SeaPerch Remotely Operated Vehicle, Construction Manual, Page: 46 / 110

OPTIONAL PROCEDURE
– QUICK-DISCONNECT BATTERY CONNECTORS
SeaPerch ROV Construction Manual
– Version 2010-04NW
& AN ALTERNATE MOTOR TEST
2.2-2
2. Strip about 3/8
” (1 cm) of insulation from both ends of the black hook-up wire,
without cutting the copper strands inside.
3. Repeat Step 2 with the red hook-up wire.
4. If the motors have any wire leads soldered to their terminals, use a de-
soldering tool (such as a vacuum solder remover or a solder-wicking braid) to
remove the wires and any excess solder from the terminals.
5.
Cut about 1” (2.5 cm) of electrical tape, and place it temporarily onto the shaft
of each motor, wrapping it around the shaft with the end extending out like a
flag,
to help you see the motor’s spin direction when it is energized.
6. Connect the red and black wires to the two terminals on one of the motors
(twist them through or around the terminals) and hold them temporarily in
place with small pieces of electrical tape (the polarity does not matter).
7. Connect the other end of the black wire to the negative battery terminal,
holding it in place with a small piece of electrical tape.
8. Briefly touch the loose end of the red wire to the positive terminal of the
battery a few times, and observe which direction the flag on the motor shaft
turns when looking into the front (long shaft end) of the motor. The shaft
should spin rapidly. If it doesn
’t, re-check the wire connections. If they are
solid and the motor still doesn
’t spin, or spins slowly, get a replacement
motor.

If the shaft spins counter-clockwise, the polarity of the wires from the
battery is the same as the polarity of the motor terminals (positive battery
wire going to the positive terminal of the motor, and negative battery wire
going to the negative terminal of the motor). This is the correct polarity
for the SeaPerch ROV thrusters, so mark the motor terminal that is
connected to the black wire to show that it is the
“negative” terminal by
using a black marker pen to color one side of that terminal black..

If the shaft spins clockwise, the polarity of the motor terminals does not
match those of the battery. Mark the motor terminal connected to the red
wire
“negative” by coloring one side of that terminal black, as above.
9. Disconnect the black wire from the battery and both wires from the motor, and
remove the tape flag from the motor shaft. Clean any tape residue from the
shaft using a small piece of paper towel moistened with alcohol.
10. Repeat Steps 6 through 9 for the other two motors, but l e ave the test wires
connected to the last motor tested , as it will be used again in Procedure 2.4.
Procedure 2.2 – Continued