Servo tester

I am sure this was an RCM and e project with a free PCB board on the cover.

I will hunt down the article and PCB board.

This tester is one I knocked up, which works.

More info to follow...

I made a super simple one using a PIC from Phil Green on his single channel vintage website. It does a really good cycle simulating all the real world situations and properly works a servo, it runs for an hour then shuts off and it can be modified to run a bank of servos. The single one is teeny so I carry it when I go to shows or the model shop so I can test them in front of the seller.
Scroll about half way down to watch the Video. His website might also interest you if your into vintage gear.
You may even find an idea for your non computer 2.4 gig Tx on there.

Yes, Arduino these days, pics just becoming cheap in 90's but kit needed for programming, no internet computer then or now.

Made my tester way way way back then. Will have a look see about 2.4 convertionng, would Bmfa insurance etc apply to a home made tx.

27meg is am, 35meg is FM...2.4 one hell of a leap from 35meg.

He sells the PIC pre-programmed.
I don't know the answer to BMFA insurance on homemade gear but they insure for homemade models! What's the difference? You'll have to ask someone like Andy Symonds of the BMFA, he'll give you a definitive answer.
Yep 2.4gig is a huge leap which generates pages and pages of posts from confused modelers asking about compatibility, protocol types, problems with binding, updating firmware....... ad infinitum. Never got that with 35meg.

Servo testers, couple of quid on e-bay.
You can drive three servos at once, and either have them go to centre, cycle end to end continually, or 'follow the knob'.
Runs on a 4 cell nimh flight pack.

The Ebay servo tester can also run an ESC and be powered by the ESC so can be used to test a motor.

I have 3 of them!

The ready made ones are all well and good (I've got one myself) but where's the fun and satisfaction in buying one? How many times have we seen posts harking on about the throwaway society, that no-one makes or repairs things anymore, that kids aren't being taught manual skills or "What happened to the E in RCM&E?"
We can buy just about anything ready made now including our models so why even build when we don't have to?
I want a power panel that doesn't drop the plug volts when I use a starter, there are ready made compensating panels available for not too much money but I'm going to make one and customise it to suit my requirements, it may be cheaper, it may be more expensive or it may break even but It'll be my work, I'll learn along the way, my skills will get better and it will be made to suit me.

I had a quick look on eBay and yes, several seen at cheap cheap prices.

Most likely board and components will work out more expensive than a ready made unit, with more functions, but I made mine many many years ago.

Modern times and the power of China.
Maybe with shortages of balsa, it's time to go for ready made electric foamy !

Rich griff wrote: I had a quick look on eBay and yes, several seen at cheap cheap prices.

Most likely board and components will work out more expensive than a ready made unit, with more functions, but I made mine many many years ago.

When you build the stuff yourself it works out more expensive initially because we have to buy in quantities but If you add up the cost of the actual components used it'll be pennies, the extras can be used later to reduce the cost of the next project until you're actually building projects at cost without any form of labour payment, nothing ready made will be cheaper than that.

Yes, I agree - BUT -
there's a caveat - most simple circuits can be built on veroboard (if you can find any) using components on wire legs (if you can find the ones you want in the ratings you want). I used to get them from Maplin, but they have gone. You CAN buy from RS, Electrovalue, etc, but they usually have a minimum requirement of ten of whatever - AND a small order charge - plus VAT - plus p+p.
but
Most modern circuitry is designed for surface-mount components, on pre-designed boards. You CAN make your own, if you have the kit - etching baths, etc - but more complex circuits become impractical, due to component density - needing micro-surgery techniques to build them, and magnifying lenses to even SEE the darned things!
Yes, you can get the satisfaction of knowing that YOU made that, AND you know how it works - but could you build a computer? I don't mean plug in ready-made bits, build it from scratch?
Don't forget - modern electronic devices are not on a single layer board, with components on both sides, but are multi-layered, like plywood, all with their own printed-circuitry 'wiring' that is next to impossible to follow, to trace a fault - and with plated-through 'holes' connected to one or more of the internediate layers, you cannot tell what is connected to what, or where. And that's not counting the 'mother' and 'daughter' boards that are revealed when you take the 'lid' off something.
Then, on top of that - you often find that you need various pieces of test equipment, which are not readily available to the GBP, if at all, so you have to make that first, then you need the test gear to set up the test gear!
-
You have to consider the work involved, before you start, and if the end product justifies the outlay - especially as you are probably only going to make one.
You can spend years building your latest gadget, only to find that some Eurasian firm has beaten you to it, and is selling ready-mades THAT WORK, for a few dollars.
-
Now - to bring this back to our own hobby - but expanding beyond servo testers -
Are you going to wind your own motors FOR the servo's? Are you going to manufacture your own gear-trains, cases and plugs? Are you going to make your own electrical components?
Yes, you CAN build your own r/c transmitter, if you want, but the rf stages - by law - have to be pre-manufactured, tested, and certified that they comply with correct frequency operation, and spurious radiation limits.

Veroboard is freely and widely available so 'through hole' components are more than adequate unless you really are pressed for space or you're trying to emulate a mass produced product in cosmetics and aesthetics. Surface mounted components on printed boards are for when you need to replace components on that board so not necessary for home builds. It's more about building something to suit your individual needs, something that isn't available to buy because the market doesn't make it cost effective, just doing it for the enjoyment or just having something that nobody else does.

This was an RCM and e article and free PCB board from memory. 1980's may be 1990's

Been trying to find the mag and oe PCB board, found the found plan in the process, wtf did I hide the balsa ?

Hurrah, found the balsa and 2 free plans I have been looking for.
Still to find the mag with the servo tester article in it, but closer to actually doing some model making stuff.

Eric wrote: Yes, I agree - BUT -
there's a caveat - most simple circuits can be built on veroboard (if you can find any) using components on wire legs (if you can find the ones you want in the ratings you want). I used to get them from Maplin, but they have gone. You CAN buy from RS, Electrovalue, etc, but they usually have a minimum requirement of ten of whatever - AND a small order charge - plus VAT - plus p+p.
but
Most modern circuitry is designed for surface-mount components, on pre-designed boards. You CAN make your own, if you have the kit - etching baths, etc - but more complex circuits become impractical, due to component density - needing micro-surgery techniques to build them, and magnifying lenses to even SEE the darned things!
Yes, you can get the satisfaction of knowing that YOU made that, AND you know how it works - but could you build a computer? I don't mean plug in ready-made bits, build it from scratch?
Don't forget - modern electronic devices are not on a single layer board, with components on both sides, but are multi-layered, like plywood, all with their own printed-circuitry 'wiring' that is next to impossible to follow, to trace a fault - and with plated-through 'holes' connected to one or more of the internediate layers, you cannot tell what is connected to what, or where. And that's not counting the 'mother' and 'daughter' boards that are revealed when you take the 'lid' off something.
Then, on top of that - you often find that you need various pieces of test equipment, which are not readily available to the GBP, if at all, so you have to make that first, then you need the test gear to set up the test gear!
-
You have to consider the work involved, before you start, and if the end product justifies the outlay - especially as you are probably only going to make one.
You can spend years building your latest gadget, only to find that some Eurasian firm has beaten you to it, and is selling ready-mades THAT WORK, for a few dollars.
-
Now - to bring this back to our own hobby - but expanding beyond servo testers -
Are you going to wind your own motors FOR the servo's? Are you going to manufacture your own gear-trains, cases and plugs? Are you going to make your own electrical components?
Yes, you CAN build your own r/c transmitter, if you want, but the rf stages - by law - have to be pre-manufactured, tested, and certified that they comply with correct frequency operation, and spurious radiation limits.

Eric

I feel that your comments whilst may having an element of truth are rather defeatist and certainly not in the spirit of Aeromodelling.

The knowledge gained in a project like building the servo tester may take Rich on to greater things.

Equally I have also felt the frustration that STF finds with power panels to the extent that to this day I still use a separate glow battery. I will be interested to see his work on that project.

Barrie

I'll be building this one Barrie, with Veroboard and through hole components.