Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: I need assistance with RC model ships if anyone has the time and patience

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Posts
    2
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0
    Reputation
    10

    Default I need assistance with RC model ships if anyone has the time and patience

    Good afternoon,

    I am a model ship builder and I have built several ships and planes over the years and most things back when I started (The Stone Age) were mechanical in their general application. I used steam plants or "gas" engines. I never bothered with lights or fancy "stuff"

    I have recently built my wife a 3D Printed model ship that I want to run electrically and have LED lights. I have got the mast lights to work as the mast is a long piece of brass and is already a sensational resistor, but have since burned out numerous LED's in the quest to provide lighting for the ship's superstructure and navigational lights. I also want to run two thrusters as the propulsion system and have 1 ESC (50A) that is water cooled that I was intending running the ship on. I know how to plumb the ESC in, but I don't know if the ESC will be able to run both motors or if as best practice I should have 2 ESC's with a "Y" plug for the receiver.

    I am great with mechanical stuff, but this electrical stuff is all very confusing. If anyone would be prepared to assist me, i can supply pics of what I have and provide specs of thrustor motors, LED's I intend to use as well as batteries I was thinking would be okay. I am happy to completely reconfigure and go with the best practice as I want this model to be working soon so my wife can use it on the lakes at Caboolture.

    Kind regards,
    Gav



Look Here ->
  • #2
    Premium Member
    wotnot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Scenic Rim, SE Qld
    Posts
    3,236
    Thanks
    1,462
    Thanked 2,934 Times in 1,510 Posts
    Rep Power
    1334
    Reputation
    58690

    Default

    You're likely burning out the LEDs due to lack of appropriate current/voltage limiting ~ there'd be more than one way to go with this, depending on what you wanted achieve, and what kind of LED you're limited to ... and for the sake of circuit considerations, how many LEDs there are in total, (and if there's multiple strings of lights, how many LEDs on each string)...pictures would help. Depending on how much power you need for the LED lighting, you'd perhaps get away with using ESCs with builtin BECs..provided the BEC output(s) can supply enough current... more facts & figures here, and one could fathom it out... I imagine someone else not me can chime in on ESC control topology .. =)

  • #3
    Senior Member
    Uncle Fester's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Commonly found in a pantry or the bottom of a fridge, searching for grains, fermented or distilled
    Posts
    6,405
    Thanks
    2,289
    Thanked 4,414 Times in 2,517 Posts
    Rep Power
    2046
    Reputation
    81778

    Default

    Use a dedicated ESC for each motor, especially as you are talking about a 50A ESC.
    2 motors on one ESC will 'confuse' it because it uses the back EMF from the motors as feedback to regulate and control the speed. The motors will run slower and erratic and in worse case things will overheat and could catch fire.
    You can use 2 ESCs on the same RC channel but it would make more sense on separate channels as you can then control one motor in the opposite direction as the other for very tight manoeuvring.

    LEDs MUST be connected with a series resistor, a brass rod will burn them out. Rule of thumb 470Ω for position lights but that depends a lot on the supply voltage and what they are used for. The wattage is vital.
    If they are for bright illumination consider a voltage regulator. Best show here the LEDs you are using and the supply voltage.

    Edit: You did not mention if you are using brushless motors or brushed.
    Two brushed motors parallel on a single ESC should be OK as long as their maximum load rating (locked up motor current) does not exceed the ESC rating. I would stay well below.

    In case you are not sure, brushed motors have 2 wires, brushless have 3.
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 25-07-20 at 12:15 PM.
    Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
    Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
    Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...

  • The Following User Says Thank You to Uncle Fester For This Useful Post:

    VroomVroom (27-07-20)

  • #4
    Premium Member
    wotnot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Scenic Rim, SE Qld
    Posts
    3,236
    Thanks
    1,462
    Thanked 2,934 Times in 1,510 Posts
    Rep Power
    1334
    Reputation
    58690

    Default

    LEDs MUST be connected with a series resistor, a brass rod will burn them out. Rule of thumb 470Ω for position lights but that depends a lot on the supply voltage and what they are used for. The wattage is vital.
    If they are for bright illumination consider a voltage regulator. Best show here the LEDs you are using and the supply voltage.
    Depends on what you use ~ there are '12v' LEDs out there with builtin dropping resistor, so you can connect them anywhere on a common 12volt supply rail. Likewise, if you use programmable LEDs, you have a common voltage rail (5 or 12 volts), and a single controlling wire to be able address/change colour of individual LEDs...all on one string...party lights when you're having a model nightcruise...reverse your red/green nav light sides at whim to confuse the enemy during simulated naval battles =)

  • #5
    Senior Member
    loopyloo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Mid North Coast NSW . Australia
    Age
    67
    Posts
    2,207
    Thanks
    1,431
    Thanked 469 Times in 313 Posts
    Rep Power
    415
    Reputation
    7297

    Default

    LEDs with built-in resistors are excellent.
    They are very reliable and so easy to work with.

  • #6
    Senior Member

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    2,235
    Thanks
    2,822
    Thanked 1,514 Times in 835 Posts
    Rep Power
    795
    Reputation
    27703

    Default

    I don't know how much space you have in the hull , but what about one of these ready to go packages ?

  • Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •