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Problem with Third Eye Hitman FET controller


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#1 tazman

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Posted 12 February 2017 - 03:08 AM

I am really frustrated with my Third Eye Hitman FET controller which has crapped out for the second time.

First problem is when I hooked up my controller incorrectly correctly - pressed the trigger, no or little power. I sent the controller to Howard once and he had it working again but the same thing happened as soon as I went back to the track to test it but, this time my controller was hooked up correctly.

This time when the car deslots, there's no or little power as soon as I press the trigger after putting the car back on. The track owner sent it back to Howard because he saw I was not using the controller and I explained the problem to him. He sent it to Howard again, got it back and I got the same results, deslot and then little or no power. No explanation given as to the cause of this problem.

Can anybody help?
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Rick Ortogero




#2 Racer36

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Posted 12 February 2017 - 03:02 PM

Extremely rare for a Third Eye to fail once, never mind multiple times. Get in touch with Howard again. He is the best.

Dennis Dominey

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#3 swodem

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 03:22 AM

Just check that there is contact on the wiper button to the wire-wrapped resistor.
 
The fact your car de-slots won't have anything to do with it I wouldn't think.
 
Are you left-handed or right-handed?

Steve Meadows


#4 penske

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 09:25 AM

Rick

 

I like to look for the simple problems first. Have you tried  another car to see if you get the same results. Or drive someone else’s car.

​Or give your controller to another driver and see if they get the same results. I’m sure you did all this but I had to ask.
 
I raced a Third Eye for many years and never had this or any other problems. I’m sure Howard will get it right.

Rick, after you find out what was wrong post what the fix was.

 

Roger


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#5 MSwiss

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 09:49 AM

I doubt this is it, but try wiggling your brake wire.

While the red wire, physically, is large in diameter, the wire inside is tiny.

We had an issue here locally, with three controllers acting erratically.

Note, in this case, they all had "clamps" on the wires to prevent hooking up wrong, which probably brought on the problem.

If I had an idea how thin that red wire was internally I would have modified the clamp a bit.


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#6 Rob Voska

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 06:49 PM

I was at Chicagoland practicing and a friend was having problems. He thought his motor was bad. I ran his car with my controller, no problem. I ran his car with his controller, no problem. He ran his car with his controller, big problem. Handed the controller back to me and no problem. I handed the controller back to him, big problem

 

He was lifting the wiper off the resistor and there was some play there. If you pulled straight back it was fine but if you put side pressure on the trigger it lifted the wiper off the resistor. Took controller apart tweaked it and it was fine... and he ran very very well the next day in all classes.



#7 MSwiss

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 06:58 PM

The mystery is the "deslot and then little or no power."

 

If it was his triggering style, pulling the arm away from the resistor, it seems like the "little or no power" would be from the get-go.


Mike Swiss
 
Inventor of the Low CG guide flag 4/20/18
IRRA® Components Committee Chairman
Five-time USRA National Champion (two G7, one G27, two G7 Senior)
Two-time G7 World Champion (1988, 1990), eight G7 main appearances
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#8 MikeC

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 07:19 PM

I'm confused... Does it work normally, then you deslot and then it stops working correctly, then, after a period of time, start working again until you deslot again?  


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#9 Samiam

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 09:22 PM

This problem is often described as "the nut at the end of the trigger."
Sam Levitch
 
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#10 Rob Voska

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 11:27 PM

Everyone's hands/fingers are different size so not everyone pulls the trigger the same way. 

If it was my controller I would have never had a problem with it the way it was.

Putting a little more wiper pressure on it fixed "his" problem and he ran very well the next day.

More like "if it works for you" things.

#11 tazman

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Posted 15 February 2017 - 12:15 AM

Went to the track today with the intention of practicing and running my HO Fray and magnet cars. I did bring my Hitman FET controller and a 1/24 car to test the controller.

Needless to say, the arm did not lift off the resistor as I applied power. I decided to call Howard as I was testing the controller and described the controller situation. First, the car did exactly the same thing - no pick up and go. I moved the red wire around and no changes. Before I went to the track I removed the handle and checked the arm contact with the resistor - excellent contact.

As I was talking to Howard, my red wire clip fell, off leaving only the white and black wires connected to the track. My car picked up speed and it was moving but my sensitivity and brake knobs did not work as they should have and Howard told me to stop which I did.

He told me to send the controller back to him so he could check the brake system.
Rick Ortogero

#12 JerseyJohn

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Posted 15 February 2017 - 12:40 AM

The red brake wire is also the ground wire which completes the circuit. My understanding is FETs and transistors need the ground in order to work properly.
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#13 smichslot

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Posted 15 February 2017 - 03:24 AM

Correct!
 
"My understanding is FETs and transistors need the ground in order to work properly."
 
Without a connection to "ground" (0v, the brake wire) the relatively-complicated electronics will not have a reference to work from. And from there anything can happen.
 
Steen


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Steen Michaelsen

#14 DavidR

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Posted 29 June 2017 - 08:49 AM

Was the problem ever diagnosed and corrected? 


David Rodgers Sr.
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