Multi channel pos con?

[Karl AntrobusParticipant @karlantrobus37686]

I'm going to build the Rem Gambler, but the wall I have come across is that there is a lot of controling to do, 2 bow thrusters, 1 stern thruster , bow and stern Azi thruster and 2 propellers, I was wandering If there is a pos con/ joystick control system available that will do it all?

[Karl AntrobusParticipant @karlantrobus37686]

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Karl

I've never heard of any commercially-available model radio with the number of proportional sticks you would need to operate all of these independently. There may be folk around who can modify an existing set but you will have to research those for yourself. It would not be cheap to have that done.

You will need both dual-axis sticks on a conventional transmitter just to operate the two Azimuth drives and their speed controllers. You might then consider using a channel controlled with a proportional slider or rotary knob to operate the stern thruster, and another for the two bow thrusters in parallel. There are several radio sets around which have "assignable functions" e.g. HiTec Flash 8. With these you can select which of the the available switches and sliders you want to use and assign a specific channel to them via the radio's computer input screens. As an alternative I think there is a French-made unit which mixes the channels for controlling two Azimuth drives. My old customer and friend Jean-Pierre L'Espagnol knows more about these. He posts on the Model Boat Mayhem forum as Gazou. Here is a link to the relevant thread http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,52686.0.html

The other way of looking at it is to ask yourself whether you really need those working thrusters at all. Twin Azimuth drives – especially one at each end of the boat – is going to make one helluva manouevrable model even without thrusters. I think personally that you're going to have enough on your hands trying to steer the model with the two A-drives!

Dave M

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 13/02/2016 10:43:55

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

Possibly the simplest way to get lots of proportional channels is another radio pair. The aux channel radio need not be of the highest price range, and there should be no compatibility issues since effectively they will be two separate systems. The only problems will be carrying two transmitters and remembering what all the sticks do.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

From what I have seen on full size ships the various thrusters and props are often integrated by computer into a couple of simple controls so the helmsman simply has to move a joystick in the direction he wants the vessel to go and at what power level. Lots of separate controls being operated simultaneously are a recipe for disaster!

I have seen a cruise ship do a standing 180 degree turn in a Norwegian fjord with the captain standing on the bridge wing apparently just operating a couple of levers.

Maybe some of our other members have more knowledge of this.

An Arduino project perhaps….?

Colin

[Karl AntrobusParticipant @karlantrobus37686]

Thanks for your input guys, very helpful indeed, I had a yarn with my friend about it all and he showed me his controller with 9 channels and we think it can be done with that, maybe not using azi thrusters, just tunnel thrusters, but it's worth looking into I guess how to control azi and tunnels and props.

I work on anchor handlers and we use the DP system but there is a joystick in that system too, but before the DP systems were developed you could plug a joystick in, this was controlling 1 bow thruster , 1 stern thruster , 2 props and rudders, I may have an old manual somewhere which might have a diagram of the joystick unit, it's worth a look then next trip I'll speak to my electrician , see if he has any ideas about it

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