jaymen

I have purchased a limited amount of these reproduction Rand LR 2 function actuators. I built a special emulator (Phil G recoder) and A MOSFET driver so all you have to do is plug them into any modern receiver and they start pulsing away. To get throttle you use either a speed control (electric planes) or a servo for the engine. The actuator gets its power from the receiver, just like a modern servo. It plugs into your elevator and aileron channel. For electric planes, the main battery powers everything. With gas powered planes, you use a 4 or 5 cell battery pack. This really neat little gem eliminates having to use a vintage Galloping Ghost transmitter, and you can get extra function from the other channels if you want to. I myself am using it with an old Heathkit GD-47 transmitter and an HPI receiver. You can contact me for details if you are interested,
Jay

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

Cool. Is there any video of them working?

jaymen

Here is a picture of the new actuator being used with a Heathkit GD-47 on 27.145Mhz.
Works great. I had to dial down the throws on the encoder and re-center rudder neutral, but it was a simple adjustment and easily accomplished in a minute. The other items are my line of JBR single channel receivers, decoders, and switchers for single channel, pulse, and Galloping Ghost.

F106A

My Feedback: (2)

Hi,
I'd like to buy an actuator.
Thanks,
Jon

Tauri Flyer

Jay;
Whats the price tag on these actuators,, I haven't flown GG since 1968

Rick

jaymen

Still working on getting a PC board for the electronics, for now however, the first ones are being hand wired. If anybody is interested in getting one of these, let me know so I can figure out how many parts to order. The more I order, the better the price I can get, and pass that on to make it as affordable as possible.

Jay

F106A

My Feedback: (2)

Got mine last week, great little unit.
Thanks Jay for your efforts keeping GG alive.
Jon

jaymen

I want to thank Phil G and Tobe, and Crist R for their major efforts in making it possible for me to offer these actuators as a complete package. If it were not for Phil's efforts in the programming and development field, this whole thing would not be possible.

Because vintage R/C, and pulse/galloping ghost is such a small special interest field, no major companies are interested in putting the kind of efforts into developing and producing this type of specialized equipment. Thus we have to rely on the passion and dedication of individual hobbyists to put in the kind or tireless effort it take to do this. Phil and everyone else involved has done this largely on good will and for you fellow enthusiasts, asking little more than re-imbursement for the cost of materials.

Thus we all owe Phil, Tobe and Crist a huge thank-you.

FYI,
I'm probably crazy, but I took a risk and placed a larger order (initially I got just three to test them), so if anybody is interested in one of these units, just PM me or e-mail [email protected] for details.

tdkallner

If it isn't on YouTube it doesn't exist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgUBoU6G0zI

DaveP

I got one of these from Jay and am impressed. It works just like it should, producing Galloping Ghost action using modern (reliable!) RC radio link. The mechanics are nicely done and look like they should hold up well. The motor is a small one with built-in metal gearbox. The tiny elex package takes the PWM rudder & elevator servo signals from modern RC gear and converts them to variable rate & duty cycle Galloping Ghost to drive the motor.

So far I've run it only on the bench (fun to watch) but I'm going to put this in a Trixter Beam, like my first RC (except for the electronics). My original Beam carried a 2-tube club-built receiver, Sigma 4F relay, a slew of batteries and a Mighty Midget geared motor driving the bang-bang rudder. No pilot influence over throttle or elevator, and even the rudder was questionable. The transmitter was a Mac II, placed on a blanket on the car roof, with a 9ft Jeep antenna (from Ace R/C, I still have it), powered by the car battery, vibrator supply and motor-driven pulser. Control was effective for the first few minutes, then lost when the rudder locked full left and my Beam spiralled into the ground under full power - every flight! Never any damage (we built them strong & slow) except for the 10x3-1/2 prop, $.25 each I think.

The new Beam will have reliable FrSky 2.4gHz gear, Jay's GG actuator on the rudder and modern servos on throttle & elevator. After it's trimmed out I'll drive the elevator with GG also.

I want to gallop!

-Dave Plumpe

jaymen

Just so everyone knows, we have Phil Green and Tobe Kallner to thank for this creation. I was fortunate enough to acquire just a few from them and have built a little board that the recoder chip and driver board goes on and integrated everything into a turn-key package.

For the DIY types, there is a great blog on this on Singlechannelersreunited.com with more info and links.

E-Challenged

Took a little fiddling but got mine working properly with my Aurora 9 transmitter and an Optima 6 receiver.

I am pleased with the power of the rudder and elevator outputs as I intend to install the actuator in a full size 48" Sterling Mambo design using plans from Outerzone. Jay Mendoza help me decide on using 1/8 balsa for the big boxy fuselage instead of foam board . Starting to collect balsa and liteply sheet and basswood for wing and lifting stab spars. I plan to build elevators into the removable lifting stab. Brushless motor will be .15 glow equivalent. throttle control is normal provided by speed control. I may extend the short nose and use heavy wheels to help with CG. Wing and stab will be covered with translucent iron-on , Fuse will be painted yellow. I will have Callie Graphics make me Mambo drum and hands wing decals and tail frequency sticker. Who knows I may use the setup in a Flyline Aristocrat, etc. Muhahah!!

Thanks for the memories, Jay

"Nostalgia strikes deep, into your life it will creep"

jaymen

See article on Tobe GG actuator with Phil G recoder in September 2018 AMA Model Aviation magazine, Vintage viewpoint column by Bob Noll for more info.

E-Challenged

My 48" WSP Full Size Sterling Mambo, made from downloaded Outerzone plans:

Turns out that the Tobe GG actuator did not have enough "oomph" to control my full size Mambo. It has plenty of power to control the much smaller and lighter 36" wingspan "Mini Mambo" a number of similar size small single channel designs. Go to you tube and see Otto Diffenbach's electric powered models using the Tobe Actuator


I removed the Tobe actuator and installed two 9gm servos and enlarged the elevators on my full sized Mambo and now the model flies like a well mannered 3-channel electric powered trainer. Powered by an old Super Tiger .10 brushless motor, 2200mah 3S lipo and 9x5 APC prop the model can scoot right along with other models in our club racetrack pattern, will loop repeatedly from level flight and will catch a thermal and float as long as I dare getting great watt-mileage. Enlarged elevators give a nice flair for soft landings. The thick lifting stab apparently blanked the previous narrow elevators making them ineffective.
I need to incorporate a steerable tail wheel. The wire tail skid makes taxiing back to the pits awkward.

jfcgnv

My Feedback: (1)

Jayman, Has anyone tried to use a dual pack with this set up. One actuator for elevator and one for rudder. I like the way my dual pack works with separate rand actuators for the two control functions.