Dual drives & individual throttle option

[JPriami]

Took me some time to sit and think about this since I’ve never done it before on a boat. Nor have I heard of anyone doing it. So i didn’t have anyone else’s ideas to go off of. Just my own
Still working on this dual drives and individual controlling of both. Did some test in the water today but it was in a small pond where I have to keep it in a circle most all the time. But it did prove I can turn sharper. So that leads me to keep on with it. Tonight I have it setup a little different for tomorrows run. I plan on going to a lake where I have more room.

Setup is as follows for anyone else wanting to try it.
Using an 8ch radio with 6 custom program mixes and a one or two of the default ones.
I have also modified the radio by removing the ratcheting from the throttle and spring loaded it so that both sticks are spring loaded to stay in the center position when released. This is also a safety so that if the control stick are released the boat stops.

Each stick being pushed upwards is an individual throttle for a motor. Left-hand stick up/vertical (aircraft throttle) is for the left motor and the right-hand stick up/vertical (aircraft elevator) is for the right motor. Or I can flip one switch (A) and either one of the sticks up/vertical will drive both motors simultaneously.

Next programed switch (B) makes it possible to steer the boat by individually controlling each motor using the right-hand sticks horizontal/left & right (aircraft aileron) control. And you can still give normal forward throttle movements with the left-hand or the right-hand stick up/vertical (aircraft throttle/elevator) control using switch (A). Or give them manually by moving each throttle stick with switch (A) off

Left-hand stick horizontal/left & right (aircraft rudder) is the boat rudder control. Or I can flip a program switch (C) and use either one of the 2 sticks horizontal left & right (aircraft rudder or aileron) motion as the boat rudder control. When both switches (B) & (C) are turned on the motors and rudder work together to steer the boat and turn even tighter.

Again this is all for fun. I have had several people ask me how I was planning on doing it and I told them I’d work on it when I got the boat. I hope this explains some of my ideas to anyone else interested.

[Bug777]

I was thinking of doing the same thing to help with manouvering at low speeds. I was going to us a DX6I controller & have each stick forward & reverse for each motor, then flick a mixing switch so that both throttles are on 1 stick. I have done a similar thing for an outlaw rock crawler & i works well.

[JPriami]

Tested it out today. It works pretty nice setup like this. But it’s really only useable at lower speeds. High speeds the props have little effect making the boat turn by themselves. I figure it’s because of two things. One it’s a catamaran hull and how they work in the water at high speeds. Two is at high speeds there just isn’t enough difference in how much the props are turning to make it turn. You would end up slowing down too much to make it turn any decent tight radius. But it does help with the props and rudder moving together that makes it turn a little too well and if you’re not careful you could have an accident.
I think i am going to stay with this config a while and test it out some more. It is fun because it gives you more control.

[Bug777]

I ran mine yesterday afternoon. It was soooo much easier getting it on & off the trailer with dual control.

[JPriami]

sounds like you have a scale setup going. pretty neat.

[Bug777]

It works well. I will try & get a video of it once the new batts arrive.

[Bug777]

I am going back to the original set up. The DX6I does not like transmitting over water for some reason.

[JPriami]

Yeah I have heard others have also had problems with some their spektrum radios and running on water.