Probs with robot

envy hasnt been doing well with cutting out problems i have been having. this morning we drove it around the garage without a fault. the flipper was open. when the flipper is shut it starts cutting out like a good un. i have been using battle switches but will swap to others for next event. any other ideas of the cause would be cool thanks. oh its a spektrum dx6 with br6ooo reciever. i didnt think i would get intereference with spekky but something is wrong. i have a new reciever which i will try later. and mabee rebinding it too.

thanks for the votes

shane

I had similar problems using a battle switch with a BR6000 in hornet operating the disc. Im not sure if its the same problem but the battleswitch would twitch on and off. Cant remember who it was but someone suggested using a dedicated BEC along with the battleswitch (I was previously just using the BEC from an electronize) and it worked fine.

I have also heard of using a failsafe such as an FS1 in between the battleswitch and Rx but I cant tell you if this will work.

Bit of experimentation in order!

http://www.technobots.co.uk/discus/messages/7/2262.html?1216822758http://www.technobots.co.uk/discus/m...tml?1216822758

The simplest solution is to replace the Battle Switch / Pico with another make / model ...rather than chasing about trying to find the cause.

I finally solved my Pico switch probs but it took a lot of faffing around.

I dont know much about this but if you use spectrum they can use a lot of BEC power because Spectrum have 2 receivers.
So if you are using the BEC from the speed controller there may not be enough power to operate the receiver and the relay reliably it may be worth trying a separate BEC unit to power the receiver separately.
Question did this start when you changed the speed controller?

yes it started when i changed the wotty. ian said exactly that craig and thinks the wotty isnt providing enough power for the reciever and 2 battle switches. lots to experiment with tho but i think i will purchase some ian watts switches to go with the wotty. ahh the joys of electrics

also try re binding the spectrum, Clive had a similar problem at the UK champs

Have you got diodes across the coils on the valves? This plays havoc with a Vantec if not, maybe the same with a Wotty.

Alan, yes it does cause the wotty to trip out for a second or two.

i dont have diodes across the coils on the valves. a seperate supply would solve it i guess but i dont want to go down that route. lots of testing out to do thanks for your input guys

I have this problem with the wotty too. After firing the weapon the robot stops for a second and then moves again. Will try a seperate battery on the rx.

let us know your findings please suren :)

http://www.bcae1.com/relays.htmhttp://www.bcae1.com/relays.htm

scroll down for Quenching Diodes

Suran, wouldnt recommend that, I had a separate BEC as well as the wotty, it blew the 12V ciruit on the wotty.

the battle switches were the problem in the end. unplugged there wasnt a problem but plugged in the robot was cutting out really bad. i believe ian watts might have a solution so will be ringing tomorrow. what do others use to switch their weapons. would be interested in what iron awe uses cos they run wotty.

On Meggamouse the weapon switch is one of the small servos you get with the Spektrum, tripping a microswitch. Crude, but you dont get spikes going back into the wotty BEC, and dropping the voltage across the reciever.

Trev

how is thr servo powered trev?

off the spectum just plug it in on a channel

Just a thought Shane, may be worth your while checking with Ian if the wottys on board BRC can be disabled and then fit one of these...
http://www.dimensionengineering.com/ParkBEC.htmhttp://www.dimensionengineering.com/ParkBEC.htm
I have found that most controllers with on-board BECs cant produce more than 100ma @ 5V, Your RX will pull around 70-80ma then your battle switches pull 30ma each (it dont take much to get to 100ma!)
I use them in all my machines and being rated at 1A+ it could quite happily run the RX plus any number of battle switches you may wish to add at once with no probs!!!
The one in P.I.T.A runs the TX, 2 battle switches, mixer board, logic side of 2 Victors giro, giro switch and it doesnt even get warm!
I swear by them.

http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/discus/messages/15/13522.html#POST105100http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/disc...tml#POST105100

The Spektrum RX may already be stressing the BEC beyond the 100mA limit.
BUT ..If Trev and others using a Wooty and running a servo off the RX via onboard BEC then it probably isnt a supply current draw prob....you could test that by replacing the battle switch with a servo ...NO need for the addition of a micro switch ...and see if its the extra load sods things up.


(Message edited by woody on December 07, 2008)

Theyre the ones we have been using recently, its small enough to mount inside the speed controller and solder the input connectors directly onto the main board for great reliability and its all hidden away.

Swanny - when I contacted Ian about the wotty I asked if the BEC could handle the RX and a servo and was told no problem.

The servo is driven from the RX in the normal way, so might be worth doing Woodys test. If it is aok it might be worth copying my setup.

Trev

trev i have spoken to mr watts and he can make me an interface to do the job. if there is any probs with it then i will copy your setup cos it works. thanks for the help anyway. will ring you soon.

Ive had issues with the BEC on my scorpion, I dont think its providing enough power for the RX. I will soon be switching from a 40MHz futaba to a Spektrum with an AR500. Should I keep the BEC or try another way ?

Dave,
Id suggest buying the BEC recommended by Geoff.

Hey

With that BEC, do the 2 free wires go to the robots power lines, or to something else ? Im not certian how it works.

My RC wiring is going to be a mess, with a gyro, gyro switch, BEC and Y lead (so I can turn off the gyro and invert the controls in one motion)

Yep Dave, the red and brown wires are the supply for the BEC.

Hi all,

Just thought I could add something to this discussion.

The Wotty has a 1 amp regulator powering the 5 Volt rail. The Wotty uses about 300 mA of this for itself which leaves about 700mA for extras. However, the heatsink on the 5 volt regulator is small so if you draw more than about 200ma it will overheat and shut down the Wotty and stay that way until it has cooled down.
If you are experiencing cut outs of less than 20 seconds then its not the internal BEC in the Wotty. The thermal time constant means itll shut down for at least this long.

So I guess Ill have to announce the new line of Wotty extras. The Wotty Interface Controller (WIC)
These are about £35 and are custom made to order, Just let me know what you require and Ill program the PIC to your needs.

All the very best,

Ian Watts

well there you go ian i was going to do that for you but you beat me to it.

i will put up a report on the wic when its fitted and working. its looks very well made bout the size of an electronise and in a nice matching case to match the wotty. looks very easy to install and the bonus which i think is great is the remote kill for it too so arming up weapons will no longer be any danger at all for me. this will solve envys cutting out probs and will be back good and proper shortly........i hope :)

just 1 other thing too which is nice..... both wires from my valve plug direct into the WIC so even easier wiring. 24v also plugs direct into the WIC too. :) mabee thats 2 things