I agree, sUAS technology is moving much faster than the hobby in general, making it impractical to build your own and keep up with new features affordably. Like Ant I've been the DIY route with 800mm and 1200mm framed copters, with a couple of 3DR x8 RTF's on the side. I've yet to build or buy a small racer, settling for a couple of RTF indoor micro quads.
regarding change, for me they haven't much since my entry into multirotors was designed to pursue commercial activities. Being actively engaged in the 107 NPRM process from the beginning, much of what I had been doing was directed to getting to where the "hobby" is now, enabling commercial uses of multirotor systems. In late 2015 I picked up a Chroma 4k to see where platform and camera had gotten to for the consumer level. I learned there was no way I could build a small commercial rig having similar photographic capabilities and flight reliability for what the Chrome was being sold for. That fails to factor in the time to obtain components, construct, and test before putting to use. Because of that I obtained the H when they first came out for a couple of specific reasons, one of which was motor redundancy during commercial activities. I'm pleased to say the H system has worked out rather well for as little as I have into it.
The one big change has been my perception of the AMA. Having been a member for somewhere close to 30 years I've observed how new types of aircraft were both accepted and rejected by AMA management. RC helicopters had some tough moments but their attitude towards multirotors and commercial use applications continues to be disappointing. As one that flew giant scale 3D fixed wing I observed so much of what the AMA supported in the aerial RC venue that fit the commercial description, yet they took a stance to distance themselves from anything with the word commercial and those that wanted to use what they had in that manner. Considering the development and use of FPV and auto pilots initiated with hobby level aerial RC, the AMA's resistance to multirotors has been troubling and a bit shallow. For the first time in ~30 years I won't be an AMA member.
Overall I think we are in some exciting times where RTF multirotors are concerned. We could seriously stand more firms producing advanced and reliable DIY components for camera rigs for those that still desire to build but the RTF players make it hard to go that route unless one intends to design/build a larger platform for mirrorless or DSLR work. The high end commercial market (agriculture, energy inspections, security) seems to be feeding upon itself, with one company or another gobbling up other companies in order to position themselves to control one type of technology or another. Unfortunately it is this group that will be the ones limiting what the consumer level operators will be able to do, at both hobby and commercial levels. It's going to be an interesting year, and I'll be joining Ray as one of the retarded, er, retired. 118 days and a wake up.
