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Wondering if you Can you fly a drone in rain?

In certain instances, it may be necessary to fly your drone in the rain if you are an enthusiastic drone pilot for a number of reasons. 

Flying a drone in the rain is generally not recommended due to the risk of damage to the drone's electronics and motors. Water can seep into the delicate components, causing malfunctions and potentially leading to a crash. For safe drone operation, avoid flying in rainy or adverse weather conditions and prioritize clear and dry skies for optimal performance. 🚁🌧️🚫

While most electrical devices aren’t water-resistant, your drone may be an exception. So, are you able to fly your drone while it’s pouring outside?

Unlike DJI drones, which are waterproof, consumer drones such as these aren’t designed to be flown in the wet. Only a few specialised waterproof drones, such as those used for site mapping, are designed to be able to fly in the rain.

Consumer drones from DJI are quite popular, but one drawback is that they should not be flown in the rain. Most consumer drones, regardless of manufacturer, are not waterproof. 

The more costly industrial drones, on the other hand, are ideal for rainy-day flying. Commercial and industrial use of some of these aircraft is possible, but they are too costly for casual leisure flight.

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What happens when a drone is flying in the rain?

One of the most frequent causes for a drone to crash or be lost is due to poor weather, which may include rain, excessive humidity, snowfall, or fog, among other things. 

Rain and fog create a short circuit in the electrical components when they come into contact with water. 

Even if the drone just falls on damp grass, it is possible that it may short circuit.

The architecture of the drone affects how sensitively it responds to liquids and other substances. 

Some have big air vents for flight control, and water may occasionally get into the copper windings of the electric motor, which can cause the motor to malfunction.

If the water runs to the receiver or to the flight control and joins the + and – poles, it may cause undesired control signals to be sent, rendering the drone uncontrollably unstable. 

If the water comes into direct contact with the power distribution board, the electric motor, or the controller, a short circuit with a high current drawn from the battery will result in the battery being discharged. 

This short circuit may cause the melting of cables, the burning of components on circuit boards, or the welding of the rotor and stator of a motor, among other things.

The majority of commercially available drones are enclosed in a protective housing. 

The design of this case, as well as the quality of the seal, decide whether or not the drone may be exposed to water, rain, humidity, and fog. 

It is usual to use the IP code (International Protection Marking) of the IEC standard 60529. 

The IP code (International Protection Marking) is a popular standard for classifying a product’s resistance to dust and water.

Look at the description of your drone to see if there is an IP code in there anywhere. 

That code is often followed by two digits following the letter “IP.” 

The solid-particle protection is represented by the first number, while the liquid-ingress protection is represented by the second. 

Dust-tight (6) and protected against water jets, for example, are represented by the IP65 designation (5).

The letter X indicates that insufficient data has been collected to assign a protection level to a particular item. 

For example, IPX4 would indicate that the drone is protected against water spraying (4), but no information has been gathered on the drone’s protection against dust.

Greater regulation of drone use may give us a false sense of security, but it will do nothing to improve our safety in the long term. In light of the incident at Gatwick, it would be unwise and counterproductive to rush into new regulations.

How to make your drone water resistant

Despite the fact that none of DJI’s recreational drones are intended to be flown in the rain, you shouldn’t be concerned since there is a method for you to make your drone a little more water-resistant by following these instructions. 

That is not to claim that they can compete with the water resistance of the Matrice and Agras models, but there are a few techniques you can do to increase the durability of a regular DJI consumer drone.

In order to make your DJI drones water resistant (but not waterproof), you need to apply a silicone conformal coating to the outside of the device. 

This coating is intended to protect all of the electrical components that may be damaged by water. 

This is done in order to prevent water from potentially entering your drone and harming the electrical components that aren’t adequately secured.

How to make your drone water-resistant is outlined in the following steps:

Purchase the following two items: a silicone conformal coating and a silicone conformal coating. According to the manufacturer, the conformal coating is intended to protect the delicate components of your drone.

Remove the protective covers and heat shrinks from the circuit board of the drone.
Cleaning the circuit board thoroughly with a gentle brush or a dry towel is recommended. 

Remove all of the debris from the surface so that you may apply the conformal coating on a good, clean surface that will allow it to adhere easily.

Apply a thin layer of silicone conformal coating over all of the electrical components, with the exception of the buttons, sensors, and connection ports, by brushing it on with a soft bristle brush.

Dry the silicone conformal coating. Check with a black light to see if you’ve missed any areas that need to be covered up. As long as you have coated all of the electrical components with the conformal coating, you will only need one layer.

Is my drone waterproof or resistant to water?

First, consult your drone’s instruction handbook. Whether it can fly in the rain or land on water is usually specified in the “FLIGHT” chapter under “FLIGHT CONDITIONS.” 

Most water-resistant or waterproof drones provide a detailed explanation of what you can accomplish as well as instructions on how to land or take off from water.

If no IP code is given in the handbook, you may attempt directly on your drone to locate one.

Even if your drone is water-resistant or waterproof, avoid exposing the battery to rain or water.

What should I do if my drone falls into or becomes wet?

When something like this occurs, it usually happens suddenly and quickly. 

A brief rain shower may appear out of nowhere, or a depleted battery may cause your drone to crash into a lake or sea. 

In any case, the drone is soaked, so what can you do now? Here are three simple measures to take if your drone comes into touch with water.

#1: The most essential thing to do once your drone has come into contact with water is to quickly unplug the drone’s power source.

#2: If your drone has been in a lot of water, attempt to pull it out of the case. Move, spin, and gently shake your drone in all directions to allow the water to escape.

#3:  Fill a black plastic garbage bag with salt (for greater sunlight absorption). 

The optimum quantity of salt depends on the size of the drone and how much water is left in it. 

A decent starting point is the thickness of the drone, which should be approximately 3-4 mm.

 Now, choose a warm, sunny, and level area, gently put the drone in the plastic bag on the salt carpet, and close it. 

After two days in the sun, the salt will absorb the remaining water in the drone.

What additional issues may arise while flying in the rain?

Drones crash for a variety of reasons, not only short circuits. Raindrops on the drone disrupt its flying properties. 

Too much water on the wings, particularly on fixed-wing drones, may cause a stall. 

This impact isn’t as strong with spinning wings as on a quadcopter, but don’t underestimate the weight of water on the surface if your drone isn’t powerful enough.

Always try to keep the drone in sight when flying in the rain. 

If you lose sight of the drone, use the “Come Home Button” immediately. Not every rain is a warm, light summer rain. Often, the rain is accompanied by wind and turbulence. Learn more about this topic right here.

How come a drone can’t be flown near an airport?

Is it permissible to fly my drone when it is snowing?

Generally, flying a drone in the snow is not an issue. Before beginning, ensure that the drone is clear of snow and soon after landing, before the snow melts. 

Take caution while handling the batteries in the snow, and shield the connections with contact protection.

Can drones fly in subzero temperatures?

They most certainly can! The only factor to consider is the battery’s temperature. 

LiPos is most effective at temperatures ranging from -20°C (-4°F) to 40°C (104°F). A temperature of about 15°C (60°F) is ideal. 

At temperatures below 2°C (36°F), the battery’s capacity and therefore the flying duration is significantly reduced. 

The answer is to use a LiPo battery warmer and fly quickly in order to keep the battery warm.

What happens when a drone is struck by lightning?

The drone’s components catch fire and crash. Tom Scott and the University of Manchester’s High Voltage Laboratory performed experiments to this effect, however, it was determined that protecting a DJI Phantom 3 from lightning was not feasible.

How to get water out of your drone

What if you made the mistake of flying your drone in the rain even though it isn’t waterproof? 

Or what if you landed it on the water by mistake?How can you get the water out of your drone to minimize the water damage, or prevent it from further damaging the drone?

Here are some things you can try:

• Remove the drone from the water or the rain and switch it off immediately to prevent electricity from flowing through the drone.
• Remove the battery from the drone.
• If the drone was submerged in water, the battery is likely ruined and should be replaced.
• Use distilled water to flush out as much water as possible from the drone.
  Take the top cover off your drone and allow the drone to sit in a tub or bucket that is full of raw rice.
• Allow the rice to absorb the distilled water from your drone.
  Take your drone out and wipe it clean with a damp towel.
  Don’t attempt to turn your drone on unless it is completely dry.
  Try turning it on with the top cover removed.
• If there is any smoke, make sure to switch it off completely because that means that a component may have short-circuited.
  If not, then there is a good chance that your drone was not damaged by the water.
• If damaged, try to find out which parts are damaged.
  Bring the drone to a nearby DJI repair service centre as soon as possible.
  Do not turn the drone on before it gets repaired.

Is it safe to fly a drone in fog?

We can all agree that as the fog comes in, most landscapes transform into a picture of natural beauty and mystery—a great image for any photographer. Wait for a second, don’t take that drone just yet. Think about it.

Here are three reasons why you should avoid flying a drone in fog:

Remember the drone rule, you must always maintain a visual line of sight on your UAV; is it still feasible in the fog? If it is, go ahead and do it.

Because fog is made up of small water droplets or ice crystals in the air, it is comparable to rain.

Water may get inside the drone and cause it to cease functioning, but flying through fog would also dirty the camera lens. Depending on the time of year, your bird may potentially freeze.

It would be impossible to identify any potential dangers or impediments. Consider how difficult it is to see other cars and structures while driving in fog.

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What if I fly my drone on a windy day? What will happen?

Wind resistance levels on most consumer drones range from 10 to 35 mph. However, you, as the operator, decide how windy it is. When the wind speed is more than 15 mph, I don’t fly my drone. Instead than spending time attempting to fly the drone, I’d rather concentrate on photography.

On a windy day, here are some things to consider before taking off with your drone;

Analyze the surroundings of the possible flight route that you’ve chosen. Would your drone crash into anything if it got caught in a blast of wind?

Obtain a forecast from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). There is an indicator that tells you whether it is too windy to go outside or not.

When you’re ready to take off, use additional caution. The propellers of a drone create an updraft as it takes flight. As a result, the wind is driven downward and then back upwards again. If your drone is taken off guard by the wind, it may run into anything nearby.

Drone flying duration may be shortened if you’re in a windy area. When flying against the wind, your drone’s battery will consume more power as a result.

Final Thoughts

If you do choose to fly your non waterproof drone in the rain and it gets wet, you run the risk of damaging the internal hardware which could result in permanent damage and a costly repair bill.

As you fly your drone through the rain, the water droplets are going to hit your drone.

As we all know, water can get anywhere, and if there’s the smallest of gaps, which you cannot see, then the water will find a way in.

You may be lucky enough that it doesn’t fall onto any hardware, but do you really want to run the risk?If your drone does get wet, there’s a high risk that most of the internal electronics will stop working.

The ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) that controls the motors will most likely burn out causing the propellers to stop spinning.

Additionally, all circuit boards may blow fuses and components, rendering the drone useless.

If you do get your drone wet, turn off the power as soon as it is safe to do so.
Remove the battery and begin to dry all the parts that you can.

If you have access to a hairdryer, try using it on the lowest setting and from a safe distance to speed up the drying process.

If not, place the drone in a warm, dry area as soon as possible and let the drone dry out.
Do not power back on until you are happy it’s completely dry.

Anything waterproof or water-resistant is given an IP rating, and this goes for some drones too.
IP stands for Ingress Protection, which means the level of protection from water to dust getting inside the device.
Now although this is an International Standard, not all companies use it.
For example, Apple and GoPro use a much simpler system – Waterproof up to 50 Metres or so.
However, there is a system in, so I’ll explain it too in case you come across it.

Waterproof Drone

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