Hi Bob,Good luck with your project. It's nice to hear another boat is on the production floor.I used 36 volt motors but they aren't easy to find. For your rear thruster, you can find 36 volt golf cart motors but you have to build some kind of bearing assembly to hold the prop shaft. The ones the plans are designed around were custombuilt for Kittredge. I found 3/4 HP 36 volt motors as a salvage house for my side thrusters. Maybe Minkota's would be a better bet.The batteries just slide in. I guess you could wrap a line around the most forward one and yank them all out easier. I'd have to check on the battery size. I can't remember right off.I installed the battery pod through hull ports as the plans show but didn't use them. Instead I welded in hunk of steel drilled with separate holes for brass rods I used as conductors for power. The blue disk you see is a plastic insulator that keeps the brass rods from contacting the hull. Also, each threaded brass rod is epoxies in and has nuts on each end to keep it in place. I wasn't sure if I was going to use a variable speed controller of just select what battery voltages I need to do a slow, medium and high, so I have extra conductors coming from the pod to the hull.Where are you located? I'm in eastern Pennsylvania.Dan H.----- Original Message -----From: bobtravis@comcast.netSent: Monday, December 14, 2009 5:30 PMSubject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] K-350
Psub group,
My name is Bob and I have followed this group for about four years now. I want to thank everyone for all the information that I have learned so far.
I have started my K boat and I have a few questions that I haven't found answers for in the archives.
1) Does anyone know where I can find the 36V motors? I have called a dozen places and searched on line and so far have come up empty. Are you using 36V motors or did you modify and switch. I see a number of people have used mikota motors but I was hoping to stay with the original design.
2) Inside the battery pods, are the tray stationary (it looks like they are in the plans) and how do you get the batteries to the far end of the pod and then back out? What size of batteries are you using?
And the last question (so far) is for Dan H. In the photos of your batter pods, there is a third through-hull. Do you have this on both pods and what is the blue plate on each side?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
To date, I have my windows machined, most of my small parts fabricated and all the pieces for the batter pods, framing and pressure hull. I will keep the group updated on my progress.
Thanks!!
Bob