I love all the attention this post has received. It proves to me that many others are seeing the same problems as I am.
I am not quite sure everyone understands my issues. So I want to explain it a little better.
When someone spends between 800-1800 (beginner level) on a drone they expect to get more than a year or even two years of service from it. Even if a drone is 3-5 years old, it shouldn't be left behind when it comes to support and parts. Some people save money for months or even years to make a purchase of something that costs way more than it's worth. I don't know about any of you but I have worked on many of the Q500 drones. The first one I ever opened up was an eye-opener for me. When I saw the tiny mainboard and the cheaply made ESC boards, I knew Yuneec was burning the market with a drone that had great features but used very cheap parts to build it.
Let's look at it this way. If you go out and buy a brand new car, you will pay on average 25-30 thousand dollars. Now, most people expect to keep this car for more than 5 years, some keep them for more than 10 years. What if this car manufacturer stopped supporting any and all updates to the car's computers and stopped making parts for this car after 2 years? I am sure most would be upset. Now I know, this is apples and oranges but it is the same concept.
Yuneec drops their support quickly, making it hard to find parts or updateable firmware with better features. Yuneec also worked really hard at keeping their customers from interchanging equipment so consumers wouldn't be able to buy the newer camera and use it with their older drone. The ST16 ground controller is a GREAT radio but you cannot use it with more than a couple of their drones and have all features working.
Had Yuneec focussed on parts and servicing of their drones, they could have made a LOT more money. In my younger days, I started out working as a line technician for Chrysler/Jeep. Car dealerships made tons of money from their 'after the sale' dedication by offering service plans and warranties. These service plans were made into small booklets and given to the customer as a maintenance program, as a way of keeping their customers loyal and happy. Later, dealerships were finding that 35-40 percent of their revenue was from their service departments.
Anyway, it is looking as if Yuneec is moving away from the US. So buying parts made get even tougher. I don't think this all lies on the shoulders of the drone manufacturers. The US government is worried that China is spying on us through everything China makes that contains a logic board. Go figure.........!
If any of you are looking at other drone companies, take a look at xFold drones.