Mounting Grayhill Encoders On Rookie Transmissions

[de_]

Sorry I am not 100% certain which single speed AM transmissions the rookies got in their kit last year.
I am guessing it was http://www.andymark.com/CIMplebox-p/am-0734.htm

Anyone tried adapting a standard 63R Grayhill encoder to it ? Hard, easy ? Is there enough room between the cims ?

Our rookie team wants to use Grayhills if possible. Unfortunately we don't own the transmission.

Thanks

[Peyton Yeung]

The kit transmission last year was a toughbox mini. The CIMple box was last in the kit in 2012.

[Kenny Cheung]

On our custom WCD for this offseason, Grayhills 63Rs were were loosely pressed into the inside ends of the rear axles and the encoder housing was secured (so it won't spin with the axle) by zip tying the signal wires to the frame (method found here on Chief Delphi).

I admit I am not familiar with the KOP drive train, but it might be easier to figure out how to mount them on the outer live axles instead of to the transmission? For the method I described above all you really need is a 1/4" hole at the center of one of the other live axles.

[Whippet]

The 2013 KOP gearbox was a flat-plate Toughbox mini. CIMple boxes were last issued as part of the KOP drivetrain in 2012.

[Knufire]

On our custom WCD for this offseason, Grayhills 63Rs were were loosely pressed into the inside ends of the rear axles and the encoder housing was secured (so it won't spin with the axle) by zip tying the signal wires to the frame (method found here on Chief Delphi).

I admit I am not familiar with the KOP drive train, but it might be easier to figure out how to mount them on the outer live axles instead of to the transmission? For the method I described above all you really need is a 1/4" hole at the center of one of the other live axles.

The only live axles are the center wheel/gearbox output. The outer wheels are on dead axles.

[GeeTwo]

On our custom WCD for this offseason, Grayhills 63Rs were were loosely pressed into the inside ends of the rear axles and the encoder housing was secured (so it won't spin with the axle) by zip tying the signal wires to the frame (method found here on Chief Delphi).

I admit I am not familiar with the KOP drive train, but it might be easier to figure out how to mount them on the outer live axles instead of to the transmission? For the method I described above all you really need is a 1/4" hole at the center of one of the other live axles.

If all you need is a 1/4" hole to mount the encoder, you can attach a 1/4" shaft coupler to the encoder stub at the back end of the main output shaft. We've done this in the past with a potentiometer when we were making a TB-mini into a super-sized servo to steer our t-shirt cannon.

[Kenny Cheung]

The only live axles are the center wheel/gearbox output. The outer wheels are on dead axles.

My mistake. I just meant the outer axles.

[Mr. Lim]

Sorry I am not 100% certain which single speed AM transmissions the rookies got in their kit last year.
I am guessing it was http://www.andymark.com/CIMplebox-p/am-0734.htm

Anyone tried adapting a standard 63R Grayhill encoder to it ? Hard, easy ? Is there enough room between the cims ?

Our rookie team wants to use Grayhills if possible. Unfortunately we don't own the transmission.

Thanks

Dave, don't quote me on this, because I haven't looked at the kit gearboxes in a while... but:

The AndyMark gearboxes that support the US Digital encoder right in between 2 CIMs don't have enough space to place a Grayhill in the same spot.

We've worked around this problem in the past. It's not ideal, but it actually works well - scroll down to the 4th picture:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1298264&highlight=Surgical+tubing+to+connect+encoders+pots +shafts%3A#post1298264

Note that there is a wood dowel inside the surgical tubing to prevent it from collapsing and twisting. There is nothing holding our custom plastic mount in place other than the tension from the surgical tubing, and the curved sides that match the profile of the CIMs. You can take the encoder off by just pulling straight back, and stretching the tubing.

http://i.imgur.com/ndeORqZl.jpg

[de_]

Thanks everyone for the input :)
Shawn, exactly what I was afraid of :(