Pcb swap/transmiter swap

[sessiz10]

I don't know if this has been brought up yet, so.
Thanksgiving day my cousin and I are getting together and doing the pcb swap mod with one of my zips and a "gas station clone" aka super mini racer aka bullet clone. I was just on the can and was wondering if a swap could be done with the controllers. I was wondering if I could take the board out of the clone controller and swap it into the zip controller. This way I would have a zip that was as fast as a bit clone (which are very fast) with a 45mhz freq and controlled by a zip controller.
I took apart the controllers and think that this can be done. I'm a newb so if any of you have some factors I'm not seeing as to why it wouldn't work please post a reply.

[Stridex]

Anything is possible. Somethings just take longer and this sounds like a MOD I'd hate to endeavor. Why not get a bullet with the same frequency as your zip, or just use your zip controller to charge and the clone's controller to control? Keep us posted. I'm sure this will become a popular MOD if it's not to difficult. Every should want to swap the boards.

[ejaf]

Couldn't you just switch the XTAL on the clone controller to the Zip controller?

Or do we start getting into wave length theory down the line to the antenna, which would make it neccessary to change more electronics?

I was thinking of this too, so that I could have 5 zips running on 5 frequencies (27,35,45,49,57). I found a good source of clones for 10 a pop.

[ripper7777777]

Yea I was wondering if you could change the crystal, Does anyone know? Because a board swap Could get messy with the button placement.

[wild03]

Originally posted by ripper7777777
Yea I was wondering if you could change the crystal, Does anyone know? Because a board swap Could get messy with the button placement.

I talked to two EEs from work that say this is not as easy as on the EXpensice RC Cars. It seems that some components around the crystal are of the right specs to work with that crystal, Swapping crystals would required changing resistors and capacitors around it to ,ake it work, and Also things get hairy on the receiver side. BTW the FCC will not be too happy

[sessiz10]

What I wanna do is take the whole board out of the clone controller (which is rounded but will fit) and match up the contacts in side the zip controller. I'm undertaking this tomarrow If the pcb swap is successful.

[ripper7777777]

I thought it sounded to easy.... oh well

[ejaf]

I just confirmed what wild03 just said...

Turns out that the entire low pass filter, as well as the tuned circuit components would need to be changed.

I compare the zz schematic between the 27 and 49 MHZ transmitters; the following would need changing:

C2, C12, T1, C4, C9, L2, L3, C7, C8.

They all have different values, and I couldn't even tell you what the correct replacements would have to be in order to switch the transmitter to , let's say 35 MHZ.

Don't think the receiver would be a problem, though, since if the transmitter is sending the freq out right, it should be able to pick it up.

I'm wondering whether these things really do need to be changed, however, since I thought that the LPF really just filters out noise...so what if I turn on a couple of my stereo components while I use my 35 MHZ car!!!

[Azimov]

Hmmm, this has kept me from doing a PCB swap in my cars. I like the Zip controller and would like to keep it. Swapping the PCB out of the clone controller and into the Zip controller probably won't work because of the big difference in button placement. The momentary switches inside the Zip controller are of much better quality anyway. I also wanted several frequencies to play with, but don't see how it can be done right now. I played with my Wally World clone for a bit until I cannabalized it, and I hated the clicky, separated buttons on the controller. The Zip controllers are nice and smooth, especially with the toggle mod. And they feel good and of high quality in my hands.

[alpha1]

The antennas on the receivers are different lengths. If you've ever taken the knot out of a 27Mhz car and extended it out the back, it's about 3 inches longer than one from a 49Mhz. The receiver needs to be tuned to the correct frequency either by tweaking a pot or replacing components. It's not that easy unless you have access to an oscilloscope.

[ejaf]

The receiver antenna is the least of our problems with trying this!!!

Probably the easiest thing to do is get some crystals in the same range as the controller (i.e. the 27 is 27.145, and you could get something within the same range, like a 26.9).

I think there was someone on the board who did this (Nightwing?), but I don't know the source for the crystals, or the possible ranges to swap for.

[wild03]

Don't think the receiver would be a problem, though, since if the transmitter is sending the freq out right, it should be able to pick it up.

Don't think is that easy! All that is guarantied is that the signals are received wether the car will go fowards when you press fowards or any other movement for that matter is a different story. manufactures might use different signals for different movements. My friends 27mhz bit controller makes my 27mhz ZZ go back when he presses fowards....This is harder than you thing and you'll destroy some cars in the process, I would gather as much info as possible before hacking them.

[ejaf]

Will check that out...good catch, oh wild one!

[wild03]

Originally posted by ejaf
Will check that out...good catch, oh wild one!

Thay's wild one + 2 No problem!