Challenge 3: Tips and Tricks

The third installment of our annual Team Driver competition

Challenge 3: Tips and Tricks

Postby DV8ion » Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:09 pm

Tip #1

How-to waterproof your electronics, the clean way

I'm always seeing posts on how to waterproof your electronics and I see there are as many ways as there are questions. For me, there is only one way to go and that’s Conformal Coating. Conformal Coating for those who don't know is a clear liquid that is applied to electronics and dries hard to make them waterproof . The most common and best type to use is the Acrylic type as it dries slower thus shrinks less and won't pull the components off the circuit board. It's easily found at most electronic supply stores with the most common brand being MG Chemicals. You can apply by brushing on, dipping or even spraying it on. Once done, you have a waterproofed piece that looks just as it did before you waterproofed it.

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1. Disassemble your electronic item making sure to make note of what came from where (I recommend taking a picture before you take it apart).

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2. Apply the first coat of Conformal Coating. Follow the directions for drying time and time to wait before applying the next coat. I like to apply 4-5 coats to ensure I've fully covered the piece.

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3. Allow to dry over night and be careful during re-assembly not to knock or chip any of the coating off. Depending on the component, I add a dab or two of clear silicone sealant around where any wires attach to the circuit board.

And there you go, you're ready to tackle some mean, wet terrain. Life's short, SoCrawl.


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Tip #2

How-to wire a BEC for a HV servo running 3s or higher

Most HV servos are setup to run 7.2 – 7.4v allowing you to run it directly off your 2s Lipo, but chances are you are running something with a bit more pep, like a 3s or higher. I've seen a ton of people crank their BEC up to 7.4v and keep it running through their Rx which can work but you are really asking a lot of it. Plus, if you are running any other accessories off of it, then you can really damage them because chances are they are pretty happy with the standard 6v.

1. Wire your rig as normal as if you are not using a BEC, meaning the power wire from your ESC to Rx remains in place.

2. Find a spot to wire your BEC (power input side) that will give you direct battery power. I use a Tekin FXR and run the + and – for the BEC off the battery posts

3. Now comes the hardest part, building a Y-harness that will allow you to run full 7.4v power into your servo without back feeding into your Rx or other components. Working with a standard Y-harness modify it as follows below.

a. From the BEC connection side remove the signal wire just leaving the + and – on that connection.

b. From the ESC connection side remove the + wire from that connection.

c. From the Servo connection side leave all three wires intact.

Below is a diagram. Following these steps with give your new HV servo all the power it needs all the time and your Rx will be happy and not overworked. Life's short, SoCrawl.

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Life's short...SoCrawl
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DV8ion
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