In just one year, I’ve had three Flipsky remotes fail on me — all of them stopped working during sessions, suddenly shutting off a
Even worse, Flipsky support has completely ignored my requests for help. No replies, no solutions — just silence.
I strongly recommend avoiding this company. Save your money and go with a more reliable brand.
Sorry to hear about that but I’ve have three Flipsky VX3 remotes two of which are over a year old and have never had a problem.
I also have had reasonable responses from their support group when I contacted them via email.
this is vx2 remotes.
so why they sell defective versions
From your photos they certainly look like VX3 remotes NOT VX2 that have finger indents in the handle based on the photos I post below.
I’ve not heard of anyone here using VX2 remotes for our purpose. Is there a reason why you chose VX2?
My Confusion
I meant vx3. Not VX3Pro
I am every day at the sea probably your use is not as heavy as mine
Do you rinse them thoroughly? I’ve had the same remote for 5 years and it hasn’t failed. But I submerge it fully in freshwater after every use and rise it thoroughly.
Can you figure out where exactly its failed?
I screen grabbed the Pro version but it isn’t really different from the standard one other than a few software features.
You are correct - I foil is fresh water only and don’t often immerse mine so that could likely be why mine are lasting longer.
Lots of VX3 posts here and it’s common knowledge that prolonged - frequent immersion especially in salt water causes problems.
As @Jezza mentions it’s good practice to rinse with fresh water.
I completely understand the frustration.
There are two versions of how the waterproofing was done on these:
Early ones used a softer RTV potting compound, water leaks up the interface between the RTV and the battery wires and eats the PCBA.
Newer ones use a rigid black potting epoxy which is better.
When I bought my replacement (with a 50% off coupon for the failed one) I immediately took it apart and painted the innards with epoxy. Anywhere the black potting looked thin, or around any wires, I added more epoxy.
My replacement has been running solidly for a year. Mix of fresh and salt water, mostly fresh.
I wonder with these fully potted remotes if you could submerge them in oil/ corrosion X in a vacuum pot, and then vacuum then release to get the oil into any cracks or crevasses. If you did that every few months it would probably last for ever.
Of course, I dipped in fresh water after each session
I don’t know what the failure was, but when I opened one of the remotes to measure battery voltage, it was normal.
So something in the inner circle
Unfortunately I won’t continue with all these solutions of adding epoxy or dipping in corossion
It doesn’t make sense, I’ll switch to Mayatech
What is most disappointing is the poor support of Flipsky
Maytech is even more worse. After some uses it go full throttle without having a chance to reset. Because spring inside is broken.
Is this because of a bad quality spring or how could you front foot this to prevent the issue?
Yes bad quality spring. Not only me having had this Problem some other users also.
Potted remotes fail by design (over time), better build a remote with a fully waterproof case. Or buy one, there are some commercial fully waterproof remotes available, but they are expensive.
To be fair all the remotes fail over time. I seen Lift, Fliteboard failures. I think its just the nature of the environment. What would provide better longevity is a waterproof design and then also pot the remote.
Foil Drive sells inexpensive replacement springs that are supposed to be better than the original Maytech used.
True but exposing (potted) electronics to salt water is the worst option. Poting and waterproofing is a way to go but makes it harder to repair.
Foam pot cheap HW is anotoer option (Bremote), but also hard to repair (at least it is cost effective).
I built a remote with a waterproff case. I did have some water ingress in the beginning but once you know how to properly waterproof it (epoxy coat on the inside, nitrile rubber seal with silicone grease between body and lid), it holds really well.
Not easy to launch a commercial product with a waterproof case @ an affordable price, I guess that‘s why there isn‘t any available.
Thanks for the feedback. What I don’t understand is how the design is allowing to go full throttle when the spring breaks. By design this could be the other way around and would be way better from a H&S perspective.
Remotes are hard. For every remote I send out for the Boogie I do an air pressure test as well as a vacuum test.
For the pressure test I hang the remote in a transparent cylinder half full of water. Then pressurise to about 30psi for a few minutes, release the pressure quickly and invert the cylinder and look for any bubbles coming out of the remote.
If it passes the pressure test, then I put it in a vacuum pot with a clear lid and pull a vacuum and again watch for bubbles coming out of the remote.
After I figured out these tests I found out that it is also how you do pressure tests for watches after a battery replacement.
We have also added a humidity sensor inside the remote so can monitor and catch slow, microscopic leaks before they become a failure at out at sea.
