Working RADAR is an easy effect to add to your ship. Rotating RADAR
adds to the realism. You don't need a masters degree to engineer a system to rotate
your RADAR.
The first step is, RADAR rotates in a CLOCKWISE
direction. No matter if it's a high speed, or low speed, it still rotates CLOCKWISE!
The easiest way to set up a working RADAR is
to use an old servo. To do this, open the servo case and remove the Pot stop or pin
so it's motor can rotate the drive gear a full 360 degree turns. I recommend to
remove the motor leads from the circuit board, then solder new lead wires to the motor
terminals. This will bypass the servo electronics, allowing you to only power the
motor.
I have found that 1.5v gives me great results
when powering the servo motor. Depending on the type of RADAR you plan to model,
know what the rotation speed is because they all have different rotation rates. For
example, the AN/SPS-49 RADAR has a rotation rate of 6 or 12 RPM, while the AN/SPS-64
has a rotation speed up to 33 RPM.
AN/SPS-49 RADAR
RADARs are mounted in numerous locations on
ships. Depending on the type of ship, you may run into problems setting up the drive
for your RADAR. |
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Most warships have it mounted on a mast while fishing trawlers have it
mounted on the pilot house roof. Plan your strategy accordingly.
The flex shaft I use is from a small wire
cable used for push rods in R/C aircraft. This flex shaft allows the scanner to move
if it is bumped, without it braking.
The figure below is an example of an easy
RADAR hook up.
Another way is to run the cable inside of a
mast. This requires you to make a hollow mast. I make these masts out of brass
tubing allowing me to keep the weight low.
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