Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 12.07.2005
Beiträge: 568
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 20.11.2005 - 20:54

Hi Pierre!

Spin turret means that it can rotate over 360 degrees. For this you'll need these copper rings, each ring means one electrical connection (gun elevation, turret turning and GND etc).

Greetings
Sascha

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 06.11.2005
Beiträge: 38
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 21.11.2005 - 14:58

The guide system is as good as ready:




SFC

[Dieser Beitrag wurde am 24.11.2005 - 22:08 von SFC aktualisiert]

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 06.11.2005
Beiträge: 38
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 21.11.2005 - 20:34

I got around to testing the setup and it works like a charm. But before I can put it all back together, I have to finish up the cam inside the turret and the waterproofing of the hull. I also still have to build a charging port and was thinking of putting it together with the 3-way switch (on-off-on(charge)) and a led, which will light up when charging.


SFC

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 06.11.2005
Beiträge: 38
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 24.11.2005 - 22:11

I've made a charge port with charge-led and a switch under the crate on top:





..needless to say the cap makes a watertight seal with the hull..

SFC

[Dieser Beitrag wurde am 30.11.2005 - 11:02 von SFC aktualisiert]

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 06.11.2005
Beiträge: 38
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 30.11.2005 - 11:14

I did some work on the floodlights:


And also on a spotlight for the turret-cam:



more pictures will follow..

SFC

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 06.11.2005
Beiträge: 38
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 30.11.2005 - 12:43

OK, here's a bunch..

The backside of the spotlight, it's painted silver to maximise reflections and making a light tight cover:


The cam and mounting, the connector was made from copper staples:


And I started on strengthening the swing-arms:

( ^ angled aluminium profile cut to size and roughened up for epoxy resin bonding)


( ^ bonded, clamped down and left to harden over-night)


( ^ first rough finishing, cutting into shape, filing, etc.)

Still need to drill some holes, but I need a drill-stand first..

SFC

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 18.10.2005
Beiträge: 503
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 01.12.2005 - 10:51

Hallo SFC,

that's a fantastic thing to put a camera inside - I had also thought over that ...




Please write about the components you use (I am not an electric) and where you get them from and if possible - a guidance about: How can a complete electric idiot install the camera ...



Greetings,


Stern

Only from my dead cold hands.

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 06.11.2005
Beiträge: 38
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 01.12.2005 - 13:55

Thanks Stern, but I must say, I'm not much of an electrician myself. OK, I can solder a bit and know a thing or two about how electrical circuits work, but other than that..

The cam is easy, it's a Plantraco PTV16 wireless color cam I bought a few years ago. I estimated it would fit on either side of the cannon shield, so I've cut out one side of the part which is attached to the firing assembly.
As you can see on Plantraco's website, the cam has copper wrapped around it. Well, I accidently damaged this while trying the fit inside the turret a few times, so I decided to remove the damaged bit. Beneath the copper strip I found the camera print to be attached to the wireless transmitter via two small connectors, which I carefully seperated. Now I had to devise a way to connect these again, but with more room in between, so I soldered some wire to copper staples, inserted them into the connector and hot-glued the staples in their correct position. All you have to do is make sure the right pin on the transmitter is connected to the correct staple. The transmitter is glued inside the turret, along with a clamp to hold the 9V battery needed to power the cam. At first I wanted to use the switch from the cam itself, but decided to leave it in the ON-position and wire one of the battery wires to the switch in the turret (I see no reason for disabling the gun).
And for wiring a circuit, well I always draw it out first, prepare all wire-ends, soldering iron pre-heated, sand and clean all connections, and only when I'm sure I've got it right I start the fiddly part. Just to prevent I have to do it again..
Also take in mind when drawing a DC circuit, that current flows from negative to positive (positive ground) in a DC circuit. This is important when hooking up a switch, always hook up the ground cable (usually black) first. Why? Well when the switch is in the OFF position, the current from the battery will encounter the switch first, instead of travelling through your electric components and then the switch.

Hope this helps, but feel free to ask..

SFC

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 18.10.2005
Beiträge: 503
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 01.12.2005 - 14:22

Thanks a lot !!!

I will ask if problems come (mostly they do ) ...





Greetings,

Stern

Only from my dead cold hands.

Status: Offline
Registriert seit: 06.11.2005
Beiträge: 38
Nachricht senden

Erstellt am 22.12.2005 - 22:30

..I finally got my hands on a 1/12 M1A1, and I must say, it does have poterntial (though it needs LOTS of work). I'm pretty happy with the kit, the size is impressive.
I also stumbeled upon two 2.4 GHz wireless cameras for only 25 Euros each. I see an(other) interesting project developing...

SFC