Alexander engel VIIc

[brutis11]

I may have posted in wrong section eariler so I try here. Good day all I am new to this site as well as submarines. I was able to pick up this kit unstarted at a good price, but here is my problem: Whie I am waiting on shipping, 2 weeks UPS I dowmloaded the instructions and it says the recevier should be no bigger than 55x23x15 mm and my 8 channnel radio recevier is 63x26x24 mm am I going to be ablle to find a place in the WTC to install this with all radios going to 2.6 ghz , Fm radios are hard to come by. Am I in trouble or is this going to work. Thank you for the help.
JDbrutis11
Registered User

Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:48 am
Private messageE-mail brutis11

[JWLaRue]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Hi JD,

Welcome to the hobby! I hope you find it as enjoyable as we do!

I've got a copy of the Engel installation instructions around there somewhere....I will go find them. In the meantime, having worked on other Engel r/c subs, there will be room for a larger receiver. It might need to be relocated slightly for it to fit, but as jam-packed as the dry space in an Engel sub can be, there is still space. It might be that for the receiver to fit in the recommended location and with the kit provided mount that there is a space limitation.

-Jeff

[brutis11]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Thank you for the quick reply, Thats what I was hopeing to hear< it will be another week before I get the kit, in the mean time I have looked into removing the case to save space and insulating the recevior, but untill I have the kit I will not know, Its hard to tell from the pictures, but what I am hopeing for is mabe spliting the deck in the WTC I have a mill so problems like that I can work out. Thanks again for your input and I will post an answer when I get to that point.
thanks
jd

[JWLaRue]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

...found my instruction book for the Engel type VII...

The location specified for the receiver by Engel might be a tight fit in terms of the length of the receiver. It's supposed to be mounted cross-wise on a platform that's located roughly at the center of the circular bulkhead.....so the LOA of the receiver needs to be less than the diameter of the bulkhead. Unfortunately I don't see any dimensions listed in the instructions.

I found an older posting here in the forum where it was noted that you should be able to mount the the receiver on the platform next to the drive motor of the piston tank, or if only using one speed controller, in the place where the second ESC would go. Additionally you can mount it vertically right up front on the end of the techrack, just behind the front end of the WTC.

Worse case, you may wish to look into the receivers made by Sombra Labs. A couple of us have them and they are good receivers. They can be purchased directly from the manufacturer at: http://www.sombralabs.com/ The SL-8 looks like it will fit it is approximately 37mm x 20mm x 12mm for the vertical pin version.

-Jeff

[brutis11]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Thanks for the info Jeff

[Guest]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Don't think they're making the vertical pin SL8 now. However I'm sure you must be able to find a bit of space for the horizontal pin version- this is a big boat!

[horseman]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Hi JD,

I'm also new here on this forum but I have a building tread on SubPirates [/url http://www.subpirates.com/showthread.ph ... ild-report] regarding this VIIc and I can tel you that you will have enough place to locate your receiver in this Sub and indeed as mentioned by Jeff by the dive tank motors and other wise the place of the second ESC.


Here the space after the servo's



So I can promise you, you will be able to locate your receiver, worst case will be an other receiver or make other connections on your receiver.

Then you talk about a 2,6 GHz transmitter,I do not know if you plan to use a 2,4 GHz system, But I can tell you 2,4 GHz) will not work in a model submarine..
So you have to go as low as possible. In Europe we use 40MHz to drive our submarines, in de US you have 72MHz if I'm correct. please do not go higher than that.

Hoping to be at your service,

Jan,

[ir3]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc, RX Placement

I just read over some of the comments about RX placement. On my build, I am using all of the available space for electronics which includes 2 ESC's, LTR5.3 an perhaps the TAES. With most of the space used up, it leaves the space just aft of the battery compartment on the shelf/spacer provided. The only other place is completely forward where the depth safety switch is located. This is where Engel suggests the RX goes. What is convenient is that the antenna can be threaded through one of the orange 2mm pieces of supplied tubing. If the RX is placed aft of the battery pack, running the antenna is going to be a problem.

Since in the US we have to use either 50MHZ if you have a HAM license or 75MHZ which has the channels allocated for land/water vehicles there is only one RX the I have found that suits the bill. That is the RX mentioned above from Sombra Labs. That is the RX I am using and with the ability to set the channel that the transmitter is set to makes it very convenient. Also, the package has end connectors and is very handy to install. Keep in mind that if you are incorporating the complete dive system, you will have seven servo leads plus 1 lead for power coming in. It is a tight squeeze with all of the leads coming in but it works.

For the folks across the pond the frequency they use is 40/41 MHZ. Engel has a RX in this frequency range that suits the bill perfectly.

If anyone has a lead for another RX that will fit, I would like to know. My SL-8 has an intermittent problem and I am trying to find a vendor that has a replacement. So far, I have not heard back from Sombra Labs or one of their distributors in Canada. I have not checked with Caswell as of yet. The bottom line is finding the right RX for the fully implemented sub for US frequencies is going to be a real challenge.

Hopefully some of the US subscribers has found a way around this.

Cheers,

Iran

[JWLaRue]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Iran,

What will you be placing between the servos that we see in the photo from your January 13th post. That looks like a sufficiently sized space.

-Jeff

[ir3]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Hi Jeff,

I think that you are referring to Jan's post above. In my case it is a perfect place for a magnetic switch that Engel sells. This point is directly under the rear of the opening for the conning tower. To turn the electronics on/off between runs I just need to remove the conning tower and run the magnet in the proper direction. The space in front of the servos is for the LTR5.3 but even so, it is just a bit too small for the several receivers that are currently available at 75mhz. I fear that in a short time we will not have any more 75mhz receivers available to fit in the sub world. The Futaba/Robbe RX just does not fit anywhere that I can tell except perhaps in the space where one of the ESC's goes. I switched to brushless and and using 2 ESC's for maneuvering in tight places. A bit of overkill I suppose.

I hope that brutis11 is active on his build and will be posting here to show progress.

Cheers,

Iran

Take a look at: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1819581 It shows how I implemented the magnetic switch.

[JWLaRue]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Iran,

I have seen Engel boats where the magnetic switch is installed along the side roughly amidships in the area of the waterline. If you could install your switch there, it would free up that space for the receiver.

-Jeff

[ir3]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Hi Jeff,

Since the Sombra Labs SL-8 fits perfectly at the bow end of the Tech Rack it is a good place for it. It appears that Caswell bought out all of the SL-8 receivers and he is now the only source. I just ordered a replacement for mine that is intermittent. Once I get that and new bulkheads to install the update battery pack it will be time to finish up the hull and put it in the water.

I see that the individual that started the thread is no longer a member.

Cheers,

Iran

[giovanni]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

I ordered my reciever directly from Sombra Labs.

[ir3]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

Hi Giovanni,

When did you buy the receiver. Sombra Labs now shows them out of stock. The only source I know of now is Caswell. Mike indicates that he bought out Sombra Labs entire stock of SL-8. I believe that Sombra Labs is going to 2.4GHZ.

Cheers,

Iran

[tsenecal]

Re: Alexander engel VIIc

I just looked at Caswell's website and he is now charging $99 for the sombra labs receiver. two weeks ago he was selling them for $65... i'll let him explain that.