Cliffp

Hi guys! I've seen a lot of great info in these forums. Some have saved me from making some critical errors. Here's my predicament, how do you slow down the speed of a servo being used for retracts? this is on an electric so weight is important.
Many thanks, Have too much fun!

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

either use a JR servo ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz LOL
or you can get a servo slow module you add in the servo wire, you can then select the speed.

LesUyeda

If you are using a standard servo, a thing called Go Slo, will work. If you are using a retract servo, you cannot slow them down.

Les

Cliffp

Thanks guys, I'll look into that. Sounds like an inline pot.

3DFanatic

My Feedback: (5)

Or if it's digital, you can program it to go slower.

RCNUT615

My Feedback: (32)

Get a mcdaniels Go Slow there around 45.00 and work beautiful the also come with a y reverse wire for flap use. Ed Ritsko Tn

jcole43

there is a circuit called Go-slow on a website that you can build your self if you cant get a circuit board from that site i can etch 1 for you. the site is www.cliftech.com

electricfan

My Feedback: (1)

i think hobby lobby carries one of those

EloyM

My Feedback: (194)

It was mentioned briefly but mostly ignored - if the servo in use is a standard proportional type, it can be slowed down by one of the methods described. However, if it is a dedicated retract servo with only full left or right and no intermediate positions, it can't be slowed down by those methods.

MikeSell

My Feedback: (2)

A few years ago ACE produced a "servo pacer" which slowed down standard type servos. I have a couple still unused and I see them on ebay ocasionally. Speed can be adjusted by turning a pot

rctrax

How abut a device to decrease the throw on a standard servo when you do not have a computer radio or duel rates, and cannot change the throws mechanicaly?

Cliffp

Thanks lads, I believe I know which direction to go now. You've been a great help and again thanks a lot (except for rctrax, what was that about?) Hopefully I can contribute as my experience grows. rctrax, you might have to take your servo apart and mess with the electrical limits (if you have an old servo I'd try it first). Remember, you can fly a rock if you put a big enough engine on it! :-) Take care.

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

umm change a servo limits... isn't that what you do when you change the output arm posistion???

as retract servos arn't able to be limited, i'm really surprised they don't have a little pot you can twiddle to change the speed built into them... have adjustable speed on a retract is a no brainer for the designers surely????????

rctrax

I was just fishing for some information. I have a student that has a plane that has way too much aileron travel and can't decrease it mechanicaly without major surgery on the airframe, and since he dosen't have a computer radio or duel rates the only way left is to decrease the servo travel electronicaly. Changing the servo arm position gets you nothing except out of trim ailerons. It was my thought that if such a device was available to put between the servo and the rx to accomplish this it could be used to teach him and then removed for regular flying. His plane flies great for me, but is a handful for him.

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

i meant posistion as in move which hole the servo is on. a non major mod is to use bigger horns on the surface and use the outer holes...
if you HAVE! to mod the servo replace the 5K pot with something higher, 10K should half the travel ( only guessing coz i've never done it )
but getting less travel is one of the easiest things to do EVER, moving the surface hole out, or servo hole in will change the trim, so you simple change the control rod lenght by screwing one of the links in or out...
why do i feel like i'm telling granny to suck eggs? surely everyone knows this???

rctrax

INDEED I DO KNOW THESE THINGS, YOU WILL NOTICE I SAID IT CANNOT BE DONE WITHOUT MAJOR WORK ON THE FUSE. THE SERVO IS ALREADY ALL THE WAY IN ON THE SERVO ARM AND ALL THE WAY OUT ON THE SURFACE.iS THAT PLAIN ENOUGH FOR YOU.

Cliffp

Easy lads, go to your corners. I guess it's hard to comment on posible remedies without seeing the situation first hand. The plane must have relatively short control horns not to have enough adjustment. Can you put a larger horn on Or is it a scale bird?

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

i know what you said, i said buy a bigger horn
the only time you cant do that is when the extra lenght will start to foul things
unless.... he has torquerods and you've screwed the links as far out as you can, then you are kinda screwed and your little buddy just learnt not to cut them off so short or adapt the former behind not to foul at full travel.

while i'm not sure about a 10k pot in a servo after all, i know you can put ATV on any tranny by adding resistors into the curcuit. the pots are at 5K, so full travle happens at 5K, now if you put a variable resistor in the curcuit you can lower the resistance so it cant get there, full stick might give 2K not 2.5, hence 1/5th less travel.
i'm not exactly sure off the top pf my head what you solder where, but i know you can put a variable resistor on top of the tranny to adjust it to your hearts content
starting to think you put it in the center pot wire... twist of the pot raises the resistance, ummm, no thats gonna have the oppisite effect.
i've got a friend who did this mod, i'll mail him

simple method V2 is to cut a plastic travel limiter, you screw this over the stcik using the existing fixing holes and it makes shure you cant wack the stick full over.

hard method but good in the long term... teach him to fly like this. i've seen people learn on low rates and they simply canot handle high rates later, this guys limbo dancer flys like a ww1 scale bipe! learning some fine control is one of the biggest aids to all future flying. esp when it comes to test flgiths and you got the movement and CofG screwed up.

Dsegal

Go http://www.emsjomar.com/ and click on Electronic Accessories and see the Gear And Door Sequencer.

rctrax

Thank You dsegal That was what I was looking for in the first place.
Phillybaby I am sorry we got our wires crossed there for a bit. This student is doing OK as it is and he knows nothing of what I was thinking. I just thought it would make his learning prosses a little quicker if we could make his ailerons a little less sensitive. Did not mean to get into a shouting match as I know very well all or most of the princaples of setting up and triming an aircraft. Even he has no control over the way the aircraft was built as it was that way when he aquired it. I am simply trying to help him learn to fly it.

rctrax

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

cool, will post the ATV upgrade when i get it..
thats if he doesn't mind drilling a hole in the tranny
goto www.maplin.co.uk and type in... Standard Dual-Gang Potentiometers
if you wire this little doobee in parellel with the trannys pot you can adjust the resistance either side of the center wire, a lower restiance will limit the travel from 2.5k in either way to what ever you set it with the doobee. if the doobee is set at 2.5k, when the tranny stick is moved to 2.5k the resistance is 50% of the orginial. hence 50% rates.
not exactly sure yet, but we're on the right track.

Balsa Duster

rctrax
An easy way to fix the problem is to start shaving wood off the trailing edge of the ailerons until you get it right. The ailerons on a trainer should be solid balsa. You have plenty of ways to increase the throw when the student gets better. Just a suggestion.