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Interest In A waterproof case for phantom 4
2202 28 2018-10-26
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swoosh0829
United States
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Hey Everybody I'm new to the forums but have been flying the phantom 4 for a bit. I am making a case for the drone that will be waterproof. I plan it to not affect the performance of the drone positively or negatively, should perform same as out of the box only difference is the ability to fly in rain, snow etc.. and if it falls in the water you would be able to pull it out and get back in the air.The case would still allow the phantom to breathe through its vents (think gore-tex). The case would also cover the gimbal. I may have the opportunity to produce this on a larger scale after i get my prototype finished and tested. If so I was hoping to see who would be interested in this thing with an estimates cost of about $200 per case. If you guys have any questions just go ahead and shoot thanks in advance everybody.
2018-10-26
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A CW
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Sounds like a peli case - welcome to the forum BTW
2018-10-26
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swoosh0829
United States
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A CW thanks for the Welcome. We may have a missunderstanding or I may be looking at the wrong thing. From what I see a Peli case is a carrying case for the drone. The version I am making fits on the drones body and waterproofs it while it is in flight.
2018-10-26
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Flormo2002
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Doesn't sound very practical to me plus it would void any warranties and probably reduce flight characteristics and obviously  inhibit sensor sensitivites. There are drones available now that offer this. One that comes to mind is the Splash Drone 3 Auto 4k
2018-10-26
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swoosh0829
United States
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Thanks for the input flormo2002. From what I've found so far it wouldn't inhibit the sensors. The flight characteristics I cant speak to yet as I haven't flown it with the case on yet. But the prototype is made of  .093" thick lexan so nothing heavy or terribly burdening in terms of aerodynamics in theory but we will have to see when it actually takes flight. The warranty you are probably right but that is something I have to explore. Thanks again for answering though.
2018-10-26
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Anokadrone
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Flight distance : 58327 ft

United States
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The drone airframe circulates air through the body to cool the electronics.  That would preclude any type of watertight envelop around the it.  Sorry but I don't see any way around it.
2018-10-26
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swoosh0829
United States
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what about using a membrane or something like gor-tex in the areas of the vents thats what my prototype will have as of now. In theory its breatheable but does not take in water? Thanks for the input anokadrone.
2018-10-26
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Bashy
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Flight distance : 2354357 ft
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Have you tried pushing your breath through a gore-tex membrane? Gortex is designed to let sweat vapour through of which is smaller than water molecules, sommat like that, but also it is WINDPROOF, there fore its not breathable in the sense that you think it is ;)

Also, there is already a waterproof membrane on the market, i believe its made out of wet suit material, search for phantom wetsuit ;)
2018-10-26
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RedHotPoker
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Flight distance : 165105 ft
Canada
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@swoosh0829, Post a pic of the design you fashioned. Thanks


RedHotPoker
2018-10-26
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swoosh0829
United States
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Hi bashy , no I haven't tried that I only wear my coat .  Good point on the windproof but being that it allows sweat vapor through. Wouldn't it allow the hot air of the phantom to escape?  The only waterproof membrane I see so far is the phantom-rain wetsuit. From what I have read so far there suit is only to make it rain resistant not waterproof. The main thing im trying to cure is drone falling into body of water and the ability to recover it and fly.  Appreciate the Input
2018-10-26
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swoosh0829
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RedHotPoker - Will do! as soon as I get it going. Im supposed to vaccum form the lexan this week if everything goes correctly.  Im waiting on the Extra shell to arrive because I would rather use that as a buck for the forming and for the first test before i risk my drone .  Just as a FYI the way im thinking about doing the process is obviously first I have to make it (Using the spare shell). Watertest with the spare shell. Afterwards IF it is functioning 100% i found some drones that fly but have broken gimbals for cheap ill buy one of them and test it with that. If that works out than ill use my drone for testing. If things work from there the next thing would be possibly 3rd party test.
2018-10-26
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RedHotPoker
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Flight distance : 165105 ft
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swoosh0829 Posted at 2018-10-26 22:44
RedHotPoker - Will do! as soon as I get it going. Im supposed to vaccum form the lexan this week if everything goes correctly.  Im waiting on the Extra shell to arrive because I would rather use that as a buck for the forming and for the first test before i risk my drone .  Just as a FYI the way im thinking about doing the process is obviously first I have to make it (Using the spare shell). Watertest with the spare shell. Afterwards IF it is functioning 100% i found some drones that fly but have broken gimbals for cheap ill buy one of them and test it with that. If that works out than ill use my drone for testing. If things work from there the next thing would be possibly 3rd party test.

Go for it. People love to fly in the rain, and over large bodies of water.

Where many of the most gorgeous videos has arisen.


RedHotPoker
2018-10-26
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swoosh0829
United States
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Red Hot thanks . I've Personally never flew in the rain but have definately flew over water and have fished out a friends phantom 3 from the east river haha.
2018-10-27
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Geebax
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Australia
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swoosh0829 Posted at 2018-10-27 00:11
Red Hot thanks . I've Personally never flew in the rain but have definately flew over water and have fished out a friends phantom 3 from the east river haha.

Make sure the cover does not cover the motors in any way, they certainly need a lot of air to keep them cool. To be brutally honest, I think you are wasting your time, there is no way to water-proof a Phantom and still have it operable.
2018-10-27
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Mark The Droner
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Flight distance : 2917 ft
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A tough task for sure.  The aircraft body is one thing.  The camera and gimbal too?  The SD card slot?  I do admire the stubborn willingness to try to achieve the seemingly impossible.  I would experiment with the cheap P2s first.  You can get 'em for like $200 now.  I'm in the process of making a rainy day P2V+ drone.  Not one with the rubber coat, but one that has most of the vents plugged from the inside, has the water proof coating on the boards, a few drain holes, a glass UV lens filter with rain-x, and it's dedicated to rainy days only.  At a glance, it would look like a normal Phantom, but it would be rainy day worthy without the added weight or the look of a rubber suit.  



2018-10-27
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swoosh0829
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Geebax , Ill keep that in mind thanks . Fair enough on your opinion and no hard feelings but I think it can be done.. yet we will have to wait and see. Mark the Droner yep the whole thing waterproof camera gimbal , landing gear etc. The SD card slot and that whole area is relatively easy actually. It will be a removable panel with a gasket, same will go for the battery. The part I have yet to decide about those is whether the panel will be secured by bolts/screws or come up with some sort of clips or locking mechanism similar to a jeeps hood but miniture obviously to get keep the panels in place and gasket tight enough to be a waterproof seal. The screws/bolts would be the easy and safest way as I see it but whoever would be using the product would have to keep an allen key handy to swap battery sd card etc.... So clips would be nice in terms of user friendly but I think the priority should be on safety and reliability first in that particular instance. If I have time ill try and sneak into the lab and make it in solidworks so we can all have a visual Idea of what im talking about for now, I know its hard to visualize what I have in mind with just words but I will definately keep everybody posted as time goes on.  Unfortunately as of now its a side project until I get it off the ground so progress will be slower since I still have to work a job to eat and fund my craziness
2018-10-27
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swoosh0829
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Oh and Mark I forgot to say I will definately keep my eye on Phantom2 and 3 for the idea. I Found a phantom 4 with broken gimbal for similar price but im not at the stage of buying yet so have to see whats available at the time. The only thing Is im not sure of the differences in dimensions for the 2 and 3 vs the 4. That is another bit of research ill look into though. Cool to see you have a similar minded project , good luck and feel free to post your findings here too i'd be interested to see.
2018-10-27
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swoosh0829
United States
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I also found a phantom 4 with no props battery or gimbal for 100 , it says it flies fine but I do not know if that is possible to do without the gimbal. It makes sense that it would but I dont know if dji has some sort of fail safe installed that it wont fly unless everything is connected.
2018-10-27
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Manxmann
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Flight distance : 1178793 ft
Australia
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mmm,  all sounds very interesting.   Good luck !
2018-10-28
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swoosh0829
United States
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Thanks Manxmann appreciate it.
2018-10-29
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Hellsgate
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Flight distance : 1991555 ft
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This sounds all too familiar to me lol
2018-10-30
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swoosh0829
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If your on p4pilots forum that would make sense    unless you know something I dont know
2018-10-30
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A CW
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swoosh0829 Posted at 2018-10-26 04:42
A CW thanks for the Welcome. We may have a missunderstanding or I may be looking at the wrong thing. From what I see a Peli case is a carrying case for the drone. The version I am making fits on the drones body and waterproofs it while it is in flight.

I see - sounds like an interesting concept
2018-10-30
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Snowwolfwarrior
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Flight distance : 1064780 ft
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I have this lovely case with insert for sale here in the U.K.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192694676454


2018-10-30
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Bashy
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swoosh0829 Posted at 2018-10-26 22:29
Hi bashy , no I haven't tried that I only wear my coat .  Good point on the windproof but being that it allows sweat vapor through. Wouldn't it allow the hot air of the phantom to escape?  The only waterproof membrane I see so far is the phantom-rain wetsuit. From what I have read so far there suit is only to make it rain resistant not waterproof. The main thing im trying to cure is drone falling into body of water and the ability to recover it and fly.  Appreciate the Input

Thats why i said it, give it a try ;) unless the membrane in damaged, you cannot blow through it, hence windproof,  it will not work as a breathable material in the sense that you want it, many years ago, a shop up in Scarborough (UK) where i used to live had a bowl with gore-tex membrane over it with water on top of the membrane, never leaked, even back then (mid 90's) . If i remember right, sweat is a vapour thus having much, much smaller molecules, gtx is a ptfe based material, you wont blow through it.
2018-10-30
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swoosh0829
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fair enough , i have come up with a different way hard to explain so ill just wait till I solidworks it or actually make it first.
2018-10-31
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Manxmann
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Flight distance : 1178793 ft
Australia
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Please keep us posted with your developments eh ?

2018-11-5
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swoosh0829
United States
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Manxmann Will Do! So Far Some good news some bad news. Ill go with the bad first.... Shell for vacuum forming still has not arrived in the mail and it looks like the only way i will be able to do this and make it 100% waterproof will need to replace the flat ribbon cable that goes around the gimbal and camera. Good news i started working on a rough sketch in solidworks to get you guys the idea hopefully i can finish that by the end of this week or next week. Sorry guys got alot on my plate at the moment. Other good news for the cable I reached out to a company called circoil and they said this is right up there alley and they can help me make a cable. They were even nice enough to send me a sample cable for testing , so more fun waiting in the mail. Once again sorry As it stands now progress will be a bit slow but ill keep you guys posted as i go.
2018-11-6
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swoosh0829
United States
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Also another thought that maybe you guys could input on. For the camera/gimbal have 2 approaches or a hybrid of doing both of them. If I made a new back cover(watertight) for the camera and the part the wire goes in(on the yaw arm) would this be an appealing solution or do you guys think a case would be more appreciated. The bonus with a new cover for me designing this makes things alot easier for clearance. Also I know this all will void warranty If i end up making this and selling it that's just going to have to be a fact of life unless there is some way I could get dji to test this and approve it kinda the way car manufacturers do with certain accessories sold through the dealership (Im not holding my breath for that though, they wouldn't even tell me if the ribbon cable itself was waterproof when I have called).
2018-11-6
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