Salt spray?

[STUFF2C]

I see a lot of folks flying their drones around oceans where there is plenty of salty ocean air. Do the Mavics hold up well in this type of environment?

 

[Former Member]

Flying in salt spray is not very healthy for your drone and salt water is about the worst element that you can subject your drone to. It will corrode anything thats not protected such as battery leads, electrical components, and bearings. Better to rise above. Landing in salt water is not a death sentence for the Mavic, but it is much harder to repair than a fresh water immersion.

My beach flying procedures include taking off with a landing pad, not taking off from the beach itself, not flying so low to pick up any sand or salt water or spray, and to immediately inspect the craft for any salt water contaminants after the flight.

Dont forget about sand. It can ruin your day and cause permanent damage to the gimbal and motors if even a simple grain gets in there.

 

[STUFF2C]

Is there a cleaning product like contact cleaner that would be a good CYA?

Btw thanks for the quick reply

 

[Former Member]

Is there a cleaning product like contact cleaner that would be a good CYA?

Btw thanks for the quick reply

You dont really want to have to use contact cleaner, because by then the damage would have been done. Better to avoid the situation all together. Mavics are water resistant with a conformal coating on the wires, boards, electronic components, and the gimbal is water tight unless submerged. Still, a little salt water could get in to where you didnt even know it and cause an electrical short.

The best defense is a good offense. Better to be extra careful before takeoff and during flight than to try and fix it later.

 

[JDawg]

Rob,
For after flying in fog or mist (not salty air) I wonder if blowing some compressed air like Dust Off through the vents would be a good idea to dry things off?

 

[Former Member]

Rob,
For after flying in fog or mist (not salty air) I wonder if blowing some compressed air like Dust Off through the vents would be a good idea to dry things off?

If it's just fresh water from condensation, it's probably not worth the effort to blow it out. The boards get hot enough that water is usually evaporated shortly after collects, which is the problem with salt spray. It dries on the surfaces so quickly due to the heat, getting it off is a PITA and it always somehow seems to get into the wrong places.

 

[JDawg]

I had not thought about the heat. So after an ocean run blowing a mist of non salt water through the vents will be a waste of time? Just spitballing here.

 

[Former Member]

I had not thought about the heat. So after an ocean run blowing a mist of non salt water through the vents will be a waste of time? Just spitballing here.

My thought is if I did a flight and thought even a few drops of salt spray got inside, I would take off the top body, look for dried or wet salt spray, and use some rubbing alcohol sparingly in the spots, and Qtip it off. You dont want that spray going anywhere, so blowing is not always the answer. It might go into a worse spot than where it was to begin with.

I almost never use compressed air liberally, I always use it sparingly. Find the spots that need blowing, and short bursts until the particles are gone. Air can be used in the gimbal to remove sand particles, and to blow off any remaining alcohol on the boards after it has been Qtipped up.