Print

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

[Black Shoe]

Hello all. I was a member before the "glitch" , and didn't realize I had lost my membership until just a week or so ago. Any way, my last participation had to do with using a servo as an ESC and propulsion motor in a small RC boat. After reading all of the responses, (thank you to all!) I elected to forsake the servo, and go with the "Action" ESC, motor, and micro servo for steering. I am delighted with the equipment! I'm building a kit-bashed Lindberg North Atlantic Trawler in 1/90th scale. The model wasn't technically designed for RC, although I suspect at one time the Trawler, Tug, Shrimper, and perhaps the Tuna Boat of this series may have come with small motors for "free sailing". Engineering this hull for RC has somewhat taxed my limited knowledge of RC, but things are coming along very well. The "Action" ESC allows the motor to turn the wheel at such a slow RPM that it has no effect on moving the hull! Giving full stick provides more than enough RPM for scale speed. With all of the gear in the hull, even at this scale, I'll need to add approx 1 1/2 pounds of lead shot ballast to bring it to it's design marks.
Dave from "Action" has helped this effort answering all of my questions no matter how basic. He never once said "Look Yank, I told you before.........". I appreciate his patience!

[Shipmate60]

Try going for larger batteries, removable ballast and far longer running time.


Bob

[Black Shoe]

Here's a couple more pics of my kit-bashing effort. The black hulled trawler is box-stock. It's a static 1/90 scale model built exactly by the instructions in the kit. The "coastal freighter" is my work in progress. It's the same kit as the trawler, although I've modified it as per the photos. I've named it "Sun Of Jamaica" as it seemed to have a Carribean look to me. I still have a lot more hours to put into the effort, but after scratch building my last several ships to a much larger scale, this has been an enjoyable departure. It runs very well forward, but could use a little rudder enhancement. It stops very well using backing turns, but backs to port pretty quickly. This surprised me as I anticipated it backing to stbd. I've just learned to compensate for it.
 







 

[malcolmfrary]

With all of the gear in the hull, even at this scale, I'll need to add approx 1 1/2 pounds of lead shot ballast to bring it to it's design marks.

I just weighed my Lindberg trawler as 1 1/2 pounds of ballast seemed a lot.  In ready to sail trim, it weighs 1 pound 3 ounces.  That's the entire boat complete with batteries, radio, steering servo, butchered servo ESC/motor, charging circuit and home made running gear, an a small amount of ballast.
At one time, I ran it with a pack of 4 sub-C cells that were given to me by an Epson HX-20 user (I've had this boat a LONG time). 
I currently believe it's actually the Fleetwood trawler Velia (  http://www.trawlerphotos.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=116707 ), there are a lot of matching unusual features, not least of which is the "M" on the funnel - possibly M for Marr's.

[Black Shoe]

You're probably right, I may have been aggressive on my "guess-timate". I don't have an accurate scale, all I had was the stock unit in one hand, and the freighter in the other. I had ballasted the stock boat with shot and epoxy and was surprised at how heavy it seemed, although it may not have been excessive.
Do you have pics of your RC'd trawler?  Did you use the kit prop, or an aftermarket wheel?  The funnel in the kits I have also have the "M" on them.
I'm anticipating doing the Shrimper, Tug, Lightship, and maybe "bashing" the Tuna Clipper, creating a mini fleet that can all be put in one purpose-built case that won't be impossible to move around.

[malcolmfrary]

Some pics of the tug and the tuna boat on http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/  Look at "your models", scroll down to the first "Malcolm" and there they are. 
Just the odd picture of the trawler - I never thought it was that photogenic, being my first try at RC-ing a plastic kit.  It got called "Lofthouse" because it needed a name, and back then I had no idea what to call it but was aware that if I gave it a real name, there were people around who would point out my errors, but it bore a resemblance to the one on the front of the Fishermans Friend throat burning lozenges, so Lofthouse it became.  It came as a surprise to find, when I sailed it at Fleetwood, that on occasion a voice behind me would say "I sailed on that", and looking round, I would see a weather beaten looking guy with an ear-ring.  If I had known then what I know now, I could have painted it the right colours and given it a real name.  Maybe next time......
Back then (it is now old enough to have completed a university course, settled down and started a family), I hadn't mastered the art of using the kit prop, lost a blade and made a two bladed brass one.  Easier to mark out.  It works well, and I have never had the urge to change it.
I used the kit prop on the Tuna boat, and that worked very well for about 10 years, then last year I broke a blade off and knocked up a four blader from Towboat Joes drawing and soldered that on.  Performs maybe better.