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[Norman Castle]

I'm at the doodling and head-scratching stage with some aspects of the next build, and one of these is a small gun platform.  I'd like to be able to throw the flaps or gear switch on my TX and thereby make the platform rotate fairly slowly back and forth through an arc of 90° or so.

Given that I have only hand tools and am on a very limited budget, I can't see me doing it with a motor and a geared / mechanical drive, so we're talking servo here.  Can I slow down a servo electronically without a major loss of torque?  How do I do the continuous cycling from end to end of its travel?  Or am I barking up the wrong tree altogether? 

Anyhow, following on from that ...

Where do I find diagrams for circuits to do useful things like control servos?  All I've found so far is diagrams either for ESCs, TXs, RXs or lights or ones involves programming chips (which it outside my experience). I'm hopeless at electronics theory but I have a work history in PCB and PA amplifier assembly so I'm perfectly at home with a soldering iron, Veroboard and components - but where on earth does a chap find useful circuit diagrams for modellers?

[John W E]

Hi ya there

if you have a look at Component Shop under ACTion Electronics - they do a servomorf thinga mee jiggy - its plugs in between the Receiver and the Servo and this can extend the travel of the servo movement and also you can alter the speed of the Servo.    I don't know if you can get it in kit form still, but you could at one time.

http://www.componentshop.co.uk/p96-servomorph.html

But, if you like the DIY have a look over on Technobots - they used to do a DIY one - much the same thing as the ACTion one only you build it yourself on strip board.

Alan Bond or afb on this forum does the circuit and if you get in contact with him, no doubt he can supply all the bits and pieces and he also has his own website - here is a link to that :-   www.forge-electronics.co.uk

aye

John 

[Norman Castle]

Thanks for that John.  Very helpful 

[Kimosubby]

was just browsing arduino on here and spotted your posts, have you tried here
http://modelradioworkshop.co.uk/shop/servo-control-devices/turret-servo-controller/  it's a turret servo controllers £12.50

Good luck, happy hunting, Kimosubby.

[Norman Castle]

That's a very useful site.  Thanks Kimosubby 

[Kimosubby]

My pleasure Norman.

I've just read your original post re circuits etc.  Try googling  servo control circuit diagrams, that gives loads of sites, and then there's this one because I built this one for myself. Loads of stuff here for you to play with.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Drive-Servos-with-a-555-timer-IC/

Aye, Kimmo  (like you I teach myself by giving it a go).


555 chips are about £0.15, I buy them in tens from Rapid or JPR Electronics  (other suppliers are available!)

[The Old Fart]

I have a Turnigy 9x and an i6 transmitter.

both have extra potentiometer knobs which control direct to the receiver, makes rotation of gun mounts , and in my case, fire monitors on my boats very easy to control.

[afb]

Further to Bluebird's post, I now have a much improved version of the original Technobots DIY servo controller and you can buy a ready made unit from www.scalewarship.com. Follow Bluebird's link to my own website where you can download the Servo Controller instruction leaflet to review its features and maybe find other gizmos that are of interest.