Hooking up an ADF to a LiPo Guard to a Sub Driver Failsafe

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  • dave_mcwhite@cox.net
    Lieutenant, Junior Grade
    • Sep 2009
    • 22

    Hooking up an ADF to a LiPo Guard to a Sub Driver Failsafe

    I have a SEAVIEW Sub Driver that I am trying to hook up the correct wiring to the Gas Tank Servo.

    From the Channel #4 output of my SL-8 Receiver (Ballast) I hook to the
    "Ballast Signal Lead" of the LiPo Guard, and then run from the LiPo Guard's "Connection to Failsafe (to ADF F/S)" to the "Ballast Signal Lead" of the ADF unit. And then I connected the "Ballast Output Connector" to the "Receiver" connector of the SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE unit. And finaly I connected the SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE unit to the Ballast Tank Gas Relief Valve Servo.

    I believe that should get the correct signals to the servo, following this logic:

    1) The SL-8 get the signal to open or close the ballast tank valve (from the operator).
    2) The LiPo Guard Unit steps in and sends a signal to open the ballast tank valve, if the battery power runs low. (causing the tank to fill with air, and the sub to surface).
    3) The ADF unit steps in if the RF Signal get's lost, and sends a signal to ballast tank servo to set the "Neutral" position, and if no other RF signal comes in three seconds then it sends a signal to open the ballast tank valve . (Causing the tank to fill with air and the sub to the surface).
    4) The SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE unit also duplicates the ADF Fail Safe mode when the RF signal is dropped , but it also count the number of gas blows and keeps the operator from blowing the ballast tank, when the Air Reserve Tank is low or empty. After a user defined number of seconds of blow time, the unit keeps the servo valve locked, such that the tank can not be flooded again. Thus not allowing the user to submerge the boat until the unit is reset ashore.

    Well that is the plan, but there are a couple of extra issues I need help on:

    A) The SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE unit comes with a extra set of cables (2 wires) believed to be power Leads? The instructions that shipped with the unit or the on line Web Page at Caswell Plating, don't talk to what these extra cables are for, or what to do with them? Are the needed? If not can I cut them off (to better fit the items in the Seaview SUb Driver (Engine compartment)? If they are power leads that I need to hook up to, then at what power source are they wanting to connect to?

    B) Will The ADF RF Signal Loss failsafe override the SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE? Should I by-pass the ADF failsafe and only use the SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE? The SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE doesn't sate it has a 3 second or any time wait when loss of RF signal is made. And It states that it moves to Blow the Gass Tank Servo upon los of signal? Is this true or does it also have a short time period it waits to act upon?

    c) The LiPo Guard unit also has a extra power wires coming from it to connect to the Power Bus. But is this the power at 5V that the SL-8 is seeing (stepped down by the Seaview's equiped Electronic Speed Controller from the battery 7.4 Volts), or is it the 7.4 Volts coming directly from the twin parrallel 7.4 volt, 13mAh batteries?

    Any help or comments are welcome!
    Last edited by dave_mcwhite@cox.net; 10-09-2009, 04:51 PM. Reason: spelling errors
  • KevinMc
    Commander
    • Feb 2009
    • 305

    #2
    Hi Dave,

    Your understanding of the necessary order is correct.

    With respect to B.) whether the ADF will override the SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE, the answer is YES. Any time you have more than one failsafe device in a system the one that's closest to the receiver will be the one that "wins". (Note this also extends to receivers with built-in fail-safes - they'll trump your downstream failsafe devices too!) Accordingly, if you connect the ADF's failsafe channel to the LiPo Guard, and the SUB DRIVE FAILSAFE to the ADF, the ADF will be the one that runs the show in the event of signal loss. Having said that I don't see any advantage in daisy-chaining two failsafe's together so the ADF was designed so that each "half" of it's functions are independant from the other and do not need to be used if not desired. In your application I'd try leaving the ADFs failsafe disconnected, the pitch control portion will work just fine. (The only caveat on this is I've never tested the operation of the LiPo Guard with the SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE you've got - please test carefully to ensure correct operation.)

    So your revised setup is as follows: Receiver -> LiPo Guard -> SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE -> Ballast servo.

    With respect to C.) your LiPo Guard power leads must be connected directly to the raw (7.4V) battery bus.

    If you have any more questions, by all means ask!

    KMc
    Kevin McLeod - Oscar II driver
    KMc Designs

    Comment

    • dave_mcwhite@cox.net
      Lieutenant, Junior Grade
      • Sep 2009
      • 22

      #3
      Sub Failsafe Power

      Thanks for the good comments. I still worry about hooking up not the LiPo power, but the undocumented Sub Failsafe power lead. David said not to hook it to the 7 V battery like the LiPo, but instead use the 5V power off the reciever. No one has advised me yet to how best to do this.

      1) should I go the the power leads on the slots 7 or 8 of my SL-8 Reciever?

      2) should I go the the power feed off of the Motor Speed Controller that feeds the SL-8 (using slot 3)?

      Does it make a difference?

      FYI, I plan on not using the failsafe built into the ADF (as you recomended) and only use the Sub Failsafe unit.

      Sincerely,

      Dave McWhite

      Comment

      • He Who Shall Not Be Named
        Moderator
        • Aug 2008
        • 12255

        #4
        Let's see a picture of this 'fail-safe' unit you're trying to hook up.

        David,
        Who is John Galt?

        Comment

        • dave_mcwhite@cox.net
          Lieutenant, Junior Grade
          • Sep 2009
          • 22

          #5
          Sub Failsafe Pictures

          David,

          Here are two pictures showing both sides of the SUB Failsafe I purchased from Caswell's WEB site.

          Note the 3 prongs that come off the bulky circuit board are used to plug in the Ballast Tank Servo lead into. Yet there is no color code or lettering to let the user know what is Red, White and Black Leads? The cables that run to the 3 Prong connector that goes into the RF Reciever are color coded. I assume that the colors go through the circuit board in the same order as shown on the RF cable? What do you think?

          The power 2-wire lead is shown with the cable connector that came with the unit. I assume I'll have to cut it off, and find a plastic cable connector, similar to the RF Reciever connector, to get power off of the RF reciever?

          Sincerely,

          Dave McWhite
          Attached Files

          Comment

          • He Who Shall Not Be Named
            Moderator
            • Aug 2008
            • 12255

            #6
            Dave,

            Thanks for the picture. That helps. I am unfamiliar with this type sub-safe, it's one of Lin's products out of China. He does good work, but I think what you have here (the red and black wires) are leads to a solenoid. This thing might be designed to either energize the 'blow' solenoid or the 'blow' side of the servo. But, I'm not sure, so don't take this guess as gospel.

            Or ...

            ... the three bulky pins out of the board may be programming pins (a shorting jumper would connect one or the other pair) to select fail-safe 'dead-time'. Of that's the case then this unit is for solenoid (read: RCABS) use only.

            I'm shooting in the dark here.

            Did you get your stuff yet?

            What do the instructions say?

            David,
            Who is John Galt?

            Comment

            • dave_mcwhite@cox.net
              Lieutenant, Junior Grade
              • Sep 2009
              • 22

              #7
              Sub Failsafe Installation

              David,

              Got my stuff Thanks. The document that came with it only talks to how to program the Failsafe using the two push buttons, to program how much time it takes to blow your ballast tank and how many blows there are in your pressure tank. It does indicate that the 3 pins sticking up out of the unit, are for hooking the Ballast tank Servo leads to. And the built in cable with the three pins, is to hook up to the RF Reciever. But there is no mentioning to the two wire (Red & Black coated) wire. Being Red and Black I thought for shure this was a power lead?

              Sincerely,

              Dav McWhite

              Comment

              • He Who Shall Not Be Named
                Moderator
                • Aug 2008
                • 12255

                #8
                Originally posted by dave_mcwhite@cox.net
                David,

                Got my stuff Thanks. The document that came with it only talks to how to program the Failsafe using the two push buttons, to program how much time it takes to blow your ballast tank and how many blows there are in your pressure tank. It does indicate that the 3 pins sticking up out of the unit, are for hooking the Ballast tank Servo leads to. And the built in cable with the three pins, is to hook up to the RF Reciever. But there is no mentioning to the two wire (Red & Black coated) wire. Being Red and Black I thought for shure this was a power lead?

                Sincerely,

                Dav McWhite
                I have no idea how that thing works.

                David,
                Who is John Galt?

                Comment

                • housefull

                  #9
                  I accept with information:1) The SL-8 get the signal to open or close the ballast tank valve (from the operator).
                  2) The LiPo Guard Unit steps in and sends a signal to open the ballast tank valve, if the battery power runs low. (causing the tank to fill with air, and the sub to surface).
                  3) The ADF unit steps in if the RF Signal get's lost, and sends a signal to ballast tank servo to set the "Neutral" position, and if no other RF signal comes in three seconds then it sends a signal to open the ballast tank valve . (Causing the tank to fill with air and the sub to the surface).
                  4) The SUB DRIVER FAILSAFE unit also duplicates the ADF Fail Safe mode when the RF signal is dropped , but it also count the number of gas blows and keeps the operator from blowing the ballast tank, when the Air Reserve Tank is low or empty. After a user defined number of seconds of blow time, the unit keeps the servo valve locked, such that the tank can not be flooded again. Thus not allowing the user to submerge the boat until the unit is reset ashore.

                  Comment

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