A little Dragon Power, don?t kill it put it to work!

LBRC · Post by **LBRC** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:30 pm

LiPo Dragon Slayer w/ IW02 CB for ABS Breaks

IW-02 Circuit Board w/ functional ABS Break
145 mAh swappable LiPo battery pack
Interflite Mega Micro Servo modified by replacing motor with a 22.5K ZZ motor.
Charges on gutted ZZMT controller now LiPo charger

I got my first ZZMT the day they showed up at the local RS and it only took about an hour for me to decide that it needed to be proportional. My first thought was of course to try a SE circuit board but the Iwaver CB sitting on my work bench immediately sent that idea to the recycle bin. So I spent literally months and untold hours adding a potentiometer to the steering (destroying more than one truck in the process) and just as I finally got it working reluctantly admitting that the weak steering wasn’t going to get any better, I see Microsash's in a post by Luckyyy. One look

at the way he used a micro servo for the steering and I gave myself a couple of good hard thumps on the forehead, quickly rummaged through my spare parts, triumphantly pull out an HS-55 and proceeded to happily destroy four months worth of work. The end result worked much better than my arrangement, but the HS-55 is a $20 servo and was still a little large so you had to do a lot of cutting on the chassis and the servo. It didn’t take long to get pressured into making another for a friend, the servo I found for it cost about $14 and was smaller but still required you to do a lot of dremil work, and chopping.

But this one is different, almost a destiny sort of thing. First at a LHS I found a Interflite Mega Micro servo, super small and only $9.00, so I bought one for no real reason, it just looked useful. On the way home I stop at the bank then wandered into the local RS which is next to the Safeway with the bank, and of course there was the Dragon Slayer and my second impulse buy of the day, still no plans I just liked it. But when I got home the wife handed me a package from ToyEast and everything came together, the IW-02 Circuit board was originally intended for an Epoch but that could wait, with everything sitting in front of me it just seemed like something that was suppose to happen.

The servo went in like a dream especially since the back comes right off, you only have to clip the tab off of one side and do a little trimming to one side of the chassis for a very clean install. The only problem was that the servo pot was 10K and the Iwaver CB’s use a 5K, but installing a 10K surface mount resistor between the wire pads on the CB quickly fixes that. Everything was going almost too easy but shit happens and while adjusting everything before permanently gluing everything in, I pulled one of the servo motor wires off. Again what was needed was right in front of me, I look up and noticed a red ZipZap motor that had rolled under the storage drawers, so I used it and what a difference

, the steering is perfect, the Interflite servo combined with the ZZ motor ended up being much stronger than the others, short enough with the back off that you don’t have to drill into the aft bulkhead under the motor compartment, very clean. I also used a metal servo-horn pin and aluminum tie rod bracket setup that is very smooth with no slop. It literally feels like you are getting 256 steps on each side.

With the IW-02 CB and digital controller the ABS breaks actually work too. One fun thing to do with the digital IW controller is to program in a front wheel steering setup and a rear wheel steering setup so all you have to do is turn the body around for a quick change.

I’m not done yet though I have a light socket that I will be wiring in I did this before on one of my Iwavers to use the Xmod CLL lights the only problem is that you have to use a couple of diodes and a resistor to get them to function like their suppose to. There is a good deal of room in front where the original steering motor and gears went, enough to put everything on a small circuit board that would connect to the IW CB with 4 small wires and make it easy to plug and unplug the lights.

I have two super bright orange LEDs that should look great with the Dragon Slayer paint scheme, I plan to install them where the black painted lights are leaving the white outside LEDs in.

It also needs a wheelie bar, the problem though is that like I said above it’s fun to occasionally put the body on backwards to have rear wheel steering especially when climbing so the wheelie bar also has to be reversible.

I keep adding to my list of things to do, the first couple of these I made I used spare circuit boards that I had lying around they already had FET stacks. Since this one was make form all new parts, I didn’t replace the FETs so it will be getting at least a 2x3 stack not for power but to reduce the on state resistance since the difference is noticeable, it doesn’t need more speed just more efficiency for better battery life and a little more umph for better control at the lower end of the throttle.

payaso · Post by **payaso** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:10 pm

Fuckin A man.... That's just sick..

You do some killer work dude, and I like it. I will still crush you with my cars, but damn you be gettin close....lol

Good job.

silla

viperdout · Post by **viperdout** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:21 pm

Saw it on TRC, VERY sweet.

backdrift · Post by **backdrift** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:23 pm

DUDE!! thats freaking insane!!! Great work once again!

Post by **CaboWabo** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:58 pm

Holy shitballs dude!
That's frickin insane, and absolutely killer.
That's awesome that you stuck with it, and how it came together - it was meant to be for sure.
So I guess that's now your favorite micro? It'd be mine.

I can't believe it has ABS to boot - amazing.
I know a video ain't gonna do it justice, but we gotta get a clip of that baby.

betty.k · Post by **betty.k** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 11:11 pm

i totally agree with you on the need for propo control, at the very least on the throttle. once you do all that work you get rewarded greatly with your mt's performance. well done!

LBRC · Post by **LBRC** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:40 pm

The control is what makes it worth it, for me it has to be both steering and throttle. The smaller they are the more I like them but I also have to have proportional steering and throttle control or I quickly get very board, takes about 2 minutes, I can stand a SE with the steering fixed but anything less than that and I would just as soon play with a slot car. The IW CB modified ZZMT is a spendy but perfect solution. Today I destroyed the work effort by setting up a 4’x 6’ track (Monster Truck Arena) using 4 Lakeshore curves and two straights, with cars to crawl over, a few jumps, and other obstacles. We had 4 ZZMT’s two modded and 2 not, but it took just minuets before the unmoded ones were abandoned as obstacles. I was asked how much it would cost to make a couple and after adding it up have to admit that although great fun they aren’t cheap.

Modified Truck: Approx. $85 plus several hours work.
ZZMT $25.00 plus tax
IW-02 Circuit Board $22.50 plus shipping (appear to me out of stock)
Kokam 145 lipo $5.00 to $8.00 plus shipping
Mega Micro Servo $10 plus gas or shipping
ZipZap motor, wire, heat shrink, Epoxy, etc.

Other Required Items: approx. $50 or more.
Controler
LiPo charger

I did agree to make two, with adequate compensation for the time it will take

, but just discovered that ToyEast appears to be out of the 02 circuit boards. I could use 01 CB like on my first couple but on the obstacle course today the 02 CB proved to be worth the few extra bucks so I hope they get some back in soon. Especially since I want to order 5, one for and Epoch, one to try in a 04, 2 for ZZMT’s, and one spare maybe for a SuperSlicks Monster project.

Post by **CaboWabo** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:52 pm

That's killer, I love it when you pimps help pioneer the hobby.
I could name a handful of pimps immediately, off the top of my head, that I really believed to force the industry to a new level for the benefit of everyone.
Research and development, testing, engineering, construction. It all takes time and money. Yea, looking at a fully functional and working first prototype is expensive. But for a corporation to make it, it would cost a fraction of that.
Watch, if this hobby continues to make enough money to at least sustain itself and justify the expense to the corporations, we'll see advancements like this in our micros - stock for sale.
We've seen it before, from dual cells, to monster trucks, and new shells.
bitPimps members don't only make marks... we make huge dents.

viperdout · Post by **viperdout** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 7:28 am

The more I hear about them, the more I want one, and since I have everything needed for it (have another 145 sitting on my dresser), I just might have to do it.

LBRC · Post by **LBRC** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 1:11 pm

Since you have the parts and skill it’s a definite must make, be warned they’re addictive. I’m surprised that more people haven’t.

For anyone else wanting to make one the steering (i.e. modifying the tie-rod, mounting the servo and aligning the steering) does require the expert touch, although the tie-rod presents the only real difficulty so any careful and persistent advanced mod should be able to pull it off. I believe that Microsash even made a tutorial, it would be in German but should have pictures that show how he made his. As soon as I get the parts I’m making a few more and will post photo’s of the process.

viperdout · Post by **viperdout** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:06 pm

LBRC wrote:Since you have the parts and skill it’s a definite must make, be warned they’re addictive. I’m surprised that more people haven’t.

For anyone else wanting to make one the steering (i.e. modifying the tie-rod, mounting the servo and aligning the steering) does require the expert touch, although the tie-rod presents the only real difficulty so any careful and persistent advanced mod should be able to pull it off. I believe that Microsash even made a tutorial, it would be in German but should have pictures that show how he made his. As soon as I get the parts I’m making a few more and will post photo’s of the process.

The only thing I'm not sure of myself on is the tierod. Can you just wire the stock servo motor to the Iwaver board, cut off the pot wires, and call it a day?

HirotoR34 · Post by **HirotoR34** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:25 pm

I am amazed at the cleanliness of the modifications. Very nice work LB. I am interested in doing this to one of my MT's. You're right about TE being out of stock on 02 pcb's. I sent an e-mail to them asking when they would be getting more. I have yet to hear anything. Can't wait to see more pics of this. A tut (on the steering mostly) would be even better.

LBRC · Post by **LBRC** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 7:12 pm

The only thing I'm not sure of myself on is the tierod. Can you just wire the stock servo motor to the Iwaver board, cut off the pot wires, and call it a day?

Won’t work, it would just spin to one side and stop until something burnt out. Even with the sub-micro servo’s you have to take the control circuit out of them, wire the pot directly to the CB, and compensate for any difference between the micro servo pot’s resistance and the 5K ohms used by the Iwaver CB.

I’ve ordered a couple of servo’s and will try to put together my version of a tut in a couple of weeks, I’m not much for full blown tutorials, a few photo’s showing the details and a couple of word of advice is all I'm usually good for. One of the servos I ordered is 4 mm shorter than the Mega Micro but has twice the torque at 10oz.in., it should fit in the chassis with even less trimming.

betty.k · Post by **betty.k** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:59 pm

there is a way to install an i waver pcb in a zzmt without using a servo, but you don't get the propo steering.
http://bitpimps.lixlink.com/pages/phpFo ... php?t=5176

i think i'll eventually drop a servo in but only when i get a lipo charger and some little cells.

zzmt's and propo go together like apple and cinnamon, or hot fudge and a ho!

HirotoR34 · Post by **HirotoR34** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 12:31 am

Agreed. I gotta get back to the smaller scales. I've been spending too much time and money on Xmods. I am interested in doing this, but I'm still kinda noob on 'tronics....won't stop me though......

bitPimps.lixlink.com

A little Dragon Power, don?t kill it put it to work!

A little Dragon Power, don’t kill it put it to work!