Actuators

Discussions

• FB
• FB
• FB
• VAF
• VAF
• VAF
• VAF

Videos

• Ed's front heat left / right damper
• Ed's Arduino project (from web archive, check section Heater/Air Controls)

Summary

• Keep it simple: there is nothing really wrong with using plain bowden cables. Aerosport center consoles have room for 2 knobs on each side.
• Some report that non-locking bowden cables may rattle the heater valve into the closed position again and again. Consider locking cables.
• Linear actuators mounted in the engine compartment have mixed reviews. Some say no problems in many years. Some say, they are on their 3rd set, wish they had simple cables.
• A possible solution is to run bowden cables through the firewall and mount servos under the panel. Possibly in a spot where one can override the servos manually after cutting power to the servo controller.
• Servos and their controllers use pulse width modulation which emits RF noise in all bands. Airplanes are mostly affected in the COM/NAV band as it is amplitude modulated. Don't use servos unless everything is shielded and verified to not cause interference.

Products

Various sleeved cables are part of the RV-10 build:

• Front heater valve
• Rear heater valve
• Alternate air

Optional:

• Oil cooler airflow damper
• Parking brake

Actuator solutions (require integrated potentiometer and closed loop control board):

• Actuonix P8-P
• Actuanix LAC controller board

Linear Servos (require standard 3-wire servo control board):

• Servo City
• TCW complete kit

Servos (6V, require BEC):

• Hitec HS-625 MG @ Servo City
• Hitec HS-625 MG @ Hitec CS
• Hitec HS-645 MG @ Servo City
• Hitec HS-645 MG @ Hitec CS
• Metal servo arm
• Aluminum servo mount

Note: Hitec HS servo signal range for full 197 degree motion is 553-2520 us.

6V BEC:

• BEC @ Servo City

Servo Control Boards:

• Single channel with 4 memory positions
  
• Maestro - fully programmable 6-channel controller, needs 6 potentiometers
  
• Travel Tuner

Temperature sensors:

• 5V temp sensor TMP36 @ Adafruit