Assessment: Flywoo X30 Waterproof Superhydrophobic Spray – Straightforward Conformal Coating Various?

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In the event you fly in humid or moist circumstances, it’s essential to guard your electronics from potential water harm. Enter the Flywoo X30 Waterproof Superhydrophobic Spray. This revolutionary product guarantees to supply an easy-to-apply, efficient resolution for waterproofing your drones and different electronics. On this overview, I’ll share my hands-on expertise with the Flywoo X30, detailing its software, efficiency, and total 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 appliance course of simple and hassle-free. After making use of, water simply beads up and rolls off the handled floor, conserving the elements dry.

Get the Flywoo X30 Spray from:

Every bottle incorporates about 56.7g of the superhydrophobic spray liquid.

First Impressions

Opening the Flywoo X30 spray, you discover a compact, odorless spray bottle. The applying course of is easy, requiring only a few sprays to coat a small flight controller. One standout function of the X30 is that it doesn’t depart a sticky or greasy residue. As a substitute, it varieties a refined white solid as soon as dried.

With conformal coating, it often leaves a shiny and sticky texture on the floor of your FC, which may collect mud and dust over time.

Under are some photos 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 elements get moist, water sticks to the PCB till it dries. This poses a danger of injury attributable to electrical brief circuits.

After making use of the Flywoo X30 spray, the water varieties 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 water resistant therapy, your whoops can nonetheless work when submerged in nonetheless water for a brief time period (I attempted it).

What I actually wished to check was whether or not the X30 creates a barrier that stops the stream of electrical energy, stopping electrical brief 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 forestall brief circuits with only one coat.

Nonetheless, even with three coats of X30 spray, it didn’t totally forestall brief circuits—present might nonetheless stream when the wires touched calmly. So, whereas X30 can repel water, it doesn’t cease brief circuits. Subsequently, I wouldn’t name this product “waterproof.”

When flying in humid circumstances or mild rain, this product may work, however don’t anticipate it to avoid wasting your drone for those who crash and submerge it in water, particularly in salt water. It’s nonetheless very seemingly {that a} brief circuit can happen and harm the drone elements.

Software Course of

Making use of the X30 spray is extremely easy:

1. Preparation: Guarantee your electronics are clear and dry earlier than software. Apply in a well-ventilated room or outdoors.
2. Shake the Bottle: Shake the bottle a couple of occasions earlier than spraying.
3. 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.
4. Drying: The coating ought to start to dry nearly instantly, forming a skinny, barely white layer. Enable it to dry utterly for 10-20 minutes. For added safety, apply a second and even third layer.

It’s advisable to use a minimum of three coats to attain the specified impact. In response to Flywoo, it takes about 2.5g of the spray to coat either side of a flight controller 3 times. So a bottle of 56.7g lets you coat roughly 20 flight controller boards.

Sensible Ideas

• Soldering: You’ll be able to solder over the sprayed space with out points. In contrast to thicker conformal coatings that may make soldering tough, the Flywoo X30 permits for simple soldering of connections.
• Reapplication: If wanted, reapplying the spray is easy. Merely clear the world with a brush and spray once more.
• Spraying Connectors and USB Port: In my testing, spraying connectors and USB ports didn’t have any unfavorable results—they continued to operate after a number of coats with out protecting.
• Avoiding Barometer: Though Flywoo claims the X30 spray doesn’t clog the barometer gap, I like to recommend protecting it with a chunk 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 way in which to go.

Making use of X30 on Digital camera?

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. In the event you’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 adequately subtle to be acceptable—higher than having no imaginative and prescient in any respect.

Doesn’t Fill Small Gaps

The spray applicator makes it simple to coat your electronics with out having to disassemble the drone. It is a big plus for anybody trying to rapidly add some water resistance to their tools.

Nonetheless, 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 is best to nonetheless use silicone conformal coating.

I raised the priority with Flywoo, and so they prompt dipping all the FC within the X30 liquid. This is smart, however it might 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?

Well being and Security

Flywoo has confirmed that the spray complies with Chinese language security requirements, indicating that dangerous substances don’t exceed commonplace limits. Nonetheless, the associated paperwork are in Chinese language, and no English information sheet is accessible in the intervening time.

Whereas the spray has no scent, not like silicone conformal coating, it’s all the time smart 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 affords a sensible and easy-to-use resolution for including a layer of water resistance to your electronics. Whereas it’s not an alternative choice to conventional conformal coatings when it comes to sturdiness and full waterproofing, it excels in eventualities the place ease of software and non permanent 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/