Boots Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 re magazine contentthere is plenty of RCM but where has the E gone? I assume nobody is interested how there radio gear works ,speed controls...........how about a nice project detailing converting cd player brushless outrunner motors and a cheap homemade speed control to go with it ?about 15yrs ago i built your 35mhz fm radio,,,it was greatAlso there must be hundreds of excelent articles and projects in your archives but they seem to be unavailable on the web site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I guess one of the reasons for the lack of electronic projects is the ready availability of cheap commercial complete items these days. I seriously doubt that anyone could build a speed controller, or brushless motor cheaper than one could buy it these days! I well remember in my youth building many wonderful things from "heathkit" projects and the like ( remember those ?) but one of the reasons for doing so was the sense of satisfaction obtained from doing so, AND knowing that you had created something that was probably difficult to obtain complete, and saved money into the bargain...neither of the latter two items applies these days. Crikey, its even getting difficult to buy a simple silicon transistor, and as for SMT...well dont get me started on those little blighters!!I have a couple of home wound outrunners which I did from one of Chris Kemps kits ( CK motors ) which were / are excellent...however even Chris has given up that particular venture due to the silly prices available these days on ready built stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 A sign of the times I guess Louis as Timbo says the electric flight gear is so darn cheap these days. I do try and pop articles on but you're right there are many hundreds in the archives. Older articles are kept in paper form so they're far more time consuming to put on (they have to be literally typed) than the newer material that's stored here on disk. I'm also a little wary that the older articles may be simply out of date and less relevant but one thing I do want to find is some good articles about simple tasks like workshop skills, solarfilming etc.. If anyone can direct me to the relevant issues/articles they would like to see, then it'll save me trawling through 45 years worth of mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Taylor Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 LouisMicron Radio Control are still out there producing receiver kits, and many people (myself included) are still bulding 'em. A while back (July 1994, Edition 451) RCM&E did a review of the Micron mini receiver.Sheesh! That's nearly 14 years ago.....I was still drinking subsidised beer at university and railing against the conservative government (conservative government...there's a phrase that's not been heard in a while).Well, there you go - the last review of a self-assembled receiver was 14 years ago.....There was a revew of Micron Radios in the October 1984 edition of RCM&E as well.... if your back collection goes that far back.Time for another one?AlistairT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Taylor Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Davidwhat could possibly be more pleasureable than trawling through 45 years worth of RCM&E......especially given the weather at the moment. AlistairT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Yes I could probably get sacked for saying that Right here goes then - volume 1 issue 1 - May 1960....with a free slide rule calculator ooohh.. we were too good to the readers in those days. Does anyone still use a slide rule? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 My slide rule is always to be at the back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Taylor Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I've got a couple of slide rules - just to make my father feel at home in the shed.....Do I use them? Heck no - pass the pocket calculator eugene...Although I do know (in theory) how to use them - which in the eyes of my contempories places me firmly among the eccentrics So RCM&E is a child of the 60s.... What are you planning for the May 2010 50th Anniversary issue? Vietnam war dogfight double? Mig 17 and F86 Sabre? Mig 21 and Skyraider? Gary Powers wa shot down on May 1st 1960 - electric U2 anyone?It would interesting to see how many of the shops/distributors/kit manufacturers that advertised in that first issue that are still extant.aah - Nostalgia ain't what it used to be...AlistairT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 The cover looked like this....... Yes, you're right we ought to do something Alistair. Maybe get someone to build that thing on the cover! or speculate what we'll be doing in 50 years from now....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Taylor Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 To build that you'd need Wallace....and Gromit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Taylor Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Hmmm 50 years from now.....The last lipo battery will have been consigned to the rubbish bin of history as an inefficient, dangerous, toxic energy storage device, and Jordan Asby Junior will be casting her eyes over the latest in nuclear-fusion powered ARTFs.Alexei Whittaker will be reminiscing about 2.4GhZ, "building" classic artfs, and complaining that the latest developments in thought-controlled virtual planes will result in the demise of manual dexterity as we know it....Tony Nijhuis will have been cloned, and the latest issue will feature six plans from three different Tonys for Eurasian and Sino-American planes of the great petrol war (2020 - 2035), including the EuroUAVFighter, Lockheed SR72 Hypersonic reconnaisance vehicle, Suzuki Sayonara bomber, and English Electric Canberra - re-commissioned by the new nostalgic head of the European Air Force, wing commander Nigel Hawes....welllll, it could 'appen? AlistairT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 David Ashby - RCM&E wrote (see)The cover looked like this....... Yes, you're right we ought to do something Alistair. Maybe get someone to build that thing on the cover! or speculate what we'll be doing in 50 years from now....... well I will be pushing up daisies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Dennett Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 This is very nostalgic, I built the Versatile transmitter,ground based with about a 6 foot aerial. It had an OXO tin with post office lever switches and potentiometers for adjusting the tones..The tone generator was not very stable as i sometimes had to twiddle the pots in flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Is that Graham from the SCRCAC? Remember me? My first Tx was also in a biscuit tin with the heavy 120V+1.5V batteries slung over my shoulder in a gas mask bag, GPO levers as well. 1st successful Rx was the UK, then the Tinytone which I further miniaturised, both from RCME. Got much more pleasure from the hobby in those days knowing that everything down to the finest detail was home constructed.Back to the question, how about servo slow modules which I use to great effect on my Spit. The details are available on the internet but cannot be reproduced here due to patents. These are very simple to make if you have the programmed chip. Anyone care to design one because it would make a very simple to assemble and useful device for retracts, flaps, etc., using a normal, metal geared servo (a retract servo will not work). These can be bought for about £20 but made for pennies. Come on you designers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun K Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Excellent idea Martin - I second that motion for a home-built servo-slow design! I've found a design on the web but the components used are not available any more.This design oddly enough (David, correct me if I'm wrong) was apparently published in the March 1996 issue of RCM&E and written by Ken Hewitt. I'm currently building Tony Nijhuis' 63" Spitfire and I would love a servo slow for the U/C but seriously balk at the price charged for a few components. I know, I'm cheap...Shaun K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Alistair - the future sounds awful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Shaun, I use two servo slows on my 63" Spit. with the MG995 servos mounted outboard of the units in the aileron servo wells. Pushes the c of g back somewhat but they are timed to make one leg retract before the other which is very impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Here's Kens deign. Although the PCB is no longer available commercially, it is a relatively simple task to make your own ( I do them for my onboard Glow driver units ) and the components are minimal, remeber that many of the later Trs have inbuilt servo speed adjustment within their software.servo slowand a picture of the required small PCB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Dennett Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Hi Martin, yes, Iam still alive and flying with the SCRCAC. Nice to see you are also still in the hobby.The discussion re servo slows is opportune as I am building a Miles Gemini which could use one. Thanks to Timbo for the information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Stevens Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Talking of Micron - I recently built two of their Rx kits just for the fun of it following a review in another magazine - kept me amused between aircraft building projects.Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 The Micron design was used in the RM system published in the '90s. I built two mini rx from those articles, and recently upgraded the decoder boards with the new Micron IPD unit.Come to that, I'm still using a nicad cycler and various chargers built from circuits published in RCM&E or RM many years ago. Then there's the Orange Box (RCM&E free plan once?), using a 540 leccy for power controlled by an electronic switch also from a magazine circuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Channon Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Perhaps RCM&E will give a free gift of a simple electronics kit as a freebie, something like a servo slow or an on-board ni-cad checker?Just a thought, it might even get people who are starting to build kits again in to making a part of the electronics side?While i am here ! i like the video on the modelflying web site, it is nice to see who actually is behind RCM&E, more would be good !Take care and have funChris.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Thanks Chris......we'll be getting out more with the camera when the weather improves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Shoebridge Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I remember building a TX /Rx back in the 60's but the details escape me.....Ali box, pcb, lots of switches.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Perhaps if the deatils have escaped you............it was an escapement set Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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