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Subject: Adding Radio/Remote Control to a Accucraft 4-4-0

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AussieDriver User is Offline

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10/14/2008 12:44 AM
G'day all, I have finally made the decision to buy my first live steam loco. I now need to add radio control to my Accucraft 4-4-0. I will need to have the radio set so it will comply with the standards here in Australia. I do not know if the servos here are much different, just the frequencies. Now comes the request for info & parts. What do I need to mount the servos, battery and receiver pack? How is it all put together? Can any one come up with a supplier for the mounting parts? And do they supply the instructions on how to install it all? I would need every thing but the radio gear I guess. Unless they can supply it to meet the radio standards for Australia. The servos can be attached to any type of radio control set up, can’t they?? Thanks for your help in advance, Grant

JEFF RUNGE User is Offline

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10/14/2008 7:11 AM
Check the Spektrum. radio systems.

Pete Thornton User is Offline

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10/14/2008 7:33 AM
Posted By AussieDriver on 10/14/2008 12:44 AM G'day all, I have finally made the decision to buy my first live steam loco. I now need to add radio control to my Accucraft 4-4-0. I will need to have the radio set so it will comply with the standards here in Australia. I do not know if the servos here are much different, just the frequencies. Now comes the request for info & parts. What do I need to mount the servos, battery and receiver pack? How is it all put together? Can any one come up with a supplier for the mounting parts? And do they supply the instructions on how to install it all? I would need every thing but the radio gear I guess. Unless they can supply it to meet the radio standards for Australia. The servos can be attached to any type of radio control set up, can’t they?? Grant, I'm afraid I don't know of any 'kits' for doing the job. There is a gentleman advertising a metal frame with two servos atttached that fits in a "Ruby" cab, but it fills the space and I'm not sure it will work in a 4-4-0. I get my servos and parts from the local aircraft/car radio control hobby store. Servocity (http://www.servocity.com/) is also a source, as they stock chain and other useful but hard-to-find parts. Do a search of this "Live Steam" forum and you'll find lots of threads by folk describing how they did it. The usual way is to mount a sub-micro servo on the cab floor in front or behind the reversing lever to push/pull the lever via a small piece of piano or other stiff wire. The bolt that is on the lever for the indent can be used to attach it. The servo can be mounted with a couple of long bolts. The current favoured practice for the throttle is to use a 1/8" chain drive from a servo mounted in the cab roof. The chain lets you adjust the amount of movement by varying the size of the sprockets. [Servocity has the parts.] Most Accucraft locos don't actually need more than 1/4 turn on the throttle - you'll have to experiment with yours. As you can guess, there's a lot of drilling and cutting needed, so having some tools will help. There's a few wires to run from the servos to the receiver. I put my receiver in the tender when I did the C-16, and I used servo extension leads in the tender to connect to the wires from the servos in the cab. I documented my r/c work on the C-16 for "Steam in the Garden" magazine. Email me if you want a copy of the article and photos. Final comment - many of us are now using the Spektrum DX6 system, which is digital and uses wifi frequencies, so it probably isn't subject to aussie rules. It is essentially glitch free and gives you lots of options.

Dwight Ennis User is Offline

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10/14/2008 7:43 AM
Here's a post from the archives on how I added R/C to a C-21, and a later post on how I upgraded the throttle to a chain and sprocket drive and improved the reversing servo linkage. This has pretty much become my standard installation technique as it works well and the parts are easy to fabricate. Use high torque servos and make sure you adjust the end points so there's no buzzing of the servos or they will burn out in short order. I've since gone with a Spektrum, so as a general rule, the receiver is now small enough to fit in the cab with the servos. I put the battery in the tender and run an extension cable from the battery input on the Rx. I now usually eliminate the on/off switch and simply unplug the battery to turn off the system in the loco. Hope this is helpful.

Dwight Ennis Milpitas, CA SA #21 http://www.SantaCruzLumberCo.com

Taperpin

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10/14/2008 2:53 PM
Grant, I can give you advise on mount brackets whcih clamp direct to the throttle body for the servo..the spektrum is good idea.. as because of the small market Imorters of r/C [hitec.Futaba} do not import 2 stick sets in the legal frequency for use here you wont find them in hobby shops. email me or call Gordon Watson.[argyle]

jeckardt

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10/17/2008 1:48 PM
Gordon, I'm also in the process of adding R/C to my 4-4-0. (Using a Spektrum... absolutely the best for live steam.) Would you be willing to share your throttle mount bracket suggests here? Thanks, Joe

Joe Eckardt Beaverton, OR, USA SA #57

thespottedcat User is Offline

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10/17/2008 2:30 PM
Grant, There is also RCS down in VIC. I've got one in my steamer and have been using it without any problems for the past few years. Tony has a setup just for live steam locos, worth checking out. The transmitter is the size of a pack of smokes, which I prefer to the big TX's He design and builds them in AU so they are legit. There are some sample installs on his web site that give you an idea about how it goes together. Web site is www.rcs-rs.com All the best Stan in Syd

Taperpin

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10/17/2008 3:33 PM
Joe , I do not have scanner or drawing capabiltiy on computers..but I can email you apicture if you email me privately. The mount clamps on the throttle body whcih is neat and keeps the cab floor free of clutter.. one point that may not be obvious is that the tender body holds water .. the whole tender body! it must be removed and the bottom plate cut out on one side to accomodate batteries rec etc..a small water bath for the gas tank can then be made to fit inside the Tender well to carry the heat sink water.. gordon.

Kovacjr

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Lakewood NJ
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10/20/2008 3:09 PM
Here is the photo from Gordon on the throttle servo setup. If you have access to a mill then this setup would be the best for keeping the cab cleaner. Here is what I did on my K28 for the Throttle with the plastic chain drive from Servo City. The sproket on the throttle assembly is JB welded on then drilled and pinned so it wont break free. Just be sure on the throttle that when installed it does not make any noise when closed as I cooked my servo this weekend as I didnt hear the servo. Notice i retained the know on the throttle for emergencies or manual running. The chain pops off very easy for manual control. For the J-Bar I ended up bolting a plate to the J-Bar assembly so I can remove the whole thing if need be.

Jason Kovac Lakewood, NJ

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10/21/2008 11:32 PM
FYI: Spectrum has come out with a new dx6, the dx6i. it uses the same dsm2 that the dx7 uses, and it has a bunch of handy features like model match, small 4" antenas, built in timer etc. the new dx6i is compatable with the ultra small (2g) AR6300 6 channel reciever. { note the AR6300 does not use JST connectors, you will need to solder diferent ones on} the Spectrum radios use the 2.4 ghz band with so they are legal anywhere in the world. these radios illiminate interfearance( by using 2 recievers) and glitching,plus you wont shoot anyones airplane down so its fine if you live next to an air field.(so legal issues go away) Servos: make sure to buy analog (regular old servos) not digital. (the digital servos do not output enough tork) most rc servos use the standard JST connectors, so everything is basicly plug-an-play. here is a link to spectrums web site : http://www.spektrumrc.com/ I'm writing this at 1:30 in the morning while writing a college entrance paper [smart i know " src="http://www.mylargescale.com/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/smile.gif" align="absMiddle" border="0" />] so please excuse all the jumbled writing and terrible spelling Philip ps. spectrum also has a basic 5 channel radio as well, but it dose not have all the bells and wistles, but then again our steam engines do not require 5 point throttle mixing, exponential rates, variable pitch propelller controle " src="http://www.mylargescale.com/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/smile.gif" align="absMiddle" border="0" /> etc. and it cost about 100 less at $99 (i think) pss. i will be buying a spectrum DX6i as soon as funds permit, that way i can have a standard radio system for all my hobbies. both live steam (ruby) and rc airplanes. (park fliers and 4D (big..ish) and micro <20g indoor airplanes) wow i just reread this post and i sound like a paid advertisement. but unfortunetly specturm isn't paying me for this.

Pete Thornton User is Offline

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10/22/2008 8:17 AM
the new dx6i is compatable with the ultra small (2g) AR6300 6 channel reciever. It's also compatible with the AR600 http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=SPM6000 [I said DX6 when I actually have a new DX6i.]

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