Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

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Mike_K
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Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 06:35
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by Mike_K »

I've got a couple of the earlier Pulsmite and they have the same metal joystick gimbals as the Pulsmite 1200S. The trims are unlike anything else I've ever seen and move the joystick pots with a pair of gears. And they have a toggle switch (similar to a reed set) for the throttle, rather than the separate switches on the later sets.

I bought the one of the left without a label and made one using Ron's method and then converted it to 2.4GHz, the one on the right is on 27MHz, to be got working one day. The new label now looks better than the original. The converted set is used with a Tobe LR3 actuator in an Impala glider that is mainly flown with a power-pod.

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ozrs
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Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by ozrs »

Hi Mike

Yes, the trims are unique, you can see one of the gear pairs in my picture above of the blue gimbals.

BTW - are you saying the red "bales" are painted or anodised aluminium instead of red plastic?
Richard
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Mike_K
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Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by Mike_K »

ozrs wrote: 22 May 2020, 04:22 Hi Mike

Yes, the trims are unique, you can see one of the gear pairs in my picture above of the blue gimbals.

BTW - are you saying the red "bales" are painted or anodised aluminium instead of red plastic?
I think the bales are alloy and painted red (enamelled?) and in the photo, you can see where it's worn away where the stick rubs against it, I don't think it's the metal from the stick rubbing onto the bale as you can feel where the paint has gone. I should have lightly scratched it to check it's shiny underneath.

And the joystick pivots on a spring at the bottom, not a ball how a closed gimbal joystick would, and not on the pot shafts how many early open gimbal joysticks would.
Min-X_Pulsmite.jpg
Mike

edit - I've changed my mind - the bails on the converted transmitter are plastic, I scratched deeper and it's still red
rudderonlybird
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Joined: 17 Feb 2018, 05:07

Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by rudderonlybird »

ozrs...

I checked out your lead on the Min-X, only to find out, he's the one who sold me the Dee Bee transmitters. That makes two of the metal gimbal Min-X's. Wonder if the same modeller made them? I think they are an estate sale. I had originally planned to get them, keep one and sell the others, but now I don't think so. How many people, other than museums, would have a copy of the entire production variants in one room? I have a 'wanted' request in RC Groups and the Vintage Radio Control Society for any airborne parts for these radios, and who knows...I might get one of them working :D . Besides, they have kind of grown on me...like the GHQ engine I got years ago, but haven't tried running yet :lol:

Upon reading the description of operation, it almost seems sorta similar to the current 2.4 GUID setup--if the receiver doesn't hear the exact correct signal, it won't respond. Article said, someone even tried to interfere by using other transmitters on the same frequency, and the Dee Bee receiver would not respond to them, because of how the tone discriminators worked. Maybe not interference-free, but nice to know for a time where someone will inevitably turn on his radio, be on your frequency because he didn't check the frequency board, but didn't shoot you down. He'd probably figure it out when you hit his receiver, though :oops:
jmendoza
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Joined: 18 Feb 2018, 23:07

The original Single Stick

Post by jmendoza »

Here is Mr. Space Control himself, Zel Ritchie, with several models of his ground breaking 4 channel fully proportional radios. They were the 1st single stick systems. Zel and I restored these radios to working condition.
Hershel Toomin did the original design and development, and later on he was assisted by Don Mathes and Dough Spreng. Zel met Hershel and instantly he loved the Space Control. His contribution was to add NiCads to the system, change the servo arms to servo wheels, re-configure the aileron extension and Rx battery connectors to be in-line instead of on the receiver board, remove the handle on the left of the Tx, and move the trim knobs to the right side panel of the Tx, and also move the on/off switch to the left of the stick cut-out. Zel inherited Space Control and changed the color of the cases to gold when he ran out of red cases.
Zel 2 (Large).JPG
jmendoza
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Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by jmendoza »

Here is a complete Min-X Pulsmite system with a SH-1R superhet receiver. This receiver is in a small case ( same as the super-regen Capri) and has a built in 6 transistor switcher for the Rand LR-3. It was made in 1967.

I have an earlier Pulsmite 1200S system which has an SH1200 relay type receiver. The receiver has unusual IFT modules that have the amplifiers inside their elongated shielded tuning cans, a huge Mylar audio filter cap along with a large audio transformer and a big relay. It is very heavy and bulky, but was reputed to be reliable. This is an earlier system that was for Go Act, Tomosser, Mighty Midget, Air-Guide, and other early motorized actuators. It came out before Rand offered their actuators, it is dated 1965.

There were three versions of the Pulsmite Tx: the 800, the 1200 and the 1200 with fast pulse for dual actuator systems (simpl-simul). Min-X was an early entrant into Galloping Ghost, later they were eclipsed by Controlaire, Ace, and Hallco in the Galloping Ghost market.
pulsemite3 (640x480).jpg
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stuart mackay
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Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by stuart mackay »

My one owner (me) Flight Link Sovereign from 1973
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stuart mackay
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Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by stuart mackay »

Mid 1970's World Engines (US) Las Vegas that needs a bit of TLC on the rudder and throttle sticks.
Before I start 3D printing some stick levers, has anyone got any spare Dunham single axis stick units perchance?
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Pchristy
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Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by Pchristy »

Hi Stuart,

Just seen this after answering your PM. That looks like someone has done a modification to the sticks. The rudder *should* be on the twist knob on the end of the main stick, with wires running down the shaft and exiting outside of the yokes. At least, that's the way all the ones I have seen work!

It looks as if someone has transferred the rudder function to the lever on the top for some reason. Maybe a damaged pot in the stick knob? Does it still twist? Is the wire exiting somewhere else, not obvious in the pix?

That lever on the top would normally be an auxiliary, or maybe the rudder trim?

Either way, it looks to me like someone has had a go at it! I'll ask around, but don't hold your breath!

Jaymen, who posts on here, is in the USA and may be able to help, though single stick is much sought after over there! I've been told that Americans would kill for my Ace MicroPro single-stick...! :shock:

--
Pete
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stuart mackay
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Re: Odd Ball - Single Stick Radios

Post by stuart mackay »

Thanks Pete, pretty sure it has come from the factory as you can see in the pic and Mike Phillip's called me and he also has a Las Vegas in an orange case and his is the same layout.
I agree that usually the rudder is on a twist knob.

The case hasn't been butchered to accommodate the proportional self centring stick whic leads me to the conclusion that it came out of the factory as you can see.

The 2 axis stick is just that with the knob retained by two imperial grub screws and black moulded knob is retained to the empty alloy neck by an interference fit collar, so pretty convinced this has never been a 3 axis stick unit (unlike others).

I'll ping you an email with info you requested as well and thanks for your help in resolving this oddball of oddball radios!
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