I found that when I had Joe S's Megaswitch (sounds similar in design to the Battleswitch) installed, that my DX6 receiver compressed my door actuator at start up. To clarify that I installed it like this: I manually triggered the door lock actuator with my 12V battery and let it return to it's natural un-engergized state. Then I mounted it to the marker and connected the end of it to my marker trigger via wire from a coat hanger. Then I manually actuated the door lock actuator connected to the marker trigger with my 12V battery again to ensure that the length and angle of the wire would trigger the marker reliably. When it was adjusted to ensure it's reliability, I installed the Megaswitch and connected it to my receiver. After wiring it all up I test fired the marker from the switch on my transmitter, but the actuator wouldn't move far enough to trigger the marker. I noticed that when the receiver was turned on, the actuator shaft was drawn back a 1/2" from the nuetral un-energized state. I'm using the door lock actuator in a push configuration to trigger the marker. That extra 1/2" draw back shortened the actuator push enough that the trigger no longer fired the marker. With the receiver off and the actuator no longer energized, it would relax that 1/2". To me that means that when the Megaswitch was powered it was constantly energizing the door lock actuator. Please correct me if I am wrong Joe. Currently I have removed the Megaswitch and will be triggering the marker with a micro switch and a servo. So far that has worked reliably in testing. I removed the Megaswitch because I thought (right or wrongly) that the actuator was constantly energized. It was heating up after only a dozen firing cycles. My fear was that it was going to burn out. I have modded my DX6 transmitter with a normally open push button switch in place of the left toggle switch on top of the radio as my marker trigger. I have two different types of door lock actuators (one Joe supplied and two I bought). The one Joe supplied was just didn't fit the space the way I wanted it to so I bought some of these clutch type actuators: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320303641899
Derek T065 On Mon, May 4, 2009 at 10:50 AM, Frank Pittelli <[email protected]>wrote: > > Chris Malton wrote: > > However, the problem was that the actuator was just "stuck", and not > > moving at all. Previously it moved if you applied force to the end of > it. > > I cannot stress enough the importance of an autopsy to determine the > actual cause of the failure. The only way to learn how to design > reliable systems is to break lots of systems *and* then see how they > broke. So, crack the thing open and take a look. You *may* find that > it was solely a mechanical problem (broken widget) or a combination > electrical-mechanical problem (melted part caused by overheated wire) or > many other different failure modes. I can assure you, a lot more failed > devices have passed through my workshop than operational ones. Each > received a proper autopsy to determine the actual cause of failure. > > And, it wouldn't hurt to post a picture from the autopsy along with your > analysis on your tank page so that others can learn from your problem. > > Frank "Even Dead Parts Deserve Some Dignity" Pittelli > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are currently subscribed to the "R/C Tank Combat" group. To post a message, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] Visit the group at http://groups.google.com/group/rctankcombat -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
