In case you missed it - the topic continues across in the "Build Blogs" section

https://model-boats.com/blogs/77106

And once you get there just click on the link "click to follow" to the right of the title if you are interested

Right now a quick look at a DGITAL SOUND DEVICE

Regards
Jonathan

Hello Spock66 - thank you for your kind comments...

It looks like you have acheived some great projects with Arduino. I love the way that with any program there is more than one way to skin the cat - normally at least 3 ways to do the same thing.

The Morse programme is a great example - I have an alternative set of code which does the same thing but the approach is very different.

It was written by another radio amateur - Mark VandeWettering K6HX

The code can be accessed here - https://gist.github.com/dwhacks/9a73e444191ba1c08431

I have used his code to transmit live CW on 20 meters but don't remember getting any response👎

Regards
Jonathan

Hi All,
Firstly I can't recommend G6SWJ tutorial on Arduino highly enough. It is a great step by step introduction to a huge world of fun. Well Done sir!

Secondly in response to a point about Morse in Arduino, I wonder if there's a half way house for members who don't feel inclined, or maybe even terrified, about learning a whole new approach, i.e. Arduino IDE interface.
So, at the risk of being 'shouted at', can I offer a simple Morse program, in Arduino, written as an Instructable by Chris Weatherford - to whom credit must be duly given. (There's a link below).

I have no connection to either Mr Weatherford or Instructables, but it's a great intro if you understand a few very limited points.

1/ Make sure your required Morse signal in placed in between the quotation marks in the line containing
char stringToMorseCode[] = "Arduino Morse Code Project";

2/ you do not need to put a loudspeaker in the 'loop' just put another led instead - it won't do anything, just sit there!

3/ Experiment with the contents of the line-

// At the end of the string long pause before looping and starting again
LightsOff(8000);

You will quickly see that altering the value LightsOff(8000); to something like 1000, or even 100000, will give you an idea of what 'time' really means in a program. Once you have an idea of how long something really lasts for you can even mess around with the values in the group of lines starting -
int dotLen = 100; // length of the morse code 'dot'
int dashLen = dotLen * 3; // length of the morse code 'dash'
int elemPause = dotLen; // length of the pause between elements of a character
int Spaces = dotLen * 3; // length of the spaces between characters
int wordPause = dotLen * 7; // length of the pause between words -

You'll see that changing 'dotLen * 14' can really affect the length of pause between words!

Incidentally, if your Morse signal will never include some letter of the alphabet, then delete those blocks of line from your copy 'ino'.


4/ Check your connections on the breadboard, check your typing and most of all when you copy and paste the Instructable code into the Arduino IDE, save it, and then save again with a new name (something like anomorse.ino) so that the original always exists, if fat fingers or confusion overtake you.

5/ Enjoy!

I really hope you all follow G6SJW's great concept, but perhaps if you wish to dive in and get a result for the cost of an Arduino Uno clone, from Ebay UK for a couple of pounds (I even saw one on Amazon UK today for £6.95) some leds and resistors, with a sprinkling of luck, you'll have your model signalling in no time.

Hi Spock66,
I am sorry to hear you have been having a rough time just lately, but glad that you have still got your sense of humour and will be back to building soon.

Martin555.

Back to building again sounds good to me and good you are felling better.
Rick

Jonathan.
I’ll give it a try.
Bill.👍

Firstly, sorry for being away for so long - spent a while at the large white building with Dr's and Nurses all doing brilliantly to stabilise the old brain nasty again! Legs are truly history now, but humour is still here and in a week or two should be back to building again.

Arduino has been a godsend for me. Disability does limit some soldering and placement skills, but I can still manoeuvre a solid wire into a hole in either a Uno or a Nano size board. So even with limits I use the digital output to control a radar rotation to very fine limits and because it is PWM it really enables extreme realism. I hook up a Nano to a relay and control anchor capstans up and down in a regular fashion (you'd be amazed at how long a time you can program a function to take), all my Morse signals are coded into a Uno and run off a repeating loop. My gun traverses on a servo (again using PWM) to a fixed position, raises the barrel, rotates back, lowers the barrel and all done with very simple code in the Arduino.

My background ( before the brain went "t£&ts up"?

No, apart from basic many years ago, I am no computer nerd. You just need to think in steps like how do I teach an alien to open the door (step 1, define what a door is!) and be prepared to make goofs and foul-ups - normally of the slipped finger variety. there are also thousands of pre-coded libraries (or lines of program) for us to use, amend to what we need and most are licence free - true open source.
So give it a whirl - cost is very low, mistakes don't generally 'fry' anything and rather than wishing for a 40 channel RC to give you every feature you ever wanted, get into Arduino or even Raspberry pi (sorry I'm an Arduino guy) and let your imagination run much freer.

Yes definitely interested in learning a new skill.
Cheers Colin.

If I learn to program an Arduino, how much will a typical installation cost? £15-£20

What is needed to get started? Arduino Uno or Nano board, USB cable, Computer, some jumper cables, a few LEDS, resistors

Are there several levels of equipment? Yes but Arduino Uno or Arduino Nano will suffice for a long time

Will the initial cost cover fault finding if I make a mistake? No - fault finding is down to you. There are support forums but the Official Arduino one is a scary place to hang out even for an experienced user! -

Is fault finding difficult? Yes & No - most of he time the IDE compiler will indicate what is wrong, most common fault is not terminating a line of code with a semi colon. After a while you get familiar with common issues and know what/where to look for error.

If I fail (again, I got nowhere with PICs), is there a second hand market for the bits? - Not really

Will my 16 channel controller become obsolete? No

I already have trouble knowing which button turns on which item....

If you are interested in learning more about Arduino then

Click on the link

If I learn to program an Arduino, how much will a typical installation cost?
What is needed to get started? Are there several levels of equipment?
Will the initial cost cover fault finding if I make a mistake? Is fault finding difficult?
If I fail (again, I got nowhere with PICs), is there a second hand market for the bits?
Will my 16 channel controller become obsolete?
I already have trouble knowing which button turns on which item....

I'm interested but will need a lot of help with how and what to use it for.Yes please tell me more.
Rick

Hi Jonathan,
I have tinkered a little with Arduino, just enough to get a few lights on/off.

I am looking forward to this, and i am hoping that it is explained in an easy and understandable way.

I never had much schooling and find learning a little difficult as do many people.

Martin555.

I could not agree more with the content of this post 👍 100% spot on.

Adult learning pays my mortgage - I run a training company and deal everyday with people learning news skills.

I have already helped a few modellers get their stripes with Arduino. The deal was I paid for the kit and they gave me the feedback on their experience/learning journey.

Expect some really simple but fun building block projects after the mandatory "flashing an led"

Regards
Jonathan

I don't disagree with your comments but to get people to start using this type of technology you have to keep it simple to start with. Not everyone has an electronics or programming background so you need to take gentle steps and consider what they might want to use the Arduino for in most of their boating applications. I hope I am not generalising but not all modellers build boats that are crammed to the gunwales with electronics and apply control systems to every part of the boat. Draw people in slowly and use plain language and then you might get them 'hooked', other than that they switch off as they feel it is too 'technical' for them.

But there is so much more to Arduino!

I hope this post does not come across as negative or critical - that is not my intention.

I have a very different vision/experience of Arduino and I want people to keep an open mind as to what they could use it for in their models.

I would not classify an Arduino exclusively as a PLC device - many projects I have completed have very little logic in them at all.

I have seen projects that:
Encode channel data at the TX end
Use a resistance ladder at the TX end to enable selectable switching

Using an Arduino between the RX and a relay, servo, ESC has it's place for sure but again there is so much more that you can do...

I agree with the Arduino Nano being compact, I buy them in packs of 10 or 20 to use as distributed processing so they work out at approx £3.20 each. In case someone gets the wrong impression Arduino Nano's are also input as well as output devices.

I am sorry I disagree on most of your post - it paints a very narrow application bandwidth. There are many more applications on a model boat for the little Arduino...

Jonathan (running for cover) 😉

Nothing
needed at the Tx end - just think of the Arduino as a PLC(programmable logic controller) that interfaces between the receiver and relays, servos, speed controllers etc. in your boat. It is good for when you have an array of different items you want to control in the boat - something you might not be able to do with a standard 6 channel TX.
One thing that is useful is that you can control multi- motors without using a conventional mixer - you can programme it to do exactly what you want for steering and drive without using the rudder if needs be. It is extremely flexible for switching lighting on and off, in zones, in sequence - in fact the world is your oyster so to speak.
The Arduino Nano is a compact multi-output device that is very reasonably priced and there is so much free tools and programmes on the web to download and use or modify to suit your own requirements.
If you just want simple control of throttle and steering plus a relay to switch lights then stick to existing conventional equipment.

Please add me to the list.

Martin555.

yes please. have beginners kit untouched.

YES!
and me too please Jonathan👍
😁
Last time I did any programming was about 35 years ago, in BASIC!!🙄
But if Arduinoese has any kind of structure to it I should get the hang of it.
Only thing that worries me is the plethora of kits available, and prices of 'necessary' add-ons.
My main interest will be; what happens/does one need at the TX end?
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hello G6SWJ:
I am really interested, because I think it is very useful for our scale ship work.
Actually, I´m already studying about the Arduino topic ... although I am a beginner in all of this.
YES, I´M INTERESTED.-

yes please have seen people use them but need more info as all I have had when asking is you should try them if you don't know what they are how can you try them Brian

As requested a simple yes👍

I'm not sure a simple yes would do as I'm not sure of what you ask.
Rick