If you happen to 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 offer an easy-to-apply, efficient resolution for waterproofing your drones and different electronics. On this evaluation, 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. In contrast to conventional conformal coatings, which might 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, retaining the parts 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 easy, requiring just some 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 normally 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
Under are some pictures 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 parts get moist, water sticks to the PCB till it dries. This poses a danger of harm on account of electrical quick 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 waterproof remedy, your whoops can nonetheless work when submerged in nonetheless water for a brief time frame (I attempted it).
What I actually needed to check was whether or not the X30 creates a barrier that stops the movement of electrical energy, stopping electrical quick 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 quick circuits with only one coat.
Nevertheless, even with three coats of X30 spray, it didn’t absolutely forestall quick circuits—present may nonetheless movement when the wires touched frivolously. 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 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 seemingly {that a} quick circuit can happen and injury the drone parts.
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 exterior.
- 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 totally different angles to make sure it reaches all of the small gaps.
- Drying: The coating ought to start to dry virtually instantly, forming a skinny, barely white layer. Permit it to dry utterly for 10-20 minutes. For added safety, apply a second and even third layer.
It’s beneficial to use no less than three coats to attain the specified impact. Based on Flywoo, it takes about 2.5g of the spray to coat each side of a flight controller thrice. So a bottle of 56.7g means that you can coat roughly 20 flight controller boards.
Sensible Suggestions
- Soldering: You may solder over the sprayed space with out points. In contrast to thicker conformal coatings that may make soldering tough, the Flywoo X30 permits for straightforward soldering of connections.
- Reapplication: If wanted, reapplying the spray is easy. Merely clear the realm with a brush and spray once more.
- Spraying Connectors and USB Port: In my testing, spraying connectors and USB ports didn’t have any damaging 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 a drawback. For a extra everlasting resolution, conventional conformal coating continues to be the best way to go.
Making use of X30 on Digicam?
I feel the X30 might 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. If you happen to’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 trying to shortly add some water resistance to their tools.
Nevertheless, 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, it’s best to nonetheless use silicone conformal coating.
I raised the priority with Flywoo, and so they prompt dipping the whole 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 must disassemble your quad to do that, so why not simply use conformal coating?
Flywoo X30 Spray 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 customary limits. Nevertheless, the associated paperwork are in Chinese language, and no English information sheet is accessible in the mean time.
Whereas the spray has no odor, in contrast to silicone conformal coating, it’s at all times sensible to deal with such merchandise with additional care. Apply it in a well-ventilated space, ideally sporting 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 to conventional conformal coatings by way of sturdiness and full waterproofing, it excels in situations the place ease of utility and short-term 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/
