I’d like to attach a 10W RGB LED floodlight to a pan/tilt mechanism so I can aim the light in different ways, and am trying to decide whether the HS-422 servos that come with the Lynxmotion Pan/Tilt Kit are up for the job. I see that the HS-422 is rated for 57oz-in, and am trying to understand if this is enough or not.
The LED floodlights I have in mind are about 0.65 lbs in weight, and measure about 4.9 x 3.8 x 3.5 inches in size.
If I understand correctly, 57oz-in is the same as saying 3.5625 lb-in, which sounds like it is way more than enough for my light. However, the light is about 3.5 inches tall and will be glued directly to the top bracket of the pan/tilt mechanism, and as I understand it the torque rating halves for each inch away from the center of the shaft you go. So given the size of my light, will 57oz-in be enough, or would I be better off ordering the pan-tilt brackets alone with more powerful servos?
As you indicated, the floodlight in the link measures 4.9" x 3.8" x 3.5" and the shipping weight is 15.2oz.
Can you indicate how you would mount the light (connected to the pan/tilt at its center, or connected at one edge)?
If you mount it at the center, then the distance between the center of mass of the light and the tilt axis should be relatively small (perhaps an inch or two), so the max torque would be ~30oz-in.
If you mount it at an edge, then the center of mass can be as much as 2.5" (or more) away from the tilt axis and the tilt servo would need to provide 45oz-in or more in a worst case scenario.
As such, the 422’s included with the pan/tilt should work. Keep in mind that RC servos are not means to keep their position for extended periods of time, especially under load.
If you opt for the brackets alone, the 645MG should be a great option for tilt: robotshop.com/en/hitec-hs645 … motor.html
The 422 can likely handle the pan, unless there’s strong wind. If the application is outdoors, you might consider a waterproof servo.
Planning to mount the directly (flat) onto the tilt axis, so that should help. Either way, the specs sound like they work out OK. But the lifetime thing is a concern.
My original plan was to have the servos + lights run for normal business hours (say 8 hours a day or so) for 3 months. However, they are likely to be used pretty infrequently (maybe an hour a day all together), so I can probably add a “sleep” function to let the servos rest until needed.
I know this is impossible to predict accurately, but what does you intuition tell you about how long these might last - on the order of days, weeks or months?
Is the application indoor or outdoor (wind, water, humidity are all factors). If it’s indoors, and the servos are not used for 1 hour at a time, the life of the servos should be quite long.
We have not really had an RC servo stop working when it’s used under normal conditions and given enough time to cool down.
Yes, will be used indoors. I will definitely add a sleep function this system and will be on the lookout for clever ways to power down the servos whenever possible.
Thanks for the great answers, I will go ahead and place my order now!
