R2-D2 Build Part 10 - Electronics Installation - Working Droid

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Making R2-D2 Video Series: - Introduction to a DIY R2-D2 Build: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npzOhJSdidh_jrs - Part 1 Making the dome: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpK9aHR4oM2qpJo - Part 2 Painting the dome: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5_SonhnbrR3i7M - Part 3 Dome lights & holoprojectors: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnW1aq1nhaZ9iaM - Part 4 Dome Completion: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hp_NdKWCoa-nn8k - Part 5 Body Assembly & dome drive: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2e5iadsi6yNacU - Part 6 R2 Sound System Basics: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYuWpImPqJyHb6s - Part 7 R2 Electronic Basics: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d564po1-aLp7jsk - Part 8 R2 Legs & Foot Drives: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hn3cgH56atR0r68 - Part 9 Painting R2-D2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2nLYZ9qp62peZY - Part 10 Installing Electronics: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJjCpYFsfaiMhJY - Conclusion to a DIY R2-D2 Build: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXrTc3Rsis6airM

[@shanestrains4724]

When I was 5 I had a remote control R2D2 that my parents bought me for Christmas. My curiosity got the better of me and I opened R2 up to see what made him tick. Not sure what my 5 yr old self did but I imagine I crossed some wires as R2 would randomly start up, do a lap around the room, squawk, chirp, whistle and then stop...at least until the batteries finally died. Long story short, this entire build series speaks to my inner child so much. I'm looking forward to seeing your R2 all buttoned up and blowing "raspberries" at you in the next video. Thanks for sharing. 🙂👍

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@Shane's Trains - That has a very familiar ring to it. What curious child doesn't open things up to see how they worked. Some of my best memories from childhood were spending time with dad at the work bench while he taught me how to fix all stuff I broke after taking it apart. Not sure how he felt about it 😄.

[@RobertWilkinsonJKekMaloy]

@@Rchelicopterfun lucky you. My parents forbade me from tools because i was always tearing apart the vacuum cleaner and such.

[@DarrenPoulson]

Its not going inverted.... Famous last words! Good to see the relay on the motor lines, never know when you're at event who will push your droid when you're away and no battery in. Pretty much failsafe to prevent the blue smoke from the sabertooth. Lovely neat electronics. Nice idea with the battery. Currently looking at doing an overhaul of my droid, 5+ years of events have taken their toll.

[@shanejohnson970]

The best part is the Depeche Mode CD in the background :) No really though- thanks for the thorough documentation of your build, I am following along closely and am right behind you. Great job!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Hey Shane, Glad you liked it - DM playing in the background during an R2 electronicals install - nothing better 😄 (other than perhaps Gary Numan) Have fun with your R2 build too!

[@shanejohnson970]

@@Rchelicopterfun DM and OMD was my first concert ever, amazing!

[@MikerobotiX]

absolut fantastic i try to built him next year; gratulations to you John for this great job

[@raspberrypiploy771]

Bloody amazing wow your quality of work is a benchmark I am working towards … am really blown away !!!

[@Toy_and_Prop_Masters]

Hi John, I am having a hard time wiring the battery board. I would like to know how you made that board and solder it together so it will work as shown. Please let me know if you can do a quick video showing how you made it. It would answer a lot of questions, thank you.

[@JoeMartin1968]

All I see is pure perfection, very well done!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thank you. Cheers 🙂

[@rob_michaels]

What an inspiration - thank you so much for uploading these. It's been really helping my build

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Great to hear

[@HuwFerris-John]

Been watching through your build series and only just realised finishing this video it was uploaded 3 hours ago. Very good timing. What an impressive build. Still a very daunting project though that I hope to stumble through soon

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@Huw John - thanks and I'm sure you'll get through your R2 build too. Take it one step at a time and enjoy the journey. 🙂

[@crosisofborg5524]

In the halls of the mountain king. You have some good taste in music.

[@jasonsR2D2]

Looks fantastic! I'm jealous you have that removable back panel - I've got some different challenges ahead of me. Oh, and thanks for the amp and speaker recommendations. I decided now was a good time to upgrade, and that has given me lots to think about. Good luck down the home stretch!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks Jason - we are all learning stuff from each other. Yes, I'm kinda glad now I didn't glue the back panel on; it was a toss of the coin decision at the time. Of course the removable panel is not without it's own problem/s. I've been trying to figure out a good way to keep the panel latched. I'll likely use magnets, but still thinking about it. Continued good success with your build. 🙂👍

[@MrOllie777]

JOHN WELL DONE HE IS AMAZING VERY VERY COOL ..... he looks amazing ,, i am thinking about making one myself as i own a few 3d printers ... you have inspired me

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Yep, fun & enjoyable project if you like this sort of thing 🙂

[@christossingenidis9134]

Always a pleasure watching your videos! Fantastic work!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for the visit

[@28apex]

John I’ve watch your R2 build series about five times. You said about the wiring you fall into one of two categories you love it or hate it ? Well there is a third deer in the headlights ! The third is unfortunately me 😂

[@Rchelicopterfun]

😄

[@user-wq3jr9hn4m]

Well done excellent job

[@Tom-wl9sx]

Just a fantastic project 😀

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks Tom, Yep - it has been a very enjoyable build - so far 🙂

[@davidregis592]

Just beautiful!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@David Regis - Thanks for the visit 🙂

[@ianreed4636]

That is extremely cool !!!

[@darkenm156]

Great job. He looks awesome. I really like the way you did the data port. I have been trying to decide if I wanted to pay for the "screen accurate" led package or just do whatever I want and I really like what you did. I may be stealing some of your ideas. LOL

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Steal away 😄

[@billporter6592]

What a beautiful job you have done.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching

[@stephenmholl1]

Hi John, Amazing Build, thanks for putting the Build Series together... Just a quick question... In your basic video, you recommended using a power relay between the 60amp breaker and 3amp power switch.. I did not see that relay on your final build.. Did I miss it or how are you turning off the droid? Are you just relying on using the 60amp Breaker to power it off?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for watching and glad you are enjoying the build series. The main power relay is in the body. Shown at 3:10 & again at 8:25 🙂

[@stephenmholl1]

@@Rchelicopterfun John, Thanks so much, I just missed that part... Thanks again for a great r2 series, it has been extremely helpfull.

[@inglico1]

Howdy John, thanks for the amazing series. Quick question. How do you configure the battery pack so that it can be charged in place? Really struggling to find reference of how to do this. I’m using lipo in parallel too. Also where did the negative from the battery come in? Cant see the negative terminal? Any help greatly appreciated. Cheers! Cory

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Sorry, but explaining the wiring schematic is too complicated to cover in a YT comment response. Basically I just made a wiring harness that goes from the battery tray up to the charge panel exactly like you would make any 6S RC LiPo battery charging harness except it's longer. Like anything electrical, there are of course multiple ways to do something like this. I built mine based on the materials and connectors I had on hand. The negative goes directly to the grounding terminal strip on the Lexan board (just above the fuse block). Lots of fuse blocks also have built in ground terminal strips which would of course have been better; but again, I used what I had on hand at the time.

[@inglico1]

@ thanks John, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. Love your channel. Thanks for everything that you do . Cheers Cory

[@RCPMK]

very nice! dome looks great. re: rub n buff thank you!

[@MegaDeKay]

Phenomenal!

[@Corbadda]

Thank you so much for making this series of videos! I've always wanted to do a project like this but it always seemed too overwhelming. I never knew where to start. Now after watching your videos I feel like I could build an R2 unit and have an idea of what I am doing. You explain everything so well and make it so easy to understand and follow along! My one question would be regarding painting. How much time was there between each coat? I don't know much about painting so I am always worried I will screw something up lol

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@Corbadda - glad to hear you're considering your own R2 build. Paint drying and recoating varies significantly depending on the specific type of paint, temperature & humidity, and how heavy you apply each coat. In short, follow the directions on the paint can to the letter. All the paints I've used in this project can be recoated within one hour (presuming they have dried to the touch), or if you wait longer than that, then you have to wait several days before recoating. If you happen to apply these specific paints after an hour or two when the paint can no longer breath, or before the paint has fully off gassed after a few days, you risk getting those finish destroying crinkles in the paint.

[@sana-cm7oc]

Very cool. 🙂

[@larrychamel]

Wow John, incredible work my friend! Start to finish with 3D printing, paint, fit, wiring, etc... how long of a project was this? You have definitely gone above and beyond on this Build!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Hi Larry, not finished yet, but I started printing in early October with lots of research on the Astromech forum/R2 Builders club before then. Might be able to have it mostly done in 7 months, but apparently, you never really finish one of these builds as it's more about the journey than the destination. 🙂

[@larrychamel]

@@Rchelicopterfun I'm sure you enjoyed every minute of it so far. I've certainly enjoyed watching you using your incredible skills to get to this point. Well done and keep up the great work! Take care and stay well, John! ❤️🙏❤️

[@GunnerAl9]

Great video, thanks. I'm about to start putting together my R2D2 electronics for the Palawan360 system. I did have a question on a piece off your parts list. The DC 3.3-5V/5V-12V PWM Power Controller Remote Control Relay Model Switch for Dual Cameras FPV RC Airplane - 3.3V-5V. Can you explain its purpose and where it gets wired into?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

My R2 is RC controlled. The RC controlled relay switch is used for the sound board trigger. I cover the RC relay and sound board in the sound system basics video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYuWpImPqJyHb6s

[@rprealitycosplay]

Hey John.....what battery charger do you use for your Gen Ace 6s 22.2volt 5100 mAh batteries? I will likely be charging mine outside of R2

[@rprealitycosplay]

Hey John....Richard again....did you print any of your foot gear components in ABS or PETG, or did you stick with PLA + on the foot gear parts?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

PLA+ Everything (other than TPU for tires, etc).

[@TinkeringJohn]

This video was in my recommendations. The R2-D2 build interested me, but what caught my attention was your name. Change the S in your last name to a W and you have my name. I’ll have to watch the other videos in this series.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Howdy Mr. Walt 🙂👍

[@C02-1楷勳]

Where can I buy these R2-D2 circuit boards?

[@garyowen3743]

Absolutely Brilliant makes a great alternative project to helis, love my helis but this series has been really special, do you this your going to do other robotic builds after this one John.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Hi Gary - never say never but I doubt it. This one was enough to scratch the itch & fulfill a childhood dream 🙂

[@georgemattison9817]

What charger do you use? And is there specs on how to build the battery board

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I'll be using any one of my RC LiPo chargers. Likely the iCharger S6 most of the time since it's the smallest one I have. Not sure what you mean by specs on how to build the battery board? I just made the 3D design on Tinkercad like I've done for many of the custom 3D parts on this build, sizing it based on my specific battery packs and how I wanted to fit and attach it. As I mentioned in this video, it's wired in parallel just as you would wire a LiPo parallel charge harness or charging board.

[@rprealitycosplay]

Hey John...question. What is the total amperage pull or current pull from your system on your batteries (not sure I am saying that correctly)? I am using the Padawan 360 set up. I have the same 24V dome motor as well as the same 24V foot motors as you. The dome electronics in my build will be separate from the body and will have it's own 5V battery pack. I just don't know how to calculate what the total "pull" will be on my battery. For example, on the foot motors, each pulls about 6.42 amps (150W/24V). Does that mean for just the foot motors that I will be pulling 12.84 amps of current alone? I am really struggling knowing how to calculate the overall current and then determining what type of battery or batteries I will need. If I bought a 24V / 10Amp battery....would that mean that (based on my foot motor amps above) my battery would only last 40 minutes? Which means that adding in the other components would obviously draw the battery down even quicker. Any help and guidance here is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Only way to know current pull is to hook your system up to an Amp meter while it's running. Theoretical Ohms calculations get you in the ball part of course, but load will vary a lot! Motors will peak well over their nominal ratings for short duration when first starting, changing direction, or near stall for example , yet will barely be sipping over a couple Amps while cruising around. Wiring gauge, length & connector type will also introduce slight voltage sags which of course has an impact on current loads. Largely depends on on how hard you drive him around which we already discussed. I've never measured peak loads on mine with a data logging Watt or Amp meter so I can't give you any concrete values with my specific system. I would guesstimate my R2 power system peaks upwards of 30 Amps under full acceleration or hard directional changes but is usually sipping under 5A. I do go over some rough power calculations/running time in the last video where he is out running around at the airfield. Best to look for or ask this question in the Astromech forums as others have actually taken the time to data log their power consumption.

[@jackjarrettconnell]

do you need the shunt? or can you just hook up straight to the meter

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Must use a shunt. These types of volt/current meters will handle up to 10A max, anything more (which a full size R2 build will certainly draw), requires a current shunt.

[@mtudor1985]

Do you have a rough wiring diagram for the electronics?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@mtudor1985 - Not sure if you've seen the R2 Basics Electronics' video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d564po1-aLp7jsk I reference two very good electronics resources (free PDF's) in that video which illustrate basic wiring schematics for various systems. I link to both of them (Droid Control Systems & The World of Droid Electronics) in the description of that video. I have also included the links to these two PDF files in the description of this video under the heading "Useful Resources".

[@MrOllie777]

as your into helicopters john maybe you should do the one we all love from the 80s airwolf now that was a machine ... but a very big well done on the r2 build .

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Already have several videos on my scale 600 size Airwolf. Just search my channel or can access the videos from my Airwolf page on my website where I dive into the topic in much more detail: www.rchelicopterfun.com/airwolf-rc-helicopter.html

[@georgemattison9817]

I am interested in building an R2-D2 and was wondering how many rolls of filament this whole thing was? And if you have any tips

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Hi George, I cover this entire build with all kinds of tips throughout this series including final filament usage tally in part 9: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2nLYZ9qp62peZY Here's the full R2 build playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLZV8xZm3OCXz8I0FoPzIeU--13oWWJfZv

[@icemancometh8679]

I thought yours was like mine-I have R2D2 interactive astromech droid. It's the one you talk to and it'll talk back or do commands. It also plays the message from Princess Leah as a light lights up like a hologram would on it. Mine has a problem- Inside the head where it rotates back-and-forth there was an 8 band strand of wiring connected. Some of these have come loose and I can't tell exactly where they go back to because there's no color coordination or Wire design. I have a sodering gun and soder but have no idea where to connect them back to.

[@crosisofborg5524]

Sounds like a fanhome R2.

[@jeffs-reviews]

Someday all the tech in Star Wars will be invented by people who watched and loved it.

[@MiguelAngelFernandezgodo-vz9bw]

Hola es un robot fantástico es un excepcional trabajo me podrias decir de donde descargar los archivos para hacer yo un r2d2 te estaria muy agradecido

[@DirtyDog995]

Does the Mrs. know you building her replacement John?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Best comment this week! 😄

[@InformantNet]

I don't understand why R2 builders don't use the leg battery boxes for the batteries! It would certainly help to lower the droid's center of gravity and would give super-easy access.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

It would also be a total pain in the ass from the standpoint of the extra wiring required (large gauge), fusing, fitment, added connectors, voltage drop, possible higher ripple voltage, charging hassles, etc. Access would most certainly not be "super easy" compared to opening the back panel. It's much harder to crouch down on the dirty ground, reach down to the front of the battery box that is partially blocked by the body and hoses. Don't forget the simple fact both foot motors take up a fair amount of real-estate inside the boxes so battery size/type would be limited as well, not to mention the heat the motors produce which is not ideal for any battery regardless of chemistry. Then there is all the function testing involved in one of these builds that would require having to have those boxes installed or some other mounting method on the feet before you could do any sort of tests - what a colossal pain. All to get an insignificant fraction of the overall weight 6" lower down on the ankles. In short, it's not worth all the hassle, cost, problems and extra BS for basically no appreciable gain in stability whatsoever; that's why it's rarely done.

[@andrewjones6962]

My name is Andrew, and I am Blind, I was wondering if someone could help me build R2-D2 if that is possible please get the in touch

[@xxxxzorroxxxx]

Graduations very well done but I do have questions or you on Instagram

[@Rchelicopterfun]

You can leave your question here in the comments, or email through my website: www.rchelicopterfun.com