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Russthedroog

Please help restart my 30 year old pumpkin

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So,

Hello to you all, new member and a first post. Also, pretty clueless.

In case it isn't obvious, I have a 30 year old midnight pumpkin. It was a gift, from my dad when I was of an age in single figures. He bought it from the bloke that lives opposite the pub. Pub bloke and his son built it a few years earlier, so I've not even had the experience of building it up myself to get my head around it.

It got a lot of use from me as a kid and is still in one piece. However... the controller has long since gone AWOL, as well as the battery and charger. So with my rose tinted glasses on and the waft of nostalgia in the air, I figured I'd try and get it working again for me and my own son; who is now in the same generational position as I was all those years ago. 

Firstly I've bought an Absima SR2S radio system complete with its own receiver. However the existing wiring doesn't fit the battery and radio channel sockets. So I suppose my first question is, can I get alternative plugs, or do I need to get a new servo complete with plugs.

If you'd all be so kind as to give me the most basic no frills set up just to get the thing working, once I've got some experience I'd perhaps look to change up a few parts. I've also always REALLY wanted to build a clod buster so perhaps I'll cut my teeth on that and look to upgrade both as I go.

Thanks again!

Russ

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Throw out all the old electronics except for the servo. Get an quicrun 1060 ESC.

Now, the servo plug should be able to fit in your receiver. It's not that ancient. You may have to trim of a bit of plastic.

 

Other problem your new receiver probably won't have a bec so will get the full load of the battery and may be damaged. The before mentioned ESC does have a bec and should solve that.

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Plug wiring looks compatible, black -right, red + middle, white signal left.

Just take a file and make the plug to fit.

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I wouldn't get a 1060 for a Pumpkin/Lunchbox. The reason is that the wires are too short, it will be a stretch to reach the motor (but is possible) and to plug/unplug the battery you'll need to take the body off, which quickly tuns in to a pain in the *******.

I say get a tamiya ESC. It will be a few quid more than the 1060, but will work out better. I'e got a 1040 esc in a pumpkin and a tamiya esc in a lunchbox (same chassis)., also have a 1060 in another car.

 

Far as battery and charger - keep it simple and cheap and go for nimh rather than lipo, this should give you ~20 minute run time, about 40 minutes charge time @ 5 amp https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tamiya-3000mah-NiMH-RC-Rechargeable-Battery-Pack-and-Fast-Charger-Combo-7-2-Volt/231052454861?hash=item35cbccabcd:g:s2gAAOSw8gVX4oQa

 

This https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tamiya-TBLE-02-ESC-Brushed-and-Brushless-ESC-Electronic-Speed-Controller-45067/371232532685?epid=1050229854&hash=item566f2ee8cd:g:a-EAAOSwo8hTpBxt or this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tamiya-Electronic-Speed-Controller-ESC-TBLE-02S-Brushed-Brushless-Frog-Hornet/283020495019?hash=item41e55608ab:g:utgAAOSw3RZaQjr- esc will be fine. 

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yep all of the above brought my old Pumpkin back to life.

you could get a new one as still on sale in special editions so you could build it with your lad.

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Because you said, "clueless," let me lay down some things that confused me when ESCs became the norm years ago.  

ESC is "Electronic Speed Controller."  Instead of the mechanical switch controlled by a servo (like you have there), ESCs control the speed by microchips.  It just turns the circuit on and off.  For example, connecting the battery and the motor 5 times a second would be slow, 30 times a second would be faster, 100 times a second would be almost completely on, so on and so forth.  

Just like the mechanical speed controller, ESC sits between the battery and the motor.  How do you control it without a servo?  By plugging the ESC directly to the receiver.  So the ESC has a plug that looks exactly like a servo plug.  That "servo plug" does 2 things.  It gets your command from the receiver.  But it also floods the receiver with electricity.  The receiver runs on it.  The steering servo that's connected to the receiver also gets the power.  This is nothing new.  It's called "Battery Elimination Circuit," aka BEC.  Even your old Acom receiver says "BEC."  Because of this, if you buy a $5 LED unit and plug it into most receivers, BEC will power those LED headlights too.  

So, all you need is an ESC like below.  Hobbywing Quicrun 1060 is popular.  Of course, you can use Tamiya ESC too. 

Just be careful not to buy any ESC made for "Brushless" motors.  (Brushless ESCs have 3 wires going to the motor, instead of 2 wires)  Some Tamiya ESCs are dual purpose ESCs.  Dual purpose ESCs are quite rare.  

Have fun, and welcome to Tamiya Club!  

lejyTMj.jpg

 

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Welcome.  My 30-year-old Pumpkin is still happily running the original MSC and radio gear I bought with it back then.  But I've built a new one recently with modern(-ish) kit.  Get a basic Tamiya ESC and discard the MSC and its servo.  Don't bother with LiPo batteries, just get a NiMh one for now.

unimog5.jpg

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Thank you all so much, i didn't expect so many replies so quickly. 

I had already bought batteries, which i forgot to mention, but it appears that I've got the correct ones, so thanks for that.

@JuggularThat's perfect and a bit of background info goes a long way. I really am new to the hobby so am a complete novice, looks simple enough so i reckon i'll get my head around it.

I'll order everything and let you know how it goes!

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It'll be great to have your old truck working again.  Once it is, get yourself a new Lunchbox kit and build it up from scratch with your son.  Then get a Clod.  Then, well, you get the idea... ;)

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