March 31, 2015

Wireing time.....voltage regulators

VOLTAGE REGULATORS
I upgraded the 'test wires', which were just speaker grade cable [for testing], to better handle the current going into them. And finished off with shrink tubing.
R5D4 sound

I thought that I was going to have to re-do some soldering on one of the regulators, but this was not the case. These can now be installed onto the new electronic/electrical board.

March 29, 2015

R5-D4's Sound system - Audio FX & 12 Channel remote.

AUDIO FX SOUND BOARD
With all the soldering going on, I didn't like the look of the work I had done on the Audio FX sound board. So as it came with pin's, I ordered some female crimp connectors off eBay to crimp & solder the wires to these. These were then covered in heat shrink.

At last my 12 channel remote control unit came :)
12 Channal Remote unit for R5-D4's sound system
AA battery for scale.

I also could now layout everything onto the perspex to position and mark for holes to be drilled.

Board mock-up.
R5D4 sound
Audio FX top left, 12 channel remote, top right, voltage regulators (x2) middle, Sure Amp (in bag) bottom. Just the start of figuring out where to put it all.

Turborix Transmitter/Receiver issues......... Now fixed!

In a previous post I wrote about the issue I was having with the servo on Channel 1 not working. I checked the Radio transmitter and R5 moved forwards & back, left & right fine, but channel 1 still wouldn't respond fully?

The new servo gave the same response, nothing :(

I ordered a replacement Rx receiver, with the naive assumption that the simple brand name was all that would be different (Turborix is basically a re-branded FlySky product). But the item was a newer version, without the satellite receiver unit.

Well, I eventually had time to play with the transmitter & program. The program on the PC is a bit temprimental working, loosing connection, settings etc. Well, I found that the settings for servo one had changed, but not saved. So after two trips out to the garage and R5, I confirmed the correct (my original) settings & R5's Dome control......is back in buisness! :)

March 26, 2015

UK R2 Builders Club

For UK R2 Builders events
and requesting our attendance at your event,
Check out our official UK builders page @ http://www.astromech.info
(For info and contact details)

March 16, 2015

Dome electrics - power connection

As I'm still waiting for parts, I didnt want to be left waiting to be able to power the dome motor. So I rigged up a stand alone unit, with voltage step down power.

Dome power & switches - R5D4
The two micro-swtiches mounted with the micro servo.
Digital Volt meter with Voltage Regulator below it.

The unit takes its power from a split connection plug straight off the 24 volt line. This feeds into the voltage step down unit and is monitored by a digital volt meter. This then feeds the dome motor.

There was an issue with the servo not working(?) The transmitter was working, but the servo only twitched when activated??

.......ordered another servo......fingers crossed!

R5-D4's Sound system installation

Started work on drilling holes and positioning components. I sort of know where everything should go, but am still waiting for the 12 channel remote, to be able to finally know what space I need.

I'd ordered some PCB nylon spacers 12mm long, but these were too long for the 20mm bolts and ny-lock nuts, to go through the Amp's holes and the Perspex board. So had to cut the spacers in half. Not the end of the world as means I've got twice as many now lol.
R5D4 sound

Marked and drilled holes for the four bolts & one hole for the power cable to come through.
This was as far as I got. I had to re-solder the fly leads on the original digital volt meter as they had broken off through use. I then applied hot glue on all three digital meter's contacts, to prevent strain on them.

SPEAKERS
My speakers came, and it's been sooooo long since I've bought car speakers, I forgot they often come with speaker wire too lol, bonus. These are Pyramid 3.5", 8cm, 240w Coaxial Two Way's.

I plan to have them mounted onto the main electrical board via a second stand off board.
First, I marked out some perspex and drilled/bored out holes with my adjustable cutter. Machined up some aluminium spacers for the screw positions.
PIC of perspex with speakers fitted - still W.I.P.
Sound system for R5D4Sound System in R5D4

Sound system for R5D4

The board still needs to be to size suitable and fixing holes drilled for it to be attached to the main board.

March 13, 2015

R5's smoke system - 1.5 - Video Dome Test No2

Although I was happy with the 3volt pump I used originally, I wanted to know if there was something that would move the vapour smoke a bit quicker. So a quick search on eBay and I found this 6volt pump. Wired it up and it works great! Click on You Tube link to view.

I first wired up the pump in 'parallel' with the e-Cig [both running off a 6 volt battery] but it was too powerful for the vapour. So I tried it in 'series' which reduced it's power, but still did a great job of moving the vapour out of the e-Cig.

March 09, 2015

R5's Sound & Electronics Board

Only been able to do little bits here and there as components arrive and I can then assemble them.

My 2.5mm centre positive, £1 off eBay jack plug arrived the weekend, so was able to Solder up the power wires to it, but the cover wouldn't fit over the cable sleeve, so I didn't fit it and used heat shrink tube.
Sure Amp - jack plug

Also the 6volt air pump arrived so I could see how it performed compared to the 3volt one.
6v air pump
eBay link [click here]

I first wired it up in 'parallel' but it was to powerful for the vapour, so wired it in 'series' which reduced it's power, but still did a great job of moving the vapour out of the e-Cig.

March 05, 2015

R5's sound system & electrics - more components....

RCA lead and speaker cable have arrived.
Both will be used to connect up the Audio FX unit to the amp (RCA to single stereo jack plug) and the speaker cable to link to the trigger pins out to the 12 channel remote unit.

Cut a few lengths of speaker cable, trimmed and tinned the ends.
These are short in length to connect to one side of 12 channel remote.
The others I will wait till the remote arrives and can properly judge lengths needed.
Started to solder on the leads

Replacement voltage units came to.
Two hours of soldering, testing, unsoldering, re-soldering.
One blown board (so much for circuit protection & re-set??]
Two good ones wired up though, one now set to 6 volts.
Voltage regulators

Voltage regulators
~~~~~
Wednesday 4th March - My Sure Amp arrived
Sure Amp 2x50watts

Sure Amp 2x50watts

Sure Amp 2x50watts

If I can sort out some speakers, get them fitted and the rest of the new electronics/electrics, R5 should have some sounds in him this month!!

Just the slip ring to arrive for me to then sort out R5's dome power.