professional videography for a larger company and quit all social media completely.

It's a breath of fresh air...

I actually converted my Hexacrafter hex and one of my VVulcan X8's into "fun machines" and just go out and "race track" them in a big field when I'm flying my RC helicopters.

ANYWAY... the "drone world" has changed, There is no need for a forum for these reasons.

1) RTF drones.. everyone is an expert right out of the box.

2) Part 107... now in about 2 weeks you can be an expert with CREDENTIALS!

3) Part 107/RTF - why hire a company? "Jim from the advertising department can take that test and we will just buy a drone, I saw them on sale at Best Buy for 1/3 of what that silly drone company was going to charge us."

Have fun guys.. If you are not Aerial Mob or Aerobo then you ain't doing cinema anymore, and if you aren't flying a Professional 4K DJI Maverick for $100 a day you won't get the rest of the available work either... If you don't already have a complete fleet and a consulting department then you won't be doing AG, SAR or Insp work...

I think I'll go back 11 years, pull out the Cinestar 8 put an NEX5 on my servo driven gimbal, dampen it with some foam ear plugs, fly it with a NON GPS HoverFly Pro board and earn my footage.

Peace out.

Your right, the drone world has changed. On August 2nd the military banned DJI! We immediately started getting calls from utilities, DoT's and Telecommunication companies looking for an alternative to DJI.

Also since the ban, our customers are getting way more knowledgeable about gaining value from the data collected by aerial remote scanning. They no longer believe the hype from DJI and the "phone app service providers." Generally, the smallest camera we fly now is the Sony A7RII [43+MP]. We just tested a 100MP camera.

The value was never in the drone, it's in the data. We're starting to fly much bigger payloads to get far more accurate data than you can get from toy drones. We've been flying a hyperspectral sensor that costs north of $250K. You don't fly that kind of payload on a drone with $10 Chinese motors. We've engineered out almost all of the hobby grade and Chinese components.

Your right about most of the 107's, they are DJI Asshats.

I have avoided the aerial cinematographers like the plague. But over the past year, we've done more flights with a Gremsy H3 and GH4/5 than all the previous years combined.

 

[Darson Hall]

That's an interesting rig, what is it/components?

 

[DroneTalk]

What flight controller are you using?

View attachment 29118 I have avoided the aerial cinematographers like the plague. But over the past year, we've done more flights with a Gremsy H3 and GH4/5 than all the previous years combined.

 

[DroneTalk]

Nice gimbals - https://gremsy.com/