not all — motor controllers. When
selecting a receiver, make sure the
type of failsafe used is compatible
with the motor controllers you
intend to use.
Before moving into the part
review, I want to discuss what
you need to look for in a failsafe.
Failsafing is the idea that if the
receiver loses contact with the
transmitter, the receiver will send a
certain signal to the motor
controllers and servos that results in
the vehicle acting in a
predetermined manner. For RC
aircraft, this is often maintaining the
last sent signal and going to a
preset (normally off) throttle
position. For RC cars and some
other RC aircraft, it makes more
sense to go to neutral positions with
the throttle cut off, resulting in a
straight path and deceleration.
For fighting robots, you want a
failsafe system that results in the
weapon and drive systems
deactivating, making them safe to
approach and power off. Making
sure your machine failsafes properly
can be the difference between a
stationary robot and a missing limb.
When setting failsafes, make sure to
test with as much of the weapon or
drive system disconnected as
possible to minimize the risk of an
improper failsafe causing damage or
injury.
Spektrum currently produces
only one receiver that has fully
programmable failsafes: the
AR6255. With a price of $79.99, it
HobbyKing R410
four channel receiver.
can become a major expense on
smaller robots. Spektrum is not
the only source for receivers that
will work with Spektrum
transmitters. HobbyKing has a line
of low cost receivers that are
designed to work with Spektrum’s
DSM2 technology.
Weighing in at under three
grams, the four channel HobbyKing
R410 is a great option for
weaponed robots that are tight on
space or weight. With dimensions of
only 37 x 15 x 8 mm, this is one of
the smallest options available today.
In testing, the R410 has never had
any obvious connectivity issues and
bound as quickly as the official
Spektrum receivers.
Switching from the BR6000 to
the R410 in my 1 lb robot “Motor
City Massacre” saved valuable
weight and space in a tightly packed
chassis. In addition to performing
perfectly in every test, the receiver
sells for only $9.99 through
HobbyKing R610
six channel receiver.
HobbyKing.com, making it a great
low cost option for any combat
robot that has little room or weight
to spare.
The R610 is the larger six
channel receiver made by
HobbyKing for Spektrum
transmitters. At 9. 8 grams and
measuring 43 x 22 x 13 mm, this is
a fair bit larger than the R410 but
performs just as well and comes at
an even lower price, only $5.99. As
with the R410, I have yet to have a
failure with the R610 in testing and
have it installed on my 30 lb bar
spinner “Moros”.
Based on my tests, I’ve replaced
all of my BR6000 receivers with
HobbyKing RX10 receivers and will
continue to use them in future
builds. With performance on par
with the BR6000 and the cost per
unit being so low, they make a
great alternative to the outdated
BR6000 and the much more
expensive AR6255. SV
MANUFACTURING:
Shop Review: Westar Mfg. – The Team Whyachi Bot Shop
Sometimes you just don’t have the equipment or the time to
make the parts you need right. I
often get asked where I get my
machining done, and unless I’ve
● by Mike Jeffries
done it myself, my answer is always
teamwhyachi.com. The great
quality, reasonable prices, wide
range of materials, and short lead
times have kept me going back
since 2004.
SERVO 01.2012 27
