Need assistance

[steve pataki]

Hi all .

I need some advice / information . Please . I have the latest motion packs for the Tiger . What is the jack plug in socket on the recoil module for ? And where can I pick up a constant 3 to 3 1/2 volt source to run a LED from . Thank you for any information .

Steve .

[Adrian Harris]

The jack plug in the side of the recoil module is used to load the program code into the PIC microprocessor during construction at the factory. It's not needed after that.

For an LED, you just need to work out the current limiting resistor value for any voltage supply, rather than providing a fixed voltage.

The formula is: (supply voltage - forward voltage) / supply current.

So for an LED with a forward voltage of 2V and needing a supply current of 10mA, these are the values for various voltages:

5V supply: ( 5 - 2) / 0.02 = 150 ohms
12V supply: (12 - 2) / 0.02 = 500 ohms
24V supply: (24 - 2) / 0.02 = 1100 ohms

Hope this helps.

Adrian.

[steve pataki]

Hi Adrian.

Thanks for your reply.Though it does not help much as I am just this side of an idiot when it comes to electronics.I also burnt the bulb in the supplied head light.Now need a new bulb.I would apriciate it if you could explain how/what I need to do to get both lights hooked up and under radio control.

Thank again very much!
Steve
p/s all colored leds I have seem to like around 3 1/2 volts or so.

[Adrian Harris]

To switch the lights from the transmitter you need a radio controlled switch. There are plenty out there - this is one example:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbycity/stor ... oduct=8833

This comes with a wiring diagram:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbycity/stor ... switch.jpg

If you look at the top picture, and forget about the BEC as that is done by the Armortek electronics, you can see you have a fairly basic battery, load, switch circuit.

Your load is the LEDs, plus their current limiting resistors. The battery is your power source. If you use the 24V which is running the tank, you will need 1100 ohm resistors in each LED. If you use a separate 12V battery, you will need 500 ohm resistors.

The thing with LEDs is that they are not bulbs but semiconductor junctions, so a small increase in voltage across them can lead to a catastrophic increase in current through them. Even going a small amount over their rated voltage will dramatically reduce their service life.

Adrian.

[steve pataki]

Hi Adrian

Thank you very much for your reply,it helps me better.I was just hoping there would have been an easy built in way to do it.I found a 24 volt general purpose relay in my vast piles of junk.So I think I can energize it using one of the two 24v switched outputs on the auxilery module,and use a seperate battery to power the lights.

Thanks again.

Steve

[Adrian Harris]

If you have the Armortek Auxiliary module, you could use the switched supply for the firing unit, which is channel 5 on a standard setup.

Then all you would need is the right resistors for the LEDs.

You could also use what is referred to as the "third switched channel connection" in the manual, but I'm not sure how that is to be wired up, and you would probably need to use a Y splitter to make the connection to the receiver.

Adrian.

[Brown Hawkins]

Steve,
Check my thread here:

http://www.armortek.co.uk/Forum3b/viewt ... 0&start=90

Scroll to the bottom of the page and it continues to the top of the next. These are techniques and setups from the forum. I think it covers some what you are doing, is fairly simple, and shouldn't compromise your bulbs or LEDs.

Brown

[steve pataki]

Hi Brown

Thanks very much for the info.Did not know those switches existed.Looks much easier to do than what I am attempting.I try to do with what junk I have lying around.Plus I was trying to power the bulbs with electricity already on board.So what I will have is my relay energised from the output off the auxilery module to supply separate battery power to the lights.Should work ok.

Thanks again!

Steve.

[steve pataki]

Hi Adrian.

Thanks for replying .I wondered what that other lead was for.The output to right of that on the aux module is a polarity reversing switch. This is the one I will use to energize the relay.And since I will use separate battery power that is how I will control the voltage. Also can hardly wait for the fan control unit!

Thanks again.

Steve

[Dennis Jones]

Steve,

Don't forget if you are going to use the 3rd channel output to energise your relay you will need to put a diode in series with the leads to the relay otherwise the relay will be energised all the time. If you don't want to bother with that then you would be better off using the blank firing output (they are the yellow and white wires going to the turret harness) also don't forget the relay needs to be 24 volts.

Dennis.

[steve pataki]

Hi Dennis.

Thank you for the reply.I stayed up way too late last night working on the lights and it worked as I hoped and planned.The output I used is controled via rotory knob on the transmitter.If I center the knob the relay is de-energized.Rotating it either way engages it.The relay is a 24v DC unit salvaged from an industrial truck at my work.

I have been enjoying your Tiger build posts.Your counter balance idea got me thinking,(this area does need a little help).When I get to that point,I'm going to try a helper spring arrangement.

Thanks again!

Steve

[Dennis Jones]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the kind comments. If you use diodes in the leads you would be able to control 2 functions from your rotary pot channel. Centre off and 1 function at each end of the pot. If you would like further info let me know. I am using this system on my Tiger to control lights and smoker as I have a 3 pos switch on 3 of my channels on my Spektrum which you can program to various limits.

Dennis

[steve pataki]

Hi Dennis

Thanks!Just when I thought I had all the controls how I wanted them,you have me wanting r/c smoke! I know only one circut at time would be used on that channel.And I know that diodes are one way electric gate ,I don't know what type/size or where to buy them.And my Armoretek supplied Futaba T7C is smarter than I am and more complicated than my old Futada 4 channel Attack used for my old Tamiya Tiger. So any guidence would be welcomed and appriciated.

Thanks again!

Steve

[Adrian Harris]

> Just when I thought I had all the controls how I wanted them,you have me wanting r/c smoke!

Once you have my fan control module wired in, the fan will be controlled through the sound card, so you don't need another channel to switch it, unless you also want to control the power to the element

I use a separate power switch inside the tank to control the smoke heating element, so I can run the tank without the additional battery drain of the smoke system.

Adrian.

[steve pataki]

Hi Adrian .

Thanks for that tip about the control module.I can hardly wait to receive it.Since on the stock set up the switch only cuts power to the element anyway,I would like to make it remote also.

I know this transmitter has a mixing function,do you or any body else know if it is possible to set it up for one stick travel control so as to leave the other stick open to control the machine gun using two servos?

Thanks to all!

Steve.