My Blog
Welcome to the Blog section of my website, I'm not sure how active I will be in this section but you may post your comments or questions here and I will answer them as soon as I can. Just click the "Post your comment" button at the bottom of the page.
After a few months of planning and coding I finally got this site up and running.
I just finished building my first ROV based on the book "Build Your Own Underwater Robot and Other Wet Projects" and hope to build other ROV's each more advance than the previous one. I will then add those ROV's to this site with images, videos and details on the building process. My goal is to have the second ROV finished by July 2009.
Great work
Len,
Nice work, the Rov looks awesome and the site looks great too, lots of info. Keep up the good work, I put a link to your site on mine.
Again very nice keep up the good work,
-Steve
Thanks Steve
The Seafox ROV was fun to build and I am looking forward to improving on it with my own designs.
hello sir
i am a mechanical final year student and for our project i and my friends have decided to make a rov but since we have very little knowledge about it, we would be very pleased to have some valuable information about its making and working.
we would be highly obliged.
thanking you
Thanks for your comment.
What materials will you be using? Have you decided on the propulsion? You will also have to consider the control box, power source and tether. I recommend you have a look through the book "Build Your Own Underwater Robot" by Harry Bohm.
Hi, my name is Charles and i have recently taken a lot of interest in building a ROV. I have most of my equipments (a frame, switches, motors..), but I am still confused on the topic of wiring. I guess i will solder on the wiring for the switches, but what kind of wires should i use for long distance energy transfer? I looked through the internet and found people using phone wires, cat5 cables, how do you know what kind of wires and cables to use for a variety of long distance connections?
I need some long distance wiring for my connections between the bilge pump motors (converted into thruster w/ prop) and the switch, along with a common ground wire, one wire for lighting, another one for my camera, and one final one for overall power (from the battery). Do you have any suggestions?
P.S. how exactly did you attach the switches into your control box? Did you cut pieces off the top of it and then fit the switches in?
Thank you,
Charles
Hello Charles
I used 100 feet of Cat5e cable to supply the positive current to eight 12 volt devices, maximum 12 amps at any one time. The 6 bilge pumps where rated at 12 volts/4 amps each so I could activate any 2 pumps plus the light. The CCTV camera was rated at only 12 volts/0.3 amp and I left it on all the time.
I then used 100 feet of 18 gauge speaker wire (both conductors) for the shared negative of all eight 12 volt devices. I needed two 12 volt car batteries hooked up in series to provide enough currant for the bilge pumps over the 100 foot tether. Voltage drop is a problem over 100 foot tethers so two batteries will be required.
I used a Jobmate 36 piece rotary look kit (pictured below) to cut holes into the plastic control box for the switches. It's similar to the Dremel rotary tools.
Leonard Whistler
Inspired
Wow, I'm so inspired by this website. I've always wanted to build an underwater camera sub. It's a bit shocking to see how much the total costs can escalate.
Hello Chris
Yes the costs sure do add up. I have spent about $1,800 on my first ROV, but that includes all tools, supplies and materials. Most of the items can be used for a 2nd ROV or other projects.
Leonard Whistler
Sure. I'm surprised I have a majority of the tools. If you're interested, I would have a plastic supply company build you an outer shell for the ROV to give it a futuristic vehicle look.
RE: "I would have a plastic supply company build you an outer shell for the ROV to give it a futuristic vehicle look."
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Thanks for the offer Christopher. That is one of the improvements I would like to make for my next ROV, but I plan on building a plastic or fiberglass body myself. I used to work for a yacht company fiberglassing the hulls. I then tried to manufacture my own 8 foot fiberglass hydro plane from a fiberglass mould I made but didn't finish the project. Below is a picture of the only 8 foot hydro plane I made from the mould, I then sold the mould and unfinished boat.
I haven't decided which material to use but I am leaning toward fiberglass.
Leonard Whistler
Fiberglass? How interesting. I want to make an outer shell that's just partially covering the ROV. I don't intend making it like a true submarine where the inner compartment is kept free of water.
Thanks for attaching a PDF list of all the inventory.
RE: "Fiberglass? How interesting. I want to make an outer shell that's just partially covering the ROV. I don't intend making it like a true submarine where the inner compartment is kept free of water."
RE: "Thanks for attaching a PDF list of all the inventory."
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Fiberglass is very easy to work with and good for one-off type of projects, and it's not very expensive. If you take your time on a good mould then the finished product can have an almost glass like appearance in all sorts of colors. I haven't decided on type of construction yet, whether it's going to be an watertight compartment or outer shell.
I though the PDF file would be useful to give people an idea of all the materials that may be needed, along with suppliers and approximate cost. Then have all the info in an easy to read list.
Leonard Whistler
Hey,
My name is Bobby and I'm a NJ diver/police officer in the Monmouth County area. I've gotten started in making an ROV after realizing that the ROV will cut out my air usage trying to pin point a wreck from off the boat. I have a fish finder for a majority of the work but I'd like to know exactly where to tie off my anchor line. Anyway, I began constructing the ROV more or less on your design minus a few things. My question to you is what is the depth in which the Bilge pumps can manage? I'm only looking to drop in a depth no more than 100 ft. Thanks in advance with your help. I hope to send you video in the future of the finished project.
In response to post #15
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I do not know the depth rating of the bilge pumps, I have only gone down to 20 feet with my Seafox ROV. I assume that they are not rated very deep because they probably are designed for very shallow water and the only way to find out is to send your ROV down 100 feet to see how they do at that depth.
When you do finish your project I would definitely like to see a video, I recommend posting it to YouTube.
Leonard Whistler
The IR camera
I have a concern or rather I had the trouble that when the IR lights of the camera came on that they back washed everything out (The IR light reflected back off the housing). My only fix was to mount the camera super close to the glass with a rubber tub seperating the camera section from the IR section.
My camera system was very close to yours in design. Course after awhile mine sprung a leak and I am going back to the drawing board. Or may just buy the camera part as I see it complete for as little as a 100 bucks. I like what you are doing and will check on this in time.
In response to post #17
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Hello David
I had the exact same problem with the IR lights during testing, in low light conditions the IR light reflected off the plexiglass back into the camera. I wish I had a screen shot to show the affect, but everything is apart now. During actual dives I was lucky enough that there was enough light underwater, so the IR wasn't needed.
handsfree viewing - battery - parts - so
My underwater camera system which I built was/is intended to be used while kayaking to search for lost items or just underwater viewing. I am a freediver/scuba retrieval guy and things are never where people said they dropped it.
A unique solution to keeping my whole system light and manueverable is video visors. I have a pair of MYVU Crystal glasses. Look above or below the glasses to see the real world. You always have the video display dead ceter. Hands are free and you are free to move about.
www.myvu.com
These are better then the other glasses by Vusix. Not so much in the display quality but the ruggedness of the glasses.
Using video glasses also keeps my power consumption to a minimum. They have their own battery which lasts about 4 hours. I can run the camera system off my cordless drill battery. If I choose, I can run a power line to the glasses but never had them go out on me so far.
For fine adjustment of cameras and lights I've been playing with car side mirrors. They are 12 volt driven. Only a few bucks from the junk yard or found free off the side of the road (accidents).
Finally I have a solar panel for keeping a car batteries charged that I have as an optional to help keep the power flowing. Not attached yet. Runs about 40 bucks.
In response to post #19
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Thanks Dave for all the info, I would like to see images or a video sometime.
The side mirror motor is a good idea, they move at just the right speed with lots of torque. My next ROV I hope to control and record images with one of those cheap $300.00 laptop computers.
CCTV Infrared Light Problem
Thanks to David from post #17 for mentioning this problem, which I also had.
Below is a screen shot of the CCTV Infrared Lights hitting the plexiglass lens and bouncing the light back into the camera. I never fixed the problem because I had enough external light underwater.
Flare back, cameras, and my picts
Flare back happens when the IR LEDS light up and shines onto the protective glass and back into the camera. The only solution I had was to make a tube that fits over the lens isolating the glass. It will narrow the cameras vision slightly.
Almost every IR camera has this 'donut glass' configuration. I had mine separated but it took a lot of tinkering which is all mute now do to a leak that fried the camera.
I am now preping a new camera. Instead of making a new housing I am trying a camera that is IP68 rated and beefing up the seams with epoxy. This makes the camera cost 50 bucks plus epoxy. I should be able to test it this week. Much less effort having the camera water ready.
I have no picts to show the bottom because my system is designed to be used kayaking and not recording. I will take my laptop down to a dock sometime soon and record some for you. That is if I don't fry the camera again.
Hard part will be when I get into the motorized parts. Ugh! You're a more patient man then me.
Brushless DC, Outrunner Motors
Hi,
I like this website, and am very interested in building my own ROV for use in a pool.
I have a question though, will Brushless DC motors work effectively in a fairly low level of chlorination, or will they short/degrade?
Thanks!
An update
Hi Leonard,
I have some stills from my underwater video system. I'll send you a few. Not sure how to post them.
An update on my system. As you know I have said I use video visors. I bought a video splitter and ran a feed to my computer. I use a cheap USB video survaillance device to get it onto my harddrive. This worked surprizingly well.
I was working with some sump pumps on a neighbors house and realized that her pump failed because of a leak into the motor compartment. This compartment is supposed to be filled with a dielectric oil. Do you have any thoughts on making/knowledge of "filled" motor compartments? It might be something worth exploring.
My next project will be to make a "grabbing" arm. Most likely a simple claw of sorts like in those claw machines.
Best,
David
Re: An update
In response to post #24
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Hello David
You can email me any pictures of your ROV and I will post them for you. I coded this blog from scratch and it's not very user friendly when it comes to posting pictures.
Leonard Whistler
Hi folks
I just wonder, have anyone tried to fill the housing of a bilge pump with oil to improved the depth rate?
If it works, it would help alot of people to get low-cost thrusters to teir projects.
I have ordered two 1100 gph bilge pumps, but I abit afread to drill them up and filling them with oil if it will ruin them.
My thought is:
To drill a small hole in the housing, filling it up with hydrolic oil, then apply a small hose into the hole and seal up around the hose. The hose will also be filled with oil so that the hose and the housing becomes as one part. This way the inner preasure and waterpreasure equals up, walla, no preasure to the shaftseals. .... in theory... so, have someone done it before?
Re: Oil Filled Bilge Pump
In response to post #26
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Hello Singer ....... I have never filled one of the bilge pumps with oil so I do not know if it would work or not. It would be an interesting test though to compare the performance of one bilge pump filled with oil and a unmodified pump.
Leonard Whistler
I know that brushless motors kan be filled up with oil...
My concern is that the bilge pumps have brushed motors... will the oil apply a thin layer of oil between the brush and the rotor and cause non or poor contact? ...hmm... I think I have to do more research before I strat to drill holes in the new ones(have ordered two from EBAY) Mabe I just buy a small one for testing... plz don't hesitad to bring along thoughts...it would help alot of ROV-builders around.. :)
yours
Tom-Vidar - NORWAY
filling pump / bilge pumps
When I talked to a technical guy at the pump manufacturing place. He said that they do not fill the compartment completely due to expansion when the pump gets heated up. Not sure just how true that is or rather if the level he told me was adequate to maintain heat dispersion for the motor. Just food for thought on filling your bilge with an dielectric oil.
That said you might want to investigate using sump pumps which are already designed with oil inside. I know they make 12 volt emergency outage sump pumps. I'd then fabricate a bladder of sorts to handle any pressure fluctuations due to heat.
Hello
I own a CNC milling machine. It has a work envelope of about 14"x30"x20". It has a twenty pot tool changer on it. I would like to correspond with hobby ROV people about there ideas for machined parts. I know reliable thrusters are a problem. I would be willing to machine parts for a proof of concept model for the cost of the materials. I have about 50lbs of 2"x6"x6" alluminium plate I bought from a scrapyard for a dollar a pound so material cost would not be much.My payback is that maybe with a group effort we could produce a thruster that could be manufactured cheap and still turn a small profit for the people involved. This could also be true for machined domes and props. As I see it the only reason Seabotixs thrusters are so expensive is because its a nitch market and they know it. My skill set is machining but I am totally ignorant when it comes to electronics. You see were I am going with this right. contact me if you would like to work together. I will also machine up small parts for hobbiest for next to nothing just to help out.