combining a tailfin/powertran with a power pro 3.

[rolmops]

So about a year ago I bought a tailfin remote control kicker steering setup and I was not overly happy with it because fine tuning the remote control speed was an issue and I still had to do the speed control from the front end of my Islander. So what to do? I bought a powerpro 3 remote control kicker speed controller and installed it. The installation was simple and it works well. But now I found myself having to deal with 2 remote control fobs. However the powerpro3 remote has a setup for steering control and speed control which works in combination with a panther steering actuator.
In comparison, the tailfin actuator is straight, very well sealed and works on a screw driver principle ,where the panther pushes a piece of cable back and forth and works hanging at 90 degrees from the actuator shaft with a plastic cover to keep it all dry. Also, the speed is hard to control and oversteering is a problem
I like the idea of having everything working off the same fob, so I connected the the tailfin actuator motor to the powerpro3 wiring. It worked but the actuator worked full speed only and it was hard to fine tune anything.
After some head scratching I decided that If I would lower the voltage a bit , say from 12 volt to 10 or 9, everything would slow down a bit but still work. So I bought an actuator speed controller (progressive automations model AC-14) and placed it in between the the boat battery and the powerpro3 blackbox. It works great. By lowering the voltage a bit , the actuator slows down while the speed control still works like a dream. I love it! It also means that it is possible to combine the 2 systems instead of having to buy a completely new setup

 

[alldodge]

I like it, great info

As someone who has not messed with either but understands ohms law I have a thought and wonder if this would pose a problem over time

I-Current
E-Voltage
R-Resistance

I=E/R

Given resistance is stable, the lower the voltage goes the greater the increase in current, Do you see any worries of the increase in current?

 

[rolmops]

I thought about that a lot. It would be that way if I would use a transformer. The overall amount of energy would be the same just dressed up in a different package. That's why I decided to go with an actuator speed controller. This does not increase the current. It limits the amount of energy going to the actuator by increasing or decreasing the resistance in the feed.

 

[dingbat]

This does not increase the current. It limits the amount of energy going to the actuator by increasing or decreasing the resistance in the feed.

Yes and no.

Maintaining a constant speed under changing load conditions would be impossible just regulating the output "feed" (wattage) through resistive means.

As such, voltage and current are regulated separately in the control loop to maintain the same output (wattage) based on the Max Current limit potentiometer, (torque limit setting) and demand.

 

[rolmops]

You are right ,but in this case,the use of the feed is mostly in very short bursts to make small corrections. It is not meant to be a constant feed.

 

[dingbat]

You are right ,but in this case,the use of the feed is mostly in very short bursts to make small corrections. It is not meant to be a constant feed.

Guessing your running a PWM (pulse width modulated) control.
Speed and torque are controlled by changing the magnitude and duration of the output pulse instead of manipulating the voltage and amperage of the output