In case 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 revolutionary product guarantees to supply an easy-to-apply, efficient answer for waterproofing your drones and different electronics. On this assessment, 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, take a look at 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 will be messy and time-consuming to use, the X30 is available in a handy spray bottle, making the appliance 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 accommodates 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 just some sprays to coat a small flight controller. One standout function of the X30 is that it doesn’t depart a sticky or greasy residue. As a substitute, it kinds a refined white solid 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 might collect mud and grime 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 threat of injury attributable to electrical quick circuits.
After making use of the Flywoo X30 spray, the water kinds a bead when it comes into contact with the board and rolls off the floor. And it’s fully 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 assume that is the very best technique as a result of even with none waterproof remedy, 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 quick circuits. In my testing, I lined the ends of some wires with X30 spray and others with silicone conformal coating, then checked the continuity with a multimeter.
As anticipated, the normal silicone conformal coating created an efficient barrier to stop quick circuits with only one coat.
Nonetheless, even with three coats of X30 spray, it didn’t absolutely stop quick circuits—present might nonetheless move when the wires touched flippantly. So, whereas X30 can repel water, it doesn’t cease quick circuits. Subsequently, I wouldn’t name this product “waterproof.”
When flying in humid circumstances or mild rain, this product may work, however don’t anticipate it to avoid wasting your drone in the event you crash and submerge it in water, particularly in salt water. It’s nonetheless very seemingly {that a} quick 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 a couple of instances 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 completely 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. Permit it to dry fully for 10-20 minutes. For added safety, apply a second and even third layer.
It’s advisable to use no less than three coats to attain the specified impact. In keeping with Flywoo, it takes about 2.5g of the spray to coat either side of a flight controller 3 times. So a bottle of 56.7g lets you coat roughly 20 flight controller boards.
Sensible Suggestions
- Soldering: You possibly can solder over the sprayed space with out points. Not like thicker conformal coatings that may make soldering tough, the Flywoo X30 permits for straightforward 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 detrimental results—they continued to perform after a number of coats with out masking.
- Avoiding Barometer: Though Flywoo claims the X30 spray doesn’t clog the barometer gap, I like to recommend masking 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 answer, conventional conformal coating continues to be the way in which to go.
Making use of X30 on Digicam?
I believe the X30 will be helpful for FPV cameras—not simply the circuit board, however the lens too. It prevents water droplets from forming on the lens, which might disrupt imaginative and prescient. In case 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. This can be a large plus for anybody seeking to rapidly add some water resistance to their gear.
Nonetheless, spraying this coating doesn’t fill all small gaps like conventional silicone conformal coatings. If you’d like 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 advised dipping the complete FC within the X30 liquid. This is smart, however it will require a big amount of the product (and it’s not low cost), and you’d 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 knowledge sheet is obtainable for the time being.
Whereas the spray has no odor, not like silicone conformal coating, it’s at all times smart 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 affords a sensible and easy-to-use answer for including a layer of water resistance to your electronics. Whereas it’s not an alternative to conventional conformal coatings by way of sturdiness and full waterproofing, it excels in eventualities the place ease of utility and non permanent safety are key.
Get the Flywoo X30 Spray from:
For extra data on silicone conformal coating, take a look at my information: https://oscarliang.com/waterproofing-drone-electronics/
