How Not to Sink a Sub
Thursday April 20, 2006
The first thing I noticed when I laid eyes on the Motorworks RC Submarines were the amazing detail in these toy-grade subs. I've wanted a sub for quite some time but wasn't quite ready to fork over sixty bucks for a micro submarine. Plus, I wanted something with more than one frequency so that I could play against someone else in the water. Found at my local Wal-Mart for about $20.00, the price of the Motorworks subs was perfect. I got both the U.S.S. Connecticut and the U.S.S. SeaWolf. Right out of the box, after hastily cramming in the batteries and running out to the pool, the sub operated about as well as a remote control pencil. Maybe that explained the low price? After about half an hour of cursing and trying to make the subs sink, a little light bulb went off -- I decided to read the manual. Weights must be installed before attempting to operate the submarine. Brilliant! After putting in the weights and going through some trial and error to find the right balance, both of the Motorworks SeaWolf Class Submarines performed amazing underwater maneuvers and acrobatics.
Photo © M. James
Comments
My friend cleans pools for a living, maybe he would have fun with one of these.He could use some fun around the pool for a change.
I just got one, its cool, i also took out the back stabs so it would fly right, didnt like how it would go up when moving foward. The front fins are alos tilted a bit, so it still tries to surface a bit, but a bit of bending should fix. Btw my controler isnt compleatly water proof, if i get it wet the dive and surface buttons stay on. the leads make contct with the water i guess.
Marquis, Dude: I’m picking up a Motorworks Sub tommorrow at Wal-Mart. Could you please tell me the best way to remove the back stabs that cause the boat to rise? Would a pair of needle nose pliers work? That, and did bending the the front fins work out? I’d hate like hell to break it before it made it to the pool. And finally, did you get a shocked by the leaky controller when you got it wet?–Later, Cap’n Crunch
It’s great as long as you don’t dive them past6 feet. I put mine on the bottom of an 8 foot deep pool and it stopped working. after disassembling it, I found water had inundated the motors and electronics
Did some modifications to this sub.
added 1600MAH NMHI rechargable batteries. My transmitter wire was made straight and placed inside a RC plastic control inner Nyrod tube. Also placed very small nylon tube over wire ant lead to get it to stand up like real one.
Working Range checked at over 80 feet and I ran out of yard.
Hit the dive button and it rapidly Sank to the bottom of my fish pond A real crash dive. Could hear it run but it could not surface.
required added foam floatation to offset the heavier AA NMHI battery back
removed two screws on prop shroud and installed botom of white coffee cup at motor bulkhead . Installed foam cup slivers in all fins. Too much. Removed slivers in all but two fins inserted weights supplied.
Crash Dives on down control like a lead rock needs slight increase in forward floation. It will out run under water my rather quick Radio Shack Bass Fisherman like it is dragging an anchor. AS soon as the cold weather chills the pond water and kills the green algae and the water clears I am going to chase some pond gold fish for their lives. The rear down fins were added as a design improvement for performance according to another RC toy sub website
Movedc up to 2500NMHI batteries bought for about 6.00 at walmart. Had to remove one weight the big one that fits in the slot in front of the batty box on the inside of the hull which must be opened to achieve access.
Removed the knot and plastic pull stop on antenna and filled Conning tower with shaped Plastic coffee cup plastic and sent wire and plastic tube thru it to amke a way for the wire to feed thru.
I will super glue it later.
Gone are the down force fins.
Moved fins at 9 12 and 3 oclock to the very extreme of the tail cone, 6 oclock postion will require some cutting.
the other two fins on tail cone at 4 and 7 are next to go.
Discovered source of noise in up and down and rt and left motor assy,no lube it is water exposed and the bearings on the rt left thruster are very very sloppy so much so the gears un mesh.
Some light grease forced in the holes did wonders but it needs to have the bearings super glued in peoper gear engagement.
Grease onnback thruster shaft was impressive in reduction of noise. real Nuke Subs are silent u know.
has anyone found a source of toy press on replacement
cheap plastic props? All the thrift stores in Lake co I have been too only have boats with two blade hi speed props.
I also added some more foam in the front top of hull to offset the lean observed when the new higher power was applied. As soon as the con touches the water hull is straight up. control failure causes surface to conning tower attn in less than a min. even under lilly pads.
with gearLubrication and sealed gear units and better larger props and this sub should be a real fish chaser.
Don’t put the controller underwater!!! They look waterproof – seals everwhere. But my son and nephew jumped in together and wrecked to controller simultaneously!