Wireless Analogue speed control for less than AU$10

[tramcar trev]

This may just work, stop and speed control only a double pole double throw switch would have to be put into the load side of this to control direction. 12 VDC in and variable out using the key fob transmitter.....
Could do what I want....
It needs its own 12 volt supply though....
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Wireless...cessories_Remote_Controls&hash=item415901919d < Link To http://www.ebay.com.au/it...mp;hash=item415901919d

 

[Westcott]

That looks really neat!
Has anyone tried one?

 

[tramcar trev]

That looks really neat!
Has anyone tried one?

Not yet for me anyway..... Yes its limited in it's capabilities but for a tramway like mine which will have 3 cars at anyone time running each drawing 2 amps max it may do the job nicely, especially as I wont really need to shunt etc. Physically it would fit in a trailer too for those using battery power but you would need a 12 v battery.... The price is the bonus, even if it dosen't work I won't have blown much AU$7....and I'd use it to dim the LED lighting in my caravan....
But don't let on that this has a modellers use because as soon as that happens the price will skyrocket....
I have just bought one and will post test results... It uses pulse width modulation for control so it should be a ripper as all the "experts" claim PWM is the way to go for speed control of DC motors.....

 

[Madman]

At that price, it would pay just to experiment with it.

 

[peterexmouth]

Put "remote led dimmer" into ebay search and you will find it there for £4.50 post free. Anyone going to try it?
Peter

 

[Madman]

I'm curious as to the range of the transmitter. Not that I would expect anything great.

 

[tramcar trev]

Mine is marked as having been posted... I would expect that the range would be around the same as a garage door opener, maybe 10 metres..... cant see it being further than that, it is radio though and not infrared so use outside will not be restricted by daylight...

 

[tramcar trev]

Anyone going to try it?
Peter

Yes, if I'm anyone...... Trev slips into basil Fawlty mode.... Oh you mean one of your trusted cohorts a sycophant from the Old Blighty, not an ex convict from the colonies....

 

[tramcar trev]

It's arrived and its quite neat and well yes excatly as depicted.
So as my power supply has burnt out I have tried it with a 12V 300mA plug pack thing and I can confirm that it does dim leds quite brilliantly and though the plug pack thing does not have enough grunt to drive a tram it does drive a small 12 volt fan and the dimmer works steplessly and quite superbly controlling the speed of that from 0 to max revs where it blows itself over. Low speed seems quite well controlled. It ried it from about 6 metres away with no apparent degradation in performance... So I can see no reason when my new 12V 15 amp power supply gets here that it wont work... the fan is a brushed motor.... so well what else can I say single channel radio control for less than AU $10 only one trap, if you hit the emergency braking feature aka the on/off switch it stays at the level where it was turned off... Will it overheat the motors and burn them out??? that chaps is a debate for another day....

 

[Dtsteam]

You could put a 'reset' button to momentarily break the 12v in, and that should reset the unit to no volts after an emergency stop.

I am itching to buy a few to play with, but SWMBO has noticed the 12 channel wireless relay board mentioned in the wireless point controller thread. As it chirps every time you press a button, its hard to miss it, and has led to awkward questions like "...and what are you going to do with it". Keep up the good work.

 

[gregh]

only one trap, if you hit the emergency braking feature aka the on/off switch it stays at the level where it was turned off... Will it overheat the motors and burn them out??? that chaps is a debate for another day....

Sounds like you've discovered something BIG here Trev. I'll certainly think about buying one to experiment with.

But I don't understand your last comment above about burning out motors. Are you talking about the on/off switch on the transmitter? If so, I assume that turning it off, leaves the output of the receiver at the last level, so the train just keeps going. Is that correct?
Or has the receiver got an on/off switch. If this is the case, then doesn't the train just stop when you turn it off? When you turn the Receiver back on the train takes off at the last set speed?

 

[matthew]

So is it as simple as connecting the 2 wires from your power supply into the Input on the receiver, and then 2 wires from the output to the track?

 

[Dtsteam]

Given its a dimmer, I'm guessing that the on and off switch the lights but the unit always remembers the last dim level. It may reset if you break the input line, but 'reset' for a domestic dimmer is probably full on.

Anyway, if Trev manages to pull 15 amps through it, Greg should hear the bang !

 

[DoctorM]

Mine is marked as having been posted... I would expect that the range would be around the same as a garage door opener, maybe 10 metres..... cant see it being further than that, it is radio though and not infrared so use outside will not be restricted by daylight...

I asked a man in Honk Kong about the range and he said (in broken English) up to 20 metres (probably only with a following wind though!).
I also asked if I bought two units would they operate independently or would one keyfob operate both dimmers together. I think he thought I wanted the latter and said that one fob might control both dimmers but it might take a little longer to for the second one to respond ! ???? !!!! ????

 

[tramcar trev]

But I don't understand your last comment above about burning out motors. Are you talking about the on/off switch on the transmitter? There is debate as to whether PWM overheats motors


Or has the receiver got an on/off switch. If this is the case, then doesn't the train just stop when you turn it off? When you turn the Receiver back on the train takes off at the last set speed? yes this is what Im blithering about

 

[tramcar trev]

So is it as simple as connecting the 2 wires from your power supply into the Input on the receiver, and then 2 wires from the output to the track?

Yes, that simple. with the little 12 V fan I can get it to tick over comutator segment by segment...

 

[ge_rik]

Sounds like you've discovered something BIG here Trev. I'll certainly think about buying one to experiment with.

Greg

I'm assuming this little unit could be connected to a simple voltage control circuit of some sort to up the amperage??
Using your knowledge of electronics and experience of key fob control, is that what you're considering?

Rik

 

[gregh]

Not meaning to steal Trev's thunder, since he discovered them, and I don't have one.

I might buy one when I get back to Oz in a couple of weeks. I'd like to measure the PWM frequency, and see what the 'soft start' feature does. Also whether it needs a filtered dc input or will it work on plain rectified.
I notice the picture of the unit has 12-24V printed on it, but the specs say 9-24V.
Everyone should note (as Trev said in his first post) that you still need a separate reversing switch which is NOT remote controlled.
The size of the unit (110 x 56 x 34 mm) means it will be more useful as a RC track power supply.

I'm assuming this little unit could be connected to a simple voltage control circuit of some sort to up the amperage??
Using your knowledge of electronics and experience of key fob control, is that what you're considering?
Rik

Rik,
This IS the voltage control unit. You put your 12 to 24 supply in (maybe from your existing track power unit?) and control the output voltage to the track. The rated capability of the unit is 8 amps which should run a few locos at once! (note the output current capability will be limited by the rating of your supply unit or battery.)
Here's some circuit ideas.....

I certainly WON'T be going away from 2.4 GHz, but some of you might like this really cheap unit.

This unit IS the voltage control unit.

 

[tramcar trev]

Greg, cobber your not stealing my thunder by any stretch of Juliar Gizzards imagination. If these are removed from the case they are much smaller and this might help those who need to put them in a small space. Yes by all means measure the pulse width thats a good idea, I cant do it, I gave a perfectly good 1948 model occiloscope away so have no way of measuring them... maybe some buffering would help if the pulses are not suitably spaced? There may be a market for having some way of changing the frequency so that you could have a pocket full of fobs....

If they don't do as required I'm looking for a circuit for a DIY controller to make for myself (hint!!)

 

[ge_rik]

Rik,
This IS the voltage control unit. You put your 12 to 24 supply in (maybe from your existing track power unit?) and control the output voltage to the track. The rated capability of the unit is 8 amps which should run a few locos at once! (note the output current capability will be limited by the rating of your supply unit or battery.)

In that case it sounds like a real bargain. I'm in the process of making a battery powered two car railmotor and was wondering how to control it. If I can fit the stripped-down circuit board in one of the coaches then I think this might solve my problems!!

Rik