• Welcome to RCTalk! 🚀

    Join the #1 RC community where hobbyists connect, share, and get expert advice on RC cars, trucks, boats, drones, and more!

    • ✓ Friendly & passionate RC enthusiasts
    • ✓ RC tips & troubleshooting
    • ✓ Buy, sell & trade RC gear
    • ✓ Share builds & upgrades

Waterproofing concerns.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Alexander_0_1

Alexander_0_1

"Roads, where we're going we don't need roads"
Messages
2,301
Reaction score
77
Points
695
Location
Frog Lake A.B Canada
RC Driving Style
  1. Bashing
So I'm wondering about the technique used to waterproof an ESC. Here's my issues my RX8 is a dual board set up with buttons on the lower board, and I was wondering how I go about waterproofing the connection between the upper and lower board, as well as the buttons.

I've already watched the squirrel YouTube video but he used plasti-dip, or liquid electric tape, and I was wondering if the procedure is the same, or is the a specific way to waterproof selector/binding buttons.
 
I would personally never use anything like that, I prefer to use a product that is made (that the manufacturers use) for waterproofing PCBs to avoid any issues. I use MG chemicals silicone conformal coating which can be found on Amazon. I prefer the brush on applicator bottle myself also. I was turned onto it by a motor / ESC manufacturer on another forum. I also (again) personally would not coat any buttons, ask me how I know? :D I de-cased all my stuff to coat it, including my RX. And the MMP uses a castle link so no buttons on the ESC, which I prefer.
 
+1! I used to build avionics and we had to waterproof all of them to meet FAA specs. We used a similar conformal coating on our stuff. We dipped ours and let them drip dry on a rack. We NEVER dipped any switches. The coating tends to render them inoperable.
 
Great, thanks guys. What about waterproofing a pro4-hd, when I look at the motors I notice that they have a small hole where the soldering tabs protrude out of the can, do I need to cover this area with something, or will coating the board be enough?

What about the connector that plugs the top board into the bottom board?

HPIguy, did you freeze up a button somewhere?


I with there was a waterproof box big enough to fit an RX8 GEN2 in...
 
Last edited:
Alexander_0_1 said:
Great, thanks guys. What about waterproofing a pro4-hd, when I look at the motors I notice that they have a small hole where the soldering tabs protrude out of the can, do I need to cover this area with something, or will coating the board be enough?
Click to expand...

I removed and coated the sensor with conformal coating. I then covered the solder tab, and any holes on the OUTSIDE of the motor with liquid tape. And I packed the sensor cable connector full of dialectric grease before plugging it in, then liquid tape over it after it was plugged in.

Alexander_0_1 said:
What about the connector that plugs the top board into the bottom board?
Click to expand...
No idea, you'll have to figure that one out on your own.

Alexander_0_1 said:
HPIguy, did you freeze up a button somewhere?
Click to expand...
Yes :D


Alexander_0_1 said:
I with there was a waterproof box big enough to fit an RX8 GEN2 in...
Click to expand...
Finding the box won't be the problem, it will be heat as mentioned above. I have four vent holes cut into my Da Tray cover for the fan on my MMP, and a couple large holes on the sides for routing cable, and ventilation. I'm not worried about keeping water out since everything has been waterproofed, I'm worried about getting the heat out.
 
HPIguy said:
I use MG chemicals silicone conformal coating which can be found on Amazon.
Click to expand...

I have never heard of this stuff! I've used everything under the sun, plasti-dip, Corrosion X, and neverwet. I'm gonna have to try that stuff!

Whats the difference between the 422 and the 422B and which one do you use?
 
Thanks for the tutorial HPIguy, I'll do all of that...as soon as I procure some MG silicone coating. Um, one coat, or several? Am I looking for 422B?

I'm going to try the dialectic grease in the connection bettween both boards, since it sounds like it works for the sensor wire connection.
 
The dielectric should work. Be sure to make sure that the FETs (field effect transistors-the power producing components) are in direct contact with the heatsink.
 
Ok, so my MG silicone conformal coating is making it's way to me via, the greyhound, I took my esc apart (de-cased) and when I look at it, it looks really hard to get any coating on the F-E-Ts inbetween the heat-sink, and the top board, the top board seems fused to the heat sink, and I don't think I'll be able to use the brush inbetween the top board, and the heat-sink anyway...I suppose I'll just coat the bottom of the top board, both sides of the bottom board..


If anyone is interested, or if it helps I got it from MRO electronics supply Ltd , in Edmonton Alberta.
 
Alexander, you'll see when you get it, but as you brush it on it's fairly runny so just tilt the board where you need it to go. You can also do more than one layer of it if you feel the need. I've yet to have anything die from water or snow that was coated using it, it's good stuff, and made for the intended application.
 

RC Builds

Back
Top