Also the larger props will increase load and multiply this problem. If your cables are sufficient, and I'm going to assume they are as your build looks good dude, its more likely the battery is too small.
Okay, so I am running 12 Gauge on everything. How's that stack? Also, on a related note, thunderstorm forced me back inside, so I will have to wait until tomorrow to test out my mods. hence no data about @NickMyers SLA single pack vs the LiFe cells I also have. either way, it'll be nice to have the PPB people give it a once-over and come up with a list of modifications I should make before the next shindig
annnnnd I just double checked. the vast majority of the wiring is 12 gauge on the boat. battery to board, board to esc. but it looks like I forgot to rewire some of the stuff to my motors. so the wires running from the ESC to the motors are 16 gauge. I'll add that to the list for next week.
Just got back from the Twin Cities. Had a great time meeting everyone over at Port Polar Bear, and now have a list of things I need to do to the boat to get it into a competitive shape. Once Bob and I figured out that strike solenoids are directional and switched all of them around, things were pretty straightforward. Threw a gear right as I got into the water for the first sortie, so I sat it out and loctited all of my setscrews per PPB guidance. After that, I managed to get into the second sortie and started absorbing BBs. I think I got rammed in there too because there's a pretty big hole in the stern that I am reasonably confident was the death knell. 27 above, 4 on, 4 below, plus the big hole. After a while I realized that the list was getting worse, I came in close and sank within arm's reach. Popped the hatch after pulling her out and discovered that my pump leaks like a sieve around the seam. With regard to the speed under power, the LiFe batteries had her straight up cruising with a rooster tail. I'll dial it back in once the new charger comes in and I can get back to the water. The single SLA cell was definitely the cause of the launch day stuff. Aside from that, the spar varnish I used to waterproof some of the decking is NOT working. I let the parts dry out over the weekend, and will fix that with epoxy. the magnets on those two deck parts started popping off as the deck parts warped, so definitely going to epoxy them down in the process. So. the current list of tasks is divided into two sections, near-term and winter refit Near term Waterproof the deck plates Seal the decks to prevent infil magnet the guns seal the pump seam (not the air hole. I know not to do that) *Ballast the boat* (don't have a scale, so just used the goff plans waterline and the guys said it was way light. when I'm able to find/afford one, I'll buy a scale) dial in the speed to 28 seconds Build permanent attached harnesses for the batteries to reduce stupidity/arc issues per PPB guidance Winter Refit Shaft support Struts trim shafts by 1" and reduce prop size to 1.5 in order to bring the props behind the rudder and increase maneuver replace sidemounts with coil mags. particularly the forward gun so I can put the CO2 tank on centerline. May even do that sooner. super annoying. Anywho. got that garbage out of the way. Here's the pics!! Sorry, no action photos of the Texas. I was too busy trying to not be murdered by the pair of Queen Elizabeths and not get shot up by the little cruiser. Took those action shots just before I had to leave. My girlfriend has use of my time when I am in the Saint Paul Area
*if you count more than 4 below, then you're right. just doublechecked the boat after I caught a good look at the photos.
Most pneumatic solenoids i've run across are, though some MIGHT function backwards if the pressures are low enough. Usually there is an arrow marking flow direction, or 'in'/'out' embossed
I run 14, and 16 ga on everything, and have never had a problem. If you have a issue, its usually how you have the boat wired, the type of wire you used, and not the size of the wire you use. A nice looking Texas, great job. Did Bob get a new tent finally?
Hey yeah, I think the issue was just the single cell SLA I had on the launch run, since the electrical system performed perfectly at the battle on saturday. Eventually I am going to swap out the motor wires for something better, likely a spade terminal quick detach thing like @NickMyers has on his Derfflinger's motors. the wire thickness is likely not an active issue, but I will get 12 gauge on there anyways just to standardize the whole boat.
On HobbyKing they sell the Noodle wire with silicone jacket. They have a fairly good price on it, with multiple colors available, very flexable. Whats nice about it, has many strands, 100 +, like a small welding cable, which limits the skin affect of the wire, since more wires have much higher surface area. So for the size, they can carry a higher current load than a wire with a lower count of strands, plus the silicone has a much higher melting point than the normal PVC material they use on standard wire. So the holes can flow much faster, less resistance in a cooler wire, since as a wire temp goes up, less holes flow, and current draw goes up.
Deck plates waterproofed, deck is sealed, pump has been given a thorough exam and deficiencies have been addressed. The Rec Tech in my office gave me over a pound of lead slugs and shot today. he likes to rip apart old shotgun shells and do.... something with the other components. I don't know what. The next few days will be pretty busy with other projects, but I am hoping to get some magnets from ACE and run some tub tests to start ballasting the hull.
yeah, I am going to bag it this weekend, level the boat out, cast it in epoxy, then put a velcro spot on the bottom to jack it to the boat. All of the ballast will hopefully be done like that. it's the super waterproof velcro stuff that can hold ten pounds per square inch or something (when I had those SLA batteries, I could lift the whole boat by one of the batteries when I had them velcroed in)
Oh Yeah!!! the plates of it I put in the hull will NOT come out. EVER. I may actually have to do major refit work if I ever want them gone. which I don't. Also. Just got a line on an Alaska today. so.... next winter's project is lining up rather well.
Update: So, I found out that the nearest source of lead shot is really far away, so I am planning to make the trip next weekend since my truck has decided that I need to spend money on it (U-Joints are going bad) In the meantime, I decided to test out the hull with some ballast I had on hand. these bullets are too expensive to use permanently, but they will help me dial it in. the six slugs offset the tank. they will be staying, but in a more boat friendly configuration. That lead shot underneath the regulator will likely be cast in epoxy into a pleasing shape. It will be the rest upon which the regulator lays in order to keep liquid from escaping the tank. With regard to the actual ballast, I am thinking of pulling the same trick that @Beaver did and make a plate, or possibly do a pair of bilge keels with a small plate near the bow to balance it out. or just the small blocks and velcro idea. but don't put it beyond me to come back this winter and do what Spuds did on this SoDak: https://rcwarshipcombat.com/threads/uss-south-dakota.444488/
Okay, so I took the boat out at 27.2 pounds (0.2 pounds short of the IRCWCC Max). that was not great. the ship had maybe an inch of freeboard at the stern, and when I ran her at what I am guessing is 28 seconds, the bow would slowly dip deeper into the water until she was basically trying to dive like a submarine. this did not happen before. from dead stop, she would go about 25 meters before the forecastle was awash, I did not push further. The boat was on proper trim, so it wasn't that she was nose-heavy. apparently the bow characteristics of my boat are such that it creates a pile of a bow wave when overweight. So. I am going to return the boat to the minimum ballast state (24.95 pounds by IRCWCC shiplist) and see if it improves. But now my batteries are totally dead, so I will have to wait until this friday when the charger and two new cells arrive. there is now way I am running the IRC max. not happening.
