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Hi all, I want to connect three ESC,s which connect to the three motors . I have looked at the mtroniks W-tail marine mixer and I am not sure if this will do the job, they seem more for 2 motors rather than three . any suggestions
Hi TJ, The third motor can be connected to one of the secondary outputs, rudder or third (central) motor as it has no effect on the steering! The mixer only affects the two outer motors to augment the steering. Fairly elementary, anything on the boat's longitudinal axis can't have any leverage effect on the steering.😁 "The WTail mixer also has two extra outputs to allow you to connect up a rudder and a further centrally mounted motor." Ciao, Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 Cheers Doug
Hi Doug I am using 3 mtroniks viper marine 15 ESC,s and 3 MFA RE-380-Pole DC Motors all have been tested singularly at low speed and connected to 4mm propeller shafts and 30mm propellers and all went well
Hi TJ, RE: RX battery. Any 4 or 5 cell (4.8 or 6V) NiMh of 1000mAh up will do. Use the biggest one you can without upsetting the boat's trim or reducing it's performance / planing etc. BUT: don't forget to disconnect the red wires between your ESCs and RX to disconnect the BECs in the mTroniks speed controllers!!! Also check that your RX and mixer module etc can handle 6V+! If not use the 4 cell pack. A fully charged NiMh will be significantly above 6V. Some modules; e.g. Action Electronics / Component Shop don't like that 😡 Alternatives are, esp if you need to save weight, 1 use ONE of the red BEC leads from ESC to RX, e.g. the centre one, and disconnect the other two, 2 Use a separate 5V UBEC module to syphon power off the drive battery for the RX, AND disconnect all three red BEC wires from the ESCs. Cheers, Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 Cheers Doug
Hi all and thank you for your comments, and thanks to Doug, have read and understood order is placed and looking forward to setting it up as advised, and I will try to remember to use paragraph's or smaller chapters.👍
Your more than welcome TJ. Re paragraphs etc; was a well meant 'Word to the Wise', just to make your interesting contributions easier to read. 😉 Keep up the good work👍 Which configuration did you decide on in the end? On my single screw boats, like my Sea Scout, I tend to just use the BEC from the ESC and no separate RX battery. On my multi screw ships, the majority actually, from two to four screws (PTB to HMS Belfast cruiser) I always use a separate RX battery. On the basis that I reckon that the drive battery already has enough to do 😉 So I use 4.8 or 6V NiMh batteries of around 1500 to 2000mAh. Always put a switch between the batt and the RX. Also a switch and a fuse, approx 5A lower than the ESC max current rating, between the drive battery and the ESC(s). All the best, Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 Cheers Doug
Hi all , question, can 3 esc,s be connected on to one switch or do you need an another piece of electronics to switch all the esc,s with one switch or would two of the be made redundant when using the W-Tail mixer.
Hi TJ, Answer to both questions is NO! 1 Connecting all the ESC switches together is like leaving all three of the red wires in the RX leads connected. If you mean a main power switch for the ESCs (not the little slide switch attached to the ESC) then consider that the switch would have to cope with a current of 3 times the max current rating of the ESC!!! For example; for 30A ESCs that would be 90A 😲 pretty big switch!
2 The object of the mixer is to control the ESCs of the two outer motors depending on the rudder setting, not to replace them somehow. If you mean two of the little slide switches being made redundant; again NO! They are there to switch on the ESC's internal circuitry, incl. BEC, without it they won't woik 🤔 Cheers, Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 Cheers Doug
8th Oct 2018 22:47
