6" Pipe hull

[wgreeley]

In came across this ROV on Gabriel Garcia's web site. It is a great candidate because it is radio contolled with onboard power. A camera (FPV) with pan and tilt could easily be added. It has two motor control for up/down and left/right. Bouancy could be controlled by bladder filled/emptied by a peresistolic pump like Thunder Tiger's Neptune 1. The radio link would have to be hard wired but it would only require 3 low current signals; GND, control, and video. The video could also provide an on screen display for data like depth, temp, battery life, etc..

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I would really like to build it, but I casn't find the 6" plastic pipe and fixtures. Any idea where I could get them?

[PaulC]

I am not sure where he got the 6 inch pipe that he used or where to get it. But what I can say is that if you plan to make it truly RC and also plan to take it deeper than 3 or 4 feet then you are going to find out that you are going to lose your radio signal and lose control of the sub. Radio signals don't like to travel through water very far, but this is just what I have learned over the course of 3 years. If you are truly interested in ROV's then stick with using a tether to the surface its much more reliable.

[wgreeley]

Thanks PaulC
It looks like a tether that sends down the RC signals and sends back the video would be the best solution. It allows the use of the fairly complicated mixing of the thruster control signals at the transmitter. I'm only looking for 50' dives...... initially. Here is one approach that uses 75 ohm coax.

Video and RF Filter shrunk.JPG (12.05 KiB) Viewed 4531 times

Looks like all I need is a source of 6" pipe fittings.

Bill

[PaulC]

I have been thinking about where you could get the 6 inch pipe. Try a commercial plumping supply company.

[Spadinator]

I was at our commercial plumbing supply today buying pipe for my hull and they had 6" pipe and will cut it to length for you. Dirks Plumbing Supply.

[Danny]

check out Lowes or Home depot or another big hardware store. they have most common 6'' pvc fittings, and I would look around for some scrap pipe to hook everything together.

[sthone]

Just keep in mind if you use 6" PCV Pipe like Schedule 40 the fittings alone weight a ton. Even if your Rov is neutral buoyant it's still going to be a lot of mass your thrusters will have to push along.

-Steve