Yep. If you want I could do some test prints.
2 Likes
Here’s the files of each shell for what I have right now. Battery holder is sized for 18650 currently. If the PCB gets smaller then it’s easy to fit a 21700, but might be tight right now.
Hall sensor mounts are in there, USB port is in. The ergonomics most likely will not be changing as I continue to work on the inside, so if you want to test the feel of it I’ve attached the LHS and RHS shell.
RHS section.STL (2.9 MB)
LHS section.STL (3.0 MB)
14 Likes
Its already printing. 
Why is there no cutout for the cell on the left side though?
2 Likes
Haven’t designed it yet. Those models are the absolute latest that I have. I’m planning on updating the LHS, but just haven’t gotten to it yet.
3 Likes
Ah okay, no stress.
1 Like
I’ve come with some feedback. Quick’n’dirty printjob without supports, so sorry for the bad quality.
The corner with the arrow is very sharp and digs into the pinky finger, very uncomfortable. The big red line represents a cut I’d make, because for even my not so small hands this is too big and it feels like the remote wants to slip out of the bottom of my hand, pictured below.
Now I know that this is due the fact that there is supposed to me a 21700 in there, but maybe cutting that down to a 18650 would help.
Also I can’t help like feeling that the triggers are too narrow, like they would be digging into your fingers after a while. This depends on the choice of springs though. But this being a DIY product and not everyone buying the same springs, I’d definitely make them wider.
5 Likes
Triggers are going to be padded out so there is a flat surface for you to work with, those are just the parts that go through the shell. I want to keep those as thin as I can to reduce the amount of debris that makes its way inside. Not sure how you are holding it in the second picture, but that’s definitely not the way it should be held. That cut can’t be made, it’s going to make it want to slip out of your hand more anyway.
How is it digging into your pinky? Do you have a picture from the bottom or the other side? My pinky doesn’t even contact that edge.
It looks like you are trying to use the tip of your thumb to activate the brake. It’s setup more to use the pad of your thumb, so it needs to be a bit higher up in your hand. The curve at the back should be on your thumb, like this.
2 Likes
Ah okay, no complains then.
I know, that picture was just to emphasise the feeling it gives me. 
I guess I have smaller hands than you.
Good point.
Yeah it feels way better like this, I guess I was holding it wrong.
You need both shells for the effect. When I wrap my pinky around it it kinda lands on this sharp edge. I made a video to convey it properly.
6 Likes
You guys are suffering the same thing that happened to me, my GF and a friend. Whatever I find comfortable, the other two wouldn’t and vice-versa 
The happy medium is possible, keep at it!
8 Likes
Update
Software
Bad news first. I have been battling the first major problem this week. It’s kinda buried in the commits, so I’m gonna explain what happened here to provide the maximum transparency, but to be fair this was an ugly one. My GF’s remote disconnected several times during the weekend in a very weird (and obviously firmware-related) way. At random spots, didn’t matter the apparent RF situation, the remote would disconnect from the receiver, that entered the failsafe status and didn’t recover. That meant sending a neutral signal to the VESC, and thus disabling both acceleration and brakes. Scary stuff.
The only difference with my receiver was that hers used an Atmega 168 equipped Arduino and the frequency it was transmitting. After almost 3 days of nonstop debugging and trying to trigger the problem (never ever happened on the bench, even with the remote inside the diswasher and the receiver covered in foil in another room), I realised I had omitted a reset of the LoRa module in the event a throttle package was lost. If this happened in a weird situation where the receiver was supposed to be emitting telemetry in the next loop of the code, the disconnection became permanent as the LoRa transceiver was never commanded into receiving mode again.
The bug is fixed and I have done further cleanup of the code to free as much RAM as possible for the little processor (only 67% static usage now, and dynamic allocations are controlled, few and far between). I haven’t had a problem since, but will for sure keep testing. I want to also document the code to make it a lot easier for it to be peer-reviewed.
Hardware
The bug was bad, fixing it was good, but this is better. PCBs v2 are on the way!!! I managed to order 20 with all the SMT components soldered on (except for the LoRa module) for $50 including VAT and shipping. Everything is pushed to github, but I would refrain from ordering until I have tested mine.
BEWARE
While assembling another remote this week I found that some of the LoRa modules I ordered came with the external antenna selected. Even though the remote worked surprisingly well, packages were being lost and it was not BY ANY MEANS working at 100% capacity or in a safe way. This will be included in the manual, but it’s something to take into account when assembling one:
It’s a bitch to move to the correct position, btw.
Thanks everyone for the interest in the project! Honorable mentions go to @sierra117 for the shell designs and @Linesflag for testing them. Keep it up guys!
14 Likes
Can you put me in for one of those pcb’s?
2 Likes
I’ll have to check shipping and of course that they work first. Where are you located? Taking into account how cheaply they can be made it’s possible that ordering directly to JLCPCB is more economical.
Great update dude, I really love this project.
I wonder if this is what has happened to Flipsky.
5 Likes
Thanks! About the flipsky remote they said they’ll fix it with FW, so I doubt it…but if I owned one I would double check just in case 
2 Likes
FL USA. If I have to order directly from JLC then I might change a few things on it.
What changes are you thinking of making? I’m thinking about ordering some of the pcbs too. We could split the cost…(I’m in the US as well)
I want to reduce the height of the stack, just put the arduino flat on the pcb, move the components underneath the arduino to the rear along with the lora module, and arrange the lora module differently. I would also like the get rid of the 4 smd leds, and just add a pad where you can connect a rgb led to slim it down. I’m still on the fence about that though, but if I can get the whole thing slimmer, then I can orient it differently in the remote and save a ton of room. Only thing is, I’ve never done PCB design, so that will be a learning process.
@Battery_Mooch Any feedback on using the negative terminal for the battery holder along the barrel of the battery? Some of the protective wrap would have to be removed on the barrel. Not a huge fan of it, but seems to be the simplest solution at the moment.
1 Like
On that note I think I’ll go with the existing v2.
Lmk if you want me to add any to my order to you.
Yea, if you’re going to order some then I’ll just go that route.
1 Like