Water Proofing Electronics
 

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.

i put my super rooster in a balloon on my TLT and it doesnt even get hot at all even when i run multiple packs through it in a single day! the only time i noticed it getting hot is when i ran it in my clod. i say that if you are running one motor you will be alright, but with two or a pretty fast single motor is when you need to worry.

if you wanted something a little more permanent instead of elec. tape, and would be a little better, is liquid elec. tape. its just a black gooey blob you can't paint on and you would now have perfect water proof conections. just be ready to leave it as is though.

Dielectric grease on the battery connector is way better than electric tape.
The servo cases are allready water proof. It's where the out put gear is that the water gets in.

Check this out http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/linksmain.htm It's a boat site. Under "tips and info" they have some good stuff about waterproofing electronics.

Just wondernig...shouldn't you shield the motor from mud and "solid" gunk? Regular water, maybe not. But what about mud that has solid bits in it? It would affect cooling though...

I just waterproofed one of my scalers. For years I heard that dielectric grease was the way to go but never actually saw it used.

I PACKED my receiver, servos, esc and switch with the stuff, including the seams of the cases and the battery connection.

I proceded to drive it under water. It works, it's a perminent fix, and it was relatively cheap.

There are two types of dielectric grease. there is one that is a silver color and one that is a translucent white/clear. You only want to use the clear stuff.

You can see pics etc in the tech section at www.warcrc.org

Poor man's electrical box
 

Ok everyone I may be cheaper then the next guy on stuff like this but I bought a plastic soap dish (Box) like you would buy for a overnight bag. I found mine at the dollar store. I have seen them at Wally Mart too. I drilled it and Siliconed the holes. I run a Rebel 2 on my TLT which is one of the bigger ESC's I can think of but I had enough space for it and my reciever. I have run the combination across the local creek and haven't had a prob yet. My only complaint is they are a bit big so depending on your body you may have troubles fitting or covering up the big, often brightly colored box.

anyone know of any other fully waterproofed EScs???

MTRONIKS.NET

http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/info.php

here is a link that has some info on how to waterproof your equipment. its used for boats but it will work here to

y is wd 40 bad on motors?

thanks

Both of these are 100% - per LRP - waterproof. Cheap too.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXKYX5&P=ML
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXKYX6&P=ML

I would have to say because WD40 isnt exactly a lubricant but more a penetrant kinda like PB Blaster in a way, it does lubricate but..........................Also WD40 collects dirt in a bad way!! Thats my 2 cents anyway. I like the dielectric grease idea Im going with that!"thumbsup"

exactly dielectric grease or naval jelly. wd is ok stuff but there are so many better options i'm not sure why people still use it. i was hooked on it until i learned better.

I use Mos2 to grease it up.

I used RTV clear silicone and dielectric grease which worked great.

Is Dielectric grease also called White Lithium grease? And where can I pick up some of this Dielectric grease?

Dielectrical grease and white lithium grease are 2 totally different things. You should be able to pick up dielectric grease at a good auto parts sstore or radio shack.

do they make waterproof esc

Have you read any of this thread?

To add to this thread, I see that Traxxas has released a waterproof receiver box for their new e-maxx. Says it's compatible with most aftermarket receivers too.

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

my rig fully waterproof
 

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showt...t=44693&page=2

my rig fully waterproof
full buildup and how to guide

just curious on motors i do not know a whole lot about brushless motors and with the recent surge in availability and use are these ok in water just as the brushed motors are.

Just do this works 100% of the time. "thumbsup"
http://www.putfile.com/hitman38mod/images/157374

I waterproofed everything, servo, ESC, Reciever and battery, but I didn't waterproof my motor. I ran it for a good 15 minutes, then my motor smokes. I take it apart, and it looks like the brushes must have been bouncing, because the comm has premature wear on it and the copper in some places is completly gone... Help?

Josh

vary helpful"thumbsup"

I Am A Newbie To Crawlin But A Vetran Racer
 

Lrp And Mtronics Make An Inexpensive Line Of Waterproof Esc's And They Are Really Affordable.

Just curious, but how is WD40 bad for a motor?

It stands for "Water Displacement" and I, among a lot of other people probably have used it when you get water in your distributor cap, spark plugs. When you hydro-lock, or soak, drown your distributor. So it actually is okay for your motor, and electrics.

And its not like PB blast at all. It does not have as many Penetrating Catalysts as panther piss, PB Blast.

Also even PB Blast is safe to use on Electronics. Read the Label, if your not a believer.

Dielectric Grease is by far the best way to go.

I just use Blue RTV on all small, or big openings, and used a E-maxx receiver box to protect my ESC.

Servo I just dabbed a little bit of Waterproof grease at the cog, and opened and sealed the box with RTV. Using very little, so it wouldn't come off on the other side, and get tangled in the gears.

Balloons have always worked the best for me. I made fancy boxes and stuff in the past but they were always a pest when it came to checking something. Boxes always had some tiny little corner that would let water it.

Servo's? I run tower pro's no need for that. They seem water proof to me I've had them submerged a few times zero issues.

WD40? oil on electrical contacts isn't good. Not so much that it harms them but oil collects slimy crud, crud clogs brushes.

Balloons are idiot proof and don't void warranties.

I found this today while searching for some other stuff. Lots of good information so I thought I would share it. Lots of ways to waterproof servos/electronics.
http://www.societyofrobots.com/actua...of_servo.shtml

Another reason why wd40 is bad is becasue it is made to seperate components like water and if sprayed into your motor it will eat away the grease that is already in there. when the water is takin out of the grease it doesn't do its job any more

Research pays off, hahah

Now I`m wondering about this. According to this, you cover EVERYTHING inside the rx, including all the plug holes for the servo/esc/crystal, am I understanding that right? It`s fine having that grease in the plugs, correct?

TIA!

anyone know if these srevos are waterproof, or if they are any good for a rock crawler like the ax10????

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXBXA8&P=7
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXH305&P=7

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.

im new and was wondering if these could be used for a 55t motor,
i read the description and didn't understand what it meant

Thanks

any sugestion on waterproofing traxxas evx 2 esc? i wanted to put it in a box but i need to push the button to turn it on.

Still the best way to waterproof anything, pack the case full of dielectric grease. You will get zero water inside, it hurts nothing, and you still have access to buttons, plugs, etc.

x2 grease works great