Advice for recovery after an ocean swim

[Bastian3124]

Hi guys, apologies if you're sick of these posts but I would love some advice. After having my P3P for three years, today I crashed her for the first time while on the Greek island of Milos. While on a boat trip, I crashed into some huge rocks that come out of the ocean, it tumbled down a couple times, the battery dislodged and then plummeted into the ocean. A fellow passenger who was swimming nearby at the time kindly retrieved everything from the ocean floor 3-5m (9-16ft) and I would guess it was submerged for 1.5mins. About 5 minutes after it was out of the salt water I doused it with ~1ltr (1/4 gal) of bottled water to remove the salt from the electronics. In retrospect I should have used more. I then dried the drone as much as I could with a towel and toilet paper then left it in the sun for a couple hours.

The battery is very clearly fried but I want to do what I can to recover the drone's electronics. Remarkably the gimble and camera appear unharmed (although I won't know for sure until I power it on). Keeping in mind I'm currently on a Greek island with limited resources, what would you guys advise? Should I douse it in water some more even though it has largely already dried? Should I use a hair dryer or would the electronics be too sensitive to the heat? Should I rinse it with alcohol or something? I know some people open theirs up to dry but I wouldn't know how to do this and am very apprehensive. How long should I leave it before trying to turn it on with another battery? Thanks so much in advance for your help guys.

 

[WV. Rootman]

I had mine in fresh water for 2 hours and only lost the battery. Yours in salt is a real serious thing. You need to take everything apart and wash off the salt residue. The wet is not a problem like the salt is.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Salt water = Toast. Forget about it. You have a chance with fresh water but the corrosive properties of salt water on un-conformalled circuitry will destroy the circuitry, no matter how much you attempt to clean it. That is a waste of time and effort. Contact with the salt water starts the process immediately.

 

[Fly Dawg]

In retrospect I should have used more. I then dried the drone as much as I could with a towel and toilet paper then left it in the sun for a couple hours.

See this quote, in reference to my response above:

"Salt water, on the other hand, can be dangerous to electronics. This is due to the NaCI (Sodium chloride) creating a chemical bond with many surfaces. These bonds happen immediately upon wetting — resulting in a salt residue remaining long after the water is gone. Just one second of salt water exposure can have the same effects as all day salt water exposure. Over a period of weeks, months or even years, the salt left behind continues to corrode any susceptible, affected surface. The corrosion process continues until the salt residue is exhausted or the corroded surface is consumed."

 

[Bastian3124]

See this quote, in reference to my response above:

"Salt water, on the other hand, can be dangerous to electronics. This is due to the NaCI (Sodium chloride) creating a chemical bond with many surfaces. These bonds happen immediately upon wetting — resulting in a salt residue remaining long after the water is gone. Just one second of salt water exposure can have the same effects as all day salt water exposure. Over a period of weeks, months or even years, the salt left behind continues to corrode any susceptible, affected surface. The corrosion process continues until the salt residue is exhausted or the corroded surface is consumed."

Hey Fly Dawg, thanks for the info. I get that it's a bad situation but I have read a little bit about other people recovering their drone after crashing it into the ocean. I was hoping more for advise so that I can at least attempt to recover the drone. It seems like it's worth opening it up and washing it more thoroughly with distilled H2O. Unfortunately I don't have the tools and am on holiday in Greece so I'm hoping it can wait till I'm home. It's really tempting to see if it works with my other battery but I'll resist temptation till I've given it a thorough wash.

 

[Fly Dawg]

@Bastian3124 Did you have a comment? You quoted the post but said nothing? If not washing the AC off will help but you can't get it all. If you leave any salt residue at all on uncoated surfaces it will start the corrosion process. Motors in particular would be very vulnerable.

 

[With The Birds]

@Bastian3124 Did you have a comment? You quoted the post but said nothing? If not washing the AC off will help but you can't get it all. If you leave any salt residue at all on uncoated surfaces it will start the corrosion process. Motors in particular would be very vulnerable.

I would be least concerned about the propulsion motors. The bearings are stainless steel and shielded so while not completely sealed against ingress the lubrication should have competed with the water for space. The aluminium components are anodised aluminium. You may get some rust on the pole laminations however motors are cheap to replace.

If you have looked at the PCB's it is apparent that they seem to be very well coated in production.

The biggest issue will be any of the electrical connections. The gimble is arguably the most delicate assembly.

I would give everything a very thorough fresh water wash after complete disassembly followed by a soak in IPA.

There have been reported instances of people getting their AC's back in the air following a salt water bath. I wouldn't trust it though long term.

 

[Fly Dawg]

I would give everything a very thorough fresh water wash after complete disassembly followed by a soak in IPA.

That would be the best way to go, but I would be a bit wary of the IPA. Not likely that the coating would be compromised, but have seen it happen depending on the composition of the coating used. And no I have not seen the interior of the aircraft other than in photo's and do not particularly care to, if you get my point.

 

[With The Birds]

That would be the best way to go, but I would be a bit wary of the IPA. Not likely that the coating would be compromised, but have seen it happen depending on the composition of the coating used. And no I have not seen the interior of the aircraft other than in photo's and do not particularly care to, if you get my point.

No- I pull everything apart to see what’s in it...

 

[Fly Dawg]

No- I pull everything apart to see what’s in it...

Well alright then.....I am not that curious unless I have to be......

 

[Marzz1]

Mine fell into fresh water for 20 odd mins after 4 days over the heater and two cans of contact cleaner it works fine the camera took 2 more days to come back.

My mate actually had his fall into the ocean while fishing and washed it in a bucket of fresh water and did the same as me and it worked as well

 

[Bastian3124]

Mine fell into fresh water for 20 odd mins after 4 days over the heater and two cans of contact cleaner it works fine the camera took 2 more days to come back.

My mate actually had his fall into the ocean while fishing and washed it in a bucket of fresh water and did the same as me and it worked as well

Cheers Marzz1 and well done on the recovery! Do you know if your mate opened up their drone when they washed it in the bucket of fresh water, or did they just let it soak through the shell?

 

[With The Birds]

Mine fell into fresh water for 20 odd mins after 4 days over the heater and two cans of contact cleaner it works fine the camera took 2 more days to come back.

My mate actually had his fall into the ocean while fishing and washed it in a bucket of fresh water and did the same as me and it worked as well

Do you know how long it worked for?

 

[Marko5584]

A couple of years ago I lost my Phantom 2 vision+ in a lake (about 3 to 4 feet of water). It was submerged for a few months, then a drought came and it was in mud for two months, and then the mud froze over and I found it upside down in the frozen muddy lake bed about 6 months after I lost it. I dried it out for a week. It flew and the camera sent a video signal to my phone, but the camera would not record.

It was caked with mud on the inside and periodically I would gently shake the mud out. The battery was a total loss.

I stopped using it a long time ago.
I was able to salvage the from the sd card.

mark

 

[Marzz1]

Cheers Marzz1 and well done on the recovery! Do you know if your mate opened up their drone when they washed it in the bucket of fresh water, or did they just let it soak through the shell?

Late reply, yes he had to open it, his was about 350m out into the ocean tided to his fishing line to drop bait out. He had to reel it back in with the rod.

So as you’d imagine it was full to the brim with sand.

A couple of years ago I lost my Phantom 2 vision+ in a lake (about 3 to 4 feet of water). It was submerged for a few months, then a drought came and it was in mud for two months, and then the mud froze over and I found it upside down in the frozen muddy lake bed about 6 months after I lost it. I dried it out for a week. It flew and the camera sent a video signal to my phone, but the camera would not record.

It was caked with mud on the inside and periodically I would gently shake the mud out. The battery was a total loss.

I stopped using it a long time ago.
I was able to salvage the from the sd card.

mark

 

[Marzz1]

Do you know how long it worked for?

Its still working now about 3 month on.

 

[With The Birds]

Its still working now about 3 month on.

Miracle....

 

[JackH]

It is toast. Saltwater=instant death. I have been a camera tech for 35 years. Nothing can bring it back. At best tear it down and use it for junk parts providing you clean it well and use a scratch brush on all circuits. Still, the circuits cannot be trusted.