Electronics/Motor Package Assembly ?

[toppack]

David,
I have the Electronics/Motor Package assembled and fitting in the aft SD compartment, except for one thing. The connecter-cable, on the small ballast-servo mounted down in tube, is too short to reach the ADF, (mounted with other servos,) before pushing it into tube.
What's the Trick to get it connected, use a cable-extension, or is there a better way ???

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

David,
I have the Electronics/Motor Package assembled and fitting in the aft SD compartment, except for one thing. The connecter-cable, on the small ballast-servo mounted down in tube, is too short to reach the ADF, (mounted with other servos,) before pushing it into tube.
What's the Trick to get it connected, use a cable-extension, or is there a better way ???

And the correct answer is ..... Cable Extension! (Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding...Ding!)

David,

[toppack]

Okay, I was just hopeing I would not have to have a big Wad of wire down in there Jamming up the ballast-servo. :(
Maybe I can work part of the wire back up the tube with a hooked piece of rod.

[toppack]

I desided, long time ago, that I'd never build a 'Ship in a Bottle' (too nerve-racking), but that's about what puting together the Sub-driver assembly Is. Some long special Tools are needed and it requires just as much Patience. ;)

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I just ordered a Mtroniks Speed-control from Caswell.
I had read good things about them so started searching Internet, but the only ones I could find were in the UK with high shipping charges. But while searching I found a link to, of all places, Caswell.
:D LOL :D
Didn't know you had them. :o

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I just ordered a Mtroniks Speed-control from Caswell.
I had read good things about them so started searching Internet, but the only ones I could find were in the UK with high shipping charges. But while searching I found a link to, of all places, Caswell.
:D LOL :D
Didn't know you had them. :o

After decades of trying every marine ESC I could -- and suffering what seemed to be one defeat after another -- I latched onto the Mtronik line of ESC's and fell in love.

I run my boats pretty hard and I've yet to clobber one of the MTronik ESC's. They are nearly bullet proof! In fact, our smaller SubDriver's are delivered with installed MTronik ESC's, all wired up and ready to go -- that's how confident Mr. Caswell and I are about these wonderful little things.

I love 'em!

Here's some inside-baseball for you:

I'm Mr. Caswell's 'r/c submarine expert' and it's my job to recommend what product Caswell buys from vendors and what he has developed in-house to support the r/c submarine side of the business. As a result I get a lot of free-bee items channeled my way for evaluation. Some cr**, some OK, and some stuff that must have been engineered on Altair-4! Bottom line: I run this s*** through the wringer and whatever I deem as useful and reliable I stamp with my seal-of-approval. Such was the case with the MTronik's line of ESC's.

Those specialized products, like the ADF -- a combined fail-safe and angle-keeper device -- needed exclusively for our SubDriver's, we farm out to guys like Kevin McLeod who take our specifications and produce the desired product.

Caswell Inc. is actively working to be the source for the kits, SubDriver's, and devices needed to get an r/c submarine model up and running. The MTronik distributorship is just one example of that on-going effort.

David,

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Thanks for the Info! :)

[toppack]

I got the Mtroniks-Viper Speed-control installed and it's working Great. It does not have the long time-delay, when going from forward to reverse, that some ESCs do.
It's small and completely sealed (except for a push-buttom reset switch)
'I Like It'! :D

[toppack]

I thought I would mention a Modification I made to the receiver/servo mounting bracket in Sub-driver, that has worked out well. :)
I drilled out the pop-rivets holding the aluminum receiver mounting-plate to the vertical plate between receiver and servos. Then rotated the removed plate 90 degrees, drilled new holes, and put in new pop-rivets.
This gives more room for the larger 7-channel receiver I had and the wires going to it (above the vent/blow servo), makes routing wires easier, makes the weight-balance more equal in roll direction and gets the very open receiver up out of any bilge-water that may happen to leak in. ;)
I mounted the smaller speed-control (which is sealed better) on the bottom side of that plate and this is a good location for it, since the Mtroniks ESC comes with very short wire-leads, which I hard-wired in (no power/motor connectors to take up space or possibly open or get wet). :)

[Kazzer]

I thought I would mention a Modification I made to the receiver/servo mounting bracket in Sub-driver, that has worked out well. :)
I drilled out the pop-rivets holding the aluminum receiver mounting-plate to the vertical plate between receiver and servos. Then rotated the removed plate 90 degrees, drilled new holes, and put in new pop-rivets.
This gives more room for the larger 7-channel receiver I had and the wires going to it (above the vent/blow servo), makes routing wires easier, makes the weight-balance more equal in roll direction and gets the very open receiver up out of any bilge-water that may happen to leak in. ;)
I mounted the smaller speed-control (which is sealed better) on the bottom side of that plate and this is a good location for it, since the Mtroniks ESC comes with very short wire-leads, which I hard-wired in (no power/motor connectors to take up space or possibly open or get wet). :)

Photos????

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Photos????

Okay, I'll do that, the next time I get the nerve to take it completely out of the tube again. :D LOL :D

[toppack]

I desided to rework the component layout in the sub-driver to improve it.
I moved the new smaller Mtroniks speed-control to one side of the servos and moved the snort pump from forward battery compartment to below the receiver in aft compartment.
(which I think is similar to what David intended to be done in the first-place) ;)
This will make enough space forward for 8 larger C-size batteries. I found that the run time of the AA type batteries was just too short, so this change should improve that greatly and less ballast-lead will be needed.
The biggest problem is that I now need to reroute the tubing to and from snort-pump thru the aft SD bulkhead and plug up the holes I put in the forward bulkhead for them. :(
No problem tho, It's a long time before Spring. :)

[toppack]

David, HELP!
While trying to get the extension cable back on the Vent/blow servo, with one hand, I broke a wire. :mad: (Gato Sub-driver)
So, I removed the servo and soldered on an extension, (as should have been done in the first place).
But now I need to know the best procedure for getting servo remounted down in tube, with the linkage rod thru bulkhead hole.
Do both inner bulkheads need to be slid thru tube so that bulkhead (that servo mounts on) is close to end of tube, after disconnecting copper-tank from tube.
Or should I try to make special tools to get the rod thru bulkhead ???
I could weld some long steel rods onto needle-nose pliers?
I have a long magnetic screwdriver that I can use to reinstall the servo-clamp screws, it's just getting the brass rod back thru bulkhead, with servo attached, is the problem, since it came out with servo? :(
Thanks,

[toppack]

Is getting the tank reinstalled thru tube wall the most difficult part of 'sliding the complete assembly thru tube' procedure?
I suppose the large vent holes in bottom of tube will give enough access to reinstall the tank, correct?

[Kazzer]

David, HELP!

Or should I try to make special tools to get the rod thru bulkhead ???
I could weld some long steel rods onto needle-nose pliers?
I have a long magnetic screwdriver that I can use to reinstall the servo-clamp screws, it's just getting the brass rod back thru bulkhead, with servo attached, is the problem, since it came out with servo? :(
Thanks,

I made a special long handled screwdriver to replace the screws. After some fiddling, I got to put that servo back in very quickly. Can't remember the actual method and I don't want to take mine apart again either, sorry! :)