Steering Gearing - Two Engine steering on a solar cell driven Catamaran.

[ChristianG]

Hi guys.
This is my second post in this awesome group.
I am working on a 15 square meter solar cell driven Catamaran and are now about to plan on how to control my two trolling motors.
The motors is going to be controlled in two diffetent ways:
1: Connected where front and back motor is inverted, so that when front motor turns left, then back motor turns right. Used to turn with small to 0 radius. Image below shows a middle position where the boat turns sharply, but not around itself.

2: Disconnected where both motors is controlled individually. Use for docking sideways , also against the stream etc.

My question is: What would be the best gearing between steering wheel movement and eatch of the motors?

Should it be 1:1, or 3:1 or 5:1 or ?

What is your best bet and experience, so that when I build the steering system, it will feel just right for the captain (me ).

Kind regards,
Christian

 

[flashback]

I'll need to let this ferment a bit and see what I come up with. Plus I'm curious and want to follow the process...

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would control them independently, each with a hydraulic actuator connected to the helm orbitrol. I would then use a barksdale 4-way switch

look at Lull telehandler steering.

that way you get variable turning, crabbing, opposite lock, etc. depending where the selector switch is.

 

[flashback]

I would control them independently, each with a hydraulic actuator connected to the helm orbitrol. I would then use a barksdale 4-way switch

look at Lull telehandler steering.

that way you get variable turning, crabbing, opposite lock, etc. depending where the selector switch is.

Would this setup require electricity? OP is limited for juice..
I have a concern with the motor placement. Would the wash from the forward motor effect the rear motor when going forward?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Would this setup require electricity? OP is limited for juice..
I have a concern with the motor placement. Would the wash from the forward motor effect the rear motor when going forward?

nope, just the input into the steering wheel. the orbitrol is a helm and a pump. and the barksdale valve is a zero leakage unit that is figuratively and literally "bullet proof" cant share how I know that.

 

[flashback]

nope, just the input into the steering wheel. the orbitrol is a helm and a pump. and the barksdale valve is a zero leakage unit that is figuratively and literally "bullet proof" cant share how I know that.

Well in that case it would be an excellent way of dealing with the steering..

 

[flashback]

cant share how I know that.

I can guess! LOL

 

[Magnumpl]

Hello. I have a duplicate post in other section, if not allowed I will have the other one removed.
I am renovating my boat and thought that replacing the control cables might be a good idea because the engine grinds when switching gear. It is also pretty difficult to feel when it goes into neutral and it's very easy to jump from one gear to the next one skipping neutral. It feels stiff on gear but loose on neutral. Also the throttle button seems to be stuck.
My outboard is a 2005 Mercury 150hp XL SWB 2-stroke oil injected, serial# 1B043582. On a 1997 Angler 204FX boat.
The remote control that I have seems to be old and the box is sprayed with a silver paint. However I can see a quicksilver logo under the paint, not sure if it's Mercury brand or Quicksilver, the previous owner might have replaced the box at some point. Anyways, it seems to be the top mounted Mercury Binnacle angular box version with trim tab control. I found this part# 88688A26

This is how it looks:

I am not sure if it uses Gen 1 or Gen 2 control cables. Boats.net states that I can use either of these as both are compatible.

Since the remote control is having some issues as well, I was thinking about replacing the whole thing with a Mercury Binnacle 4500 Gen 2 part# 8M0059686. That one looks like this:

For some reason the one that I have (top pic) is more expensive than the newer one (bottom pic).
Is the bottom one really a newer model?
Is it worth replacing my current remote control?


Thank you!

 

[ChristianG]

Thanks for all yyour comments up till now. I like that my idea gets more concrete on what I try to accomplish with Scotts comment:

"that way you get variable turning, crabbing, opposite lock, etc. depending where the selector switch is."

It is somthing like that I want. But I guess, that this solution is heavy and expensive. I have invested in a new 3D printer and expect to print several mechanical parts and then reinforce them with glassfiber and epoxy.

So I need to make my system work in kind of a similar way, but with a simple mechanical coupling.

I am thinking about placing two steering wheels above eachother and insert reverse gear coupling that can be activated when I need it. Something like:

1: Normal operation (coupling not activated).
Turn right: Front motor turns right, back motor turns left.
Throttle locked for both motors, so both push the same.

2: Individual operation (coupling activated (in a car the pedal would be pushed down))
Both front and back motor turns freely in any direction.
Both front and back motor throttle can move indivudaly.

I would like a simple wire - or rotating tube - steering.

With that, back to my original question:

What would be the best gearing between steering wheel movement and eatch of the motors?

Should it be 1:1, or 3:1 or 5:1 or ?

What is normal for other boats?

Is it 1:1 or?

 

[Scott Danforth]

normal?

depends if its hydraulic steering or hydraulic assist, or pure mechanical.

 

[ChristianG]

Actually, Because I will hoist the motors up when I don't use them I will go for a servo motor, ex. like this:

Amazon.com

It will solve all my mechanical challanges transmitting the force from the steering wheel to rotating the motors. With the electric servo motor I can just place it in the block that I lift up and down.

Beside that, because it is electric, I can just change the gearing if I don't like it

Thanks for your Ping-Pong. Sometimes you just need to explain it to others in order to find the solution