Recently acquired a like new X Star Wifi. Is it worth it to fix?

[Toolman1965]

Had someone give me a like new X Star Wifi with a good transmitter, gimbal, spare props etc. However, the battery and camera are missing on this.
I know about the battery situation with these drones due to Autel hanging its X Star owners out to dry.
Is this drone even worth trying to find bad batteries for it and having them refurbished? As well as buying a used camera?
I know many will say just to discard the X Star and buy a more modern drone. While that would be nice there is no way i could even come close to affording one of the new Autel or DJI drones. Would love to get this X Star going again but is it practical to do so? and roughly what would be the average cost to accomplish this?

 

[Toolman1965]

Had someone give me a like new X Star Wifi with a good transmitter, gimbal, spare props etc. However, the battery and camera are missing on this.
I know about the battery situation with these drones due to Autel hanging its X Star owners out to dry.
Is this drone even worth trying to find bad batteries for it and having them refurbished? As well as buying a used camera?
I know many will say just to discard the X Star and buy a more modern drone. While that would be nice there is no way i could even come close to affording one of the new Autel or DJI drones. Would love to get this X Star going again but is it practical to do so? and roughly what would be the average cost to accomplish this?

 

[shuggins]

No to all your questions. Sorry. That's a very old drone and to get it even halfway flying and camera performing again will be about the same as getting a new "entry level" dji drone. Not worth it at all. Especially when the cheapest oif the dji (new, not used) drones will take pictures that will put X Star to shame. Nice of the person to give you that, but...

 

[Smokingman43]

Like thousands of other x star drones owners, I have a $1200 (2017 dollars) paperweight. Unsupported StarLink software and three perfectly dead batteries. I'm furious that Autel "stiffed" it customers. DJI is the only way to go. Order one before the price goes up by 25% because of the fascist in the White House. Below this a BS email from "Autel Support" I received 2 days ago.


"Hello,
Thanks for contacting Autel Robotics Support.

Please accept our sincere apology for the inconvenience this matter may have caused you.

Some unfortunate news: Autel Robotics decided in 2018 to discontinue production of the X-Star Series as the technology in the drone became obsolete, and we needed to allocate resources to newer capabilities. The X-Star and its accessories, including batteries, are no longer being manufactured and so are out of stock at most locations. None of our other aircraft models and their accessories are cross-compatible with the X-Star. Further support for the X-Star model is extremely limited, however, the link to download the Starlink app can be found here: X-Star Downloads.

You may find batteries or other accessories on marketplace sites or through authorized dealers or reselling websites like eBay. Please use caution when purchasing, as you may not know how these batteries have been maintained. I recommend video/photo proof of working condition when purchasing X-Star accessories. Thank you for your understanding. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Some positive news: There are a few third-party resources on Youtube that may help guide you to "jump start" your X-star batteries.

However, we cannot approve these methods as a company. We apologize for any inconvenience, but we wish you the best in reviving your X-Star.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reply directly to this email, and I'd be happy to assist.
Best Regards,

Eroda Gao| After-sales Technical Support"