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Weather Proof flying.

Agreed with Swellpro. If you're going to do wet weather flying a lot, this is the only viable solution for the wet flyer moment. Have used and operated several of those drones without problems in the rain, surf spray, fog, mist, dew, etc. Very useful for flying in high heat/humidity seasons and areas as well. As a drone pro this duly comes out on those occasions and I've stopped worrying about them since I included a Swellpro Splash 3 into my flight line.

One caveat is the remote - the drone itself is simple and it's a DJI flight control system, but the controller that comes with isn't waterproof. A 5-gallon Ziplok with holes punched for the antennas and "sealed" with rubber bands works for me - also keeps my hands dry while operating.

Hex20 makes a pro level waterproof drone as well, but that's a step up in complexity and price, imo. I did look at it and do a demo flight a few years back though, and if you're flying over open water, this might be a good option for you.

I mainly fly off land (not off boats or ships) so the Swellpro is totally sufficient unto my needs. It also has a carry-drop system with a downward facing camera for rescue drops so might suit your needs better. I've used it to drop a small walkie-talkie, water bottles etc., and also to locate and rescue tree- and cliff- stranded drones.
 
I can attest to the Swellpro's weather worthiness too. The Splashdrone 3+ was my first 500 class sUAV and is still my favorite. It's got a number of camera/gimbal/payload release options (4K, low light, 2 axis/3 axis gimbals, integrated payload release) along with GPS and variety of flight modes. Camera housings are all metal, all waterproof and don't blow apart in a crash. FPV and OSD are built into the TX so no phone is needed (unless you want to fly waypoints). I've put this thing through it's paces with crashes on both water and land with only the landing gear (cf tube, easy fix) and props taking on any damage. The latest iteration of the TX includes two "Smooth" control pots that when activated gives very smooth micro adjustments for Yaw and Roll which allows for rock steady (360 et al) filming. It's got big 620kv waterproof motors driving 12" CF props and the fuselage is super beefy, you can feel the build quality and can easily handle 15 knot winds. I'm a sport boat captain and if the fishin' is slow, busting out the Splashdrone can be a fun distraction for the customers. You can launch and land in water and even crawl around the surface of the water with the camera pointed down to see what's doin' below. I've had it up over open water over a mile away with no loss in signal looking for and finding tuna fish. Haven't used the payload release for fishing yet but it's great for dropping water balloons on your buddy's boat a 1/4 mile away :) . Yes the TX is not waterproof although it looks like it. However, that's where the Swellpro Spry+ may fit the bill. A 5" (prop) version of the Splashdrone. 4K camera with tilt and IS, again a quality/beefy build with many of the features you'd expect in this size sUAV; RTH (can return to controller), follow me, circle, waypoints, GPS/Acro modes, etc. AND, the TX (with FPV and OSD) is entirely waterproof too! I Secret Santa'd myself the Spry + last week and have only run a couple packs through it so far but, I'm super happy with this Swellpro too.

While my TH may have somewhat better video and it's own unique (pun intended) features it's not really the reliable work-horse that my Splashdrone has been. We all know how finicky the H can be but we still love her ;)

Regarding "waterproofing" sprays, except in some non-critical applications, I'm not a fan of any of the sprays. As has been said, sprays can and will attract and hold dust, can increase heat and is really a poor prophylactic IMO. Kinda like a Trojan with a bunch of little holes in it. You won't get waterproofing, at best you'll get water resistance and technically, you're modding a bunch of electronics that weren't necessarily designed for that type of mod.
 
I know I'll probably catch flack with this question, but here goes.
I fly my Typhoon H and CGO-ET for the local EMA (Search and Rescue). And we almost never go out in perfect weather.. Rain, Snow, Cold are the most common call outs.

My question: Is there a way to make the H less vulnerable to the elements? Some way to maybe make it water/moisture resistant?
Other than "Don't Fly" in bad weather?

Thanks,
Art
The answer to your question has gotten lost here. The answer for sure isn't "Buy a different drone". The H is quite capable of flying in bad weather. I've done it a lot. The weather limitations for use with SAR are nearly always related to visibility and signal attenuation. Visibility from the camera view is critical when you fly a mission at 150' altitude. In difficult terrain the view from the camera is even more critical.
 
The answer to your question has gotten lost here. The answer for sure isn't "Buy a different drone". The H is quite capable of flying in bad weather. I've done it a lot. The weather limitations for use with SAR are nearly always related to visibility and signal attenuation. Visibility from the camera view is critical when you fly a mission at 150' altitude. In difficult terrain the view from the camera is even more critical.
Steve, I have flown in cold weather. Flight times are reduced by 30%. Shot this with my CGO-ET. Fawn in the field behind my house. Camera works pretty well.
 

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Okay, sticking to the OP's original question, I'd say try DryDrone Shake n Bake aka 3M's Novec.
review here:
Mod Note... fixed broken link

However, like a real plane flying often in cold (icy) conditions, if one is going to do it predictably often, I'd suggest it would be more prudent to fly an aircraft that comes with de-icing equipment, rather than to try to stick with/modify one that doesn't.
That way one can actually fly the mission 100%, rather than have a nagging question of "what if this time is the time my drone finally gets too wet"?

Also if it's a SAR mission, then things like remote delivery systems, IR sensors, high-intensity strobes and LED spotlights might come in handy.

As in the situation with camera selection, no one drone is a perfect solution for every mission, is all I'm saying.
And sure, yes, do try Novec or conformal coating, if that will take that nagging worry away and let you concentrate on flying your mission.

JM2c, YMMV etc.
 
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I see no reason to resort to expensive products for flying in the poor weather conditions. You can spray the aircraft, props, motors, camera and electronics, without disassembly, prior to leaving the house.
I have flown in cold weather. Flight times are reduced by 30%
I'm no stranger to flying in cold weather. This was a test flight to evaluate foundation heat loss.

1577131337304.png
 
Steve, hi and Happy Holidays!

While I agree with you in principle, I feel there's really two different value points under discussion here.

One's a very simple one - you buy a drone, you fly a drone, if it gets too wet, it stops working and then you try to RTH it or retrieve it after.

The second's not so obvious. On a movie shoot, if my drone stops working, maybe 50-60 other people, stunts, what have you, also stop working. Hence the redundancies on my flight line - at least two functioning craft capable to fly the mission.

Likewise, if an SAR mission loses a drone, does a missing victim say "oh, well, let's wait for the next one?"

In the former instance, we're only talking about the value of the drone itself, with little else at stake. And yes, $50 or so for waterproofing does seem like overkill. However, in the latter, that same $50 seems more like cheap insurance against non-performance due to equipment failure, when other people depend on that performance.
 
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The OP's question: "Is there a way to make the H less vulnerable to the elements? Some way to maybe make it water/moisture resistant?"

This isn't the same as waterproofing. I've flown the H in light rain, fog and heavy snow with no protection at all and I've had zero issues. None. But it is possible to get icing conditions on the props and those need to be treated if the conditions warrant. The controller has always been more of a problem in these conditions. A wet touch screen doesn't respond when it's wet. And I've had the sticks can get completely packed with snow. The H, however, keeps on flying.

Of course backup aircraft is always a best practice. I have several models and redundant aircraft.
 
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The OP's question: "Is there a way to make the H less vulnerable to the elements? Some way to maybe make it water/moisture resistant?"

Of course backup aircraft is always a best practice. I have several models and redundant aircraft.
I have (2) Typhoon H Pro's and (2) ST-16's but only (1) CGO-ET and (1) CGO-3+.
I think I have the redundancy covered with the exception of the cameras.
 
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With all due respect, if I am on a movie shoot, my budget, hopefully, is a bit higher, affording me the means to invest in the appropriate gear. If weather may be an issue, or planned in a given shoot, the equipment must be up to the task.

If I am doing a gratis shoot, all bets are off. The “director” has agreed ahead of time. Threatening conditions [to equipment] we delay.

As for SAR, the equipment required also should anticipate the environment. I can see planning for mostly ideal conditions if say, if located in mostly arid territory. If in the wetlands, I would likely need to plan for less than ideal conditions.

If just flying for fun or willing to take chances, I will continue to fly with Steve. [emoji41]

Jeff
 
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With all due respect, if I am on a movie shoot, my budget, hopefully, is a bit higher, affording me the means to invest in the appropriate gear. If weather may be an issue, or planned in a given shoot, the equipment must be up to the task.

If I am doing a gratis shoot, all bets are off. The “director” has agreed ahead of time. Threatening conditions [to equipment] we delay.

As for SAR, the equipment required also should anticipate the environment. I can see planning for mostly ideal conditions if say, if located in mostly arid territory. If in the wetlands, I would likely need to plan for less than ideal conditions.

If just flying for fun or willing to take chances, I will continue to fly with Steve.

Jeff
Of course I have to put my 2 cents worth in. This time I'm trying my best to be a peace maker and not be sarcastic. Not normal for me I know.

I think answering the op's ? is important, I also think it's important to answer the other scenarios as if we don't it may mislead. Now that that's out of the way I still think @Steve Carr has snow, wood and rain magnets installed on all of his devices. Otherwise how does he get packed snow into his controllers, trees in his drones and rain in every crevis? That last one sends shivers up my timbers!
 
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