Assembling the Merriman 2.5" Standard WTC

[roedj]

Engine room Mark II

OK, I shuffled the parts again and got this.

First of all, please disregard all the rubber bands. They're only temporary (I hope).

Secondly, I shall use some of the newly acquired styrene to build brackets for all the parts.

Here are the photos:



More later,

Dan

[roedj]

I went out this morning and purchased some styrene in various shapes and sizes. I'm going to try and modify the existing equipment rack to better hold the "stuff".

I'll post any and all progress, if any.

Dan

[Kazzer]

David,

I admit it, I'm stumped. I simply can't figure how to get 10 lbs. of ^%#$^% in a 5 lb. WTC.

I'll keep shuffling the parts around but it's times like this I wish you still sold the 3" model.

Dan

Well? OK Mr. Wizard? How is it done? (Don't ask me guys, I have NO idea what magic dust he sprinkles to do this stuff!)

[roedj]

David,

I admit it, I'm stumped. I simply can't figure how to get 10 lbs. of ^%#$^% in a 5 lb. WTC.

I like your idea of placing the receiver away from the bottom in case of leaks...

BUT...

I can't figure out how to get:
1) Two mini servos,
2) One Mtroniks Micro Viper Marine 10 ESC,
3) One small SNORT (LPB) pump with its two hoses,
4) One ADF2 Pitch controller,
5) One LiPo Guard
6) One Sombra receiver
7) The wires from the front battery compartment
8) All the interconnecting wires

in the "engine room" of the WTC. I see where Caswell sells this WTC as a completed unit which presumes that at some time in the past you have built one for a customer. I'm hoping you took some pictures of the completed unit and could post them here, please.

I'll keep shuffling the parts around but it's times like this I wish you still sold the 3" model.

Dan

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Why does it sound dirty when you say it?

David,

[roedj]

Damn the torpedoes !
Hoses to the nipples !
Aye, aye Captain !

Wharf rat - 3rd class

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I, of course, remain blameless should your precious SubDriver take on water .... it's YOUR fault!

That out of the way ...

... Take the servos out, invert the device tray-bulkhead assembly and don't sweat running the hoses up to the nipples.

Man! You people!

David,

[roedj]

David,

Ok, I see the logic in that..

BUT...

I thought that the two holes in the transverse shield were made for the leads coming out of the LPB. If I put the LPB on the bottom then I have to run the hoses from the front bottom of the equipment rack up the sides to the SNORT tubes on the back top. The way I have it now it's a straight shot from the LPB to the SNORT manifold on the back seal...

OR...

I have this whole thing completely screwed up.

To get the receiver off of the bottom I suppose I could mount it in the middle area of the front in between where I have the LPB and the receiver now.

Confused in Canton

P.S. What is all this bilge about "taking on water"? Are you saying the designer occasionally makes a mistake (or is just the FUBAR assembler)?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Hey, Dan:

Put the LPB on the bottom and the receiver on the top. When you take on water in that space, which item you want to keep in the dry?

David,

[roedj]

The "Engine Room"

This is just the start of this assembly. I spent some time trying to figure out where to place everything. There's not a whole lot of room in this WTC but with smaller components I think it'll all fit (I hope).

Here are three views of what I've done so far......... and ...

More later,

Dan

[roedj]

Antenna leads

Now it's time to start the assembly of the "engine room". First I prepare the antenna lead. As I'm always after ease of service in the field I shall prepare a rapid disconnect for the antenna lead. I'll use Märklin (German manufacturer of model railroad equipment) banana plugs. I've used these for years in model railroads with no failures. I prepare a star washer by bending it 90 degrees and soldering a wire to it...

Next, using the banana plugs I complete the circuit...

More later,

Dan

[roedj]

assembling the SNORT pump with MPC

As I shall be using a SNORT system with this WTC, I'll now assemble the SNORT with a KMC Mini Pump Controller, MPC.

A picture of a completed one and an unassembled one...

First a drop of solder flux on the case to make soldering easier...
Secondly, put some solder on the case...

Then solder on the wire...

Next, wrap the servo and battery leads with electrical tape to the pump case. This does two things, a) provides strain relief for the wires and b) holds the MPC onto the pump case while you're working on it...

Then solder the grounding wire to the pad on the printed wiring board (PWB)...

Finish up by soldering the pump leads to the MPC and trim off any excess wire...

I did all this using the old "rubber bands around the pliers handle as a poor man's "third hand" trick...

Finally, attach the power plug of your choice and you're good to go (See the first pic).

Dan

[roedj]

the connecting tube

I shall now prepare the connecting tube. This tube is normally used to carry battery, plus and minus, back to the "engine room". However, I shall also use it for one of two possible functions. One, to carry a servo signal back to the forward compartment if I ever decide to place a servo up front - OR - two, use an extra battery up front to just power the receiver, i.e, don't use the BEC of the ESC (don't you just love abbreviations).

First of all I jam the two wired through the tube......then I solder a Deans like plug onto the forward end. I like Deans plugs but I don't like trying to solder to them. So I drill two small holes in the lugs so that I can better mechanically attach the wires to the lug... At this point some of you are shaking your head saying to yourself,"The fool will get into trouble running the servo wire next to the power wire." Well, maybe. I've done this in other circumstances (surface craft) and have never had any difficulty. Maybe I've just been damn lucky. I know the risks involved - let the recriminations begin.

Next I solder the wires onto the lugs using shrink wrap for insulation and strain relief......and ...

If I use a separate battery to power the receiver I must isolate the "battery plus" lead between the ESC and the receiver. For that purpose I have constructed a servo adapter connector without the "battery plus" wire, the red one...

More later,

Dan

[roedj]

they eat the frig'n teacher!
**sigh**
David,

Not gonna happen, I'm on a strict low fat diet.

Dan

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I buy 'em books, I wipe their nose, I drop them off at school. What do they do? ... they eat the frig'n teacher!

**sigh**

David,