Ian_Grant
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Everything posted by Ian_Grant
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Bruce, that's the servo reversing function. It allows you to, on a per-channel basis, reverse the direction a servo will rotate with a given signal from the transmitter. For example, if you found that your rudder turned left when you turned the transmitter wheel right, instead of changing the physical linkage from servo to rudder you can just servo-reverse that channel. I had a look at the manual for your FS-GT3B and here are a few things to note: Pg 7 - in Chinglish they seem to tell you to have the receiver antenna oriented vertically, not lying along the boat's keel. Pg 21 - ABS brake function: you don't want it for a boat so turn it to OFF. Pg 23 -shows how fwd/reverse is controlled by the trigger which can be pulled OR pushed. Now I understand; I assumed the trigger could only be pulled like on a firearm or a slot-car racing set. If the motors go backward when you want forward, you can servo-reverse the throttle channel instead of swapping physical wires. It's a pretty terse manual but that's common in RC where prior knowledge is assumed. You need to read the ESC manual to find out to properly set it up for fwd/off/rev control at power-up. By the way, what's the model number of the new ESC? I'd like to look through its manual too, to be able to help you. -
OK. To augment my knowledge, how does one put the boat into reverse with these land sets? 🤔
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If it was me, I would step one power the receiver from some other 6V battery if I could (you can buy servo cable extensions and cut one connector off to connect the red and black wires to battery) and test that the Tx and Rx bind according to whatever LED flashes the receiver should display. Then plug in your rudder servo and see that it works. Power on and off several times to ensure the binding holds and see that the rudder servo behaves as you turn it. You really shouldn't have to do the above; this brand new stuff should all work. Now you know that the RC set and servo work properly. Then remove the external battery and plug in the ESC to the receiver with your 12V battery packs connected. Turn the ESC on and manipulate your throttle according to whatever ESC start-up sequence the manual specifies (which calibrates it for min/max throttle). I'm not familiar with that "land" type transmitter you have; for an aircraft transmitter used with a boat one usually powers up with the throttle stick in the centre (for "off") perhaps waits for the ESC to beep, then moves the stick to "full ahead" (wait for the beep if applicable) then moves the stick to "full reverse" and you're done. For your land transmitter I presume the trigger is just "min to max" and direction is specified by a separate switch? Or is this "brake/reverse" function I've seen mentioned something the trigger can do? I don't know. You need to consult the manuals. The ESC should now supply 6V to the receiver. The cable connecting the ESC and receiver carries the throttle signal to the receiver and also supplies the 6V to it. Test that the rudder servo still works. If not, unplug it and put two small wires into the receiver's rudder connector and measure the voltage across the 6V/GND pins. If it does then connect the motors to the ESC and test. Again if there are problems phone BIg Rich and he'll talk you through it. I wish I could drive over and help. Good luck!
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Glen, she's a thing of beauty........the ship, and Dimples. 🙂 By the way, that video about eating Pringles the "engineering" way was hilarious.
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I have to comment as clicking "wow" just doesn't do your work justice. Incredible skill on this intricate network of piping. She'll be a sight to see afloat!
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Yes, that is certainly odd ....... must have relied mainly on the men pushing at maindeck level below?
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Great job Glen! I'd have been sorely tempted to 3D print those wheels and covers; maybe the whole ship. 😉 Cheating perhaps......
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Thank you Steven. No, she won't be under sail but I do want to have the mast and artemon up, with the sails furled ie what we'd call buntlines all hauled, as if they are rowing and hoping for a fair wind soon. I think their sails went up like Roman blinds, nestled within the loops of the buntlines; at least, that's what I intend to do.
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Steven, looks great! Fine work with the thread. This has reminded me that many yards were depicted as two-piece in ancient ships. For my galley I just tapered a dowel down to form the yard. Should I make it two-piece too? It would be an interesting detail. I'm surprised at how little overlap there is between the two sections, though.
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I can just make out the "P" at the edge of the port signboard. It is indeed smaller than the front lettering.
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Just another thought - you said there's no hobby shop near you; what if you call the guy at Big Rich Models who curated your electronics? He'd probably be happy to talk you through debugging the boat.
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Off topic but to continue about Italy; we spent some time in Venice and Florence on our 8 week (!) Europe-wandering honeymoon before departing for Corfu. Venice was good (we still remember the tour at the Doge's Palace, walking up to our ankles in water in St Mark's square, and the ornate bed in our room) but I liked Florence better, apart from all the scooters zooming around. My wife chuckled at the reverent look on my face when I saw Galileo's tomb. 🙂 We didn't get to spend any time in Rome but next time we will go there and again to Florence, and obviously around Amalfi & Naples to hike Vesuvius and see Pompeii. Plus some time relaxing in Northern Italy.
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Bob, your model 3150 motors are definitely brushed; if they were brushless they would have three leads. Your post #7 shows your ESC is the "brushed" type, ie for brushed motors. Interesting that everything works with the deck off. All components are therefore good. Sounds like possibly RF interference. I see from your pictures that the leads from ESC to motors are pretty long and loopy. Brushed motors generate a lot of electrical noise as the brushes pass from one coil to another via the commutator; this electrical noise can then be radiated by the long motor leads. I recommend you try soldering small capacitors, say ceramic 0.1uF leaded, right at the motor terminals. This is a classic configuration to reduce noise from brushed motors; one capacitor from each motor power pin to GND (the motor metal case) and a third capacitor between the two motor pins. See this pololu description: https://www.pololu.com/docs/0J15/9 As they say, it will also help to twist each pair of motor leads together in a spiral from ESC to motor, so the two wires "cancel" each other's radiated emissions. Finally, and I realize this would affect your trim and ballast, try moving the rear battery up forward beside the other one so its noisy lead isn't near the Receiver and ESC. You could then twist the leads from batteries to ESC for the same reasons. You're very close........eyes on the prize!! 👍
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If the motors are acting like that, it sounds like the ESC turns them on, has an internal protection alarm of some sort (short? overcurrent? temperature? other?), shuts motors off, and waits the "reset period" before trying again. Check the motors are actually 12V not 6V, maybe. Later Edit: I found a photo on pg1 of your log. The motors are clearly labelled 12V 4.5A; the ESC is quoted as 30A continuous. Are you starting up with throttle at high? Try turning on with throttle at neutral then slowly increase speed and see if motors are ok up to a certain point where problem occurs again. I'm not familiar with those "land" Transmit units with the wheel and trigger which I always associated with cars; I always use aircraft Transmitters. There must be a separate switch for fwd/reverse then trigger goes from zero to full speed in selected direction?
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George, to put this in perspective, what size are those cannon carriages? Or, what is the major grid on your mat?
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Steven, thank you! Those Pompeii frescoes are in Pitassi's book but somehow the b/w reproduction is nowhere near as clear as that. I see they really did use red and blue! 😊 That "Naval Encyclopedia" similarly shows some very tall awnings reaching the fantail but I don't think I want one like that; too much windage and I want to leave open the possibility of a flickering LED lantern dangling from it. I did drill a hole and glue in a copper eye before attaching it to the stern. We're thinking of booking a trip to Italy which definitely will include time at Pompeii/Herculaneum.
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Sad to see these donated kits crumbling.....
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Those not into RC can ignore this post. 😉 A little good news......I noticed at the RC club's indoor pool meetings this winter that if six or seven other boats were in use, my old FM 75 MHz two-channel set picked up some noise from them and the servos occasionally twitched. I have a 2.4 GHz 6-channel transmitter too, with "DSM" printed on it, which I bought with an airplane years ago but I wasn't sure if it was an old obsolete DSM1 unit or a newer DSM2 unit. I took it to Great Hobbies today along with a battery and a servo to experiment. It did actually bind to a modern DSM2/DSMX Receiver so it must be a DSM2 Transmitter. I bought a nice new 6-channel Receiver so now I too have an interference-free 2.4 GHz link. Nice! Six channels are not needed for the galley, but my square-rigged RC ship will definitely need more than two as on my old FM set.
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Thanks Steven! Yours looks great but it's far beyond my artistic ability. Not sure how I want it to look. Or what they had if anything. In Pitassi's book some of the larger ships have what looks like a permanent structure, like the quinquireme in this video ( see time 0:46). I think a quadrireme would require something lighter due to reduced size and number of oarsmen. Pitassi indeed shows nothing in the quadrireme drawing but has an arched tent-like item in other drawings. Something more like what is shown in the ships here. Most have a "tent" of some sort with, thankfully, one plain colour or at the most stripes. That's a relief. https://naval-encyclopedia.com/antique-ships/roman-ships A snag is that I was planning to attach the cubby to the rear hatch to serve as a handle (similar to the boarding bridge and the forward hatch) so it can't actually be soft. Maybe a "soft-top" arch with hidden wood in the lower sides for my big clumsy hands to grip?
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Bob, it would be worth a little debugging before spending money on a new RC set! The two most likely problems that come to my mind are (1) the ESC somehow burned out, and (2) the RC Tx and Rx are no longer binded for some reason. I'd be surprised if anything is wrong with the Tx or Rx. If the ESC is burned out then it will not supply power to the receiver via the 3-pin "throttle" connection and the boat's innards will be inert. I recall you have a voltmeter at least; with the battery connected to the ESC measure the nominal 5V it should be supplying for the Rcvr. Centre pin is +5V, GND is usually a black wire. If no voltage, it's the ESC. If the Tx and Rx are no longer linked, then the Rx will ignore the Tx and again the boat will be inert. You could test this by connecting any 6V battery to the Rx's "BATT" pins (if you have a spare 3-pin connector with the wires, or cut one). Now that the Rx does not depend on the ESC, test for servo operation. If nothing happens try repeating the binding process. If you're sure they are binding according to the instructions in the TX and Rx manuals, then OK maybe one of them is at fault but again I'd be surprised. Wish I could just pop over to help..... Good luck!
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Glen, your imagination never disappoints! Should be another heirloom build to add to the heirloom collection. 🙂
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Progress slowed down due to some paying jobs done for neighbours, and I finally got around to opening our pool today. Port and starboard mechanisms reassembled; lift servos moved closer to amidships so they won't collide with the fore and aft companionway ladders. Also changed the upper oar bar mounting holes to vertical slots to permit adjustment of the upper oars relative to the lower sets. Completed detail painting of the fantail decoration. And I received my NiMH battery pack (5 cell, 6V, 3800mAh; far smaller than lantern batteries), and a slow charger (600mA) so charges will take overnight but that's ok with me. It's less stress on the cells. With the pool now open I can try the boat again. I want to drop the waterline a smidgen, to mid-wale which was the original plan. This will give the oars a little more clearance from catching crabs. I fear I may have to drill out some of the fixed lead ballast in the bow......fingers crossed the drill doesn't "catch" and go through the bottom. 🫢 I have yet to make the oar modifications too. Also started to think about how to make the commander's "cubby" at the stern a convincing "canvas" shelter. This has dragged on too long; need to finish it for summer.
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