Phantomrain ! Why we fly BACKWARDS

[AnzacJack]

Interested in seeing your footage from inside the blizzard

 

[io390]

Flying in the rain voids warranty. So while using your suit doesn't void the warranty in itself, warranty is still voided if anyone uses your product for what you advertise it for. Unless YOU decide to cover any water damage that may happen while using your product, but I haven't read about that.

I really wish the admin team would refuse to accept/approve vendors repeatedly posting such borderline claims / making use of completely false excuses to push their products / who are only looking for an advertising billboard, and stick to those who put effort to help beyond just selling their stuff. And no this post wasn't an example of the latter, just a poor attempt at looking like one.

I have to agree.

I take no pleasure in "raining on parades" (pun intended) however this product could cause people to damage their drones.

Phantomrain: It's quite clear how you've intended for this to work, and for sure it will be better than nothing but to claim that the "wetsuit" allows a Mavic 2 to happily fly in the rain with no ill effects is simply false.

There are so many areas for water to enter the drone that have not been addressed by this kit.

- The battery locking buttons
- The button on top of the battery
- The gap around the battery and aircraft (water can enter here and work down to the battery connectors)
- All of the vision sensors (these are NOT sealed, they have a small neoprene type gasket but this is not a reliable watertight seal, see image below)
- The cooling system (yes you say that you make it harder for the water to enter, but your method won't help during forward flight)
- The entire gimbal and gimbal mounting area
- Front arm folding areas

Flying a drone in the rain with these parts installed and then claiming that the drone is now "airtight" because it still works afterwards is not a test. Flying a stock Mavic and one with the kit in the rain together and then opening them after would be the only way to actually tell. A google on "capillary action" would be useful too.

Also, fresh water damage usually won't stop the drone working right away. Most of the boards on DJI drones have conformal coating and so are relatively safe in damp environments, however the connectors are totally exposed and one drop of water can easily cause corrosion between the pins of 0.3mm spaced connectors, the likes of which are used throughout DJI products. A month or two down the line and suddenly you have issues...

My main concern is the gimbal, since this is in no way protected. It's not sealed and water will definitely get inside (ever take one apart and you'll see how).

The Phantom kit looks worse. What's with the o rings around the bases of the motors? What is that supposed to achieve?

 

[Phantomrain.org]

I have to agree.

I take no pleasure in "raining on parades" (pun intended) however this product could cause people to damage their drones.

Phantomrain: It's quite clear how you've intended for this to work, and for sure it will be better than nothing but to claim that the "wetsuit" allows a Mavic 2 to happily fly in the rain with no ill effects is simply false.

There are so many areas for water to enter the drone that have not been addressed by this kit.

- The battery locking buttons
- The button on top of the battery
- The gap around the battery and aircraft (water can enter here and work down to the battery connectors)
- All of the vision sensors (these are NOT sealed, they have a small neoprene type gasket but this is not a reliable watertight seal, see image below)
- The cooling system (yes you say that you make it harder for the water to enter, but your method won't help during forward flight)
- The entire gimbal and gimbal mounting area
- Front arm folding areas

Flying a drone in the rain with these parts installed and then claiming that the drone is now "airtight" because it still works afterwards is not a test. Flying a stock Mavic and one with the kit in the rain together and then opening them after would be the only way to actually tell. A google on "capillary action" would be useful too.

Also, fresh water damage usually won't stop the drone working right away. Most of the boards on DJI drones have conformal coating and so are relatively safe in damp environments, however the connectors are totally exposed and one drop of water can easily cause corrosion between the pins of 0.3mm spaced connectors, the likes of which are used throughout DJI products. A month or two down the line and suddenly you have issues...

My main concern is the gimbal, since this is in no way protected. It's not sealed and water will definitely get inside (ever take one apart and you'll see how).

The Phantom kit looks worse. What's with the o rings around the bases of the motors? What is that supposed to achieve?

This seems more like and Exhausting rant about a product you know very little about and that is fine.

However we make it very clear that nothing is Air Tight and the SEAL is on the battery.

We would like to ask you to keep the ZEAL to the TRUTH and not spreading lies about words and claims we never make. ugh

Phantomrain.org
Approved Vendor.

 

[io390]

but it still provide an air tight seal for the battery..

And...

From the website: "Seals the battery Air Tight"

 

[Aether]

Why is it called a “wetsuit”? seems like an oxymoron.

An actual wetsuit let’s water in which in turn warms up because of body heat. It has nothing to do with staying dry, for that you’d want a “drysuit”.

 

[AnzacJack]

It does state that the battery is air tight. Might be something you should address as I would think that if this statement is not true, you may be liable false advertising or repairs of a drone with water leakage into this airtight area.
Other than than at, I personally like the look of the covering and interested it it merely as a bit of added protection. (I would not intentionally fly in wet conditions)

 

[Serr8ededge]

Fantastic , thank you, is there a reason why you got the Neon Blue as to say that black, which is the best looking of the bunch, do you need me to send you the black eclipse.

I never thought of it as being Ugly, maybe I will take another look at it.

View attachment 63399

I guess ugly wasn't really the word I was looking for... My apologies. I just prefer the look of the Mavic without it. As far as the color choice, I would have preferred the black, but I went with the blue for recovery purposes... Meaning if I ever crash in a heavily wooded area, blue is a lot easier to spot than black!

 

[Serr8ededge]

Interested in seeing your footage from inside the blizzard

I will post all of the footage as soon as I'm done editing... I'm terrible at post processing footage, so it might be a day or 2.

 

[Serr8ededge]

It does state that the battery is air tight. Might be something you should address as I would think that if this statement is not true, you may be liable false advertising or repairs of a drone with water leakage into this airtight area.
Other than than at, I personally like the look of the covering and interested it it merely as a bit of added protection. (I would not intentionally fly in wet conditions)

This was the first and last time I will fly my bird into a storm intentionally. The reason I did was only to help prove that Phantomrain's product did in fact do what it was designed to do, and to hopefully get some of you off his back. I purchased the product because I live in Arizona, and some of the most amazing footage you can capture happens during the monsoon season, when we get epic thunder storms and giant dust clouds called haboobs. I couldn't call myself an aerial photographer if I didn't take my Mavic up to get some shots of these incredible weather events. And in doing so I'm positive that I will encounter some rain from time to time. Without the suit I'm completely exposed. With it, I have at least some protection.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

It does state that the battery is air tight. Might be something you should address as I would think that if this statement is not true, you may be liable false advertising or repairs of a drone with water leakage into this airtight area.
Other than than at, I personally like the look of the covering and interested it it merely as a bit of added protection. (I would not intentionally fly in wet conditions)

We used a 3M adhesive Tac that seals the battery all the way around , when sealed it is air tight and no water is getting inside the battery, if you watch the video that was posted , you can see that battery is firmly sealed in place. Thank you for your interest.

Without the wetsuit : just 4 minutes of rain leaves a koi pond inside the battery.

This is why we had to make a wet suit in the first place , just to get it up to speed with how well the Phantom 4 does in the Rain.

 

[Sniperfritz]

Those people who still have not realized that the Mavics should not be flown in the rain can probably no longer be helped.

I think, who wants to make money $$$$$$ with his un-manned aircraft, does not need this kind of suits. And those who offer professional usability with their advertising may not need the attention of private users. It may not be the expected clientele in this thread.

Here, unofficial accessories with dubious functionality are offered for aircraft designed mainly for non-professional users.

Of course, professional use is also possible with these drones. But who still flies in the rain, in case of damage is solely responsible for all consequential costs, and will not be able to claim a manufacturer's warranty.

I think damage caused by water penetration is usually very easily detectable, so that even inexperienced users can recognize this in many cases.

It is also very unlikely that the aircraft accidentally gets caught in the rain. This happens intentionally or because of lack of experience and mindfulness.

For example, anyone who works professionally in the tropics with an aircraft or any camera knows the risks and uses proven hardware. There are almost always suitable equipment for special requirements, including official retrofit kits with functional guarantees.

DIY-Tip:
There are a large number of self-adhesive and extremely flexible sealing materials on the market. With little effort and a roll of thin silicone tape in the color of your choice from the retailer you can start right away. With some creativity, you not only get some protection from possibly penetrating moisture, but also something unique ...

you have hit the nail on the head. I also see no rudeness here. Water droplets is one thing. The moisture content of the air will get in. Corrosion

 

[Sniperfritz]

mavic 2 crash test - YouTube
Same effect without Rain suit.

 

[io390]

Without the wetsuit : just 4 minutes of rain leaves a koi pond inside the battery.

Has there been any testing to support that claim? As I mentioned previously, the suit does not cover the actual holes in the battery (locking tab buttons and power button).

 

[Phantomrain.org]

you have hit the nail on the head. I also see no rudeness here. Water droplets is one thing. The moisture content of the air will get in. Corrosion

Keep in mind this not our first Rodeo, We released the Phantom 4 Wet Suit 2 years ago.
We have been flying in every rain storm since than without even wiping the drone with a towel when it comes back.

All of those videos are posted on the website , and I keep waiting for the Moisture Effect to kick in. lol

So the Phantom 4 Pro was extremely vulnerable to the Rain but the Mavic 2 has a much better build with the exception of the Battery letting water inside after 4 minutes in the light rain..

We have over 130 days of rain coming this year, so will keep posting every storm we can, but I would not hold your breath waiting for the Moisture Effect to happen.

If we do have a failure event we will be sure to post it.

For those asking what it looks like folded up here it is. We use the Compression Band to hold the blades in.










Phantomrain.org
Approved Vendor.

 

[kilomikebravo]

Folks: Any chance we could cease and desist with the criticism and bashing? PhantomRain has a product that remarkably makes the Phantoms, M2, (and soon M1 I read,) NEARLY waterproof. I've never seen the product in person but I'd say it's pretty clear that his company has done a great deal of research and testing on the subject. There's no need to be so critical, either you have a need for such a product or you don't. If you do, by all means ask questions before you buy but to simply critisize them over wording is over the top. Anyone who thinks they can slap on a suit and go flying willy nilly in the rain all day isn't using their noggin'. I for one think they should be congratulated for achieving what they have so far and not bashed or have their statements dissected under a microscope. Just imagine how you would feel if your company was bombarded with all these posts. Please give the fella a break.

 

[Rnl]

Folks: Any chance we could cease and desist with the criticism and bashing? PhantomRain has a product that remarkably makes the Phantoms, M2, (and soon M1 I read,) NEARLY waterproof. I've never seen the product in person but I'd say it's pretty clear that his company has done a great deal of research and testing on the subject. There's no need to be so critical, either you have a need for such a product or you don't. If you do, by all means ask questions before you buy but to simply critisize them over wording is over the top. Anyone who thinks they can slap on a suit and go flying willy nilly in the rain all day isn't using their noggin'. I for one think they should be congratulated for achieving what they have so far and not bashed or have their statements dissected under a microscope. Just imagine how you would feel if your company was bombarded with all these posts. Please give the fella a break.

I agree, if you don't want it move on.
I'm going to give it a try and he also customized the design for me, going to look good too. Not going to fly in storms, but light rain and snow you bet ya. Film alot of deer and that's when they come out alot.

 

[mnis]

you have hit the nail on the head. I also see no rudeness here. Water droplets is one thing. The moisture content of the air will get in. Corrosion

Yes, thank you
It's not about telling anyone what they are allowed to do or what they are not allowed to do. Anyone who wants to fly his Mavic in the rain or necessarily thinks he has to do it, he should do it. But later, please do not cry around, and maybe later claim that there were no warnings and concerns. It is only OK if no one is seriously threatened or injured by irresponsible action...

If the disregard of physics, laws of nature and clear manufacturer warnings only causes any product prematurely unusable, then ring the cash registers of all manufacturers with joy

Simply stated:
I do not like it, if with any product a false security is suggested, or questionable product functionality is offered for sale. I would definitely buy a drone that was built to withstand rain. Also here we felt more rainy days than best weather situations ;-)

In any case, the OP has itself brought about this controversial discussion with its statements and reactions, and has not done itself a great favor with it.

I've noticed that obviously anyone who expresses any concerns is immediately assumed that he has no idea or sufficient knowledge about such a wet suit. I have a very personal opinion about that...But the personal opinion is only accepted as long as it does not become uncomfortable for anyone...

Anyway, I do not want to buy from someone who puts me down as stupid, even if I do not actually have enough expertise...

There are always the same simple questions and concerns. Is it wise not to answer, to answer aggressively or to answer only evasively?

Perhaps it would be much wiser to admit all concerns and be constructive about it to discuss with all those interested, so that at the end of an improved product available would stand ...

 

[Rnl]

Think we all know the risk now.

 

[Torcan]

boy, this whole thread turned into a real pissing match. I am surprised the mods didn't shut it down earlier.
Offer was made, point was made and counter arguments made. Just seems to be going in circles now

 

[Kokopelli633]

Guy keeps changing the story, I'm not surprised he gets stick for it.