In the event you fly in humid or moist circumstances, it’s essential to guard your electronics from potential water injury. Enter the Flywoo X30 Waterproof Superhydrophobic Spray. This modern product guarantees to supply an easy-to-apply, efficient resolution for waterproofing your drones and different electronics. On this evaluate, I’ll share my hands-on expertise with the Flywoo X30, detailing its utility, efficiency, and general effectiveness.
For extra data on silicone conformal coating, try my information: https://oscarliang.com/waterproofing-drone-electronics/
What’s Flywoo X30
The Flywoo X30 is a superhydrophobic spray designed to waterproof electronics by creating an invisible barrier that repels water. Not like conventional conformal coatings, which may be messy and time-consuming to use, the X30 is available in a handy spray bottle, making the applying course of simple and hassle-free. After making use of, water simply beads up and rolls off the handled floor, holding the elements dry.
Get the Flywoo X30 Spray from:
Every bottle incorporates about 56.7g of the superhydrophobic spray liquid.
First Impressions
Opening the Flywoo X30 spray, you discover a compact, odorless spray bottle. The appliance course of is simple, requiring only a few sprays to coat a small flight controller. One standout characteristic of the X30 is that it doesn’t go away a sticky or greasy residue. As a substitute, it types a refined white forged as soon as dried.
Flywoo X30 Spray Shut Up
With conformal coating, it often leaves a shiny and sticky texture on the floor of your FC, which may collect mud and dust over time.
Silicone Conformal Coating Shut Up
Beneath are some photos evaluating the looks of flight controllers with Flywoo X30 and typical silicone conformal coating. Earlier than Making use of:
After Making use of: Left is Flywoo X30, and proper is silicone conformal coating.
Usually, when FPV drone elements get moist, water sticks to the PCB till it dries. This poses a danger of injury as a result of electrical brief circuits.
After making use of the Flywoo X30 spray, the water types a bead when it comes into contact with the board and rolls off the floor. And it’s utterly dry!
Efficiency Testing
Many customers have examined the X30 by spraying it on their tiny whoops and dipping them in a bucket of water. Personally, I don’t suppose that is the most effective technique as a result of even with none water resistant therapy, your whoops can nonetheless work when submerged in nonetheless water for a brief time period (I attempted it).
What I actually wished to check was whether or not the X30 creates a barrier that stops the move of electrical energy, stopping electrical brief circuits. In my testing, I coated the ends of some wires with X30 spray and others with silicone conformal coating, then checked the continuity with a multimeter.
As anticipated, the standard silicone conformal coating created an efficient barrier to stop brief circuits with only one coat.
Nonetheless, even with three coats of X30 spray, it didn’t absolutely stop brief circuits—present may nonetheless move when the wires touched evenly. So, whereas X30 can repel water, it doesn’t cease brief circuits. Subsequently, I wouldn’t name this product “waterproof.”
When flying in humid circumstances or gentle rain, this product would possibly work, however don’t count on it to save lots of your drone if you happen to crash and submerge it in water, particularly in salt water. It’s nonetheless very possible {that a} brief circuit can happen and injury the drone elements.
Software Course of
Making use of the X30 spray is extremely easy:
- Preparation: Guarantee your electronics are clear and dry earlier than utility. Apply in a well-ventilated room or outdoors.
- Shake the Bottle: Shake the bottle just a few occasions earlier than spraying.
- Spraying: Maintain the bottle about 5-6 inches (12-15 cm) away from the floor and apply a lightweight, even coat. Spray at totally different angles to make sure it reaches all of the small gaps.
- Drying: The coating ought to start to dry nearly instantly, forming a skinny, barely white layer. Enable it to dry utterly for 10-20 minutes. For added safety, apply a second and even third layer.
It’s really useful to use not less than three coats to realize the specified impact. In accordance with Flywoo, it takes about 2.5g of the spray to coat each side of a flight controller thrice. So a bottle of 56.7g permits you to coat roughly 20 flight controller boards.
Sensible Suggestions
- Soldering: You’ll be able to solder over the sprayed space with out points. Not like thicker conformal coatings that may make soldering troublesome, the Flywoo X30 permits for simple soldering of connections.
- Reapplication: If wanted, reapplying the spray is simple. Merely clear the world with a brush and spray once more.
- Spraying Connectors and USB Port: In my testing, spraying connectors and USB ports didn’t have any unfavourable results—they continued to operate after a number of coats with out overlaying.
- Avoiding Barometer: Though Flywoo claims the X30 spray doesn’t clog the barometer gap, I like to recommend overlaying it with a bit of tape simply in case.
Simply Detachable
The Flywoo X30 Superhydrophobic spray coating seems to be simply detachable. When rubbed with a Q-tip, the coating comes off with out a lot effort, and the skinny layers fall off like snowflakes. This may be each a bonus and an obstacle. For a extra everlasting resolution, conventional conformal coating remains to be the best way to go.
Making use of X30 on Digicam?
I feel the X30 may be helpful for FPV cameras—not simply the circuit board, however the lens too. It prevents water droplets from forming on the lens, which may disrupt imaginative and prescient. In the event you’ve ever flown in humid or foggy circumstances, you know the way annoying this may be. Though it creates a white layer on the lens, a single coat is sufficiently subtle to be acceptable—higher than having no imaginative and prescient in any respect.
Doesn’t Fill Small Gaps
The spray applicator makes it straightforward to coat your electronics with out having to disassemble the drone. It is a enormous plus for anybody seeking to rapidly add some water resistance to their tools.
Nonetheless, spraying this coating doesn’t fill all small gaps like conventional silicone conformal coatings. If you need full water-sealed safety, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, you need to nonetheless use silicone conformal coating.
I raised the priority with Flywoo, and so they recommended dipping your complete FC within the X30 liquid. This is smart, however it might require a big amount of the product (and it’s not low-cost), and you’ll nonetheless have to disassemble your quad to do that, so why not simply use conformal coating?
Flywoo X30 Spray Shut Up
Silicone Conformal Coating Shut Up
Well being and Security
Flywoo has confirmed that the spray complies with Chinese language security requirements, indicating that dangerous substances don’t exceed commonplace limits. Nonetheless, the associated paperwork are in Chinese language, and no English information sheet is accessible in the intervening time.
Whereas the spray has no scent, not like silicone conformal coating, it’s at all times sensible to deal with such merchandise with further care. Apply it in a well-ventilated space, ideally carrying a masks and gloves.
Conclusion
The Flywoo X30 Superhydrophobic Spray presents a sensible and easy-to-use resolution for including a layer of water resistance to your electronics. Whereas it’s not an alternative choice to conventional conformal coatings by way of sturdiness and full waterproofing, it excels in eventualities the place ease of utility and momentary safety are key.
Get the Flywoo X30 Spray from:
For extra data on silicone conformal coating, try my information: https://oscarliang.com/waterproofing-drone-electronics/