RS Zip Zap Mini RC RF Servo Tutorial

Hi Jwinnington. I would guess that with your electronics stored in the helmet, you may be better off than I am. I have a solid aluminum stalk, a custom made topper with a solid clear piece, plus the circuit board, lights, and one watch battery in the topper, so I'm maxed out ! One thing to do that will save you a little agony is just to test it before you go through work of installing it. Just assemble it all and give it a test run, that's when I found out that my servo was to weak. One of my R2 builder buddies had a neat idea, to put a counter-weight on the opposite end of the stalk, but in the helmet.

You've got the stalk, and the hole where the bolt or whatever goes through, well, you would attach a weight on the opposite side from where the stalk is. In theory, this would go up as the stalk comes down. As the stalk starts to raise, the weight of the counter-weight would maybe assist the servo a bit. Credit for that idea goes to Jon Stokes of the R2 builders Group. I'm not in a rush to fix mine as I sort of enjoy not having to deal with more batteries, more things to worry about, but I'm sure I'll give in and start shopping for a better servo that will fit. Plus, I'm an ESB Fett and the gauntlets aren't as convenient for storing the remote as the ROTJ gauntlets are.

I may even have to get a new stalk system that's lighter.
 
I have my bucket loaded up as it is. I will try to organize it a little better now with the servo coming in. I bought the Radio Shack amp after the newton, as the newton was way to big and I didn't like the fact my voice was coming from my crotch area. I mounted two little speakers aiming down from inside either cheek but people still had trouble hearing me outside. So i dropped the speakers down into my neck seal and it works great but it a real hassle to pull my bucket off to get a drink. I have two computer fans on either side with batteries. One sucks the air in and the other blows it out. I also use the Radio Shack hearing amp. I mounted it in my front right thigh pocket and sewed the wire up on the inside of the flight suit which goes to an ear piece so now I can hear over my fans and its at the right height for the kids to be of value. No more running over little children. I think the problem of space in my helmet could be overcome by a single, replaceable power source. I have 5 9 volts batteries now and more to come with the servo. My electronics knowledge is limited as it is but if anyone could come up with a design to run everything we need in our helmets off one type of battery. That would be awesome! And like you say Timmer and i believe.........A solution will present itself

On the other, The solid clear resin block i guess we'll call it. bobamaker made his with this reflective green stripping located on the back and I think if I was to power up 2 red and 1 green LEDs that that would give the look of an active RF. kind of how the night-vision goggles glowed back in the face of the user ever so slightly. Your idea of a hollow clear resin piece would work the best as there would be no weight issue. If you do it, try to add the green glow. A movie shot of the RF in action would have been great though. I ordered the servo and the car yesterday so i am on my way.
 
I am having a hard time soldering the wires to the remote board. I got the zip zap model and its not quite the same layout as the one you put in your post. I can get the car from your link but will it be easier to get together? The car layout wasn't the same either. i believe i messed up somewhere.
 
first of all hi, i have been off these boards for a long time. i put one of these in my boba helmet years ago. but i'm wanting to use this app. for a totally different project . i am wondering about the servo itself. is this particular one on this thread a realy slow moving servo. I need to find one that is the slower the better. I am going to use this app. for a remote control focus puller for my video camera. thanks , cory
 
Great tutorial! Boba could go into battle with that almost! Not only is it creative, it's very electronically detailed and properly done. You used heat shrink tubing which is fine, I just hope others in the future know of a good supplier, with good PFA Properties, which means it will be vibration resistant and chemically inert, is Fluorotherm.com
 
the mhz is the channel the signal is on
27 or 49mhz
is someone else is using the same signal channel hehe well you will know

also I found micro rc trucks at Bi-Mart for $8 in Oregon
 
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hmm the cars I got take 3 AA bats so I know I should use 3 AA for the remote control switches but as for the receiver board and servo should I use 4 AA or will that fry the receiver board?
 
Okay from reading through this thread I understand that the controller board is removed out of the servo. But, if you are buying a servo that has a 90 degree control board in it, is it necessary to remove it? Can't you splice into the controller board with the board out of the rc?
 
Hi,

I´ve read this great tutorial, and I just want to try it on my helmet. Now I´m looking for a servo motor which will work and drive the stalk. Works the Hitec HS 77-bb well? then I look to get it in Germany. I´ve thought about to use this servo controller. What do you think will it work?

Greetings
Jack
 
Wow!!! That is a great tutorial you pur together. Also reading through this thread, I see there are a lot of very knowledgeable members providing encouragement and suggestions to the succesful implementation of this project. Great work!! I look forward to learning from all my fellow members so I too can build a quality Fett suit.

Frank
 
crow86 said:
Servo Shaft Attachment (.250")
Here's the one that you will need
Click to expand...


THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

okay one last question for the peanut gallery.

Its been a few years since this thread started. the only ZipZaps i can find are on eBay for way too much money. Does anyone know where i can find fairly priced ones? Or a different type of RC car with a similar style of transmitter/reciever board? I bought the newer small RC car from radio shack the other day but the boards are entirely different. I have pretty much 0 experience with circuitry and wires so I was hoping I could find something that this tutorial would work on.
 
I have it all built up but I have a question about soldering the switches to the control pads and in the pictures all of the soldering is under the glue.

I'm pretty sure I did it correct (in concept) but the buttons didn't end up working. I just want to see if I'm just terrible at soldering or if I'm terrible at reading directions.

It is one switch per pad right? Like red button for top pad and black button for bottom pad? Or is it like a half and half thing? I'm as electronically inclined as a koala bear and I just want to make sure I'm doing it right.
 
Post up some pics of your circuit board and wiring. I have mine set as one switch per direction. So the up direction on the circuit is on one switch to raise the RF and the down direction to lower it.
 
crow86 said:
Okay from reading through this thread I understand that the controller board is removed out of the servo. But, if you are buying a servo that has a 90 degree control board in it, is it necessary to remove it? Can't you splice into the controller board with the board out of the rc?
Click to expand...

did you find out if this was necessary or not? I'm curious.
 
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