RCCrawler Forums

murdock · 08-15-2006, 06:00 PM

ok i searched but does any one have a link or tips/pics on how to turn a futaba servo into an esc for a micro crawler??? help me, all i found was people who have done it !!!!

Mnster · 08-15-2006, 10:07 PM

Do all of this and you will have a motor gearbox and esc all in one. Or pop the electronic guts out and resolder the motor leads to your new motor.
http://www.badgerracing.com/~rcracer/winch.htm

Mad Scientist · 08-15-2006, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mnster

Do all of this and you will have a motor gearbox and esc all in one. Or pop the electronic guts out and resolder the motor leads to your new motor.
http://www.badgerracing.com/~rcracer/winch.htm

That is an easy way to think of it - you are basically just running a continious roation servo as your main drive. Whether or not you decide to keep the servo's drive train or use a different setup is up to you.

murdock · 08-16-2006, 09:03 PM

thanks guys so im guessing youre saying that you just solder motor connections to where the servo motor was powered. ? what about the limiter thing on the futaba servos can i just cut it off ?
i would use the servo as a gear box but its a little too slow...

Mnster · 08-16-2006, 09:57 PM

You have to leave the limiter thing connected in order for it to work. Center it by hand with the radio on then glue it so it don't rotate.

Yeah you just remove the wires from the servo motor to the motor of your choice.

max to crawl · 08-17-2006, 01:14 PM

still no real explanation about how to make an ESC out of the servo........ that is good info in the winch side of it...... i would like to know as well.
thanks

JohnRobHolmes · 08-17-2006, 01:50 PM

turning the servo into a winch IS making the circuit board into an ESC of sorts. It will power a motor forwards or backwards as long as you keep the throttle on.

getbent · 08-17-2006, 02:48 PM

Is it proportional, and how much can it handle as far as size of motor?

youngblood · 02-25-2007, 03:48 PM

WHY START A NEW THREAD, IF I CAN CONTINUE AN OLD ONE.

I am looking to covert a servo board into a ESC, and the winch thing is a great Idea, but I dont think it is proportional. In order for it to be a true esc, It needs to be proportional. Bribeguy did it with his MICRO-JEEP, and in the build thread, he added some capacitors, but didnt go into detail on this.

I am getting ready to do a 1/24 ssmt build, and I need to do this because I will be using a servo as a tranny, and want to use the circuit board as my esc.

Thanks for any help!!

-Brian

HndsWthtShdws · 02-25-2007, 04:10 PM

Step one: Take apart the servo and remove the board, potentiometer (pot) and motor.

Step two: turn the pot all the way to the left, measure resistance between the middle lead and an outside lead (try both outside leads, you want the one that will give you the greatest resistance)

Step three: find two 1/4 watt or greater resistors equal to roughly half the resistance you read from the pot. (Both resistors have to be the same value)

Step four: unsolder pot from board.

Step five: solder one lead from each resistor to where the middle pot lead went, then solder a lead from one resistor to where the right pot lead went and solder a lead from the other resistor to where the left pot lead went.

Step six: Unsolder motor wires and leave as motor leads.

That will power itself right of the receiver, you might need to mess with your trim a bit to find the neutral point. Its fully proportional in forward in reverse but it wont have brake and after you reach around 3/4 tx throttle it wont go any faster.

Who says noobs know nothing?

youngblood · 02-25-2007, 04:32 PM

Fantastic HWS!!!! This forum could use more reply's like this.

That is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you

I will be hitting up the local radioshack to pick up some resistors tommorow, and report back with my results.

Thanks again

HndsWthtShdws · 02-25-2007, 04:56 PM

Np, you better post up some pics when your done the crawler.

youngblood · 02-25-2007, 04:59 PM

Will do! Its going to be a scale unimog. Look for a build thread in the near future.

youngblood · 02-26-2007, 05:33 PM

I did it. It works, and well I might add.

It took a while to trim it out, but once I got it trimmed out it was nice and smooth.

Thank you HndsWthtShdws, I appreciate it. I will post pics when I start the build thread.

Thanks again!

Brian

TorqueMonster · 04-06-2007, 04:55 PM

I'm trying to build a "nano" now also.. Starting with a ssmt. I'm new to rccrawler.com... I am not a novice to R/C by any means though.. This stuff just isn't normal.. lol..

Anyways, if you center the POT and glue it as indicated b4, will that make it proportional? Or on-off only in forward and reverse?? Please explai nmore.. I can't find info anywhere and I do not want to destruct a servo till I have the facts.

Centering and gluing would be "easier" that testing the pot and soldering resistors. thanks!

HndsWthtShdws · 04-06-2007, 07:47 PM

If you center the pot and glue it it will still be proportional.

Thorsteenster · 04-06-2007, 08:22 PM

i read somewhere you can also solder in a couple of resistors in place of the pot, then you dont have to worry about centering it.

08-15-2006, 06:00 PM	#1
murdock Rock Crawler Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: jacksonville beach Posts: 848	servo board to esc ? ok i searched but does any one have a link or tips/pics on how to turn a futaba servo into an esc for a micro crawler??? help me, all i found was people who have done it !!!!

02-25-2007, 04:10 PM	#10
HndsWthtShdws Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 341	Step one: Take apart the servo and remove the board, potentiometer (pot) and motor. Step two: turn the pot all the way to the left, measure resistance between the middle lead and an outside lead (try both outside leads, you want the one that will give you the greatest resistance) Step three: find two 1/4 watt or greater resistors equal to roughly half the resistance you read from the pot. (Both resistors have to be the same value) Step four: unsolder pot from board. Step five: solder one lead from each resistor to where the middle pot lead went, then solder a lead from one resistor to where the right pot lead went and solder a lead from the other resistor to where the left pot lead went. Step six: Unsolder motor wires and leave as motor leads. That will power itself right of the receiver, you might need to mess with your trim a bit to find the neutral point. Its fully proportional in forward in reverse but it wont have brake and after you reach around 3/4 tx throttle it wont go any faster. Who says noobs know nothing? Last edited by HndsWthtShdws; 02-25-2007 at 04:12 PM.

08-15-2006, 10:07 PM	#2
Mnster MWRCA'er Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Machesney Park IL Posts: 3,995	Do all of this and you will have a motor gearbox and esc all in one. Or pop the electronic guts out and resolder the motor leads to your new motor. http://www.badgerracing.com/~rcracer/winch.htm

08-16-2006, 09:03 PM	#4
murdock Rock Crawler Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: jacksonville beach Posts: 848	thanks guys so im guessing youre saying that you just solder motor connections to where the servo motor was powered. ? what about the limiter thing on the futaba servos can i just cut it off ? i would use the servo as a gear box but its a little too slow...

08-16-2006, 09:57 PM	#5
Mnster MWRCA'er Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Machesney Park IL Posts: 3,995	You have to leave the limiter thing connected in order for it to work. Center it by hand with the radio on then glue it so it don't rotate. Yeah you just remove the wires from the servo motor to the motor of your choice.

08-17-2006, 01:14 PM	#6
max to crawl Newbie Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: kansas city Posts: 24	still no real explanation about how to make an ESC out of the servo........ that is good info in the winch side of it...... i would like to know as well. thanks

08-17-2006, 01:50 PM	#7
JohnRobHolmes owner, Holmes Hobbies LLC Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Volt up! Gear down! Posts: 20,290	turning the servo into a winch IS making the circuit board into an ESC of sorts. It will power a motor forwards or backwards as long as you keep the throttle on.

08-17-2006, 02:48 PM	#8
getbent Rock Crawler Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: houston Posts: 650	Is it proportional, and how much can it handle as far as size of motor?

02-25-2007, 03:48 PM	#9
youngblood RCC Addict Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,255	WHY START A NEW THREAD, IF I CAN CONTINUE AN OLD ONE. I am looking to covert a servo board into a ESC, and the winch thing is a great Idea, but I dont think it is proportional. In order for it to be a true esc, It needs to be proportional. Bribeguy did it with his MICRO-JEEP, and in the build thread, he added some capacitors, but didnt go into detail on this. I am getting ready to do a 1/24 ssmt build, and I need to do this because I will be using a servo as a tranny, and want to use the circuit board as my esc. Thanks for any help!! -Brian

02-25-2007, 04:32 PM	#11
youngblood RCC Addict Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,255	Fantastic HWS!!!! This forum could use more reply's like this. That is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you I will be hitting up the local radioshack to pick up some resistors tommorow, and report back with my results. Thanks again

02-25-2007, 04:56 PM	#12
HndsWthtShdws Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 341	Np, you better post up some pics when your done the crawler.

02-25-2007, 04:59 PM	#13
youngblood RCC Addict Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,255	Will do! Its going to be a scale unimog. Look for a build thread in the near future.

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02-26-2007, 05:33 PM	#14
youngblood RCC Addict Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,255	I did it. It works, and well I might add. It took a while to trim it out, but once I got it trimmed out it was nice and smooth. Thank you HndsWthtShdws, I appreciate it. I will post pics when I start the build thread. Thanks again! Brian

04-06-2007, 04:55 PM	#15
TorqueMonster Newbie Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Holland Posts: 2	I'm trying to build a "nano" now also.. Starting with a ssmt. I'm new to rccrawler.com... I am not a novice to R/C by any means though.. This stuff just isn't normal.. lol.. Anyways, if you center the POT and glue it as indicated b4, will that make it proportional? Or on-off only in forward and reverse?? Please explai nmore.. I can't find info anywhere and I do not want to destruct a servo till I have the facts. Centering and gluing would be "easier" that testing the pot and soldering resistors. thanks!

04-06-2007, 07:47 PM	#16
HndsWthtShdws Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 341	If you center the pot and glue it it will still be proportional.

04-06-2007, 08:22 PM	#17
Thorsteenster I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2006 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 3,377	i read somewhere you can also solder in a couple of resistors in place of the pot, then you dont have to worry about centering it.

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