Enjoying the good weather for flying on Dartmoor flying under the trees, near is a beautiful old stone bridge, lining the drone up with the bridge and flying 2 foot above the water I went forwards under the bridge, now out of site the drone lurched to one side! I hit something in the middle, so I tried to back out but hit it again, the next thing I saw on the screen was a splash and silence!!
Looking down from the bridge I could see the lights flashing, the moor’s water was clear and about 3 foot drop and flowing fast, sorry to say it’s gone!
I moved to look under the bridge there was a steel wire hanging down I never saw it at all.
I went back to the disaster site today with a 12 foot long hook, it did not reach the water, but the drone can be seen sitting upright with legs out ready to fly. The water is about five foot deep and flowing, I have a dry suit with me but without lead weights I would not be able to get it, so tomorrow’s plan is a lead weight and small graphing hooks I will try to hook one of the arms?? we will try!!
No the SIM card is still in the drone, it was strange I think the drone lost GPS under the bridge and moved to the left colliding with the stonework, know one wants to think it’s there fault, If I messed up I will say when I get the memory card back? If I fail tomorrow to grapple it then it’s strip off and go get it.
I will try to set up my iPhone to record the fun and games lol. I will be stripping it down as far as I can as I have a new gimbal sprung platform to fit, then its Rice in a warm place for a few days and see.
I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that counterintuitively when you recover something that’s water damaged - you should actually rince it with demineralised water first.
It’s typically not the water that causes damage first, it’s the minerals (especially salt) that’s left behind when the water evaporates. If you can rince all that water out with demineralised water, it stands a better chance when dry.
Obviously, there’s always a risk of rust too which will damage components, but if it’s fresh water and hasn’t been there too long it might be alright.
Also, instead of rice - you might consider using silicon beads (the sort that come in the box of new products). I bought a bunch of them off amazon really cheaply which I use to keep my drone’s carry case nice and dry inside.
Thank’s Camera-On, I will get some deiornised water at the last wash, still hoping to get it with a grapple rather than going in, I will document it all and show hear even if disappointing.
You’ll probably find that the video file on the card can’t be read - this is because it won’t have been finalised as the drone wasn’t properly shut down. There are apps available online which can finalise it and make it playable.
From your description of the river, I recommend having a second person (or three) holding you (not just filming you) on a strong rope so that you are not swept away and becoming a second casualty.
First thing when it comes out: remove the battery. Water is the enemy of electronics. Obviously salt water most of all, but river water is not as pure as it appears. However, it is possible that rinsing everything in pure (preferably distilled) water before totally drying it all out could save the circuits. Strip down everything you can, even the battery, to ensure all moisure and mud (and tadpoles) are removed.
There are many Youtube videos on disassembling just about every drone.
It was raised today at 3.30. so 52 hrs lying on the sand bed!
I brought it home and immersed it in warm clean water shaking it to drive out the small swimming creatures and silt, just kept it moving in the water for 30 min’s then filled a plastic box with Distilled water leaving it in there turning it over at times.
A quick dry with a towel, then I removed the top and bottom to expose the inners, dabbing all the moisture off, I swing it at arms length to get any hidden drops out then stuffed it with dry tissue while I prepared it’s bed of rice, Poured rice inside and all over it then lid on and put it upstairs to bed!
Now waiting I may change the rice, didn’t do the battery can they come back? there is no voltage across it?
