Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Working vessels R&D: => Topic started by: GreyCelt on September 23, 2014, 12:48:14 pm

Title: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: GreyCelt on September 23, 2014, 12:48:14 pm
Hi All...I am attempting to control 3 esc's (1 chinese, 2 Mtroniks Viper marine 25) plus a steering servo all from the same receiver.  At the moment things are going less than well, can anybody give me some helpful hints please?
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: Martin (Admin) on September 23, 2014, 01:14:07 pm

Do you want independent control on all three speed controllers?
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: Stavros on September 23, 2014, 01:57:25 pm
Hi welcome
you say things are not going at all well at the moment....cant you please expand on this.
 
As you are controlling 3 esc's from 1 reciever .....have you dissconnected 2 of the red wires off the esc's beofre you connected them to y leads.
 
A picture can save a thousand words
 
Dave
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: GreyCelt on September 23, 2014, 03:24:24 pm
Hi both...thanks for the quick replies.
The boat is a scratchbuilt tug, in r/l she is equipped with a pair of Voith Schneider drives...but the cost of these in model form  is prohibitive so I have fitted thruster tubes forward and aft and these have Raboesch thruster units fitted to them, the intention was to power them individually using the Viper 25 esc's.
The pair of main engines are coupled together and I was hoping to use the Chinese speed controller for them, these are fitted in fixed Korts with rudder steering.
Hope what I am trying to achieve makes a little more sense now
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: john44 on September 23, 2014, 05:56:25 pm
Hi, what Tx-Rx are you using ? How many channels do you have, what sticks would you
Like controlling what?


John
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: GreyCelt on September 23, 2014, 09:34:09 pm
Hi John...Spectrum DX6i with a spectrum 6 ch Rx....only 4 channels to be used :-
Both sticks left/right...bow and stern thrusters individually
Left stick up/down....M/E speed  and direction
Right stick up/down....Steering servo
All lighting will be powered and self contained in the superstructure and switched manually.
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: dougal99 on September 23, 2014, 10:31:34 pm
How many batteries are you using and do you want the drive props to rotate in opposite directions?
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: GreyCelt on September 24, 2014, 08:05:08 am
Hi, the intention would be either two 12v7ah sla batteries in parallel or a single 12v10ah
Both thrusters must be controllable independently.
 The main motors to be worked using conventional counter rotation for twin engine installations
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: Tug-Kenny RIP on September 24, 2014, 09:51:11 am

Quote
I was hoping to use the Chinese speed controller for them

I wouldn't any more.  I changed mine for a different make because these do not know the meaning of gentle acceleration.

The smallest movement of the toggle lever and it was off at quarter speed.    :o

Cheers

Ken
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: GreyCelt on September 24, 2014, 11:24:35 am

Hi Ken
I agree the Chinese esc's tend to be a bit on the 'course ' side.
My main priority at the moment is to get everything running indepedently of everything else, the whole idea is to make this boat appear as if she is powered by Voith units...forwards, astern...even sideways!
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: dougal99 on September 24, 2014, 11:42:17 am
You will need a wiring harness to connect the battery in parallel across al 3 ESCs,see attached diagram. You will need a second harness to take the output from the drive motor ESC and feed opposite polarity to each of the motors, this is to get them turning in opposite directions, see attached diagram.


Two of the ESCs will need the centre wire from the receiver lead removing so that the receiver only gets one lot of power. The leads from the ESCs and the servo need to be connected to the appropriate output channel of the receiver.


If you are not sure which output is which connect a 4.5v battery to the receiver,after turning on the transmitter, then connect a servo to each output in turn and check which stick causes movement.


HTH
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: GreyCelt on September 24, 2014, 12:22:40 pm
Hi HTH, many thanks for that, although the main engines were not what was causing me a problem, in the past I have built many twin motored configurations and knew about connecting them so they contra-rotated.
The light has been shed on my problem though..at the moment I have been trying these speed controllers with all three having the central red wire intact, i'll make up a couple of harnesses with the red wire missing, join these to the esc's (so I can get away with not spoiling the actual esc wiring) and see what happens.
Is it safe to assume the three wires are left 'insitu' from the steering servo to the receiver?
cheers
John
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: Stavros on September 24, 2014, 12:49:32 pm
Yes you do leave the red intact on the steering servo.
 
Now If you have got away with it I will be very surprsed........You have stated you had left all the red wires inplace of the 3 esc's....I would hazard a guess that damege has been cause to 1 or more esc ....sorry to be hte bearer of bad news on this.....I would test each esc individually before proceeding,as Ken has allready stated DONT bother with the chineese esc ...waste of time
 
 
Dave
Title: Re: multiple esc's and servo with one receiver...help with wiring please
Post by: GreyCelt on September 24, 2014, 02:24:59 pm
Hi Dave
I didn't get away with it, one fatality and one needing the last rites...all back with Mtroniks!
cheers
John <:(