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Posted

Thanks for the feedback Pete; I was sure you had that well in hand :).  Great trip and the 'surprise' birthday party was a big success :)

 

cheers

 

Pat

If at first you do not suceed, try, and then try again!
Current build: HMCSS Victoria (Scratch)

Next build: HMAS Vampire (3D printed resin, scratch 1:350)

Built:          Battle Station (Scratch) and HM Bark Endeavour 1768 (kit 1:64)

Posted

Trimmed quite a few bolts to minimize future hassles of restricted space problems.
Drilled two holes which used would have the bracket upside down. Added centre support bracket.

dSsUtZK.jpg

After assembling brackets, it was time to test to see if the vane will align in between the optical switch.
Though it looks all well and aligned, I may still incorporate a simple tin plate funnel, and file edges of vane to a bow point.

3Jl55F0.jpg

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

Nothing much to show. Today was mainly spending time on other volunteer work. However, was as able to figure out where and how to attach two microswitches to both ends of the transport frame. These are emergency limit switches, in case an optic switch fails. If this happens, the microswitch will switch motor power off, but the boat vane will hit the end of travel. The Perspex bracket will take up the brunt of the impact, and save the switch from being smashed. Besides, the springs will take up the 1/2 inch drift of the pulley cable.

 

EScTte6.jpg

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

The boat has its own power source, a 9V rechargeable battery. However, it needs to be recharged. A docking connector has been made.

7EaSQ0n.jpg

cT83xls.jpg

Upon assembly, I discovered that the connectors are misaligned. Will have to make a new wooden terminal block for the battery side of the connector. Will do this tomorrow.

lT5joR3.jpg

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

I meant to ask earlier about the batteries.  Are you building a charger into the system for the batteries?  From past visits to museums, they don't seem to be up on doing maintenance like recharging batteries, etc.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Posted
8 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

I meant to ask earlier about the batteries.  Are you building a charger into the system for the batteries?  From past visits to museums, they don't seem to be up on doing maintenance like recharging batteries, etc.

That is correct. The 9V rechargeable battery will be, inserted into its battery holder, attached to the boat vane. the holder will be wired to the connector block (see above). The spring loaded connections are stationary, and wired to a 9V battery charger. This charger will be housed under the display table within the control box. Only maintenance (hopefully) is to replace the battery now and again.

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

Ah... got it.  I must have missed that bit or my brain just went blank.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Posted

BOAT NAV LIGHTS CHANGEOVER TRIGGER
Had difficulty figuring how to switch the boats navigational lights from downstream to upstream travel. Mechanical switching proved troublesome to arranged when boat reverses direction. Decided to use an "old party trick" using a light beam to trigger a change in nav lights.

The idea is that the LED light beam is ON whenever the pulley motor is in clockwise (CW) rotation (boat to travel upstream). This light is fixed at on one end of the tracks. On the boat vane is the light beam sensor, known as a Light Dependent Resistor (LDR). While the vane moves back and forth, the LDR is always facing the LED light source.

 

When the light is OFF, the LDR resistance becomes high (135,000 ohms). This keeps a transistor in OFF mode. When the pulley motor is switched to CW operation, the LED light turns ON, and shines on the LDR. Its resistance instantly drops to 62,000 ohms. This low resistance allows a transistor to be in ON mode, tripping a relay. The relay switches the boats nav lights over from downstream to upstream configuration.

 

Here, I am experimenting with the LDR.
uxRRMlB.jpg

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

Thanks fellow modelers for your kind reactions. Much appreciated.

_____________________________

A favourite LED holder is a pen tube. However, this pen had a strange bore shape. Not only was it square, it was also way off centre. But I quickly put it to my advantage. Upon rotating the tube, one can shift both LED and LDR longitudinal axis to align better, to each other, over a long distance.

kmI1vwA.jpg

pdI5Lhx.jpg

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

Had a boat vane problem. The battery holder got in the way of docking at the other side of the track. Had to relocate the battery holder, optical switch, and the limit microswitch, by a total of 11 mm. That is a lot!!! Had to move the battery holder 6 mm, and the optical switch 5 mm, to left.

XWbgh3M.jpg

Designed the simple light detector circuit. The relay is dormant while light beam is OFF, allowing downstream nav lights to be ON, represented by the red LED. Once the light beam is ON, the relay becomes active, changing over nav lights for upstream, represented by the green LED.

zL0IEOU.jpg

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

Thanks fellows.

______________

Created a similar circuit for the optical switch which switches boat pulley motor OFF when it reaches end of travel. Top right image shows boat vane about to enter sensing gap of optical switch _ green LED indicates motor is ON. As soon as vane passes midway of optical switch, relay is tripped _ red LED indicates motor is OFF. Will create circuit board for two circuits, one for each end of transport track.

dhjpt8Q.jpg

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted
Posted

HEADACHE DAY today. Came to a full stop with controlling the boat motor. Could not remember what my operating plans were for it. Discovered many unresolved issues with the design. Decided to start from scratch, in regards to operating the console. There are about 14 steps to complete. Got stuck in step 3 already. It turns out that there is a need for major re-design.

GoIzMOh.jpg

Starting operations manual from scratch.
i49n2PC.jpg

As you can see, much of the original plan needs to be altered, and this is just for selecting up and downstream travel. Strange how one can become blind to things when focusing on it for too long.

01gM0rz.jpg

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

It happens to the best of engineers, Peter.  I saw it too often when I worked in engineering decades ago before moving to IT.  Seems the brain focuses on one problem and doesn't see other problems it's creating.  In some circles, they would say you dove down the rabbit hole.   Been down it more than a few times myself.  I hope that going "global" for a bit will clear things up and you find you're not far off.   

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Posted
9 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

It happens to the best of engineers, Peter.  I saw it too often when I worked in engineering decades ago before moving to IT.  Seems the brain focuses on one problem and doesn't see other problems it's creating.  In some circles, they would say you dove down the rabbit hole.   Been down it more than a few times myself.  I hope that going "global" for a bit will clear things up and you find you're not far off.   

Thanks. Sure hope so.

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

It was good to revisit this project over here.  Found several things I had missed over at FSM.

 

Have to flat-out admire building a technical manual for this; that's entirely appropriate for museum use. 

It's also like taking the diagonals off a ship's plans, tedious, nerve-wracking, bbut absolutely necessary to check one's work.

 

Just one more outstanding thing in an outstanding build.

Posted

Hello CapnMac82.

 

Have been very busy lately, when I am not too ill to do so. It seems to be all or nothing at this stage of life. Time is running out. Had to temporarily cut out FSM and others. Decided to just focus on the better forums, such as this one.

 

Thank you Mac for your kind and encouraging words.

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted

Hang in there Techo; I hope the health issues are minor ones. 

 

I got lost on the first corner of your first circuit diagram.  To me the electrical stuff is all black magic.  For a simpleton like me, you have a wire in, a box and wire out  - wiggly ergs in, modified wiggly ergs out - what happens in between is pure black magic :)

 

cheers

 

Pat

If at first you do not suceed, try, and then try again!
Current build: HMCSS Victoria (Scratch)

Next build: HMAS Vampire (3D printed resin, scratch 1:350)

Built:          Battle Station (Scratch) and HM Bark Endeavour 1768 (kit 1:64)

Posted
On 11/3/2018 at 10:37 PM, Tecko said:

when I am not too ill to do so. It seems to be all or nothing at this stage of life

I know this feeling all too well, and it's one I fight against--I used to go quietly into the night to be one of the things that made the bandersnatch fruminous, and to give adults reason to fear the dark.  So, it can be frustrating when just getting a ladder out seems to be a huge chore (tho- Losartin gets rather a lot of blame there--sigh).

 

You do quite credible work with skill--we see the finish, and can only imagine the bumpy road to that end from our own trevails.

 

But, I continue to find your work an inspiration, a goad to do more, and better, myself.

 

Fair winds and following seas, my friend.

Posted

Sorry to read about your health issues and side effects, Mac. The road signs that lure us to pull over and distract/delay our purpose for the journey. I have two journeys to complete, one is to be creative for others, the other is to be closer to the truth. Illness brings me closer to the truth about life. Creativity is a way of expressing that life.

 

Thanks again Mac for sharing with me, and for your thoughtful blessing, my friend.

Peter.

Current Builds:  Wardell Bridge, Bridge on River Kwai, ADLIB-1, and the U-2540

Posted
11 hours ago, Tecko said:

Sorry to read about your health issues and side effects, Mac. The road signs that lure us to pull over and distract/delay our purpose for the journey. I have two journeys to complete, one is to be creative for others, the other is to be closer to the truth. Illness brings me closer to the truth about life. Creativity is a way of expressing that life.

 

Thanks again Mac for sharing with me, and for your thoughtful blessing, my friend.

 

Wise words that are very true, Peter.   

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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