I'm back, and the "Big Girl" returns!

[QuarterMaster]

...finally!

[JWLaRue]

I began to write a long explanation of using Google Doc’s here for documentation and record keeping, but decided that may be more worthy of an article for the SCR if I can expand on it enough and there’s interest.

...definitely interested in an article!

-Jeff

[thor]

Absolutely want that article!

[QuarterMaster]

SEAVIEW REFIT LOG: 2016-04-05

Some of you who may notice these are identical to the postings on SUBCOMLI's Facebook page. I post there as well to reach the masses outside our local interest group, hopefully phishing for newcomers. So don't mind the redundancy, it's for a good cause, ours.

Ballast Displacement Systems. Here I am turning an endcap for a self contained WTC enclosure for a "Mikes Subworks" Ballast Displacement Pump, as you know originally designed by the venerable SubZen Master Skip Assay. I really like the low pressure, high volume pump with check valve system as it lends itself well to larger boats and still provides gas backup. In the process of bringing my boats back to life I decided to standardize everything, and I mean EVERYTHING including Ballast systems, motors, thru hull connections etc.



With the clear cap "turned" I install the electrical connections. Basically I just tap a 6-32 thread almost all the way through from what will be the dry side. Then as I thread the brass screw through it, it forms a watertight seal the last 10% of the way through. I'll use a nut on the wet side with a dab of silicone to finish the job. Been working for the last 26 years for me.
Also, the housing it'self is 1-1/4" PVC Drain pipe cut to 2-1/16" long, fits on the pump perfectly. The cement in the background puts it all together.



Closeup of the electrical connections before the wet side hardware is applied. I use an internal tooth washer between the head of the screw and the #6 ring lug. FWIW, I purchase my ring terminal h/w without the insulation, and I solder instead of crimp as well. Finish it up with a short piece of quality waterproof heat shrink. This prevents moisture from wicking down the individual wire strands and corroding them over time. Also I use tinned Marine Grade ANCOR brand wire. Something I learned from the 1:1 scale world of "Yachting". Also note how I dressed the wires in a spiral. this way when I glue the cap on, I can twist the cap to insure the screw heads don't interfere with the motor terminals.



A closer view of the same to clarify...



The next step is to attach the wet side hardware and outer Heat Shrink jacket for belt and suspenders. I don't consider these components to have "user servicible" components, so I have no qualms making the one way builds and sealing them in for good. Just replace the whole unit when they reach eol. I plan to do a quick video on the build soon to help explain. Just trying to get the build moving before the warm weather hits.

Working on the new electronics platform for the SEAVIEW's WTC. Heck I know WTC's are commercially available for the RC Sub industry and are good quality as my Mod 1 D & E Miniatures WTC-3.5 lasted 23 years. But now they can run above $600 BEFORE the RC electronics. Since my return, I'm going old school to my roots in the hobby and fabricating my own WTC from 3" Sched 40 PCV pipe, fittings and lexan endcaps. Cost? <$12 plus creativity. Parts at Home Depot!

Along the top edge of the frame, you see a brass plate that will become the -12V rail, the slot in the center is for wiring to pass through. The Futaba S148 Servo has an EMS linear conversion unit mounted to it. Who remembers the SES-2?? lol That will operate her sound, lights and radar. The relay you see will automatically shut down the main pump jets when the reverse pump jet is activated, can you say "Emergency STOP!"? Also included here is the BDP with the wet side hardware, just before I used the oversized waterproof heat shrink on it.



Does anyone out here remember '91 in Sayerville NJ? lol (Man I'm beginning to sound like one of the old f**ts pining about the good old days lol). Talk about life before the clear WTC!!

Actually with regard to the WTC, I'm just pushing to see what I can do, I never really thought about $$ when it comes to what I like. Like I said, Dave's WTC lasted me 23 years, longer than most cars. I'm a typical red blooded, white haired (it's coming) somewhat blue eyed American saying "Shutup and take my money!!"

Finally for today, I took a break from the electronics portion of the WTC to work on the WTC itself. Standing on the cylinder and lexan endcaps, Carl supervises as I face a PCV endcap on the lathe. Good times lol!

[QuarterMaster]

SEAVIEW REFIT LOG: 2016-04-11

Spent most of this weekend working on the homemade WTC itself. Fabricated both Lexan Bulkheads along with the PVC cylinder. The electrical through hulls are in place, and they are ready to accept the home fabricated Fairwater planes and Rudder Pushrod seals.

Note.....NO SHAFT seals, just 6 extra electrical connections for the fwd and astern pump jets. This unit is only 6-1/2" long. It will be the ONLY dry space (other than the Drive/Ballast pump housings) in the 80" model. Talk about a "wet" hull!

On the stand you can see the electronics package which will simply slide into the hull. The electrical connections are made with 1/4 Female Spade connectors to the custom Electrical thru-hulls on the bulkheads. Minimal space needed. For pushrod seals I use the same method I use since my first RC Sub, the Krick U25. A short length of 1/8" ID PVC Air Hose, an appropriately sized length of Silicon Fuel tubing, and an o-ring. Simple and perfect for a linear application.

[QuarterMaster]

SEAVIEW REFIT LOG: 2016-04-23

Further along on the Electronics build. Actually, I'm almost there now that I'm conducting the functional test of the SEAVIEW's electronics platform. The entire package is mounted on the grey 6.5" x 3.1" frame which slides into the watertight cylinder. 1:Fairwater planes Servo-ok, 2-Rudder Servo-ok, 3: Port Pump Jet Speed Control-ok, 4:Starboard Pump Jet Speed Control-ok, 5:Ballast Pump Control-ok, 6:Lights/Radar Rotation/Sonar Ping Sound SES-2 Switch-ok, 7:Reverse Pump Jet-needs TX Switch install/Calibrate. Overall a success! Next steps, dress the wiring, fabricate Fairwater/Rudder linkages...Install!

Before I close up the WTC, I'll make a brief video detailing the components used and a run down of the design philosophy, which I'll post here.



After this stage I plan to do some more Pumpjet vs original Propeller setup testing BEFORE I glass in the pumpjets. I want to make sure they can get her along at a reasonable clip before I head down a path that may require a major rework to the propulsion nacelles to go back to a propeller installation. Last thing you want is a model that depends on speed to finalize the dive to not go along fast enough!! lol The rest of the build will fall into place after that. A couple of months behind schedule due to having to restock tools and building consumable that "disappeared" or went bad. Hopefully now that the weather is turning I can turn to repairing what's needed on the hull and give her a fresh paint job.

[QuarterMaster]

SEAVIEW REFIT LOG: 2016-05-02

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

A humbly borrowed phrase.
Lost most of the weekend trouble shooting ye old "SubCommander" Radio after further functional electronics testing revealed a failure of a critical function.
Though 6 out of 7 channels appear to be operating correctly, I got NO operation of the critical 7th channel that would operate the Turnigy Electronic ON/OFF Switch for the reverse thruster.
Hey, I would need to get the model to STOP it's fwd momentum at some point, right? As it's using marine centrifugal bilge pumps for forward propulsion, an ESC with reverse is NOT practical. I need a third pump operated by a third channel, which simultaneously cuts power to the forward drive while energizing the reverse pump. While one can use reversing diodes. I want FULL range on the forward drives.

Channel 7 was modified to a simple momentary push button switch on the TX, but it was a no go. I didn't even get a response when I swapped in h/w from channels 5 & 6 on BOTH TX and RX. I had not (to my recollection) even used this channel in the past, so go figure. Save it for another model with twin screws that needs only 6 channels.
I really liked my planned setup, so continuing to use this radio I would have to do some rethinking here. Which I'm loathed to do.

So on to the Futaba/Robbe NAVY F14.

I really like this radio. Fortunately for me it was offered by Al Matava of Ships and Things in 75MHz for a short while. In my opinion it is by far the most practical RC Sub Transmitter to date. Easy to use, EASIER to modify. Excellent stick layout, great to access the innards. I had it linked to my original D & E Miniatures WTC 3.5 which operated in my 1/96 GRANT, 1/48 SHARK and 1/80 PATRICK HENRY (converted Engel boat). I had originally purchased it for my Tesky PROTEUS, but have yet to finish that project.

So I figure, since I used the WTC in multiple models, why not do the same just the radio as I'm abandoning the multi-boat one WTC concept? Just have buy several Futaba RX's with the same crystal. Right? Hopefully it's that's not another "best-laid schemes o' mice an' men" lesson.

So I'll have it on the following: SEAVIEW, SHARK, NAUTILUS 571, PROTEUS, KEY WEST, NAUTILUS. Wait, that's all of them! Any downside besides not running two models at the same time? I did the shared WTC with adjustable ballast volume for years and had no issue. Dave even told me I was the one client who actually made use of that adjustable MBT.

So I swapped it out and can say I have a 100% operation through ALL 7 channels. I'll need to modify the radio a tad to be able to share ALL 7 channels among the models.
Generic channel layout:
Ch1 Helm (proportional)
CH2 Planes (proportional)
CH3 Port Engine or Planes (proportional)
CH4 STBD or Main Engine (proportional)
Ch5 Surface/Dive (ON-OFF-ON momentary toggle switch)
Ch6 Planes or AUX (proportional)
CH7 Aux (ON-OFF toggle switch)
an 8th switch (ON-OFF toggle switch) will be used to select channel 7 as the aforementioned Aux Switch or to used the installed Multi Switch Prop Module 8101 For 12 + 2 , which along with the Decoder on the RX is for use on my 1/48 scale 688, USS KEY WEST.

I need to install the CH6 5K ohm center tap potentiometer (B5K) that's using a knob I cannibalized off another Futaba radio, and two 2 position on-off switches for both CH7 itself and Multi-Switch/Aux select. Also cannibalized from the same Futaba radio.

With the RX properly setup, here's the SEAVIEW layout.
Ch1 Rudder
CH2 Sailplanes
CH3 Port Main Engine (End-End 0-100%)
CH4 STBD Main Engine (End-End 0-100%)
Ch5 Surface/Dive
Ch6 SES-2 Switch- Latching Radar/Sound, Latching Led Lighting
CH7 Emergency STOP!! Relay (Reverse Thruster On/Mains OFF)

FWIW, here is the electronics schematic for the SEAVIEW as it stands:


Now with THAT all sorted out, I was able to turn my attention to wrapping up the WTC.........

To fabricate the custom pushrods for the SEAVIEW, I turned the "dry end" of 1/8" brass stock down to 5/64" x 1/4" long to accept the standard brass plated DuBro "Kwik Link" Clevis pins which will connect to the linear servos. They are simply silver soldered on WITHOUT the accompanying threaded brass adjustment part.
I had to go through a rather lengthy setup to give me 3-Axis (X,Y,Z) motion on the milling machine before I could start the "wet side". I milled off ~.038 on either side, also a 1/4" long, to give me a tab ~ .050 thick. Centered an 1/8" from the end is a 1/16" hole to accept a clevis pin. I was going just turn down this side to add the threaded end of a clevis assembly, but I've done it this way in the past. Plus I can now just slip a wheel collar soldered to a linkage over this end if I choose to, giving me far more adjustment. BTW, before I had the milling option, I'd just grind the 1/4" tab by eye with a Dremel, took less time to especially considering the setup. But I have the tool now and I want to learn tow to mill.
"Sub" Ed.....removing unwanted brass for hours, one thousandth of an inch at a time!


One pushrod down, one to go. Yes folks, it's a labor of love BTW, that 5/16" diameter dimension written there s/b 5/64". Caused a ruckus on the FB posting lol.


Next week I plan to finalize the seals, put it all together, and consider the WTC portion of the build complete. Maybe I can do a quick video of that.

Till next time...submerge safely.

[QuarterMaster]

Finished the Receiver swap for the SEAVIEW's electronic package. It's all ready to install in the Water-Tight-Compartment this weekend.
Hopefully now that most of the design obstacles are out of the way, the actual build will begin to speed up.

Maybe test float in July? Crossed fingers and a well appeased Admiral will help.

Here's the makeup of the package:




Till next time...submerge safely.

[QuarterMaster]

SSRN SEAVIEW Ballast System Functional Test

New video on my SSRN SEAVIEW Refit

Functional test of the 80" DeBoer SEAVIEW RC Submarine ballast tank. A "ballast displacement" system tested with both off the shelf check valves and a Mike's Subworks "TEE" Valve. Monitored time to blow and flood, along with Amperage required.


SSRN SEAVIEW Ballast System Functional Test