Joystick Hydraulic Steering

[dguidry]

I'm currently building a small 16' flat bottomed skiff with an outboard motor...probably 25 to 40 hp or gator tail air cooled surface drive...haven't decided which. I'm interested in fashioning a joystick/hydraulic steering system with multiaxis functionality: forward for forward and variable speed, left for left and right for right, with center indent for idle/neutral or something like that. Anyone have experience with this or can point me in the right direction?

[BETTY-B]

I dont have the answer you seek, but I am really curious why you would want this on such a little boat. What are you planning to use it for?

DAN

I do know of one guy that spent somewhere around twenty grand to install one. It was on a ninty footer though...

[dguidry]

Three reasons: 1) so I can say I did it, and 2) maximize space, 3) have two daughters for whom I paid tuition, with engineering degrees from Columbia University and masters from Georgia Tech and I want them to show me some appreciation by designing a small project for me.

[CundysHarbor]

I was interested in doing something like this for my boat but realized that an active hydraulic system would be required. that is a pretty major complication in a small boat.

[andrewe]

A start might be to get an ABS brake pump off a car. High pressure but that could be reduced by changing the switching. Still seems a lot of work. The steering rams could be sourced from West Marine (or someone cheaper...) Or just adapt one of the power asist. kits. The stick and valving would be the tricky bit.Esp. the feed back to allow the centre/idle bit. With respect, if you have to ask here the project would be beyond you. With a lot of research (and budget) it would be fun, if a bit pointless.
A

Some of the R/C control stuff might be usefull, lots of what you are looking for is built in. Need bigger servos though.

[paladin]

The entire joystick can be one from a homebuilt aircraft with mechanical links to some cheap potentiometers similar to game type joysticks then use the output of the variable resistors to operated a "bridge" (balanced) amplifier circuit to operate a small amplifier driving linear motors.....surplus type actuators are about $15 a copy, amplifiers use audio transistors (2N3055) and about 2 bucks worth of PPC modulators from model airplanes...you could move quite a few pounds this way.

[Concordia...41]

Three reasons: 1) so I can say I did it, and 2) maximize space, 3) have two daughters for whom I paid tuition, with engineering degrees from Columbia University and masters from Georgia Tech and I want them to show me some appreciation by designing a small project for me.

Well those (especially the last) all qualify as good reasons! :D Go for it!

[paladin]

I would first send them to work in someone elses R & D department to learn something tangible, .....rather than finance a potential project that will cost you several times the tuition fee.....like a son....gets out of school, decides that he knows more than his first boss and wants to borrow $350K to either buy out his boss or start his own company.....he's still mad at me for not loaning him the money. He managed to write and license a compression algorithm, then went after his boss, took over the company, and with one of his best "friends" managed to bankrupt the company and make his stock worthless within 6 months....I suggested a different course of action...he had better ideas, started another company with someone elses money, asked me to do a major design for them, did it, he managed to not only bankrupt the second company, but signed away the product, including my work.....
So....they need some hands on experience, learn to solder, twist wires, cut real metal, get their hands dirty and blood from the metal work....

[timfish]

what about using an autopilot system with a remote steering unit.

[dguidry]

I think this might be a good place to start:

http://www.flight-recorders-control-systems.co.uk/aircraft-joystick.htm

[Gary E]

Sounds to me like you should visit a local Hobby Shop and look at radio control units. They make it simple to control an airplane, and steering for a boat is only left and right.

[dguidry]

....or an adaptation of this:

http://www.lencomarine.com/joyridedualdigit.html

[dguidry]

Any suggestions on how to change gear ratios on this actuator for quicker response?

http://www.lencomarine.com/actuator.html

[Gary E]

Any suggestions on how to change gear ratios on this actuator for quicker response?

http://www.lencomarine.com/actuator.html

That actuator is only extend/ retract...
About the same function as a hydraulic cylinder...

Why do you want that faster?

[Gary E]

....or an adaptation of this:

http://www.lencomarine.com/joyridedualdigit.html

So that is 2 props mounted on the transom or on trim tabs and run by electric...

No real steering there unless you do what twin screw boats do sometimes, steer with the throttles..
Or when your stopped just siting out in front of your slip...
Put one in FWD.. Other in REV... and turn on a dime ...keep doing it and ya get dizzy going around in circles

[dguidry]

I was thinking of adapting the screw piston to push/pull the steering linkage on my motor, but I thought that the speed at which the gears turn would not give me enough of timely response to steer. So I would have to adjust or modify the gear reduction accordingly to get the right response. The steering on the Lenco product does not turn the propeller pods at all. Movement right or left is accomplished by reversing on side or the other, kind of like a zero turn radius lawn mower.

All of this is still just a vision in my head, at the moment.

[soba]

Wasn't there a video floating around of some dude who wired his boat up to respond to a Nintendo Wii controller? It looked pretty cool, and the Youtube vid said it was cheap...

[dguidry]

Wasn't there a video floating around of some dude who wired his boat up to respond to a Nintendo Wii controller? It looked pretty cool, and the Youtube vid said it was cheap...
That is really nice. But would not have much confidence hooked up to 40hp flying at 25 mph dodging cypress trees in the swamp.