Jump to content
Mad Ax

Globe Liner - Beier SFR-1 installation

Recommended Posts

I looked at installing a Beier or Servonaut system in my Globe Liner a couple of years back, when I was getting pretty tired of the limitations of the Tamiya MFU-01.  However it looked like it was going to be a very expensive venture - a new ESC for the truck, plus the Beier sound module, plus the worry that the two wouldn't play well unless I went with an expensive Beier ESC.

I played around for a bit with my Arduino project, but the amount of work involved got overwhelming (especially when dealing with trailers) so it's been parked for a long time and isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Then I heard about the Beier SFR-1.  This is a clever conjoining of the Beier ESC and Beier sound module to make a single integrated sound, light and ESC module.  It has all the programmability and customisation options of previous Beier systems but comes in a single compact package.  Perfect for those rigs with full interiors and limited space.

After a little bit of saving and deliberation I decided to hit the button.  I ordered an SFR-1, a trailer IR module, various cables and connectors and some odds and ends that I have ended up not using.

Although the Beier is been in place for a fair few months, I haven't done much documentation of my progress yet.  I didn't do many lorry meets last year; those I attended I largely hung around chatting instead of getting on the layout and driving, and with the virus still lurking among the population it will likely be a long time before we can pack a small village hall with two dozen overweight and elderly men.  Not that I am trying to make a statement about the model truck demographic, but one must be realistic about these things.

So one of my many lockdown projects has been the slow improvement of the Beier installation and the Globe Liner itself.  This thread aims to document my successes and failures so anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps can at least be forewarned.

To begin: here's the Globe Liner as it was when I first built it.  It was build with a used MFU-01 (which was supplied with my MAN TGX 6x4 Full Option kit and which I replaced with an MFU-03).

IMG_20180614_140858.jpg

  • Like 4

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yesterday's plan was to install the IR transmitter into the 5th wheel.  This transmits lighting signals and other control options to the trailer module - see this thread for trailer wiring details: 

The IR diode is supplied with the trailer module and has a servo lead that plugs into the SFR-1's IR port.  It's a little 3mm dome LED and doesn't come with any mounting brackets.

My rig still has the 5th wheel that came with the MFU.  It's slightly different to the standard one because it has space for a microswitch.  The Tamiya MFUs plays a distressing coupling / uncoupling sound when the trailer is hitched or unhitched, and the power output to the motor changes depending on trailer installation (I forget exactly what the difference is and if it works on both MFUs or just the 03).  The Beier doesn't have a default option to play a coupling/uncoupling sound, but it is so deeply programmable that an option can be added.  As far as I can tell, there are no switching inputs on the Beier - I can't just plug in the microswitch and configure it to a sound in the Sound Teacher app - but there may be Beier modules that convert a switching input into a servo PPM signal that can be fed into one of the Beier's input channels.  Failing that, it would be very easy to make a simple Arduino switch-to-PPM convertor.  But that's a project for another day.

So the first plan was to drill into the 5th wheel mounting plates so the diode could be mounted.

P5310042.jpg

P5310043.jpg

P5310044.jpg

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is the bottom of the diode, pushed up into the hole I made

P5310046.jpg

Here it is cable-tied and hot-glued into place

P5310047.jpg

The 5th wheel plate sits directly over this crossmember...  Of course the diode now doesn't fit, so it needs to be modificated

P5310048.jpg

like this:

P5310049.jpg

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Test-run:

P5310050.jpg

Servo wire won't fit through the holes I previously made for other wires but it's unobtrusive enough for now.  I may do a full rebuild later once all the wiring is finalised.

P5310051.jpg

I had to make up an extension cable as the diode wire was too short, but the point has been proved and the installation works.

Next plan is to mount a remote coupler release (without resorting to Tamiya's bulky and ugly remote release solution that comes with the motorised trailer leg kit) unto the chassis rails using a micro servo, which I will be ordering later today.

After that I'll be tidying up the mount in the cab and trying to install the driver and interior.

Watch this space!

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
14 hours ago, Blue620 said:

I’ve decided to stick with the Tamiya unit but ordered a OB1 kit from Fury Bear.

I have two of these, they are actually very good.  The MFC unit is almost direct plug-and-play into the Tamiya MFC and the trailer unit is pretty easy to wire up.  Largely the trailer units worked fine, although I found they sometimes struggled to detect when the trailer was detached from the tractor, so would continue to display light signals even when the trailer was parked and the tractor was moving around.  I never got to the bottom of why this happens.  In theory the trailer hazards should show when the unit is on and the trailer is disconnected and sometimes that didn't work.  I'm not sure if it uses the microswitch in the 5th wheel or the input commands for raising and lowering the support legs to work it out.  (I might have altered the wiring for the support legs in my TGX trailer because it was a custom install into a Bruder chassis).

Two things to watch out for:

1) the battery box for the trailer unit has an on/off switch on one side and a screw-fixed battery hatch on the other.  If you tape it down so the switch is accessible, you can't change the batteries.  Either use an inline switch or velcro tape, or find a way to hook it up to your remote leg batteries (if you have that installed).

2) the connectors in the modules are a bit fragile and can pull out when trying to detach the wiring.  The metal wiring parts themselves remain attached to the board so you can still put it back together but it's not ideal as it could lead to a short.  Be careful when pulling out the connectors.

:)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

I have two of these, they are actually very good. 

Thanks  for that. It does look a lot like the GT Power inits but driven from the MFU so fingers crossed. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

OK, got a bit more done on my daily workshop day yesterday.

Here's where we were at the start of the day.  The 5th wheel release rod is floating in the air.

P6070078.jpg

First thing was to strip the back end of the truck.  It's not a job I relish (I've done it a few times) but once done it's easy to remove the crossmembers.

P6070080.jpg

Here I had already drilled a hole in the crossmember to pass the wiring through.  This needed to be enlarged to accept the IR diode wiring that I installed last week.  I also added a new hole for the release pushrod.

P6070081.jpg

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It has always bugged me that the Tamiya 5th wheel release has the pushrod and servo horn visible on the top of the chassis.  With all that space between the rails, it seems a shame not to utilise it.

I made a new pushrod from M2 threaded rod, then used a set of pliers to give it a doge-leg.

P6070082.jpg

Now it is neatly hidden under the chassis rails.  

P6070083.jpg

I made a chassis cover plate from a piece of plasticard - I forgot to get pics of that bit.  Then I glued a micro servo to the bottom with hot glue.

P6070084.jpg

P6070085.jpg

To be honest, I probably could have done a much neater and sturdier install if I'd designed a bracket in CAD and 3D printed it, but I wasn't sure where to mount it - left side rail hide the wiring and right side houses the pushrod, while a bracket mounted to the top plate would have needed additional screws that would look less attractive overall.  Plus I didn't really want to give up my one day off in 7 to sit in the studio designing brackets when I could be in the workshop making things with my hands.  Hot glue is great because it has very little mess, dries really quickly and can be removed without damaging the components.  With this installation, it will either be strong enough or it won't - it's not like a structural component that will experience high loads in use that I can't replicate on the workbench.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Top plate looks pretty tidy.  I didn't have any attractive chequerplate, which might have looked nicer, but I can go back to that later.  A polished stainless cover would be even more fancy but it's not worth the cost or time.

P6070087.jpg

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Next, I decided to put some time into tidying up the wiring.  It's been a while since I had the cab installed simply because of all the mess under there.

First I re-routed the servo and motor cables so they come up into the rear area of the cab.

P6070089.jpg

P6070090.jpg

P6070092.jpg

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It's worth mentioning here that I have a slightly unconventional servo setup.  Steering is handled from the Beier module (it allows you to configure speed-sensitive steering profiles and operates the indicator cancellifier), but my gearbox is operated directly off  a 3-way switch on Channel 6 of my TGY-i6 transmitter.  I don't typically change gear while driving around - most layouts require just 1st gear anyway and it would be normal to disconnect the gear servo and fix it in 1st gear anyway.  However it is nice to have the option of higher speeds in some places.  Having the switch outside the Beier setup means I don't have to worry about all the complicated setup that goes with gear changes in the Beier module, I can just select the most appropriate ratio for the layout from the transmitter and leave it at that.  (We all know these rigs have more than enough torque to pull a full load from a standstill in top gear anyway.)

Here's the rats nest at the back of the cab.  Absolute chaos.  The SFR-1 comes with some pre-wired servo plugs that are long enough for some big installs but are way too long for my setup.  I need to make them shorter.  I was nervous about doing this before because I hadn't worked out my final install location, and it's easy to mess up the servo plug crimp connectors, but I think this location is mostly fixed for now.  I also left my ribbons a bit too long and should really make them smaller.

P6070093.jpg

Interior space is now way tidier.

P6070094.jpg

This is a useful trick from a friend of mine: a paint tin cap, cut in half:

P6070095.jpg

Makes a good motor cover when combined with some more hot glue:

P6070096.jpg

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Everything now plugged in

P6070097.jpg

Oh, I had another little disaster - the cab was on the floor while I was working on some stuff, and my wonderful 3-year-old started playing around with some stuff that was twice as tall as she was.  Despite me warning her to be careful, she knocked it over on my cab and snapped off an exhaust stack.

P6070098.jpg

To be fair, it could have been way worse - the body survived with absolutely no marks at all and the stacks are easy to replace.  Actually I have another standard set still on the sprue from my King Hauler drag truck build, but I will probably fit the taller stacks off my NIB Grand Hauler because that's going to have a tipper bed fitted which is likely to interfere with the stacks and require a side-exit exhuast.

Actually part of me thinks a side exit would look cool on this rig, if I can relocate the fuel tanks.

Anyway - with the cab fitted, the loom bulges outside

P6070099.jpg

P6070100.jpg

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

However, with enough persuasion, it's possible to get the battery door on

P6070101.jpg

P6070102.jpg

P6070103.jpg

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So - where are we now?  Well, the 5th wheel release is now configured as a switchable option on the right vertical axis.  A short half-push forwards toggles the servo position.  This is entirely configurable and also has an option that prevents operation while driving.  I use a full static push forwards on that stick to trigger the horn sound, so I could easily accidentally detach my trailer while driving.  That wouldn't just be annoying an embarrassing but potentially expensive if the trailer damaged my truck or someone else's on the way down.

I haven't yet hooked up the 5th wheel microswitch.  I could use that to trigger a loading sound effect, but I'd have to work out exactly how (I would probably need to use an Arduino to simulate a radio input, as mentioned above).

That's all for now - probably more to follow next week.  See further updates (hopefully later today) on the Pole Trailer thread.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Go Mad AX!

i keep puttn' the trailer off to purchase i don't think i'll build one.

is that your picture?

well next time look both ways before you cross the street:lol:

  • Haha 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

ERMAGHERD!!!!! 😎😲😁

I'm so glad I took my own advice, and looked at other's Big Rig Threads. Brilliant!! I'm stealing that amazing Coupler Release idea💡 It's so obvious, I don't know why I, or anyone else, hadn't thought of that before. If you can make it fit in a Globe Liner, I should have miles of room in a Grand Hauler! 

And that Paint Tin Cap.... Oh YEAH!! 👍👍  Doing it! 

THIS - is why Forums are still relevant and valuable.

And YES, I'm following carefully, in case you come up with more brilliance! spacer.png

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Long time no update on this thread.  I had a run up to Swindon on Saturday morning for a Swindon RC Truckers meet - this was totally unplanned, I only decided around 8am that I was going to go, so I had a crazy rush to get the trucks down out of storage (my new storage system works well for this, although I still have to move the motorcycle out of the garage and relocate the ladder) and get the batteries charged.  None of my trucks have run since November 2021, when I took a run down to Bournemouth for one of their local meets.  The NiMHs for the MAN TGX charged up in a few minutes each (always a red flag!) but fortunately the Globe Liner uses LiPos, which were in storage from my last race meet and charged up as expected in the time it took me to get the rest of my stuff ready to go.

I had to reinstall Beier Sound-Teacher to open up the SFR-1 settings and remember how I had configured it all, and also re-bind the FS-i6X transmitter to the receiver and set up all the switches all over again, because my old Tx died a few months ago.  There was a moment of panic when I couldn't recall how it all worked, and then I made myself jump out of my skin when I triggered the horn accidently and realised the entire thing is waaay too loud.  Fortunately I had configured the remote volume up / down option on the left horizontal axis.

I recalled I had some issues running the SFR-1 at the 2021 meet, and I've still got some notes written down on Google Keep from that event, but I decided to go to this meet completely fresh to see if I still had problems.

Long story short - I do.  There's so much configurability in the SFR-1 that it's probably normal to be unhappy with the first configuration attempt.  Mainly I was having trouble getting reverse, but I was having other problems too.  Here's how I have it set up at the mo:

Left X, channel 4
Full left fast - left indicator / cancel
Full left long - hazards on / off
Full right fast - right indicator / cancel
Full right long - engine start / stop
Half left fast - turn on lights (multi)
Half left long - volume up
Half right fast - turn off lights (multi)
Half right long - volume down

Left Y, channel 3
Up - accelerate
Down - brake

Right X, channel 1
Channel reversed
Steering, automatic indicator cancel

Right Y, channel 2
Full up - horn
Half up fast - trailer release / engage
Full down - flash headlights
Half down fast - toggle forward / reverse

SWC - 3-way toggle, channel 6
Direct to gear servo, bypass SFR-1

SWD - 2-way toggle, channel 5
Trailer legs up / down

And here's the issues I'm having:

  • toggling indicators often changes light mode
  • selecting reverse is really hard

I think there are 2 possible solutions to this.  One is to move all the functions that I want to get at while driving (e.g. trailer release, reverse selection) to the full deflection positions, and the non-critical stuff to half-deflection.  Then, provided I'm positive with my inputs, all the stuff I want all the time, like indicators and reverse selection, are easy to get at just by moving the sticks all the way.  However, I noticed that I'd frequently change the headlamp settings while using the indicators - maybe I'm not being positive enough on my inputs.

The other option is to use the Sport Mode on the transmitter to toggle the control channels between 75% and 125% deflection.  That should mean I can easily get to the half-deflection options when I need them, but having more deflection with the sport mode switch in the on position might mean I flip through the half-position settings fast enough that I don't toggle them accidentally.  It may also be advisable to set the half-way settings only to the long input option, not the short input, so I have to positively hold the stick in place to select them.  Although I'll have to check if I've definitely got enough levers to do this.

Also having a problem with the trailer legs not responding properly, I think that can only be fixed by moving to a rotary switch (possibly I can swap out a rotary for a 3-way toggle, as I don't really have a need for rotaries), although the legs themselves don't really work properly so I'm not using that feature right now.

Also there are other issues not related to the control setup, for example

  • sounds are too quiet on the layout (despite being too loud on the workbench)
  • reverse bleeper in particular is impossible to hear
  • sound levels need balancing across all setup
  • trailer release servo has come unstuck (needs better servo tape or proper servo posts installing)
  • interior wiring is one awful mess and needs tidying

In summary, it was great fun to get back on the layout again after so much time away, but also a bit frustrating as it was hard to drive at times.  This is a really good fun project to work on and there's still loads to do, but I don't know when I'll get around to it as I'm still busy with the Dakar rig, I'll have to start preparing for the Iconic Cup soon, I'd love to do another Tamiya Junkies meet before the season proper starts, and Revival is probably going to take up some workshop time, too.  But at least I have all these issues listed down here for when I get around to it.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've been watching some guy on youtube the past couple months off and on program the Beier setup. Pretty darn cool.  I've had the Globe Liner in a cart on Asiatees for the past month but can't seem to get myself to pull the trigger. I'm wanting to build one, but will need that Beier device, radio, etc. Probably would like to have a trailer with it too just to get the wiring done all in one shot. I'll probably drag this indecisiveness out for a couple years. 

 

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@mad ax, what radio are you using?  I know a lot of people who think its cool to have 4 channels do everything, but it sounds like you might be better off if you could move some of the "full X long/full X fast" functions to separate switches or knobs.  basically reducing the amount of secondary/tertiary functions for primary controls, and have your primary controls only doing one important thing.

just my thoughts

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, tim.senecal said:

@mad ax, what radio are you using?  I know a lot of people who think its cool to have 4 channels do everything, but it sounds like you might be better off if you could move some of the "full X long/full X fast" functions to separate switches or knobs.  basically reducing the amount of secondary/tertiary functions for primary controls, and have your primary controls only doing one important thing.

just my thoughts

That's a good point, and I've wondered about that.  I use a FS-i6X, which is 10 channel, and has 3 2-way switches, one 3-way switch, and 2 rotary knobs.  It's also possible to convert the rotary knobs to 3-way switches with a bit of soldering.  I've wondered how I could best set that up, and I'll probably look at it in more detail sometime.  I think the Beier can handle S-BUS mode too, which would cut right down on the number of servo wires floating around under the body.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sadly, it has been so long since i have actually used a FlySky radio, i have no idea if any of their receivers support s-bus.  I am certain the Beier supports it.  and you can always upgrade to something like a Radiomaster tx16*, and get 16 channels via s-bus from one of their receivers.   that might be enough:)

 

*  or do what i did and spend an outrageous amount of money on a FrSky Tandem XE :)  

 

and i started building my Globe Liner as well.  I will wait on the trailer...  i can't decide on what kind of trailer it needs.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just a quick update on this thread.  I mentioned way back in 2020 that the exhaust stack got broken off, and I've since been to several truck meets and always forget about it until I arrive there.

sm_P2290114.jpeg

As I mentioned before, I was thinking of putting the bigger pipes on from the Grand Hauler.  That truck can't use vertical stacks because it has a tipper bed, so it will have to have some other solution.

However, having spent ages going through boxes and taking parts trees out of protective bags, I discovered there's no way to get them on the Globe Liner without significant mods.  The Globe and King use the same stacks, so you'd think the Grand stacks would fit right up, however the King stacks look like they route directly under the cab (as do the Globe stacks), but the Grand stacks go right down into the space in the chassis.  I guess this is facilitated by moving the tanks backward on the Grand chassis, to fill up all that dead space.

It's probably possible to make it work, but it was more work than I wanted to put in for a quick fix.  I'm enjoying my truck meets again, and I want this truck running.  So, this had to be fixed!

I kept the original metal stack with the broken plastic piece inside, and also the washer that spaces out the heatshield, but I couldn't find the heatshield anywhere.  There is photographic evidence that I kept it because it's in one of the photos back in 2020, but I don't know where it went.  I went through a lot of bigrig stuff last week but there's a whole nother underbed storage box to check.

In the mean time, I just got a spare shield from my Drag King build.  They were still safely tucked away in the blister pack and had to be cut out.  I'm not sure what type of stacks the Drag King will have, and I may not even need that missing heatshield.

Anyway - back to the repairs.  The plastic had snapped clean off at the top, but left just enough of a surface to press the snapped part back on.

sm_P2290115.jpeg

I used Humbrol plastic glue from a tube, since it's a little thicker and provides more initial bite.  Fully liquid glue probably gives a better fix where surfaces can be sure to be pressed together, but the thicker stuff works wonders for things like this.

sm_P2290116.jpeg

And that's that.  I totally forgot to take a final pic with the heatshield on.  We'll have to see how well this lasts, if it breaks off again I've got the parts tree from the Drag King that I can dig into.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Also that hot glue on the 5th wheel release servo didn't work out.  Sometime in the last couple of years, probably due to heat cycles in the workshop, the servo has fallen away and no longer detaches the trailer.  I have to say it's kind of an annoying situation since it isn't hard to get to the trailer release by hand any more.  I guess having a standard lever, or one of the better-looking aftermarket options, would be a bonus for when I just want to get the trailer off without putting a battery in, or if the trailer release servo is out of action for whatever reason.

I'll probably remake the entire plate from aluminium, as it'll look nicer all polished up, and I can screw on some proper secure servo mounts.

The point is moot since the remote trailer legs I made for my pole trailer don't work properly, they're waaaaaaay to slow and they get out of sync, so I need to spend some money on those before I can really use the whole remote leg thing.

Also - I managed to burn out the steering servo last weekend.  I'd forgotten to set up a proper failsafe before turning off my Tx, and the steering servo went full-left and stayed there for over an hour.  I was worried it had burned out the entire Beier module, but after swapping out the steering servo it all came back with no problems - but I still have to revisit the servo situation and get it running properly again.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...