El Cheapo DIY pulse propo actuator

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Wayne_H
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Joined: 17 Feb 2018, 05:26
Location: Temora, NSW. Australia
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El Cheapo DIY pulse propo actuator

Post by Wayne_H »

I stumbled across these little motor & gearbox units late last year when browsing Ali Express
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001 ... 4c4dT7FzzN
details straight off the Ali Express website
details straight off the Ali Express website
My immediate thought was to get some to try as a GG actuator, especially given the price! I ordered 10, with postage & NZ tax costing me more than the actuators :cry:
actuator_1.jpg
They arrived not long before we headed back to Australia for Christmas, so they had to go into "short-term storage", which was a PIA as they actually looked surprisingly good so I was keen to 'play' with them :o . While home in Aus, I dug out my actuator test board and other DIY GG bits 'n pieces to take back to NZ.

Recently while unpacking all those bits, I re-found the "new actuators" and thought why not?!? So I hooked up my GG driver test board (which uses Martin's code) to one of Tobe's rx's connected to my restored Sankyo Tx (both Tx & Rx use Phil's FHSS code - gotta love this forum!!), then tested it all with an assortment of actuators from my GG box --> Rand LR3, ACE Stomper & twin Stomper, home made Twitcherator, and 2 of my own home-brew actuators. Aileron & elevator decoder inputs were connected as per normal while the motor coasting input was plugged into the throttle channel to make adjustments quickly & easily.
my bench test setup.
my bench test setup.
It was interesting to see the best motor coast setting - for this re-purposed actuator unit, 2 clicks off idle on the Tx throttle stick was the best setting. Actuator travel was good while still having a "soft" pulse rate at neutral, good power and no heating of the motor, even after >10 minutes of bench running.


I plan to mount the actuator main body in the tailplane or fin and connect the control surface to the moving arm, making sure not to foul the return spring. I'll publish details as I progress.

All in all, a great find I believe.
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
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