[amsat-bb] Elex equip surviving total immersion

[Roger]

Another method I've seen work quite successfully:

Place a cup or so of rice and the phone in a ziplock bag ensuring there's
enough rice to cover the phone completely. Suck the air out and leave it
for a day. I thought of the ziplock but my wife usually just sticks it in
the container of rice.


73, Roger
W7TZ
CN83ia
Grid Busters
w7tz.webs.com

On Mon, May 29, 2017 at 3:38 PM, Franklin Antonio <antonio at qti.qualcomm.com>
wrote:

> You found the magic method!
>
> Most people don't realize how LOOOONG it takes for water to evaporate out
> of all the really tiny spaces under ball grid integrated circuits and
> whatnot these days.  I have long recommended 24 or 48 hours or even longer
> at 150F.  Higher temps risk melting plastic parts.
>
> Opening the gizmo so water vapor can get out is of course also helpful,
> but most folks don't know how.  If you can't open a gizmo, then cycling
> temperature between room temp and 150F can also be helpful.  This "pumps"
> the water vapor out.  It takes a long time to do a cycle, because you have
> to wait for the innards to really cool, and there are long thermal time
> constants.   I do it by raising the oven to 150F, then turning it off and
> letting it cool down over the next couple of hours, then repeat.  I suggest
> anyone doing this PUT A SIGN ON THE OVEN so nobody accidentally tries to
> use the oven during this time.
>
> The thing that destroys wet electronics is electrolytic action.  If you
> can take the battery out, do it instantly.  Otherwise, while it is wet
> current will flow thru the water bridges between circuits, and deposit
> conductive compounds formed from the metal ions moved by the current.  Once
> you have a bunch of conductive junk under chips etc, recovery is very very
> difficult.  If you can't take the battery out, turn the thing off as soon
> as possible (which of course in modern electronics doesn't mean really
> "off", but at least some circuits will be deenergized.)  Then begin the
> drying process immediately.  Time is your enemy, as every second the
> battery is in, metal ions are moving.
>
> Impatient people don't leave the phone in the oven long enough, try to
> turn on and use the still-wet-inside gizmo, thus destroying it.
>
> Did someone take a video of you in the muck?   We might even pay to see
> that.
>
> ________________________________________
> From: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org> on behalf of Robert Bruninga <
> bruninga at usna.edu>
> Sent: Monday, May 29, 2017 2:11 PM
> To: amsat bb
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Elex equip surviving total immersion
>
> Leaning over the edge of a pier, I heard a plunk and as they say, time
> slowed down as my brain instantly realized it was my cellphone,.
>
> I jumped in and dug around in the muck (about 3' deep) and probably in
> under a minute found it.  Ran to the house. ran fresh water all over it,
> dried it and then the same with alcohol.  Then dried it in the toaster oven
> (NOT ON, but I'd let it get too hot to touch, then turn it off and stick
> the phone in.
>
> That sorta worked.  But the screen was shot.  Next day I took it apart 2
> screws and then just unsnap everything.  There is virtually nothing inside
> but one circuit board anda  few chips and the chcklet keyboard.  The screen
> would not detach.
>
> So I then put the ckt brd  in a 60C (140F) box and left it 24 hours.  Now
> it works perfectly!
>
> Just FYI
> Bob
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