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    Forum
    HMS RODNEY 1/96th Build
    The magic is supplied by Peter Ward (my co-conspirator) in the form of the detailing of the hull/supersrtucture - Shapeways 3D prints are a major feature along with John R Haynes brass work. The 3 turrets will rotate and be able to auto track a target. The 9 guns will be controlled individually or in groups and will elevate, smoke, flash. An awesome sound system that will be synchronised both water and shore based. Everything controlled by a bespoke application on an internet enabled browser
    device
    (phone or tablet) So a fun project Video is an early mock up of turret functions _._
    4 years ago by G6SWJ
    Response
    Re: NON SMOKING EXHAUST WITH AIR INJECTION
    Hi JB, I have caught up now and by reading through the posts to see your journey. I have been on a similar journey - I thought I would share some of my learnings. The electronics in the vape
    device
    s may well drive a display, buttons +/- and a display interface etc but the basic electronics for the power to the coil are very simple. The power is "pulsed" to the coil using Pulse Width Modulation - basically in each cycle how much time the power is ON or OFF - very similiar to a domestic dimmer switch. By varying the pulse on/off period (Duty Cycle) I can adjust the power being supplied to the coil The coils do not have a voltage limit (I run my standard coils from a 12v SLA) - they do have power (watts) limit where watts =volts x amps. I am not sure on the spec of you voltage regulator - it may be constant current - so when you drop the voltage to 2.x volts your are essentially dropping the overall watts in the circuit. The resistance of most coils is single or sub ohm so are almost a short circuit - no surprise your voltage regulator gets very hot/spits it's fury I create my pulsed power to the coil using a MOSFET I also have a temperature sensor in place to auto shut things down if needed and will be a able to remotely monitor each of the 9 smoke
    device
    s remotely Hope this adds to the subject _._
    4 years ago by G6SWJ
    Response
    Re: NON SMOKING EXHAUST WITH AIR INJECTION
    Hi Jb, Ref:Gave up trying to fit a smoke
    device
    in the HSL due to lack of room. Have you thought about using a small tank like this (see photo 1) There is also a small tank that is called a Drip Tank. It is a three part tank, the base is a small tank that holds a small amount of liquid, the middle section has the wick and coil, and the top section slides over the coil section. You fill the bottom tank with a very small amount of liquid and fit together then drip the liquid on to the coil, then slide the top section on and that is it. The air is sucked it through two small holes in the top section across the coil then out through the top/ I am sure that you can make an inline tank system that will fit in you'r HSL. Martin555.
    4 years ago by Martin555
    Media
    NON SMOKING EXHAUST WITH AIR INJECTION
    Gave up trying to fit a smoke
    device
    in the HSL due to lack of room so decided to try something else. Set up the twin small air pumps (1 per exit) and made some y joints to link them to the pump and exhaust outlets,. Works reasonably well and not too noisy. Breaks up the flow a bit and gives it an 'exhaust flow look'. JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Response
    Re: LATEST SMOKER VERSION Y RUNNING
    Hi G6, yes, I removed the whole
    device
    . It was cooked due to a short/over voltage when the voltage buck threw a rod. Wired it up direct with another buck turned down to 2v. I'm going to try some other coils to drop the amps and have fitted a 12v fan to this buck to help cool it. JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Forum
    LATEST SMOKER EXPERIMENTS, REDUCING SIZE & NEW BITS
    exactly right, Im just making the exit
    device
    which will take the water and smoke out, water through the middle and smoke around the outside of the water, Ill post some pictures asap.
    4 years ago by mturpin013
    Blog
    Port lights and Raft Container!
    To day I installed the port lights. Something very simple to do! It's a pity there going to be painted over! I also made the Raft Container release
    device
    ! This you can see aft of the Main Cabin! Note: The supports for the Container. Was half way made! Hopefully no one will notice it!
    4 years ago by figtree7nts
    Blog
    Smoker system
    I thought I might try the simplest way to produce smoke and just reverse the “vapours” way of using a standard E cig unit. I was given a couple of units which were no longer needed and decide to modify the unit. I machined an aluminium ring which fitted around the air intake at the bottom; the ring has a groove machined internally to allow the air to circulate around the dual intake. A 4mm drilled hole which is drilled into the groove has a 4mm brass tube inserted. The brass tube connects a small pump via a silicon tube which blows air into the
    device
    . The battery pack will have to be modified to fit in the boat but this was just to prove the system. It produces more than enough smoke for my crash tender which will just have a scale amount of exhaust smoke, hopefully. I intend piping the smoke through the rear using a custom made water/smoke exit unit which keeps the two components separate, watch this space
    4 years ago by mturpin013
    Forum
    LATEST SMOKER EXPERIMENTS, REDUCING SIZE & NEW BITS
    I thought I might try the simplest way to produce smoke and just reverse the “vapours” way of using a standard E cig unit. I was given a couple of units which were no longer needed and decide to modify the unit. I machined an aluminium ring which fitted around the air intake at the bottom; the ring has a groove machined internally to allow the air to circulate around the dual intake. A 4mm drilled hole which is drilled into the groove has a 4mm brass tube inserted. The brass tube connects a small pump via a silicon tube which blows air into the
    device
    . The battery pack will have to be modified to fit in the boat but this was just to prove the system. It produces more than enough smoke for my crash tender which will just have a scale amount of exhaust smoke, hopefully. I intend piping the smoke through the rear using a custom made water/smoke exit unit which keeps the two components separate, watch this space
    4 years ago by mturpin013
    Forum
    LATEST SMOKER EXPERIMENTS, REDUCING SIZE & NEW BITS
    Re - Hi Jb, The Timeout part of the circuit is set for something like fifteen, twenty seconds Hi Martin, took a few mins to figure that out, quite clever really (the machine, not me😁) Quite a technical little
    device
    . Battery might not be as good as I thought but will try charging it and see, (dropped off in voltage today, red lights flashing apparently means low batt) I can always just cut off all the electronics and plug it into my voltage reg with a simple pos and neg wire and run it that way through a remote switch (same as I did with the HSL smoke try out ). JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Response
    Re: SEAPLANE TENDER, CHANGE OF ESCs
    Haven't found a programmer yet Peter but that's not to say there isn't one, although they work perfectly for what they are designed for. I bought some small 30A brushless ESCs a while back and when I asked the seller if there was a card for them he told me they didn't make one . With a bit of detective work I found a card under a different brand name which works fine. Pic is of OCDAY branded ESC and unknown card which works. How I found it was through an ad on Banggood, which showed the same ESC in a different colour and brand but with a card, so I found the same card elsewhere by itself and took a gamble and bought one, and it worked! Fans aren't too much of a problem as I use quite large main batteries (and they only draw about .02A) so the 2200MAh batteries don't even notice them (probably don't even need the fans, just something I put on 'cos I could'). New ESCs are 60A so they are not going to worry about a 2.5-3A motor draw max. Did think about water cooling but the extra pipe work wouldn't fit without a lot of reworking space, and it's a plumbers' nightmare already. I'll probably use the cheapos in the Maiami which I was thinking of converting to twins and giving the balsa hull a bit of fairing and maybe glassing. Really have to get rid of some planes to make room for any new projects, and finish re-doing the Graupner Optimist, and jazzing up the Fairacre launch a bit. Enough there to keep me busy for next winter. Will just be working on the smoke
    device
    s on and off for now, as I'd like to get a compact version going well. JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Response
    Re: Oceanic
    Hi Nerys, we had the superyacht / tug Itasca here in Auckland about 10yrs ago getting a full repaint, while tied up at a wharf downtown. She was covered in white shrink wrap and the painters worked under it. They did a beautiful job on her. The Arctic P was also here on a visit last year and is an absolutely massive and impressive sight! with superyacht quality paint finish also. Hate to think of the running costs! She is the epitome of power and bristling with every comms
    device
    known to man. You Tube of Itasca. I'll put the one of Arctic P in Auckland separately JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Blog
    Splitting The Hull.
    I had a busy weekend planned. It was time to split the hull. It is fair to say that I had been looking forwards to having a go at this. I had made the special tools last week ready for the split. The first job was to try to fix down the hull to a board perfectly level and rigid enough to ensure that it did not move during the cutting phase. The first thing was to find a suitable flat board, 12mm marine ply, and stick a 1” strip of sandpaper right down the middle to help to reduce the risk of the hull sliding. This done, I placed the hull roughly central on the board and marked out the positions for the anchor points for the elastic bands and screwed them in. I used standard hooks for this. The bands, two at each end, were fitted. It was surprising just how rigid this was but the hull could still slide. To stop this, I had bought some angle brackets. They were to be screwed onto the board, one each side at the centre of the hull. These proved top be very weak and I could still move the hull. A search of the garage followed to find something suitable and I came across two Krick motor mounts which were left over from the Dusseldorf motors. I screwed these to the board and the hull was rigid. I fitted the Dremel to the special tool with four cable ties. These held it very well. I then set the height on the marker pen and tested it at each end of the weld line chosen as the split point. It was around 3mm out at one end so I placed two large washers at one end under the hull and this gave me level. I then checked to see if the hull was level across the width and twisted it until the pen made a mark at the same height on both sides using the weld line on the model as a point of reference. I them marked a cut line along both sides of the hull. Next up was to set the height of the slitting saw using the previously drawn line. This done, I then very carefully cut the side walls taking care to only taking shallow cuts as the Polystyrene melts very easily if heated. I did this in stages leaving the hull connected at each end, behind the bands and about ½” in the centre to ensure stability when cutting the other side. I completed the cuts on both sides and then remove the hull from the board. The remaining sections still joined were then carefully cut with a 12” hacksaw blade. Success!! I had two pieces. I then roughly cleaned up the cut joints and placed the two halves together. It was good. Finally, for today, I made and fitted a support brace at the stern end of the deck piece as cutting into two had left this area weak. Next time I will improve the cut surfaces, put locking
    device
    s on the deck half and location tabs to aid alignment. Thanks for reading. Peter.
    4 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    LATEST SMOKER, E-CIG ELEMENT
    That one turned out quite well Martin. I was on the lookout for some sort of can to put the tank in and was prowling round our local Bunnings home depot/hardware store and was in the plumbing section when I suddenly had an epiphany. Remembered I had 40mm waste pipe at home so I bought 2 end caps and a bit of sanding drilling and fitting later, voila' version X. not that small but plenty small enough to go in most boats and very easy to make. There is a turn of loose wire inside so I can lift the tank up to fill it. Strange that it would not work as planned with a bottom air feed, and had to work in reverse. Not to worry, it makes houseloads of smoke, is self contained and easy to fill, (end caps are just a push fit and the top holds the tank in place by the mouth piece) which is pretty much what I was after. I know we can use the vape coils now and I'm sure I can make a small version with just a coil (same idea as the alloy one, - just need to make or find a smaller can) not too worried at the moment as I think I have enough smoke
    device
    s for now. Be interesting now Myself and Graham have kicked it off, to see what the rest of the crew come up with (I think there are a few under way at the moment). I'm sure no one is going to pay silly prices for the commercial smokers now! (which are pretty much what we have done but in a colorful tin) when you can do it yourself. Seen a few vids on You Tube of people making their own by winding coils on f/glass rope (stove door seals). They work ok but more effort to make. Ready made coils are so cheap (wound coils and replacement screw ins) that it's not worth mucking around. You can buy boxes of various wound coils very cheaply if you make something to use those in. Endless fun. Thank-you E-Cigs!😊 JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Forum
    LATEST SMOKER, E-CIG ELEMENT
    Here are the various smoker versions I've made and the vape coils and tank I have used. Also the Heng Long smoker in standard form and the modified forms - box with fan, fan on tank and one converted to a pulsing air pump (red side outlet) All items were bought from Ali Express, but can be found on EBay etc. I have used the Vaporesso brand tank and coil which seem well made. The 'VECO' tank I bought comes in a proper box with authentication laser sticker and a spare tank glass, spare element and spare o-ring set, very nice! You will need to make an adapter if you use these, as they are made to be part of a complete
    device
    which houses the battery (which you don't need) The coil or tank have the body as one contact and an insulated inner (with coil) which is the other contact (see pics mine and Grahams to see methods used. I've shown here the independant coil attachment and the tank attachment methods I used in my applications. There are dozens of vape manufacturers and
    device
    types so it's up to you to work out how you will do it, $$ etc. I know these versions work well as long as you can get good controllable air flow and and control / set the voltage (regulators cheap on Ali Express in various forms). Happy smoking!😊or😉 JB, R&D at the Smoketory😉
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Blog
    Completing the Hull.
    The last thing to do before completing the hull was to cut all of the vent slots on the underside. I used various sized drills and chain drilled the larger slots and filed them to shape. There is still a lot of shaping by file to do but I am going to leave this for later when I am sure they will be easier to get at. I finally took the plunge and fixed the bow and stern assemblies to the main hull section. I used ordinary solvent cement which does create a strong bond, but will reinforce the joints with Stabilit once they become visible again. The next stage was to glue on the three main deck parts. It was a bit of a struggle to line them up exactly but In did the best I could. When gluing, care had to be taken to avoid contact at the front and rear segments so that a clean separation can be achieved when splitting the hull. Next job was to do the vertical cuts at the separation lines. I used my Dremel with a saw blade as usual. These cuts will form the end points for the main cuts. The next job for me is, as mentioned above, to split the hull. This is quite a tricky operation and requires a couple of special
    device
    s to be made. I am lucky enough to have all the machines required to make these at my disposal. I have started by cutting up the necessary pieces of wood. I will explain all on the next update when I have completed the separation. Thanks for reading. Peter.
    4 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Response
    Re: EXHAUST SMOKE WORKING IN THE HSL
    But Wait Doug , there's more pollution
    device
    s coming 😁!😮☹️ JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Response
    Re: Exhaust Smoker
    Re- following several weeks experimenting, I was going to ask what pump you had Graham but you have answered it here. Seems to work quite well, not sure how mine will go (if they ever arrive) but there are a number of air pumps on line to try. Need something with a bit of grunt to it. I think this little project has been a great example of Kiwi/Anglo cooperation as we have both swapped ideas back and forth to get this result. Graham has refined the electronics and done a great job and I'm pleased that he has taken an interest in my original simple idea, and with his electronics knowledge made it pretty flash. With the greater model boat interest in the UK, I'm sure it will be seen on more models yet and is a
    device
    which can be easily adapted to any model - tugs, PT boats, barges etc, - with or without water. The best thing is it can be made very cheaply as against the price of current marine smoke machines. JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Blog
    Exhaust Smoker
    Following several weeks experimenting, and lots of discussion with jbkiwi, the exhaust smoker is now installed in the Crash Tender. The heart of the
    device
    is an e-cig tank and coil. This was adapted with an acrylic end piece to allow connection of power and air. The 2ml capacity of the e-cig is a bit limiting so an expansion tank made from acrylic tube was added to give a fluid capacity of around 10ml. The smoker fluid is 75% vegetable glycerine. The coil in the e-cig is designed to work from a single cell LiPo battery. A power converter drops the voltage from the boat's 2S battery down to 3.5V with a claimed efficiency of 98%. This voltage is adjustable which allows control of the amount of smoke produced. Forced air is provided by a small diaphragm pump salvaged from a defunct blood pressure monitor. This pushes air through the e-cig. The resulting smoke is fed into the cooling water line between the ESC and the exhaust ports. As the smoker is most effective simulating the engine 'ticking over' a water pump is used to create some water flow when the main propulsion motor isn't running. This adds more realism to the effect. An electronic controller based on PIC microchips connects to the throttle channel and pulses the air pump at a rate determined by the throttle setting. It also runs the water pump at a slow speed, and controls the power to the smoke generator coil. If the throttle is held at maximum for a couple of seconds, the smoker pumps and coil are switched off to save on battery consumption. With the throttle at idle, a quick blip forward on the throttle will start the smoker again. Power consumption is around 0.7A on a 2S LiPo. The two pumps are mounted below the footwell floor and the smoke generator is fixed to the bulkhead at the rear of the engine room. My thanks go to jbkiwi for his encouragement and suggestions during the development of this feature. Graham93
    4 years ago by Graham93
    Response
    Re: Smoker test 8 E-Cig version
    Are you thinking of filling your collection with smoke
    device
    s now Collin?😊 JB
    4 years ago by jbkiwi
    Response
    Re: SEAPLANE TENDER STAND ADDITION
    Re- Bouncing off jettys broken mast and now drip trays to catch oil Hi Martin, I use oil as the bearings need constant lubrication at high speed and I don't trust Chinese bearings to run without it. The shaft clearance is pretty poor in the inner Diam which I think is where most of the oil is leaking (have the same thing with the Graupner bushed shafts in the HSL. Grease tends to get thrown off shafts and does not get through such small shielded bearings. Probably ok if you have a high pressure grease nipple on the shaft tube. In all electric R/C aircraft the usual thing to do is remove the motor now and again and use a special thin oil in the bearings (Scorpion sell their own oil for this). I have pulled a few dud bearings from motors apart, and there has been no trace of grease even though the motors have been near new. They are very small bearings, so will get hot rapidly without regular lubrication, and seeing they have metal shields, there is no way of getting grease in anyhow (without perhaps using the motorbike chain 'cook in grease' method which would not be practical) The shaft oiler
    device
    s are made to suit lost oil replacement also. The weeping oil also calms the lake water and gives it that used smell and authentic look, and stops the ducks legs squeaking as well 😊😀😂 JB
    5 years ago by jbkiwi
    Response
    Re: Fire Monitors Part 2
    Thanks Peter, Component Shop have some great products for this sort of thing, and that
    device
    would give a good range of control. Being a retired electronics engineer I like to keep my hand in and make whatever I can in terms of controls. Makes it all a bit more interesting. Regards Graham
    5 years ago by Graham93
    Forum
    Night Watch
    Must make this brief. Am running silent for the next few days..my daughter, err, Sea Cadet Grace has a birthday this Friday. I have been put on temporary duty as the comm officer in charge of migrating all data from her older Android comm
    device
    to a newly refurbished IPhone 6s. Although she has an inkling of what’s coming, she does NOT know the particulars of said present. Since this will take some time and effort on my part, I will be off the watch the next few nights...LTjg (Feline Sqd) Errol will be handling the watch for the next few nights. Will try to translate any radio traffic his station, if any. CPO Hargett, out.
    5 years ago by Cashrc
    Forum
    RC it ??
    Well worth the effort to update a decent size pond yacht. Some sailed remarkably well and even without fitting steering
    device
    s could be trimmed to sail a pretty true course. I wish I still had the one I was given for about my third Christmas.
    5 years ago by Nerys
    Forum
    Extra channels
    Those of us with long memories might recall the difference between the words 'channel' and 'function'. Nowadays a 'channel' is thought of as a stream of information dedicated to a single task - such as working a rudder. That stream carries 'proportional' positioning information, and so can be thought of as carrying a set of theoretically infinite positions between 0% and 100%. If it was not used to position a servo, it might be used to control a 100-position switch, for instance! In the early days of radio control, we did not have the luxury of multiple channels, each carrying proportional information, sent as a single frame which could be separated out and sent to different servos. We had a signal - it was either on or off. If we wanted to do more than one thing, we had to process the signal ourselves - usually mechanically. One 'channel' meant one signal. In its basic form we used an 'escapement' - a bit of mechanics which switched its state once every time it was given a signal pulse. So one pulse would move a bi-directional mechanism from neutral to 'right', and the next pulse would move it to 'left'. For model boats quite complex switching systems could created, driven by a single channel. They were like old telephone dials, whereby a 10-position switch could be pulsed round one click at a time. if you combined that with a mechanical delay on each position you could select one action without initiating all the others - if you were quick! More sophisticated kits had multiple channels - giving one switch for left, and another for right, a third for 'up' and so on. Full control of an aircraft needed 8 channels, and you needed some extra ones to give in-flight trim! When proportional systems came out the old use of the word 'channel' became redundant - each proportional channel was the equivalent of an infinite number of 'single channels' - and for a while the word 'function' was used. So what would have been a 4-channel transmitter became a 2-function transmitter.... Nowadays we do everything electrically, but it would be possible to create a mechanical
    device
    which would give Martin multiple switches running off a single proportional 'function'....
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    Work with Balsa wood
    I haven't tried it, but even I, who am not very mechanically minded think it must be possible to devise a simple miniature steam bending
    device
    . I remember seeing in a boatbuilding yard a very long time ago, a boiler fired by the sweeping's of shavings and chippings from all round the yard (Apprentice's job) the steam going up into a long square 'pipe' into which the boat builders put the planks or whatever they were steaming. The heat of the steam was intense enough that after half hour or so, the wood was cooked enough to bend around whatever. A miniature electric or calor gas version of this must be easily designed and built. No doubt someone will tell me that this has been done and is sold by X.
    5 years ago by Nerys
    Forum
    Genesis 9000 problem
    Mornin' Peter, First I have to admit that fast electrics / power boats are not my forte. However 😉 The foam I would think is part of the last ditch emergency flotation
    device
    . If the boat springs a leak it should at least hold the bow up so that the boat is not a total loss. Therefore I would try to rearrange it but not reduce it. The rudder is intended to swing up fairly easily in case you run over something at high speed. It's supposed to swing up on contact so preventing it from ripping out and possibly taking the stern out with it; glug glug glug 😮😭 If you feel it moves too easily, i.e. during normal running, then tighten the nyloc nut a little. Don't overdo it or you might prevent it from doing it's job! Hope this makes sense 😉 Sok szerencsét a következő teszt!👍 Cheers, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Blog
    Lighting and other tweaks ;-)
    Hi folks, after seeing the mast lighting from Jugge & my humble self😉 Martin sent me this video of his superb HMS Cottesmore in all her animated glory. To watch; ignore the Invalid File sign. Just click on it and then on the Arrow in the miniscule blue box at top left. Your
    device
    should then ask you if you want to view the file or save it. On a Windows PC it will probably offer you Windows Media Player as default viewer. Watch in Full Screen mode for best effect; especially of the bridge lighting!👍 Signal lamp is sending a real message "keep away hazards area" Happy viewing and wondering! Cheers, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Re: Evolution
    Take it you are going to use a flotation
    device
    Martin - as my son once said after we had eaten a Red Roman (fish not a Communist) - the bare bones still on the serving dish - "That fish wont be able swim now will it daddy..........." You really do have a very creative mind - pills or not...... Always a pleasure to watch
    5 years ago by redpmg
    Forum
    two part epoxy resin
    Yes Peter, hopefully the glue will see this
    device
    and submit LOL! Martin.
    5 years ago by Martin555
    Forum
    two part epoxy resin
    Looks like a
    device
    for torture Martin.😀
    5 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    Sub dive system.
    I have an open mind at the moment. I suppose with this method an automatic trim
    device
    would be essential.
    5 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    Port/ starboard socks.
    That's extremely kind of you Nerys, thank you very much😊 A PM is on it's way to you shortly. If you have sound switched on on your '
    device
    ', PC or whatever, you should hear a SONAR Ping when it arrives. Thanks again, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    Motor reversing
    Hi All potential submariners! Please consider this before you happily launch your latest creation! You're down at the lake on a nice warm sunny day for a bit of 'messing about in boats'. So far so good. BUT ... before you launch your sub into the deep consider that the water temperature will be considerably less than the air temperature. So what? you might say. This what! To help keep the wet stuff out of the sub and away from your sensitive electronics you need a little over-pressure within the pressure hull (WTC), to keep it WT! Outside in the warm air this will occur naturally. BUT .. as soon as you dunk your sub in the cool wet the air in the hull will also start to cool and reduce the pressure within the hull. This is often enough to create an 'under-pressure' within the hull which can cause ingress of water by literally sucking it in through the drive shaft and control rod glands. Glug glug glug glug😭😭 Time to wish you'd worn your swimming trunks and brought some goggles with you! Solution? 1 Acclimatise your boat on the surface before you sail away and start diving; i.e. let the water cool the hull and contained air before final sealing of the pressure hull and sailing off. 2 Fit a cycle tyre valve and take a cycle pump with you so you can pressurise the hull slightly before sailing. Don't overdo it, one or two pumps should do, or you might blow the sealing glands from the inside 😮😭 3 A rubber (or similar material) membrane fixed into the pressure hull is a useful indicator of over or under pressure within the hull (WTC). 4 Fit a Pressure switch and a Fail-safe
    device
    which will automatically surface the boat on loss of radio signal (some RXs can be programmed to do this; i.e. all servos and ESCs go to programmed settings) or on exceeding a preset depth; e.g. 1 metre. Happy sailing / diving / surfacing🤞. Cheers, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    Motor reversing
    Commercial dive sets, like my Akula II (and DIY ones from guys with a fantastic machine shop🙄) use bayonet end caps. I've also seen DIY articles from guys who have used longitudinal studs to hold things tightly together. Trimming (pitch control) is done in my kit using an attitude sensor and hall effect sensor for controlling the dive tank. The hall effect sensor detects the position of the tank piston. The attitude sensor detects deviations from neutral and adjusts planes and / or piston accordingly. https://engel-modellbau.eu/shop/en/Submarine-Kits/AKULA-II/Hall-Sensor-for-Compact-Tank-Switch-CTS2-2-upgrade-set.html https://engel-modellbau.eu/shop/en/Sub-Components/Pitch-Control/Pitch-Controller-SPC2.html In Norbert Brüggen's Model Submarine Technology book (see below) there are instructions on how to build these
    device
    s (and more) with circuits, parts lists and layout drawings. Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    Batteries in a DX5e
    Hi Martin, Save your money, time and effort! Just like my DX6 your TX needs 6V from Alkaline batteries. To get 6V from NiMH you'll need 5 cells, which you haven't got a cat in hells chance of squishing in. A fully charged 4 cell pack may show up to around 5.6V OFF LOAD. So you start around half a volt short in the first place. Shortly after a load is applied the cell voltages will drop to their nominal 1.2V. Giving 4.8V for the TX. This is roughly the voltage of 4 nearly flat alkaline cells. 2000mAH cells have been recommended. Good quality Alkaline cells made to the IEC standard, such as Varta or Duracell, have a capacity of around 2500mAH. Make sure you get the Heavy Duty version, i.e. for cameras. These will last for ages, unless you forget to turn it off 😉 When I tested your TX the switch was perfectly OK and I don't think you can get a toggle switch in without major surgery anyway. I'm not fan of slide switches either, they are always the first thing I have to replace in Gisela's garden lights and fountain pumps etc, usually due to corrosion. But considering the low usage, without getting wet (unless you fall in the pond with it😮), it will have in your TX it shouldn't be a problem. The reason your rechargeables kept popping out is that many of them are a fraction larger than the alkalines. I've had this problem with several
    device
    s. I use alkaline in my DX6 and my Turnigy clone. No problems. The only TX I use NiMH in is an old Graupner MC-10, 40Megs for my submarines. But it was designed for use with a 9.6V pack in the first place and has a charging socket. Does your DX5E have a charging socket? No! Neither does my DX6. Cheers, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    CNC boat kits...?
    "...I suppose depending on the cutting head you will be able to cut thin sheet plastic?...." The basic machine is just a precise 3-D positioning
    device
    . You then tie anything you want onto the end, depending on the job you want to do. A router or a laser will cut wood, a milling bit will cut metal, a knife will cut vinyl or paper. A plastic extrusion head will let you build up plastic shapes, a pen would let you write letters, and I suppose a paint brush would let you create watercolours... For every material there is a workholding requirement, and a set-up and run optimisation process to undertake, but the principle is simple.
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Wiki
    Radio Control Wiring
    NOT from me (RNinMunich)! I just edited it to delete a previous comment of mine! Wiring Methods Wiring can be a little tricky, especially when there are more functions than just power and steering. To wire correctly you should first check: - What is to be wired up. - What voltages are going to be needed. - if there is any equipment that is not compatible. Receiver Where possible try to have a separate battery for the receiver and not power it through B.E.C. circuits in speed controllers. There is a simple explanation for this. The speed controller works by switching on and off and different rates. Depending on the rate of switching the motor will speed up or slow down. it is this fluctuating current that is not good for the receiver if its using the B.E.C. *Edit* More modern electronics are not affected so much by this, but if you start to experience problems with reception it could still be something to consider. The receiver should be placed as far away as possible from other electrical equipment such as motors/servos. Also DO NOT CUT THE AERIAL ON THE RECEIVER. The receiver aerial is a set length and can affect signal quality if made shorter or longer. All motors should have suppression to avoid any interference with the signal. There is a section in the knowledge base for this if you need to learn more. Lighting Lighting equipment is running at a constant current and can be placed off any battery without it affecting anything else... BUT if it is put onto the same battery as say a drive motor, the lights will dim everytime power is asked from the motor. If LEDs are being used you will have to be careful about the voltage. Three things can be done to ensure the LEDs are getting the right voltage (usually between 3.0 to 3.5v). One. Use a voltage regulator. Two. Put resistors into the circuit. Three. Put the LEDs in series with each other. Each LED is about 3v so two in series would need a total of 6v. Sound/speakers Speakers generate sound using a fluctuating current through the coil. it is recommended that all sound
    device
    s are run off a separate battery to avoid interference. Another problem with speakers is the magnetic field. This can play havoc with the signal, especially analogue radio sets, therefore the speaker should be as far away as possible from the receiver and have magnetic protection if there is no choice. Relays/switches A switch is always a good idea so that the boat or anything else can be switched on and off easily, but they should only be used if the current is low going through them. To reduce the amount of problems that could occur it is recommended to do without a switch if possible. A switch for the receiver is fine as it is only low current. For drive motors it is better to have a straight link onto the battery. Fuses Fuses are always a good idea to ensure they blow up before your boat does! Make sure you use the proper car type fuses for high current applications (blade fuses).
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Blog
    Wheelhouse
    I have started work on the wheel house. Firstly I have put a false floor in to raise and level. Using the foam board I have made the internal fit out as per the drawings. I have used wooden coffee sticks (thanks Cafe Nero) to edge the units. Then I made the sink, job and grill. The door has again been made using the wooden sticks backed with thin plastic card. Windows have been added. These were supplied by Debbie and Andy at modelsbydesign who I would thoroughly recommend. A kettle is on order for the stove and more details will be made including a seat pad, skippers chair, first aid kit, fire blanket, fire extinguisher, mugs, newspapers and more electronic
    device
    s.
    5 years ago by GrahamP74
    Forum
    Guidance for newcomers to the site :-)
    Hi All, Welcome aboard to all newcomers 👍🚤 Prompted by Martin555 (no relation to the famous timer chip I'm assured!😀)- FIRST A QUICK SURVEY!! To help us to help you get the best out of this site, the best MB site this side of the Asteroid Belt😉, please use this thread to tell us what you may be having trouble with on the site. When you post please also tell us if you are working from a PC or mobile
    device
    when having problems. It would also be useful if you could put the topic/theme of your query in capital letters at the top of your post. Will help to keep track of what is most troubling to new users. Cheers, Doug 😎 (Oh gawd what have I unleashed!?😮)
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Blog
    Fitting the Rudders
    There are four rudders on this boat. The design for these is a vast improvement on the Aeronauts Pilot Boat I recently completed. The first stage was to drill all of the required holes in the hull. These include two for the anchors, two for the prop shafts, one for the water inlet tube and four for the rudders. As this is an ABS hull moulding, drilling is not usually too much of a problem but due to the cost of the model, I decided to protect the insides around the holes with tape to decrease the possibility of cracking. I start the holes off with a 3mm drill and then increase to the final size which in this case was 4mm, 6mm, 7mm and 4mm respectively. I gently filed around the holes to get a nice slide fit and correct alignment of the tubes. The deck lies on a support rib which will later be glued around the inside of the hull. The instructions highlight the build of a simple
    device
    which will hold a pencil at a height of 7.5mm. A pencil is taped to a straight piece of wood of about 30cm long with a suitable spacer in between which was 3mm in this case. You can then place the stick to contact both sides of the hull and then draw a constant line at exactly 7.5mm down. Simple but effective. This will form the height guide for the deck support. This line was also continued around the bow of the ship which will form the bulwark later. The next job was to prepare and glue the side supports inside the hull for the rudder tube support board. Next job was to glue the support board in place. I did not notice at this time that the support board had quite a bad bend in it. The bow was upwards which resulted in the two centre tube alignment inserts being above the end of the tubes. The solution was to glue the two middle alignment inserts under the support board instead. A little awkward but the result is good. The rudder tubes were now fitted and glued to be water tight with Stabilit Express glue. This is good for water tightness. I painted the four rudders matt black and then protected with Lacquer. Although the instructions state that the rudders should be fitted and set up at this stage, I have decided to leave this for as long as possible to avoid damage. The next job is to fit the twin motors and prop shafts. This is a job for next week.
    5 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    Glue
    Pool Noodles are the foam insulation for pipes, used as flotation
    device
    s. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_noodle They can be used as fenders for large model boats, and look very similar to the inflated tubes in an RIB, so they can be used to make RIB hulls. But joining them and shaping them is often a problem...
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Response
    Re: WTC/Sub Driver.
    Hi Doug, I have been thinking about how you could operate it if you don't have a spare channel and I have come up with some options. Option A somehow attach two micro switches or tactile switches to the dive planes servo arm. Option B Y join a micro servo to the dive plane servo and attach said switches. Option C Add a collet to the dive planes push rod to activate the said switches. The idea being that when you slightly tilt the dive planes to dive the pump will start filling the tank. When dive planes are tilted to surface then the pump will start emptying. In the neutral position the pump will be off, even if there is water in the tank or not. when you ballast the sub in submerged trim keep it with slight positive buoyancy as the ballast water will leak back through the pump unless a valve is fitted to prevent this. I suppose you could call it a safety
    device
    ! Martin.
    5 years ago by Martin555
    Forum
    Log out
    What browser are you using and what
    device
    ? Is anyone else getting the same? Stephen
    5 years ago by fireboat
    Forum
    CNC boat kits...?
    The amount of dust depends on the diameter of the cutting tool, and where it goes depends on the cooling air being blown from the motor. I am using sub-millimetre diameter cutters, so there is hardly any dust. And the motor is a slowish Johnson model boat one running at 10v, which makes very little draught. You can see the tiny ridge of dust either side of the cutting line on some of my earlier pictures. I had set up a cutter-mounted vacuum
    device
    , but haven't needed to use it yet.
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Wiki
    Radio Control Wiring
    DRAFT; TO BE REVISED SHORTLY (RN) ;-) Wiring Methods Wiring can be a little tricky, especially when there are more functions than just power and steering. To wire correctly you should first check: - What is to be wired up. - What voltages are going to be needed. - if there is any equipment that is not compatible. Receiver Where possible try to have a separate battery for the receiver and not power it through B.E.C. circuits in speed controllers. There is a simple explanation for this. The speed controller works by switching on and off and different rates. Depending on the rate of switching the motor will speed up or slow down. it is this fluctuating current that is not good for the receiver if its using the B.E.C. *Edit* More modern electronics are not affected so much by this, but if you start to experience problems with reception it could still be something to consider. The receiver should be placed as far away as possible from other electrical equipment such as motors/servos. Also DO NOT CUT THE AERIAL ON THE RECEIVER. The receiver aerial is a set length and can affect signal quality if made shorter or longer. All motors should have suppression to avoid any interference with the signal. There is a section in the knowledge base for this if you need to learn more. Lighting Lighting equipment is running at a constant current and can be placed off any battery without it affecting anything else... BUT if it is put onto the same battery as say a drive motor, the lights will dim everytime power is asked from the motor. If LEDs are being used you will have to be careful about the voltage. Three things can be done to ensure the LEDs are getting the right voltage (usually between 3.0 to 3.5v). One. Use a voltage regulator. Two. Put resistors into the circuit. Three. Put the LEDs in series with each other. Each LED is about 3v so two in series would need a total of 6v. Sound/speakers Speakers generate sound using a fluctuating current through the coil. it is recommended that all sound
    device
    s are run off a separate battery to avoid interference. Another problem with speakers is the magnetic field. This can play havoc with the signal, especially analogue radio sets, therefore the speaker should be as far away as possible from the receiver and have magnetic protection if there is no choice. Relays/switches A switch is always a good idea so that the boat or anything else can be switched on and off easily, but they should only be used if the current is low going through them. To reduce the amount of problems that could occur it is recommended to do without a switch if possible. A switch for the receiver is fine as it is only low current. For drive motors it is better to have a straight link onto the battery. Fuses Fuses are always a good idea to ensure they blow up before your boat does! Make sure you use the proper car type fuses for high current applications (blade fuses).
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    Display cases
    Evenin' Dave, Neat idea 👍 Must try that. I have such a
    device
    and I too have been scratching 'me 'ead' about display cases. Especially for my larger (4 to 5ft) ships with lotsa vulnerable twiddly bits which are too easy to break when dusting 😭 Cases that size usually have to be specially made and are simply unaffordable. Except for museums I suppose. Cheers, Doug
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    i Phone App
    There are plans to release an app update. Since iOS 10, Apple changed how they handle push notifications, so currently that feature is not working on Apple
    device
    s. Since the last version of the app they also released a new programming language, so the new app will be built in Swift and from current tests it looks to load pages faster. The app won't be ready for launch for (I suspect) another two months yet. Meanwhile, the existing app has seen a few improvements as part of the overhaul. Posting via the app is much more reliable now and you can also post more than 4 pictures like with the website. When the new app is launched I'll let everyone know. I hope, for most, it'll automatically push the update to peoples
    device
    s anyway. Thanks, Stephen
    7 years ago by fireboat
    Forum
    Model Boats 'IPad Application'
    Apple has now approved the latest version of the Model Boats app! Version 1.4 is available to download (or update) which should fix the problem some people have experienced with the white screen, this update applies to all apple
    device
    s. If you have IOS7 and enabled automatic updates it will already be on your
    device
    by now, if not, check for updates! Any problems then please let me know ((Email Removed - PM Only)). if everything works please rate it 5 stars and add your comments in the App Store! I'd love to see some good reviews go in the App Store as it takes a lot of work behind the scenes to get things like this working, and it's completely free to you all! Many thanks! Stephen
    11 years ago by fireboat
    Forum
    Model Boats 'IPad Application'
    Bit of a delay I'm afraid everyone. Apple has rejected version 1.4, so I've had to resubmit it, so it'll be another week! They were right to reject it it seems, although I don't know why it crashed still. Spent last night re-writing the software almost from scratch and I've now tested it on IOS6 and IOS7, both IPhone and IPad with no crashing. It looks superb on IOS7 too! it has new splash screens which compliement the Icon, which makes the whole entry into the app very clean and smooth. I think it'll be worth the wait for everyone who has Apple
    device
    s! 😎 Stephen
    11 years ago by fireboat


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