DIY 6ch Radio Kits

[losikid]

So i am going to be offering kits which will allow you to build your own 6ch radio. It isn't too hard as long as you have general fabrication and soldering skills. I will include instructions that will be general on simple tasks but detailed on complicated tasks. It will have pictures, diagrams, tips, etc.

As of now i need people wanting to buy this kit and can do so once i get about 5 people. In away this is a pre-order but i don't like collecting money till i place the order.


Ok so a basic kit will be $70 + shipping. Cont. Usa will be $10 priority. It will include

-Tx stick radio
-Rx
-bind plug
-programming cable
-quality wire
-2 non momentary 3 pos switches
-2 momentary 3 pos switches
-caps for toggle switches
-red led
-1 5k center detent pot (proportional control, with a snapping spot in the center)
-2 100k center detent pot (trim for throttle and steering)
-20 resistors (4 required on each 3 pos switch, 4 extras include)
-2 ft of small heat shrink
-DIY instruction .pdf (instructions, tips, diagrams, etc.)


What you will need is a pistol grip radio, my instructions will be made with a traxxas tq, but others will work

Here is a picture of similar to what the kit can be

Thanks for your interest,

losikid

 

[losikid]

Skills required would be basic soldering skills (if you can solder a deans with a very small wire you should be good), basic fabrication skills (know how to use glue, exacto knife, and a dremel), and general common sense.

Tools required would be-exacto knife, hot glue gun, dremel, 15-30 watt soldering iron, solder, helping hands, straight edge (metal preferably, clean workspace, patience.

This radio will be ideal for a scaler which needs more than 3 channels but a 4pk is too pricey.

This radio will be completely computer programmable featuring

3 mixs or 1 if you use channels 5&6
trim on all 6 channels, physical trim pots on channels 1&2 for throttle and steering
Epa's on all 6 channels
virtually unlimited model memory
Channel reversing on all 6 channels
Dual rates on channel 1, 2 and 4, can be programmed to a switch
Also this was originally a airplane radio so throttle and pith curves are also programmable but i don't know how to work them.

Also it will have
frequency hopping 2.4ghz technology.
A 4 aa cell battery pack to keep weight to a minimum
and the nice ergonomics that got us started in rc the tq radio




Then i will have add-ons which will include
-4ws mod
-moa mod
-winch mod
-screen mod
-Different assortment of switches in case the basic kit doesn't come with what you want

for more info on these mods visit this THREAD

 

[losikid]

MOA Mod

Dual ESC Mod

The purpose of this mod is to unlock potential Dual Esc's have. All other pistol grip radios have limited Dual esc functions, mostly just a simple mix, and mix rate. What i have done is something a touch different but offers far more advantages than disadvantages compared to the traditional mix, and mix rate.

What this kit is designed to do is to allow the user to actively either overdrive or underdrive the rear axle (or slave motor) with a RTC (Return to Center) lever mounted in the handle grip (or where ever you want to put it). You can set the max percentage range it can overdrive/underdrive the rear axle in the radio programmer. I use about a 30% max range)

Now what it will also allow you to do is something unique thats is only seen on stick radios. By turning off the mix via switch, push button, or through the programmer; Will enable complete independent control of the front and rear axle at the same time. The RTC lever will become the control for just the rear axle at full range of movement, and the trigger will be just the front axle. The most common purpose of this is to either dig front or rear axle, how ever in a moderate skill level user you will be able to add umph here in there throughout a dig, or swap between digs very quickly to get through an obstacle, save roll over, etc. However in a advance user it is very possibly to go independent all the way through a tough area and have complete control of stall, traction, sliding, etc. The more and more i use it i find little tricks here in there and it will become a great benefit once comp time comes.

In simple words what the rtc stick does is when mixed it will vary the rear +/- a range between set percentage, i have it at +/-30%. So when the lever is centered the rear is mixed with the front 100%, when it is all the way up (or down) it will be 130% mix of the front, if it is all the way down (or up) it is 70% mix of the front. and mid way between full up and full down you get different percentages

Now when you push in that little blue button on the handle the trigger will only control the front, and the lever will only control the rear (I have it set at +/-100%, but can be adjusted), so you can have fully independent control of both the front and rear. So you can spin the front tires forward, and the back ones backwards at the same time and cause the judges to freak out. :mrgreen:

Here is a pic of my setup

and a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jfXD0sXLW8

Ok so the Dual ESC mod will Include a

-RTC lever (mini joystick)
-Push Button Switch
-joystick rev switch
-wire
-Instructions

 

[losikid]

4WS mod

The 4WS mod is basic 4ws setup, with front only, mix, crab, and rear only. I am however working on indepent control and proportional. How ever none of which has been test at this time. Its straight forward operation, just move the switch to where needed

Will Include a

-4 position rotary switch
-knob
-Wire
-trim pots
-Instructions

 

[losikid]

winch mod

As of now this is not tested, but it will be a rtc stick that will give you proportional speed control of your winch, if your winch controller will allow.

Will include

-rtc lever (mini Joystick)
-Trim pot

 

[losikid]

screen/pda mod

This mod will be to either A.) install a screen into your radio or B.) have a cord to allow a pda to program the radio.

this will give the advantages of being able to program your radio where-ever, and giving 1000's of model memory

This is still in the beta stage, possibly a few months or more out

 

[losikid]

1 cell lipo mod

This will be to operate the radio off a 1 cell lipo. It will have over charge protection and lvc, also it will have a built in usb charger.

This is still in the beta stage, may be a few months or more out.

 

[ZeeCrawler]

Awesome

Looks very interesting.......

 

[losikid]

OH! I forgot to mention, additional rx's are only like 15 bucks!!!:shock:

 

[ZeeCrawler]

Question

So do we have to supply the radio or do you supply it? Awesome if rx's are 15$ :mrgreen:

 

[losikid]

I will supply all the main stuff, as for the pistol grip housing, if you have one that would be great, i would just take $ off the final price, but i can find a pistol radio if needed.

 

[ZeeCrawler]

Touch Screen

Is there any way to move the bind button and put a touch screen there? Have you been able to test the android os stuff yet?

 

[losikid]

Nope haven't worked on the Android, but yes anything is possible, but it won't be easy to move the bind button

 

[ZeeCrawler]

Nope haven't worked on the Android, but yes anything is possible, but it won't be easy to move the bind button

Where would you put the screen?

 

[losikid]

well i've considered lots of places, theres a good chance it bottom like what you were saying, but the bind button wouldn't be relocated, the whole board would be. BUT when i do mine i most likely will do LOTS of plastic work and custom fab stuff and put it up top.

The screen mod is simple as in hooking it up, but making it functional and look nice is the hard part, almost just be easier to make a docking station for a pda, and Velcro it to the radio.

 

[ZeeCrawler]

If i bought a kit would you be willing to sell a screen and board..... I have experience with android rooting and hacking so i might be able to get that part. Thanks for the quick replies.

 

[losikid]

Well you will need a pda,

I am unsure on compatible pda's yet, so thats why i haven't released too much info. Oh but basically what the screen mod is, it taking a pda, strip off the plastic, and remount it inside the radio, then soldered onto the serial connection, taking it to a rs232 shifter (converting rs232 to ttl), then into the radios serial connection. Then whola a built in screen.

the program i will be using requires this

System Requirements:
-PocketPC 3.0 or higher PDA (NOT older Windows CE devices)
-Arm Processor (Ipaqs)
-I486 Intell Processor (Dells)
-PDA Serial Port (Ipaqs, Dells, not sure about the rest)
-PDA Serial Cable (Not USB)
-$15 DIY Custom Serial Cable (Build Log Starts about here )

Features:
-All the usual stuff
-3 Mixes
-Model Memory (400 bytes each) only limited by PDA memory
- My Ipaq 3650 has 20Mb free = thousands of models, YMMV


As for android, well um. I meant that as an app for a phone or android device, so you can plug your smart phone in to program your radio. But if you have experince with making android apps then this would be a nice little challenge. I can get the code and stuff thats used for the pda if you think you can translate it to android lingo.

 

[ZeeCrawler]

Well you will need a pda,

I am unsure on compatible pda's yet, so thats why i haven't released too much info. Oh but basically what the screen mod is, it taking a pda, strip off the plastic, and remount it inside the radio, then soldered onto the serial connection, taking it to a rs232 shifter (converting rs232 to ttl), then into the radios serial connection. Then whola a built in screen.

the program i will be using requires this

System Requirements:
-PocketPC 3.0 or higher PDA (NOT older Windows CE devices)
-Arm Processor (Ipaqs)
-I486 Intell Processor (Dells)
-PDA Serial Port (Ipaqs, Dells, not sure about the rest)
-PDA Serial Cable (Not USB)
-$15 DIY Custom Serial Cable (Build Log Starts about here )

Features:
-All the usual stuff
-3 Mixes
-Model Memory (400 bytes each) only limited by PDA memory
- My Ipaq 3650 has 20Mb free = thousands of models, YMMV


As for android, well um. I meant that as an app for a phone or android device, so you can plug your smart phone in to program your radio. But if you have experince with making android apps then this would be a nice little challenge. I can get the code and stuff thats used for the pda if you think you can translate it to android lingo.

I was just meaning if u just needed android loaded on the board or if you had a app..... I'm not that good to code something. I wish!!!

 

[ZeeCrawler]

Order

So can I get one of these now or do I have to wait? Also what is the range of this radio kit/system? Thanks

 

[losikid]

So can I get one of these now or do I have to wait? Also what is the range of this radio kit/system? Thanks

Well, I would like to either have a built order come in before i sell kits, because as of now i don't have instructions. Or if i get about 5 people(kits) wanting to order, i can order all those and a kit for myself and build a radio while it ships to you and i can write up the instructions.

What do you mean range? Like distance... If you mean distance, well its an, was, airplane radio so 100's of meters. if you need better data i can look it up.