Is there any way to find new or used parts which HiTechnic does not appear to make any more? Their website is packed full of cool NXT compatible sensors, but this is not what I need. What I'm really looking for is the older 4-8 channel radio receivers. In a pinch, I guess I could make my own, but I'll strongly prefer to use one or more of these handy units if they could be found.

Is there any way to find new or used parts which HiTechnic does not appear to make any more? Their website is packed full of cool NXT compatible sensors, but this is not what I need. What I'm really looking for is the older 4-8 channel radio receivers. In a pinch, I guess I could make my own, but I'll strongly prefer to use one or more of these handy units if they could be found.

On my RCX travels I have not come across this either, do let me know if you find them

Is there any way to find new or used parts which HiTechnic does not appear to make any more? Their website is packed full of cool NXT compatible sensors, but this is not what I need. What I'm really looking for is the older 4-8 channel radio receivers. In a pinch, I guess I could make my own, but I'll strongly prefer to use one or more of these handy units if they could be found.

I don't know of any source and I've never seen a used one for sale. Those old RC receivers were great and I'm highly disappointed they stopped making them. I have only 1 (a 4-channel) and it's not leaving my possession until someone rips it from my cold, dead fingers

From talking to the guy that built them (John Barnes), he was having increasing difficulty in getting the white electric plates needed to make them (this was in 2002 or 2003, IIRC). I think the sensor gig was a much better prospect, so he stopped making the RC units. I wouldn't be surprized if he had advanced knowledge of (or even helped with) the PF system.

IMO, the new PF system is worth investing in. Not only can you remotely control motors, but you can keep adding components and ultimately have control over 8 different functions in one model. The parts are relatively cheap, and they are reliable (in my experience). If something breaks, you can get a replacement (I doubt you'll be able to get the old HiTechnic RC receiver serviced or replaced should it fail).

If you're heavily invested in the old 9V motors, then just buy the PF extension cords to make them work with the PF receivers.

The only big drawback is that the PF system is IR (i.e. you have to account for the "line-of-sight" thing) and not radio like the HiTech ones. But the PF system seems to be robust and reliable (plus I like those huge XL motors).

Where is the cheapested place to get the pf stuff form as it seemed expensive on bricklink? I personaly have about 20 - 30 v9 motors lol

Where is the cheapested place to get the pf stuff form as it seemed expensive on bricklink?

I've been buying mine from LEGO.com. Perhaps the BL prices will come down over time? The PF system is still relatively new.

I personaly have about 20 - 30 v9 motors lol

Good. Keep them! They are excellent motors and are slightly more efficient than the new PF motors.

I probably have about 30 myself, although I've had several die - something inside locks up and they just won't spin anymore. That worries me about the fate of the rest of my old 9V motors

I seen that too, took one apart and still never could work out why its locked up, its only the geared down ones too ( i have 4 different types of 9v motors)

I've been buying mine from LEGO.com. Perhaps the BL prices will come down over time? The PF system is still relatively new.

Yes, Lego S@H is the best place to get them. The PF motors are actually priced pretty low and are much cheaper than the 9V ones used to be. I remember that both types of gray 9V motors used to be something like $17 in the catalogs, which would be even more today with inflation. I only wish the PF IR receivers were cheaper.

Good to see you here, by the way. You probably don't remember me, but I used to post a lot on lugnet.technic many years ago and saw your posts there often.

I seen that too, took one apart and still never could work out why its locked up, its only the geared down ones too ( i have 4 different types of 9v motors)

I have a couple of broken red micromotors, but haven't had any trouble with the other types.

I seem to remeber there was issue with the remote control unit - something to do with it using the wrong frequencies or something.

I first found HiTechnic when Jennifer Clark used a threaded rod in her Demag crane. Unfortunatly they'd stopped making them when I needed one...

I'm quite impressed with the new PF stuff but I think they should have spent the extra pence / cents and made them radio controlled rather than infra red controlled.

Good to see you here, by the way. You probably don't remember me, but I used to post a lot on lugnet.technic many years ago and saw your posts there often.

Thanks! Glad to be here. Yeh, lugnet.technic just kinda fizzled out (and so did I - I've had a "gray" or semi-dark age recently). Anyway, it's good to see an active Technic forum here

I have a couple of broken red micromotors, but haven't had any trouble with the other types.

The trouble I've experienced is with the geared 9V motors (and I'm not sure if it's 71427 or 43362, or both - I'll have to go home and take a look at my 5 seized-up motors).

My first motor seizure happened quite a while back and I actually got a replacement from LEGO. They quickly sent out a replacement motor and an envelope to return the bad one. Kudos to LEGO for their excellent replacement service!

Before I returned the bad one, I broke it apart and inspected the innards. IIRC, some of the internal gears had become bound up. I can't remember if something broke loose and damaged the gears or if one of the gears had become unseated and crushed up against another gear, but something did some bad damage and enough to render the motor useless.

Hopefully the PF motors will not have those issues.

The trouble I've experienced is with the geared 9V motors (and I'm not sure if it's 71427 or 43362, or both - I'll have to go home and take a look at my 5 seized-up motors).

My first motor seizure happened quite a while back and I actually got a replacement from LEGO. They quickly sent out a replacement motor and an envelope to return the bad one. Kudos to LEGO for their excellent replacement service!

Before I returned the bad one, I broke it apart and inspected the innards. IIRC, some of the internal gears had become bound up. I can't remember if something broke loose and damaged the gears or if one of the gears had become unseated and crushed up against another gear, but something did some bad damage and enough to render the motor useless.

Hopefully the PF motors will not have those issues.

It sounds like a fairly widespread problem if you have that many dead ones. I have several 71427s but no 43362s, and at least those have had no problems for me.

Unfortunately, I think TLG will no longer replace them if they break in the future, as they don't have any stocks left. They replaced my first broken micromotor but the replacement also locked up after a few years, and I couldn't get it serviced a second time.

...Unfortunately, I think TLG will no longer replace them if they break in the future, as they don't have any stocks left...

Right. And that's probably another good reason to invest in the new PF system, just because it's currently being produced. I just hope that they stick with it for a long while

I don't know of any source and I've never seen a used one for sale. Those old RC receivers were great and I'm highly disappointed they stopped making them. I have only 1 (a 4-channel)

You are the first person I've heard from that actually has one.

and it's not leaving my possession until someone rips it from my cold, dead fingers

Is that a challenge?

IMO, the new PF system is worth investing in. Not only can you remotely control motors, but you can keep adding components and ultimately have control over 8 different functions in one model. The parts are relatively cheap, and they are reliable (in my experience). If something breaks, you can get a replacement (I doubt you'll be able to get the old HiTechnic RC receiver serviced or replaced should it fail).

I agree, and I have lots of lots of Power Functions components. However, sometimes they are just not right for the application. In this case, the line-of-sight IR would be a problem. I'm heavily into R/C so it wouldn't be that big of a deal to make my own 8 channel receiver and speed controller block, but I figured I wouldn't reinvent the wheel if I didn't need to. The advantage to doing my own would not only be the use of QPCM radio frequency, but I'll also be fully proportional on all the channels.

Thanks for the reply.

...I agree, and I have lots of lots of Power Functions components. However, sometimes they are just not right for the application. In this case, the line-of-sight IR would be a problem. I'm heavily into R/C so it wouldn't be that big of a deal to make my own 8 channel receiver and speed controller block, but I figured I wouldn't reinvent the wheel if I didn't need to. The advantage to doing my own would not only be the use of QPCM radio frequency, but I'll also be fully proportional on all the channels...

After playing with some PF trains just this past weekend, I have to say that my opinion has lowered a bit. The limited range and line-of-sight problems were definitely issues in controlling the trains. We were using the new variable speed train controller, and we had to get within 4 or 5 feet to make it work (I don't recall the range of the simple, two-stick "on-off" controller being as limited as the new variable speed controller). Maybe it just needed new batteries...

Another disadvantage of the PF system (now that I'm thinking about it) is that a short "pulse" is too long, i.e. if you want to turn a motor on for a fraction of a second, and you flick the PF controller, then the motor will go for a longer period than you've engaged the controller.

With the HiTechnic RC system, when you hit the button real quick, the motor will come on for just an instant. This may not be important in some MOCs and sets, but sometimes you want to very carefully control a function by incrementally moving it in very small amounts. This type of feature is much more usable with the HiTechnic controller.

Also, something else... when you're operating a PF motor via the IR controller, and the controller loses line-of-sight, then the motor will continue to turn for another second or two. I.e. it does not stop instantly as soon as the line-of-sight is broken. Again, this may not be important for all models, but sometimes when you want your model to stop, you need it to stop NOW and not 2 seconds later after it rolls off a table

Anyway, I'm about to talk myself out of using the PF system

So what would it take to make a home-made RC system like the old HiTechnic one? Would this be difficult? Or is it just a matter of buying the components and soldering them together? This is something I'm interested in.

Anyone got a picture of the old Hitechnic RC unit? as I am not sure what one we are referring to

Anyone got a picture of the old Hitechnic RC unit? as I am not sure what one we are referring to

It's the little 4x6 "box" on the top of this thing:

(the receiver is hollowed-out gray bricks with white electric plates on top and black plates on bottom)

So what would it take to make a home-made RC system like the old HiTechnic one? Would this be difficult? Or is it just a matter of buying the components and soldering them together? This is something I'm interested in.

There wouldn't even be any soldering. The needed components are commercially available. With the advent of micro and pico R/C systems, you would just need to buy what you need and stuff it into a brick box. I guess if you wanted to use a 2x4 terminal plate, you'd have to at least solder that.

For instance, I have a 4 channel R/C helicopter whose total flying weight with battery, structure, and radio system is only 1 ounce. This is not the "toy" variety, this is full proportional hobby grade stuff.

Basically, you would need one receiver and then a speed control for each channel. A little 2 amp speed control should be plenty. You could still use the LEGO battery box. They will generally operate on anything from about 4.8V to 12V.

After playing with some PF trains just this past weekend, I have to say that my opinion has lowered a bit. The limited range and line-of-sight problems were definitely issues in controlling the trains. We were using the new variable speed train controller, and we had to get within 4 or 5 feet to make it work (I don't recall the range of the simple, two-stick "on-off" controller being as limited as the new variable speed controller). Maybe it just needed new batteries...

Another disadvantage of the PF system (now that I'm thinking about it) is that a short "pulse" is too long, i.e. if you want to turn a motor on for a fraction of a second, and you flick the PF controller, then the motor will go for a longer period than you've engaged the controller.

With the HiTechnic RC system, when you hit the button real quick, the motor will come on for just an instant. This may not be important in some MOCs and sets, but sometimes you want to very carefully control a function by incrementally moving it in very small amounts. This type of feature is much more usable with the HiTechnic controller.

Also, something else... when you're operating a PF motor via the IR controller, and the controller loses line-of-sight, then the motor will continue to turn for another second or two. I.e. it does not stop instantly as soon as the line-of-sight is broken. Again, this may not be important for all models, but sometimes when you want your model to stop, you need it to stop NOW and not 2 seconds later after it rolls off a table

I think some of the issues you describe are specific to the train controller, which apparently sends out different signals than the usual dual-stick type. You're right that the motors no longer come to an instant stop when you release the controls though. It's interesting to compare this behavior with the 9V Technic battery boxes, where the motor stops immediately if you release the button, but it gradually slows down to a halt if you unplug the motor while it's running. The difference seems to be related to how the motors generate electricity if you turn them manually.

TLG had a couple of their own 9V RC systems in the past. The best one was probably the one in 8475 and a few other sets, although the receiver is quite bulky and the system is only good for similar types of RC vehicles.

There wouldn't even be any soldering. The needed components are commercially available...

Cool. But I'm completely uneducated when it comes to that stuff. If you could please, generate a parts list of off the shelf compoents that could be assembled to create a RC receiver and transmitter system? That would be pretty cool

I think some of the issues you describe are specific to the train controller, which apparently sends out different signals than the usual dual-stick type. You're right that the motors no longer come to an instant stop when you release the controls though. It's interesting to compare this behavior with the 9V Technic battery boxes, where the motor stops immediately if you release the button, but it gradually slows down to a halt if you unplug the motor while it's running. The difference seems to be related to how the motors generate electricity if you turn them manually...

Perhaps there's a short-circuit (or a circuit with a resistor or something like that) in the 9V Technic battery boxes that engages once you release the power button? The old geared 9V motors are so efficient that if you just short them out and try to turn them manually, they're very difficult to turn.

The PF system doesn't appear to have this "dynamic braking" effect, i.e. the motors coast a little bit once you let off the power.

What I was first describing wasn't necessarly this effect, but rather that the PF system is still giving the motor juice for a second or so after you accidentally break IR contact. If you combine that with the lack of "dynamic braking", then you've basically have a run away motor for a few seconds That could be really bad in the wrong situation

Cool. But I'm completely uneducated when it comes to that stuff. If you could please, generate a parts list of off the shelf compoents that could be assembled to create a RC receiver and transmitter system? That would be pretty cool

I'll see what I can do, but it will have to be when I get back from vacation!

I'll see what I can do, but it will have to be when I get back from vacation!

Cool. Thanks. No Rush. I'm about to go on vacation myself