Water Proofing Electronics

[honchozed]

A brushed motor in the mud gets dirt in it and looses current correct? I've attempted to encase mine in a pill bottle with fuel line for intake and exhaust.. but water creeps in through the outdrive gear I believe. And for fear of overheating I'm going to convert to a shield. Now will a brushless motor run through any elements with any contaminants? if so it would be simplest to just box the esc and plumb fresh air to the esc via fuel line&snorkel..right? Cause I'm trying to create a monster here.
SCX10 Tekin 35t FX-R CC BEC 10 ample 3s
Tamiya fj40 body bobbed to a 45 caged rear

 

[hibbs]

A brushed motor in the mud gets dirt in it and looses current correct? I've attempted to encase mine in a pill bottle with fuel line for intake and exhaust.. but water creeps in through the outdrive gear I believe. And for fear of overheating I'm going to convert to a shield. Now will a brushless motor run through any elements with any contaminants? if so it would be simplest to just box the esc and plumb fresh air to the esc via fuel line&snorkel..right? Cause I'm trying to create a monster here.
SCX10 Tekin 35t FX-R CC BEC 10 ample 3s
Tamiya fj40 body bobbed to a 45 caged rear

It won't lose current, it can actually draw a huge amount. Debris inside the motor case will prevent the motor from turning smoothly. This can cause the motor to draw an enormous amount of current and can cook your ESC. (just like when your truck is bound up really hard and you work the trigger). Most of the time they just stop working. I've encased a brushed motor too but it's not really worth the hassle. Just buy cheapie brushed motors to play in the mud.

I bought 2 holmes hobbies sensorless brushless motors as an experiment. I ran them through mud and water for a couple hours. They still work fine. If you want to use sensored brushless, you'll have to waterproof the sensor board. I'd suggest using potting epoxy. I don't have any experience with building waterproof enclosures. Maybe someone else will help out with that.

 

[hibbs]

I potted my MMP and a CC BEC. Here is the epoxy I used: MG Chemicals 832C Translucent Epoxy Encapsulating and Potting Compound. It's ~$30 for 12 oz. MG Chemicals 832C Translucent Epoxy Encapsulating and Potting Compound, 12 oz Kit: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

To get the MMP encased without covering the sensor port, I used aluminum tape (from Lowes). I slid the edge of the tape between the board and the port. Then I folded it up and over so as to cover the open face of the port and let it wrap around the edges. It worked great and kept the port open but still sealed all around it.

I also cut a notch out in the mold and covered it with tape too so that it blocked epoxy from covering the port as much as possible. It didn't end up having any over top of it.

Here you can see the mold all filled up with epoxy. It was a good bit thinner than I thought it would be. I was worried about bubbles but there were very few. I filled up the mold about 1/8" deep. I then set the ESC down into the epoxy. It was a bit too much though because it crept up onto the heat sink and made it look messy. Another small issue was that I lined the mold with wax paper. Maybe I took it out too early because the epoxy was still a little soft, but it stuck to the wax paper and left paper all over the epoxy. It makes it look sloppy.

Here is the PCB of a Hitec 645MG. I just took some of the extra epoxy I had left over that had thickened up and used a small flat screwdriver to brush some on. It was thick enough to hold to the bottom of the board as well.

Here is the sensor board for the Novak 18.5. I did the same thing for this PCB, I just brushed some thickened epoxy on to get a thin layer.

Here is the magnets/windings getting the corrosion X treatment. A good dunk for a few mins and then I let it drip dry overnight. I hooked it up and it works fine.

So far I have only bench tested the ESC and BEC in a glass of water. Real world testing will give a much better idea of how this will hold up to abuse. My biggest concern now is how the MMP will handle heat and how the BL motor will take water/mud. I will update in the future.

 

[96 ranger]

Man ok im new to rc world i just got a maxstone 8 but its not water proof i looked up waterproof combos but dont know what one will work with my unit. There called venom waterproof motor combos someone who is abit smarter with this stuff should plzz help me i though it was waterproof but its not an i got boggers on the way help plzz

 

[hibbs]

To follow up, I had my truck with all electronics equipped out for 3 good hours of trail running. It was about 40 degrees outside so it didn't test the overheating aspect of the ESC being encapsulated. Once I can get some time on the truck in the summer, I will report what I find as far as how the ESC handles heat.

I can say I was very pleased with the setup. I was very hard on the brushless motor. As it was snowy on the trail I had to use a heavy throttle finger to keep forward motion a great deal of the time. Occasionally keeping the throttle pinned for a couple minutes.

I found some water to play in and had the truck fully submerged several times. The brushless motor never hesitated or gave me any trouble. Now the main focus will be taking the best care of the bearings in the brushless motors.

 

[baddley]

Hi

I currently purchased a castle BEC for my rig, I was curious if should use the same method for waterproofing as I did with my esc. I took the esc out of the case and put plasti dip on it? (Squirrels YouTube vid :mrgreen

So far my esc has worked flawlessly since doing this "thumbsup"

Thanks Scott

 

[xigtc]

Hi

I currently purchased a castle BEC for my rig, I was curious if should use the same method for waterproofing as I did with my esc. I took the esc out of the case and put plasti dip on it? (Squirrels YouTube vid :mrgreen

So far my esc has worked flawlessly since doing this "thumbsup"

Thanks Scott

Yep, just take the shrink wrap off coat it. Then I like to put another piece of shrink wrap around it again."thumbsup"

 

[kansei]

I see alot about Corrosion X waterproofing . Another option is something we use at work called Fluid Film . Their claim is it has no solvents in the mix ( except propellant in the rattle can version) . It is woolwax based and safe on electronics , plastics , rubber and metals . Has any one used it ? I allready have my savage flux pasti dip and my ax10 ballooned . but i wil try it next time I have to waterproof - maybe the next servo .

 

[Krulm]

@hibbs

How is your rig holding up with the epoxy? This looks like the sure way to go.

 

[2manyprojects]

I did the plastic dip on all my rigs and it works very good!

 

[hibbs]

@hibbs

How is your rig holding up with the epoxy? This looks like the sure way to go.

I'll be honest I've had it fully dunked several times on two different outings. One was just a fun-run and the other was for our comp. It has not missed a beat yet. I love brushless motors in water/mud too. Plain and simple- ESC manufacturers use epoxy to waterproof, and folks like Holmes Hobbies say it's the way to go.

Liquid tape/plasti-dip are not 100% like it or not. Failure is only so far away with these methods imo. Even a waterproof box can't keep water from wicking down the wires onto the circuit board.

I have since done a 2nd MMP and an FX-R. Plus I've epoxied 3 CC BECs. All working well so far.

Order MG Chemicals Translucent Epoxy from amazon, it's $30. It'll do more electronics than a reasonable person could afford to buy.

My only yet unanswered question is how will it hold up to heat. I'm running 3s lipo, 18.5T brushless motor, 87/17 gearing and the truck is about 7-8 lbs. It used to get just barely warm to the touch with liquid tape and in a balloon. I was running it wide open in the snow for minutes at a time spinning along after epoxy. ESC/Motor were cold to the touch but it was 40* outside. We will see once summer rolls around how it handles 90-100 degree days and a heavy throttle finger.

PM me if you have any other questions.

 

[Broche]

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 car navigation system is an area that car navigation system 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:
misbehavin-rc.com

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.

you have mentioned good points but are they feasible in real world or it is just an information

 

[slitcher]

we use a thing called conformal coating to cover all of our electronic board it really helps keeping electronic components safe against humidity. I have not had the need to use it in any ESC yet but I guess I'll give it a try on my next build

 

[hibbs]

In my reading on potting epoxy and conformal coating, I understood conformal coating to be more applicable for moisture. It was not as well suited for submersion. If you will occasionally splash your ESC conformal coating would probably be fine. It's much safer than plastidip. It also allows for the most heat exchange compared to other methods given that it is so thin. Another issue is it requires extreme cleanliness to adhere properly and it can be difficult to know for certain if it is applied correctly over the entire board.

 

[slitcher]

We use uv lights to see if the board is well covered. The CC shows up nicely under a standard black light.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[hibbs]

We use uv lights to see if the board is well covered. The CC shows up nicely under a standard black light.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Have you done ESCs and what were your results? Did you submerge?

I know conformal coating is a legit waterproofing approach, I just read that epoxy was preferred. It also sounded a bit more involved to apply. Thanks for the info.

 

[slitcher]

Up to now I haven't used CC on any RC related product. I've been much more of a track racer than a backyard basher. I've just gotten into the scale/mud/crawl thing and never needed to waterproof my equipment.

I saw this thread and thought i'd jump in.

While we do not ''submerge'' our products that we build at work, we do place our electronic components into a controlled environment which contains about 95 % humidity during a period of 10 days with repeated operation. This test would chew through uncoated boards and coated boards keep on going like new during and after the tests.

I haven't gotten my kit yet, but will maybe try coating a cheap brushed ESC I have here and will post results.

 

[badhoopty]

In my reading on potting epoxy and conformal coating, I understood conformal coating to be more applicable for moisture. It was not as well suited for submersion. If you will occasionally splash your ESC conformal coating would probably be fine. It's much safer than plastidip. It also allows for the most heat exchange compared to other methods given that it is so thin. Another issue is it requires extreme cleanliness to adhere properly and it can be difficult to know for certain if it is applied correctly over the entire board.

ive ran my elecs completely submerged on many different occasions with nothing but conformal coating. i use the quick drying stuff, 4 or 5 coats.

 

[hibbs]

Up to now I haven't used CC on any RC related product. I've been much more of a track racer than a backyard basher. I've just gotten into the scale/mud/crawl thing and never needed to waterproof my equipment.

I saw this thread and thought i'd jump in.

While we do not ''submerge'' our products that we build at work, we do place our electronic components into a controlled environment which contains about 95 % humidity during a period of 10 days with repeated operation. This test would chew through uncoated boards and coated boards keep on going like new during and after the tests.

I haven't gotten my kit yet, but will maybe try coating a cheap brushed ESC I have here and will post results.

Thanks for the info. Yes please share your results.

 

[otissmash]

traxxis xl5 works good and its cheap but no drag brake. the esc in the wraith seems to be waterproof. I ve had it submergered and its still workin.