Large Scale Central

Electronics Disaster

Electronics Power and Sound
#1

Well I’m just about ready to switch to battery power now. I have a modified heavy duty toolbox that I use to house all my electronic equipment for quick setup to my railroad. In it I have my 10amp walk around train engineer, speed controller, as well as track repair and cleaning tools. In my stupidity I foolishly left my electronics tool case outside just in time for a big rain storm to pass by during the night. When I woke up and realized the situation I ran out to check the damage hoping for just a little bit of water inside.

NOPE! Instead all my electronics were submerged in water. I picked up the train engineer remote and water started gushing from the seams in the controller. -_-’

After opening up the transmitter and letting it air dry (also repairing one of the battery terminal prongs) I’m happy to announce that it’s working now. The receiver I’m not so sure yet until it also dries. Wish me luck!

#2

Good luck!!

#3

During VN I was an electronics officer in the Navy. Annually we washed our GCA radar unit by taking the electronic’s cabinets out of the trailer where they were installed, removed the covers, took out the tubes, and hosed the rest down. We heated them to dry out quickly, stuck the tubes back in, and reinstalled everything in the trailer. It worked and we never crashed any landing a/c due to failing equipment. BUT, don’t try this at home!

#4

I know nothing about electronics, but I’ve heard about people accidentally dropping their cell phones in water. Afterwords, they use dry rice to wick the moisture out. Apparently, you just leave your phone in a pile of dry rice for a few days and it wicks out all of the moisture. I don’t even own a cell phone, much less a wet cell phone, but I wonder if the same trick works for other wet electronic gizmos?

-Kevin.

#5

The rice thing does work. I used to work at a Waterslide Park and we used two-way radios. Well, things happened and there always seemed to be one falling in the water. We used to dip the radio in Alchohol and then set it in a container of rice. It usually worked. It also depened on how long the device was in the water.

#6

I think I’ve heard of the rice technique as well. I didn’t have to use that method though thankfully. My walk around TE and speed controller work fine. I’m SO relieved! I don’t think I can last that long without running my trains. lol

#7

From what I’ve been told rice is an old wives tale. If rice could absorb cold water than it would turn to mush if you left it out, which it doesn’t. Try and find some desiccant pack, the things that come in beef jerky and shoes and whatnot. They say “do not eat” on them. A bnch of those in a sealed container is your best bet.

#8

Here is what I’v been told to do, Don’t blame me if it dosen’t work, But it is what I was taught to do by a repair tech.

For water immersion, that has the water thru out the device.

  1. Remove the water that’s inside, Drain out as much as possible, as soon as possible.

  2. Remove all batteries, Covers and etc.

  3. Re-fill with isopropyl alcohol. Drain out all the alcohol you can.

( the alcohol will absorb/mix with the water, and then evaporate/dry faster then the water alone)

  1. If available, place in a plastic bag with a large amount of desiccant.

  2. Place in a dry, warm (Not Hot!) Place.

  3. DO NOT Replace Battery’s or turn on until you are very sure that the piece is dry!

  4. Good Luck.

#9

Rice will remove moisture, but not repair damage from powered circuits shorting. Depends on how much water, how long and how many of the fine pitch leads are exposed. Circuits under power are usually damaged.

By the way, #1 is remove the battery. #2 is shake or blow out moisture…

Luckily most phones use pretty low voltage (one li-ion cell) but like preparing for an emp, power down first.

Greg

#10

I live in a moist climate area. A few grains of rice in a salt shaker stops the shaker vents clogging up.

#11

I have an old film camera, one of the first electronic cameras, that I managed to dump into the Sea of Japan, one afternoon.

I immediately put it into a bucket of fresh water, after removing film and battery, and changed the fresh water three or four times.

Then, I let it dry out for several days, finishing the drying by covering it with rice for a few more days.

It still takes great photos, when I can find film for it.

#12

I heard if you put it on the dash of you vehicle and park it in the sun>>>

#13

In New Mexico… At a mile high in the summer, the dash board of my truck will melt down a GPS unit! (You can only imagine how I know that) If you care about the item, don’t leave it on the dash!

#14

Sean McGillicuddy said:

I heard if you put it on the dash of you vehicle and park it in the sun>>>

Dude! I was in Okinawa, no car available. It would probably melt the plastic, anyway. :slight_smile: