Giles

Thank you Bob, it's been interesting to do something a bit different! (and to show that it can realistically be done - without needing to be a high-tech genius!) Franco, I've had no heat problems, I think it would depend on your motor size/current draw/battery size/type. Your battery overheating (through being too small or over-charging) would be the thing to avoid. My little truck had a motor with a very small current draw, and so the small Lipo battery is well able to cope (with no over-heating) and non of the other componants are prone to heat generation at these low powers. Your problem is simply the size, which again is driven by motor size/voltage and necessary battery capacity to cope with it..... Note that the RC gear is happy at about 5-6V, so if you run the motor directly off the same power, you are reducing your speed straight off, if your motor is 12v. (the truck is 3.7 volt) All the best, Giles

Hi Franco, Thank you! Although it is theoretically possible to do so, it might only be practical to radio control lrger tender locos. This is because the highly miniaturised receivers and speed controllers (that I have come across) are made for the aircraft hobby, and don't have a reverse function - which is vital to us! The only candidate that I found was the Tiny used on this lorry - at £75, and that is only compatable with 40mHz. Fine control on the transmitter is an issue, and I still propose to modify mine........ It would be much cheaper and easier to use 'hacked' servos where possible (and use the higher frequencies) but this means more space is required. Ther is a chap/shop that specialises is RC in 00 diesels who would be worth talking to. Here's the link: http://www.antenna-models.com/OOGAUGE.html Best of luck! Giles

Thank you Zappatime! I'm so sorry - I've been rather busy recently..... I'm afraid I've not got round to a layout yet - and 'The Loop' doesn't have a road on it (...well, more than a couple of inches....). I have been playing with some 0-14 tippers and a chute, with an automatic tipping bar - so you propel the tippers into the siding, and they automatically discharge into the chute, underneath which there happens to be a lorry sitting.... Meanwhilst, here is a short video to prove the thing works....... including the brake lights, but only if you stop vigorously! One issue I am finding, is that 'stick' transmitters are very coarse in operation - so I shall cut the wires to the 'pot', and measure the resistance, and fit and external rotary pot for speed control, which should make it much more controlable at slow speed. When I had it rigged with the full size radio gear on the 3 channel set (with rotary controls) it was much more controllable than it is at the moment - so it'll be worth doing. It's another good reason to stick with the cheaper full size gear if you can fit it in! (box van, tarp. load, etc.....). It's quite right to point out that operating will need full attention - but that's part of the fun in this instance - and sort of brings you right into the miniature world we've created - I don't have a problem with that - If you want to stop and chat, pull over!

...... It works..... Radio control Flatbed lorry in 0 Gauge, with no visible signes of gubbins! (The rear lights stay on all the time, but I can live with that - I may even fit headlights to match.... we'll see.) This 4 channel stick transmitter is a bit quick off the mark, so I shall probably modify it and put a knob on it to replace the stick to make it more controllable - but thats all. When I get the chance I'll take a bit of video (to prove I'm not lying ) But to summarise, once you know what particular bits of gear to put together (expensive flatbed - cheap van) it is easy and straight forward. My problem has been this complete red herring of the Receiver being fussy about which transmitter it likes to talk to - which no-one knew about before this anyway. (so no-one else should have to go through quite the same agony as me.....)

Great News ..... (for me, at any rate!) Andy at Micron has got the chassis working...... it appears that the receiver will only respond to transmitters of at least three genuine channels or more - a fact unknown to anyone until now. Of course my transmitters were 2+1 and 2 channel respectively and so the receiver wouldn't hook up. So now we know, and I've got my flat bed truck! (or at least I will have as soon as the post man delivers it back). I must say that Andy at Micron has been very helpful throughout, and stuck with it - with the result that we now know the formula for radio control vehicles in 0 gauge! Yippeee :D (and of course we can do it much cheaper in a van!)

Andy from Micron Radio Control (who supplied the receiver) has very kindly agreed to look into this - and I've sent him the chassis with receiver fitted, and transmitter et-al in the hope he can figure out what on earth is going on! It's obviously something not blindingly obvious.... famous last words...... fingers crossed Meanwhilst, I've made a start on the Mercian Models 0-4-0 0-4-0 Garratt I bought a year ago - and that's somewhat of a mixed bag as well, but we'll win!

... well, this is exactly the sort of thing I'm trying to get to the bottom of........ I have a Cirrus receiver which works very well with both transmitters on Ch50 and another channel I bought crystals for.... so as far as I can tell, the transmitters appear to be doing everything they should..... ????? I've just had an email back from Micron to saying..... "The receiver works fine with my Hitec Laser and Futaba FF7 TXs. I couldn't test with your crystal as I don't have a TX crystal for that channel. As I wrote before, it it is dead then this will be the first crystal out of that batch that proved fault. I simulated the throttle on your pistol-grip TX by holding channel 2 (elevator) at minimum pulse width while applying power to the receiver. The Tiny-S TX correctly mapped the ESC output to channel 2 and moving the stick up/down ran the motor fwd/rev. I will return the RX to you today and another crystal." So I can't confirm or not whether that particular crystal is or isn't duff..... Do I go out and buy a Hitec Laser, on the grounds that THAT transmitter should work? Assuming that different crystals don't sort it, of course..... Alternatively, can anyone recommend WHERE I can take the whole lot to - I tried a RC model shop is West London, but they were struggling to work out whether the transmitters they had were FM or not, and weren't much help I don't think I'm being an idiot with this, because if I was, I probably wouldn't have been able to hack a servo and get it to work But it is starting to make me feel like a plank...

It's about 43mm wide and 115mm long - are you sure you won't radio control it? it's quite fun:rolleyes: ! I've just discovered that you can get a version in blue for NCB coal.... I just picked up a couple from e-bay - and very nice too - complete with coal sacks if wanted!. On a positive note, I've returned one of the receivers back to Andy at Micron to test, as they really should have worked straight 'out of the box' without all this trouble. he's testing it this afternoon - so we'll know what's what then..... The receiver with ALL the electronics installed, ready to go, complete...... just wanting the two body parts dropping on.

..... here we go..... I've rebuilt it back again .... and the transmitter ( a Cirrus 3 Csx 40 mhz FM on 40.665) doesn't talk to the Micro Tiny-S (40mhz FM with a 1/2 size 40.665 crystal in it) or visa versa.... Either way, it doesn't work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went to a model shop to see if I could get a transmitter that would, but they only had one - and there was some debate about whether it was FM, as it didn't say anywhere (it said SMM or something....) - but eitherway it didn't work . Battery is fully charged, and it was working fine with the Cirrus receiver. Any thoughts gratefully received. p.s. I'm getting tiny, almost inaudible beeps - which the instructions would indicate is 'loss of signal' (not that it's ever received one.... ) Giles

Good news! (for me, anyway..) The correct receiver has finally arrived (in fact - two of them - as I ordered a second whilst I was at it!) The little thing on the left is the Micro Tiny-S (for servo, as opposed to A for actuator), which is a 4 channel receiver and speed controller combined. This has all the functionality of the other kit in my hand - which is a miniature Cirrus 4 channel receiver (as receivers go, it IS small...), and a 'hacked' servo into a speed controller - effective, but still quite large. These two bits are identical to what is under the tarp on the truck at the moment. The Micro Tiny-S will very comfortably fit under the bonnet, leaving me with a clear load bed as planned! Always assuming radio compatability or whatever.... (I don't understand these things, I assumed any radio transmitter would work with any receiver on the same frequency - but I suspect this may not always be the case....) Still, we'll see. I'll be rebuilding the truck back to take this receiver, and build up the second truck likewise. The larger receiver with hacked servo will probably go into a Morris Minor van ..... it might just fit!

The next one on the way.... The battery came with charger from Ebay for about £5 (plus postage from Hong Kong) and just fits between the chassis runners, and is held in with a dab of epoxy. Obviously these two vehicles belong to the same Operator....

Thank you Noiseboy (......sounds like you work in Theatre or something..., but they can never count up to more than two in my experience - but do so loudly and often....!). Let us know when you make a start on your MG, and we'll send the 'Men in White Coats' for a Visit..... I'm very much looking forward to getting the Micro Tiny and shoving it under the bonnet (of the second one - I've already started carving up the chassis, and sprayed up the second cab). I'll be interested to compare how the hacked servo compares to a 'proper' speed controller.

Here's a video of the finished truck fitted with CONVENTIONAL radio gear - i.e. that £6 receiver and the hacked servo. If I was doing it this way from scratch, I would lie the steering servo down, so the hacked servo (speed controller) could sit on top of it under the bonnet, so only the receiver would need to go under a tarp. or whatever....... This is a new back-end of one of my other trucks, and the other one with the LED brake lights awaits the arrival of the Micro-Tiny receiver/speed controller, so I can do Plan A and have a clear load bed to take a load of gravel from the narrow gauge tippers..... Whether I rebuild this one back again, on finish a 2nd truck, we shall see (probably the latter - as I've got lots of bits and pieces!) As you can see, it manouevres well, with good slow speed control, but we'll need to see how it does on a scenic layout.

Having got thoroughly fed up up with waiting for the Micro Tiny Receiver, which STILL hasn't arrived (or at least, the correct one hasn't...). I thought I'd have a go in another direction. Sadly, there aren't any comparable receiver/ speed controllers with reverse that I've found - but if one is building a box van or a bus, a flatbed carrying a load or anything with a bit more space to hide more equipment - then this is probably the way forward. It's certainly a lot cheaper. The receiver is available on Ebay (new) for less than £7 at the moment - Its a 40mHz 4 channel job. 39 x 23 x 14 The speed controller is a 'hacked' servo, available for £6 - £8 with another £2 of componants..... and it works............... The card as stripped from the servo, before modification The card after alteration... now quite a good speed controller all you need to radio control your vehicle (plus battery....not shown...) and it works.... If anyone is seriously interested, I'll detail the hack..... otherwise I'll not bother. Incidentally, I'm NOT an electronics Whizz, and even I can do it!

Bertiedog, I've sent you a message...... of things I don't understand...... Giles

Here you go Ian, ready painted in red...... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-43-CORGI-HEARTBEAT-GREENGRASS-MORRIS-TRUCK-/380244943265?pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&hash=item58885d61a1 I've had a problem, the supplier unfortunately ordered the wrong receiver - so he's now quickly getting the correct one for me

Whilst making a batch of new bits for a Chris Nevard photo shoot (for a small Model Rail piece on the radio controlled truck) I thought I'd do it the simple way on the back wheel, and instead of making a hub with a bearing housing, I thought I'd try simply using a 2mm I.D. flanged bearing straight in the wheel. Success. Very simple, very effective. No reason why not do this for the front as well - it cuts out nearly all the lathe work - but you still need to bore out the plastic wheel in the lathe to get it accurate enough. Also, here's a pictue of the receiver/ speed controller, which I'm really expecting this week...... It's only 17mm x 8mm x 4mm, and is 4 channel! Does anyone know what componant would give me a sub-miniature horn on 3.7V dc to work off the spare channel? There are lots of buzzers that sort of size, but at 2300hz, I suspect they're a little high-pitched!

Some bad news ------ I've just had an email from the supplier, to say that the manufacturer in Czech. hasn't actually put my receiver in the post, so it'll be another 10 days........ , but I'm grateful the supplier is being straight with me....

1:87 - they must be mad by now! I'm going to sit quietly in a darkened room.... and build a layout to use this thing on .... with a railway to feed it, naturally! Ebay do lots of 3.6g servos, which is what the Morris has, but http://www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk/servo_ba.html do a 2.5g servo which I would use next time. Bevel gears were not easy, and I only found one candidate - from Technobots - Mini Plastic Bevel Gear - Part No: 4600-063 The Receiver/Speed controller is the magic bit.... http://www.microinvent.com/mambo/images/stories/pdf_files/minor_tiny-man.pdf the Mion Tiny - S (S for Servo, and not the A for actuator version). Expensive, but indispensible, unless you're building a box van, in which case you can by a receiver for a tenner. The ideal motor/gearbox unit is the Solarbotics 100:1 unit, still available (allegedly) at http://www.active-robots.com/products/motorsandwheels/solarbotics.shtml 2mm I.D. and 1.6mm I.D. bearings from Ebay, 1.8mm LED's from Railroom Electronics I'll post a video when I've got the receiver fitted I must say a very big thank-you to Stephen (Bertiedog) for all the education and information that he's given me - I dread to think what it would be like without the input he's given on these pages!

The Ipod Nano battery is a perfect fit! The Charging socket and on/off switch were a sqeeze to get in.... LED brake lights fitted, (but wiring not painted black) Finished, apart from receiver....

Absolutely - landscaped layout.... exactly what it's for...! I've thought about a trailer, but the real thing would only pull quite a small one - so taking a load from a tipper may be more fun, perhaps! It is one wheel drive, which in practise works brilliantly, and allows v.good cornering - much better than two wheel would be. 4mm? You're on your own, chum...... Giles

I've also rigged working brake lights for the fun of it!

I got some radio gear (only a temporary receiver though - not the tiny one!) and rigged up the steering - and this is a video of it...... I'm well pleased - even completely over-loaded it performs very well! I should get the proper receiver at the end of the week. I've got the real battery, and it fits nicely under the loadbed

Branchlines do this charming Ford Railbus.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgu6B289avM Here's a (really bad) video just to prove it really does work.... (without the body - 'cos I can't connect the AA battery with the body on!)