Fettinator RC installation Instructions

Fettinator RC installation Instructions
These instructions are more of a guideline than a procedure of installing the servo kit
into a Boba Fett (or other SW costume) helmet. With all of the different vendors of
helmets and stalks, it would be impossible to build a “one size fits all” servo kit.
The kit includes the following (See Fig. 1):
1 Hitec HS-77BB low profile servo
1 nylon servo coupler with misc. hardware
1 Fettinator RC servo controller/receiver board (pre-loaded with rotation code)
1 Fettinator RC transmitter with Alco MPA106F switches installed
1 4-AA battery holder with switch
Fig.1
Fettinator RC installation Instructions
Powering the Kit
The kit runs on 6V DC. This can be provided by using the included 4 AA battery holder or
a 6V rechargeable battery pack. If using the 4 AA battery holder, alkaline and lithium
batteries work fine (lithium batteries work the best because they have more current
capacity), but 4 rechargeable batteries (like NiCad or NiMH) do not have the voltage
capacity to power the kit.
If rechargeable batteries are desired, use a 6v battery pack (See Fig. 2, available almost
anywhere remote control toys are sold). Just be sure that the pack is 6V only, a higher
voltage will damage the kit and the servo. I recommend a pack that is 6V and at least
1800mAh; this will ensure that the kit will run for several hours before recharging the
pack is required. Also there is no power switch on the kit itself, just on the battery
holder, so if a rechargeable battery pack is used the kit will be powered on as long as the
pack is connected.
Fig 2
Fettinator RC installation Instructions
Mounting the servo to the helmet
Mounting the servo to the helmet will be left to the user due to the many different helmet
sizes and manufacturers. There is some mounting hardware like screws that come with the
servo, but using them isn’t required.
Fig. 3 is a picture of a servo installed inside of a Jango Fett helmet (thanks to Fettseven for
the pics). He mounted a plate inside of the helmet that is epoxied to the helmet, and the
servo is screwed to the mounting plate. This gives the servo a strong, flat foundation and will
help eliminate extra movement from the servo when it rotates.
Fig. 3
Fettinator RC installation Instructions
Mounting the stalk to the servo
Mounting the stalk to the servo is much like mounting the servo to the helmet. Since there
are so many different stalks, it isn’t possible to make a “one size fits all” method to connect
the stalk and servo together.
Below are some pics of how I connected my own Asok stalk along with how Fettseven
connected his stalk for his Jango helmet to the servo using the included nylon coupler and a
brass servo shaft coupler (which is not included in the kit). I also tried out an aluminum servo
shaft extension, which is also not included in the kit, but all the attachment hardware
information is listed below.
First the Jango mount with the brass servo coupler.
Fettinator RC installation Instructions
Mounting the stalk to the servo
Now the nylon coupler. This coupler has 3 pieces: the small piece that fits over the servo
spline, the outer shell that fits over the spline and the insert. I trimmed the insert down
so it would not stick out so far when everything was mounted to the helmet. The stalk I
used is an old aluminum Asok one that I had drilled out too big as well as sanded down
so that is why it looks so beat up. The 2 small Allen screws hold keep the insert from
rotating without the outer sleeve.
Mounting the stalk to the servo
Fettinator RC installation Instructions
Here is another method using the aluminum servo shaft extension. I had originally
planned to thread the extension and the stalk and screw them together, but I drilled the
hole in the stalk too big so that idea didn’t pan out. Then I decided to drill and tap a hole
in the stalk and use a 4-40 ¼ inch socket head cap screw as a set screw to hold the stalk
in place against the shaft extension.
I ended up cutting down the set screw do it would not stick out past the stalk, but I don’t
have a picture of it. Out of the 3 methods listed here, it’s my opinion that the brass
coupler method done by Fettseven may work the best.
Mounting the transmitter in the gauntlets
Fettinator RC installation Instructions
I provide 2 Alco MPA106F switches to the kit, and they will have wire terminals in the
switch end. This will allow for removal of the transmitter without having to remove the
switches from the gauntlet. I used a small piece of Velcro to hold the transmitter in place.
The transmitter uses 2 CR2016 3v batteries (included); these can be bought just about
anywhere that sells watch batteries.
(The extra 2 wires above the switches are from the LED setup that was in the gauntlet
that I removed, they aren’t part of this kit).
The BOTTOM switch moves the stalk from up (vertical) to down (horizontal). The TOP
switch moves the stalk from down (horizontal) to up (vertical).
Optional Stalk Mounting Hardware (* denotes not included in kit)
Mounting hardware listed below other than the socket head cap screw is available from
Servocity.com
*Servo city aluminum servo shaft extension:
http://www.servocity.com/html/servo_shaft_attachment___250__.html#.VEp29Oe6D3M
Item # 250HS
Price $9.99 plus s/h
*Brass servo coupler
http://www.servocity.com/html/24t_set_screw_servo_shaft_coup.html#.VEp3cee6D3M
Item# 525134
Price $4.99 plus s/h
*Stalk set screw
4-40 by ¼” socket head cap screw (used to hold stalk to servo shaft coupler or
extension) Most hardware stores should carry these.
Connecting the servo and battery
Fettinator RC installation Instructions
The controller board only has 2 connections that need to be done: one for the battery
and one for the servo.
For the battery connection use the BLUE terminal block, and be sure to have the RED or
POSITIVE from the battery on the TOP connection and the BLACK or NEGATIVE from the
battery on the BOTTOM connection. The kit is not protected for reverse polarity, so there
is a good chance hooking it up backwards will fry the board. When power is applied to
the kit the GREEN LED should light up and the RED LED will flash then stay steady, this
is normal.
For the SERVO, the top header pin ids for the INPUT to control the rotation (this signal
comes from the microcontroller board us usually a YELLOW wire). The MIDDLE header
pin is for the POSITIVE power supply to the servo (RED wire), and the BOTTOM header
pin is for the NEGATIVE (BLACK wire) power to the servo.
Using the kit
Fettinator RC installation Instructions
Once everything is connected and power is applied, (once the RED LED becomes steady),
the servo will rotate to the UPRIGHT position and stay there until the correct transmitter
switch is pushed. The switches are momentary switches so it is not necessary to hold
them down, push it down once (you should hear it click) then let go. The code is written
so that the stalk only moves if the correct switch is used. For example, if the DOWN
switch is hit, the stalk will rotate down. If the same DOWN switch is hit again, it will not
move. The stalk will only move if the UP switch is hit. The stalk will also try to maintain
its current position, meaning that if the stalk is up it will fight against any outside forces
to try to get it to move; the servo will make a humming sound if it is being forced to
move without the use of the transmitter switch.
The servo may hum when it is in the upright and down positions; to help alleviate this, it
may be necessary to alter the ear piece that the stalk sits in (either a little sanding to
allow the servo to rotate to the end position) or by adding to the ear piece (maybe a little
epoxy or a shim to hold the stalk in the desired spot). The stalk should stop right against
the ear piece in the up position when it is done rotating; in the down position it should
stop right on the outer edge of the ear piece (where the micro switch would sit). If there
is a gap on either end when the stalk is finished rotating, the servo may hum.
Keep in mind that if a rechargeable battery pack it used, there is no power switch on the
board, so to turn it off the battery pack will need to be disconnected from the terminal
block.
I am not including an enclosure for the kit at this time, but that is something I may offer
in the future, so it may be a good idea to cover the board in a thin layer of plastic to make
sure that any moisture doesn’t short anything out. It may also be a good idea to mount
the battery on the opposite side of the servo to help balance the added weight of the
servo and controller board.
The board should not lose the code when power is removed from the kit, if this happens,
contact me and I will try to get it fixed.
It is also important to know that the transmitter and receiver are not at matched pair,
meaning that the receiver will run off of another transmitter that is not part of the kit, so
it is possible that if there is another person around with the same transmitter that the kit
will function without using the switches. I know that this can become a big problem, and
I am trying to come up with a solution, but right now I do not have one.
Thanks for the interest in this kit, it’s taken longer than I had hoped and took a lot of
time to develop. I would like to thank Fettseven for the helpful ideas, Chris from
Fettpride for the extra parts that I used to help develop this kit and TK231 for supplying
the servo and shaft attachments that helped me figure out how to mount everything.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me on TDH or look me up on the 501st Bounty
Hunter’s Guild.
JC