GATO! (It has begun)

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

@David: thanks for the info! So i have a few more questions based upon your responses

1) so, i remove the red lead from end of the connector that fits into receiver from the ESC? But what do i do with exposed wires on the big BEC that doesnt have a connector on it. You said that the lipo guard connects to the big ugly BEC

2) yeah i used my volt meter to determine which poles to use on the switch, but my question is. What would be the best way to connect the main power cable to the switch, the switch to the battery, and the battery to the power cable. Guess i could cut one of the red dean connectors in half and attach each separate connector to a single wire?

3) what is the LBP controller that you speak of? Im sure im going to hit myself as soon as you tell me lol

1. Yes.

The red and black wires from the BEC are the power input wires -- they are soldered to the Dean's male plug in parallel with the Lipo-Guard, ESC, and LPB controller red and black wires

2.

3. The MPC -- attached to the back-side of the LPB motor

M

[matthewnimmo]

@David: thanks for the info! So i have a few more questions based upon your responses

1) so, i remove the red lead from end of the connector that fits into receiver from the ESC? But what do i do with exposed wires on the big BEC that doesnt have a connector on it. You said that the lipo guard connects to the big ugly BEC

2) yeah i used my volt meter to determine which poles to use on the switch, but my question is. What would be the best way to connect the main power cable to the switch, the switch to the battery, and the battery to the power cable. Guess i could cut one of the red dean connectors in half and attach each separate connector to a single wire?

3) what is the LBP controller that you speak of? Im sure im going to hit myself as soon as you tell me lol

[crazygary]

Howsabout the flux capacitor????
Everybody overlooks the damned flux capacitor!! (LOL)

cg

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

1. It's a Klystron Relay -- provides faster than light communications between your transmitter and receiver ... oh, wait. No. Never mind. I'm OK now...

It's the BEC. The ****-ant little BEC in the ESC does not have the ass to provide the current all those servos and other devices pull off the receiver bus. The one you circled is rated for 5-Ampere's, the one in the ESC is good for only 2-Ampere's. Take the red wire of the ESC lead off the plug, this will isolate the ESC's BEC from the big BEC (otherwise they get into a pushing match against each other, sending a lot of noise to the other devices).

2. You use only two poles on that switch, the center one and one of the end ones. Duh! a simple series circuit between battery and battery lead that goes aft through the conduit tube and into the after dry space.

3. No. Cut away that big white, ugly Tamia connector and replace it with the red Dean's connector (male to the four devices all wired in parallel -- ESC, LPB controller, Lipo-Guard, and big ugly BEC; female to the after end of the power cable that runs back from the battery). Observe polarity on everything or die a horrible death.

4. The ADF2's 'pitch' side receives the stern plane servo lead and the lead from the ADF2 runs to the receiver ch-6 port (flaps). The Y-lead connects to the 'fail-safe' side of the ADF2 -- one plug makes up to the ballast sub-system servo, the other plug makes up to the LPB's controller. The input lead from the ADF-2 'fail-safe side makes up to the Lipo-Guard. The input lead of the Lipo-Guard makes up to the receiver ch-4 port.

5. ARE YOU NUTS!!!???..... NO!!!!! You got a full plate as it is, lets not get stupid!

You people!!!!

M

[matthewnimmo]

Ok, some progress made. I've got the rudder and the sterin planes in place! But, I have many questions about the electronics kit #1 that i purchased for the gato.

First, see the progress



Now the questions.

1) What the hell is this for? If this is the BEC, do i need it if the speed controller has one built into it? And if i need it how does it fit in?


2) How do i handle the switch? I'm assuming that I make some connections like the ones in demo'd in the picture below using the supplied red connectors?


3) I'm assuming i use a Tamiya connector for the other end of the wire to connect to the speed controller?


4) I believe I understand the angle keeper (simply connect the sterin plane servo to it and then the angle keeper to the receiver), but what about the lipo guard...how does that come into play? And then the Y connector, were should I use that?

*Lastly* 5) I want to add lights like Trout did with his Gato, what other arrangements do i need to buy and connect up to the electronics ... and were?


Thanks everyone, being going over this for a while before i do too much soddering

[crazygary]

Looking good, Matt!!

Way to go!!

[matthewnimmo]

Progress!

I believe I'm done priming everything, including the indexing tabs


Got my indexing pin in. Also drilled my index pin hole within the WTC and of course test fitted everything. Seems to be fine and hopefully balanced enough


Lastly, built my dog bones for the drive shafts and test installed them. They seem to be fine. Got my prop shafts reinstalled along with washers (that are a lot larger in diameter than i thought they would be; but seem to be working fine ... but i guess i'll know more when i actually apply power to the motors and turn the shafts that way instead of free handed).


Edit: forgot that i secured the brass rods for my bow planes


Hoping to get the rudder and planes installed tomorrow (not quite sure on how long to make the brass shafts for those control pieces....figured i needed to get my WTC placed were i wanted and then do some guestimations from there.

[matthewnimmo]

Wow! yeah, i wouldn't have paid 160 for it for sure. My gut says i paid about 50 bucks for it then from a small place called colormasters.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

131S is now over $160 here. You get about the same performance from the Nason scratch-and-fill acrylic lacquer primer, for 1/3 the price!

M

[matthewnimmo]

About two years ago when i first started this project i had bought a gallon of it, but i cant remember how much i paid lol

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Did you spring for a gallon of 131S? How much??????.....

M

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

No. That hole is to run an Allen-wrench through to adjust position of the blow-valve (if used). Indexing pin position is not critical -- just as long as its under the ballast tank.

M

[matthewnimmo]

So, i think i fixed a lot of my ****ty filler work.

more sanding



Then re-primed



It still not perfect (as i see still some ****ty filler work; but i keep telling myself i'm going to weather the crap out of it ... so i think it'll be ok)



Question thought, so the next step is going through all the control components and before doing that i was trying to decide were the indexing pin is going to be. According to the DVD set the indexing pin location on the WTC is right before one of the large holes on the bottom of the WTC closest forward. But, on the WTC i see there is only one potential hole for an indexing pin right after the large hole and not directly on the bottom ... instead it is slightly to the side. Is this my indexing pin location? See picture below.


Thanks everyone,

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Yeah, I changed the design. The new one is easier to manufacture, more reliable, and can either be mounted as you have or hung from an overhead (bottom of gun platform/cigarette deck.

David

[alad61]

I still need to cut out the snorkel section of the top of the hull; but one thing i noticed was that the opening that which i would be cutting is in the way of one of the WTC cradles ... so i'm assuming that i just cut a chunk out of the cradle to make room for the float?

Thats pretty much what I did and the top hull still seems solid. I agree double action AB's can be a pain but like many ubiquitous things in life they are often necessary... David did you change this Gato sas snorkel? Because mine looks completely different...