RC Demonstrator

[Prins Willem]

Our club does several shows/demos/exhibits per year. A long time ago we had a demonstrator unit where spectators could see how the mechanical parts go together. I contacted the ex-member who built it and got it from him.

Looking it over I felt it needed updating so I salvaged all the best bits and pieces and began making a new base. I was pretty far along but I didn't like how it was turning out. All the clear Acrylic made it a bit too abstract. Up on the shelf was a hull given to me by a member who wanted it out of his basement.

I have decided this hull will become the shell for the new demo unit. I'll plexiglas over the deck area and use plexi tube as a prop guard (no little finger in the prop. I fabbed up a shaft and stuffing box. The shaft is 5/32" piano wire which I took to work to thread on our big LaBlond. Piano wire is tough stuff and hand threading it always turns out bad(at least for me). Most pieces will come out if the parts stash so there is a small investment. I'll be using a used 2 channel radio, either the open home built ESC from the old demo unit or one of my spare Hitec 610's.

My plan is to paint the inside flat white and the outside flat black. The hull will be mounted to a wooden base with a slight tilt to make viewing inside easier.

[keith S]

Have a fellow in the NW R/C Shipmodelers that built a working half model to show the workings of an r/c tug. The best thing was that it really ran well in the water. Was fun to watch it run scale side past a crowd, then turn to reveal it was only half a vessel! The looks on the faces of spectators was priceless.
This is a great tool to help explain to others that do not know how our models are basically set up inside. Keep up the good work!

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

Have a fellow in the NW R/C Shipmodelers that built a working half model to show the workings of an r/c tug. The best thing was that it really ran well in the water. Was fun to watch it run scale side past a crowd, then turn to reveal it was only half a vessel! The looks on the faces of spectators was priceless.
This is a great tool to help explain to others that do not know how our models are basically set up inside. Keep up the good work!

From the Foss Cup... :)

[Prins Willem]

Keith, I remember that boat from some pics you sent me. This demo unit will be for our "dry" events mostly. I got the idea sitting for 11 days at the Milwaukee Boat Show in January. We have been getting badgered to exhibit at a Boy Scout Jamboree at the EAA complex in September. They wanted to set us our portable pool but Oshkosh is 1 1/2 hr drive + 2 hrs setup (with six guys) and then 3hrs to drain and take down. Too much for a five hour show. The club will probably do a static display and the demo unit will be real handy to have.

[Prins Willem]

Went down in the basement this morning to get stuff ready to go to the park. Instead I wound up spending time on the demonstrator. May still run down to the pond and see who shows up. Today is too nice to spend in the basement.

[Prins Willem]

Got inspired this morning and started cutting the base for the demo unit. The hull will slant out 30 degrees to make viewing the interior easier. After talking with the guys at the meeting I decided to mount a gel cell under the hull for powering the unit. The Acrylic deck will not be easy to remove so I'll put in dummy batteries for display.

I also made sure it will fit inside the case I bought for it. There has to be room for the transmitter and any miscellaneous bits for the display. I'm thinking about a cutaway servo and the open ESC from the old demo unit, plus a old Dumas mechanical SC I have lying around. I am also going to do some laminated sheets explaining frequencies and RC basics.

[Prins Willem]

Well Plan B didn't survive too long. I didn't want to put an opening in the deck like an operational model. It would have obscured visibility into the hull. Making a easily removable deck section with the shape of the hull and the cant of the gunwales made for big problems. I toyed with the idea of placing a gel cell in the back of the unit so the deck wouldn't need removal very often. That complicated the design more than I liked. Added was the complete lack of a line of sight to the prop & rudder with the hull tilted.

So back to a modified Plan A. I made a wood base to counterbalance all the Acrylic of the Plan A design. I am incorporating a removable stand on the back to hold the transmitter. I'm planning to paint the underside of the Acrylic panel and I did a test strip. I feel the French Blue will work best.

[Prins Willem]

Well here is where I'm at. The wood base is done. The Acrylic mounting plate is done except for a bit more buffing of the edges to make them clear. The back board for the transmitter is almost finished. a bit more cleanup and buffing. I laid out the components to check fit and operation. I will fine tune placement then use either double sided tape or velcro to attach.

I have a deadline of the 22nd as we have an event at Pewaukee Lake. The local chapter of the Antique and Classic Boating Society holds an in water boat show at the yacht club every year. We will be running off the beach.

I still need to line the case with padding and get the miscellaneous display items together. I want to have a box with an opened ESC, two types of resistor SC's, and a cut away servo. I have a big old Futaba that will do nicely.

[pops52]

Prins that is looking great and surely displays the components of an R/C boat very well.

Nice bit of work!!

[steamboatmodel]

Have you thought about having the encoder of the Transmitter wired by a flex cable to the decoder of the Receiver? This would eliminate the need to transmit a RF signal and tie up a channel, it would also secure the transmitter to the rest of the display. I have seen this done with a company that was selling switching units and speed controls.
Regards,
Gerald.

[Prins Willem]

Steamboatmodel, an interesting idea and one that was considered. I have thought of making a tethered ROV with a camera to search for some sunken models in our pond. I didn't go that route on the demonstrator for a few reasons.

Since this will primarily be used at static events frequency conflict is not an issue. If it is used at a running event it will either be next to the frequency board or we'll pull a transmitter battery to disable it. People would rather watch the boats on the water than a demo unit.

Having the TX on a cable invites the problem of either the cord being too short where somebody holding it would turn to talk behind them and pull the unit off the table, or having the cord long and having somebody snag it and pull the unit off the table.

To make the configuration as you suggest it would involve disabling the transmitter portion of the radio leaving the controller intact. Installing some type of jack or connector in the transmitter case and receiver case. Then making all the correct connections.

The electronics part of it is beyond my capabilities as I don't know what parts of the circuit board do what. I have way too much time in this thing already and starting on a new learning curve at this time is not in the cards.

[Hoghappy]

It's lookin good Prins! ;)

[Prins Willem]

Well, the demonstrator is finally ready to be turned over to the club. It will see its first action next weekend in Oshkosh. The Boy Scouts are holding their regional jamboree at the EAA museum grounds. We had declined to haul the club pool for an eight hour exhibit (it takes longer than that for setup & teardown) so it was to be a dry show. The Boy Scouts have come up with a small pool for demonstrating in so the RC unit won't be the only example of the craft.

It was an interesting project and a design challenge.

[Brooks]

Very nice, have fun at the Jamboree. The boys will be very appreciative of you & your club's efforts, if they are like the Scouts when I was a member. Take as many batteries as you can :-).