Springer's we need more springers!

RR - I found this little gadget when I wanted to power some LEDs without having a wire linking the cabin to the hull. Its designed for 2 x CR2032 batteries giving 6 volts, but if you only put a battery in the outer position, you get 3 volts.   It has it own switch. A 2032 should power quite few LEDs, and bought in bulk from ebay are pretty cheap.
Of course, if you were planning on having the lights under RC, then this is no good

Barrie

I have the main on off switch for the LED lights inside the boat, My LED sets also 12v' to match the boats main power.
 but i am thinking of making up a a set of pressure terminals/contcts ( made from copper) so when the top is down the lights are connected, when u lift the top up no wires, 

Well thats the plan anyway ..

but thats a great suggestion which i'll keep in mind for other projects, i have others requiring 6v LED's to start this year.

Thanks bud, oh and i have my water pump, i cant test the amp draw yet as i blew my mulitmeaters fuse so wont be able to get a replacement until monday, i did a short test in the sink and the beam is pretty powerful, maybe 8 foot but i'll have to test it a little more with the correct fittings on. 

So if your offer still stands to make up a switch that would be much appreciated. as i don't feel that its worth wiring it up to an ESC although during my short test i did hook it up to the 10amp esc and ran it for about 2 mins solid, motor was warm, but esc didn't blow, so what ever the load draw it its under 10 amps. i honestly can't imagine it being more then 2amps at the very most..  ( i may try to hook up a 5amp fuse in the cable tomorrow and see if it blows it) most 400 sized motors under prop load barely hit the 1amp mark

Well besides playing with the water pump most of the early evening, i did manage to get the top half of the winch room sides done, just leaves the top and the plug insert to do on that section then i can move onto the funnels and wheel house. 
Would have done a lot more but i was at an event all day today.

oh and i added a LOL type video of the water pump running... needed to clear my windows anyway

RR - I'll check I have all the bits for the switch and let you know ASAP, but off to the lake today   
I think I have the same pump so can check the current. I currently use a micro switch on a servo as it was going to be part of a sequence of events, lights and sound, but is now just the pump. I would like to replace the servo myself, so will make two switches if I have the parts.

Barrie

Excellent, thanks Barrie

Been a lot more productive today, but mostly electronics!!
I've installed the water pump on the shelf at the bow next to the esc, and added large lengths of cable ready for Barries switch, installed the water pipe inlet on the side of the hull, created a wire bar which supports the wiring down the side of the motor, rewired the motor so the rotation is now the correct way, fiddled with the servo to get that working without binding, and finally created the final plug insert sides for winch room.
next up will be the winch room roof & floor, leaving me with some scope to add some internal detail (maybe) with a light, then the funnels which will be rather unique and come up either side of the winch room and slip back on top of the winch room's roof.

oh do you think i'm running outta space inside?! still need to add pump switch, servo to drive the cannon, and the LED buzz bar terminal
Imma be buggerd if i've messed up the ballasting now...

I thought it was a retrieval boat you are building Aron this looking heavy/strong enough to win outright any smashem & sinkum event well done Cap't Roadrunner. 

The water pump seems powerful.  I have ordered the same one for myself.  There should be enough power for 4 nozzles.     

cheers

ken

I guess it depends upon how big the opening of your spout is which will give you the pressure to power 4, mines a 2mm and i get about 6-8 foot at full blast.

This is all new to me I've never fit extra electrical features to a model (less things to go wrong) but the pump seams to work fine for what i want to do.


The boats heavy, but if i take the batterys out with only the dead weight in its not that bad when i ballasted her i set her up to just sit on the corners of the bow flat before the curve, so i can still have a bit more weight but the ply being 3mm even the laminated 12mm thich sections are very light, the biggest 12mm lamination is only 2"x 3" but strong and tough yes, has to be cos this one i'm going to let the kids 'have a go' with that stop by the lake so i want it to be able to take the hardest bangs it can get and still be perfectly fine in a few years!

 kids will love it perhaps a captain of a favorite cartoon character.

RR - I am missing a few bits for the switch and have ordered them today. They could arrive Tuesday. I am assuming you are powering the pump from the drive batteries. The switch should be capable of handling up to 4 amps, and as it will not be continuous I think this should be adequate.
To give you an idea of size, this is the board it will be built on.

Barrie

Thats fine Barrie i have some space i can still fit things its gonnabe tight but i'll get it all in 

I have just weighed the boat and she come sin right now at 5kg dead...

i'm going to go and re-test her ballast now to make sure i did get ti right. as right now i can still remove the deck if needs be!

Well just to confirm she still floats she dose need a bit more weight in the stern which i was aware off since shes missing her rudder on the test and i still have to mount a few extra things in the rear. she is low but i still have a good 1.5" of hull topside before water hits the deck. but i still have the bulwarks to add and she dose have a solid 1" coming around her, so even if the deck becomes awash then its not going to matter just a low sitter.

only thing thats worrying me right now is that 6:1 motor may not give me enough RPM to move her at any real speed, i may have to buy a 2.5:1 as a replacment, but unknown at this time. the motor came from an older fishing vessel i retired which ran a 3 blade 40mm prop. this ones got a 4 blade 50mm although the pitch is a little shallow. i'll play around with props later before deciding on a lower gear ratio. but for now i'm hoping the 6:1 will be fine. 

shes not going to be a racer but at least i know i can keep going and not worry about the weight. i wont be adding to much more and i doubt she will hit the 6kg mark finished, i have however already planned ahead if needs me with a modification to the batterys and can run with 1 12v in there in a new position across the top of the prop shaft if needs i become to concerned. 

oh and good news my LED light set arrived.  Red , Green, 2 white and a Blue flasher, should be fun 

this photo shows a re-positioned battery its something i kept in mind as a ''just incase'' measure i would need to make up a new battery tray in this position but i would have instantly reduced 1.2 kg in weight and kept the CG of the boat the same. im hoping not to use this position but only the finished build will determine that.

Barrie if you want some pennys for that switch please pm me and i'll paypal u some ''mo'la''

okie dokie

Little more done today, progress is a little slow, but its hatchling season with my pythons right now which is taking up a lot of my time, 230 babies this year   and they all need cleaning, feeding and some even want my blood 

anyway besides my weird hobby/job today, i've re tested the ballasting ( which i posted earlier) and made a top roof for the winch room, then made up the other side angled piece, im still trying to work out the best way to do the funnels right now, so until i have that i'm going to progress with the main sides and slanted wind screen. 

I can see an end not far off, once the wheel house is done, make up the rest of the water cannon, fit the lights and electric buzz board, and then the bulwarks i'm ready for some paint then final detailing with hand rails and such. 

Roadrunner wrote:

but its hatchling season with my pythons right now which is taking up a lot of my time, 230 babies this year   and they all need cleaning, feeding and some even want my blood 

Can we have some photo's of the wee beastie's please

troutrunner wrote:

Roadrunner wrote:

but its hatchling season with my pythons right now which is taking up a lot of my time, 230 babies this year   and they all need cleaning, feeding and some even want my blood 

Can we have some photo's of the wee beastie's please

Ditto.

i'll get some more photos done this week promise, but i dont think Quorra is to impressed with my springer

shes a Enchi, lesser heit fire morph, hence why shes so dam dark

The parts arrived this morning and first version is built. This has a separate bit of board to hold the connectors. I'm working on a second which will have the connectors on the board with everything else - making the board about 6.5 cms long. I don't think I will be able to finish this until Thursday however. 
I have tested it with a 140 motor and 6 volt battery. The motor was unsuppressed and I think it was causing some interference, but it works.



If you want this version I can post tomorrow, otherwise it will be Thursday or Friday - let me know.

Barrie

Damien wrote:

Ditto yes please more snake photo's

that version will be perfect, allows me to move the connectors around a bit since i have limited spade in the model, i'll pm you my address..

Bit more done today you can start to see how the wheeel house will start to look, 
I did the right side wheel house panel which is a lamination again of 2x3mm the inside section is the windows which will be a separate colour to the outside layer, i'm thinking at preset to inset the windows with some 'U' shaped plastic strips to give a frame, this ply is a little tricky to cut when your working at 5mm thicknesses and i am getting a fair bit of tearing, nothing that cant be patched with some p38, but its quite frustrating,

I'm hoping to do the other side tonight, but i still have to plan the plug section for this part and the windows cutouts don't leave me any real glue surface.

Left side of the wheel house done, but then i had some inspiration on those pesky funnels...so ended up chopping the back end of the wheel house off at 30 degrees and adding a flat section. i'll have to make up a fitting piece to join winch hatch but at least i have an idea who to work the funnels now.

RR - no problem. I built mark 2 today and installed it in my Fireboat with a water pump and it works OK. I found it worked best on Channel 5 of my Spektrum DX5e - the Gear Switch. but was OK on the throttle channel -  it probably needs a non-centred channel to work best. 
Just make sure the wiring diagram I sent you agrees with the photo above of my test set-up. I can't remember if I got the motor and battery the right way round

Barrie

magnifico,

I love this woodworking............neil.

Have no Fear Barrie i was going to install it on channel 5 of my dx5e as it was. i wouldn't be able to put it on a stick as they are taken up with throttle, steering, & fire monitor movements.
As for the instructions they were spot on, i have also lined the back of the board with some foam, and added Velcro mounts to it.

I haven't done much today on the boat sadly, spent most of day at hospital with my ongoing condition so feeling rather drained. tomorrow will be a better day and im hoping to push forward with the wheel house and attempt to get it finished by end of the weekend, ready for filling & sanding before moving on to the bulwarks.

Dose anyone know where i can buy tinted glass plastic, i would normally buy a tin of window tint spray but £8 for such a small job is a lot of waste.

Or dose anyone have any methods for tinting clear plastic?

i normally rub the inside of the windows with a 600 grade wet n dry and then rub carbon powder on it..........pencil graphite powder will do just as well.........tinted from the inside it won't pick up dirt and dust.

sounds interesting, i'll give that method a test run and see how it turns out

Today i've patched the cut out section i made on the rear of the wheel house ready to take the funnels, and also wired up Barries switch, which after a bit of a fiddle i managed to get working, it turns out my dx5e on/off switch operated it backwards and there's no reversing switch  anyway all sorted now. unless Barrie you know how to reverse the 'gear' switch on my transmitter, i tried playing with the pot but found only center to max right was on/off, hard to left was flat on with no control.

now to just tidy up the wiring ...

RR - that's the way my Dx5e switch works.  I'm not sure if it is possible to alter the circuit - I'll check later. I did not design the circuit, that's beyond me   - I just know how to put these things together. 
I don't think its an issue really, it just seems wrong, but in either position the Tx is transmitting a signal to the receiver.

Barrie

barriew wrote:

RR - that's the way my Dx5e switch works.  I'm not sure if it is possible to alter the circuit - I'll check later. I did not design the circuit, that's beyond me   - I just know how to put these things together. 
I don't think its an issue really, it just seems wrong, but in either position the Tx is transmitting a signal to the receiver.

Barrie

Just checked the instructions. It is possible, but would mean re-designing the circuit board. I'm not sure if I am clever enough to do that   If I get a chance I'll see if its possible, but don't hold your breath.

Barrie

Dont worry about it Barrie found a much simpler option... undo the transmitter switch nut, spin the switch 180 degrees, do the nut back up. sorted 

ooops wrong place.

Haha somone remind me to finish this after I do the row boat!!!!!!!