Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[Stoker04]

Hello everyone! Just thought I'd say hello. I'm from plymouth and have built a few model boats in the past, my current boat is a 1/72nd scale flower class corvette. Anyone else have one of these?
I'm looking to add smoke and interested in the idea ( if possible) of improvising with a micro generator to power ancillaries, has anyone else tried anything like this? I've seen essentially electric motors, but when they are spun up to about 500 - 1000 rpm they can produce up to 12-18 v DC.

Anyway anyone else local to me would be great to hear from you
Alex

[Peter_s]

Welcome along Alex! 

[radiojoe]

Hi Alex
Interesting idea about the generator, but I'm puzzled why you would want to when the ancillaries can easily be powered by the main battery, presumably you would run the generator off the drive motor thus putting more drain on the main battery so cannot see what you would be gaining,
Joe

[Stoker04]

Yes I can see the reasons why people haven't done it. I was just interested if there could be an efficient way to generate power to help run ancillaries or even help charge the system back up, but this would not be practical due to the size of components and energy loss through the system, another question regarding the smoke system, I'm after one that uses water instead of oil. What's the best value for money one I can buy or is there a diy guide?
Thanks

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

The smoke machine wizard on here is 'Marks Model Boats'.  He has a web site so you can have a look at his designs.

ken

[malcolmfrary]

Lots of people with a Snowberry, possibly one of the top selling sailable warship kits ever, many have fitted smoke units.  So far, the water ones that I have seen have been on the large size for that size of boat, and I am not sure that they require any less energy to produce a given amount of vapour than an oil evaporator, but I stand to be corrected. 
Using a generator runs into the law of conservation of energy, you cannot have a perpetual motion machine.  Any generator would need a different source of power to the battery to provide the energy to produce the vapour.  I remember "rotary converters", which were a way of getting a (usually higher) DC voltage from a battery.  They were hideously inefficient.  The simplest way to get a nice smoke plume, cutting out all of the energy conversions, is an insulated brass tube containing a smouldering joss stick bundle.

[radiojoe]

The trouble with water misters is they require at least 24 volts and 6 to 12 volts for the fan that's a lot of power to get into a Snowberrie I used a smoke generator from a guy in  Australia it dose use a distillant but is very clean in use, and is the best one I've ever seen mine is 12 volt, but he dose smaller versions that run on lower voltages.

[Stoker04]

the silver unit looks good, im going to have some fun with this one i think. is there any meets people go to? i used to go to the ascot model show years ago, is there any big ones i should look out for?

[radiojoe]

It depends how far you want to travel, there's a model show in Brighton 20 Feb. And one in Liskeard in March try searching online for model boat shows it comes up with a lot of shows. 

[Martin (Admin)]

I'm looking to add smoke and interested in the idea ( if possible) of improvising with a micro generator to power ancillaries, has anyone else tried anything like this? I've seen essentially electric motors, but when they are spun up to about 500 - 1000 rpm they can produce up to 12-18 v DC.

Hi Alex,
 What do you actually mean by "micro generator to power ancillaries" - a micro diesel / electric generator or something?

[Stoker04]

I meant like a small Dynamo or something which could be geared and driven off the prop shaft

[malcolmfrary]

I meant like a small Dynamo or something which could be geared and driven off the prop shaft

What is the actual purpose of running an electric generator off something driven by an electric motor that is running on a very finite amount of power stored in the battery?  There are far more efficient ways of converting the available voltage into something else.  The power available at the propshaft is there to turn the prop and overcome shaft friction.  Adding an extra load just means that the ESC has more work to do.  While voltage does get generated, to do work, Amps are needed.