Definitely going with solenoids based on your input. Is there a good wiring/schematic diagram out there? I will take a look through the site, as always any help is appreciated. Much thanks!
Left stick foreward/back=throttle (channel 3). Left/right=rudder (channel 4) Right stick back=stern guns (channel 1). Left/right=sidemounts (channel 2) Landing gear switch=pump on/off (channel 5)(usually). The newer radios you can actually program to associate different controls of the transmitter to different channels. But the defaults above work fine for what you're building
Rated 60? I recall a thread ( Anyone using spartan Scientific 6V soloniod? | R/C Warship Combat ) wherein they had a 200 PSI rating. Are those same Spartans no longer whats available?
Yeah. I think Keith's are a different model. I know American Scientific make many different types of solenoids.
Looking at Spartan's product page. If you got the 3.0mm orifice instead of the 2.4mm orifice it would come with a 60PSI rating.
I see that they sell both the 3mm and 2.4mm orifice solenoids...A disclaimer would probably be in order on the webpage that the 3mm orifice solenoids are rated by the manufacturer to 60psi but tested by Strike to above 150psi.
I went in w/ Spuds to buy ten(!) 6v solenoids from Strike for fastgun. Imagine our surprise when we see "60psi" on the label of something marketed to 150psi users. I will never buy anything from Strike again.
Okay, guys, now that we've hijacked this thread (for a safety-related purpose, but still hijacked), let's let the man build his boat
Thank you all for your info and diligence in the discussions! All info is good, from perspective of a first-timer, it helps me understand why what is being done, is done. Grazzi! I'm finally getting off the spring building construction rush, so I hope to actually start on building soon. Thanks again!
Hello Guys, I understand the concern about the 60 psi rating at 6V for the solenoids valves, so please let me explain why they are both safe and usable. These solenoids are a bit different from the other manufacturers in that they use a common body with removable/replaceable orifice cups and coils. The body is physically rated for use at 250 psi. The lower psi ratings have to do with what the manufacturer rated the coil to be able to physically pull and open the actuator. Here is a picture of different models of the solenoid with the exact same body, but different orifice cups and coils while rated at different pressures: Since the solenoids are physically rated to 250 psi (plus their safety margins), the big question is whether they work properly and fast enough at 6V with the 3mm orifice. This is where the testing came in. Spartan has two different sized coils for these solenoids: 5 Watt and 6W, with the 6W generally only put on the 3mm orifice valves. I tested both 6 volt coils with the 3mm orifice at 160 psi at different voltages using a digital power supply to find out the minimum voltage was where the activation time started to noticeably lag. The 5W coil actually worked fast enough at 6 volts, but there was no voltage margin for later in the sortie as the boat's batteries were used up. The 6W coil was still operating fast enough at a little below 4 volts, which leaves plenty of margin. The data sheets for these solenoid valves specify a response time of 12 to 14 milliseconds for a complete cycle, which could explain the pressure derating for the larger orifice sizes. The coil just needs more time to build up the field to pull on the actuator at higher pressures. A 14 ms cycle time for us would be over 70 shots a second, which is faster than most of our radios can operate (let alone our fingers). Like so many things in our hobby, we really do not use equipment in the fashion it was intended. If we determine that the equipment is safe, works well, and survives; I don't see much of a problem in using it. If I missed something in my testing, I am happy to discuss it. Thank you, Stephen Morgret Strike Models
Thank you for the info! These look pretty cool. I will likely be ordering 5 of them (I presume 1 is needed for each gun, including triple sterns and 2 bowmounts) once I receive permission from my Budgetary Co-Facilitator (i.e. significant other), but the price looks very attractive.
