Holy Caw! 2 Drones Down In Pool!

CatMan42 · Mar 2, 2016

My friend and I were just flying our P3S's around the back yard when we collided!! Both birds went into the pool. We pulled them out within minutes (seemed like hours), what do we need to do to save the electronics in the birds??? What a dumb and stupid thing to do on our part. The space was way too small to attempt this.

Tony Cowan · Mar 2, 2016

Live and learn. You can take apart and dry if possible. At least pool is fresh water not salt. Not sure if can be saved but repair should not cost that much. I thought about it too I just bought used p3p. And I will fly both my self at same time. However one will be 100 ft above the other. I will set way points and the first will fly autonomously. And the 2nd will be me manually flying it. So I will see what is up. But **** you guys were that close to each other and did not notice ? Hard core.

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Helijoc · Mar 2, 2016

Some people just say rice. I like to soak in rubbing alcohol first and then do the rice. When the alcohol evaporates it takes some water with it. Brought a phone back that fell in salt water. Flushed it in fresh water then alcohol. Let it sit in rice.

buford · Mar 3, 2016

I've heard rice too. Something else I heard was the freezer in a ziplock with rice in it. I've done a phone that way, and a tv remote, but never done a phantom . I know the freezer will dry out a chicken breast to something that resembles leather, so it sounded logical to me. My freezer aint big enough for a phantom though...LOL

Shep · Mar 3, 2016

First, don't turn it on for any reason until you do the following steps. Open it up, use compressed air to dry out everything. Blow it all out again! Put shell back together. If you can find a bag of rice big enough, put it in there and forget about it for a few days, if not find a warm, dry place to store it and leave it for a few days. I would wait at least 3-4 days before turning it on again. If you are blessed, it might run. If not, at least you now have a solid point to troubleshoot from.

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CatMan42 · Mar 3, 2016

Thanks Guys!! I opened it up and immediately blew it out with canned air, then I put it in front of a fan where it still sits. This afternoon, I'll inspect it to see if there is any condensation on it and will more than likely blow it out with compressed air again. Not to sure about the rice, but I'll probably put quite a few desiccant packs in and around the circuit boards. I did manage to dry it with the canned air pretty quickly, but we'll see if anything shorted out in a day or so.

Thanks again for the replies!!

rene van der meer · Mar 3, 2016

I am very sorry for your loss. You can dry it faster in an oven.

The SD card should be fine as soon as it's dry. Did you or your colleague video the collision?
I would like to see the video. Besides curiosity maybe we can learn something from it. (When did it stop recording?)
I hope both birds survive the accident. We all learn from our mistakes and next time you will be more cautious.

CatMan42 · Mar 3, 2016

That's the part that really sucks. We had both just fired up the birds and were in hover mode about 8 feet off the pool deck and around 3 feet from the edge of the pool checking for stability and good control signals. I was just a few seconds away from hitting the record button when a strong gust of wind came up and blew his bird into mine and both went into the pool. After we fished them out, I asked him what flight mode he was in and he said P mode. I looked at his controller, and his S2 switch was in the F position. All he can think of is he accidently toggled it when he was trying to hit the record button on his phone.

Tony Cowan · Mar 3, 2016

Yikes !!!! Remind me to stay away from other experience flyers

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rene van der meer · Mar 3, 2016

CatMan42 said:
That's the part that really sucks. We had both just fired up the birds and were in hover mode about 8 feet off the pool deck and around 3 feet from the edge of the pool checking for stability and good control signals. I was just a few seconds away from hitting the record button when a strong gust of wind came up and blew his bird into mine and both went into the pool. After we fished them out, I asked him what flight mode he was in and he said P mode. I looked at his controller, and his S2 switch was in the F position. All he can think of is he accidently toggled it when he was trying to hit the record button on his phone.

CatMan42. You probably meant that he hit the mode switch when he tried to hit the record switch on the RC?
In F-mode you should still have GPS. So the wind should not effect the position. Wasn't the mode switch in the middle, in A-mode?

CatMan42 · Mar 3, 2016

Sorry, I did mean the mode switch, and it was in the middle position. He's flying a P3S and the record button is on his phone. Which he has centered over the top of the RC and over his S! and S2 switches. In that configuration, the record button is directly over the S2 switch, so I could see how he might have toggled it if he put any of his fingers behind the phone while pressing the record button.

buford · Mar 3, 2016

As long as you learned something. I can almost picture you both standing peering down at your rc's, checking sat capture or whatever, and the look on your faces as they dived into the pool. I don't think dji will be contacting you for a training video though. Hope you can ring it out without too much damage.

stixgod · Mar 3, 2016

Go to a hardware store and get the large container of Damprid and a big tupperware with a lid to put the phantom in. The Damprid stuff says not to break the seal on the lid but break that sh!t and pour a thin bed on the floor of the tupperware. Dissemble the phantom as best you can, make sure you disconnect any visible plugs. Give the whole board a light wipe down with rubbing alcohol and let the bird sit for 2 days in the box with the lid shut. For the first day I put the box in the sun for an hour just to vaporize a lot of the moisture in the beginning to make it easier for the Damprid to absorb. Don't get any of the Damprid on the electrical components though as it will turn into a paste as it collects moisture. Finally if you have a few of those silicone, packets you find in beef jerky, throw a couple of those on the board. I've sent my bird for a couple swims and got her back 100% every time.

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wolvesfc · Mar 3, 2016

If you put it in a bag of rice overnight Chinese people come and fix it.

terrylowe · Mar 3, 2016

I have been there! Bird fell right into fresh water.
I recommend a lot of patience. Open the case and dry it....I used a hair dryer.
Be sure to dry the motors well.
My camera was a gopro, so I opened it and dried it too.
Make sure you don't hook it up to any power and just wait a week or so.
I wouldn't trust that battery....even it seems to behave some time later.

buford · Mar 3, 2016

terrylowe said:
I have been there! Bird fell right into fresh water.
I recommend a lot of patience. Open the case and dry it....I used a hair dryer.
Be sure to dry the motors well.
My camera was a gopro, so I opened it and dried it too.
Make sure you don't hook it up to any power and just wait a week or so.
I wouldn't trust that battery....even it seems to behave some time later.

Yeah, I would think the battery is toast. Water/battery, do not mix.

terrylowe · Mar 3, 2016

rene van der meer said:
I am very sorry for your loss. You can dry it faster in an oven.
View attachment 45847
The SD card should be fine as soon as it's dry. Did you or your colleague video the collision?
I would like to see the video. Besides curiosity maybe we can learn something from it. (When did it stop recording?)
I hope both birds survive the accident. We all learn from our mistakes and next time you will be more cautious.

It appears that you over-cooked your turkey!

CatMan42 · Mar 3, 2016

Thanks again for the replies guys!! The bird (and this sounds weird even as I type it) is open, exposed, has had a fan blowing on it until about an hour ago, and is now sitting in a plastic storage box with about 8 lbs of desiccant (in bags) all around it and in it. Opened absolutely everything I could on it. Figure I'll leave it there for a week or so and then check to see if I can detect any moisture in it. Fingers crossed!!!

My friends bird on the other hand is toast. The big "dummy" took it home, shook it out, and powered it up. He said it made a lot of noise for a minute, then totally shut down. Be looking for a new guy to join the forum!! I did a ton of reading on this forum before I ever even considered buying a P3. He saw mine, and dove right in. BTW, I told him we're not flying together any more. Even after he gets a little knowledge!!

CatMan42 · Mar 3, 2016

Took this last night when I started to dry it. I really never, ever, had enough curiousity(?) to want to open this thing up and see what's in it. Dang it!!

IMG_3239

CatMan42
Mar 3, 2016

stixgod · Mar 3, 2016

Did you take the cover off of the back of the camera? There is a gasket behind it that makes it nearly water-tight so it holds moisture.

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