Home-made UBEC

[MetalMan]

Right now I am working on making my own UBEC. This is NOT a linear regulator as I have used in the past. This is a switching regulator, similar to the Kool Flight Systems UBEC. I haven't ordered the parts yet, but I will soon. If this design works well and doesn't cause radio interference, I may consider selling this. Parts cost is about $13 including all wires/connectors. The specs are:
-Up to 40volts input (30 cells)
-3 amps continuous output
-Switching regulator about 80% efficient
-5v ouput (I could try the adjustable version to get 6v, but that uses more parts)
-Minimum 8cells

[Serum]

Would you mind contacting Mike about this?

It is his forum, and he sells the UBEC, perhaps he is interested in those things, but please contact him about this first!!

[Dafni]

Contacting Mike may just lead to something...he's open for new ideas!
I hear him say: But you want 6 Volts :)

If you can provide something with the same quality, for a better price, any business-man will gladly test it.

[Serum]

I too would say; 6Volts!! (or selectable, 5 or 6, by a jumper, though with switching power supplys this is easier said than done.. )

How are you going to make it?

A friend of mine lives in China, and he is able to make PCB's for the lowest price possible..

here is the link to his advertisement.. He is reliable and one of the most kind people I know.. (he used to life in Holland, but he emigrated to China)

[MetalMan]

Yes, this is Mike's forum! And I gladly appreciate him for providing it. I just wanted to see if another option could be out there that is less expensive than the current UBEC. I will admit that the unit I am working on will be larger/heavier than the UBEC, but for some (like myself), $15 is a lot of money!

I figure that a 6v version would add 3 more parts. 2 of those being resistors, and the other being a capacitor

[Dafni]

Rene, this time it's your link..... Pagina reageert niet ??? huh

[Serum]

Cool... Dafni speaking Dutch!!!!!!!!!!!!

my ears are flapping on my head..

here is the right link.. Skip to page no 2 and there are the PCB's..

Bitte...
Entschuldigen Sie mich

[Dafni]

hahaha, actually it wasn't my voice, I copy'ed the ebay message.

:L:

Would love to see your ears flapping, though.

[MetalMan]

I don't really do PCB work. I would, but I have no experience with it. "Breadboard" designs are my type.

[Serum]

than i would not buy one from you. I don't think breadboards are the way to go! you need a pcb to make a good product (no flame intended, but if the price is 20 dollars, and for 35 dollars i could get the real deal (light weight, 6V instead of 5 and with a proper PCB) I know what I would buy. that's 3 against 1..

[MetalMan]

I agree that a PCB would be great, but for my purposes a breadboard would work just fine. Also, I edited one of my previous posts. I could do a 6v version, but that would add 3 more components.
I realize that you could get "the real thing" for $35, but $15 is a fair bit of money to some people like myself. I get $20 a week, so that extra $15 would just add another week of saving up. Instead, there is another option that may be heavier and larger, but some people don't mind that.

I have one of MetalMan's regulators in my Ofna 9.5, and it's worked great since the first time I took it out. My T2, on the other hand, has to run a rx pack because I'm too lazy to try and figure out any other way........being a poor college student too doesn't help. :)

[MetalMan]

But that is a linear regulator! And that one can only handle up to 2amps! This one I am working on right now can do everything better than the linear regulator, except for size, weight, and price.

[RC-Monster Mike]

I have a 5 volt, 1.5 amp external switching BEC that I will test this weekend, hopefully. About half the size(or less) than the UBEC and it plugs inline(controllers plugs into this unit, which plugs into the receiver). The price on this would be about $20 vs. the $35 for the UBEC(6 volts, but must be soldered in). I prefer 6 volts myself, but if this works well enough, it is a less expensive, easier option for those in the need.

[MetalMan]

1.5amps will only be enough for a 1/10 ST IMO. I have found that a BMS-620mg, no matter the vehicle, will pull so much current that the voltage on my 7805 will drop low enough to where my Novak XXL will send a signal to the servo that makes it just keep turning, then re-centering, and so on.

I could do the sort of thing where the controller would be plugged in-line with the BEC unit. This is because everything that plugs into the receiver shares the same positive and negative! What I am planning on doing with this particular circuit, is I will combine it with a LVC device that I am also making, so both will be on one circuit board, eliminating extra wires. And it will go in between the controller and the receiver. The LVC will cause stuttering of the throttle when the battery gets low, and the BEC will do what all BECs do.