I'm going to waterproof my drone with nanotech soon.. any problems with that?

They have videos in youtube on submerging electronics inter and it is guaranteed to work for at least 1 year.

Nice idea but not to sure your warranty would be valid.

Don't do it! You'll void your warranty...

Depends on how old your bird is, if it's out of warranty, do it and let us know if it's  still ok in 6 months.

markaguille Posted at 2016-5-15 00:27
Depends on how old your bird is, if it's out of warranty, do it and let us know if it's  still ok in ...

Nanoprotech is actually invisible and will prevent any corrosion so it doesn't matter if you put it or not because dji has no way to tell unless they submerge in water and it's still working.

Really,

You want to apply a liquid coating to your Inspire and are willing to risk a substantial investment just to say that it is waterproof.  

You will never use it in such an environment and if you do you shouldn't be flying.

As many commercial and experienced Pilots will tell you, if there are any signs of rain you should stop or not even start any flight.  Why?  Rain can affect radio signals and you may potentially lose control or experience a substantial decrease in signal strength between the aircraft and the controller.  

So why would you want to fly in rain just because you think your aircraft is waterproof or has some miracle nano coating.  It won't affect your risk assessment in determining whether to fly or not, it there are any signs of rain don't fly.  Simples

Forget the nano coating its just not needed.

GB44 Posted at 2016-5-15 11:30
Really,

You want to apply a liquid coating to your Inspire and are willing to risk a substantial in ...

Well I see one reason for it. To prevent completely losing your drone if something happens and it lands or falls into water, which even the DJI care doesn't cover (water damage).

The process doesn't actually involve submerging your device into a liquid, it's more coated in a gas form/environment, which makes the surface of the electronics nonporous and making it impossible for water to attach. If I remember correctly it's a silica-oxide based coating solution.

You can read more about it from one of the providers solution here: https://www.liquipel.com/watersafe (I'm not in any way associated to that company, it's just the first name that came to my mind)

This technology has been around for quite some time making phones and laptops water resistant since long before the first iPhone.

I still don't get the need to do this.  Perhaps I'm missing something

GB44 Posted at 2016-5-15 17:30
Really,

You want to apply a liquid coating to your Inspire and are willing to risk a substantial in ...

I've flown the P3 pro in very heavy rain and even in low clouds but only over grass.. I did not have problems with signal or performance but the gimbal kept sucking water inside with its tiny fan and it started burning the socket where the flat tape wire for the camera connects to.
With proven waterproofing, I could avoid a $500 gimbal replacement.
I do care about safety and that is why I fly over grass to test its capabilities.
But I'm not a scared or paranoid type of user when it comes to different conditions as long as I test it and have solutions for it. And yes I also fly out of sight because I like FPV experience. People who are hella scared and paranoid of flying out of sight, I can understand why they are insecure but you are basically not making full use of what drones are designed for and you are missing out a lot. You can still be just as  safe flying out of sight if you know the topography of area and heights.
People who are hella scared of flying out of sight with a drone is just like people who go to the club and not dance.. you are missing out.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-15 17:17
I've flown the P3 pro in very heavy rain and even in low clouds but only over grass.. I did not ha ...

So you're happy to fly your expensive UAV in wet conditions even though you now know it can have a detrimental effect on signal strength and that this is not recommended by DJI.  

If you don't fly in wet or rainy conditions, you should have lots of happy, safe flying experiences.  Start pushing the boundaries beyond what is acceptable and against the knowledge that experienced flyers try to pass on in this forum and you will no doubt become a statistic of losing your aircraft or it falling out of the sky when the water and rain get into the parts and destroy the electronics.  No one here wishes that on anyone, so fly safe and enjoy.

In my humble opinion, FPV flying for hobbyist reasons only should not be allowed as it is simply unsafe.  In the UK the 500m limit is there for a reason.  When flying VLOS at this 500m horizontal and 400feet altitude limits, you can barely just see the aircraft.  These limits are there for a reason, to stay safe.

Please take this advice and don't fly in the rain.  Its simply not worth the risk.

Couldn't agree more

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-16 00:17
I've flown the P3 pro in very heavy rain and even in low clouds but only over grass.. I did not ha ...

Just because you like doing something does not mean that it is the right thing to do.
So many people here believe that rules and laws don't apply to them and that rules such as VLOS don't matter.

What they fail to realise is that while FPV is a great feature, it does not give you complete situational awareness and as such you are not able to manage your flight safety to an acceptable standard. Pilot experience and skill are irrelevant in these circumstances.

99.999% of the time you will be fine and there will be no issues or incidents. But as responsible pilots operating advanced and potentially dangerous equipment it is up to us to take every possible step to mitigate the risk of that 0.001% occurring

OP, there are UAV that are designed for flight in rain, however the Inspire is not one of these.
Do whatever you like to your bird and I hope that it works for you - As an engineer I can comfortably predict that a conformal coating on your circuit boards will do exactly nothing to make the Inspire 'waterproof'.
To do so would require at the very minimum:

All sensor devices encapsulated or potted to IP67
All cabling and interconnects replaced to a IP67 compliant design
Battery sealed to IP67, interconnects changed to a sealed plug/socket design.
Motors replaced / re-designed with a rain shield
Gimbal motors / joints sealed or covered with boots
Camera enclosed in a suitable housing

That's just a start. Haven't even thought about the RF side of things, nor waterproofing the controller / tablet.

Farnk666 Posted at 2016-5-16 09:17
OP, there are UAV that are designed for flight in rain, however the Inspire is not one of these.
Do  ...

You're absolutely right, Farnk666 ... Leanlinao want to "waterproof" his bird? Fine with me ...

I have done this for my IPhone as I hike and camp a lot and have to many failures with "Waterproof" cases. It does work, If you did not say anything no one would know it was done other than yourself and nanotech. As far as canceling voiding your warranty you can not tell the product is on. Makes you wonder when you get your product back if anything was actually done. All those quoting upgrading connections and such just do not know the product. I can agree with you wanting to get the coating. On the other hand I do not agree with flying in unsafe conditions and putting anyone at risk because you want to have some fun.

Farnk666 Posted at 2016-5-16 09:17
OP, there are UAV that are designed for flight in rain, however the Inspire is not one of these.
Do  ...

No offense but sorry engineer! Your general knowledge is old school now.. check this out
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=liquipel&sm=3

You can make tissue waterproof now and all types of electronics

whatever about flying in the rain, your camera will be 100% useless.

sure it will "work" if waterproofed, but anything you take will still look like crap, which id imagine will defeat the purpose?

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-17 19:39
No offense but sorry engineer! Your general knowledge is old school now.. check this out
https:// ...

No offense, leanlinao, but you have absolutely no idea, not the smallest clue, what is involved in successful waterproofing of electronically controlled not-sealed motors, either propelling or gimbal. Comparing iPhone to a drone structure is just plain naive. Not a clue ... But, hey, go for it and good luck!

::::sarcasm alert::::::
I think you should do it...and then post a video of you dunking your bird in the drink to prove all of the naysayers wrong!!
Heck, I may even coat my lenses with Rhino Liner so they won't get scratched.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-17 19:39
No offense but sorry engineer! Your general knowledge is old school now.. check this out
https:// ...

Well clearly your extensive engineering expertise and experience outweighs my 20+ years in this field.
I mean, you've actually watched a YouTube video and read some marketing copy from an organisation seeking to sell you something. Get onto your local University and let them know, I'm sure you'll end up with a Masters degree at least!

Feel free to give it a try, we're not stopping you at all.

dobmatt Posted at 2016-5-18 04:44
No offense, leanlinao, but you have absolutely no idea, not the smallest clue, what is involved in ...

Type liquipel drone on youtube
Sorry engineer but you are trapped with your old general knowledge.
I have engineer friend, relative and they've seen the videos and they believe it's possible. You should be open for learning and at least be humble about being an engineer no offense I know you're trying to be the smartest guy here but you have to learn new things too. Don't get stuck or you'll get stuck working for somebody.
The biggest risk is not to take any risks.. in a world that changes so quickly, the only strategy guaranteed to fail is not taking any risk. -Mark Zuckerberg
but no worries I still respect you as an engineer.

Farnk666 Posted at 2016-5-18 09:55
Well clearly your extensive engineering expertise and experience outweighs my 20+ years in this fi ...

Thanks I'm gonna go for it.
Nice 20 years of experience.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-18 09:59
Type liquipel drone on youtube
Sorry engineer but you are trapped with your old general knowled ...

Feel free to take whatever risk you feel like taking - no issue with any of us.

I like the idea... as long as it's not tested on my Inspires...I'll be a late adopter on this one if it's successful...

Mike9129 Posted at 2016-5-17 13:44
whatever about flying in the rain, your camera will be 100% useless.

sure it will "work" if waterpr ...

Unless he has this...

Lol.... I won't even put mine in the air if the conditions are not to my liking. Wind speed a little too high or shifting a way I don't like? Nope. Mist? Nope. Rain? Ummmm No way. I scout out what shots I plan on getting long before I EVER put it in the air. Waterproof it if you like but I value my $5k investment much more than some waterproof iPhone coating. Not to mention your videos will look like... well you know. Throw into the mix possible RF signal interference and loss of control and I suppose I don't see the point? Good luck. Glad it's not me doing it to mine.

RearViewMirror Posted at 2016-5-18 00:49
Lol.... I won't even put mine in the air if the conditions are not to my liking. Wind speed a little ...

I was riding my bike today as the weather got crappy. I was getting signal interference btwn my phone and bluetooth speaker and they were right next to each other. Weather conditions definitely screw with wireless transmissions.

Each to there own and whichever your location and nation .

My humble opinion !

I would waterproof / weatherproof any of my toys /

Extend your filming / shooting season !

Push the boudaries and not be affected by weather conditions .


May i add , i am also a biker , and will get out and ride in whatever conditions !

Peace !

Not sure why people are so narky about this question.  So I was flying my Phantom 3 Standard a few weeks back.  I was running a flight for photogrammetry and 95% of the flight was over dry land with a small amount over a creek and some puddles.  Long story short a return to home took the bird up into a tree branch and then it dropped...Murphy's law into one of the very small puddles...just deep enough to drown the bird!   So here I am ...battery definitely f$^%ed...bird may or may not be and my Phantom 3 Professional has just arrived.    I am seriously thinking of a Liquipel treatment for my new investment.
Moral of the story for all you narky, nasty, high horsing, whinging stone throwers....I fly safe...I fly legal...I fly in dry weather and rarely over water (except for little puddles) and I can clearly see the benefit of a waterproofing treatment if there is one that works.  
So LeanLinao  .... let me know how you go if you go ahead...I would have to ship mine from Australia and back so quite expensive and time consuming for a process I'm not sure of!
Cheers

Blue Wolf

Just do it, I wouldn't mind flying in very light rain. Don't pay attention to a hole opinions, at the end of it doesn't work it's a lesson learnt for all of us. So just go one step further, try it and get a group discount.

Blue Wolf Posted at 2017-4-27 17:40
Not sure why people are so narky about this question.  So I was flying my Phantom 3 Standard a few weeks back.  I was running a flight for photogrammetry and 95% of the flight was over dry land with a small amount over a creek and some puddles.  Long story short a return to home took the bird up into a tree branch and then it dropped...Murphy's law into one of the very small puddles...just deep enough to drown the bird!   So here I am ...battery definitely f$^%ed...bird may or may not be and my Phantom 3 Professional has just arrived.    I am seriously thinking of a Liquipel treatment for my new investment.
Moral of the story for all you narky, nasty, high horsing, whinging stone throwers....I fly safe...I fly legal...I fly in dry weather and rarely over water (except for little puddles) and I can clearly see the benefit of a waterproofing treatment if there is one that works.  
So LeanLinao  .... let me know how you go if you go ahead...I would have to ship mine from Australia and back so quite expensive and time consuming for a process I'm not sure of!

Thank you Blue Wolf, why are so many people negative haters?  Last week I was flying my Phantom 3 when it throws a compass error and starts drifting in the wind.  I can still control it and I go to set it down when it starts drifting even faster.  Long story short, skip-skip-splash.  It was a beautiful day and I wasn't planning on getting near water, but there I was.  Drone started smoking and immediately sunk.  Total loss!  I am seriously considering trying to self waterproof a cheaper toy drone before I try it on my Sparks or MP.

TexasBiba Posted at 2018-1-13 10:05
Thank you Blue Wolf, why are so many people negative haters?  Last week I was flying my Phantom 3 when it throws a compass error and starts drifting in the wind.  I can still control it and I go to set it down when it starts drifting even faster.  Long story short, skip-skip-splash.  It was a beautiful day and I wasn't planning on getting near water, but there I was.  Drone started smoking and immediately sunk.  Total loss!  I am seriously considering trying to self waterproof a cheaper toy drone before I try it on my Sparks or MP.

Hi TexasBiba,

Out of curiosity, did you calibrate the compass before this flight?

Mark G.

GB44 Posted at 2016-5-15 01:30
Really,

You want to apply a liquid coating to your Inspire and are willing to risk a substantial investment just to say that it is waterproof.  

this is not a true statement.  flying in a slightly foggy environment can cause water damage.
light rain that starts while you are already out and flying can cause damage.
heavy rain that starts while you are flying has a moderate risk of causing damage.

if waterproof you could fly in rain, there is nothing dangerous about flying in rain if it is waterproof and you would get awesome video, just rainx the camera lens.

Alari Posted at 2016-5-15 01:42
Well I see one reason for it. To prevent completely losing your drone if something happens and it lands or falls into water, which even the DJI care doesn't cover (water damage).

The process doesn't actually involve submerging your device into a liquid, it's more coated in a gas form/environment, which makes the surface of the electronics nonporous and making it impossible for water to attach. If I remember correctly it's a silica-oxide based coating solution.

incorrect, DJI care DOES cover water damage, 2 times up to the first year.

GB44 Posted at 2016-5-15 09:46
So you're happy to fly your expensive UAV in wet conditions even though you now know it can have a detrimental effect on signal strength and that this is not recommended by DJI.  

If you don't fly in wet or rainy conditions, you should have lots of happy, safe flying experiences.  Start pushing the boundaries beyond what is acceptable and against the knowledge that experienced flyers try to pass on in this forum and you will no doubt become a statistic of losing your aircraft or it falling out of the sky when the water and rain get into the parts and destroy the electronics.  No one here wishes that on anyone, so fly safe and enjoy.

in my humble opinion your opinion sucks

Farnk666 Posted at 2016-5-15 17:10
Just because you like doing something does not mean that it is the right thing to do.
So many people here believe that rules and laws don't apply to them and that rules such as VLOS don't matter.

if an airplane is flying under 400 feet its doing so illegally. and realistically when we are careful we are 50 feet maybe over the trees. no airplane, no helicopter, NO ONE is going to be flying near the tips of the tree line.


get a grip, and we can easily hear them coming from miles away. toolbag

fansebe62400 Posted at 2018-6-6 13:26
if an airplane is flying under 400 feet its doing so illegally. and realistically when we are careful we are 50 feet maybe over the trees. no airplane, no helicopter, NO ONE is going to be flying near the tips of the tree line.

What's your problem?
Nothing better to do than drag an old thread up from the dead and troll?

Maybe actually read and understand what was being discussed dude - before you share your opinions.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-15 08:17
I've flown the P3 pro in very heavy rain and even in low clouds but only over grass.. I did not have problems with signal or performance but the gimbal kept sucking water inside with its tiny fan and it started burning the socket where the flat tape wire for the camera connects to.
With proven waterproofing, I could avoid a $500 gimbal replacement.
I do care about safety and that is why I fly over grass to test its capabilities.

I hope you miss out on landing on someone's head, Best of luck, skill and bravery won't save you from a fatal accident when you can't even see where you are.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-5-17 03:39
No offense but sorry engineer! Your general knowledge is old school now.. check this out
https://m.youtube.com/results?q=liquipel&sm=3

if it's on YouTube it must be 100% true

RearViewMirror Posted at 2016-5-17 20:49
Lol.... I won't even put mine in the air if the conditions are not to my liking. Wind speed a little too high or shifting a way I don't like? Nope. Mist? Nope. Rain? Ummmm No way. I scout out what shots I plan on getting long before I EVER put it in the air. Waterproof it if you like but I value my $5k investment much more than some waterproof iPhone coating. Not to mention your videos will look like... well you know. Throw into the mix possible RF signal interference and loss of control and I suppose I don't see the point? Good luck. Glad it's not me doing it to mine.

you're missing out dude