Sea commander on reeds

Often forgot about but boats are a great way for the youngsters to get into radio control or even the oldies!
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lester
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Joined: 05 Jul 2018, 12:46

Sea commander on reeds

Post by lester »

Something new for me I am restoring my brothers boat modern radio etc and I've been bitten I think. Anyway I got the drawings for an aero kits sea commander going to use a 750 brushed motor I have an rcs 6 channel red outfit which I want to use trick is with an electronic speed controller how do I get neutral between forwards and backwards if you know what I mean.
Cheers lester
lester
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Joined: 05 Jul 2018, 12:46

Re: Sea commander on reeds

Post by lester »

Hi phil hows you doing I'm converting to 2.4 and using your tiny 6 mate I think I understand it, just trying to figure the way it works progressive on the throttle but hitting back will go straight to neutral then back will be reverse sorry if I seem a bit thick.
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Phil_G
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Re: Sea commander on reeds

Post by Phil_G »

lester wrote: 27 May 2020, 23:26 Hi phil hows you doing I'm converting to 2.4 and using your tiny 6 mate I think I understand it, just trying to figure the way it works progressive on the throttle but hitting back will go straight to neutral then back will be reverse sorry if I seem a bit thick.
The progressive throttle isnt straightforward if you want to use a forward/reverse ESC Lester. It will work but will power up at full reverse, then you'll have to nudge the throttle toggle to neutral (motor off). You could use a forward-only ESC and spare channel to operate a reversing relay, that would be easy and effective.
That would give you the full throttle range forward and reverse, and an easy-to-find 'off' position.
Cheers
Phil
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Mike_K
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Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Sea commander on reeds

Post by Mike_K »

Phil_G wrote: 28 May 2020, 13:18 The progressive throttle isnt straightforward if you want to use a forward/reverse ESC Lester. It will work but will power up at full reverse, then you'll have to nudge the throttle toggle to neutral (motor off). You could use a forward-only ESC and spare channel to operate a reversing relay, that would be easy and effective.
That would give you the full throttle range forward and reverse, and an easy-to-find 'off' position.
Cheers
Phil
Hi Phil

Can't the default throttle start value be 1500uS, ie neutral for a FWD/REV ESC? I think it's only our encoders that start with the throttle at 1000uS, not that the module needs it at start-up. The only reversing ESC I have are 1980's vintage NOSRAM, which also have a brake. I checked one on the elevator channel of my Variophon (still haven't got round to doing a converted reed set :cry:) and it worked perfectly starting at 1500uS. So it should be possible.

Mike
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Phil_G
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Re: Sea commander on reeds

Post by Phil_G »

Hi Mike yes but Lester already has a Tiny-6 PIC encoder that uses the bog standard throttle setup :D
I think it might be awkward to find neutral on a progressive channel... especially when the boat
is rapidly approaching a concrete bank :D
Martin
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Re: Sea commander on reeds

Post by Martin »

But Lester suggested that any stick move towards neutral would give an immediate return to neutral. So you could gradually accelerate either forwards or backwards away from 'stop', but any attempt to slow down (in either direction) would give an instant motor stop. So to 'reduce throttle' from high speed forward, you'd have to nudge backwards once, to stop, and then nudge forwards repeatedly until you reach the new (lower) throttle position you want.

I can see how that scheme might work well for boats.
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Mike_K
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Re: Sea commander on reeds

Post by Mike_K »

Phil_G wrote: 29 May 2020, 10:59 Hi Mike yes but Lester already has a Tiny-6 PIC encoder that uses the bog standard throttle setup :D
Ah, I'd missed that bit :oops:

What Lester is trying to do is going to require either a custom "Reeduino" controller ideally with the direction set from a spare channel and the throttle just setting speed (either forward or backwards), or similar to what Martin suggested. In fact what Martin suggests is similar to my old Nosram ESC, when you select reverse it brakes for a minimum of 2 seconds and then only selects reverse. So a similar delay at Neutral would be needed otherwise you'd be straight into reverse before you knew it.

Either way, it's a custom "Reeduino" controller or some other reversing device on the boat and is non-standard, unless somebody in the boating community has already done something similar.

Cheers

Mike
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Phil_G
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Re: Sea commander on reeds

Post by Phil_G »

Hi Lester, I have made a widget for you that plugs between the receiver and an ordinary reversing speed controller. The widget has two states, forward and reverse, switched by the elevator key - flip the elevator toggle forwards momentarily and the widget stays in forwards mode. Flip the elevator key backwards momentarily and the widget goes into reverse mode. Whichever mode its in, forward or reverse, you get normal reeds throttle response on the throttle toggle, ie 'off' on power up, push the throttle toggle forwards to increase, pull back to decrease and to stop, with the usual reeds progressive action. Whether the boat is in reverse or forward, to stop you just pull back on the throttle as usual with reeds.
In a nutshell its like having a "forward or reverse gear" entirely separate from the throttle toggle.
Its here on my bench, if you want it then PM your postal address please Lester
Cheers
Phil

Edit: I assembled, tested & posted this device to Lester on 23/6, no charge, nothing further heard from Lester as of Oct 2020...
Further edit: still nothing heard Feb 2021...
Spike S
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Re: Sea commander on reeds

Post by Spike S »

Poor show not to acknowledge a freebie 'gizzit' !

The "full astern power on power-up" (or when a 1.0ms failsafe setting activates) syndrome was recognised some time ago by the late Alan Bond (Forge Electronics http://www.forge-electronics.co.uk/inde ... erse-tamer) This would sit between Rx and ESC to prevent full astern power inadvertently being applied.
This used to be a DIY semi-kit from Technobots but now discontinued. John Wills at Scale Warship http://www.scalewarship.com/ has taken on some of Alan's Pickaxe based electronic modules but the updated reverse tamer is not yet in commercial production. The (Pickaxe) BASIC code is quite simple.
Spike S
(Tune for maximum smoke)
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