Hi everyone, after starting my DIY journey last year with a foil assist, I plan to go for a differential steering tow boogie to see what’s going on with this little jewel.
Equipment ordered:
2 cheap out runners Ali 6384 150 kV, ceramic bearings. Not sure to waterproof it.
long range Bremote. I asked @ludwig_bre to prepare it for diff steering before shipping.
Pelican case 1470 with heatsink outside for cooling
6 amphenol 6mm connectors for motor to Pelicase connection to be able to disconnect the box easily to walk on the spot or go home.
For battery, I found a good deal on Samsung 50E. I plan to do 2x 6S10P with Ali battery holders and heatshrink with balance wire. Hope the 100 amp max it will be enough
Nothing will be waterproofed in the box to keep it simple & because I trust Pelican brand.
I asked to print @V_S two blades prop in PA-CF by a pro and the 20cm Pods
I’ve never had a pelican case that didn’t leak a little bit.
I think part of the issue is that that the battery and speed controller heats up, the air expands and can escape. If you flip the boogie the water rapidly cools the air inside and creates a vacuum sucking in water through the smallest gap.
It’s all manageable, but a level of waterproofing on the internal components will make the system a lot more reliable.
I’ve copied Valhalla’s tow boogie build a couple of years ago and have never had leaks. …and on dozens of occasions I’ve run it continuously for 45 min without any issues. In fact, I had it out two days ago. It has always been reliable.
We’re using the Apache cases that are cheaply sourced in the US. Also, we’re running the Trampa 75/300 VESCs inside an aluminum case. So I guess the key is that the VESCs are running much cooler.
I was testing roll correction with mine. I ordered one of these inflatables and strapped it on top of the boogie. It’s not pretty, but gets the job done. https://a.co/d/cYETSDV
Yes, I strap mine over the waterproof case. That placement provides the added benefit of helping the nose from submerging, which can be an occasional issue.
I think you could otherwise mount it on top wherever, and it should work for roll correction.
Some news about the project.
Pelicase is ready with 2 Xcross HV3 160 amp, 2 6S10P Samsung 50E-2 cells and 60 amp amphenol connectors. I wanted to keep it simple and stupid so no switch/breaker/fuse holder for the moment, I will set all cutoff on the controllers.
Both Ali 6384 are potted and I changed the wires for 10awg plus ceramic bearings.
I stuck a big alu plate to spread the effort of the tow bar on the deck of the 4’6 foam board.
Waiting for my Bremote now
I’m still thinking about the weight distribution. Now the pods are fixed so my only choice is to play with the box placement. Is it ok if I choose the box placement at 0 speed focusing on neutral trim of the board ?
Also possible to cut away some of the aluminum on the end cap (much easier when the motor is disassembled!) to allow the cables to come out the end of the cap rather than the side. I’ve marked the cut out section in red.
I was happy to test my towboogie with the Maytech Remote because I’m waiting for my Bremote. No steering on it with dual motor makes it very hard to steer but it was powerful and fun to try on flat water. I had a doubt about my Samsung 50E battery but it definitely handles the amp very well.
Second session on choppy water, I tried also to higher a bit the tow point on alu bar and I realised it was a bad idea. It became a crazy horse.
A friend borrowed me the tow boogie and flipped it several times and finally I had a big smoke coming out of the box from the gasket. One of the XCross 160 amp burnt. Luckily battery is saved.
I supposed it was because of water ingress so I decided to shape a bow to make a water pressure deflector when it flips and I hope to improve a bit the sailing behaviour of my tow boogie because I live in a choppy area. I will also add good straps to better close the box.
How come it flipped? I would have thought dual counter rotating props would prevent it from flipping? If you want to improve steering I would just extend the rope attachment point further back.
Hi @Etiennebzh -
Not sure how comfortable you are with surfboard building but looking at the bow, I’d consider adding replacing the board with a sheet of XPS foam making it a bit wider and maybe adding sides.
I wish I was as confident at the electronics side as I am at working with glass, so my opinion is a bit skewed.
Love the carnage pictures
Yes , the propeller are counter rotating but the board sails more on a rail than a mono motor because there is less pivot point under water so for the moment when I go to much further out from the wake, it flips. I will extend the rope bar
