Replacement parts for Carson STN-L3 trailer...

[WhiteWolf McBride]

Hmmm,

Electric linear actuators. Interesting idea, but two problems: speed of actuation, and throw. Speed is fixed unless you use one of the delay-boards, and throw is ~fixed~.

Firgelli makes similar ones, and they are L12-R unit is R/C PnP: http://store.firgelli.com/L12_R_Line...ol_p/l12-r.htm

Prices run $70 from Firgelli US, $100 at Robotshop.ca w/o Customs, plus 13% tax. Then in looking for Firgelli's site again, found their other Canadian distributor, Phidgits.com (more options? not really: all too big) Oh, and the CTI ones are all 12v, the German model standard. That blows that idea away, as I'd hoped to stay on 7.2v-8.4v. packs.

The Firgelli L12-R 210:1 moves at 5mm/s, 30mm shortest throw; that's 6 seconds to 'actuate' - a tad fast (but that could be adjusted with a board). Don't think I can use 30mm of throw though, but the Euro ones might be slow and short enough.

I need to see how much throw I actually need first, and ~then~ see if an actuator or servo (or two) will do the deed. I can have them paired/linked pushing both sides - double the torque. Then I can slow the beasts down with a delay-board.

I should also consider two other ways to have the ramps move slowly: a worm-gear drive, as shown on the Bruder in the link I posted above; then there is Peter Müllers' ramp-actuator 'kit' on his Faun SLT 50-2 Elefant trailer. It uses two motors to push the crank-arm, the worm-gear is mounted inside. I wonder if a similar one could be made to fit in the Goldhofer. I may have to play about with some styrene scrap and Tamiya toy gearboxes - they have cheap wormgears.

Hmm, if I can prototype one in styrene, someone could replicate it in metal and make some dinero selling it to Carson's customers...

http://www.sonderfahrzeug-modellbau....ges/rampe1.jpg

WhiteWolf