foward reverse

[nick w]

me again (i got the last 3 posts is this a record) having purchased my motor for the toylander i am wondering how you guys achive foward and reverse obviously by reversing the polarity on the motor it goes backwards buy i am wondering how to achived this without endangering the kids lives or causing a fire i am  sure there is a switch or something out there which will work and look right thanks ps really enjoying the build so far

[markh15]

Hi Nick,

If you check out the build manual, on pages 51 to 54, Richard has drawn 3 different wiring diagrams for use with the Toylander, all of which meet the stringent 'Toy Safety Standards Regulations' (CE), so any of these will be perfectly safe.

First one is for the 'Direct Drive' system, i.e. select direction, press pedal, and you're off....

Second is for a 'Step Start' system, which allows the car to start off slowly, then builds speed gradually, like a mobility scooter only suitable for very young drivers ....

Third is the 'Speed Control' system, which is most like a real car, the more the pedal is pressed, the faster you go.

All three of these are easy to build, but vary in cost, the cheapest being 'Direct Drive', but this is a little sudden. Some of us have used Mobility Scooters and their relevant Motors / Axles / Wiring from the scooters, so the cars operate like a scooter, with the added advantages of Lights, Horn, Indicators etc.

I see no reason why a Scooter electrical system can't be used in conjunction with alternative motor systems, as this would give you the best of both worlds.

If your wiring etc is up to scratch, then you should be able to find suitable wire etc at your local car accessory store, or Maplin Electronics stores (www.maplin.co.uk) at very reasonable prices.
I would recommend Maplin for components, as these are of good quality, and so should give you no major problems at all.

Hope this has helped out,
Regards,
Mark.

[nick w]

hi mark thanks for your advice it is actually an motibility scooter motor i am using it has the red and black wires with wich i can get foward and reverse it also has a yellow and black which i have no idea what they do perhaps someone could shed some light on this please

[Tufty]

Hi,

Could it be a brake?

[markh15]

Hi Nick,
It does sound like the wiring for the auto brake system. These are simply an electro magnet mounted on the end of the motor. When the motor circuit is activated, the control box sends power to the magnet to release it, so the motor spins freely. When the power is released, the curcuit to the brake magnet is broken, the brake applies, and the scooter stops.

You should be able to use any Mobility Scooter controller, providing it is 24v. The other option is a '4QD' controller, but you will have to get somebody else to explain these, as I'm not too well up on them.

Hope this has helped,
Regards,
Mark.

[Stanley]

about the forward/reverse wiring-

I think you would be fine using a 2 pole on/on switch (or on/off/on) with a relay, then you just reverse the output of the first two poles (your reverse "on" legs) and conect them to the forward legs then this is conected to your motor. im sory if this sounds confusing, im not brilliant at explaining, i could draw you a diagram later if you are still confused?
you could do simalar systems with read swithces, or insted of using a 2 pole on/on switch, you could use two 2-pole on/off switches as long as they will never be on at the same time, as this would cause a short circuit, and then there is a risk of fire as you say 

and if you want a less sudden start with the direct drive, I'd try a big capacitor inline with the motor , tho just rember that even if you disconect the power, the capacitor will still hold charge for a few minutes.

hope this helps,
Stan

[nick w]

thanks for all the help gents devised a system using an old mem isolator and some ingenuity works a treat