Transmitter for RC cars made from Taranis X9 Lite

thingiverse

New improvements are described at the bottom. Latest update 5.10.2019 --- My first attempt "from scratch" to make somethig more complex. Well it is strange, but it works. Pistola transmitter with electronics from Taranis X9 lite inside. This means probably first (?) 24 channel telemetry transmitter for RC cars. :-D Endless setting possibilities of OpenTX, logging capability, voice messages, ability to connect secondary controller via trainer port or wirelessly even 2,4 GHz spectral analyzer. It is early beta version, slowly developed and modified as I created real transmitter. Not all parts always perfectly fit together but fit good enough. Throttle and steering wheel mechanics are from Himoto (https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HdMAAOSwD0lUk8vI/s-l300.jpg). If you want to use different mechanics, little redesign should be done. Everything is from PLA, printed on Prusa i3 MK2. For screwing all together you will need ~40x M3x10 and 2x M3x16 screws, 3x M3 nuts. PCBs and used controls (throttle trigger and steering wheel) are screwed by its own screws, some parts are glued by superglue (cyanoacrylate glue). Complex parts (steering wheel panel and LCD panel) can be printed in one peace or separately inner and and outer part and then glue it together. Its on you. Battery case will be redesigned soon, because of very difficult battery cover sliding and bad designed JR module holder. But now it is not priority for me. :) During assemble process you need some soldering (unsolder PCB with expansion connector, remove and attach antenna, extend some wires) , and buy longer FPC cable which connect mainboard with TX module. You can use original FPC cable, but Tx module will be in "not nice" position (as you can see on photos). Two holes on connector panel are originally designed for power switch and 5mm 3color LED. Antenna holder can be glued to backside of front panel - unglued on photos. Corner should be printed four times, of course. I hope assembling is straightforward enough, so I do not need to write some bigger documentation. But if someone has some questions, I will try to answer. So, download, print, enjoy, modify... :) Photos and some modifications will probably be added. If someone want to help, blender source file is on https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SpqS6wu6WTXdYKaxTYd7VznZc7YsVvIq - on second layer are for some useful additional objects as M3 screw "puncher", another Ferrari logo and so on... (It's called LCD because first thing I designed was panel for LCD and Taranis electronics. I'm still very new in thingiworld, so I fight with uploading files to be visible... And last, but not least thanks to other designers whose products I have inspired by or I partially used: used things (thanks to) nonoducati https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3100368 dmyers7 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:692350 Painless360 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2456788 ---- 21.8.2019 - added some photos of the controller prototype. - sixth unused hole on steering wheel panel is unused hole. That was place for two potentiometers, but one was used by switch. Idea is move switch to bottom panel and use these two holes for potentiometers (two axis from second joystick/gimbal). - on photos is prototype without center screws on the middle of long edges. To make case more steady I glued it instead. ---- Oh, I forgot on battery holder. I bought simple battery holder for 18650. Some assembly guide was added (assembly_guide.txt). --- A little bit more ergonomic handgrip was added. You better print bottom_panel2 too. --- 5.10.2019 Source blender file is now in 2.8 version. Improved ergonomics for controls on the steering wheel panel. Redesigned battery holder so that the front panels (battery holder and front panel) are in the same plane. Redesigned JR module holder. Reworked battery cover. I will make some photos after I will print all the new parts. --- (As English is not my native language and I still learn, so language corrections are welcome.)