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Submarine
Seeker
is a homemade hybrid diesel powered jet boat and ambient submarine. These
pages are a work in progress, it helps us stay organized and we hope
it also helps you with your own projects. Disclaimer: Build a
sub; live wild and die. Just don't blame us.
Latest Updates
Seeker is on hold for this winter. Check Out
Argonaut Jr. that's what we are
working on currently.
Oct
29, 2009
David, Kay and I proudly displaying our low cost underwater
communication gear having successfully tested it to 600 feet! Read
more:
Hydrophone and Underwater Voice Communications
Aug - October, 2009
* With lots of help from David Bartsch, we added the
beginnings of a new page:
Hydrophone and Underwater Voice Communications
* Rebuilt the relays for the ballast sled winch damaged by
failed potting.
* Redesigned the helm control box and built the guts.
* Added battery cutoff switches for the 12 and 36 volt systems.
* Rebuild the ballast sled winch mount with a better design.
* Sealed up three new linear actuators to replace the destroyed helm
actuators.
* Made shade covers for the work area.
* Redid the seals for the landing gear actuators and replaced
destroyed unit.
* Replaced two 12 volt Optima gel-cells.
* Repaired a short in the navigation lights.
* Installed circuit breakers in the 12 and 36 volt systems.
September,
2009
Chinese Peasant's Oil Barrel "Death Trap"
Submarine Makes Expert PSub Builders Eat Crow.
When Tao's Submarine first appeared in the news is was touted by
many of the engineers and arm chair critics on psubs.org as a "death
trap". Let this be an lesson of how perseverance and
resourcefulness can triumph over high brow arrogance. See:
Tao Xiangli's Submarine

July, 2009 - We added a new "Work
Place Injury" and this time we got a new victim. See: "Hot
Slag Warning".
In other news, we have been taking a few weeks off after a wiring
disaster. While continuing work on the wiring harness I
managed to burn up one of the landing gear linear actuators before I
had installed the circuit breaker. Then I discovered I need to
switch the polarity inside the helm actuator box and forgot
(again) that I also needed to switch the locations of the limit
switches. I discovered my mistake when the rudder actuator
tore off both of its mounts and then striped its lead screw nut.
Unfortunately that actuator is not repairable and has been
discontinued. So now that I have to rebuild that section anyway I
decided on a better way to wire it up, but that means tearing out
the control box wiring. So we are delayed once again.
Oh, it's 105F out too.

May, 2009 - Been thinking about what could be done
to save the sub and crew in the event of the most likely emergency.
For example the engine compartment rapidly floods, the 12 volt
system shorts out, and we start heading for the bottom. That brought
us to add two items that will give us a really good chance of making
it to the surface without abandoning the boat. Read more here:
Emergency Surface
System

Apr/May 2009 - "What's next? Oh yea the wiring harness.
Well, that wont take long."
--Right! It all takes a long time, and always longer
than I image. But once the right wires and connected and the
right limit switches are in use then it is a real joy to see things
like the rudder, dive planes, and throttle move. Read more here:
Wiring Harness
Mar,
2009 - Not exactly back to working on the submarine again, but
we did get a tow vehicle to replace the TopKick and it's despised
Caterpillar engine. It's a 89 Suburban with 9000lbs of towing
capacity and room enough to live in. And then we taught
ourselves how to paint a car. Read more here:
The New Tow Truck
Dec, 2008 - The engine is in and running great now but we
are taking a break from the sub. We've converted the plasma
room on the shop to a bedroom off the apartment for our grandson as
mom and boy will be with us while dad goes to Afghanistan. We
have also reorganized the shop and purchased a used CNC table and a
new welder, all of which need lots of work. And a School Bus that
will donate parts for our sailboat. So our web site is still getting
updated, just not here. Will complete the wiring when we get
back to the sub.
Oct
4, 2008
We installed the engine for a test a week ago and while it
started up just fine after waiting for over 2 years, it only took
about 60 seconds for it to blow part the oil cooler build into the
hull. What a mess! So we have build and installed an
oil
pressure regulator, repaired the oil cooler. We also
festoon the power
cables and tested the air
divider that will feed ambient air to the forward or aft trim
tank. And installed lights on
the gantries.

Sept 7, 2008
Completed the ballast and battery sled insulation and made some
adjustments to get the 1 ton sled to track cleanly down the rails.
Read More: Sled
Installation and Testing
Aug 1, 2008
Finally back to work on the submarine. The center console will
house lots of toggle switches to control various systems along with
the air supply and meters that monitor the engine and batteries.
Read More: Wiring Harness
July
7, 2008
We purchased a 1995 GMC Topkick with a Caterpillar
3116 to tow the sub. It almost made it home before it died.
"It's Alive" -- And we did it without a single Caterpillar
special tool! Read More..

June 7, 2008
It's really nice to have neighbors with a huge crane. Paul
Nosack of "Nosack Tree Service" parked out in the street and his 11
year old son got to do his first lift, raising both of the gantries
without a hitch. Read More...
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