You can survive water damage...
- Thread starter EdgarO
- Start date
Hi, there finally did my own mavic submersion thanks to someone distracting me ..
The drone spent around 45min in a lake at 3 meters depth until I've found him again ..
I removed the battery asap, but it to dry in a bag with rice for 3 days ..
then I've started to dissassemble it in order to put chemicals on the board and electronics, hoping to fix the "corrosion" and whatever the stuff that might shorten the electronics ..
I won't start it again before being sure of making the right thing with the electronics ..
Anyways, here's my question : what shall I do why the boards ?
Isopropanol Spray ? Put it in demineralized water ?
Which are the best potential things to make then ?
---
Since then I've used rubbing alcoohol ( advertised 90% in france, don't know if it's a match ) with a teethbrush ( for the connectors beginning to show some corrosion )and syringe ( to enter the cavities with pressure ) .. then reput it in the dryer + rice box hoping it might take off as soon as the weather gets good ..
Anyways I think the battery has suffered the less electronic damage, I'll try recharging it outdoors, keeping an eye on it .. yet the status led works ( doesn't blinks until out of power )
---
Btw, is this somehow, better to "submerge" the electronics in 95%+ alcool ASAP, or better to dry it first ?
The drone spent around 45min in a lake at 3 meters depth until I've found him again ..
I removed the battery asap, but it to dry in a bag with rice for 3 days ..
then I've started to dissassemble it in order to put chemicals on the board and electronics, hoping to fix the "corrosion" and whatever the stuff that might shorten the electronics ..
I won't start it again before being sure of making the right thing with the electronics ..
Anyways, here's my question : what shall I do why the boards ?
Isopropanol Spray ? Put it in demineralized water ?
Which are the best potential things to make then ?
---
Since then I've used rubbing alcoohol ( advertised 90% in france, don't know if it's a match ) with a teethbrush ( for the connectors beginning to show some corrosion )and syringe ( to enter the cavities with pressure ) .. then reput it in the dryer + rice box hoping it might take off as soon as the weather gets good ..
Anyways I think the battery has suffered the less electronic damage, I'll try recharging it outdoors, keeping an eye on it .. yet the status led works ( doesn't blinks until out of power )
---
Btw, is this somehow, better to "submerge" the electronics in 95%+ alcool ASAP, or better to dry it first ?
Last edited:
mtngant
New Member
Twice crashing into rivers is not good practice.
But I like the photography. Both times I feel like the drone was glitching when it hit something and then fell to the water.
The first time, after about 10 minutes in 3' of fast moving water, I got it on rice in about about an hour and half after the dunking. I left it and the battery there for 5 days (about 5 pounds of rice, so totally encased) . The gimbal glitched a little for a while but was fine after a short while.
The second time (Labor Day), it was in about 8' feet of water and I got it on rice in about an hour. I left it there for about a month because I was nervous to see if it would run or not. I started it up today, it seems to fly fine. The camera fogs up when turned on and the gimbal is not working at all. The battery seems to be toast (it's not lighting up at all-not taking a charge).
The above comments/studies on rice might be true (although, their scientific methods have some faults). However, if rice is the only idea (& desiccant) you have ... it seems to work out for some dunked electronics. According to the articles, open air would work as well or better than rice, but in my mind you have moisture sitting on the electronics as it evaporates and a desiccant will hopefully pull some of that off the electronics.
Any ideas on what to do about the camera/gimbal?
Thanks.
But I like the photography. Both times I feel like the drone was glitching when it hit something and then fell to the water.
The first time, after about 10 minutes in 3' of fast moving water, I got it on rice in about about an hour and half after the dunking. I left it and the battery there for 5 days (about 5 pounds of rice, so totally encased) . The gimbal glitched a little for a while but was fine after a short while.
The second time (Labor Day), it was in about 8' feet of water and I got it on rice in about an hour. I left it there for about a month because I was nervous to see if it would run or not. I started it up today, it seems to fly fine. The camera fogs up when turned on and the gimbal is not working at all. The battery seems to be toast (it's not lighting up at all-not taking a charge).
The above comments/studies on rice might be true (although, their scientific methods have some faults). However, if rice is the only idea (& desiccant) you have ... it seems to work out for some dunked electronics. According to the articles, open air would work as well or better than rice, but in my mind you have moisture sitting on the electronics as it evaporates and a desiccant will hopefully pull some of that off the electronics.
Any ideas on what to do about the camera/gimbal?
Thanks.
Last edited:
Mossiback
Well-Known Member
Since it is already soaked anyway, it won't hurt to rinse it out (motors too) with some de-ionized (or as clean as you can get) water to flush out whatever gunk got in and then rinse that out with 99% isopropyl alcohol; then put it in your drier of choice. Without rinsing first the water may evaporate but the solids will stay behind.
Well, got mine out of the bag .. connection works, gimbal works, video feed works ..
But still displays "cannot take off", but doesn't show any ESC error
DJI Assistant tells me to reboot the drone each time I try to calibrate it
Where do I find any form or email in order to start a repair inquiry ?
Thanks a lot
But still displays "cannot take off", but doesn't show any ESC error
DJI Assistant tells me to reboot the drone each time I try to calibrate it
Where do I find any form or email in order to start a repair inquiry ?
Thanks a lot
Nickes
Active Member
- Does it display "battery error" ?
- Does it initiate the warm up sequence properly (ie moving the props) when switched on ?
- Have you tried to bring both sticks simultaneaously to the bottom inner/outer corners of the remote to manually trigger the engines RIGHT AFTER the craft connects to the app (reboot the craft only if needed) ?
- Does it initiate the warm up sequence properly (ie moving the props) when switched on ?
- Have you tried to bring both sticks simultaneaously to the bottom inner/outer corners of the remote to manually trigger the engines RIGHT AFTER the craft connects to the app (reboot the craft only if needed) ?
Hi there's no battery error this far
Warmup sequence is regular, the motors spins a little
I can't neither arm them manually, and neither the app displays "esc error"
I think it's more likely the signal does'nt make its way in here ..
At least the gimbal and connection survided the submarine trip
Last edited:
Nickes
Active Member
Ok. I am no specialist and at least mine is still fliyng normally after dropping into a river and despite a recurrent battery error. I plan to change, on my own, my ESC board soon (ordered from aliexpress) as my warranty is void due to pilot error.
Being from France, I guess you have 2 options :
1. DIY,
2. Send it to Studio Sport
Good luck !
Being from France, I guess you have 2 options :
1. DIY,
2. Send it to Studio Sport
Good luck !
Rice is absolutely useless. Sure, you'll dry your electronics and your drone may work for a while but trace minerals will be left all over the boards, solder joints, traces etc. These minerals will cause corrosion and eventually render your device useless and could cause shorts if the mineral build up crosses traces. The best solution is to dump your device into a bath or isopropyl alcohol and give it a good wash to remove all the water and minerals. Try and scrub the boards if you can get to them. This is your best bet on recovering your device.
I do agree, that's why I've dismanteled the drone next to its recovery ( spend 45 minutes in Annecy Lake at 3 meters depth with some mud ) then rinced the drone with 95% alcool and a teethbrush, then put it into the moisture absorber bag .. but somehow some electronics related to the firmware hasn't made its way ( gimbal, connection, video feed and esc works, but the app shows "cannot take off issue" ) so I'll sent it to repair in the netherlands as I think those guys shall know pretty quick what's going on hoping I'll not have to spend 400€ on replacing a full board ..
I don't know either StudioSport or DJI netherland .. which is the best repair service ?
I don't know either StudioSport or DJI netherland .. which is the best repair service ?
Last edited:
Thunderdrones confirmed that all their drones have a coating already on the control boards - no need for a third party product I don't think.
Well I do believe the mavic boards have basic hydrophobic coating, as it isn't really expensive .. beside the corrosion issue, it think some parts aren't shortage tolerant at all .. hard to explain but if an higher current of 12v burst through a zener or a TTL gate it basically blows them, if an expected input at a gate isn't there it might cascade through the circuits .. how to diagnose it .. I don't have a clue yet, but I do believe the cpu wouldn't be concerned ( at least they are cased and nothing shall get into )
Any educated guess for diagnosing which components might have been blown ? My concern is the drone doesn't appear to have firmware, everything works except "cannot take off"
Any educated guess for diagnosing which components might have been blown ? My concern is the drone doesn't appear to have firmware, everything works except "cannot take off"
Nickes
Active Member
Same kind of questions I adressed here :
MA survived bathing a river... and started to have battery error
and here :
Battery error message after bathing a river
But seing the number of incidents involving water, a step by step procedure to test and replace strategic components would be very useful to many non specialists in electronics but not affraid to open up the bug.
I am no specialist in electronics.
MA survived bathing a river... and started to have battery error
and here :
Battery error message after bathing a river
But seing the number of incidents involving water, a step by step procedure to test and replace strategic components would be very useful to many non specialists in electronics but not affraid to open up the bug.
I am no specialist in electronics.
Yep obvioulsy, if there is some electronic "expert" in europe .. I'm willing to send him my unit ..
Since it seems to be all okay except for the firmware / cannot take off issue ..
The repair service are only proposing me buying a new unit .. 917.16€ .. ****
Since it seems to be all okay except for the firmware / cannot take off issue ..
The repair service are only proposing me buying a new unit .. 917.16€ .. ****
(Not related to rice)
A friend of mine downed his DJI Spark in to fresh water lake. He more or less quickly jumped in the water, and found it blinking three meters under water. Brought it up, pulled the battery and air dried it for a day. In Sweden it was the hottest summer in 100 years or so this summer. Amazingly it still lives and doing just fine! I would guess it was totally submerged for a good 5 minutes!
A friend of mine downed his DJI Spark in to fresh water lake. He more or less quickly jumped in the water, and found it blinking three meters under water. Brought it up, pulled the battery and air dried it for a day. In Sweden it was the hottest summer in 100 years or so this summer. Amazingly it still lives and doing just fine! I would guess it was totally submerged for a good 5 minutes!
Just a little question for the record ..
Given the fact there are some people now asking me how much I would sell my defective unit means somehow the fix should be either simple or ..
Anyways, how much can I bargain for the gimbal ? This seem to be the main component people are asking for, thing is I honestly prefer to sell my whole unit rather than dismanteling it again for selling one component out of it and none of the others ..
Given the fact there are some people now asking me how much I would sell my defective unit means somehow the fix should be either simple or ..
Anyways, how much can I bargain for the gimbal ? This seem to be the main component people are asking for, thing is I honestly prefer to sell my whole unit rather than dismanteling it again for selling one component out of it and none of the others ..
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