Solo went for a drink in the deep blue sea

[Kevin15664]

I've gotten invaluable advice from others in a previous thread I might as well make an official one.
Long story short, my solo is a bait carrier solo, it works for a living. On it's way home from its 7th bait drop on a 1mph wind day, random gust blew in and my bird lost balance and went for a swim about 50 or 60 feet from its RTH pad. I swam out and finally found it but it was submerged in saltwater for a few minutes. According to some members I can still save her so I'm going to try my best.

So far I've gathered:
Disassemble and wash with Distilled water
Soak in isopropyl
Air dry for days

I guess the question is what else do I need to do and how do i test out components to see if they need replacing? I'm currently bidding on a parts drone on ebay to be my donor if need be.

 

[IrishmanPDX]

The washing of parts with distilled water was a good idea, not sure about the soaking in isopropyl alcohol. Don't just air dry (you're just asking for oxidization), use the rice trick or if you have any spare silica gel packets use those. Hopefully you got the battery seperated from the drone pretty quick. If you have solex, when you next boot up (if it boots up) you'll want to do a motor check, have them spin up one by one. I'd advise you to lube them up, make sure these no residual sand in them. Heck, outright replacing them might be a better idea. Let us know how things go.

 

[Kevin15664]

The washing of parts with distilled water was a good idea, not sure about the soaking in isopropyl alcohol. Don't just air dry (you're just asking for oxidization), use the rice trick or if you have any spare silica gel packets use those. Hopefully you got the battery seperated from the drone pretty quick. If you have solex, when you next boot up (if it boots up) you'll want to do a motor check, have them spin up one by one. I'd advise you to lube them up, make sure these no residual sand in them. Heck, outright replacing them might be a better idea. Let us know how things go.

Tore everything apart. Headed to Wally world to get distilled water to wash. Stuff has already started rusting [emoji24]

 

[just_bruce]

The washing of parts with distilled water was a good idea, not sure about the soaking in isopropyl alcohol. Don't just air dry (you're just asking for oxidization), use the rice trick or if you have any spare silica gel packets use those. Hopefully you got the battery seperated from the drone pretty quick. If you have solex, when you next boot up (if it boots up) you'll want to do a motor check, have them spin up one by one. I'd advise you to lube them up, make sure these no residual sand in them. Heck, outright replacing them might be a better idea. Let us know how things go.

Isopropyl is supposed to displace the water and evaporates much more quickly due to a lower vapor pressure, reducing the chances for (metallic) salt deposition. Ideally you want ot reverse the order and do Isopropyl, then deionized, then isopropyl, then deionized water, then isopropyl. One is aiming to reduce as much as possible the metallic and other conductive deposits left behind by evaporation.

THEN dry it as efficiently as possible.

The immersion in sea water likely leached the gold and some of the silver from the solder, possibly leading to tin whiskers in the future. But tin whiskers are too unpredictable to be certain of either way. If it powers up, enjoy it.

 

[Kevin15664]

Isopropyl is supposed to displace the water and evaporates much more quickly due to a lower vapor pressure, reducing the chances for (metallic) salt deposition. Ideally you want ot reverse the order and do Isopropyl, then deionized, then isopropyl, then deionized water, then isopropyl. One is aiming to reduce as much as possible the metallic and other conductive deposits left behind by evaporation.

THEN dry it as efficiently as possible.

The immersion in sea water likely leached the gold and some of the silver from the solder, possibly leading to tin whiskers in the future. But tin whiskers are too unpredictable to be certain of either way. If it powers up, enjoy it.

Wait. What are tin whiskers? No one told me about tin whiskers.

 

[just_bruce]

Wait. What are tin whiskers? No one told me about tin whiskers.

https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/app-notes/index.mvp/id/5250

 

[USMC86]

Kevin-
You’re getting a crash course on 3DR Solo- having extra parts is always a plus- did you catch those fish while they were nibbling on Solo?

 

[Kevin15664]

Kevin-
You’re getting a crash course on 3DR Solo- having extra parts is always a plus- did you catch those fish while they were nibbling on Solo?

I bought a donor drone for 100 (only thing that's wrong is the motor it seems).

I got about 9 casts with it before mother nature decided my drone needed a bath

 

[USMC86]

Kevin-
This is too easy. Sell your controller- $50. keep whatever one you like best because you’ll be pairing it up with your new Solo anyways-
sell the airframe. Yours got wet, but even in salt water, plastic doesn’t corrode. Another $40 to $50... for the guy who dropped his Solo on asphalt instead of the ocean, this will come in handy. You come out almost even minus sweat equity. Remember, you still have two perfectly functioning 3-axis gimbals... and possibly 3 if your new bird has one. These are always in demand, if you post them; they will come.

 

[USMC86]

You are looking at the equation incorrectly-
Mother Nature is a fickle bitch- maybe it was you that she wanted to bathe?

 

[Kevin15664]

Kevin-
This is too easy. Sell your controller- $50. keep whatever one you like best because you’ll be pairing it up with your new Solo anyways-
sell the airframe. Yours got wet, but even in salt water, plastic doesn’t corrode. Another $40 to $50... for the guy who dropped his Solo on asphalt instead of the ocean, this will come in handy. You come out almost even minus sweat equity. Remember, you still have two perfectly functioning 3-axis gimbals... and possibly 3 if your new bird has one. These are always in demand, if you post them; they will come.

Sooo. Update.
I have 2 parts drones, 4 gimbals, and one salty drone. Sell everything, trade a gimbal for a new bird, keep downed birds for parts when I decide to turn my drone into a submarine again, try surf fishing again?

 

[Kevin15664]

You are looking at the equation incorrectly-
Mother Nature is a fickle bitch- maybe it was you that she wanted to bathe?

Fair point. I did swim and dive for it.

 

[USMC86]

You don’t ever run. You’ll just get shot in the back and possibly die tired. And nobody likes a quitter, not even quitters. You are in this for the long haul- if ALL FOUR of your gimbals are fully functional, and don’t look like your prom date- they are cash in hand. period. Easily, $150. In pristine condition $175. Brand new in box- $250. Assholes will have them advertised on ebay for $600,$700 and $849. Those clowns are smoking crack. But you could either trade for complete Solo or turn them into cash. Kevin, look at Solos like the stock market- if you invest wisely, you’ll be okay.
Now.... was your prom date ugly?

 

[Kevin15664]

You don’t ever run. You’ll just get shot in the back and possibly die tired. And nobody likes a quitter, not even quitters. You are in this for the long haul- if ALL FOUR of your gimbals are fully functional, and don’t look like your prom date- they are cash in hand. period. Easily, $150. In pristine condition $175. Brand new in box- $250. Assholes will have them advertised on ebay for $600,$700 and $849. Those clowns are smoking crack. But you could either trade for complete Solo or turn them into cash. Kevin, look at Solos like the stock market- if you invest wisely, you’ll be okay.
Now.... was your prom date ugly?

My prom date was gorgeous, I'm sure she lost a bet but hey her lost my gain [emoji23]. I have 3 that dont have a scratch on them and one that's still new in box. And an extra backpack

 

[USMC86]

I’d say, and it’s just a guess- 80% of Solo users are using Solo for photography- either pictures or videos and for them, the 3-axis gimbal is paramount. Then you have 18% who like the idea of flight. They like flying this object around punching holes in the clouds. Then 1% just want Solo to go as fast as possible- can’t get in to go fast enough- wish they could strap a couple rockets to it so it hits mach 4. And last, but not least, there are 3 guys out there using Solo to fish. Mind you, not 3%, just three. You and two other guys. You don’t need that gimbal; you don’t want that gimbal- sell what you don’t need to get what you want!
new in box gimbal- $250 plus shipping
Other 3- say $150..
backpack- $85 plus shipping-
Do you have $800 tied up in this hobby yet?
Did this poor girl walk with a dog and a white cane by any chance?

 

[USMC86]

$150 each!
Could even start at $175 obo....?
But you need to make sure they are good to go!!

 

[Kevin15664]

I’d say, and it’s just a guess- 80% of Solo users are using Solo for photography- either pictures or videos and for them, the 3-axis gimbal is paramount. Then you have 18% who like the idea of flight. They like flying this object around punching holes in the clouds. Then 1% just want Solo to go as fast as possible- can’t get in to go fast enough- wish they could strap a couple rockets to it so it hits mach 4. And last, but not least, there are 3 guys out there using Solo to fish. Mind you, not 3%, just three. You and two other guys. You don’t need that gimbal; you don’t want that gimbal- sell what you don’t need to get what you want!
new in box gimbal- $250 plus shipping
Other 3- say $150..
backpack- $85 plus shipping-
Do you have $800 tied up in this hobby yet?
Did this poor girl walk with a dog and a white cane by any chance?

How do you suggest I pack them? Hey man. Blind or not. Hot is hot.

 

[USMC86]

Here’s what I might suggest- UPS stores will box it up for you and ship it- of course, you will want receiving party to sign for it- to cover your ass. Bubble wrap that gimbal like bubble wrap is free!!!! Maybe even do a box in a box. INSULATED.

 

[USMC86]

Hey, I don’t have the gimbal box, that’s why you’re not paying $250 for the gimbal... make sure you include that foam stabilization block. That’s important.

 

[USMC86]

Are you walking around with a dog or a white cane?