Todays Boating

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I know where you are coming from Mark.

BUT. Deck access is in three sections, the end two bits I do not envisage having to take up and they will be screwed down. The centre bit will not allow such access as to put weights in, and I will not be able to slide weights forrard or aft from the centre as…. Machinery gets in the way in the middle, and a clever control electronic device….well. not sure where that's going yet !!

The boat is round bilged, and I thought the best way of getting weight as low down at poss was shot/glued in.

I have used virtually all my epoxy resin now but still have loads of fibreglass and an amount of foam. It just calls out to me to build something else with it….?

I am going to resist temptation to build something in parallel, and concentrate on project V. I also need to get an old project (H) going and take the final photos. Those with a memory will have seen it outed in a small photo..

Tomorrow I have to shoot off early so will be down sharp and off by 11 ish. Project S and a lander. project S will be revealed soon…couple of months I believe.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Todays boating: Just too many people (and children!!!) at the pond to mention today. Fantastic.

Not so fantastic was the weed. Funny stringy stuff, but mostly ok about 10 foot or so out from the edge.

However, very fantastic was project S, which powered through any amount of weed no probs. As a severe test it was motored right through the thickest weed (near the bank, just in case) but was only stopped by the sheer weight of weed the bow had collected. I lifted it out and the underside was clean, no weed blocking the inlet or anything. The way forward has been just discovered.

UNFORTUNATELY no photo despite it would have been a great photo of the weed exploits as the model is due to out very soon, August apparently…

Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Ashley

So the model is due out in August, is this mail order or only available in the best model shops?

Paul

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I will take commissions, I have sufficient hardboard at home.

Ashley

I have more of that which I made this one out of and am considering another craft from the same stable. The (ex) editor was very keen to see a bkfgtaeer , and I will think about it…..

Edited By ashley needham on 10/06/2018 18:38:20

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Ashley

I have some spare balsa !!!

Harry

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Hi Ashley,

Project S was impressive on Sunday, that propulsion system would be great in a sub? Food for thought, not that you need it!

Richard

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Arrrr Richard. I must say I was impressed and amazed that it went through so much weed with no issues whatever.

Trevor has found on e-bay a….unit…. of THREE times the capacity of that fitted to proj S. Wow.

The uses this could be put to are mind numbing.

Ashley

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Pond weed update,

Popped down to Bushy Park yesterday (Wednesday) and the weed situation was better, if the west wind keeps up it should be fine by Sunday.

Arrrrrhh!!!

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Machinery gets in the way in the middle, and a clever control electronic device….well. not sure where that's going yet !!

Best to put it smack in the middle of the three pumps to keep the power wiring as short as possible. Also keep it well clear of the bottom of the hull i.e. possible wet stuff.

Dave M

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Unfortunately there will be a mast in the middle of the motors… there is room either side of them no probs.

Sunday either no show or just a quick hour as have to play in Guildford in the afternoon.

Project V finally leak free!! Need to think about mast stepping now, and of course the very important propulsion test.

Ashley

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Not boating tomorrow as being taken out for lunch.

Will be waiting to see the test though.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Well. Today I played with lots of wires and appear to have connected three items of Action electronics gizmos together on Project V (temporarily)

There was no magic smoke and the motors did what they should do according to the instructions.

Tomorrow, if the Mrs is not working and does not have the car I may pop down to the pond for a quick sail to test out the wherewithal and the wotsists!!! exciting stuff.

!0m pole and rescue LCM standing by!!! (not that I am worried about the electrics, but rather the manoeuvring).

Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Ash

Does magic smoke and Action electronics make DM a wizard?

Paul

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Ashley,

Meet you there about 10am.

Richard Arrrrh!,

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

10 it is.

If there is NO magic smoke he will be a wizard.

Will have to use 9.6V battery today as I do not have a good 12v Nimh, but the principle shiold hold. If it is a tiny bit sluggish on the turn I will know it will be OK on 12v.

It is a nuisance, but a couple of the components could do with being in plastic boxes, for obvious reasons (for those in the know), and I would have popped to Maplin's, but……

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 19/06/2018 09:17:47

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Ashley

"Nuisance"? Nonsense! Don't be tempted to put things in boxes if they aren't supplied with them. There are several good reasons. The distribution board has fuses, a heat-sink and indicator LEDs. If you box it up then a) you won't be able to see the LEDs to confirm there is a circuit; b) the heat-sink will be operating in a confined space i.e. not working properly; and c) it'll be a fiddle to change a fuse as/when/if you need to. I suppose you could fit the diode unit into a box but you'd need so many cut-outs for the wiring and the three heat-sinks that there'd be little of it left. If you keep the items away from the bottom of the hull then they won't get wet so why go to the expense and trouble of buying pretty little boxes for them? The only way of making electronics truly waterproof is to 'pot' them in resin, and that makes them unserviceable in the event of failure.

You know it makes sense.

Dave M

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I always put my electronics in made to measure plasticard trays that sometimes sit directly on the hull bottom. The tray prevents any water in the bilges reaching them under all normal circumstances.

Colin

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

The only reason to put electronics right down in the bottom of a boat is if it is a very "tender" hull and needs the centre of gravity keeping very low down. Ashley's Project V is not of that type. Irrespective of this, units with heat-sinks should NEVER be enclosed in a plastic box unless the heat-sink has direct access to circulating air, or there's a possibility that the component involved might overheat and fail.
Of course anyone is free to ignore well-intentioned advice, but if you hear a faint sniggering while you're trying to reach a blown fuse hidden way down among the wiring in the bilges then it might just be me!
BTW if you do want a plastic case for any purpose then have a look at this range **LINK**

DM

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Lurking in the bilges Dave? Sounds a bit suspicious to me. Is it a suppressed yearning for tank tops?

I should perhaps have elaborated and said electrics rather than just electronics. Depending on space the batteries sit in trays on the bottom and the ESCs might sit on top of them. In my Revell QM2 everything is right down low except the RX to keep the aerials as high as possible. Horses for courses really.

Colin

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Lurking in the bilges Dave? Sounds a bit suspicious to me. Is it a suppressed yearning for tank tops?

Colin
Whatever you're on then either take more water with it or stop it altogether. Tank tops? Where did that come from??
There is a photo of me somewhere on my first wedding day – me with long hair and in my pale brown suit with dark brown shirt, flared trousers and platform-soled boots. I looked like something from The Sweeney. "Git your trahsers on, son – you're nicked!"

DM

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

One meaning of tank tops is the upper surface of a ship's double bottom (Ooh Matron!) so I don't want you sniggering in my bilges thanks very much…

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

OK. No boxes…but I will make a couple of open top deep trays to put the diodes and power board into. Reason is, if there is a leak the boat is likely to fill up very quickly and any extra time operational would be useful to beach the boat….

First test on 9.6V only was good. Turns and reverse all ok, however I did have to carry out several transmitter and power re-sets as the unit got its knickers in a twist a few times. It may be I should turn the transmitter off and back on every time the boat power is reset?? (planet T5). Other than that it was fine.

Boat was very stable, and a bigger 12v battery and an extra 1Kilo of lead will bring it exactly to the designed waterline.

Ashley

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Calling all ye lubbers,

Ye weather gauge looks fine and dandy for a good sailing at ye olde pond of the Bushy on the coming sabbath.

So baton down ye hatches and we’ll have an accord pondside.

Ricky the pirate. Yarrrrh!

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Arr Ricky lad, right behind ye.

Ye will behold the quality of my pirate and be all trembly!

Ashley. yo ho ho

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Arrr More pirates on the pond than you could shake a cutlass at. Improvements to Richards pirate ship are a quartet of pulsing water cannon ….two either side….just stupendous.

Terror of the pond was PIRATE MINION on the Terrapin (top that, me hearties) and of course Ivgrajdt on project Z.

Trevor had, amongst other things, the mother of all power units, and I mean that most sincerely, folks.

Wonderful morning. Weed free (bit of duckweed but no much). All boats running trouble free (a first)

Ashley

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