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-   -   Water Proofing Electronics (http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/electronics/26785-water-proofing-electronics.html)

sierrajim 12-15-2010 02:20 PM

Waterproofed castle sidewinder, done in the same way as the waterproof BRXL, Traxxas XL5 waterproof speedy as the winch controller, Slash receiver box and a standard towerpro servo that has stood up to me beating on it for just on 12 months.

I've also never waterproofed a lipo and have never had an issue.

The only drama with water is that the Traxxas 2.4 radio gear needs the antenna sticking out of the water to work.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l6...jim/photo2.jpg

Edit: and yes, it drove out of this

BAM-BAM 12-15-2010 05:40 PM

one of the best ways to waterproof you electronics is to by corrosionX it's a liquid based product that I have used and with great success. cost is about 16 bucks for the 16 oz spray bottle . all you have to do is remove the casing from your esc or, just open it. dunk it in make sure no bubbles are present on your esc and let it stand for about 1 min. then just put it on a old towel or rag to drip dry, then put back together. I'm pretty shure it won't void your warranty because theres nothing there to hamper them from fixing it. there's a video on YouTube by rcfoamfighters"bloodymicks" showing how to apply thats where i got the tip from.
You may need to repeat the application every 8 to 12 months. I do it every 6 because I mud too much.

slammin1984 12-18-2010 01:03 PM

there is a guy on youtube who actually created a box out lexan and some other materials. he custom made little cases for his esc and other electronics. I am thinking about doing that for mine. it looks like it would work REALLY well and you are not putting any chemicals on your electronics so it is completely ok for your warranty. just type "how to waterproof esc" in the search bar and it should pop up as first one.

Charlie-III 12-18-2010 01:32 PM

I will have to read the whole thread, but, my main comment is......you only need to cover boards or case seams.....not the whole friggin part!
What I mean is, if you're doing a servo, do the case mating line, the wire entry as well as the output shaft. No need to cover the whole servo case.
ESC's may need some more coverage than a servo, but be realistic.

scteggy 01-06-2011 07:33 PM

Where do you buy corrosionX?

Tommy R 01-06-2011 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scteggy (Post 2844143)
Where do you buy corrosionX?

Sporting goods stores have it in the outdoor/boating areas. "thumbsup"

Butcherinhd 01-09-2011 11:24 PM

Have any of you guys heard of this esc or used it? http://www.rpphobby.com/product_p/lrp83060.htm sory if link dont work think i jacked it up. its at RPP hobby its an LRP AI QUANTM RUNNER PLUS says its water proof only 50 bucks sounds to good to be true . just kinda thinkin junk idk any comments?

davidyack 01-12-2011 08:07 PM

would it work to use the waterproof pouch for a phone or ipod? these sometimes even have a spot designed for the headphone wires to run through. and its only for my rx and lipo. ill be using the waterproof holmes hobbies esc.

CrawleR ModdeR 01-14-2011 01:27 PM

Do you need to water proof winch?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by BrockGrimes (Post 251037)
Battery Connections/Exposed Wires

This is an often overlooked area when trying to protect your truck from the elements. You should cover all connections, such as battery plugs, that are exposed to the elements. Otherwise it's possible that moisture could seep into these plugs and short out the two wires. A few pieces of electrical tape should take care of this situation easily, just make sure to surround the entire plug as any small opening could be an entry point for water.

Motor

Believe it or not, in an electric RC, the motor is an area that requires very little attention when exposed to the elements. You don't really need to worry about keeping the moisture away from the elements as water will not affect it's operation. As a matter of fact, in some cases hobbyists run a motor underwater as a way to break the motor in. The only thing you'll need to do is disassemble the motor after running, and clean it well. Make sure you re-lube your motor's bearings or bushings when putting it back together.

Receiver/Receiver Pack

The receiver is generally one of the most expensive components on an RC truck, so you want to make sure you provide it plenty of protection from the elements. Many nitro-powered vehicles already have the receiver protected with some sort of cover or plastic box to avoid damage should nitro splash on it when refueling. However very few electric vehicles offer this sort of protection, and even in the nitro world there are some exceptions.

Many receiver boxes can be used on vehicles other than the ones they were intended for, when used with a little creativity. This provides a good option for protecting your receiver. When using a receiver or battery box, keep in mind there are often small gaps in them. Most of the time, these are the areas that wires pass through. It would be a very wise course of action to seal these gaps up with silicone to prevent water from finding it's way inside.

You can also use a balloon to cover the receiver if this option isn't feasible for you. Simply insert the receiver into a balloon, with the servos already plugged into the receiver in their correct locations. Then close up the mouth of the balloon with a ziptie. You can also seal up the mouth of the balloon with some grease or silicone to help seal up any leftover gaps after the ziptie is pulled tight. While it may not be the most attractive solution, it's very effective. If your truck also uses a receiver pack, or battery holder, to power the receiver you should also protect it as well. Again many trucks provide battery boxes, and those battery boxes can fit many other vehicles besides the ones which they were designed for. If all else fails, a balloon will work well in this area as well.

Servos

Servos are another item that should be protected from the elements. Some servos, such as the Hitec 5625MG and 5645MG, are water-proof and need no further attention. However most servos do need to be protected from the elements. There are two widely used methods to accomplish this, balloons and silicone. Using a balloon is pretty straightforward. First remove the servo horn or servo saver, and then simply encase the servo inside a balloon. Leave the wires sticking outside the mouth of the balloon, and close up the mouth of the balloon with a ziptie. You can also seal up the mouth of the balloon with some grease or silicone to help seal up any leftover gaps after the ziptie is pulled tight. Then use a pin to place a small hole in the balloon where the servo output shaft is located, and pull the balloon so that the shaft slides through it. Then you can reinstall your servo horn or servo saver. Another method of protecting your servo from moisture, is to use some silicone sealant. This results in a stock-like appearance, as you can't really tell that anything has been done to the servo. Take the servo case halves apart, and apply a small bead of silicone where the they connect. Then simply reassemble the case and allow the silicone time to cure. To protect the area around the servo output shaft, use a small o-ring coated with some grease to form a seal when you install a servo horn or servo saver.

Speed Controller

Protecting your speed control is a very important, yet difficult, step to undertake. I often hear of people encasing their ESC inside a balloon, but that's often a dangerous idea. It severely hampers the ESC's ability to cool itself, which could lead to the ESC overheating and damaging itself. At the very least, you might experience the balloon the ESC is encased in melting. So if you choose this method of protection, I would encourage you to frequently monitor your ESC's temperature to avoid such problems. Small plastic project boxes like they sell at radio shack can be used to seal up the ESC or ESC and Receiver too.

The only good solution for a MSC, would be to make a shield to protect the electronics from the elements. You can fabricate something out of scrap lexan, or simply carve up a 2-liter drink bottle. A few pieces of duct tape will hold the shield in place and help prevent any moisture from finding it's way inside. As a general rule, since a shield sits away from the ESC by several inches, the ESC shouldn't overheat with this method. However it would still be advisable to check it from time to time to ensure that it's still not overheating.

It's also possible to buy waterproof ESC's for use during wet and snowy conditions. MTroniks is one company that is well known for this. Also LRP makes water proof ESC's.

Misc. Tips

In addition to the things listed above you can use plastidip found at local hardware stores (it's a liquid that hardens into a rubber coating) and dip your parts in it to seal them, servos are a prime cantidate for plastidip.

Put a thin coating of oil on the outer motor bearing to help prevent water intrusion.

WD-40 can be used on the motor, but use it sparingly, but spray some on a cloth and wipe down your metal chassis parts just like you'd oil a gun and the water will bead right off and it makes clean up a snap. Armorall works also, some people use armorall on the plastic parts. I use rainx on the outside of the body or wipe it with a thin coat of armorall the help make clean up easy.


Most of the info above can be found on:
http://www.misbehavin-rc.com/pit-lan...erproofing.asp

Except for the last few lines I give full credit to them on this article. I use alot of these tips on my Electrics and on my Nitro 4x4's also. So if there is a nitro tip mentioned please take it for what it is.

If you have other water proofing ideas please share them here.


Do you have to waterproof the actual whinch?

Dansam 01-20-2011 01:31 PM

Balloons and silicon work well for me. "thumbsup":mrgreen:

nhtoyotawheeler 02-08-2011 04:04 PM

i read that brushed motors are pretty much waterproof. does this go for all brushed motors,or is there some that are not.

nhtoyotawheeler 02-08-2011 08:54 PM

are the novak brushed crawler motors water proof ? the booklet says no. i just got a rooster crawler combo and wanted to know if i sealed everything else would the motor be ok?

KevMc 02-26-2011 03:15 PM

Just crammed my 7955TG full of dielectric, now it's slow as hell.
But I did dunk it and no problems, still strong just takes about an hour to turn left:cry:

Nitrofreakmanho 02-26-2011 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevMc (Post 2953531)
Just crammed my 7955TG full of dielectric, now it's slow as hell.
But I did dunk it and no problems, still strong just takes about an hour to turn left:cry:

..something sounds weird about that to me. This is the only servo I use for my 1/8 scale racers because of it's strength and speed, it's hard to think that grease would slow it down..it's got enough power to easily crush a finger. Are any gears binding inside?

KevMc 02-26-2011 08:52 PM

Doesn't seem to be any binding. I loosened up the four case screws to make sure there wasn't anything getting pinched, still turned slow.
When I have some time tomorrow I will pull it all apart, clean out the grease and double check.

Colorofkris 03-02-2011 08:46 PM

Is there any worry about LED lights?? will they be ok in water or sould i take them off?

crawler57 03-13-2011 03:28 AM

what about water profing my difs???

Nitrofreakmanho 03-13-2011 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crawler57 (Post 2982634)
what about water profing my difs???

Pack them full of grease"thumbsup"

AgentXTC 03-16-2011 11:02 AM

Excellent tek here. I waterproofed most of my electronics last night. How I did it...

ESC - liquid electrical tape all around (except heatsink). I did not cover the capacitors. Not sure about those? It's a Mamba Max...
Crabwalk motor (I'd love to know what this is actually called and where it came from, but there's no identifying information on it to my eyes) - balloon & zip ties. It will get a bit of RTV and another zip tie tonight.
Rx - RTV around the case joints, screws, antenna hole. Once I plug everything back in, I'll be siliconing those as well.
Battery/motor connectors - Elec tape & liquid elec tape over all the soldered connections.
Battery - liquid elec tape & plasti dip spray

I think that's about all I did for waterproofing. I have new servos in today, so once I open them up, I'll be picking up some grease (I'm assuming white lithium as that's what was in my previous servos and these are the same manufacturer), I'll pack the servo spline with grease, then plasti-dip spray the rest of it (masking off the ears and splines of course). I do still need to protect my LED panel, so I'll do that tonight. Thanks for all the tips. :)

Dingotron 03-16-2011 07:32 PM

ESC problems
 
Iam wondering if someone can help me, my axial SCX10 wont move or do anything at all!, i dsconnected everything, and today i reconnected all the electronics, and i try pairing the reciever and transmitter but nothing is working, all it does is the reciever stays red and the ESC bjust blinks green, ive tryed switching the plugs, pairing, nothing working, any advice or things i need to try to solve it and get it moving>? i just got a brand new 3000 MAH battery, anyway thanks!!

soslowski 03-20-2011 09:59 PM

with the grease trick do you open the receiver case and pack it or do you encase the outside? will it overheat?

Spiike 03-28-2011 03:56 PM

Should clear up some unanswered questions in the thread, I have read all the thread, and searched high and low, but is there a list of what is waterproof and what is water resistant? and what is NOT waterproof?

I know from previous threads that the Axial 27T motors are NOT waterproof.

I know that the Hitec 645MG is water resistant, but with a tab of dialetric grease at the output shaft, it is waterproof.

The axial AE-1 is NOT waterproof. and i've heard that plastidip and dialetric grease will do the trick, is there a website with step by step procedures? that would help great as this would be my first time, and my brother's in law's first time. I know that this ae-1 gets really warm to the touch when we first used it, because the servo was defective and drawing too much power, so we then realized that the balloon would melt under stress?

The axial receiver box is NOT waterproof, just a splash guard. shouldn't be too hard to waterproof the box with some silicone at the wires.

My brother in law owns the Dingo RTR, he wants to waterproof it, but he doesn't trust a baloon around the motor for the obvious reasons it needs air? would it be ok if the motor was in a sealed compartment? I've seen others do it with success. ist he axial 27t motor any different?

as for the battery connection, do you just put dialetric grease all over the plug inside and out? and its ok for disconnecting and reconnecting to charge? and the dialetric grease will still remain in tact for the next run? or do you have to cover the plug in grease everytime you plug the battery in.

oh and the battery is NIMH so it is safe from what i read above. its LIPO that u need to worry about.

sorry about the noob questions, but little unsure.

noremacyug 03-28-2011 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiike (Post 3012869)
Should clear up some unanswered questions in the thread, I have read all the thread, and searched high and low, but is there a list of what is waterproof and what is water resistant? and what is NOT waterproof?

I know from previous threads that the Axial 27T motors are NOT waterproof.

I know that the Hitec 645MG is water resistant, but with a tab of dialetric grease at the output shaft, it is waterproof.

The axial AE-1 is NOT waterproof. and i've heard that plastidip and dialetric grease will do the trick, is there a website with step by step procedures? that would help great as this would be my first time, and my brother's in law's first time. I know that this ae-1 gets really warm to the touch when we first used it, because the servo was defective and drawing too much power, so we then realized that the balloon would melt under stress?

The axial receiver box is NOT waterproof, just a splash guard. shouldn't be too hard to waterproof the box with some silicone at the wires.

My brother in law owns the Dingo RTR, he wants to waterproof it, but he doesn't trust a baloon around the motor for the obvious reasons it needs air? would it be ok if the motor was in a sealed compartment? I've seen others do it with success. ist he axial 27t motor any different?

as for the battery connection, do you just put dialetric grease all over the plug inside and out? and its ok for disconnecting and reconnecting to charge? and the dialetric grease will still remain in tact for the next run? or do you have to cover the plug in grease everytime you plug the battery in.

oh and the battery is NIMH so it is safe from what i read above. its LIPO that u need to worry about.

sorry about the noob questions, but little unsure.

I just did a write up yesterday on waterproofing the new stock axial electronics. Could prolly help you out a bit. I only cover the esc, led board and receiver. The servo is easy to seal (YouTube it) and I'll have to look more at the motor. Haven't got that far yet.

Spiike 03-28-2011 09:52 PM

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/axial-scx-10/257793-first-scaler.html

I also found this thread and shows how he used liquid tape to cover his electronics...

i've only seen one thread where the guy used a small plastic cup covered the pinion and used a baloon with the rest of the motor, but thats it

Baoser 04-21-2011 11:47 AM

Lots of reading, but great info and tips on waterproofing. Thanks

Daredee 04-22-2011 12:31 PM

Is there any pictures how to waterproof sensored brushless motors?

Trailbuster 05-02-2011 03:44 PM

Thanks for all the great tips on this! I did the liquid elec tape to my reciever board and esc board and went threw creeks and still ran like a top.

rockpayne 05-09-2011 06:46 PM

I am also curious about waterproofing my brushless sensored motor, I was given a product that the local marine shop says is just like Corrosion X it is called Quick Silver Corrosion Guard. Has anyone used this product for waterproofing? I do not have a cheap esc to try it on and I want to KNOW before I try to put it on some expensive electronics. :shock: I know with sensored motors, dielectric grease on the sensor wire loom connector and clear silicone were it goes into the motor housing, but what about the exposed part of the board on the endbell, maybe even dielectric grease on the bearings outside the motor. Anyone got any other tips?

Negaduck 05-26-2011 04:13 PM

I know that this thread send that Hitec 5625MG and 5645MG are waterproof but on the hitec website they say nothing about it being waterproof. i just want to make sure it is or find out what other servos people are running cause i'm one to run my truck with water running over the hood lol

crawlhog 05-26-2011 04:30 PM

they are NOT waterproof , you will fry it out if it goes for a swim.
there are some great write ups on RCC on how to waterproof them or you can go on YOUTUBE , there are a bunch of videos on it.

Negaduck 05-26-2011 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crawlhog (Post 3112190)
they are NOT waterproof , you will fry it out if it goes for a swim.
there are some great write ups on RCC on how to waterproof them or you can go on YOUTUBE , there are a bunch of videos on it.


Got any suggestion on what servo to use????

jammindriver 05-27-2011 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grapegoat (Post 1033771)
No they are not waterproof. They have small rubber seals that help with water and dust intrusion. So basically, they are water RESISTANT. Not submergable. Plus they don't have enough torque to be used on a crawler. If they are water tight, they will say WATER PROOF. Get a hitec 5645.

Is that hitec 5645 already waterproof?? Or still have to balloon the dawg??

jammindriver 05-27-2011 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boatman (Post 901693)
Also the esc in the new emaxx is the marine water proof one

Here is a good water proof esc with no reverse delay

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=PRB2314

Has anyone used this in a crawler build? How is the low end and start up control?? Does it require a BEC??

jammindriver 05-27-2011 11:29 AM

LIPO Batteries Underwater
 
Noob here :oops:...do I need to waterproof my LIPO batteries? If so, can I dip in Plasti-Dip?? Also, how do you waterproof the Dean's connection? Was wondering if I painted a fine layer of silicone on the ends of each of the Dean's connector, would that be enough to seal when they come together when the connectors are connected. Only problem is that silicone has a bit of negative charge by nature and really attracts dirt. Obviously I can't use a permanent waterproofing since this is a connection that has to come apart after each run. Will electric tape be enough??

jammindriver 05-27-2011 11:33 AM

Water and Motors
 
Yeah, still posting questions...I have gone through a bunch of threads...

Am I correct in understanding that BRUSHED motors are not affected by water submersion but BRUSHLESS motors do not mix with water???

I was thinking of a Novak 18.5 systems, but don't want to get that if the motor doesn't play well with water.

Thanks guys!

Oh, and there is so much great info on RCC - these forums are DOPE for an RC junkie! "thumbsup"

Rig Rocker 05-27-2011 11:49 AM

Any ideas on waterproofing FXR's? What about filling the entire case with dialectric grease?

boogiecash 05-27-2011 12:00 PM

i used corrosion x on a ae1 esc just for testing and it worked great i placed the esc in a bowl of water and it ran the motor with out any issues. i dipped the esc in corrosion x first and let it sit for a few minutes then took it out let it drip the excess off after about 20 min i plugged it up and worked great there is a video on youtube of a guy using a mamba monster doing the same process im going to try it on a rx8 and see how it goes

jammindriver 05-27-2011 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nzax10 (Post 2534509)
Hi guys,

can i waterproof my electics with silicon spray?

I like this idea...I wonder??

jammindriver 05-30-2011 05:14 PM

Am I correct in understanding that BRUSHED motors are not affected by water submersion but BRUSHLESS motors do not mix with water???

I was thinking of a Novak 18.5 systems, but don't want to get that if the motor doesn't play well with water.

Koldham 06-18-2011 04:54 PM

so everybody keeps saying that motors are waterproof but the motor on my rig siezed after a few seconds in the water/mud. whats that all about? is there a way i can fix it?


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