Very impressive detail 
Jim
Jim
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Happy Hunter Salvage Tug Boat 1:50 (Robbe)
- Thread starter Stevolution2024
- Start date
- Watchers 6
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2024
- Messages
- 29
- Points
- 48
Hi all
So, not had much time on this lately. I thought I would get all the electronics working first.
The bridge PCB was next. Running on a tiny ATtiny1606 processor (about £0.80p each!). I mounted some tiny OLED screens ($1 each from China) under the 3d printed interior panels.
The entire superstructure needs sanding, filling etc. So this interior rig lifts out as one piece.
It's had a basic layer of paint thrown over it. Airbrush next to get it looking decent. There are more details to add like swivel chairs, staff, maps and charts, a chart table, interior lighting on the ceiling etc.
But, this was to get the base electronics working.
The PCB multiplexes up to 4 screens (I only used 3). It also randomly flashes small LEDs that are piped to the panels with some scrap fine Fibre-optic cable I found lying by a internet fibre cabinet down the street.
There is also an output for a rotating beacon which activates when the crane is live. I managed to make a tiny beacon to the correct scale.
Lots more tidying up to do. Paint the superstructure, fit the windows (after cleaning up the holes).
Also got some tidy bezels to go over the ends of the fibre cables so that the LEDS are a bit smaller. This whole this is tiny!
Video here:
So, not had much time on this lately. I thought I would get all the electronics working first.
The bridge PCB was next. Running on a tiny ATtiny1606 processor (about £0.80p each!). I mounted some tiny OLED screens ($1 each from China) under the 3d printed interior panels.
The entire superstructure needs sanding, filling etc. So this interior rig lifts out as one piece.
It's had a basic layer of paint thrown over it. Airbrush next to get it looking decent. There are more details to add like swivel chairs, staff, maps and charts, a chart table, interior lighting on the ceiling etc.
But, this was to get the base electronics working.
The PCB multiplexes up to 4 screens (I only used 3). It also randomly flashes small LEDs that are piped to the panels with some scrap fine Fibre-optic cable I found lying by a internet fibre cabinet down the street.
There is also an output for a rotating beacon which activates when the crane is live. I managed to make a tiny beacon to the correct scale.
Lots more tidying up to do. Paint the superstructure, fit the windows (after cleaning up the holes).
Also got some tidy bezels to go over the ends of the fibre cables so that the LEDS are a bit smaller. This whole this is tiny!
Video here:
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2024
- Messages
- 29
- Points
- 48
Well hello people. I ENTIRELY forgot about this thread. Sorry.
Thought I should update progress. This will be a long thread!
Can't remember where I got to, so this is an over-view.
The ship is not far off complete. The instructions as I mentioned before were pretty awful, so it ended up having a lot of my own design in it.
As a recap, the kit was cheap on Ebay because a LOT of the parts were warped due to heat. I 3d printed a considerable amount of parts in white PETG.
There are A LOT of electronics in this ship. All protected against water ingress. I submerged the PCB in the bath and the system shut down as it needed to. No damage.
There are water sensors at the bottom of the hull that operate a nice bilge pump.
The controller is touchscreen and I almost have that as I want it. Many features have been added.
Most pages show the TX and RX battery levels, the compass heading (there is a digital compass module onboard) and the ships speed using a Pitot tube sensor
EVERYTHING has sound effects on a 12 channel SFX system.
Transmitter is a nice waterproof enclosure with a large touchscreen. Runs some custom software I wrote that communicates with the ship over WiFi. I get about 1/4 mile range which seems fine.
Transmitter:
PAGE 1: (Bridge control):
PAGE 2: (Towing control):
PAGE 3: (Crane control)
PAGE 4: (Aux settings)
PAGE 5: (Ship systems)
PAGE 6: (Navigation lights)
PAGE 7: (Navigation plotter)
Thought I should update progress. This will be a long thread!
Can't remember where I got to, so this is an over-view.
The ship is not far off complete. The instructions as I mentioned before were pretty awful, so it ended up having a lot of my own design in it.
As a recap, the kit was cheap on Ebay because a LOT of the parts were warped due to heat. I 3d printed a considerable amount of parts in white PETG.
There are A LOT of electronics in this ship. All protected against water ingress. I submerged the PCB in the bath and the system shut down as it needed to. No damage.
There are water sensors at the bottom of the hull that operate a nice bilge pump.
The controller is touchscreen and I almost have that as I want it. Many features have been added.
Most pages show the TX and RX battery levels, the compass heading (there is a digital compass module onboard) and the ships speed using a Pitot tube sensor
EVERYTHING has sound effects on a 12 channel SFX system.
Transmitter is a nice waterproof enclosure with a large touchscreen. Runs some custom software I wrote that communicates with the ship over WiFi. I get about 1/4 mile range which seems fine.
Transmitter:
PAGE 1: (Bridge control):
- Port and Starboard engine control
- Bowthruster control
- Rudder with rudder lock facility
- Various buttons for fire alarm, ambient SFX, PA announcements, fog horn etc
PAGE 2: (Towing control):
- Port and Starboard winch controls
- Port and Starboard winch speed control
- Aft Capstans power
PAGE 3: (Crane control)
- Crane power (turns on the rotating beacon local to the crane)
- Crane winch power
- Crane winch speed
- Boom rotate (with automatic, magnetic limit switches to prevent the boom hitting the superstructure)
- Winch in/out
- Boom up/down
PAGE 4: (Aux settings)
- Bilge pump auto/manual
- Radar power (2x Radars rotate)
s up/down with automatic stop sensors- speed
- Sound system - full control using a keypad if required (adjust volumes, trigger sounds directly etc)
- Navigation lights (this opens a Navigation lighting page)
- Deck lighting. All the goose neck lights and deck floodlighting)
- Search lights. The 2x Searchlight on the superstructure
- Interior lighting. Ceiling lighting in the main superstructure and the bridge
- Below decks lighting. All the lighting in the engine, pump and radio room
PAGE 5: (Ship systems)
- Live reporting of all the ships sensors
- Information about the ship (sound file numbers etc)
PAGE 6: (Navigation lights)
- Control of all the main, aft and foredeck navigation lighting. This page has presets to set all types of towing/standard ships navigation lighting.
PAGE 7: (Navigation plotter)
- Show a top view of the ship in real time showing a plot of its track using the onboard compass and its speed. Ability to reset the track, zoom in/out etc
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2024
- Messages
- 29
- Points
- 48
OK. The insanely complicated ship! I will try and keep this simple.
The biggest challenge was redesigning the ship so that all of the deck components could be removed (as opposed to the kit version where most of it was glued in place).
Everything now is removable. All these images do not have the decks screwed down yet as I am still tinkering.
Custom PCBs inside. I think I have covered those already.
A LOT of 3d printed parts. A LOT of electronics. The entire bridge works. There are working radar screens, lights etc.
I 3d printed some scale figures for various places.
Not much left now.
Going to add the crane cable for the winch next. Also needs tyres/fenders hanging around the rails.
Various details yet to add on the decks.
Final job will be to ballast it correctly. It currently sits about 25mm above it's water line. I have made some custom shaped lead pieces to go in the bow and stern.
I will float it again when everything is finished and fine tune the waterline trim.
Runs on 2x standard 5mAh Dewalt tool batteries, so it runs for ages.
Oh and I forgot to mention my home-made 'Vape' based smoke generators work amazingly well. The funnels have flexible pipes with magnetic connectors underneath them and they attach to the ship smoke system magnetically. The smoke is linked to the RPM and works very well.
All the handrails were supposed to be painted white or black. But I liked them brass. They will tarnish anyway, but for now they can stay brass.
The biggest challenge was redesigning the ship so that all of the deck components could be removed (as opposed to the kit version where most of it was glued in place).
Everything now is removable. All these images do not have the decks screwed down yet as I am still tinkering.
Custom PCBs inside. I think I have covered those already.
A LOT of 3d printed parts. A LOT of electronics. The entire bridge works. There are working radar screens, lights etc.
I 3d printed some scale figures for various places.
Not much left now.
Going to add the crane cable for the winch next. Also needs tyres/fenders hanging around the rails.
Various details yet to add on the decks.
Final job will be to ballast it correctly. It currently sits about 25mm above it's water line. I have made some custom shaped lead pieces to go in the bow and stern.
I will float it again when everything is finished and fine tune the waterline trim.
Runs on 2x standard 5mAh Dewalt tool batteries, so it runs for ages.
Oh and I forgot to mention my home-made 'Vape' based smoke generators work amazingly well. The funnels have flexible pipes with magnetic connectors underneath them and they attach to the ship smoke system magnetically. The smoke is linked to the RPM and works very well.
All the handrails were supposed to be painted white or black. But I liked them brass. They will tarnish anyway, but for now they can stay brass.
WOW Steve, that transmitter looks like something straight out of a James Bond movie!
That’s a seriously impressive custom build—not something you can just buy off the shelf.
Congratulations on your electrical know-how, that’s really something!
That’s a seriously impressive custom build—not something you can just buy off the shelf.
Congratulations on your electrical know-how, that’s really something!
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2024
- Messages
- 29
- Points
- 48
Thanks. Been a bit of a labour of love. I will do a proper video when I get time and it is complete.
Few things to attended to - the name graphics are a bit rubbish (came with the kit). Just sorting those out.
Little details like the screws on the floodlights need painting etc.
I decided to only run one anchor up and down (the second one is temp fixed). The drive can operate both, but it's a real pain to get them to stay in sync.
At a later date, I will separate them and run them with individual winches (one combined winch at the moment).
Masts were just plastic poles in the kit. I made new ones out of brass so that I could run the lighting cables inside.
Few build pics here and a short vid
View attachment 20260405_133855.mp4
View attachment Smoke test.mp4
View attachment Bridge.mp4
Few things to attended to - the name graphics are a bit rubbish (came with the kit). Just sorting those out.
Little details like the screws on the floodlights need painting etc.
I decided to only run one anchor up and down (the second one is temp fixed). The drive can operate both, but it's a real pain to get them to stay in sync.
At a later date, I will separate them and run them with individual winches (one combined winch at the moment).
Masts were just plastic poles in the kit. I made new ones out of brass so that I could run the lighting cables inside.
Few build pics here and a short vid
View attachment 20260405_133855.mp4
View attachment Smoke test.mp4
View attachment Bridge.mp4