Salt water crash

[CaptainPap]

I’m a brand new (1 week) owner of what is now a dead Mini. I’ve been super careful with it, gradually extending my range as I figured things out. Yesterday I went down to the dock to film over water, again being very careful, taking off over land then moving out to the focal and over water shots. After a Few minutes I had a VERY hard time seeing my iPhone screen so I decided to pack it in, again flying the drone back to the place I started. As I was landing, I still couldn’t see the screen so I stupidly hit RTH, the drone shot straight up into a tree and landed in a a puddle of about 1/4 of salt water. I dried it out as best I could but today it won’t power up. is it worth trying to get it fixed or am I kidding myself? I obviously do not have refresh. Thanks!

 

[PhantomFandom]

I’m a brand new (1 week) owner of what is now a dead Mini. I’ve been super careful with it, gradually extending my range as I figured things out. Yesterday I went down to the dock to film over water, again being very careful, taking off over land then moving out to the focal and over water shots. After a Few minutes I had a VERY hard time seeing my iPhone screen so I decided to pack it in, again flying the drone back to the place I started. As I was landing, I still couldn’t see the screen so I stupidly hit RTH, the drone shot straight up into a tree and landed in a a puddle of about 1/4 of salt water. I dried it out as best I could but today it won’t power up. is it worth trying to get it fixed or am I kidding myself? I obviously do not have refresh. Thanks!

Unfortunately with salt water, I would say to call it a loss. In best of circumstances had you been able to immediately submerge it in clean fresh water (distilled) and then rinsed the insides with alcohol, you might have had a chance. Once the salt water has a chance to penetrate and dry, the corrosion of components has started and will not stop.

 

[bumper]

Do not power it up anymore!! As soon as possible, like NOW, submerge it in fresh water (tap water will do) agitate it well, drain, repeat several times. Now get distilled water and repeat with that.

Fresh water will conduct electricity due to dissolved solids and impurities - distilled water is an insulator and when it dries it leaves no contamination behind. Then dry very well, take your time, do not be tempted to power up until it it absolutely completely dry.

 

[lannes]

As bumper says dunk it distilled water then open it up and spray with iso propyl alcohol 99% proof so there is no oily residue, gently scrub away any visible signs of corrosion on the circuit boards and connectors with a toothbrush and alcohol

Let it dry completely for at least a week, maybe more, then try it with a new battery the old one will be toast

 

[DrizzyDrones]

Where did you buy it? Return it as a defective product places like best buy or even Amazon will accept and refund within the time frame ( 30 days or so)

 

[WithTheBirds]

Where did you buy it? Return it as a defective product places like best buy or even Amazon will accept and refund within the time frame ( 30 days or so)

What a fabulous idea. Imagine if we all did that. Who wears the cost? The retailers probably won’t be covered by the manufacturers in these circumstances. Do you want to pay your share as a consequence of this or similar like recommended conduct next time you buy a new drone? My guess is no.

 

[Olav van Gerven]

Where did you buy it? Return it as a defective product places like best buy or even Amazon will accept and refund within the time frame ( 30 days or so)

This would be fraud and will be payed by all the other customers. Stay honoust, feels better on the long run.

 

[DrizzyDrones]

Its not fraud may be unethical but its not even a week old theres a return policy for a reason if it doesnt work or even if u don’t like something or its not what you expected most anything can be returned with receipt.. he doesn’t even have to lie and say it was defective.. he doesnt like it.. despite the reason is because it fell in water to call it fraud is ridiculous.. if I buy something and for any reason it stops working in the return window im bringing it back ... fraud would be putting a clone in the box and refunding and keeping the real one.. this is just using the short return window stores have in place ..

 

[DrizzyDrones]

What a fabulous idea. Imagine if we all did that. Who wears the cost? The retailers probably won’t be covered by the manufacturers in these circumstances. Do you want to pay your share as a consequence of this or similar like recommended conduct next time you buy a new drone? My guess is no.

Do you honestly think that all the warranty claims and dji refresh claim replacements are absorbed by dji and the sale of the refresh plan? No we pay for that as well.. places have a return policy broken stuff is returned every day regardless of the reason it’s broken..

 

[WithTheBirds]

Do you honestly think that all the warranty claims and dji refresh claim replacements are absorbed by dji and the sale of the refresh plan? No we pay for that as well.. places have a return policy broken stuff is returned every day regardless of the reason it’s broken..

I never mentioned warranty or refresh so nice try at a straw man and false equivalency argument.

Notwithstanding I would Hazzard a guess the refresh plan doesn’t run at a loss, premium
+ additional payment to claim -and- the numbers who sign up for refresh and never claim on the policy would almost certainly see DJI in the black. How many insurance companies do you think run at a loss?

The number of people who do something or how often they might do it is Irrelevant to assessing whether it is right. luckily, with respect to your suggestion, the people who lie and cheat the system seems to be minimal.

 

[PhantomFandom]

Its not fraud may be unethical but its not even a week old theres a return policy for a reason if it doesnt work or even if u don’t like something or its not what you expected most anything can be returned with receipt..

Absolutely unethical and almost certainly fraud since there was nothing wrong with the unit. So your reasons for returning it properly are invalid...It is not that it didn't work...It is not that he didn't like it...It's not that it wasn't what he expected. It was a perfectly working drone until he crashed it due to pilot error.

Most any return policies stipulate that you must return the item in the same condition you received it. It was new and working when he bought it. It is not working now.

 

[TreeHugger]

I use isopropyl (99) often to the point I have a gallon on hand. Were it me an immediate rinse through as others have described followed by as much alcohol you could afford to run through it. And - of course, it's too late probably if you have followed none of the suggestions by now.
Sorry for your troubles !

 

[JAW]

almost certainly fraud

Not almost but definitely. It's called "return fraud."

 

[passedpawn]

I use isopropyl (99) often to the point I have a gallon on hand. Were it me an immediate rinse through as others have described followed by as much alcohol you could afford to run through it. And - of course, it's too late probably if you have followed none of the suggestions by now.
Sorry for your troubles !

This is a great idea - unfortunately, finding IPA (especially above 70%) is pretty difficult right now during the panicdemic. I'd say that water would work just as well, especially if you disassembled and ensured the salt was completely dissolved. Then fully dried, of course. Connectors and other mechanical features will hold water for a while, so it would be ideal to put in a closed plastic container with some dessicant material (get some of those silica gel packs from amazon, cheap). But it you used IPA, it'll dry very quickly.

Oh, and yes, returning it is sleezy unethical at best. "Character" is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Return it as a defective product

That surely is fraud and if so may result in a criminal conviction and record for the perpetrator, VERY BAD advice IMO.

To the OP, as others have said wash it in non salt water, once soaked I'd be inclined to hold it under a running tap multiple ways up so that the flow gets, hopefully, into all the nooks and crannies. That said even if you can save or re-animate the electronics, I'd have concerns about the motor bearings and their lubricant, I doubt the bearings are water sealed.

 

[TreeHugger]

This is a great idea - unfortunately, finding IPA (especially above 70%) is pretty difficult right now during the panicdemic.

Not if you buy it by the gallon - of course an average person would not consider the expense. I happen to use it and have it on-hand thus my comment .
Solvents & Solutions - Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), Methanol & More

 

[passedpawn]

Not if you buy it by the gallon - of course an average person would not consider the expense. I happen to use it and have it on-hand thus my comment .
Solvents & Solutions - Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), Methanol & More

I might buy some of that. I actually do use it for cleaning ckt boards of flux (I build them at home). Actually, I use soapy water, followed by a 91% IPA rinse. I've got some liter bottles, but gallon containers would be awesome.

 

[DrizzyDrones]

I disagree with the fraud unless it’s stated otherwise most bog retailers have a return policy that says u can bring stuff Back for ANY reason within a certain timeframe with receipt and it has some stuff exluded like health products open beauty products .. Sometines it states that electronics have a shorter return window or has to be unopened .. I understand people may disagree it’s definitely not fraud tho broken stuff is brought back all the time.. its just like people who buy something they need to use once then return it(I don’t agree with doing it) but theres no way your gonna end up on fraud charges.. he can bring it back tell them the exact truth and leave it up to the store somewhere like walmart dont care what the reason is ... im not advising fraudulent or criminal activity done on the subject i like all of you guys and dont want something stupid like this to cause an issue fly safe

 

[WithTheBirds]

I disagree with the fraud unless it’s stated otherwise most bog retailers have a return policy that says u can bring stuff Back for ANY reason within a certain timeframe with receipt and it has some stuff exluded like health products open beauty products .. Sometines it states that electronics have a shorter return window or has to be unopened .. I understand people may disagree it’s definitely not fraud tho broken stuff is brought back all the time.. its just like people who buy something they need to use once then return it(I don’t agree with doing it) but theres no way your gonna end up on fraud charges.. he can bring it back tell them the exact truth and leave it up to the store somewhere like walmart dont care what the reason is ... im not advising fraudulent or criminal activity done on the subject i like all of you guys and dont want something stupid like this to cause an issue fly safe

Ok- you sight Walmart as an example of a store where it might be cool to return your trashed Mavic. Assume you might be honest with them (tell the "exact truth" as you put it). They won't accept pt it if they follow their stated policy, that is "If the item becomes damaged after purchase, either by you or another person, you generally cannot return it, even if you have the original receipt and packaging".

Your original suggestion may have been well intentioned however it was very poor advice. And yes it does amount to deceptive conduct.

 

[Olav van Gerven]

Let's look at the definition of fraud:

In civil litigation, allegations of fraud might be based on a misrepresentation of fact that was either intentional or negligent. For a statement to be an intentional misrepresentation, the person who made it must either have known the statement was false or been reckless as to its truth. The speaker must have also intended that the person to whom the statement was made would rely on it. The hearer must then have reasonably relied on the promise and also been harmed because of that reliance.
(source: Cornell law school)

If you return the drone and tell the seller that you crashed it and wants to return it because you cannot use it anymore, he probably will deny you a refund. If he does a refund, it is okay, if not, your problem.

If you return the dron and does not tell the seller that you used it as a submarine (unvolluntarly, but that is irrelavant), he might assume, that you don't like the drone after all, or that your wife complained or whatever. In that case, he will refund. Though, the refund is made based on a misrepresentation of facts, you did not tell him the whole story and so willingly left the wrong impression. That is fraud, according to the definition.

Be a man, accept the fact that you made a mistake and consider the price of the drone as a fee for the school of life.