More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

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Wayne_H
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More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Wayne_H »

As mentioned in my previous post - viewtopic.php?p=11360#p11360 - I've recently come into possession of a number of Transmitters that are screaming out for resuscitation & rebirth. This post is to share them with the Forum before each becomes the subject of separate posts as they get gigafied.

First is a Skyleader on 27MHz. Its a 4 channel version, but I don't know what model it is, never previously having seen one in the flesh (that I can recall). My knowledge of Skyleaders is based on prolific reading of the English mags as a kid/teen and then what I've gleaned through this great Forum.
Skyleader_front.jpg
This Skyleader on first examination is in mint condition. It doesn't appear to have ever been used in a diesel/glo/petrol model. The inside is just as clean. There is a cap on the top of the case to facilitate changing plug in crystals, which I think marks it as a later model? Does the serial number on the PCB provide any clues Mr K?
Skyleader_back.jpg
Next is an RCS S/C Tx. I'm not sure if this is the genuine article or a reproduction, because the case is clad in a brown wood-grain vinyl that has shrunk and wrinkled in a few places, as shown in the pictures.
the white RCS lightening logo looks genuine.
the white RCS lightening logo looks genuine.
wrinkles in the vinyl cladding.
wrinkles in the vinyl cladding.
note the vinyl shrinkage
note the vinyl shrinkage
The inside is very clean and appears to be of the appropriate period. The meter looks similar to the meter off an early square brown plastic cased Futaba. Did the RCS S/C trannies have a meter?
nice & clean inside
nice & clean inside
More trannies in the next post.
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
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Mike_K
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Mike_K »

Hi Wayne

It's a Skyleader SL and were built between 1969 and 1972. It was the first Skyleader with the familiar yellow vinyl clad case and their first to use the Kraft Hayes joysticks. They used numerous different types of meter, so yours may look slightly different to some other SL. Sorry all my transmitters are in storage, so I've used an old photo of some of my SL.
An early SL on left and later SL on the right
An early SL on left and later SL on the right
An early advert when Skyleader were still called Southern Radio Control
An early advert when Skyleader were still called Southern Radio Control
A later advert from 1970
A later advert from 1970
The RCS looks to have a genuine pcb, key and on/off switches, badge etc, but the case looks home-built. Did somebody damage the original case and do a transplant?

Cheers

Mike
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Wayne_H
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Wayne_H »

Many thanks Mike for the quick response, much appreciated.

So, an SL from 1969-72: Most chuffed - its older than I thought which makes it's condition all the more impressive! That decides it - another conversion coming up 8-) Not sure how I'm going to get all this stuff back to Aus., but I'm sure that I'll work it out :lol:

I know very little about the RCS & unfortunately, the original owner landed on the big runway in the sky before I made it to NZ. I'll have a closer look - maybe the case is original but for some reason has been wrapped in woodgrain vinyl. The existing case is 130W x 50D x 160H.

I hope the Weekender is still providing you with some fun. :D
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
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Shaun
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Shaun »

Hi Wayne,

The RCS case definitely isn't original, neither is the on/off switch.
As Mike said the PCB is original. Also no RCS single channel sets had a meter and the wiring wasn't tied together using heat shrink.

Cheers,

Shaun
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Wayne_H
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Wayne_H »

Thanks for the additional detail Shaun. Consequently, I delved a little deeper & took some more pictures:
The PCB, showing the meter, wiring with heat shrink & non-standard switch that Shaun mentioned.
The PCB, showing the meter, wiring with heat shrink & non-standard switch that Shaun mentioned.
A close up of the RF meter(?) wiring. Appears to be a coil to "extend" the pickup rx length and a germanium diode (My old peepers can't read the # to identify) as a 1/2 wave rectifier?
A close up of the RF meter(?) wiring. Appears to be a coil to "extend" the pickup rx length and a germanium diode (My old peepers can't read the # to identify) as a 1/2 wave rectifier?
Fair to say that whomever did the conversion knew what they were doing :geek:

Wait till you see the next Tx, which shall need some more sleuthing....
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
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Wayne_H
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Wayne_H »

The next Tx is badged as a Micro-Avionics, as is the pcb. Where it gets interesting is that the case is clad in wood grain vinyl, the same as the S/C RCS tx. As you can see from the pictures, the original case is anodised green like some of the F&M or CSE reed or early proportional trannies.
micro-avionics.Tx_front.jpg
micro-avionics.Tx_side-2.jpg
There is some tell-tale corrosion on the pcb that has been cleaned up previously, but there is no evidence of corresponding corrosion on the inside of the case. Perhaps the original case was so corroded, that another case had to be put to use?
micro-avionics.Tx_internals.jpg
micro-avionics.Tx_internals-PCB_1.jpg
micro-avionics.Tx_internals-PCB_2.jpg
micro-avionics.Tx_internals-PCB_3.jpg
The stick mechanisms are different to anything I have seen before. They use a geared arrangement to drive the pots, and a flat wound centering spring with two fingers.
micro-avionics.Tx_ratchet stick mechanism.jpg
micro-avionics.Tx_ratchet stick mechanism centering spring.jpg
My intention with this one is to gently heat the vinyl to hopefully remove it a bit easier. If the green anodised case can be cleaned up, I'd much prefer to have it rather than the vinyl clad version :P
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
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Mike_K
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Mike_K »

Hi Wayne

The wood-effect vinyl is original, don't take it off! It's probably the back that has been "borrowed" from another Micro-Avionics Tx. And it is one of their early models, the logo changed in the late '60s, so it's a late '60s transmitter, probably older than the Skyleader SL.

I've got a couple of anodised green ones (lovely colour) and a wood-clad effect one I picked up on flea-bay USA years ago, but temporarily in storage. If you look at the R/C hall of fame they have quite a few wood-clad ones as well.

http://www.rchalloffame.org/Manufacture ... index.html

What other delights are you going to post next?!

Cheers

Mike
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Wayne_H
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Wayne_H »

Thanks Mike. You got me thinking about the Micro-Avionics Tx so I went back and had a closer look.

The case front and back is anodised green, the woodgrain vinyl being added later. Compare these pictures:
my Tx - original green case visible under the vinyl cladding
my Tx - original green case visible under the vinyl cladding
Not a great picture, but you can see the green underneath the vinyl cladding.
Not a great picture, but you can see the green underneath the vinyl cladding.
another shot showing the green case under the vinyl.
another shot showing the green case under the vinyl.

with these two close ups of an original woodgrain Tx off the RC Hall of Fame website.
woodgrain cladding closeup off the RC Hall of Fame - front case. Note the silver case underneath the vinyl
woodgrain cladding closeup off the RC Hall of Fame - front case. Note the silver case underneath the vinyl
micro-avionics.Tx_cladding closeup-RC Hall of Fame.jpg (7.01 KiB) Viewed 1779 times
woodgrain cladding closeup off the RC Hall of Fame - back case. Note the silver case underneath the vinyl
woodgrain cladding closeup off the RC Hall of Fame - back case. Note the silver case underneath the vinyl
micro-avionics.Tx_cladding closeup.2-RC Hall of Fame.jpg (22.46 KiB) Viewed 1779 times

From what I can tell zooming in on the RC Hall of Fame pictures, those meters are all predominantly white.
My Tx has a meter labeled "Orbit Electronics"
My Tx has a meter labeled "Orbit Electronics"

I'm pretty sure now that the Tx started out as a green cased version, similar to this one on the RC Hall of Fame website
What I think my Tx started out as - closeup off the RC Hall of Fame
What I think my Tx started out as - closeup off the RC Hall of Fame
micro avionic radios - the green version.jpg (21.25 KiB) Viewed 1779 times
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
jmendoza
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by jmendoza »

Hi Wayne,

Your Micro-Avionics is interesting. It is an original green case that somebody covered with wood grain adhesive shelf paper.
The originals were all green, with the green and silver border logo on the front. The circuit board is from the 1st version of the Micro-Avionics and is a beautiful example of Don Mathes work. The wood grain is going the wrong way on yours, as it was oriented vertically on the originals.

The 1st wood grained versions were the XL series, next, was the ill fated XL-IC versions with orange cased airborne components. Micro-Avionics got all their parts from Orbit, including the meters, cases, servo mechanics, sticks and hardware. As such, they used whatever meters they could get at the time. If Orbit was out of stock of the newer silver faced meters, they supplied the earlier white face meters. Later, they ordered green/black meters for just the Micro Avionics, but ran out of stock and went back to using the earlier meters which they plenty of in stock. Electromechanical Corp of Perkasie Pennsylvania made these meters and they were used in Kraft, EK Logictrol, Orbit, RS, and many other USA brands. They could be special ordered with your company name and logo on the meter, but that took time and was expensive, so many companies, like Orbit, ordered the generic ones when they needed them right away.

The ill fated XL-IC series was plagued by the 1st generation Motorola MC- TTL series of JK flip flops that proved to be very unreliable and problematic due to them not being humidity proof and absorbing moisture. They would have logic problems and jump channels such that the channels would work, but on different sticks!!! This cause many crashes and problems because Motorola was aware of the issue but would not divulge it to their customers. Bob Novak was the designer and engineer in charge of the XL-IC series and it would have been a huge success had it not used the defective Motorola logic chips. In short order, Orbit sold out to Datatron and that included Micro-Avionics as well. Orbit had kept this a secret up until they sold, but after Datatron absorbed Orbit and Micro Avionics, they combined them into one company and changed the color to Orange, and used Orbit circuit boards in all of the systems to simplify things.
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Wayne_H
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Re: More Tx's for Resuscitation & Rebirth

Post by Wayne_H »

Thanks Jay for your detailed response - it ties all the odd features of this Tx together :)

(Original) Green it shall be :D
Cheers,

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