Model Boat Mayhem

Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips => The "Black Arts!" ( Electrics & Electronics ) => Topic started by: rcboater on May 10, 2008, 04:30:06 am

Title: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: rcboater on May 10, 2008, 04:30:06 am
Hello,

I recently picked up the re-release of the Lindberg 1/95 scale USCG Lightship Nantucket.  The model is about 17 inches long, and I thought it would make a nice feature to go with the 1/96 scale ships at our annual night run. 

I'm currently thinking about building the boat just as a floating Lightship, though I might change my mind and add running gear and a simple 2 channel RC unit.

So, I'm looking for advice from anyone who may have put a working light on a Lightship model,  or even just some ideas on the best way to do this......

I know that I can find bright lights-- but I want something that will last for more than a quarter hour on whatever batteries I can get in the 17 inch hull....

I also have to figure out the best way to do the blinking.   As I understand it, the lights on lightships worked like the ones in light houses--  from a distance, they apperaed to blink-- i.e. one flash every 4 seconds, say,  while up close you could see the blinking was the result of the light rotating.     I can think of three ways to do this:

1.  mount a directional light (like a bulb and reflector from a small flashlight), and actually have that rotate.
2.  Mount a fixed 360 degree bulb, and have a hood or cover with a hole in one side rotate around it.
3.  Use electronics to simulate the light-- I know that in the US, MicroMark sells an electronic doo-dad for use in model train layouts that gives the effect of  rotating light- instead of a harsh off-full on-off of the light, you get a gentle increase in brightness to full power, simulating the effect of the light getting brighter as it comes around to point directly at you, and then fades away.

Given that the model is 1/95 scale, I think that it will be difficult to do a mechanical rotation, so that leaves the electonic blinking as the only option......

Looking forward to some feedback.....
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: Roger in France on May 10, 2008, 06:14:35 am
"Action" (see our "Traders Directory") used to do an electronic flasher. Ask Dave Milburn the owner of "Action" who is frequently on here as Full Leather Jacket. He is always very kind with advice and help on all things electrical.

Roger in France.
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: FullLeatherJacket on May 10, 2008, 08:22:16 am
Thanks for that, Mr M!
 
P88 is very small but has a fixed flash rate.
P73 has adjustable rate.
Both need 6v to 12v. A Grain of Wheat bulb takes approx 60mA;
Grain of Rice probably less.
Details on our website or PM me.

FLJ
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: wombat on May 10, 2008, 09:39:24 am
Half a dozen or so white LEDs - proably take 10mA to 20mA each. Have them mounted on their sides so thy point outwards - will give a nice directional beam.

You can be really flash then - scan them in sequence using a simple bit of electronics and you can get the beam to rotate. But you might still have to buy a flasher off old Nicoise Salad or he might never talk to me again for blowing a sale.
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: FullLeatherJacket on May 10, 2008, 12:01:16 pm
Half a dozen or so white LEDs - proably take 10mA to 20mA each. Have them mounted on their sides so thy point outwards - will give a nice directional beam.

You can be really flash then - scan them in sequence using a simple bit of electronics and you can get the beam to rotate. But you might still have to buy a flasher off old Nicoise Salad or he might never talk to me again for blowing a sale.

Wom
Check out the size of the model, you pilchard! How big do you suppose that beacon housing is gonna be?? Still, if you're offering to do the circuitry...... ::)
FLJ
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: funtimefrankie on May 10, 2008, 12:24:13 pm
How about one of these? With the LEDs changed to bright white and mounted remotely

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=22559&C=Maplin&U=SearchTop&T=led%20kit&doy=10m5
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: wombat on May 10, 2008, 04:59:59 pm
Wom
Check out the size of the model, you pilchard! How big do you suppose that beacon housing is gonna be?? Still, if you're offering to do the circuitry...... ::)
FLJ

Check out the size of the LED :P

http://uk.farnell.com/1561001/optoelectronics/product.us0?sku=vishay-vlmw41r1t1-5k8l-08 (http://uk.farnell.com/1561001/optoelectronics/product.us0?sku=vishay-vlmw41r1t1-5k8l-08) A ring of 6 off those would just about fit in the light housing (I guess diameter of the light housing is about 12mm) Simple sequence flasher, route 7 thin wires down the middle of the mast....

Wom
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: FullLeatherJacket on May 10, 2008, 06:01:39 pm
rcboater
Can you see where this is going?  O0

Wom
 :kiss:

FLJ  8)
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: malcolmfrary on May 11, 2008, 11:21:06 am
Having done the Lindberg Tuna Boat, I found that when the mast was added it became VERY tender, so much so that I had to saw bits of plastic off here and there and re-arragne the innards to lower the CG all possible.  On the lightship there appears to be a great deal of plastic "upstairs", so some float testing might be in order before adding any extra weight at the top to avoid possible disapointment.
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: malcolmfrary on May 11, 2008, 09:10:15 pm
For a picture - http://www.uscg.mil/history/gifs/LS_30.jpg
and more information - http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblightships/LV112.html
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: Martin (Admin) on May 11, 2008, 11:13:59 pm


I used a couple of old fashioned bright 6v filament bulbs ( bicycle headlamp bulbs for those old enough ) on a home made 555 timer circuit. The advantage with the filament bulb is you get a slight hysteresis brightness effect which sort of simulates the lamp rotation. Also there are no directional problems.

(http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/My_models/My%20Boat%20Images/Unconstructed%20page%20photos/Fastelight%2001.jpg)
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: rcboater on May 12, 2008, 04:34:49 am
Having done the Lindberg Tuna Boat, I found that when the mast was added it became VERY tender, so much so that I had to saw bits of plastic off here and there and re-arragne the innards to lower the CG all possible.  On the lightship there appears to be a great deal of plastic "upstairs", so some float testing might be in order before adding any extra weight at the top to avoid possible disapointment.

The  Lindberg Nantucket Lightship is actually a very stable platform.   The hull is deep and full-bodied, and the vessel actually has relativley little tophamper, outside of the masts.  I built one many years ago, unlighted, just to serve as a marker on the navigation course at our club regatta.   As I recall, I used a pair of old (dead) 6V 3AH gel-cell batteries as ballast to get the model to float at the waterline.

The Action components look interesting, and I also found an interesting model RR item here in the USA--- look at this one:  http://www.bakatronics.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=43
They have a little videa thatg shows the unit in action. 

Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: W. Knott on June 09, 2013, 10:19:29 pm
Hello,

I recently picked up the re-release of the Lindberg 1/95 scale USCG Lightship Nantucket.  The model is about 17 inches long, and I thought it would make a nice feature to go with the 1/96 scale ships at our annual night run. 

I'm currently thinking about building the boat just as a floating Lightship, though I might change my mind and add running gear and a simple 2 channel RC unit.

So, I'm looking for advice from anyone who may have put a working light on a Lightship model,  or even just some ideas on the best way to do this......

I know that I can find bright lights-- but I want something that will last for more than a quarter hour on whatever batteries I can get in the 17 inch hull....

I also have to figure out the best way to do the blinking.   As I understand it, the lights on lightships worked like the ones in light houses--  from a distance, they apperaed to blink-- i.e. one flash every 4 seconds, say,  while up close you could see the blinking was the result of the light rotating.     I can think of three ways to do this:

1.  mount a directional light (like a bulb and reflector from a small flashlight), and actually have that rotate.
2.  Mount a fixed 360 degree bulb, and have a hood or cover with a hole in one side rotate around it.
3.  Use electronics to simulate the light-- I know that in the US, MicroMark sells an electronic doo-dad for use in model train layouts that gives the effect of  rotating light- instead of a harsh off-full on-off of the light, you get a gentle increase in brightness to full power, simulating the effect of the light getting brighter as it comes around to point directly at you, and then fades away.

Given that the model is 1/95 scale, I think that it will be difficult to do a mechanical rotation, so that leaves the electonic blinking as the only option......

Looking forward to some feedback.....

Your are quite good thinker and i think you can take it for a good run. go on
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: W. Knott on June 12, 2013, 10:17:04 pm


You have created a good idea (building the boat just as a floating Lightship, though I might change my mind and add running gear and a simple 2 channel RC unit).Your three ways to do figure out the best way to do the blinking Is very important.You can apply the ways properly.
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: W. Knott on June 13, 2013, 09:11:20 am

Also you should try to get high power led lights for this.
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: Arrow5 on June 13, 2013, 09:35:10 am
Anybody else got a working lightship ?   Most regattas have a lighthouse or two, don't see many lightships.  Interesting vessels, maybe this thread will prompt some input.  There was a website by a German lady on the subject, I`ll have a search for it.
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: Martin (Admin) on June 13, 2013, 11:26:14 am

http://www.tradeofic.com/Circuit/11418-MODEL_RAILROAD_LIGHTHOUSE_LAMP_SIMULATOR.html
(http://www.tradeofic.com/uploadfile/ic-circuit/20097173393994.gif)


Others:
http://www.bakatronics.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=575
http://kidselectronickits.com/product_lighthouse.htm
http://electronicsclub.info/p_lighthouse.htm
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/general_electronics_discussion/109250-light_house_flashing_circuit.html
http://www.trainelectronics.com/artcles/LIGHTHOUSE/
http://discovercircuits.com/circuit-solutions/miniature-lighthouse.html
http://www.proelectronics.co.za/index.php/circuit-tutorials/22-new-circuit3
http://members.iinet.net.au/~backway/OzDcc/lighthse.htm
Title: Re: Light Ship Beacon
Post by: More Coffee on June 30, 2013, 07:22:38 pm
(http://www.talkingelectronics.com/projects/50%20-%20555%20Circuits/images/UpDownFadingLED.gif)
 
I have built both. the circuit without the transistor is my favorite,And can be very much mistaken for a lighthouse beacon.