Response

Re: 40'' Seaplane Tender, new build Z-3

Re Thanks to modern technology and the skills of the model makers. Thanks martin but it's now down to two of glasses and a head magnifier, + arthritis setting in doesn't help with the fine work. Was looking at some matchbox toys I 'hot-rodded' when I was about 11 and I remember using 1 hair from an artists brush to write on them and detail them (and you could read it clearly!)- no hope of doing that these days,- hands aren't quite as steady. I've said it before "old age sucks". JB

2 years ago by jbkiwi

Forum

Workshop

Hi Doug, In reply, Alice tells me she agrees with everything you say about the loop aerial. It has a motorised airspaced variable capacitor that can resonate it from about 3.4 to 10.2 Mhz. Yes it is very directional and should be on a rotator. It is a bit low to the ground but it does have a two sharpish nulls. It is designed for transmitting, but at very low efficiency! The capacitor won't arc over at even 100 watts of SSB! (Alice doesn't have a linear) but Alice uses it as a receiving aerial or extremely low power transmit because of the danger of high RF flux in the vicinity of it. The phone lines around here are overhead drop wires some are still unscreened . She could be wrong as there are other noise sources, such as ethernet over mains wiring adaptors, SMPSU's and all sorts of poorly suppressed cheap crap but Alice thought that ADSL frequencies were something like 262Khz to 13.7Mhz well within the HF spectrum. Cheers, Nerys

2 years ago by Nerys

Wiki

Easy reversing switch for single ESC twin motor set-up

An easy way to reverse a motor (or motors) in a twin set-up using only one ESC (such as Electronize) is to use a polarity reversing toggle switch. I used this method in my MTB until I replaced everything with twin car ESCs. The switch is operated by a servo using a spare channel on your TX, and is just a rod through a hole drilled in the toggle with a stop each end (at the appropriate distance apart) and silicone tube buffers each side of the toggle. Power goes in the center 2 terminals and the motor wires are arranged in an 'X' across the 4 outer terminals with the opposite joined and hooked to the motor + and -. You could make a double action set-up with 2 switches (reversing both motors to opposite directions) if required (I was only reversing one motor) To operate, you stop the motors, switch toggle to reverse and go either forward or reverse on the throttle (one motor will be working as normal, the other opposite). I only used 1 on my model and it was sufficient to give good independent maneuvering. Check wiring polarity carefully 1 pair at a time to make sure they are switching properly before you solder the . You may need to adjust to suit your desired motor direction when you move the throttle so it's best to set it up out of the boat. The unit can be made much more compact, as mine was a prototype using bits I had lying around.

2 years ago by jbkiwi

Blog

The Battery Cover

The switch and battery box is a sub-assembly that can be easily removed for repair or modification, and the ‘steering wheel’ power switch works really well but it all needs to be concealed in an enclosure that’s in keeping with the rest of the boat. Firstly I built up a framework on the walls and floor around the battery box to support an enclosure, this was designed with a sloping top panel to make it look more like a control and instrument panel than just a box. The obeche strips were angled and bevelled and just superglued in place. The enclosure was then built up on this framework to get the shape and angles right and all the internal edges reinforced with obeche strip with some bracing pieces at each end to add rigidity. A slot was cut into the top panel to allow for the throw of the power switch and the edges of this were also reinforced with some more obeche strip. Some external framing detail was added and also a handle to assist with removal as the 4mm diameter neodymium magnets that were set into the framing hold it very firmly in place. I uses a total of 6 of these magnets and I now think that 4 would have been more than sufficient and hence the need for a sturdy handle to get a good grip! (I did a count up of how many magnets are on this model and in total there are 42 of varying sizes 😲) Three of coats of Teak stain were applied to all the bare wood to finish it off. I may add some ‘instrumentation’ detail on the top panel around the steering wheel and possibly a throttle control just as a finishing detail. BECC do some nice round decals and bezels for this but they’re a bit pricey for just the few that I need so this extra detail might be an unnecessary extravagance! The last thing to make is a presentable looking display stand for exhibition and display so it’s off to the drawing board to sketch something out ✍🤓.

2 years ago by robbob

Forum

Port/ starboard socks.

Great day out at The Knap Model Boat Club open day in Barry South Wales at the week end. Previous chats were about Nerys and her Port - Starboard Socks. Nerys attended the Knap Model Boat Show and when tackled about her port / starboard socks, she told us all about them and why they were worn. Then produced several of the said socks and gave them out to her friends and colleagues. Just to say thank you Nerys, Well here they are for all to see,,

2 years ago by KenThompson