Project Mulligan

[suicideneil]

So, interim update time:

Yesterday the MMM V3 arrived, along the 16 and 18 tooth pinions = :) x 1,000
Today the velcro straps and servo saver arrived = :)

Less smilies in the 2nd instance as I have to cut and sew the straps to make them into Gorillamaxx style hold down straps ( currently they are just like oversized watch straps ). Its odd, you just cant buy those Gorillamaxx straps/ style of straps anywhere, even though they are just cheap straps that have the GM logo silkscreened onto them. No biggy, I am able to sew- modern man and all that :P

Gonna be the week end before I even look at doing any more work- currently only have 3 members of staff left at work including the manager and me, so having to work my days off to cover shifts as required; got new staff starting next week but even then they have to be trained up on how to open and close the store by themselves etc so could be a bust few weeks. This is good however as overtime = £££. Neil likes that, as it pays for his DX6i without denting his savings too much ( yes, I am talking in the 3rd person, my head is THAT big )- it also means he can buy his new PC desk too without further denting his saving too much either- self impossed spending limits each month is a good thing quite often.

Until the next time dear readers, peace out 8)

[Kcaz25]

" X 1,000!" X 8

GM style straps.

Looking great!

i would like some £££, can i have some £££??

[suicideneil]

Hmm, have you ever seen the film 'Indecent proposal'?

As for the straps- close, but no cigar. The GM ones are two parters- one short strap with a buckle, and it screws down at one end of the battery tray, the other stap is longer ( no buckle, just velcro ) and also screws down at the other end of the battery tray; everything I've found is just like those tekno straps that are basically a thick watch strap type deal. Scary though- I bought 4 of the 'watch straps' for £4/ $6, vs $13.99 for 3 tekno straps...

[suicideneil]

So, more updates- photo updates too:















So, trimmed the axle guard mounts to get more steering throw, trimmed the knuckles to get more throw, and finished the battery tray- didnt have to do any sewing in the end, just doubled over the ends to prevent them from ripping so easily ( like GorillaMaxx ones do quite often ) and bolted them in place. Tray is lined with craft foam, basically mouse mat foam about 3mm thick, glued in place- gives a nice snug fit for the 5s lipo brick I will be using for power.

Battery tray is mounted on the truck now, though I may go back and trim it a little either end ( chamfer the edges to 45* ). After that I need to tweak the center skid to fit the esc in underneath the tranny, and solder the connectors onto the esc.

Next month I will be buying the radio gear and that will pretty much conclude the project, save for a few tweaks & painting the shell.

[Bondonutz]

Great build Neil, looking forward to see what you do with the shell ?

[suicideneil]

Me too- still havent settled on a design yet, though I have a few vague ideas floating around in the gutter that is my mind. Chrome grill and rear bumper for sure, but main colour and design, if any (may do a solid colour, less chance of fecking it up again ) I have yet to settle on- need to do some doodling I reckon..

[redshift]

Sweet fishnchips Neil!

You got a glimpse of Nessie, it's there in the top photo...

It's a bit out of focus, but it's there!

[suicideneil]

Heh, that thought did occur to me at the time I took the photo..

So, the deed is done:

Spektrum DX6i = £129.99
Glitchbuster cap ( 4400uf ) = £2.99
4x AA 2450mah Energizer rechargeable batteries = £4.69

Interference free driving + great range & having 6 channels to play with = £priceless.

For everything else theres Paypal ( even if they do suck & are in league with the devil ). Should have that lot here by tuesday/wednesday, then I can start tinkering and getting things properly setup.

As such the truck ready pretty much, just gotta see if my new servo saver will fit ( have a feeling it wont due to the massive output shaft vs normal sized ones on normal sized servos ) and need to solder on the battery plugs to the MMM, and programme/ update that via castlelink on the PC.

Peace out

hi neil...like the battery tray. just a quick note to make you aware that r/c heli controllers use ccpm mixing, if this can be turned off with the dx6i(which i should imagine you can), if not you got a problem using it with a car.

the ccpm mixing mixes the cyclic controls with the throttle i.e when throttle is increased all 3 servos on the head of the heli will all lift at the same time to increase the blade pitch, so if one cyclic control would be your steering then a throttle increase would also self steer the car.
best to find out before you purchase . if you cant find out p.m me and ill ask the guys on the heli forum who have dx6i if mixing can be deactivated.
bye neil...

[suicideneil]

Yeah, I believe thats a programmable feature- various profiles for helis and different planes, so I'll be sure to make a note of which profile works best for what I want to do during testing.

So, time to break a taboo and post up a price list of everything thats gone into the build; if you are of a nervous disposition, look away now:

LIPOS & BITS = £115.64 (£25.24)
SERVO = £15.61

TXT-1 = £175 (£20)
CHASSIS PLATES = £72.80 (£9.53)
68T SPUR = £2.95 (£.75)
HEX ADAPTORS = £24.91+8.68+2.39
SHOCKS = £56.42
SERVO MOUNTS = £10.85
BODY POSTS = £30.33
AXLE GUARD MOUNTS = £47.84 (£1.80)
3905 TRANSMISSION = £27.89 (£5.45)
PROPSHAFTS = £6.99 (£1.75)
PROPSHAFT COUPLERS = £2.71 (£1)
STEERING KNUCKLES = £33.83
ALUMINIUM L CHANNEL = £1.99 (£2)
BOLTS = £10
BEARINGS = £12.53 (£3.11)
RECHARGEABLE AA BATTS = £4.69

SUSPENSION RODS = £30

SHELL = £19.56

NEWERA SKIDS = £36
CANTILEVERS = £26.05

ROD ENDS = £15.82 (£4.69)

MMM ESC = £87.63 (£21.65)
PINIONS 16&18 TOOTH = £12.51

1518 1800KV MOTOR = £98.87 (£20.34)

DX6i = £129.99
CAPACITOR = £2.99

HOBBYCITY
EBAY
CANDYMAN
KERSHAW DESIGNS
NEW ERA
TOUGH RACING
RC-MONSTER
CASTLE CREATIONS
BRC HOBBIES

TOTAL = £1123.47 / $1,795.51 (NOT INCLUDING SHIPPING & IMPORT FEES (Prices in brackets are the shipping fees, where available) )

Cheap as chips eh?

blimey neil...you skimped on that build a bit eh??
there was i thinking id spent too much on my e-maxx

[bigboi146]

Not bad neil looking forward to seeing the money pit complete.

[suicideneil]

Heh, this build was cheap by my standards

Small update:

Had to change the esc mounting location, lowering the centre skid made it hang way too low for my liking. I made up a pair of rails and a platform for the esc to sit on, just behind & to the right of the motor, looks alright & the motor wires just about reach down, then up and over the esc to plug into it- may rotate the motor so the wires can be routed a little easier. I did however have to extend the power wires to reach the battery up front; not ideal, but this is a CastleCreations esc, not a Schulze, so I dont imagine the esc will go up in smoke due to a couple extra inches the electrons have to travel ( did nice clean butt joints using 10g wire ). I can always add extra caps if I deem it neccessary.

All I have to do now is make a little rx mounting plate, install the radio when it turns up, and paint the shell. Pretty happy with the overall finish, might need to do some polishing here and there ( if I can be arsed ), and the front body post mounts are a bit wibbly-wobbly for my liking, but them's minor things I can put right, nothing serious.

Will stick some more pics up tomorrow

Uh, i hate to break it to you Neil, but it is tomorrow today and there aren't any new pics here, WTF?