My SOLO took a swim

Mr GruntHunter · Jan 31, 2017

It finally happened. I got to low and crashed my SOLO into some weeds along the edge of a fresh water reservoir. From reviewing the video captured on my tablet I can determine within 10 - 15 sq ft of where it ended up. I searched for it today but couldn't find it. I'm going back tomorrow with some help to try and locate it. I've read where others have had the same misfortune and have put their solo in a 10lb bag of rice to dry out.
For anyone who has had this happen how did your GoPro turn out? Were you able to salvage the SD card at least and use the video file? By the time, if I'm lucky, I find it it'll have been under water for a day :-( It was totally pilot error on my part, just got to low without realizing it until it was too late.

braxtonhs · Jan 31, 2017

Did close to the same, was trying to get into better position to see it to make sure I wasn't going to hit the tree and well.... should've been looking at the screen.

it went into about 4 ft of very murky water, but I got it out within about three minutes. the Gopro actually kept recording for around 2 minutes of it. Got it out took everything apart, used paper towels to get excess water out, them used compressed air to blow out places I couldn't get to (didn't have a small enough screw driver to get main board out), put pieces in bags with silica packets and rice for a little over 24 hours, then removed and put infront of a fan for another day.

GoPro works like nothing happened.
Battery charged all the way and acts like it works fine.
When I try to power up drone it gives me a sound like its about to start up and then nothing. I get a split second of a lower tone than the normal start up beeps and then nothing.

Not sure if anybody has any ideas. My next step is to possibly hit the factory reset and see if that does any magic.

I don't know if it will work after being submerged for that long but best of luck to you, keep us posted.

Mr GruntHunter · Feb 3, 2017

I got lucky and found my SOLO the following day. It was in the weeds, nose down, almost flipped over. The camera, gimbal and probably most of the battery were under water. Strangely though a couple of the LED's on the battery were illuminated but I couldn't turn them off so I'm suspecting the battery is probably trashed. I brought it home and hosed everything off with clean water, used some compressed air to blow as much water off as I could. Even used my hair dryer on it for a little bit and then put everything in a garbage bag with about 15lbs of rice. After washing the GoPro I did the same with it and put it in a zip lock bag full of rice. I think I'll leave it there for about a week. I did pull the SD card and it seems to have survived OK. I pulled all of the video files off of it last night just in case it might crap out later. I did put together a video of the crash and have it posted on my YT channel at: just for kicks. Live and learn :-( Guess I got lucky that no gators decided to chew on it because we were seeing quite a few of them in the area.

Frank Foster · Feb 3, 2017

It's a Solo weed eater! It really chopped those plants, for awhile. You may get lucky with the rice treatment. I would have removed the battery tray first, to allow the rice to get closer to the circuit boards. The battery is pretty well sealed, but probably got water in around the contacts, and would be hard to get out. Keep us posted. Waiting for a "IT LIVES" post!

Mr GruntHunter · Feb 3, 2017

Yeah, and I was really surprised that none of the props got broke. One of them was deformed but the next day it's seemed to have straightened itself back out. I'll recheck the balance on them before trying to reuse. I did immediately pull the SOLO and GoPro batteries out as soon as we got it out of the water. When I got home I popped off all the the SOLO LED covers, the GPS cover, pulled out the battery tray and removed the gimbal before I started hosing it all off. It's surprising how little bits of green particles found their way inside. I'm letting it 'rest' for a week now.

User Name · Feb 3, 2017

I would definitely try to get the main board out. I'd want to check the flight controller cube on the bottom to see if any water was inside, not sure if/how well it's sealed. I'm assuming it's not, because the barometer needs exposure to ambient air pressure to work.

Also, any time I've had electronics exposed to water, I take them apart and wash them off with isopropyl alcohol - it'll readily mix with any standing water and make it evaporate much more quickly and easily. My son's smartphone spent 3 full days in a fish tank (don't ask!

), and I managed to resurrect it. Even with rice, water will remain in all kinds of small recesses. Alcohol really does a great job at getting it out, and can't do any more harm than has already been done.

Frank Foster · Feb 3, 2017

Humm, alcohol, that's also a good idea. And if it don't work, a shot or two for you, (NOT isopropyl) (maybe some Old Grandad) would lessen the pain!

Mr GruntHunter · Feb 3, 2017

Frank Foster said:
Humm, alcohol, that's also a good idea. And if it don't work, a shot or two for you, (NOT isopropyl) (maybe some Old Grandad) would lessen the pain!

LOL ... Yeah ... I think I could use about a dozen shots of something right now

Cabo · Feb 3, 2017

Mine is at bottom of Great South Bay.Good news I was able to go over 8000 ft away.Bad news I came up 600 ft short returning.Watched it drop,splash,sink.Just had to laugh.Was using Solex.

Cabo · Feb 3, 2017

Cabo said:
Mine is at bottom of Great South Bay.Good news I was able to go over 8000 ft away.Bad news I came up 600 ft short returning.Watched it drop,splash,sink.Just had to laugh.Was using Solex.View attachment 5264

Cabo · Feb 3, 2017

Need to change Google Map walking distance symbol to swimming

Jubalr · Feb 4, 2017

Cabo said:
Mine is at bottom of Great South Bay.Good news I was able to go over 8000 ft away.Bad news I came up 600 ft short returning.Watched it drop,splash,sink.Just had to laugh.Was using Solex.View attachment 5264

Nice 'Battery' test too. Is that 19min flying with the gimbal?

Cabo · Feb 4, 2017

Jubalr said:
Nice 'Battery' test too. Is that 19min flying with the gimbal?

Yes .I pushed too hard.Coming back into the wind ate battery up.I was returning with 33 % and was feeling fine then it stated to drop (%) faster than it was doing early in flight.the last 15% dropped crazy fast.

Jubalr · Feb 4, 2017

Cabo said:
Yes .I pushed too hard.Coming back into the wind ate battery up.I was returning with 33 % and was feeling fine then it stated to drop (%) faster than it was doing early in flight.the last 15% dropped crazy fast.

Wow, so close but yet so far! I had a 21 minute flight without the gimbal on a survey mission. Made it back though and landed at 0%. That's cutting it a little close..

User Name · Feb 4, 2017

Cabo said:
Mine is at bottom of Great South Bay.Good news I was able to go over 8000 ft away.Bad news I came up 600 ft short returning.Watched it drop,splash,sink.Just had to laugh.Was using Solex

ArduPilot has an ArduSub variant... won't be long until we can make underwater drones to find all our sunken aerial drones!

Mr GruntHunter · Feb 4, 2017

User Name said:
ArduPilot has an ArduSub variant... won't be long until we can make underwater drones to find all our sunken aerial drones!

I WANT ONE ! ! ! Maybe it'll help my fishing success ;-)

User Name · Feb 4, 2017

Mr GruntHunter said:
I WANT ONE ! ! ! Maybe it'll help my fishing success ;-)

ArduSub : Home

I'm definitely planning to build something at some point. A few years ago, I lost a small outboard motor in a Vermont lake, and I'm determined to get it back, regardless of whether it'll ever run again! Tried finding with SCUBA gear, but the water is just too murky. An underwater survey could find it easily enough.

Mr GruntHunter · Feb 4, 2017

User Name said:
ArduSub : Home

I'm definitely planning to build something at some point. A few years ago, I lost a small outboard motor in a Vermont lake, and I'm determined to get it back, regardless of whether it'll ever run again! Tried finding with SCUBA gear, but the water is just too murky. An underwater survey could find it easily enough.

Some of the new fish finders available produce some pretty amazing images. Have you tried tasking a local Bass professional?

User Name · Feb 4, 2017

Mr GruntHunter said:
Some of the new fish finders available produce some pretty amazing images. Have you tried tasking a local Bass professional?

I mentioned it to the son of the owners of a nearby marina, and by his expression and immediate questioning, it was pretty clear he was interested in finding it... for himself! I was purposely vague about it's location. At this point, it's been down 2 years, so another year or two isn't going to do it any additional harm! When I dove on it, the area is strewn with boulders the size of cows, so unless the fish finders had the resolution to show you the shape of the motor, it'd probably be hard to pick out. No biggie, we already replaced the motor with a similar used one for a few hundred bucks, so finding the old one is more of a pet project... and an excuse to build an DIY mini ROV!

Mr GruntHunter · Feb 4, 2017

User Name said:
I mentioned it to the son of the owners of a nearby marina, and by his expression and immediate questioning, it was pretty clear he was interested in finding it... for himself! I was purposely vague about it's location. At this point, it's been down 2 years, so another year or two isn't going to do it any additional harm! When I dove on it, the area is strewn with boulders the size of cows, so unless the fish finders had the resolution to show you the shape of the motor, it'd probably be hard to pick out. No biggie, we already replaced the motor with a similar used one for a few hundred bucks, so finding the old one is more of a pet project... and an excuse to build an DIY mini ROV!

How deep do you estimate the water is at that location? Grappling hook maybe ?