track frames and turntable control?
 

how do you guys control your turntable and your track frames?do you guys just use 3 car speed controllers or are there something better out there for this job I'm at the point where I need to put something to control the movement of my excavator and I don't want something really complicated. Simple the better! Thanks guys

Re: track frames and turntable control?
 

I've been using the Sabertooth 2x12(amp) dual motor controller in my smaller Stahl tracked models for yrs & have a 2x25(amp) in the JD850. The best feature of it is one ch operates forward/reverse & a different ch to steer, that's what I miss now with my latest track hoe being the Fumotec JD450, it has brushless motors in it & the Sabertooth cannot be used. Making the 450 move around, especially on a delicate slope becomes a little more complicated having to operate two chs now with two sticks as well, if the boom is assisting in the move.

https://www.dimensionengineering.com...bertooth2x12rc

And whatever esc for the swing, preferably something that either has or can be programmed with a "soft" brake & smooth acceleration.

Re: track frames and turntable control?
 

Lil Giants,

I am building a lattice boom crane. I don't know a great deal about RC controls. You mentioned "Soft start & smooth acceleration" on the ESC, what would you recommend for controlling a crane with two crawlers (4 motors), slewing gear and three hoist and maybe lighting or sound?

The motors I am using are DC gear motors. I have been controlling these types of motors with a wired PWM circuit. Radio control is just something I haven't learned about. Figuring out where to install such components would be very helpful at this stage of my build.

Thank You,

Re: track frames and turntable control?
 

I'm using an IBU2 Tank control unit in my excavator. As the name suggest this is meant for tanks but these also have tracks also so you get forward backwards on 1 channel and steering on another channels. Plus two more dc outputs on the other channels for turret turn(excavator skew) gun up/down (i'm not using this but could be used for a boom raise/lower.)

Got basic headlight on/off control (from 4 channel radio) and synchronised sound effects which can be changed on the supplied microSD card.

Obviously it's meant for a Tank so some functions not suitable and needs a bit of tweaking to suit the application.

http://www.ibu-electronics.com/

Re: track frames and turntable control?
 

So if I'm reading you right, that's eight motors total? 4 Sabertooths would do the trick. Each dual motor control has six DIP switches to turn mix on/off for for/rev/steering - controlling two chs, with it off the 2chs operate individually of each other. Another switch for lipo cutoff or not, another is acceleration ramping, ect, I can't remember them all off the top of my head, but the instructions & wiring layouts are listed on the site for each device.

The 2x12 (for example) means 2 motor controllers with a max amperage each of 12A.

Yours lights or sound on/off could be controlled easily enough with either the Battle switch or a Pico switch, also listed on the Dimension Engineering website. Detailed manuals for each device right on the website.

Plug & play with very little set up.

I like the 2x12 I'm using for the swing on the JD850, very smooth! The only trouble I have on occasion is sometimes the swing creeps left or right b/c exact neutral sometimes changes, usually happens when I push the controller to its 12A rating, like when I lift the tracks with boom then swing, a more effective way of steering than making the tracks work against each other.