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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Water Models / February 2005Broken boat :( it's the electrics...
Hi, anyone give me some trouble shooting advice for a nice boat: http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/product1094/product_info.html?name=Harbour%20Tug% 20Boat&&prod=1094 that is around a week out of warranty and has packed in :( The symptoms are: 1. No forward power at all - the motor doesn't even attempt to turn 2. The rudder judders instead of turning smoothly 3. Reverse power works, but the motor judders a lot It is as if there is no power in the battery (except for the complete lack of forward motion) but I've tried a different battery pack and it's just the same. The controller seems ok, I can hear it send it's signals when tuning a shortwave radio to the same frequency. Any ideas where to start looking or what the most likely culprit is? Thanks, Nick first of all try the manufacturers some times they will fix things outside of warranty I take it the receiver is all in one piece if so is any water inside give it a good dry out and try again and a final option might be to buy a cheap two channel radio and a speed control > Hi, anyone give me some trouble shooting advice for a nice boat: > http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/product1094/product_info.html?name=Harbour%20Tug% 20Boat&&prod=1094 [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Nick > first of all try the manufacturers some times they will fix things outside > of warranty > I take it the receiver is all in one piece if so is any water inside give it > a good dry out and try again > and a final option might be to buy a cheap two channel radio and a speed > control I have taken it apart tonight. There was water on the receiver circuit, but it is waxed so I'm not sure how much difference it makes. Re the manufacturer, it's made in China :( All is not lost though, an electronics lecturer at the college I work at has agreed to take a look and check the siganls are correct on a scope. So I'll report back *if* he fixes it... tnx, Nick >>Hi, anyone give me some trouble shooting advice for a nice boat: >>http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/product1094/product_info.html?name=Harbour%20Tug% 20Boat&&prod=1094 [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >> >>Nick >> first of all try the manufacturers some times they will fix things >> outside of warranty [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] >>> >>> Nick For info, it was a power transistor failure, a 6amp PNP type had cracked. Thanks for the suggestions.  SignatureNick > For info, it was a power transistor failure, a 6amp PNP type had cracked. > Thanks for the suggestions. The old joke is that transistors are placed in the circuit to protect the fuses. Did it crack from mechanical causes or overheating, can you tell? -Wm >>For info, it was a power transistor failure, a 6amp PNP type had cracked. >>Thanks for the suggestions. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Did it crack from mechanical causes or overheating, can you tell? > -Wm Overheating by the look of them. 2 have gone. 2 provided switching for forward power and 2 for reverse. There was water on the circuit board, also the soldering was less than good (cheap Chinese import) so I don't know if they played a factor. Anyway, the had cracks, heat spots and a little tiny burst mark on each one. Uprated ones are on order and will be going in and I'll probably heatsink them too just in case... SignatureNick > Overheating by the look of them. 2 have gone. 2 provided switching for > forward power and 2 for reverse. There was water on the circuit board, > also the soldering was less than good (cheap Chinese import) so I don't > know if they played a factor. Anyway, the had cracks, heat spots and a > little tiny burst mark on each one. Uprated ones are on order and will be > going in and I'll probably heatsink them too just in case... Water is never a good thing. If these were FETs of some kind, they need virtually no current to turn them on and water would be a great path. Even if the resistors aren't FETs, the circuits are chock full of equally sensitive CMOS which would do the same thing. They probably created low-resistance shorts and really did act like expensive fuses. Might not be a bad idea to put a small fuse in the power line - something slow-blo with a rating between the maximum rated load and the absolute max rating of the transistors. Heat sinks are a good idea, but if the cases popped, they probably went way beyond their ratings very quickly and a heat sink wouldn't have helped. -Wm If you sure the circuit was not permanently damaged. Try cleaning the circuit with distilled water. Immerse the circuit into distilled water for overnight is no problem. This dissolve the electrolyte. Then take it out. Flush with distilled water. Dry the circuit with hair dryer. I used to repaire VHF circuit by similar method. Only difference was I use just tape water. Good luck! > first of all try the manufacturers some times they will fix things outside > of warranty [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >>2. The rudder judders instead of turning smoothly >>3. Reverse power works, but the motor judders a lot Suspect it's a problem with the speed control if the battery pack is properly charged. If it's a newish speed control, send it to the manufacturer to be checked/repaired. It is possible that the motor has an internal problem such as a broken brush or armature dragging on magnets, etc that kills battery voltage and gives symptoms you describe. > Hi, anyone give me some trouble shooting advice for a nice boat: http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/product1094/product_info.html?name=Harbour%20Tug% 20Boat&&prod=1094 > that is around a week out of warranty and has packed in :( > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > It is as if there is no power in the battery (except for the complete lack of forward motion) but I've tried a different battery pack and it's just the same. > The controller seems ok, I can hear it send it's signals when tuning a shortwave radio to the same frequency. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Nick |
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