Ok, here are some pics of the kit and other parts like the servo and the servo shaft extension.
First pic: this is the servo temp installed in my helmet using the small crews that came with the servo. This is just a quick install so I could see how the whole kit worked.
Second pic: This is how I have the stalk attached to the servo extension. I used a small socket head cap screw and drill and tapped the stalk. The stalk is an aluminum older asok one and if you look close you can see that there is a width difference about an inch up from the shaft extension. This is from when I first got the helmet (it didn't come with a good quality stalk) so I sanded down the stalk from my asok helmet so it would fit in the helmet's ear piece. The ear piece in the pic is not from the helmet, but a spare one I had the I had to dremel out because the set screw sticks out so much.
Third pic: This pic shows the size (width and height) of the servo controller and the transmitter that will go inside the gauntlet (the switches will be attached to the transmitter where the A-B buttons are).
Fourth pic:This one shows how high the servo controller board is. The pins sticking out of the bottom of the board will be cut down, so there will be only minimal amount of pins sticking through.
Fifth and sixth pics: These ones show the spline on the servo and the spline side of the shaft extension. The shaft extension slips over the servo spline and a long screw goes through the extension and screws into the servo spline to keep the extension from coming off.
Here are a few things about how the kit works. I set the servo to rotate when the down switch is pushed and will not move unless the up switch is pushed. If the stalk is down and the down switch is pushed, nothing happens. The same thing will happen if the up switch is pushed if the stalk is in the up position. The speed of the stalk is not configurable, unless I change the code for the micro-controller. Also when the system is turned on, the servo will remain in the up position unless the down switch is pressed. If the stalk is pushed or moved by other means than the gauntlet switch, it will try to resist that movement, which will cause the servo to hum.
The wireless system works on the 315Mhz band. The transmitter and receiver are not keyed to work only with each other. If someone has the same 315Mhz transmitter/receiver components and triggers the transmitter, the stalk may move.
The rotation start and stop positions are set my the micro-controller code, and tried to set them so it will stop at the exact spot where the servo will not keep trying to move the stalk to reach the embedded stop position; meaning that the stalk will stop right at the top of the ear piece and the 3 o'clock position and not make any humming noise, which means that the servo is trying to move to or maintain a specific position.
I am trying to make this kit as user friendly as possible, but due to the several different helmet versions and manufacturers, I will not be providing any parts other than what comes with the servo, to attach the servo to the helmet.
I am still trying to decide the best and easiest way to attach the servo to the stalk. The set screw method I used is fairly easy, but I ahve access to tools like drills and taps to thread the hole in the stalk. I have another idea, but I have to wait for the part to get here to see if it is feasible as an attachment method.
As for the kit, here is what I plan on including (unless I say that it is still under review):
Hitec HS-77BB low profile servo
4-AA battery pack with on/off switch
Servo controller board with controller and wireless receiver installed
Servo shaft extension (unless another method is decided on)
Wireless transmitter with 2 Alco MPA106F momentary switches installed (not sure if these are the exact model used in the movies, but they look exactly the same.)
Now for the price. I haven't settled on a definite price due to the attachment method still being decided on, but as it stands now it looks like the entire kit will run $175 plus shipping. I know it is a bit much, but the servo is a quality servo (not a cheap ebay one) and the alco switches are close to $20 each.
Since this kit works by using a micro controller, it is possible to change the code that runs it. I have the original code and as of now I don't want to give it out. If for some reason the controller needs to be reloaded, I am sure something can be worked out. I know it seems like a jerk move, but I worked really hard on it and I just don't want to give it away just yet.
As of now I will not be providing an enclosure for the controller board, but that is something that I may do in the future.
The boards I have right now are version 1, they work but I may do a few tweaks like add some identification to the connections and maybe make the board a little smaller (around 1/4 of an inch width wise) by moving the components around.
Sorry this post has gone on for so long, I just want to put everything on the table so there are no surprises. Now I am asking for some feedback on this kit and ideas on how it could be improved. I have a few ideas about making it better, but that is for another post at another time lol.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your feedback.
JC
