Super light mod
 

I'm new... I am so new I don't even own a bit Char G yet... (it's on it way), but i'm hooked...

I allready own a majorete mini RC and have had great fun Moding it (headights, steering).

I've been looking on the net and found a great mod:
http://www.age.jp/~ex2/bit/01_custom.html
This does look excelent... The advantage that I have is that I work for a Japanese corporation so I have plenty of colleagues to ask about translations, but one thing bothers me.

The Mod include's a capasitator (****ty spelling) linked between the Front and Back terminal (F, B). The website explains that if you connect the lights without this capasitator the engine wont have enough power to start the car.

Has anyone doen this mod and if so what are your findings about the capasitator?

I can view the page's photo's with no problems, but ALL of the text is in Japanese. Is there a conversion for the web page?

yeah, go to altavista.com

then on the left hand side u will see a link labeled translation

click on that, then put in the url and select the languages for

translation...

I've followed this mod. It works. You only need to have resistors between the PCB and the LEDs. I used an old spare set of TAMIYA MINI 4WD LED LIGHTING SET. They already have their own resistors. But I don't think Tamiya makes them anymore. Maybe you can find other brands. I hope that helps.

Looks like abunch of weight to lug around, but a really cool light set!!!

Cool. Did you use the Capasitator and if so what are your findings? Is it really needed? Does it make the mod better

ive seen that page before..and jeez does that look heavy..better have a 3.8 ready :D

Indeed the mod looks great. I plan to use a bank of jumpers (as on a PC motherboard) to connect the lot to the chassy.

What I would really like to know is do I need the capasitator and will my bit still run at the same speed (battery technical) with the mod installed.

weight
 

how much does it weigh down the car

I didn't use a "capasitator" or condenser. Or whatever the heck that thing is called. But I only did the headlights and taillights mod. I didn't include the turnsignals. Maybe you need it if you'll be pulling that much juice from the pcb. Also, all my LEDs are 3 volts. Maybe you can connect directly from the ground(GRN) if you're using LEDs that are 1.2 volts or less. Also, you don't have to actually solder anything to the PCB to see if it will work. You can touch the LED's legs to the soldering points and use the controller to see if the LED lights up or not. Good luck and be carefull.

Capacitor. ;)

LOL. Anyway, "capasitators" provide you with a boost of power. Though, they can't provide a constant boost since they have to fill up first and release it all at once. But this is very helpful during acceleration.

Okay Capacitor and not capassistators ;-)

Anyhow getting back to the mod:

I installed the lot including the capacitor but have found something very ridiculous. When I run the car forward the lights turn on quite dim. Running the car in reverse the lights come up very bright. This might be caused by the brushes in the engine but thats not the weird bit.

I connect the + of the led to the VCC on the diagram (next to the red big thing (I think a diode)) and the - to the F terminal. This bit I don't get is why the hell the mod is working when I put the bit into reverse.

Tonight I will connect the Bit to my multimeter and post my findings tommorow.

I read this site through babelfish. Although not a perfect translation (something about a beefsteak tow), it clearly states that the headlight is connected to the B (back) soldering point. And the taillights to the F (forward) soldering points.

Okay wel it kinda works.

Between the GND and the F terminal 1.5 Volt is the current. Between the GND and the B terminal I get a -1.5 volt

So according to the PCB on the bit site we connect the F and B to the leds. When the car goes forward we get 1.5 Volt running (B is 0) and when we go backwards we get a 3 volt (1.5 forward and -1.5 backward)

This means that the VCC connection is variable and so not really a VCC connector.

This suxs... My next experiment is to connect a Diode bridge to the F and B terminal so I always get a + 1.5 out of the PCB.