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Redcat's Remote Start

Old 02-26-2010, 07:56 AM
  #26  
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

I had her running again yesterday but I'm gettng some serious servo glitching, enough so that it shifted into reverse while going forward .

My dogbones are all "extended" using a piece of aluminum hex that's been center-drilled and then each end of the 'bone is set with a setscrew. The front center bone and the rear axle bones all came loose (again..) yesterday as well; I think I need bigger setscrews.

I think what's going to happen here is that I'll either replace the ESC with another, to see if the twitch goes away, or I'll have to use a microswitch or one of my modified servo-with-a-relay deals.

Dammit. Not sure why it twitches. I've tried different servos...
Old 02-26-2010, 09:14 AM
  #27  
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

I can't imagine why your getting interference.[sm=idea.gif]
Old 02-26-2010, 10:19 AM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

I dunno. It's all fine until I add the servo to run the shifting the transmission forward/reverse.

Reminds me of the time that I went to a LHSback in Cali, with servo twitch on my weed-eater powered airboat, and the first guy I asked gave me a 5 minuted lecture about how I was "crazy" for using "a motor that was never intended for use near RC" and how the Zenoah engines were "Designed for RC" etc etc, yadayada.

The owner came over, looked at my plug and gave me a resistor plug. Seems that was all the problem I had.

This might have to do with the fact that the RX is powered by the ESC and the servo on that channel is doing something to the power coming into the RX that makes the system twitch. I'd be more inclined to think that might be a problem more than mounting Traxxas hardware on a different model.


Old 02-26-2010, 07:07 PM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

Im no electric guru, but I know stuff sometimes starts to twitch when the voltage gets low.. Have you tried a bigger battery to see if it'll still glitch/twitch? Just a though.. Hope ya get it solved, would really Iike to see a vid of that thing, going through all the motions.. Good luck!!
Old 02-26-2010, 11:01 PM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start


ORIGINAL: Mickstix

Im no electric guru, but I know stuff sometimes starts to twitch when the voltage gets low.. Have you tried a bigger battery to see if it'll still glitch/twitch? Just a though.. Hope ya get it solved, would really Iike to see a vid of that thing, going through all the motions.. Good luck!!
I have a 6-cell stick on it now. I think you're right, the twitch is from low voltage. I'm replaceing the ESC, which I'm really only using as a RC relay with..a relay

I have to figure out how to make it neat, but what you do it take apart a servo. Pull the motor off. Put a diode on one of the leads where the motor used to be and connect it to one of the leads for a the coil on the relay (the part that makes the relay work is the coil.)

Take the other lead from the coil of the relay and connect it to the other motor connection.

Now, you tune the device by turning the potentiometer that's on the servo board. There may be a way to replace it with a resistor or 2 but I haven't yet tried. Mine will buzz or click, depending on where I have the pot set at.

But I may toss it all and get a pre-made RCswitch.

The other thing I have to figure out is a filter circuit to keep any spikes or surges that can occur from switching the motor on/off from hitting the RX. I want to do this with one battery, so I need to filter the input to the RX.

It'd help if I knew more about electronics myself; I'm just a board monkey, with a very tiny bit of knowledge.

But I'll get it, eventually

Old 02-26-2010, 11:08 PM
  #31  
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

You should patent Your idea and sell it to Redcat lol..
Old 02-26-2010, 11:31 PM
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ORIGINAL: buggyboy2010

You should patent Your idea and sell it to Redcat lol..
Hell, I'll be happy if Darin takes the info here and makes us a kit that's universal. Besides, I'd hardly call my effort "Original Work" but I'm sure a good patent lawyer could figure out how to make it look like I invented Radio Control.

I'm going at it the the hard way. I think what I'll do is either buy the Losi ROSSmodule, or more likely, get the RCSwitch I saw listed someplace and hook that up. I have a working relay now, but it's fscking ugleeeeee and big and narsty to mount. I can't seem to get the filter circuit working, so I'll likely just solder a cap or 2 on the motor and pray.

If I had some decent project board, and not this crap I got from rat shack today...Oh well.

Sooner or later.



Old 02-26-2010, 11:34 PM
  #33  
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

Buggy, where r u in relation to Ottawa? My stepson lives outside Ottawa, in Metcalfe.
Old 02-27-2010, 11:35 AM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

small world!! I now live about 45 minutes from Ottawa, I went to high school in metcalf!...
Old 02-27-2010, 01:34 PM
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ORIGINAL: Mr_Byte

Buggy, where r u in relation to Ottawa? My stepson lives outside Ottawa, in Metcalfe.
Oh jesh, I`m atleast 6 or so hours from Ottawa,I`m more southern Ontario, But I have family in Ottawa and been there plenty.

Old 02-27-2010, 11:45 PM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

Well, after a bit of work, I have my switch. I'm still planning on getting a ready-made switch, but this one will work. I also managed to get the thing small enough that I can cram it in the radio box with the rest of the electronics.

If I can find a LiPo battery powerful enough to run the starter and small enough to fit in the battery box, I'll switch to that.

My servo twitch was indeed due to the ESCI was using not providing enough power to run 4 servos. This new setup doesn't have that problem. I tried cutting the red lead on the ESC toat runs to the RX (with the black and white, in the servo line) as I'd read that would cut the BEC on the ESCbut still allow it's use as an ESC, but it doesn't work on mine.

I put an electrolytic capacitor across the + and - leads feeding into the RX, and I'm also puting so filter caps on the motor. This should kill the surges I was worried about.

Later:

Ok, this didn't work. Or, it worked until the motor put too much load on my relay, and it fried the contacts in the relay. Time for another approach.


Old 03-04-2010, 11:03 AM
  #37  
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

I have a vortex ss it has the vertex .18 and I would like to have a starter on it like the ez start I would like to pay under 50 dollars for it though because the whole car is only like $170 altogether.
Old 03-04-2010, 11:12 AM
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ORIGINAL: 4goodbuys2

I have a vortex ss it has the vertex .18 and I would like to have a starter on it like the ez start I would like to pay under 50 dollars for it though because the whole car is only like $170 altogether.
LOL.. Well bud, Idon`t think just becuase the vehicle is $170 altogether that the ez start should be sold for under $50.. That just doesnt make sense sorry. People will pay almost $100 for that.

Old 03-04-2010, 11:37 AM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

Well, here's what I have right now. It's an EZ-Start I (the one for the TRX.15) that's been modded and I added an aluminum plate to the back (see the pic above) to make it fit my .28 engine better.

I'm not sure how the Vertex will fit, the critical part wll be the one way bearing. Most of the starter shafts I've seen are the same size, but the hex in the EZ-Start takes a 12mm hex. So you will need to have either a 12mm hex for your OWB already, or you will have to find a 12mm hex and it the OWBinside it doesn't fit you'll need to either use your OWB by pressing out the actual bearing inside your hex, or buying one (boca bearing is my recommendation) that will fit both the hex and the shaft on your engine.

My shaft is kinda weird in that it comes out of the motor, and it liiks basically like a bolt with no threads. This is the reason I'm not using the EZ-Start II, because I would have to make a different shaft to adapt to use the EZ-Start II. When I have my lathe I may take a swing at it.

I had a problem with my setup the other day, it ATE the gears inside. I mean, ATE. They were all chewed up and the only gears to survive were the one on the starter motor andthe big one that spins the engine.

One advantage to hacking an EZ-Start II in would be the availbility of all aluminum gears (eBay) and I believe it has a bit more torque.

Ok, these pics are of the old relay/servo board setup and the new (not improved) micro-switch. The first pics are of the old setup. I glued the relay to the servo-board, and the perfboard is for the diode and the electrical connections etc.

The switch is from an old arcade controller board (I have a few here) but you should be able to eBay one cheaply. I bolted it on my MonsterMTin a place that the forward/reverse servo could activate it while in reverse.

I don't like it because it's not as portable as an ESC. In order to use this you need to add/have a 3rd channel servo someplace and then mount the switch somehow. An ESC is much cleaner, and I have a Novak GT-7 en-route. It should work, and it's BECsupplys what I hope to be enough power (6v@3A) to run the 4 servos I'm using.


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Old 03-04-2010, 11:40 AM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start


ORIGINAL: buggyboy2010
LOL.. Well bud, Idon`t think just becuase the vehicle is $170 altogether that the ez start should be sold for under $50.. That just doesnt make sense sorry. People will pay almost $100 for that.
Losi's setup lists for about $60, for the starter and the module. The harness is like $5.

If nothing else, it's cheap.

I think Traxxas' starters are ~50.

Old 03-04-2010, 12:07 PM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start


ORIGINAL: Mr_Byte


ORIGINAL: buggyboy2010
LOL.. Well bud, Idon`t think just becuase the vehicle is $170 altogether that the ez start should be sold for under $50.. That just doesnt make sense sorry. People will pay almost $100 for that.
Losi's setup lists for about $60, for the starter and the module. The harness is like $5.

If nothing else, it's cheap.

I think Traxxas' starters are ~50.

Wow I was WAY off lol.. I would pay 100$ for the remote start for sure, But even a better buy at 60$

Old 03-04-2010, 03:26 PM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

Yup, people on eBay were trying to sell the Losi starter for $45 and up, then got a look at the losi price list ;-)

The traxxas is ok, for what it is, but I really want to see the Redcat setup.

The problem they all have in common, from what I can see is that they all use speed 400 motors. Too small, really, for anything larger than .20, and barely adequate for that.
Old 03-05-2010, 12:07 AM
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ORIGINAL: Mr_Byte

The problem they all have in common, from what I can see is that they all use speed 400 motors. Too small, really, for anything larger than .20, and barely adequate for that.
That's a fact!I bet that'll continue to be a problem tryin to turn your .28.. But I'm pullin for ya! Cant wait to see it all workin!!
Old 03-05-2010, 01:21 AM
  #44  
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

yea i can't wait to get my hands on one of those remote starts..either a t ten or a red cat 3.3 jus seen the new vid with alishanmao runnen it..looks good jus can't decide on which one i want to get.. anyone got any ideas which one will be better for the long haul..i knw redcats is cheaper, but i love the remote that comes with the t ten, with all the vitals on it.. some one let us knw how that redcat is when it is released
Old 03-05-2010, 07:23 AM
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ORIGINAL: Mickstix

That's a fact!I bet that'll continue to be a problem tryin to turn your .28.. But I'm pullin for ya! Cant wait to see it all workin!!
It's only a problem when I get flooded, ususally, or when the engine is extremely cold. Then what I'll do is to loosen the glowplug and put an external igniter on to get her sputtering then tighten it up. Usually it dies, but when I reconnect the glow lead and try again it'll fire.


Old 03-05-2010, 09:09 AM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

The Redcat is due 3/22 per when I entered "Reactor RS" in the search box at redcat.com, and then went to the 1 product page....


Old 03-13-2010, 12:27 PM
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Default RE: Redcat's Remote Start

Just a quick update here, because I've been working on my Triumph Spitfire lately, and letting the XTM sit and marinate a bit

I've still got the microswitch setup as shown in the last set of pics, I figure it works well, so why change it.

But I also eBayed a Novak GT-7 ESC. The main reason I wanted the GT-7 is because in the specs it shows it supplies 6v to the RX at 3A. (volts, Amps) so this should be more than enough to run my servos.

Just to be safe, though, the Novak is going on my Mammoth, which only has 3 servos instead of 4 like the monster. Monster takes 2 steering, Mammoth doesn't.

I hooked up a Tamyia plug for the battery on the Novak, and a Dean's on the motor output, then hooked this up with an RX to the Monster just to test, and it spins with no problems. I haven't hooked in all the servos, but I imagine it'll be no problem.

And as a bonus, the ESChas a switch, so if by some chance the BEC doesn't cut it, I can run the RXdirect from the 6-cell like I do now.

I like the GT-7 so much I might have to get another for my remote start boat project


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