Steering voltage

cm961 · #1 07-25-2003, 10:37 PM

Hey guys,

I just measured the voltage going to the steering coil (its a clone with a single coil in the middle versus two on the sides) and I'm reading the full voltage one way but only a fraction of that the other. What's it supposed to be?

Pete

BabyKiller · #2 07-25-2003, 11:33 PM

if coil is in the middle and magnets on the side its a motorworks mostlikly

boho · #3 07-26-2003, 07:29 AM

that sounds fishy. How much of a fraction? It should be getting full voltage both ways. Does it steer weak to one side? Don't want to point fingers, but are you sure you tested it correctly?

BabyKiller · #4 07-26-2003, 12:03 PM

the coil is in the midle exect it work two instead of one

PseduoRooter · #5 07-26-2003, 01:11 PM

Is your steering not working right? I mean as long as you aren't having problems, it should be fine. If it has only one coil the coil should push on one magnet and pull on the opposite. I would check for that as well.

micro_Amps · #6 07-27-2003, 06:19 AM

Sig line looks good pseduo (pseudo?)

uA

PseduoRooter · #7 07-27-2003, 08:09 AM

Yup, misspelled my own name. LOL.

cm961 · #8 07-27-2003, 04:56 PM

Yeah the car pulls to one side way better than the other. You can see that the magnet doesn't grab as good. I have two cars, one with the magnet in the middle and coils on the sides and one with the coil in the middle and magnets on the side. They both have the same problem. I jumpered over a resistor which gave me 800mV one way and the 1.3V the other way. So you can see easily why the direction with the 1.3V is better. Not sure why it would be low in the other direction. Cheap clones I guess.

Pete

#9 07-28-2003, 01:56 AM

sounds like it.

cm961 · #10 07-28-2003, 08:46 AM

I've traced the steering problem down to one of manufacturing tolerance. If I leave the screw that holds the steering stuff together pretty lose, then the steering is fine. If its tight, then one side is limited by friction. I tried shaving off a bunch of the frame with my dremel, but at the risk of wrecking my third car in two weeks, I decided not too. My only problem not is that it turns TOO well. Like there's no slip on the tires what so ever. At full speed it turns with a 1 inch radius (without flipping!). I tried changing the wheels, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to limit the movement of the magnet by using spacers.

#11 07-28-2003, 11:45 PM

that is some damn good steering. i wouldnt change a thing.

2fast2furious59 · #12 07-28-2003, 11:54 PM

with fear of wrecking your third car in two weeks...geeze what do you do, use ur cars for guinea pig experiments....i have only ruined one car and it wasn't even my fault my brother drove it off my counter top....

and a 1in turning radius....that is insane...talk about a roadracing car, hairpin curves should be nothing for it

boho · #13 07-29-2003, 12:31 AM

Well, I love the dremel for it's sheer ability, but it sounds like you might want to try an exacto-knife for the small moddifications. Especially around tiny steering wires.

Another thing you might want to try is re-soldering where the steering wires connect to the PCB. With clones especially, sometimes the companies do a poor job with the soldering, and the connections are not good. I've had to resolder a few wires after just buying a car. Just wrap a peice of thick wire (copper is the best) around the tip of the soldering gun for tiny-wire-type-work, unless you have a very small soldering tip that wont accidently touch the other components.

Or maybe just check to see if the steering wires are touching another part of the PCB, or maybe even touching another peice of metal. I haven't found very many problems with the PCBs. Problems are almost always related to wires and connection.

cm961 · #14 07-29-2003, 09:56 AM

Yeah I've had trouble with the connections. The antennas on these clones ALWAYS come off, but thats no big deal. I find soldering the steering wires a pain because I can never get them to grab, even if I melt off the enemal or whatever it is. I think the problem is that if you melt it off with a lighter, you can apply too much heat and it gets coated in carbon or something. The wires are too thin to strip I think. The latest clone I bought, which was from Walmart, but not a motorworks, is pretty decent. Not only does it have the front sway bar, but it comes with dual steering coils on the sides, versus the one in the middle. Clearly its a higher quality car... Except for the motor, which is pathetically slow compared to my brother and my motorworks. Even just the variation between motorworks motors is large though. I guess after buying a few, you just take the fastest and put it in your best car....

Pete

cm961 · #15 07-29-2003, 09:56 AM

Oh and also I believe my motor works came with a 120 or 140 mah battery in it. I believe most stock ones are 40 mah aren't they?

Pete