R/C installation in a yacht

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

Hi all,

Whilst I can make almost anything, I have absolutely no idea how to install modern R/C gear in a model, much less a yacht.

I have an Orange Rx which has 6 channels for some reason, but I only need 2. BTW, when did functions become channels? I grew up with proportional being 2 channels per function. Anyway, that's a 2.4 doodah. I have a GWS sail winch a drum jobbie. I also have a few different servos for the rudder, but I don't know what voltage they are. I will stuff 4 pen cells in a holder and therefore get 4.8 volts, is that right? This will all fit a treat on a removable piece of ply which I can secure with a slider at one end and a wingnut at tother. Said ply with all gear will slide through the main companionway with that item removed.

So, how do I know which servos will work for steering? Will they work with a 2.4 Gg set? Or must I buy new? Will the Rx be OK sited near the battery pack and servos? And how the hell does one "bind" the Tx to the Rx? I've had the Tx for 3 years and it ain't yet out of its box. It's a Spektrum Dx5e. I'm using NiMhs in the battery pack as I don't understand LiPos and will only be using the yacht occasionally. And I can charge NiMhs with a wall charger. I have fancy metallic blue thing that does everything, but the Chenglish instructions defeated me, so it hasn't been out of its box either. (Get the impression I ain't big on working models, folks?)



Any info/instructions/encouragement gratefully recieved.



And anything helpful about rigging the damned thing under the deck is welcome too! No idea where to start there. I have very limited space through companionways and deck lights which are all removable, but smallish, if evenly spaced.



Cheers,

Martin

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

Oh I forgot to mention that the servo plug have little tongues on them for, presumably, polarity safety, but the Orange Rx doesn't allow for these, so which way up should the plug go if I clip off the tongues?

Cheers,.

Martin

[Byron Rees…(Ron)Participant @byronrees-ron]

Blimey!…there's a lot of questions for us.

First of all I would read the 'Book of Instructions' for the DX5i. and very useful it is as well.

Secondly, 4 x Duracell pen cells in a four way battery box equals 6 volts, not 4.8 volts. Rechargeables are 1.2v each and pencells 1.5 volt. I only say this because your transmitter takes 4 x AA pen cells, in other words 6 volts, not 4.8v. (It needs 6volts to operate at range properly, do not replace with rechargeables!)

In a basic Yacht layout you normally need one servo for the rudder and another, more powerful one to swing a long arm which is connected to control the sails. Alternatively, one servo for the rudder and another which rotates a drum (Sail winch servo) These can have different numbers of turns but basically pull on a string (or sheet) and allow the boom, usually, of the yacht to move in and out each side of centre. Once again look at some instructions.

Because yachts don't usually have speed controllers, they need to carry a separate battery and therefore a switch harness as well. These can be either 4.8 volts or 6 volt (Pencells) which usually work OK.

You say your servos wires have a tab that stops them going into the receiver. Spektrum gear is 'Generic' and is designed to take servo leads without that tab. Futaba plugs have the tab you are talking about and this can be shaved off flush with care. Now your polarity indicator is gone, remember that the Yellow wire in JR, Hitec and other generic leads as well as the white wire in Futaba leads are the 'Signal leads' Theses should be on the side of the rx where the label is telling you the various functions. Futaba plugs will 'just fit' but can be a bit tight. They should work perfectly well though.

Binding:- This is linking the transmitter to the receiver so that only your TX will only operate your RX.and no-one elses. On the DX5i on the top, back, left hand side is a long switch sticking up, It doesn't usually have a label. This is the binding switch. To bind the Spekrum:- first you connect up your receiver to the servos, the switch harness and the battery box. NOTE:- this gear also comes with a plug for the receiver which is just a loop of black wire and the plug this (Bridge) is plugged into the RX Bind socket at one end of the plug socket strip. It says BIND on it.

With your transmitter OFF. you switch on the radio for the model. The radio receiver in the boat will flash a few times and then stop and show a continuous led. HOLD ON the switch on the transmitter and turn the TX power on. There will be some twitching until everything finds its place, then it will all stop, release the switch, and the servos will move when you move the sticks. Unplug the little black plug with the loop and you should be done.

Lastly, 2.4Gh. is the best thing in radio control since sliced bread and most certainly will work very well in your yacht. Unless it sinks of course then you'll wish you had installed 40 Meg.!!(Joke) As there are no powerful motors nearby it is safe to put all this hardware anywhere it fits best, don't worry about it, but it is a good idea to make sure the aerial leads are laid out at 90 degrees to each other as high up in the hull as possible.

I think that is enough from me, maybe if we knew which yacht you had other members could come in with more info for you. I'm a powerboat man myself!

Good Luck and happy sailing.

RON REES.

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

Well, Ron that was a very generous amount of answers and info and thankyou for taking the time. My transmitter is a DX5e. I don't know id that makes a difference to the long switch. I said 4.8 volts because the holders are usually for 4 cells and as you say, rechargeables are 1.2 volts each. In the transmitter I think 8 cells are necessary, but I hope I can use rechargables as buying dry cells is not something anyone wants to do. My little DAB radio's mains box doesn't work so I use rechargeables for that, but I dare say you could use dry cells if you had shares in Ever Ready or whoever does them these days, but once again there would be a voltage difference. So I'm a little confused about my Tx.

The yacht is a scale model (1/16th) of a Victorian class C racing cutter of 1885, on which I used to live. Alas, after moving to Bristol she has been neglected and will not now, I'm sure, be restored like Partridge and Marigold, similar vessels of a similar (ish) age and size. My hull is made from Cuban mahogany chair legs from a dining suite my Granddad made in the 20s when he was a cabinet maker. Central heating had taken its toll of the joints, so I had my son rip it into 1/8th" thick planks so I could make the model. It was then clad in J-Cloth and epoxy and epoxied inside too. Now pretty bullet proof! Vanity had a lofty rig, so I have added a fin keel with a bulb of 13 lbs on the bottom. That's as far as my maths would get me and as much lead as my son could muster to cast a bulb to my patterns in his back garden.

I think I may have dropped a googly with the deck. It is initially 2 halves in 1.5mm, but it seems I should have used a longish structure inside with all the gubbins on. The access is through several deck lights and companionways which are all removable, but they won't allow such a long plank of bits, but I think I can get away with about 9", with access each end of it, so I suppose I'd better make the bits (pulley mainly and sheet attachments to the endless loop) pretty much maintenance free. All the R/C gear is intended to be on one small part of the plank. The winch servo goes across the plank. Being a Plank On Edge Cutter there is rapidly diminishing breadth as you go down the interior, so only about 3" width for the "gubbins plank" which has to slide in down the main companionway.

The info on servo plugs is useful, thanks. The Rx is an Orange, so not like a Spektrum where the plugs are concerned. Both the Futaba rudder servo and the GWS winch servo have tabs on the plugs, but I can clip them off now I know which way round they go.I take it older servos will work off the 2.4Gg gear?

I think that's it. Many thanks for your info and help. I also found that a lovely old chap on youtube called Gary (Sailtails) has a wonderfully simple, no nonsense way of doing the under deck rigging and explaining it, which has also helped. I wish he lived on his boat round here!

Cheers,

Martin

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