Any one had any luck drying out a P3A?

[flywindy]

Hi all,
I finally got my p3a out of the top of a 90 ft pine tree but not after we had a hard rain storm. It was in the tree 3 days before we could find it and retrieve it. Physical damage is one broken prop and one cracked prop guard. I powered it up briefly just to see if it would work and the motors came on line and as soon as I got the flashing green lights I shut it down and put it in a plastic box with some rice. There is moisture behind the camera lens but everything else seems to be ok. Any suggestions as to how to proceed from this point?
Thanks

 

[Reed L]

I would pull the top off, the VPS, and the lens cover at least to check for water and then after drying what you can, leave it in the rice for a few day to a week. Pulling the camera and everything. I've had one camera land in the river and completely submerge, then after treating it in rice for a few days, it still works like new a year later

 

[flywindy]

Thanks Reed,
I took the plate off the back of the camera but I am not sure about the lens cover. Does it screw on? I had a filter on but it just pushed on!

 

[Reed L]

Yup, just screws on... Tight sometimes.

 

[WetDog]

Lens cover screws on. Usually it's easy, occasionally it is very frustrating. Search the forum if you have trouble.

Be patient. Lots of P3s have been successfully dried out. Freshwater is usually not much of problem. Batteries typically short out although in your case it might have been protected well enough. If it were me, however, I'd replace it. Wonky batteries are inimical to prolonged flight times, you could end up the same tree, so to speak.

You don't really need to open it up, I probably would just to get a visual view of everything. Let us know how it turns out.

Of course, you could use this as an excuse to get a 'backup' bird.

 

[Prairie Pyro]

Hi all,
I finally got my p3a out of the top of a 90 ft pine tree but not after we had a hard rain storm. It was in the tree 3 days before we could find it and retrieve it. Physical damage is one broken prop and one cracked prop guard. I powered it up briefly just to see if it would work and the motors came on line and as soon as I got the flashing green lights I shut it down and put it in a plastic box with some rice. There is moisture behind the camera lens but everything else seems to be ok. Any suggestions as to how to proceed from this point?
Thanks

I was wondering what happened to the bird in the tree. What was the bill?

 

[flywindy]

After 5 people looking with high dollar specs, climbed 5 different trees! $200 After a while it was like a game and it wasn't in the tree the go app said it was in!

 

[flywindy]

Wet dog, I tried to unscrew the lens cap even with the prop wrench and it wouldn't budge. Don't want to break it but if I could get if off I feel as if it would dry better

 

[TWP723]

Wet dog, I tried to unscrew the lens cap even with the prop wrench and it wouldn't budge. Don't want to break it but if I could get if off I feel as if it would dry better

Yeah, those lenses can be a bear to get off. You feel like your gonna wrench the camera off the gimbal. Just have to be very careful and put some muscle into it. It'll come off...promise.

 

[flywindy]

Will keep trying

 

[dewaynet]

friend of mine had same sitaution, rain storm for a day and a half and then a dunk in the river... took top off and the vps unit. Sprayed electronics cleaner all in the unit and then let it air dry.. took the top off the black box on top of motherboard, it had some moisture inside of it. Cleaned that and sprayed it also. Peeled off the tacky GPS cover and it had moisture inside of it too. Let it dry. It has been flying for a couple weeks now just fine.

 

[Reed L]

Wet dog, I tried to unscrew the lens cap even with the prop wrench and it wouldn't budge. Don't want to break it but if I could get if off I feel as if it would dry better

You can try the rubber band method or read this thread - Removing Lens Cover Schooled

The last thread is where a member says that he used anti-seize and a drop of that on the threads should work but there's a lot of different methods listed in that thread. I actually ended up using a wrench on the camera housing and a curved jaw vice grip on the outside edge of the lens cover. This works every time but don't make the mistake that I did last time and have a rubber band between the jaws of the vice grips and the lens cover.

 

[flywindy]

Got it off with a rubber towel! Thanks all!