Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: Terry on March 22, 2025, 08:59:30 am

Title: Digital Sail Servo Question
Post by: Terry on March 22, 2025, 08:59:30 am
I have an old Robbe Sirius yacht and want to keep it going as it sails so nicely. The analog drum type sail servo is totally kaput, it has a 40mm dia. drum which turns two and quarter times to give the required amount of sheet adjustment. I can't find anything like that available nowadays. If I go for a digital servo can I control the number of turns by setting up the endpoints on the Tx ?
Title: Re: Digital Sail Servo Question
Post by: JimG on March 22, 2025, 12:11:14 pm
Many modern digital servos are programmable and the endpoints can be set in the servo. It does need buying the appropriate servo programmer which can be used for other digital servos from the same maker. The simplest way is to use the endpoints on the transmitter channel to restrict the movement although this does reduce the resolution of the channel (a modern Tx may have a  1024 resolution, ie 1024 steps between the end points on the stick. Reducing the movement with the endpoints will reduce this , if say you reduce the movement by 50% then you only get 512 steps.) Probably not a problem on sail control as you should still have fine enough control of the sail position.
Jim
Title: Re: Digital Sail Servo Question
Post by: Akira on March 22, 2025, 12:13:02 pm
This Hitec winch is for sale over on RC groups. The instructions indicate that the number of turns of the winch can be adjusted in the transmitter. See the attached. Without assuming anything, my guess is that how a winch functions will depend an awful lot upon the transmitter you use.