Headlight on new Tiger 1

[Dennis Jones]

Having just sorted out the electronics for someone on a newly built Tiger (just about to start building mine) I noticed a working headlight in the kit the bulb is a normal bulb (not led) and is 12 volts so in order to use it from 24 volts you need to put another 12 volt bulb in series with it and use the latter as a rear light. I used the third switched channel on the aux module, the tx channel just needs to a switched one not proportional, the receiver connection goes to socket D on aux module page 9 in manual. Then the connections for the headlight go to pins A & B on the aux module page 9 in manual. You will have to solder a general purpose diode in one of the leads as the output of the module is A = - & B = + 24volts and when switched goes to A = + & B = - 24 volts, it doesn't matter which lead or which way round the diode goes the on/off positions will just change, if you want them reversed just swap the leads over on the aux module A&B. Or you can use the firing unit connections on the aux module as this is now redundant, the receiver input is plug C on page 8 of manual and the output will be the yellow and white wires on the plugs on the left hand side of the unit as this is just 24 volts on/off so it doesn't need a diode.

Dennis.

[Andrea Daviero]

In my halftrack I use warm white 5mm ultrabright leds, they have almost the same light of a bulb with less power consuption and can be easily adapted to any voltage. It could be attached for example to a programmed output of the benedini sound board and controlled with it. It only needs the correct resistor.
But your method will work very well.

[phil fitzpatrick]

Thanks for that Dennis,
I hadnt got round to checking whether it was Led or bulb.
I have posted this Link befor,I will use one of their radio relays.
http://www.active-robots.com/rc
They do a 1 amp and a 10 amp rario control relay,just plugs straight into your
receiver and asign a switch in the radio then use 12 volt from one battery.
Cheers
Phil

[Andrea Daviero]

Unless you charge the 2 batteries separately or in parallel (12 V), it is a bad thing to use one battery for lamps and then charge the batteries together in series (24V). The risk is the same for the lipos batteries, connecting 2 batteries in series you are doing a single battery with 2 cells, each battery is a cell, they must not be discharged or charged over the limits or they will be damaged.
Now, using numbers as examples (I don't know lead acid battery limits) we have a 24V 10Ah battery with a discharge limit of 14V, overcharge limit of 29. Now, the battery is made with 2 12V 10Ah batteries in series, this means that a single and same current pass into them during the charge progress.
Now, you discharge one of them by attaching lamps, we will have something like:
11V for one battery (7Ah remaining), 8V for the other (1Ah remaining), this means 19V total. The charger will start to charge and looks for voltage to become higher until it reaches the "charged" value.
It will start to charge, after 3 amps hour one of the battery is fully charged, the other is at 4Ah, the voltage is high on one battery, still low on the other one. After few time one will pass the voltage limit and the other one will be not fully charged.
At the end of the charging process you have a 7Ah battery, a bit hot, with a decreased life, charged battery, and the other at 4,5Ah, not fully charged.
This condition will give you only 4,5Ah of usage for the model, always if you don't use the lights, if you use more that battery, your time will decrease more. And, this will increase the unbalance. More unbalance you have, less battery life and less power you will have.
In a series connection, use both batteries together add a voltage regulator to have 12, 5 or what you want, or, at least, charge the batteries in parallel connection or separately(it is always better)
Hope this helps.

[Dennis Jones]

I agree with that Andrea. That why I suggested putting it in series with another bulb to use the 24 volts or as you say a 12 regulator. Also I noticed the lens did not appear to want to come off so changing to led not an option, I must admit I didn't try too hard as it wasn't mine.

Dennis.