Hi everyone. Apologies in advance if this has already been covered but I did have a look around on the forums and couldn't find anything.
I need a boat. Maybe two. I need to be able to test the APM:Rover code in a boat. I'm in Australia and summer has just started so it seems like a great idea to get my APM boating off the ground. As this is going to be used for testing new code the boat will ideally be cheap, parts easily replaceable and have room in the boat for the electronics - Pixhawk, radios etc. I would like to be able to test single motor as well as twin motor for skid steering code so I'd be interested in recommendations on both. I have no doubt I will crash, flood, sink or have the boat disappear over the horizon never to be seen again so cheap and easily replaceable would be good.
Needless to say the supplier needs to be able to ship to Australia.
cheers
Grant
Replies
I bought a boat. I have no idea if I've chosen well but I wanted something delivered before Christmas. This boat seems big enough to fit the electronics onto - other cheaper boats appeared to me to be too small. It comes complete except for batteries and Tx/Rx. It was also available in Australia at a price I was willing to spend.
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=17503
I figure at the worst if it doesn't work out it will still be fun for my son and I to play with.
I also bought something I shouldn't have:
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=19948
It was cheap and fit within the delivery package weight. I thought perhaps I could stick some free spinning wheels on it and maybe have some weird amphibious craft.
Once they turn up I'll post some photo's and also my plan for fitting electronics onto it.
Thanks
Grant
Hi Tom. I read your Traxxas Villain post in great detail and from that I decided I'd do an upper deck mount as well. I agree that we would need a large boat to get all the electronics away from the motor's magnetic field and once I have had a play with the smaller boat I have ordered I may indeed purchase a much larger one.
Alternatively a boat that had a compartment in the bow as well could offer more space for electronics. I have also thought some shielding might help - aluminium foil or equivalent.
Your Tug boat does look great (I still might get one ;-) and I'd love to see you build a large wooden R/C racing boat.
I'm gunna contact Linus and see if he will post info about his Swamp Dawg!
cheers
Grant
Its a great looking Tug Tom. I can't wait to see it in action.
cheers
Grant
I forgot to mention one of the goals of this is to assist other people like me who want to get into boating and put an APM device on it. I am going to document what I do to get the boat up and running in the hopes it helps others do the same. That's the other reason for cheap and easily repairable/replaceable.
cheers
Grant
Hi David. If its east coast not too far (day's drive) from Canberra I'd love to come for a visit.
cheers
Grant
I'm in Canberra and plan to operate the boats on one of the local lakes.
A submarine - cool. Got any photo's or build notes? I'd be terrified of loosing it underwater. Do you attach it to a line or something for testing purposes?
The problem with the compass of course is all the other localised magnetic fields so you want to get it away from everything else if possible. Its why 3DR externalised the compass from their APM2.5 boards in the 2.6 ones and the compass now lives in the GPS module. in fact we had a problem with our auto takeoff in the Outback Challenge and Tridge isolated it to the compass bearing being off. He has modified the code so it no longer requires the compass during takeoff run.
cheers
Grant
Hi Tom. That Tug Boat looks highly suitable. Nice amount of real estate on the boat to get all the electronics on.
I know nothing about the running gear for boats. Did you just purchase the recommended gear they had on that site and put it together?
I've just skimmed the assembly instructions and its possibly a bit trickier then my skill set or time allows. On the flip side I would learn tons. Hmmmm. Need to think about this one.
I did leaf through the Hobbyking website and they have a few boats but its hard to tell what would be suitable. I was hoping like your tugboat recommendation someone is going to say "get this exact model for these reasons" and I'll go yep - that's the one.
Thanks
Grant