Thanks for all the kind reply,
I already got some questions for circuit boards, parts and so on. I would like to help everybody. My documentation or advise are free and always gladly provided, but I regretfully do lack the time to make circuit boards or program microprocessors for members and others. I'm not even finished with programming the controller myself and barely started with my model of the HrMs Soemba.
If it's the high voltage circuit you would like to build, I recommend you start with buying a cheap disposable camera, open it and figure out how the flash circuit works. I should work like my circuit published, but they are not all exactly the same. The parts (high voltage transformers, detonation coils, etc.) can also have different sizes, so the chance is really present that my printed circuit board is useless.
Circuit boards are made by UV exposure through a print on a transparent sheet, and etched in an etching machine. You need some equipment for that, but you can also etch in a glass (oven) tray you carefully heat on an old electric stove (this is the way I started) and draw the print directly on the copper with an etch resistant liner. It's easier than it appears to make your own circuit board and this is a simple and small one to practice it on. If you have trouble with this, you can always use this pre-drilled copper lined experimenting boards to build your circuit on.
If you want to etch more circuit boards yourself (or do some etching on brass model parts out of sheet metal), you can better buy the gear (I spent about EUR 190 for the UV lighting kit and etching machine together). A free program to draw the circuit boards and print the prints for UV exposure on transparent overhead sheets is the already named DesignSpark.
Keep in mind that some parts of the guns need a lathe to build (turret bearings, gun barrels, etc.) The ignition electrodes have to be placed precisely in the accurate made holders and have to be replaceable. Without a (small) lathe it won't be easy to build them.
If you are interested in the microprocessor controller circuit board, please keep in mind that you do need programming equipment to make it work. The servos all have to be adjusted and lined out, this means that initiations and settings have to be changed in the program. You regretfully can't make it work with only the circuit board and a pre-programmed PIC. A wonderfull Dutch site to learn PIC microprocessor programming on is:
www.picbasic.nl . This site is written and maintained by Frits K. (if he isn't a teacher, he really missed his profession), also in the English language available (you British are so lucky sometimes). It takes some time, but is fun to do.
The development suite for the software, Proton, has a free version, but the amount of programming words is limited (to small for this application). The full version costs about EUR 170,-. The PICKit programmer I bought for EUR 35,-. There are also other languages (C++) for programming PIC's , some for free.
It's no rocket science and great fun to do, but it costs time. If you don't have the experience, but want to build this or parts of it, please do. But do realize it takes time and you have to invest in the right steps in the right order.
Have great fun.
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Topic: Working naval gun models (Read 6750 times)