Servo Recommendations - Plasma Edge 2

[Bodi007 3]

Hey all,

My steering servo just died in my Plasma Edge2 and I need to buy a new one. The one I had was a cheap Core-rc with plastic gears - https://www.scmodels.co.uk/shop/core-rc-4012-servo-4kg-12-sec/

Any recommendations that is readily available in the UK?

I was thinking this one which is the next one up (metal gears) from the one I had - https://www.scmodels.co.uk/shop/core-rc-9016mg-servo-9kg-16-sec/

It's only used in parks or car parks btw so I don't need anything expensive. Sub £30 would be ok

Thanks

 

[Twinfan 1243]

Via eBay:

Low profile SPT 4412LV (12kg, 0.09s)

Low Profile JX PDI-4409MG (9.2kg, 0.11s)

or for a regular size servo:

JX PDI-6208MG (8.2kg, 0.07s)

All those are around £15 delivered I think.

[Elbowloh 1127]

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/103126-how-should-i-pick-a-servo-tamiya-tt02b/

[Bodi007 3]

Thanks all, much appreciated. I will spend some time reading up...

[DavidJH 24]

On 1/27/2023 at 4:53 PM, Bodi007 said:

Hey all,

My steering servo just died in my Plasma Edge2 and I need to buy a new one. The one I had was a cheap Core-rc with plastic gears - https://www.scmodels.co.uk/shop/core-rc-4012-servo-4kg-12-sec/

Any recommendations that is readily available in the UK?

I was thinking this one which is the next one up (metal gears) from the one I had - https://www.scmodels.co.uk/shop/core-rc-9016mg-servo-9kg-16-sec/

It's only used in parks or car parks btw so I don't need anything expensive. Sub £30 would be ok

Thanks

 

I've got the 9kg one you linked too in mine and it's seems fine.  I believe it uses up to 3A which the Tamiya TBLE ESC's apparently can't provide - however my son uses a Tamiya ESC and I did before and we didn't have any problems.

[alvinlwh 5891]

4 hours ago, DavidJH said:

I've got the 9kg one you linked too in mine and it's seems fine.  I believe it uses up to 3A which the Tamiya TBLE ESC's apparently can't provide - however my son uses a Tamiya ESC and I did before and we didn't have any problems.

The TBLE absolutely hates that JX LP ones. I had no end of troubles with running that combo. An UBEC sorted it out.

[DavidJH 24]

5 hours ago, alvinlwh said:

The TBLE absolutely hates that JX LP ones. I had no end of troubles with running that combo. An UBEC sorted it out.

I was talking about the Core one in OP

[alvinlwh 5891]

2 minutes ago, DavidJH said:

I was talking about the Core one in OP

Yes both the Core one and JX one are 9kg(ish) and both uses above 3A (I tested the JX one at 3.3A), that's what I mean.

[DavidJH 24]

Ah! With you. It won't blow the receiver or anything will it? Is there a BEC solution?

I changed my ESC to the THW - 1060 - RTR. That should be better shouldn't it? The BEC can at supply 3A right?

[DavidJH 24]

Would something like this help?

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/yeah-racing-4700uf-10v-power-capacitor-receiver-voltage-regulator-stabilizer-1350768
 

This is 10v but should I be looking for something with 6v? It works like a little battery right? Charges a little bit when power hog servo isn't being used then when it is adds an extra bit of power? Or have I got completely the wrong end of the stick?

 

Money permitting are these any good?

https://wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/345106/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkYby47PV_wIV1fntCh34eQKnEAQYASABEgK5C_D_BwE

[alvinlwh 5891]

4 hours ago, DavidJH said:

Ah! With you. It won't blow the receiver or anything will it? Is there a BEC solution?

I changed my ESC to the THW - 1060 - RTR. That should be better shouldn't it? The BEC can at supply 3A right?

 

3 hours ago, DavidJH said:

Would something like this help?

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/yeah-racing-4700uf-10v-power-capacitor-receiver-voltage-regulator-stabilizer-1350768
 

This is 10v but should I be looking for something with 6v? It works like a little battery right? Charges a little bit when power hog servo isn't being used then when it is adds an extra bit of power? Or have I got completely the wrong end of the stick?

 

Money permitting are these any good?

https://wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/345106/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkYby47PV_wIV1fntCh34eQKnEAQYASABEgK5C_D_BwE

What happens is the servo over draw causing the ESC BEC to shut down for a split second, cutting power to the RX. When it starts back up again, it caused a little "twitch" which may manifest in different ways. One example is the car "moving" slightly on neutral. I posted about the problem here.

There was a suggestion that it was due to me not spending enough on my radio gear. However the problem has nothing to do with radio gear at all as I sorted it decisively with an UBEC. A rough "rule of thumb" calculation I had seen on another forum is every 3 - 4kg of servo needs 1A. My tests on various servos seems to mostly match this calculation.

Here are the before and after UBEC videos.

Before

After

Here is how to fit an UBEC.

Now about those caps in your link, I had made a double cap myself, which is like 4 times the capacity of the one in the link (I use much bigger caps), no use. What I suspect is the difference is just too great, 1.5V supply vs 3A+ demand, caps not enough to cover the difference. In fact I suspect the servo was drawing so much (see below regarding neutral draw) that the caps never had a chance to charge up. Note that this is talking about problems with the TBLE, the 1060 may be better to deal with the slightly higher demand, so caps may work. From my personal experience, I had used the 1060 with the JX servo which draws 3.3A without a problem.

Now that some will say the servo will draw less/no power when the car is going straight, this is completely untrue. You can prove it yourself by twisting the servo with power off and try twisting it with power on. It is using power to resist your twists, which are the forces forced exerted onto it when the car is actually moving. Let me explain this further, the radio send out a range of signal, let's call it 0 - 100, 0 being full left and 100 being full right. At neutral, it will be 50. BUT! Most of us use some trim, and trim is moving this 50 signal. So the servo will be using power to hold it off centre at, say, 48 for example. The stronger the servo, the more it need to hold, nevermind move.

And then about the Savox servo, they have quite a bad reputation a few years back, so I stay away from them. I am sure many will tell you they are fine, never had problems with them, etc. Up to you really, just that it is my personal choice not to go near them.

Last bit of advice is, if you run into problems, try solving it with the cheapest solution first. I tried caps followed by UBEC and that fixed it. Did not need to take that advice of splashing proper money on radio gear and there is nothing wrong with my radio gear, the real problem lies elsewhere.

NOTE: I am no electrical engineer and do not have an in-depth knowledge of electrics. These are just my personal observations, experience, tests and solutions that worked for me.

[DavidJH 24]

I've been looking at UBECs and have found this hobbywing one

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295377545841?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=295377545841&targetid=1404115579333&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045989&poi=&campaignid=17218284410&mkgroupid=142217514411&rlsatarget=pla-1404115579333&abcId=9300867&merchantid=113582426&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3JHs7_CNgAMV_5ODBx3_LgUpEAQYBiABEgJJqPD_BwE

 

My question is this.  If I buy this from one of the known modelshops in the UK they want £10 for this.  Does that mean this ebay one is going to be a fake? And presumably worse quality? Or is it just because it's some dude without a shop who has no overheads?

 

 

[alvinlwh 5891]

4 hours ago, DavidJH said:

My question is this.  If I buy this from one of the known modelshops in the UK they want £10 for this.  Does that mean this ebay one is going to be a fake? And presumably worse quality?

I buy from AE and their prices are all below £10, for more powerful ones. I will not buy a 3A one since most ESCs output that anyway. I go for at least 5A up.

[DavidJH 24]

I've been looking at UBECs and have found this hobbywing one

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295377545841?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=295377545841&targetid=1404115579333&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045989&poi=&campaignid=17218284410&mkgroupid=142217514411&rlsatarget=pla-1404115579333&abcId=9300867&merchantid=113582426&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3JHs7_CNgAMV_5ODBx3_LgUpEAQYBiABEgJJqPD_BwE

 

My question is this.  If I buy this from one of the known modelshops in the UK they want £10 for this.  Does that mean this ebay one is going to be a fake? And presumably worse quality? Or is it just because it's some dude without a shop who has no overheads?

 

Sorry I don't know who AE is. (LOL quoting myself!!)

 

 

[Twinfan 1243]

AE = Ali Express

[alvinlwh 5891]

31 minutes ago, DavidJH said:

Sorry I don't know who AE is.

Here is the lowest powered (and priced) one that I have.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EzEHkvV

[Dan1891 179]

On AE you can get the Hobbywing 3A UBEC at 2,61 Euro.

Is it genuine or a chines clone one wonder then...