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    Forum
    powered winches for pusher tug.
    I wanted to be able to attach a barge to the bow pusher posts of my Egrete Pusher tug. BUT did not want to simply use a couple of bits of elasticated rope, would not really look "right" or would be prone to failure. So after a bit of searching around I found a nice little geared motor set/kit In Maplins, think It was only AΒ£9.99 or less, I know Is wasn't much. Anyway, It was possible to swap teh gears about a bit till I got the speed of the winch drum to a nice slow pace, so not to grab at the winch cables too quickly and cause problems. The motor assembly comes with Its own mounting plate, so nice and easy to mount Inside the winch house of the pusher tug, the cables ran through the actual cable pipes through the forward bulkhead. All I had to do was make sure that the actual "tow posts" on the barge were bonded deep In to the hull of the barge, to take the load, especially when turning. The motor operates on 3v so I just used a maplins twin AA battery pack, and wired up a couple of micro switches on top of a normal servo. So by using one
    channel
    of the transmitter, I now had "in/out" control over the winch via one of the joysticks.
    12 years ago by Gregg
    Forum
    Wiring help needed.
    Thanks Doug, I have sketched the layout as best I can. Lights and radar will be switched direct to batteries. I need 4
    channel
    s to operate the esc, rudder, fire hydrant rotation, and fire hydrant vertical movement. The pump is switched via micro switches and cam on the rotator so it only works when pointing away from the boat. What I need to do is to get the thruster to run in 2 directions??? The UBEC can give me either 5 or 6 volts output. So I'll need to switch it somehow, as it only needs to run at one speed. I only have a 4
    channel
    rc transmitter and receiver spare at present, so I may go with a fixed height on the fire hydrant if i need another servo
    channel
    to control the thruster. πŸ€” ALL and any help gratefully received. Now to go and look at the electrics on the Wavemaster. Cheers Colin.
    5 years ago by Colin H
    Response
    Re: Evolution
    "A 2
    channel
    drinks bottle. Brilliant." One
    channel
    to open, the other to pour!? Cheers all, Down the hatch, 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    Problem with Skysport 4 transmitter TV4F
    Hi there Doug sorry for the delay in replying, your knowledge and replies are much appreciated. What I have been doing the last day and a bit is, going through my transmitters and checking all their batteries and what I have found is that I have two which are 'duff' and they are the slow drain type. Its got me thinking. Due to the fact that we don't charge these often, is this one of the reasons that the cells are prone to deteriorating? Be interesting to see if anyone else has had this problem. I am going to go back to the standard battery pack for the transmitters because I had 2 old ones in the drawer and they have charged straight up and replaced the one in the 4
    channel
    transmitter that was duff and everything seems hunky dory now, or , seems that way - so it will be a test on Sunday to see if I get a greater range :-) john
    5 years ago by JOHN
    Response
    Re: Evolution
    A 2
    channel
    drinks bottle. Brilliant. Looking forward to part two.πŸ˜ƒ
    5 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    Help and advice please
    As Doug said, ditch the AM radio, prone to just about any interference these days. This is pre FM (which better and is still used by some in more remote interference free locations but is still prone to interference, plus you need to change frequencies TX and RX) with both of these sets if another person is using the frequency you have). This means either waiting for a frequency to become free (and making sure no one is on your frequency so you don't destroy someones model) or having a number of pairs of frequency crystals to change to, plus having to use a frequency peg board at clubs. Buy a modern 4 or 6
    channel
    transmitter on 2.4G and you won't have to worry about all of that. 27Mhz -on (AM) 40Mhz -on(FM) is 40 yr old technology really
    5 years ago by jbkiwi
    Response
    Re: Pilot Boat.
    Most excellent job I couldn't decide if it was the real thing at first glance. Would like to be able to get pictures as good for my two I have one the first rc boat I built the 2 second the raf fire tender courtesy of Marky I have a 1/16 scale sailboat Bristol
    channel
    pilot cutter needs finishing but it the setting up of the sail workins that's holding things up and no one for advice. Layers Mick. (Gravedigger)
    5 years ago by Gravedigger47
    Forum
    Turnigy Standard 9x transmitter
    Hello all. I hope you can help me before I lose all of my hair. I recently purchased a Turnigy 9x set which, according to all of the reviews I have seen, is good value for money. I am sure that they are all right but you need to be a genius to understand the instructions. Everything is in short hand. I am fairly new to the latest radios but I can read. This is not good. The internet has been invaluable and I have found a good instruction book for the Flysky 9x which appears to be the same. I have now got through the basics but I am having a problem achieving what I bought it for in the first place. My latest build, a Pilot boat, has been wired such that I need to use three
    channel
    s to operate rc switches. I would like to use
    channel
    s 5, 6 and 7. I have found that I can set 5 to gear which gives me one switch, another can go to throttle something to give me two switches, but the other choices go to trimmers only. After reading bloggs it seems that I can get a third switch working on, say,
    channel
    7, but have to alter mix settings. I am completely lost now and wondered if anybody could instruct me as to how to get this third switch to operate on
    channel
    seven. Thank you.😊
    5 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Response
    Re: Maxton modified wooden ornament
    Hi! Doug no the esc is not home brew, it was from ebay. "RC ESC 20A Brush Motor Speed Controller w/ Brake for RC Car Boat Tank" for Β£3.37 works well and as far as the interference suppression with capacitors; no I don't find any need for them now I'm on 2.4ghz. All my models work from the one 6
    channel
    transmitter, and none of them have any suppressors on, although they are all brushed motors. Never had any problems. I don't do submarines so have no need for 40Mhz or 27 Mhz. I like to keep things simple!
    5 years ago by MAXTON
    Response
    Brave Borderer
    Canabus, Hope this helps, Rowen Using the FS-I6X instruction Manual, dated 8/10/2018. This Tx allows infinite experimenting with the various control functions and ultimately reverting to factory settings if dissatisfied with results. After several attempts at setting the ELEVON function (V-TAIL could be similar, but the Tx
    channel
    s would be different), decided this works best for me. it puts both brushless ESCs on the RH control lever. Moving it up operates both screws in the forward direction and down into reverse. Going from side to side speeds up or slows down the motors, so the boat goes in the direction the lever dictates. This was accomplished by: 1) Page 14/57 Establish the Tx Stick mode, mine was # 2. 2) Considering ELEVON, need to determine which layout allows the Aileron and Elevator controls to be operated by same lever. 3) Use Elevator for throttle (fwd & astern) and Aileron to β€œturn”. The Aileron will accelerate the motor on the outside of a turn. 4) Plug Port & Starboard motor ESCs into
    channel
    s 1 & 2 respectively. 5) Refer to Para 5.10 and set Elevon mode on Tx. 6) Use
    channel
    4 (LH lever side to side) for rudder and
    channel
    3 (LH lever up / down) for any other function needing proportional control. I am using it for the centre brushed motor. This means that my control levers, which had previously had throttle on the LH lever and rudder on the right are now totally changed. There is also an article in the March edition of Model Boats that explains the concept.
    5 years ago by Rowen
    Blog
    Brave Borderer
    During our protracted wait for Spring, have had chance to reflect on the earlier tribulations with the brushless motor installation. My enthusiasm was sparked by an article on getting the best from your Tx in a magazine and the advantages of using the Elevon or V Tail facilities if available. My Flysky Rx/Tx has this facility, so after some experiments, set the boat up to use the Elevon function. This puts both motor ESCs on the same control lever, so advancing the control accelerates both screws equally and moving to either side accelerates, or slows the appropriate motor. Think this will reduce the coordination previously required to sail in a straight line. Fresh from that success decided to experiment further. The Tx allows reducing Servo throw, so tried that too so could reduce the max. ESC output, it also seems to work. One problem with the original layout was that if the forward speed was reduced quickly it was very easy to move the lever through the neutral point, overshooting into reverse. This immediately reversed that motor causing erratic operation. The Tx also has a β€œDual Rate” facility to adjust the lever response from linear to various alternate rates. This allows the neutral point zone to be increased, so the tendency to overshoot into reverse is reduced. Bench tests of these adjustments suggest the model will be easier to operate. Hope they will make controlling the models performance better in our closest pool, which is quite small. A further precaution to prevent inadvertent operation of the brushless motors when using the centre, brushed one, was to add two small relays; one into each of the white ESC signal wires. This allows a another
    channel
    on the Tx to be used to select, or deselect the brushless motors. Anticipate that by turning this
    channel
    and thus the brushless ESCs off, manoeuvring can be accomplished without the operation being overwhelmed by a brushed motor inadvertently being operated. My patience for Spring is getting thinner!
    5 years ago by Rowen
    Forum
    Turnigy Standard 9x transmitter
    I have now connected the batteries and entered into the Aux
    channel
    mode on the TX. I have set gear to
    channel
    5 and throttle hold to
    channel
    6. Two of my lighting circuits now work perfectly using the gear switch and the throttle cut switch on the Tx. I just need one more to enable the third circuit to light. there are still two or three two position switches available to use but are not supported in the Aux
    channel
    menu. I am told that they can be used by altering the mix menu but I am afraid this goes beyond me at this time. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards, Peter.😊
    5 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    Turnigy Standard 9x transmitter
    Thanks Tom. I think I can choose between five items for each of
    channel
    5 to 9. Two I believe, Gear and one of the others, are controlled by on/off switches on the Tx. The others are routed via potentiometers. There is, apparently, a way of changing one of these choices to be operated by a third switch using `mix` settings but I have no idea as to how. I will try to get my LED`s working on the two switches that are available through the Turnigy rc switches I have wired to
    channel
    s 5 and 6 on the receiver. I will post how I get on.😊
    5 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    Turnigy Standard 9x transmitter
    Hi, As I see, there is a problem. The basic question is - what you need to control, and the other - whether this type of RC kit will allow this. Especially .. this type is mainly designed for aircraft control. You need to choose compromises to control the ship model. This type does not allow simple switching of functions - only by means of another switching module, or by means of end switches on the modified servo. in the base allows only proportional control of servos or ESC. There are RC sets, that have switching functions, such as Graupner - e.g. Graupner mc-20 12-
    channel
    HoTT but these are far more expensive... The basic wiring is the 3rd throttle for engine control (ESC),
    channel
    4 for control of the rudder. there is a possibility to use
    channel
    s 1 and 2 for switching the added end switches but it is not possible to switch them permanently (perhaps with the help of the added relay)-.
    channel
    5 can be used - setting> AUX> GYR> PIT TRIM - (rotary potentiometer control.) similarly
    channel
    # 7. AUX settings> HOV THRO
    channel
    No 8 - AUX Settings> HOV PIT Operate again using rotary potentiometers - see function descriptions. These
    channel
    s again allow only proportional control. Switching can be done (maybe) using
    channel
    # 6 settings >AUX>FLP> Gear ON/OFF (I did not try this) It is good to get familiar with the setting of the individual elements and check this on the display for the test (without the connection of the receiver !!) before you all plug in the model. I hope it helped you a little bit.. Tom
    5 years ago by tomarack
    Blog
    Servo Mount
    Servo mount I have looked and better looked for a decent servo mount but could not find one that suited the position I wanted to put the servo, so I decide to make my own. I bought some aluminium
    channel
    , which would act as a platform and base for the standard servo. Space in terms of height is at a premium and so some material had to be removed from the keel area to make sure the servo arms did not catch on the underside floor of the rear deck. As the space tapers in height from stern>forward then the best position for the servo would be next to the forward bulkhead
    5 years ago by mturpin013
    Forum
    RC circuit
    Since your going to replace your Tx and Rx consider a computer radio like the taranis. Each of your rudder servos can be on its own dedicated
    channel
    as can the ESC for each motor. Using the built in mixing functions you can "tune" the setup so as to get the effects your looking for plus you can do things like both rudders moving in opposite directions to give a brake effect. Setting up the mixing looks difficult but once your into it, it follows a logic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq_H9vzCz8g&t=21s
    5 years ago by Haverlock
    Forum
    RC circuit
    Am considering changing my Dumas pushboat San Pedro from single motor control to twin control to improve manueverability. I also plan on installing flanking rudders at the same time. I am going for a 6
    channel
    transceiver setup. Have not been able to find any diagrams for what is needed or wiring involved. Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated!
    5 years ago by Mariner85
    Forum
    RC circuit
    looking at flanking rudders you will need another servo working these and this can be either with a another
    channel
    or a Y connector working all servos have a look at "Google" how flanking rudders work hope this helps
    5 years ago by jacko
    Forum
    Receiver aerial
    You're talking about using one of these? https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/2-4Ghz-400mm-Extended-Aerial-Pair-P_RA2_4G_400.html or on ebay... https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Futaba-2-4ghz-400mm-Extended-RX-Aerial/1504309322 So long as these are the advised spec by the manufacturer, why worry about the impedance? You might be interested in this discussion I had a little while ago on the Single
    channel
    site about replacing 2.4Ghz aerials - points Martin made include: "......I tested all my detachable 2.4 GHz antennas and found quite a wide range of frequencies they were best tuned for, ranging from about 2.1 to 2.6 GHz - but they all work fine and have pretty good SWRs at the 2.45 GHz point. What was more interesting was testing various antennae that I've received for various pieces of kit over the years that run at 433 MHz, 5.8 GHz and the GPS frequencies of 1.2 and 1.6 GHz. Many of these are just 2.4 GHz antennas - I even have one that is labelled 433 MHz, but is really a 2.4 GHz and quite useless at 433 MHz!......." ".....It is important to realize that all the coax cables we use (all relatively light and thin) are all quite lossy at 2.4 GHz, so you shouldn't make the non-transmitting (intact cable) part any longer than it needs to be. if you have a foot or two of coax feeding the active part of the antenna (the modified bit at the end) then you can easily lose half of the available signal....." http://mode-zero.uk/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=389 I would also add that polarisation may become important when you have an aerial close to a horizontal reflective plane like a lake. I suspect that you might get a lot of the signal coming at you horizontally polarised, which a vertically mounted aerial won't like. For video output from a boat I've been using the circular polarised aerials that the drone operators use in an attempt to maintain signal at distance - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-4GHz-Circular-Polarized-clover-leaf-Antenna-set-with-short-connector-RP-SMA/253889968333?hash=item3b1d0578cd:g:YkEAAOSw5LZcZF3Y:rk:3:pf:0
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    Slightly confused newbie
    Ganz recht John, Absima is a German company, just up the road here from Munich. They are specialists for RC Cars. I have some of their LiPos but that's it. A lot of their RC gear seems to be just 2
    channel
    , gas and steering only. A few 3, 4 & 6Ch sets, presumably to appease the truckers & co with lots of lights and horns πŸ˜‰ Grüß aus MΓΌnchen, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    Slightly confused newbie
    hi ya, I have just been reading up on your transmitter and it looks as though your transmitter was originally made for cars but it doesn't make any difference. Apparentlyit is a 2
    channel
    transmitter which is supplied with a 3
    channel
    receiver. Therefore when you plug the speed controller into
    channel
    3, it isn't going to work. So the way you originally had it set up is the only way to get it working unless you go for a different transmitter. What is the range of these transmitters? because I have one myself which is a Planet 2.4 Advance T5 and its got an extremely short range because its called a park flyer - I am wondering if yours will be the same just for curiosity. Best of luck. John
    5 years ago by JOHN
    Forum
    Mtronics W-tail marine mixer connections.
    Hi John, thanks for the help, model shop in Hereford said that they should set up the same on the basic
    channel
    s. Apparently the A or H in the series number referred to either aircraft or helicopter. Thanks again for your help with this issue. Cheers Colin.
    5 years ago by Colin H
    Forum
    Mtronics W-tail marine mixer connections.
    I have just spent a couple of mins downloading and reading through the manual for your transmitter, Colin and I see you have limited mixing similar to the old Futaba 6A models. if it were me (going back to your original question) I would use this transmitter with a new receiver and fit these into your model and use tank steering as in the 4th diagram on that little image I put on of the electrical layouts. Very simple and straightforward. I think its
    channel
    2 on your right hand stick used for rudder.
    5 years ago by JOHN
    Forum
    Mtronics W-tail marine mixer connections.
    Here is the transmitter I intend to use, with a 2.4ghz module fitted. Not decided on the RX yet as need to get in the attic to look in my radio spares box. But it will be a 6
    channel
    set, as that is what I have. Cheers Colin.
    5 years ago by Colin H
    Forum
    Mtronics W-tail marine mixer connections.
    hi there Colin - to stop confusion and people suggesting things that are totally 'confusing' 😊 1. What type of 2.4 transmitter do you have, what make and how many
    channel
    s. 2. Can you put a photograph of your rudder servo in the model and the actual plug that fits into the receiver. This servo may not be compatible with what you are trying to do.
    5 years ago by JOHN
    Forum
    Mtronics W-tail marine mixer connections.
    just to add to the fun and games of this thread rather than looking at aftermarket mixers why not go the whole hog and get something like the taranis system. You can mix
    channel
    s at will and proportionate relationships. This means you can tailor the responses on the mixed
    channel
    s.
    5 years ago by Haverlock
    Forum
    Mtronics W-tail marine mixer connections.
    Hi Mtronix provide excellent after sales service on their products 01943 461482 They will provide a wiring diagram But why not control each esc from 2 separate
    channel
    s on your transmitter and forget complex mixers Just a thought or it might be the wine talking again Cheers Ian
    5 years ago by TOWN3810
    Forum
    Help with vintage rc.
    I wouldn't want to stop people running old kit - far from it! I have a single-
    channel
    1962 Macgregor with a Kinematic which I use occasionally - when there's no other 27Mhz around. But you need to be aware of the issues. With this sort of kit (and even worse for valve systems) you will find that summer is for sailing, and winter is for repairing. Here is the start of a thread on RC Groups with myself and Taurus Flyer sorting out a capacitor problem on the TX - which meant reverse engineering both the Rx and TX.... https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2609824-Reverse-engineering-and-repair-of-a-vintage-Metz-Mecatron-single-
    channel
    -radio/page32 One example of problems you may encounter is that the caps in old kit tend to die, particularly if the equipment has not been used for many years. Electrolytics, in particular, suffer. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolytic_capacitor#Failure_modes,_self-healing_mechanism_and_application_rules You can sometimes reform the electrolytics by turning the TX and Rx on and leaving them powered up for a day or so. it's tricks like this that you need to be aware of if you are going to run vintage equipment....
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    Help with vintage rc.
    I think the Digimax had interchangeable crystals - but didn't it also have 4-wire servos? if so, you will need a full Digimax set.... In general, it is not a good idea to use Vintage equipment unless you know what you are doing. The kit will be old, could need maintenance or repair (which may not be easy to source) and will have less range, reliability and interference rejection capability than modern sets. it will be 27Mhz. You may have to repair the electronics yourself. If you source a transmitter which SHOULD work with it, but doesn't, you will need expert attention to determine what is wrong - again, this will be hard to find. I assume that you do not know if that receiver works at the moment.... Running vintage radios is rather like running vintage cars. They look great when they are operating properly, but need a lot of work to maintain, and do not perform as well as modern kit. One source of help might be the Single
    channel
    and Vintage RC group here - http://www.single
    channel
    .co.uk . They have specialists in old equipment...
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    RC steam lever
    As far as i can understand you, your problem it's not so dificult to be solved, you have the valve but you can not command it to release the pressure, i suppose this is an On/Off valve, probably with a coil, in this case you only need a relay controlled over RC using one of your
    channel
    s, let me know more information if you need more help
    5 years ago by Escrich
    Forum
    Turnigy 9x
    I have just started using a Turnigy 9x Transmitter with 8
    channel
    and 10
    channel
    Receivers. (I did ask why they didn't make a 9ch Rx but got no satisfactory explanation). I have found the kit to be very good value for money but each time I select a different model, I find I have to re-bind the receiver. Not a big problem, but inconvenient. Is anyone else having the same problem? Thanks Steve
    6 years ago by cormorant
    Response
    Holy SMOKE !! Video, Tin Can Madness
    BTW: I grew up with valves (or bottles as we Brits also call 'em) as well. I still have a box of several vintage 'bottles' in the cellar, many of them new still in the original boxes. if you ever run out of triodes, pentodes or tetrodes give me a buzz! Think I still have some pristine EL80s - collectors items these days - lots of Oomph 😁 My next non-model boat electronic project is a pair of digital clocks in 'Art Deco' cases, using bottle decade counters. The forerunners of the fluorescent tubes and then the LED clocks, but much more funπŸ˜‰. About forty years ago I spent a year or so servicing and calibrating the radiation monitors around UK nuke power plants using these decade counters. One cosmic radiation click = one jump in the base counter and so on. Never ever saw anything above the basic cosmic radiation background count which is always there. A remnant of the 'Big Bang'. 😲 Funny where an interest in electronics and radio can getcha 😁 Look forward to your chimney experiment reportπŸ‘ My destroyer has two funnels but I found that the little railway smokers were not man enough to feed two funnels via a branched tube. But two working in parallel off the one RC
    channel
    did the trick. Regarding the chimney effect; Works well at rest or at low speeds, but I also found that instead of a fan some traditional air vent scoops mounted forward of the smoker augmented the effect well at higher speeds. And my long thin destroyer with 2 x 540s on 12V made a lot of 'speed boats' look silly 😁 Have fun, ciao, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Can't stop adding stuff
    Doug, Those little cpu fans are perfect, plug into a spare
    channel
    and you get the 5 volts easy. What gauge train are you building smokers for? Joe
    5 years ago by Joe727
    Directory
    (Pleasure Craft) Abracadabra
    A retro-stored 1950's vintage Fleetline boat with an original 1958 vintage K&O outboard recently converted to 2
    channel
    RC. (Motor: K&O 1958 Johnson 35HP) (ESC: Alloet 320 A) (5/10)
    5 years ago by Puddle-pirate
    Blog
    Slow going ...
    After building the mine laying rails I then purchased scale German mines , only to find out that they are 4mm wider than the rails on the boat, ...what to do , cut the mines (8) down and rework the base and wheels to fit the boats rails or move the rails wider ..... moving the rails ... slow going , found that the motors I have are more aircraft/drone use per the esc, , no reverse .... Hobbyking does have esc that will work , still need a couple of servos and a radio , just not sure if a 6 Chanel land/ boat radio or get a large
    channel
    stick radio would be better ... as always $$$$ is an issue . Work on the messy table as I fit cut and replace fittings and supports ... Smooth sailing to all... Bill G
    5 years ago by BW3
    Forum
    Rx-tx confusion
    Lordgord, I understand the confusion as there is almost too much infor nation on the web, much of it is mis-leading. I have been using this technology for 12 years now and have owned and used at least 8 Spektrum receivers. Here's my take: 1. You need a DSM2 or DSMX Transmitter, that simple. 2. My first photo shows a Spektrum AR7000 RX in my tugboat. it's a nice RX, IS 7
    channel
    with an addition satellite received. it's overkill for a boat that just needs a couple of
    channel
    s and doesn't fall to earth in a failure. Originally purchased for an RC Airplane, it's pricey at $90 to $100 USD. OUCH. 3. Ti try the less expensive RX's available no, first I tried OrangeRX and bought 3, none of which ever worked, a problem with China's lack of quality control. 4. Recently p, I needed two more RXs for boat builds and read that LemonRX was doing pretty good. Last two photos are of the Lemon, model LM0034. They work great and bind very easy, best of all they are $16 USD ! www.lemon-rx.com 5. One caveat with the lemon, they come just as shown in photo....no documentation. You need to look up on the internet which port is which and how to bind. Took me about 10 minute, bu is something to consider if this is your first hookup. Knowing which set of prongs go to what
    channel
    is critical. Personally, in the future, I am going to buy more Lemons... Hope this helps, Ask any question that you may have, we are all hear to help each other. Cheers, Joe
    5 years ago by Joe727
    Response
    Railings
    A good model shop has a rack of all different shapes and sizes of plastic strip. flat, round, square, box,
    channel
    all about 300mm long with various amounts in each pack. The model shop near me has it, TJD Models, Sutton at Hone. I have a bout 10 packs in different types I've used on a couple of models.
    5 years ago by BOATSHED
    Forum
    Smoke generator
    Have just made a prototype of a fan forced smoker which seems to be working well (despite breaking the heater coil by moving it while hot, - had it apart, broke wire, screw and washer repair, not quite as hot) I bought a couple of Heng Long smokers (for R/C tanks or cars) to play with, for $10 NZ each(or 5.3 Euros to you Northerners give or take a yen) from Bangood and just bought another from Ebay. There seem to be 2 different models, as one has a long coil with a lamp wick draped over it, which is sitting in the oil reservoir, the other has a small coil inside a piece of heat resistant woven tubing (as you might find insulating toaster/heater wiring etc) which acts as a wick and that also sits in cotton wool in the reservoir, (this seems to be the better of the two) Tip - don't fill the tank right up, only enough to soak the cotton, element should be just out of the oil. The wick loads the element. The better model seems to have a black top to the tank (also maybe either brown or black tank) and the other has a brown top and dirty brown tank. As with most of this stuff you won't know till you get it what it's going to be. What I did was remove the tank and cut off the pump tube just in front of the screw lugs (see black line in photo) then fitted the tank, and a 40x40x10 5v ESC fan (voltage controlled by a UBEC set to 5v on the jumpers) into a plastic electronics utility box from Jaycar (our local electronics and hobby store). I made up a double JST lead for the 2s 1800Mah Lipo and fired it up (using baby oil). it's pretty much silent and smokes well once it gets warmed up, ( starts smoking in about 5 seconds) You could control it (on/off volume) by either a remote on/off switch or perhaps a small cheap 10A brushed ESC. I would leave the fan running and control the element to avoid burning the element. The original pump tank inlet hole seems ok as is (approx 1.5mm) but you could enlarge it very slightly to get a better flow if you could find a better oil. At the electronics store they have proper smoke machine oil for $20 NZ per litre so I may have a look at that. The reason I went for the fan idea was that I found in std pump form, if I immersed a tube from the tank in water, it sucked water back into the tank. I was hoping it would pump smoke out of my HSL exhausts at water level alongside the cooling water but it would need a very light non return valve to do this. The fan seems to pump the smoke through 2mm ID silicone tube ok, so tubing of similar ID to the OD of the tank outlets should work well. These pumps in original form work pretty well for the price, and are cheap enough to keep a few for spare elements, the only thing is they are a bit noisy but in an 'engine sounding' way, (might add to the effect on a tug or work-boat though) What you have left after this mod is a very handy little geared motor with an eccentric output wheel which could be used for winches, radar and whirly bits of any description (see pic of motor leftover and original) To avoid burnout, these should be run on no more than a 2s (around 7.5v-(suggest 8v max with fan running) The other tank is going to work a lot better than this one but I'm not making a tug, just want a bit of exhaust smoke on start-up etc to go with the 2 sound units. Very cheap to make (around $25 NZ with pump, box, fan and UBEC all through Ebay, Aliexpress and Bangood (and local electronics store) if you wanted to run an ESC to control the smoke and you have no
    channel
    s left to control it proportionally, you can always try using a second receiver bound to your TX, (if your TX will allow it,) power it and a brushed ESC (wired to the element) as normal and use the throttle
    channel
    to plug in your smoke control. This should work if you want more smoke as you accelerate or if you are using only 1 stick on a 2 stick TX you could use your 'elevator' stick pushed up (or a toggle switch if available) to start/stop the smoke (through the brushed ESC setup) . This setup weighs 100g (10g more than std) The quest for lots of smoke continues Will try to upload vid later and update progress.
    5 years ago by jbkiwi
    Forum
    All hooked up, nowt happens...
    Hello all, since I keep the weekend for me I thought I'd try hooking up all the lecktrickery for my brushless motor. It's one of they outrunning tiddlers. I have a 3S LiPo which is firing on all cylinders at 3.79 volts per. I plug it in to the ESC, some Chinese one I got recently. I soldered wires to a T type plug that fits the Overlander battery pack. I'd already soldered the 2mm connectors to the other end of the ESC wires and protected them with heat shrink. Plugged tested (6.2 volts) Nimhs into Rx and it starts flashing, then plugged ESC into a
    channel
    and the motor, yes , the MOTOR starts beeping! How the hell can that happen? I plug the battery in and the motor beeps even quicker! What on earth is happening? Needless to say, no rotation, buzzing, whistling, just beeps from a motor, clear as you like! Please help. I am already teetering on the edge of getting rid of all my working stuff as it takes up space and is such a damned faff! But what I have, I would like to work. Just long enough to prove it all. Martin
    5 years ago by Westquay
    Directory
    (Working Vessel) Debbie 1
    This Billings model was probably one of the first R/C models I ever built the speed control is a Traxxas XL-1 2
    channel
    am Airtronics transmitter . I took it down to a pond at Confederation Park to test it with my girl friend turned it on but the rudder was hard over & I didn't see that the boat started going in a nice circle until it screwed itself under .I jumped in and there was only 3 feet of water & 4 feet of mud . My girlfriend ,now my wife thought I was crazy but after 42 years she still thinks I'm crazy . (ESC: Traxxass XL-1) (5/10)
    5 years ago by GARTH
    Blog
    2nd
    channel
    2nd servo fitted and copper pipe through round hatch all i need to do now is make the control arms to to operate main and for sails (photos to follow )
    5 years ago by jacko
    Forum
    internet sales
    I have been reading about how the high street shops are suffering in regards to sales.I wish to plead guilty as i purchase most of my model boat kits and parts online ! The shop keepers have high rates and running costs etc when compared to some online retailers .I purchased online a 4
    channel
    transmitter,receiver and 30amp esc from china for around Β£40 as this would cost double from a uk retailer its no wonder there are very few model shops left but as an Oap i look after the pennies.All the chinese parts are excellent and work well. I would prefer to buy local and enjoy a walk around a well stocked shop but difference in local retail prices and imported items is now too much.Model shops of my youth are sorely missed.
    5 years ago by keithtindley
    Response
    Victoria
    now working on a 2nd
    channel
    for the main sail all the rc gear will be fitted to the lid i.e. the round hatch
    5 years ago by jacko
    Forum
    Smoke generator
    I have made a smoke generator using a piezo transducer and a P68s variable speed brush less fan controller from action electroncs. The transducers tend to be 24v dc and are relatively cheap (Β£2-Β£3 each). I am using S3 lipos so I only have 11.4 available but a very cheap variable output unit gives me 24v. The fan is connected in-between the receiver
    channel
    for the throttle and the speed controller. The fan speed increases with the throttle and follows the throttle speed regardless of direction. The net effect is quite pleasing for diesel exhaust simulation, with a steady stream when the stick is centralised and the fan just idling. On fwd/rev throttle movement you get an increasing amount of exhaust dependent on speed. I have this installed in my Forceful paddler with twin funnels. The effect is quite realistic but can be difficult to see. I am looking for a another transducer that will produce more vapour. in its present configuration it will run for around 3 hours before topping up is required.
    5 years ago by marlina2
    Forum
    gas shot off
    as a first thought if you have a spare
    channel
    on your transmitter use it to drive a servo to close a shut off valve it could also function as a valve to prevent accidental gas leakage when connecting everything up. Trying to do it auto is fraught with danger since even if your out of water your still going to have pressure. if on the other hand your wanting to stop the gas if your pressure falls to low why?
    5 years ago by Haverlock
    Response
    HMS BRAVE BORDERER
    Thanks jbkiwi and RN in Munich for your suggestions: Have never used Ali Express, those components look interesting. Will follow up. I have used a battery alarm of the type suggested and it does work well. Have a couple for use once back on water. The rule about adding a capacitor into the ESC circuit is new to me. Have ferrite rings fitted so will now explore adding capacitors too. Are these is series or parallel with the wiring? The relays are not used with diodes or any electronic gubbins. Wanted to make the circuit as simple as possible for a Mechanical Engineer, so used one separate relay per ESC. The relay operation is controlled by a RC switch off another Rx
    channel
    . it seems to work. Am aware of the back feed possibilities and hope to have avoided them with the separate circuits. Appreciate any thoughts though, can add diodes if necessary. Am using a new FLYSKY 10 Ch. Tx/Rx on this model which opens up a host of programming opportunities. Am experimenting with various features such an the interval between Fwd/Rv also limiting ESC response. As am now using the brushless motors essentially in unison, also toying with controlling the 2 x ESCs on a β€œY” lead on a single control. Much to think about, pity our winter has arrived early and the pond has been converted to a skating rink.
    5 years ago by Rowen
    Response
    HMS BRAVE BORDERER
    Rowen, here are a couple of things that may be of use to you (and others). The battery alarm will save you worrying about running out of steam as they can be set to beep at varying voltages to warn you of low battery, just put one on each batt balance lead and when one goes off (when an individual cell drops below the set voltage) it means start heading back. These can be picked up on Ebay for a few dollars. I use them on my planes as well and are audable from around 100m (these twin horns are the best) Secondly, re your ESC switches, these electronic switches (AliExpress) are great for this sort of thing (as long as you have enough aux switches on TX ) You can link them with a Y cable to work together or use them independantly for anything, (lights, pumps etc, - they can be operated by TX rotary switches as well) The ESC and 2000kv motor (HK) are the ones I am using in my ASR model and will work smoothly down to a crawl, the purple 1980 kv seems to have superseded these but I think they will be as good. The props are from Ali Express and are resin and available in L and R hand, are only a few bucks and perform perfectly while looking quite scale(ish). I painted them with an acrylic bronze which seems to have stayed on pretty well. Model weighs 2.8kg and will run at more than 10mph flat out with this set-up (using the 26mm L+R) props) which is silly speed and that's with 2x 2s 2200mah lipos (which will last till you get sick of it and still have 60% left) I was just looking at your Daman set-up and noticed the wiring method from the batts to the ESCs. You might want to make your batt to ESC connections direct to your ESCs (as per original ESC lead length)as your capacitors may get a thrashing (spikes) due to the extra length/ resistance you have there. There is a general rule that you don't lengthen the batt to ESC wiring without adding a 220mf capacitor of same voltage as the ESC for every 4"of extra wire length (ESC to motor - not so much). Might want to check this out in case you fry your ESCs You probably have thought of this but thought I'd mention it, 'just in case' Might help with your modulation as well. Have chucked in a vid of the HSL manouvering (first trials so wasn't perfect) and also the MTB (brushed) which I have just converted to a twin system (was twin but single Electronize unit) plus a sound unit. You may know that you can use as many RECs (bound to the same TX) for various purposes on the same boat (have run 2 boats together from the same TX) Might get you round the mixed brushless/ brushed problem with a bit of thought. Have you thought of changing your old HK silver 6DF TX to twin throttles, it's a piece of cake(as is the TGY 6x), just remove the aileron/rudder centering spring and make a friction plate as per throttle stick, and use the elevator
    channel
    as your other throttle. Set your ESCs and you can then use a twin system giving you perfect control. Saves a lot of hassle.
    5 years ago by jbkiwi
    Blog
    HMS BRAVE BORDERER
    Finally the new brass propellers arrived, delayed about a month in one of Canada's regular postal disruptions. After minor modifications to the boss profile (the brass are more streamlined and thus longer than nylon) to give clearance with the rudder leading edges, they were easily installed. Could now refit the electrical equipment previously removed to get access to the shaft couplings. Inevitably took the opportunity to make β€œimprovements”, so then could not get anything to work! After much frustration determined the problem was not from my improvements, but from the cheap and nasty slide switches provided with ESCs. These must have got damp during the test runs and corroded internally. Suggest when using these switches they be consigned to the garbage and replaced with proper toggle ones. Had decided to use the centre brushed motor/propeller for manoeuvring and low speed operation and then the outer brushless for high speed. Brushless ESCs do not modulate smoothly and motor operation is erratic. This was particularly evident when going from forward to reverse and vice versa. Using a lever control Tx, it was also easy to inadvertently operate the brushless control along with the brushed making the model response unpredictable. After some thinking, decided to insert a small relay into each of the white signal wires for the brushless motor ESCs. These relays would be controlled by a RC switch operated by another
    channel
    on the Rx. Hoping this way the brushless motors could be switched on and off whenever desired. The two relays would retain the ESCs as separate circuits and avoid any interference between them. The idea worked, can now operate the brushed motor confidently knowing the brushless will not be inadvertently triggered. This means low speed manoeuvers can be gently undertaken using the modulation and control ability of the brushless motors and, by selecting the auxiliary control, can add the high speed capability of the brushless. Am also hoping that when the Li-Pos trigger the low voltage cut-outs in the ESCs, this will retain a β€œget-home” facility on the brushed motor as that ESC operates independently. Much to look forward to when next on the water.
    5 years ago by Rowen
    Forum
    All hooked up, nowt happens...
    Hi Martin, maybe! Maybe not! You might be lucky. Check the RX with just a servo plugged in somewhere. Then try setting up the ESC according to the instructions I sent. Basically all you have to do is tell it what type of battery you are using. Then it sets the correct 'Cut Off' voltage. BTW: since this is a 'One way only' ESC before you switch the system on make sure the throttle stick is pulled right back. Otherwise the motor will start up straight away. Mind yer fingas!! 😑 Also check that the throttle
    channel
    is not reversed at the TX - like most Futaba sets for some crazy reason - or again the motor will start up with the throttle pulled back. PDF: as Steve says; click on the Icon, then on [Download] in the top left corner. Windows should then offer you the choice of 'Open' or 'Save'. Click 'Save' and Windows will ask where you want to put the file. Cheers, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    All hooked up, nowt happens...
    Hi Doug, as you can probably guess, I have as much chance of programming an ESC as flying with my own wings to Munich! The ESC didn't come with any instructions. I didn't know they needed them! More to the point, how the Hell can a motor beep? Where's the beeping kit in a motor with one moving part? So, now what. it's a Flysky pistol grip 3
    channel
    (third is a switch) set of Tx and pre bound Rx. The ESC ? Gawd knows, a flat thing inside a big yellow heat shrink casing. I got it from China recently. All I can do is take a picture of it with my nice new camera tomorrow. Does it matter which way round those three wires go on the motor? I'll post pictures tomorrow. Thanks, Martin
    5 years ago by Westquay


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