Servo Reversing

[bogstandard]

Can anyone help, I am trying to find a method of reversing a servo without resorting to putting something in the line.

What I am trying to achieve is two servos on a Y-lead and they need to operate in opposite directions.

I have no problems soldering inside a servo, I just need to know which bits of electric string need swapping over.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Depending on whose servo's you have the signal lead is either the black or brown wire and the other two are the motor wires. Cut the other two and change them over.

Have you exhausted all possibilities though of arranging the servo arms to work the way you want them to, or mounting one upside down etc.?

 

[bogstandard]

Bunkerbarge,

There is only one way to set servos.

Do you mean swap over the + and - to motor inside the servo or the servo leads themselves.

Sorry about being so stupid but my brain hurts.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Bunkerbarge,There is only one way to set servos.

Do you mean swap over the + and - to motor inside the servo or the servo leads themselves.

Sorry about being so stupid but my brain hurts.

The cable from the plug to the servo that you plug into your receiver is a three core cable. They can be black, red and white or brown, orange and red or maybe even differrent colours but one is always the signal to the servo and the other two are the power to the servo motor. If you cut the power cables, bare them and reconnect then the other way round you will reverse the operation of the motor in the servo. If you use a soldering iron and a bit of heat shrink over the cores you should get a neat enough job.

 

[wonwinglo]

Have I missed the point here ? what is wrong with servo reversers on the TX ? failing that just turn the servo around the other way so the arm pulls instead of pushes.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Have I missed the point here ? what is wrong with servo reversers on the TX ? failing that just turn the servo around the other way so the arm pulls instead of pushes.

Barry we are using a "Y" splitter and only want one of the servo's to reverse.

I did ask if all orientation options had been considered.

 

[bogstandard]

Many thanks for your replies, I will just take the leads out of the plug and swap them over. The reason I asked is because usually things are a little more complicated than that.

 

[bogstandard]

Bunkerbarge

Your system of swapping over the power leads didn't work, the servo just refused to work.

I eventually stripped a servo down, swapped the + & - to the motor and swapped over the two outside leads of the internal pot, and voila, a servo running in reverse.

Thanks anyway for your help.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Difficult to know which wires but probably swapping them at the motor is better anyway.

Glad you got there in the end.

 

[Bluewavestudios]

Just a thought,

Ok connect both servos up via a Y lead but mount the servos head to toe so to speak and do the connections on the servo output arms accordingly..surely this will give the required outputs without having to rewire anything...??

I hope you can visualise what I mean...it is the easiest way of solving this problem purely by way of mounting the servos.

I have included a rough Diagram as an example, so you so can get an idea of where the pushrods should go etc...and the servo orientation (Mounted head to toe so to speak)...almost back to the days of V tail mixing long before mechanical mixers and computerised mixers were available...and that worked too !!!

Regards....Mark.

View attachment 14854

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Mark, that is exactly what I suggested ( and Barry!) as I would have thought there must be enough leeway to arrange them as such.

Maybe space is very tight and the reversal job is done now anyway.

 

[Bluewavestudios]

Thanks Bunker,

Yes I was looking at this one and could see the answer straight away as you did likewise...far easier than having to re-wire anything !!

Not quite sure what sort of mixing is required on this one otherwise I would have done it off one servo (bit like aileron servos really)...but I don't think that was the case here

Nice to see us great minds thinking alike !!!

Regards.....Mark.

 

[bogstandard]

Hi All

The reason for the servo reverse is to save having to buy a second decoder setup for my F14 set.

On the boat I am building at the moment it requires two separate functions to control the fire monitors, I am going to couple all three monitors together on one function.

The manufacturer supplies all the mounting boards for the servos used in this operation and they are 'tight' to say the least, so reorientating the servo was not an option, I just wouldn't be able to get the mechanism through the access hole.

Hope this explains the reason I couldn't use your suggested methods

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Interesting stuff though. Don't forget as well that one servo can be used to drive a linkage that would give you two opposing movements via a simple lever arrangement, check out the attachment.

You'll have to post us a picture so that we can see how the set up looks when you have put it together.

Glad you got sorted anyway.

View attachment 14858

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Thanks Bunker,Yes I was looking at this one and could see the answer straight away as you did likewise...far easier than having to re-wire anything !!

Not quite sure what sort of mixing is required on this one otherwise I would have done it off one servo (bit like aileron servos really)...but I don't think that was the case here

Nice to see us great minds thinking alike !!!

Regards.....Mark.

We must be entering the Twighlight Zone!!!

 

[bogstandard]

It's a bit late now but I contacted a 'local' model shop and they came up with this

http://www.servoshop.co.uk/index.php?pid=JP7721044&area=ACCS

It works a dream, and it should also work if you are into miniature boats using a stripped down servo for motor control and drive, with one of these you should be able to get a really small twin screw model to work.

By the way you will be hard pushed to find cheaper servos than on this site, I got four sub min servos for less than £20, great for getting in tight spaces.

 

[wonwinglo]

Now that is a neat idea,never heard of these before but will certainly be investing in a couple of them,thank you for drawing our attention to them John.

It's a bit late now but I contacted a 'local' model shop and they came up with thishttp://www.servoshop.co.uk/index.php?pid=JP7721044&area=ACCS

It works a dream, and it should also work if you are into miniature boats using a stripped down servo for motor control and drive, with one of these you should be able to get a really small twin screw model to work.

By the way you will be hard pushed to find cheaper servos than on this site, I got four sub min servos for less than £20, great for getting in tight spaces.

 

[deadhs55]

Depending on whose servo's you have the signal lead is either the black or brown wire and the other two are the motor wires. Cut the other two and change them over.Have you exhausted all possibilities though of arranging the servo arms to work the way you want them to, or mounting one upside down etc.?

I dont know if this guys on a mission to damage other peoples property or just stupid but DONT DO THIS with most servos.

I just followed this guys advice and it burnt out my HS-55 servo.

post 6 & 7 on this thread may be of interest What happens if you plug a servo into the rx backwards? - RC Groups

 

[Ian M]

I think richard knows what he is talking about. Your first post shooting down a long standing member of this forum and an avid RC boat builder whom I know from an other forum. Of his 3940 posts I have never had reason to doubt his suggestions.

I think that you should check out which wires you have switched out in you servo. Its the motor wires that need to be switched if you happend to confuse the signal cable for one of the motor cables, I can quite understand why YOU burned your servo out.

Advise is free, you dont have to take it and you certainly dont have any need to publicly accuse the man of being stupid.

Ian M

 

[PIPRAWLI]

The Does and donts of servo reversing

My first try was to only read part of the thread and this was disasterous.:cry: I First tried to swap over RED & BLACK in the plug. DISASTER :cry::cry: 1 ruined servo and a nasty smell in the house. Second was to change the motor wires but this did not work but servo still intact .:emo12: Third was to swop Motor and the Pot wires and this was completely satisfactory. :emo12::emo12: At least I will read all next time.

My thanks for all and a Happy New Year