Hey everyone!
I've been getting a few really good questions over Facebook from a couple people about whether it's possible to build a Model C by ordering our pre-printed parts and then sourcing the rest of the hardware on your own. And the answer is yes, especially if you already have your own tools and want to experiment with your own hardware! In response to these questions, I thought I'd post this list of all the remaining hardware you'd need after buying a set of 3D printed parts:
Fasteners
6-32 Washer (x4)
6-32 ½-Inch Machine Screw (x22)
6-32 1-Inch Machine Screw (x2)
6-32 Nut (x38)
Self-Sealing Screw (x10)
To make "self-sealing screws," outfit 10 6-32 1/2 inch screws with 1/8" inner diameter, 1/4" outer diameter o-rings (screws will be at your local hardware store, o-rings here)
Servo Screw (x1)
4-40 ½-Inch Machine Screw (x12)
4-40 Nut (x6)
2-56 ½-Inch Machine Screw (x4)
2-56 Nut (x4)
4-40 ½-Inch Machine Screw Brass (x4)
4-40 Nut Brass (x4)
We source all our fasteners at our local hardware store, and that'll probably be the most cost effective way for the typical ROV builder to get fasteners as well (unless you're buying in bulk).
Electronics and Other Hardware
Waterproof Thruster (x4) buy pre-made here, or order bilge pump motors on Amazon to make your own: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N6HDRLS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rear Dome + Tether (x1) buy pre-made here or order a second forward dome, drill your own cable penetrations, and make your own ethernet cable - will also require a crimping tool.
Internal Motor Leads (x4) (make them yourself with 16 AWG Speaker Wire)
T-Plug Y-Harness (x1) will require 12 AWG speaker wire, as well as T-Plugs and soldering iron
Raspberry Pi 3B (x1) https://www.adafruit.com/product/3775?src=raspberrypi
Female-Female and Female-Male Jumper Wires https://www.amazon.com/InstallGear-Gauge-Speaker-Wire-30-feet/dp/B07LCT9GMS/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=12+awg+speaker&qid=1595046017&sr=8-13
Raspberry Pi Camera (x1) https://www.robotshop.com/en/raspberry-pi-camera-module-g-fisheye-lens.html
9-Gram Servo (x1) https://www.robotshop.com/en/raspberry-pi-camera-module-g-fisheye-lens.html
12v-5v DC Converter (x1) https://www.amazon.com/Aoicrie-Converter-Waterproof-Converters-Smartphone/dp/B07XJ9W5JJ/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=micro+usb+12-5v+dc+converter&qid=1595046667&sr=8-7
T-Plug Motor Driver Cable (x1) Make your own using two lengths of 14awg speaker wire, and T-plugs from our "Parts and Accessories" page
Dual Channel Motor Driver (x2) In our "Parts and Accessories" page or https://www.robotshop.com/en/cytron-10a-5-30v-dual-channel-dc-motor-driver.html
3S LiPo Battery (x1) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DGQWBG3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
WiFi Mini Router (x1) https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNET-GL-MT300N-V2-Repeater-300Mbps-Performance/dp/B073TSK26W/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=mango+router+mini&qid=1595047061&s=electronics&sr=1-1
Power Bank (x1) Home Depot has a nice one to power your WiFi mini router.
SCUBA Shot (~3lb) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034ZID5W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Micro USB (x1) Cable Comes with the Power Bank in our "Parts and Accessories" page
ADS 1115 Board (x1) Amazon sells this analog-digital chip here
Tools
Epoxy Local hardware store
Soldering Iron (x1) Local hardware store
Solder (1 spool) Local hardware store
Screwdriver Set (x1) Local hardware store
LiPo Battery Charger (x1) In our "Parts and Accessories" page
Pre-Programmed Micro SD You can program your own by running our Archimedes Software package on reboot from a crontab. If you're not comfortable with ssh, vnc, and unix programming (or don't know what any of that is), you can also order a pre-programmed Micro SD card from our store. Once you have that, just plug it into your Raspberry Pi and get building!
"Key" and "Key Plug" (x1)The key is the male side of a waterproof wire jack. A 12awg wire is looped from one terminal to the other and soldered into place to close the circuit. The key plug is the female side of this jack, and it gets soldered to the power bulkheads on the rear dome.
Overall, I think it's a lot less work to buy the kit as a whole, especially if you're new to in-depth builds and programming. It's also worth mentioning that a lot of the products you need are typically sold in multiples/bulk, so it may get a bit costly. That said, I know how intrepid you makers are, and totally understand the satisfaction in sourcing parts for yourself, so here you go!
I hope this helps you get exploring soon!
~Costas
Hey everyone, I'm done! I've been meaning to post and I will make a real one soon, but just FYI I made my first successful launch last weekend.
I sourced everything myself, mostly from Costas's links, with a few big exceptions: the 3D-printed parts and the motors. If I were starting today I might invest in a 3D printer to make my own parts, but the motors were a cost/benefit decision I don't regret. I bought a sample bilge pump motor but sealing it myself (and doing as good a job as Costas does) sounded like a nightmare.
sdfdsfsd
I am sourcing all the parts myself but as I opened up one of the bilge pumps from Amazon and it doesn’t fit the 3d printed part and I don’t see how I could possibly change that without printing everything bigger which would make it the wrong size completely so has anyone else ran into this problem and if so how did you fix it? Yes I could buy the original ones here but that’s extra money that I really didn’t want to spend since I’ve al bought 4 from Amazon. Some help would be much appreciated if anyone has a ans to my question. Thank you ahead of time.
You’ll want to get a make 3S balance plug, then solder the ground pin to the ADS board ground, and the first cell pin to ADS Pin0. To make sure you have the right pin before you turn everything on, make sure the voltage difference between your ground and voltage input is about 3.3-4V. Much higher and you’ll fry the ADS board. Once you’re set up, you can connect it to the ROV’s I2C pins, and plug it into your battery when you’re using it. Only thing to watch out for is that you need to disconnect the battery from the balance pin when not in use. Otherwise, the ADS board will slowly sap power from your Lipo cell and cause an uneven/unbalanced charge.
What is the purpose of the ADS board? I notice in the assembly manual that it's shown with a white plastic plug attached, but the instructions don't mention plugging that into anything. The board I got from Amazon doesn't have that plug attached so I'm wondering if it's necessary.
My Raspberry Pi has been acting a little funny and I thought about replacing it in case it’s faulty--only to find it’s out of stock just about everywhere. But more recent Pi boards are available, so what other Pi versions will fit the design?
Boa noite a todos!
Tenho duas pontes H IBT-2 e a MONSTER MOTOR SHIELD, como fazer para usar ela no lugar da cytron dual?
Can you give any more details about the thruster motors and the O-ring? Motors are simple enough to source but it's hard to know if the size and ratings match yours. And the O-ring needs to be exact!