Advice sought on which R/C equipment to buy

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29 May 2012 at 23:30 #34640
Who Boot
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@whoboot
I want to install R/C equipment in my model of a paddle steamer. It will be electric powered, not steam. It is 33 inches long, and 9 inches wide at the paddle boxes. I guess its finished weight will be about 6 pounds. I already have some pieces of equipment and am seeking advice to buy the other pieces that i need. I already have:

. MFA motor 6-15v DC pt. no 719 RE385

. GP turbo charge 7.2v 1600MAh battery

. Whip antennae

Being a learner of R/C equipment I would be grateful if someone who knows more than me could advice me of a suitable:

. servo

. receiver

. switch

Although I have a whip antennae I would prefer if the antennae was the wire type becaue it would be less intrusive and I could perhaps wrap it round one of my masts.

With previous model boats I have built (for which I was lucky then to have a senior modeller to help me) one battery, of the above mentioned type, was enough. Why, therefore, do some set ups include a receiver with its own battery pack as well as another battery to power the other items?

Thank you.
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29 May 2012 at 23:30 #5177
Who Boot
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@whoboot
29 May 2012 at 23:41 #34641
Who Boot
Participant
@whoboot
I should have remembered to add that I also have a speed controller, a Mtroniks Viper Marine 15.

I have a transmitter called Attack 2ER-AM27, 2-channel r/c by Futaba.

Regards, Haydn.
30 May 2012 at 08:07 #34647
ashley needham
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@ashleyneedham69188
H. Howes models do a very small cheap 27M reciever that works with various makes of Tx.

They also sell sopme small cheap servos, anything will be suitable.

You will need to gear the motor down a fair bit to drive the paddles, could look at http://www.hobby.co.uk not sure of the sort of speed the paddles need to go at , approx 100rpm possibly (max), I think is about right, to aim for to sort out gearing..

Antenna,, doesnt need to be sticking up much, and may run ok with the wire simply run around the inside of the superstructure. it seems that as long as a bit of the end is vertical, it will operate ok. So a bit up one funnel should suffice.

Seperate battery for reciever, generally not neccessary, the Viper will put out battery voltage for this. Some people like a seperate reciever battery, if you do go down this route I think it is the red wire from the ESC-Rx you need to cut otherwise the BEC voltage from the Viper interracts with the reciever battery. Try it without a seperate battery first, you will not have a problem.

Good luck, Ashley
31 May 2012 at 20:44 #34669
Who Boot
Participant
@whoboot
Hi Ashley,

Thank you very much for your helpful answer, and indeed prompt answer. I am glad to hear that some servos and rx can go pretty much with any tx. I am glad that a second battery is not necessary, as too with not having to have an antennae that compromises the scale appearence of the model. I find the forum brilliant by way of having helpful people reading the postings and giving their time to help others.

I know of Howes in Kidlington, Oxon, and will get in touch with them for the rx and servo. Found them good before, so too Model dockyard in Cornwall. I hadn't heard of http://www.hobby.co.uk but have looked at their site after your reply. It's another dealer that seems to have a huge range for the r/c community. I will bookmark the websites of these dealers I have mentioned. I have also come across a dealer by the name of Expo, of which I have a catalogue from them and their website is http://www.expotools.com . Expo keep a lot of gear wheels and, having discovered that today, I am going to buy the gear wheel from them. Do you, Ashley, have an idea of how much teeth or what diameter approx should the gear wheel have to bring it down to 100 rpm or less?
1 June 2012 at 08:04 #34675
ashley needham
Participant
@ashleyneedham69188
Who? It is all about ratios.

A 100 tooth gear wheel on the paddle shaft being driven by a 10 tooth cog on the motor would give a 10-1 ratio, and so reduce the shaft speed to 500 rpm from 5000 at the motor. and so on…and dont forget that the ESC will give you a range of moto speeds in itself.

A worm drive gives larger reductions with less cogs, as the worm is a ONE count…so if you used a 100 tooth cog on the shaft and a worm to drive it, the ratio would be 100-1.

Hobby`s do a small gear box with plastic gears which would probably do you, its easy to fiddle with to get the reduction, and would be strong enough i think. OR get a ready geared unit and use a belt or chain/cog drive

Ashley
2 June 2012 at 07:57 #34688
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
Ashley / Who

A word of caution regarding Hobby's gear box, whilst the gears are made from a fairly robust material it is possible that the alternating stress imposed by the paddle wheels might strip some of the smaller gear wheels.

I agree with Ashely that a ready made chain drive unit would be the better option.

Paul

Edited By The Fat Controller on 02/06/2012 08:00:37
11 June 2012 at 23:36 #34837
Who Boot
Participant
@whoboot
Thanks guys for suggesting a ready made chain drive. Can you suggest from where or whom might i get one? Thank you. Haydn.
12 June 2012 at 07:56 #34840
ashley needham
Participant
@ashleyneedham69188
Who?

Hobby`s, again . They have all that sort of stuff. They do a plastic chain which you assemble to the required length, and plastic sprockets with brass centres.have a browse in their catalogue.

OR get some Meccano. has 4mm centres…could use a worm drive then.Surf for suppliers.

Ashley
12 June 2012 at 15:47 #34849
Telstar
Participant
@telstar
Hi

Maplins have plastic chainsets and plastic gears Made by MFA (they do motors etc. for models)

look at the online catalogue

**LINK**

Cheers Tom
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