Mankster

My bowthruster is controlled by a ESC, on a Y lead from the rudder servo, so no extra channel needed.

Screw Loose

This bow thruster was bugging me this morning, so I wired it back up again, and still nothing. So I tried putting it on another reciever and handset I have and giving it a go. Success, it works. And thats on a Hitec set. So why not on a Robbe F14 ?

I got a servo and put both recievers and transmitters side by side. I have found out that the Hitec units, make the servo travel further than the Robbe ones. Quite a noticable distance further.

So after about 2 hours of reading the bdy manual for the Robbe transmitter, I have it sorted. Turns out that channels 7 and 8, are mixed automatically with channels 3 and 4 ? I think its got something to do with a helicopter setting for which the F14 was designed for. Basicaly it restricts the travel for servos on channel 7 and 8. It cuts out the "Trimming" for those channels, so it wont travel far enough to activate ( in my case ) the bow thruster switch.

So I put it on the same channel as the rudder, as Mankster suggested. And it works fine on channel 3.

I love these computerised handsets, really user friendly and straighforward !

At least the thing is nearly airtight now

Paul

subzero

Never mind about the wife..... Is the dog speaking to you yet !!!!!!!!

Screw Loose

Yea just ! The dog seems most interested in this boat and how she can play with it or eat it at present !
Wonder if you can train Labradors to retrieve submarines that have gone wrong

Screw Loose

Well the boat floats and doesnt leak !

I have finished all the control surfaces today, finally cracked the seal problems and pressure tested it. I pressurised it to 8 Millibars and left it for 2 hours. When I put a manometer on it, it read 5.5 after 2 hours. I used some leak detector solution (posh soap and water I think) and covered all the hatches, protrusions and bellows, and found no leaks.

So by this time I decided to commandeer the parents back garden, and me and my disruptive assistant (the Labrador puppy Holly) put the paddling pool up I got from Argos to test the boat in. Now the neighbours must think (and quite rightly) I am mental, as its snowing like mad and we have a paddling pool in the garden, But for £20 its a lot easyer than travelling to the lake every time.

Just as well we have lots of water in Nortumberland, I think it took 5 hours to fill

So nervousley I connected the batteries and leads, tested it again on the bench and put it in the water. I hate the first time they go in! Always fear the thing leaks and goes up in smoke !

It settled quite well in the water, it has a slight list to starboard, but nothing too bad. Now I havnt put in all the ballast yet, as the battery I am using is slightly heavyer than the Engel one. So I deliberatley put in less ballast than I should. Working on the principal that its easyer to put more in than take out !




I got the tanks working, and all the control surfaces. The tanks fill but it doesnt sink yet with or without the lid. More ballast needed!

The only problem I am still having is the radio gear. The bloody servos are still twitching and the tanks and motors go on and off contstanltly. Yet when I turn the Transmitter off everything is perfect! I have checked all the wireing, fine, all connections everything. I am starting to think my transmitter is faulty or there is too much interference from the power supplys.

Might do a little more of the detailing tommorrow, still half way through that! Some paint needs finishing.
So if anyone has any suggestions I would welcome them!

But enough of the boat today, the missus is not best pleased, I have been there since 11 this morning and just finished at 7 And the dogs soaked !No sense of humour !

Paul

subzero

Hello Paul.

If I may suggest you try the transmitter with a separate receiver and servos on the bench with the same crystals and see if it still twitches.

Also

If you have another multi channel transmitter try that with the set up you have in the boat and see if its ok.

If its ok in the boat with a different t/mitter and the one twitches on the bench then it may well be a duff t/mitter...

I have just had the same probs with a transmitter, brand new and was ok for a short while ( 2 wks ) then it suddenly started to twitch ...badly... tried an old transmitter and everything was ok. Tried the new one and disaster, it went totally crazy as soon as you touched the thing, thank the lord I was only bench testing, returned to the model shop and they confirmed it was probably a dry joint somewhere they said........new transmitter given and all ok again.

Has the pup dried out yet ?

Sub.

Screw Loose

Thanks Sub, I tried using a different handset today and it seemed much better. Trouble is I only have a Hitec handset spare, and not another Robbe one. But I am more leaning towards the handset being faulty I must admit.

But today was mostly spent checking all the systems connected to the raidio gear and the recievers and crystals.
I have a few sets of crystals, both Robbe ones and Hitec ones. I was told by the Model shop that they were compatible, I have never checked before as I have not used more than one set, but sure enough they arent compatible! So much for them ! They did work but not reliably.

So now I am using Robbe crystals I can rule that out. But I done what Mankster suggested as in removing all the systems connected, and just leaving in the servos. The twitching was a lot better but still not brilliant. I reconnected them one at a time, and the only one to cause a little concern were the diving tanks. That seemed to cause a bit more interference.

I got my fluke Scope out and checked the power supply to the unit, sure enough it wasnt the cleanest of supplys, so a different set of surpressors on and it was much better. Ish !

So on the bench all seemed well! Put the lid on and in the water it went! And it all went wrong !Servos going mental, tanks filling but turning themselves on and off constantly, and sometimes refusing to budge! I even put the mortors on this time, just to make sure it wasnt anything electrical with them, but they only came on once every 20 seconds or something ? So after resisting the urge to punt the handset into the next field out the water it came !

Todays mostly been spend doing.......


But back on the bench it all was working fine again! For a while anyways. So again I checked all the power supplys with the Scope, and they are good motors, very little interference on any of them !

So basically now chasing my own tail in circles !

At this point I am really coming to the opinion the handset is faulty. Because basically the crystals seem ok, the reciever seems to be working, the aerial has been put inside and outside the boat, same result! All batteries and connections are sound, and surpressors checked!

So think i may have to chat to the shop I bought it from! See what they say.

But as I have said before, I welcome any suggestions, always willing to concede that it may be something I have ced up!

The only one that has benefited out of today is the dog, who loves chasing a big black thing in the paddling pool ! To be honest I thought about giving her the transmitter, she might enjoy better luck !

Paul

Mankster

So it works whilst all the eqipment is out side the sub but you get glitching when you place inside? Sounds like something is causing a lot if interferance. Powerlines to the main battery? Long servo wire runs (use ferrite rings). Strange that the problem seems to be resolved with a change of handset though (I have interchanged HiTec/Futaba/Robbe xtals with no ill effect, so go for it)

Screw Loose

Where would you put the ferrite rings ? I suppose you culd put them on the servo wires, and on the main power lines ? You always put them on the noisy end of the cables right ?

Paul

Screw Loose

I bought a few ferrite rings this morning, and put them onto the power supply for the piston tanks, forward plane mechansim and one just off from the battery. It seems to be a little more settled, but I then thought I could put them on the servo leads as well.

Unfortunaltely I have rather long servo leads, and with not having the twisted variety, mine are the Futaba servo extensions, I suspect a bit of induction is coming from them. So bought the clip on types of Ferrite rings, and the sleeve type. The sleeve type I threaded the leads round twice and they do make a difference.

But I also took the main board out that controls the tanks, that seemed to be giving out the most interference. And the leads onto the board from the reviever were decidedly dodgy to say the least. So I sweated them off, and re-terminated them.

I still think the handset may be at fault, but at least I am narrowing down the potential faults as I go!

Paul