3 sad end to a day's flying

[akdrone]

No audio here. It was around 0F with 20mph winds and gusts to 30. No problem. I was about 200mi down the highway getting some really nice mountain images. Maybe some have made it here. I set down my Mavic 3, stepped back just a bit, looked down at my screen and just as I turned on the Mav, a huge gust blew snow directly at the drone as it spun up. I tried to take off hoping the snow would just glance off the drone but no luck. I landed immediately and saw the drone was entirely embedded with snow covering the front and well into any exposed joint or opening. I turned it off and packed up and went home. I flew my Avata here and there but the big gun had been silenced. Of course I cleaned it as best I could but there were water droplets seeping out from this crack and that cranny. Launching again could have resulted in the water freezing and expanding in a way that could have caused damage. I wiped it carefully several times and waited 24 hrs before firing it up again. Here's what it looked like from my drone's perspective.

 

[Deleted member 170519]

Hope you are able to get it dry without any permanent damage.

 

[MS Coast]

No audio here. It was around 0F with 20mph winds and gusts to 30. No problem. I was about 200mi down the highway getting some really nice mountain images. Maybe some have made it here. I set down my Mavic 3, stepped back just a bit, looked down at my screen and just as I turned on the Mav, a huge gust blew snow directly at the drone as it spun up. I tried to take off hoping the snow would just glance off the drone but no luck. I landed immediately and saw the drone was entirely embedded with snow covering the front and well into any exposed joint or opening. I turned it off and packed up and went home. I flew my Avata here and there but the big gun had been silenced. Of course I cleaned it as best I could but there were water droplets seeping out from this crack and that cranny. Launching again could have resulted in the water freezing and expanding in a way that could have caused damage. I wiped it carefully several times and waited 24 hrs before firing it up again. Here's what it looked like from my drone's perspective.

Last month, we had very good results drying a camera zoom lens that had been submerged. We left it in front of a portable electric space heater with the control set to low. The air temperature over the lens was around 100 F. It took nearly three days to remove the visible condensation. We followed up by putting the lens in a sealed plastic food storage container with several desiccant packs for several days before powering it up on a camera. So far, so good.

Amazon.com

Good luck. I'm enjoying your photos and videos from such a different place.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

Good luck, hopefully this setback is survivable.

 

[DanJ]

It sounds like it will be okay.
I put my drone down by accident into the snow a few weeks ago. It stopped working. The gimbal was frozen and I was getting some sort of error.
After it warmed up and dried up at home everything worked normally.
Good luck.

 

[Oman]

Hopefully you will be Good , just let that baby dry out real good.
Stay warm
oman

 

[akdrone]

yes....I've flown it several times since the snow packing. All seems good.

 

[a2tomm]

No audio here. It was around 0F with 20mph winds and gusts to 30. No problem. I was about 200mi down the highway getting some really nice mountain images. Maybe some have made it here. I set down my Mavic 3, stepped back just a bit, looked down at my screen and just as I turned on the Mav, a huge gust blew snow directly at the drone as it spun up. I tried to take off hoping the snow would just glance off the drone but no luck. I landed immediately and saw the drone was entirely embedded with snow covering the front and well into any exposed joint or opening. I turned it off and packed up and went home. I flew my Avata here and there but the big gun had been silenced. Of course I cleaned it as best I could but there were water droplets seeping out from this crack and that cranny. Launching again could have resulted in the water freezing and expanding in a way that could have caused damage. I wiped it carefully several times and waited 24 hrs before firing it up again. Here's what it looked like from my drone's perspective.

every time i complain about the weather here in Pa you seem to come to mind and know 36 and sunny is a spring day to you

 

[PHZ]

I was flying my Mini 3 P at night in my yard trying to get a shot of Christmas lighting. It caught a twig and dropped about six feet into deep snow. I took it inside and got out the shop vac and vacuumed every port and opening on the bird. Flew it again moments later.
Clearly, you didn’t have that option. I hope she recovers just fine because we all enjoy the work you and your bird do.

 

[akdrone]

every time i complain about the weather here in Pa you seem to come to mind and know 36 and sunny is a spring day to you

I have a vague recollection of 36 and sunny...and I know it will return someday soon. We've come close but we're not quite there. As we approach spring things get dicey. When it's 30+ and rains then goes below 30 for another several days we end up with an inch of solid ice on our roads. That has happened when we get a crazy warm day in early winter followed by full winter and a month of driving on a sheet of solid ice.Really bad news. It snowed yesterday but we will indeed see warmer temps soon. Good news is the sun has returned. My wife commented on some stars the other night and I laughed and said, "enjoy them while you can cause in a few more weeks we won't see another star for a few months..." Love this place.

 

[akdrone]

I was flying my Mini 3 P at night in my yard trying to get a shot of Christmas lighting. It caught a twig and dropped about six feet into deep snow. I took it inside and got out the shop vac and vacuumed every port and opening on the bird. Flew it again moments later.
Clearly, you didn’t have that option. I hope she recovers just fine because we all enjoy the work you and your bird do.

anothe tool to bring along for my flights. A shop vac!

 

[Lespaxvera]