Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] American Sportsman Submersible

[VBra676539@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/27/2002 4:30:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
oldcop911@ev1.net writes:

<< Vance,
 How long did you own one, and though it's none of my business, why did you
 get rid of it.  Any major problems with it, or the design.  I would like to
 add a decent manipulator to mine to allow it to do useful work, if I am
 going to spend a chunk of change rebuilding it.  Your thoughts?
 Regards, Steve
 At 08:50 PM 4/25/02 -0400, you wrote:
 >Steve,
 >Yes, I owned one. Be advised, the twin conning tower hull was for 300 feet 
 >service. It was the single conning tower (3/8" wall hull) that dove to 600 
 >feet.
 >Vance
 
 
 
  >>
Steve,
It was many years ago--I traded it for a bunch of scuba equipment and a ford 
fairlane when I moved to Florida. The sub had any number of niggling little 
problems, surface stability being the most prevelant one. I had a 300, one of 
the subs used in the old tv show Primus. If you opened both hatches on the 
surface and someone stood up, there was every possibility the thing would 
roll over. Structurally itr was an anvil, being 1/4" material with internal 
ribs. Plenty strong enough for its intended dive range. As to what to do, oh 
what to do .... hard to advise. The sub would be dirt cheap to put in the 
water, of course. I'd bet the single biggest expense would be those damned 
wraparound windows. But with today's adhesives and whatnot, even that 
miserable piece of design work ought to be made serviceable. And a little 
manipulator would go together pretty cheaply. I'm building a simple little 
package here at home: hydraulics and solenoids are going to run about $1500 
or so, and the manipulator itself will be square on square aluminum with 
whatever pistons I can find cheap, so shouldn't be any more than that again. 
You might consider a side mount, like the old Nektons, just so you can see 
the thing.
Vance