Elenco Radio Controlled Car Kit User Manual

AK-870 AK-870

INSPECTION OF P

Take a look at each of the parts bags and compare to the Parts List (on the other side).
Be sure that nothing w
wires coming off the Circuit Board - 2 connecting to the light b
connect to other circuits. There should also be 3 wires on the Bottom Frame (one from
the ON/OFF switch, 1 from the battery section, and another between the switch and
battery contacts) and 2 on each of the motors. Be sure that none of these wires have
brok

en off. Contact Elenco

the other side).

ARTS

as damaged during shipment and handling. There should be 8

TM

Electronics if y

ou have any problems (phone number is on

ulb, and 6 others that will

Remote Control Transmitter

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Contact ElencoTMElectr

Bottom Frame

NOTE: The

Interior

not touc

of the motor. It should fit

into the slot of the middle

compartment, bend if

necessar

either be bent to la

the motor shell or point

Tab should

h the metal shell

y. The side tab may

y along

out the right side.

onics if you have any problems. Actual colors may vary from those shown here.

Interior

ab

T

Driving Motor

Side

Tab

or

Slot f

Side Tab

Wheels Assembly

Rear

Round Locator

NO

TE: Put some

Vaseline or grease

into the slots for the rod
and some on the teeth of
all the g
mid

ears (motor gear,

dle gear, and the rear

wheels gear). This will

make the car go

faster.

Rear Rod

Quick Test: All 3 gears

should be lined up and
turning one of them b
hand should also turn the
others.

Middle Gear

y

9V Batter

y Slot

(Alkaline recommended)

NOTE: Align

the front of the

Rear Section Cover

bef

ore aligning the

screw holes in

the rear.

Note: Screw in tight.

0.4” x 0.1” Screws

ransmitter Antenna

T

Rear Section

Cover

Steering Alignment

Wire/Spring

Bend wires to fit around
post. They must NOT be
tight (or the steering won’t
work), stretch the wire
with your fingers to loosen
it if necessar

.

y

Steering Bar

Between the

Inside the Car

Outside the Car

Wires

Wires

NOTE: The
xt 3 steps will

ne

be much easier if

you elevate the car

about 1” using a

small object.

Locator Slots

x 0.1” Screws

0.3”

Left Front Wheel

NOTE: Make

sure that the middle

gear is to the left of the

tab in the case as

wn. The middle gear

sho

must lie between the

rear wheels gear

and the tab.

Steering Motor Bracket

Right Front Wheel

Steering Motor

NOTE: The gear

should lay on the

teeth of the steering

et assistance if it

bar (g

does not). Add some

aseline or grease

V

to the teeth.

Tab

Quic

k Test: Turning one

wheel b
also turn the other wheel
and move the gear along
the steering bar.

y hand should

NOTE: Make

sure that the wires

from the ON/OFF switch

and the motor run out of

the rear section co

through the slots (as

wn) without being

sho

damaged.

ver

Front Spring

Fr

Shoc

Wheel

ont

k Absorber

ost

P

w Used

Scre

wn actual size)

(sho

0.4”

x 0.1”

X2

ont

Fr
of car

Post is
towards
ont of car

fr

Steering

NOTE: The
xt 3 steps will

ne

h easier if

uc

be m

you elevate the car

about 1” using a

small object.

Screw Used

(shown actual size)

X2

x 0.1”

0.3”

Alignment

Post

0.3” x 0.1”
Screws

Screw Used

(shown actual size)

Black Plastic Tubing

x 0.1”

X2

PC Board

Wiring/Tubing Assembly

1

Cut

Tubing

RED

BLACK

s

0.3”

Wheels

ont

Fr

Section Co

ver

YELLO

Driving

Motor

GREEN

W

RED

BLACK

YELLO

GREEN

W

WIRING PLAN

ANTENNA

ORANGE

BLUEBLUE

Steering

ORANGE

Motor

Top Cover

Light Bulb Cover

Light Bulb

Screw Used

(shown actual size)

X1

x 0.1”

0.4”

Car Antenna

NOTE: Insert

the antenna

ough the top

thr

ver bef

co

screwing it

down.

ore

Top Cover

0.3” x 0.1” Screws

Scre

(sho

0.3” x 0.1”

(4mm head)

ws Used

wn actual size)

X2 X3

x 0.115”

0.4”

(5.3mm head)

Tabs

Rear Springs

Tubing

2

3

Tubing

Slide

ubing

T
onto wire

Twist
wires

ether.

tog

.

Check Circuit Board for Shorts: Examine the Circuit Board closely. Some of the components

y have been bent during shipping and may now be touching each other. IN NO CASES

ma
SHOULD METAL FROM ONE COMPONENT BE TOUCHING METAL FROM ANOTHER
COMPONENT (creating a “short circuit”). Bend apart any components that have metal
touching.

Batteries:

Be sure the ON/OFF s

witch is OFF. Place 4 AA batteries in the battery cage on the
bottom, positioning their + and - terminals as shown there. Alkaline or rechargeable nickel­cadmium batter

4

Slide
Tubing over
the twisted
wires.

5

Quick Test:

Be sure none of the wires are touching or near the wheels. Flip the ON/OFF Switch to ON,
extend the Transmitter Antenna, and move the remote control levers. If your car does not work
initially then move the transmitter antenna right next to the car (touch it to the antenna wire on
the Circuit board if necessar
does not w

ou have now completed the assembly of the AK-870 Radio Control

Y

ies are highly recommended.

y), because the car’s antenna is not installed yet. If your car still

ork then refer to the Troubleshooting Section on the other side.

Car Kit. Refer to HOW TO USE IT on the other side. If the car does
not w

ork,

ref

er to

OUBLESHOO

TR

TING .

0.4” x 0.1”
Screw

There are many other projects: Electronic Playground, Cass­ette Player, Talking Clock, Telephone, Electronic Keyboard, etc. Ask

ape

T

TE:

NO

the light bulb

wires to the inside

of the top cover so

that the light bulb

ve it.

ys abo

sta

0.4” x 0.115” Screw

0.4”

x 0.115”

Scre

NOTE: Be

careful not to

stress or break an

of the wires and

connections. You may

also want to tape the

wires down to keep

them inside the

car

ws

your store about these projects or call at [phone] or

y

.

Decorative Decals: Place these on now, using

your AK-870 box as a guide. Note that some
models may not use all of the stickers provided.

Steering Alignment: Your car is ready for use. If
it does not go straight when you release the right
control le
the bottom front of the car with a scre
works properly.

, then adjust the steer

er

v

ing alignment on

iver until it

wdr

é

ont

Fr

Steering Alignment Contr

check out our Web site!

ol

Copyright © 2001 ElencoTMElectronics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. • 150 W. Carpenter Ave. • Wheeling, IL 60090 • [phone] Fax: [phone] • e-mail: [e-mail] • Web site: www.elenco.com

753287

· Check the wiring to the Steering Motor and your assembly of the front

· Be sure that there is no physical damage or “short circuits” on the

wheel turns in the same direction and that the Steering Motor Gear is

moved along the Front Wheels Steering Bar smoothly.

section.

Circuit Board. If you have a voltmeter, you should measure about

4VDC across the wires to the Steering Motor when the transmitter is

activated.

· Lift up the front section (to remove friction with the ground) and see if

· Turn one of the front wheels with your hand and be sure that the other

pressing both transmitter levers at the same time.

the wheels turn now.

Symptom: Front wheels do not turn or barely turn.

· On some models LEFT/RIGHT commands are only sent if

FORWARD/BACKWARD commands are also being sent, so try

connections are all intact and that there is no damage to its circuit board.

· Be sure that there is no physical damage or “short circuits” on the

·

Open the Remote Control Transmitter and check that the wiring

wrong.

Circuit Board.

· Make sure the ON/OFF switch is ON.

· Be sure that none of the wiring connections were broken, are

contacting any other metal (creating a “short circuit”), or are wired

· Move the Transmitter antenna close to the car antenna to be sure
nickel-cadmium batteries are highly recommended, and new ones will

last for 30-40 minutes of continuous use. Do not mix old and new or

reduced range (next).

your range is not degraded. If range is degraded, see the symptom for

different types of batteries.

Symptom: Car does not go in a straight line when you release the

Symptom: Car doesn’t work at all.

· Make sure that the batteries in both the car and the Remote Control

negative terminals positioned properly. Alkaline or re-chargeable

Transmitter are strong and that they are installed with the positive and

assembly step 14.

right control lever.

· Use a non-Phillips type screwdriver to adjust the front wheels

alignment control on the underside of the Bottom Frame, as in

Characteristics of Radio Reception:

Many factors affect the ability of the AK-870 to receive commands from its

Remote Control Transmitter. A weak battery in the Transmitter will result

in a weaker transmitted signal; if the battery is very weak then the

Transmitter may not function at all. The Transmitter’s ability to convert

electrical energy to radio energy is best when its antenna is fully extended

and degrades as the antenna length is reduced; the same thing also

execute the commands.

commands then its radio signal will be picked up by the receiver and

determines which commands were sent by measuring the number of

up outside this region. If the Remote Control Transmitter is sending

amplify any energy around 27.9 MHz and block energy the antenna picks

originally applied to the transmitting antenna. If the car is turned on then

the radio receiver in the car is continuously monitoring the electrical

energy from its antenna. The receiver is basically a filter which is tuned to

Radio Receiver:

The car antenna collects radio energy and converts it back into electrical

energy; the energy here will always be much less than the energy

converted back into the original pulse sequence. Decoding circuitry then

received pulses in the sequence. Signals are then sent to the motors to

minimize radio interference between this product and all other electrical

products.

for your AK-870 with the approval of the FCC (the US government) to

bursts, which travel through the air and are picked up by and understood

by the radio receiver in the car. The frequency of 27.9 MHz was selected

electrical energy into radio energy, creating a stream of radio energy

to the antenna when the pulses are active. The antenna converts this

levers and use different sets of electrical contacts that are used to encode

Remote Control Transmitter:

When the levers in the Remote Control Unit are pushed electrical contacts

are made connecting the 9V battery power to the transmitter and

indicating which commands the user wants sent to the car.

Forwards/Backwards and Left/Right commands are controlled by different

a sequence of electrical pulses; the number of pulses depends on which

command is being sent. In some models Left/Right commands are only

sent if Forwards/Backwards commands are also being sent, since there is

too much friction to turn the wheels unless the car is moving. An electrical

circuit that is tuned to a frequency of 27.9 MHz creates a signal that is sent

Copyright © 2001 Elenco

Elenco

TM

Electronics, Inc.

150 W. Carpenter Avenue

Wheeling, IL 60090

Manufactured by

TM

Electronics, Inc.

AK-870

RADIO-CONTROLLED

CAR KIT

9 10 11

Symptom:

· Disconnect the battery in your Transmitter to make sure it is not

· Nearb

control of the AK-870. Try moving away from them.

malfunctioning.

y CB and amateur r

adio tr

ansmitters are interf

Car runs e

ven though the Remote Contr

· Be sure that there is no physical damage or “short circuits” on the

· Although tunable inductor L1 has been pre-aligned, you may need to

inductor L1 on the circuit board f

since L1 is FRA

force you may break it.

Activ

ate the transmitter and move it away from the car.

GILE. It should turn easily. If you apply too much

or best range. Be VERY GENTLE,

adjust it for best performance. You need a very small screwdriver for

this. Remove the top cover and flip the ON/OFF switches to on.

car is intact and that the antenna screw is tight.

Circuit Board.

5 6

· Make sure your antenna is properly extended.

· Nearby CB and amateur radio transmitters can interfere with your

· Make sure the wire between the Circuit Board and the antenna in the

control of the AK-870. Try moving away from them.

negative terminals positioned properly.

Symptom: Car has reduced range.

· Make sure that the batteries in both the car and the Remote Control

Transmitter are strong and that they are installed with the positive and

TROUBLESHOOTING

respectively, for 20:1 overall. The Motor must rotate 20 times to rotate the

rear wheels once

wheels directly then the AK-870 w

. The reason for this is that if the Motor were to drive the

ould be v

gears spin in opposite directions

and the Middle Gear and again between the Middle Gear and the Rear

Wheels gear, the number of “teeth” is increased by 4:1 and 5:1

rotates bac

kw
ard to dr

iv
e the car forward, this is because interlocking

.
Also notice that betw

Motor drives the Middle Gear, which drives the gear that is part of the Rear

Wheels Assembly, making the wheels move. Note that the gears on the

Motor and the Rear Wheels Assembly rotate forward and the Middle Gear

command is receiv

Motor; this voltage is reversed to go backwards. The small gear on the

ed to go f

orw

ards

, a v

The Dr

iving Motor w

or
ks the same as the Steer

Steer

motor is reversed.

Car Drive Mechanism:

ing Bar

, the car will tur

n.
T

o turn the other direction, the voltage to the

ability to filter, amplify, and decode commands from the Transmitter.

weak batteries will reduce power to the Motor and degrade the receiver’s

In some cases more radio energy may travel from the Transmitter to the

and pull it to one side

motor, which turns the gear. The “teeth” on the gear grab the Steering Bar

. Since the Front Wheels are connected to the

the Steering Motor.This voltage across the Motor creates a magnetic field.

Car Steering Mechanism:

When a command is received to turn left or right, a voltage is applied to

Inside the motor is a small magnet which is connected to the gear you see

on the outside of the motor. The magnetic field turns the magnet in the

car by going around obstacles than by going through them. In the car,

energy in all directions so as the range between it and the car is increased,

less energy is received at the car. When operated with strong batteries

and in an open area the range will be at least 40 ft. Obstacles such as

walls, furniture, and trees will degrade the radio signal’s ability to travel

through air and reduce operating range, but will never block it completely.

electrical energy for the receiver. The Transmitter’s antenna transmits

applies to the car antenna’s ability to convert the radio signal back into

HOW IT WORKS

753287-E

2

Contains a GLASS BULB which could

cause an injury if the toy is broken.

!

WARNING:

YOU WILL NEED:

r You may also need a standard screwdriver in step 14.

CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts.

Not for children under 5 years.

!

r 4 AA batteries (alkaline or rechargeable nickel-cadmium are highly

recommended). Do not mix old and new, and different types of

batteries.

r scissors

r 1 9V battery (alkaline is recommended)

r Screwdriver (Phillips type, small-medium size)

r Vaseline or grease

r tape (Scotch type will be fine)

Recommended for ages 12 and up. It takes about 3 hours to build.

electrical circuits, and a troubleshooting section in case of problems.

of its operation, a block diagram, an electronic road map showing the

car is mechanically assembled by the user with no soldering required.

In addition to the experience of building the unit, there is also an overview

backward-right, and stop. The remote control operates at a frequency of

27.9 MHz. It uses 4 AA batteries and one 9V battery (not included). The

functions: forward, forward-left, forward-right, backward, backward-left,

The AK-870 is a radio-controlled car that you put together. It has 7 control

WHAT IT IS

WARNING:

ol
T

er
ing with your

DO

NO
T

contact y

our place of purchase as the

ransmitter is off.

Wheeling, IL 60090 e-mail: [e-mail]

[phone] Fax: [phone]

Sa
y that y

ou ha

v
e v

ersion:

If you need additional assistance or replacement parts, contact:

150 W. Carpenter Avenue Web site: /www.elenco.com

Elenco

TM

Electr

onics,

Symptom:

· Check the wires to the Light Bulb.

· Chec

· Be sure that there is no physical damage or “short circuits” on the

Circuit Board.

k the bulb is not burnt-out.

Light Bulb does not light.

Adjust tunable

· The Rear

· Be sure that there is no physical damage or “short circuits” on the

should spin smoothly

wheels are spinning freely

.

Circuit Board. If you have a voltmeter, you should measure about

1.5VDC across the wires to the Driving Motor when the transmitter is

activ

ated and the wheels are not tur

Wheels gear must be tight on its rod and the Middle Gear

our motor f

or prob

ning, or about 4VDC when the

lems

spin) then inspect y

must NOT be tight on its rod.

disconnect the Driving Motor wires from the Circuit Board. Re-connect

the Motor wires across a 1.5V battery with your hands, the wheels

. If nothing happens (the motor gear does not

· Lift up the rear section (to remove friction with the ground) and
the rear section, adding Vaseline or grease if necessary.

Middle and Motor gears spin smoothly

. If not, check your assembly of

· Mak

· Spin the rear wheels with your hands. You should feel and hear the

black rubber on the wheels is not coming off.

e sure the wheels are all free of thread, lint, or hair and that the

Symptom:

· Be sure all the car batter

connections.

Car does not go f

ies are strong and all y

orwards/backwards or does so erratically.

er
y hard to control.

een the Motor gear

Steering Motor

oltage is applied to the Dr

ing Motor. When a

iving

REMOTE CONTROL

TRANSMITTER

!

Electronics if you need assistance.

Y

or Remote Control transmitter as this may cause malfunctions or violate

FCC regulations for this product.

ou should ne

!

causing interference with other authorized products. Contact Elenco

FCC regulations f

interference from authorized sources and that you shut down if you are

radio frequency spectrum in the United States to prevent products from

interfering with each other.

Ne

THE FCC

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates use of the

· Do not drive your car on carpet since lint may damage the wheel

mechanism.

These suggestions will help make your car last for years of fun:

· Never drive your car in rain, snow, mud, sand, dirt, or on a wet floor,

as damage may result.

Turbo King operates best on a wood or tile floor or in your driveway.

ver operate Turbo King in the street.

Push to center or let go to go straight.

Push right to make the AK-870 turn right.

The RIGHT lever on the Remote Control:

Push left to make the AK-870 turn left.

Push to center or let go to stop.

Push backward to make the AK-870 go backward.

Push forward (or forward-right) to make the AK-870 go forward.

Place the car in a flat, open area, turn the ON/OFF switches on the car

and the transmitter to ON, and extend the antenna on the Remote Control.

The LEFT lever on the Remote Control:

RECEIVER

F

L

R

CAR

Frequency

Pulses

Sequence

of Radio

B

Encoding

Circuitry

BLOCK DIAGRAM

v
er modify the electr

or y

HOW TO USE IT

Pulse Sequence,

length depends on

which command is

being sent

Decoding

Circuitry

Amplifier

Filter/

Amplifier

Filter/

7

HOW IT WORKS

3

ical circuit components inside your car

our the AK-870 require y

12

y will not be able to help you.

Inc.

E

with Training Course Model AK-220

Talking Clock Kit

Build your own talking clock! It looks

exactly like an ordinary analog clock, but

it also announces the time with a voice at

the press of a button on the top. The

mo

thereby synchronizing the analog time

and digital time

how time is kept electronically.

v
ement is dr

lamps when the phone rings.

case lets you see all of the working

components

.
It e

ven has flashing neon

communications. You will actually build

y

and receive calls. The clear plastic

our own phone and be able to make

This is our most popular kit. Our

Telephone Kit will teach you all about

with Training Course Model AK-750

.

Clear

T
elephone Kit

parts, how to read schematics, and

wiring diagrams. All this while building

up to 50 different projects. Porjects

include a finger touch lamp, magnetic

bridge, voltmeter, morse code, alarm,

tr
ansistor radio, metal detector, etc.

with

Training Course Model EP-50

NO TOOLS OR SOLDERING REQUIRED!

This electronic science lab will teach you

about electronics from A-Z. WIth this all-

in-one lab, you’ll learn about electronic

our wires mak

e strong

Check out our Web site at http://www.elenco.com for our full line of electronic kits!

OTHER AMERIKIT PRODUCTS

Electronic Playground

27.9 MHz

Signal

ELECTRONIC ROAD MAPS

TRANSMITTER SCHEMATIC

r 1 Rear Wheels Assembly 6AK870RWAE

r 1 Decorative Decals (1 Sheet) 720063E

r 1 Plastic Tubing (at least 6”) 890014

r 1 Top Cover 6AK870TFE

r 1 Circuit Board 6AK870B7E

r 1

Remote Control

BAG 7

PACKAGED SEPARATELY

ou to accept an

TM

y

r 1 Driving Motor 6AK870B5E

r 1 Steering Motor 6AK870B6E

BAG 6

BAG 5

r 1

r 1

r 1

r 1

Steer

T

Bottom Frame 610910E

Car Antenna

BAG 4

r

ansmitter Antenna

ing Bar 626023E

r 1 Front Section Cover 626018E1

r 1 Rear Section Cover 626019E

r 1 Light Bulb Cover 626022

r 1 Steering Motor Bracket 626018E2

r 1

r 1 Right Front Wheel 662018E2

Left F

BAG 3

ront

Wheel

r 2

r 1

r 1 Rear Rod 0.8” x 0.075” (20mm x 2mm) 610808

r 1 Steering Alignment Wire/Spring 6RCC7K11

r 1 Steering Alignment Post 6RCC7K36E

F

Middle Gear

ront Wheel Shock Absorber (small spring) 680025

r 2 Rear Springs 680023

r 1 Front Spring 680024

BAG 2

r 3

r 5

r 1 Screws 0.3” x 0.1” (8mm x 2.6mm),0 .2” head 640102E

Scre

Scre

ws 0.4” x 0.115” (10mm x 3.0mm) 640101E

ws 0.3”

x 0.1”

r 3 Screws 0.4” x 0.1” (10mm x 2.6mm) 640101

QTY. DESCRIPTION PART #

BAG 1

Contact Elenco

contact your place of purchase as they will not be able to help you.

Electronics if parts are missing or damaged. DO NOT

TM

Driving Motor

Pulse Sequence,

length depends on

which command

was sent

RECEIVER SCHEMATIC

T
r

ansmitter

(8mm x 2.6mm), 0.15”

You may have been given different screws from

to use.

those specified here (and usually some

spares). Contact Elenco

P
AR

TS LIST

8

4

iv

.

en by the speech circuit,

Lear

n about gears and

6AK870T

AE

484011E

484010E

(6AK870B3E)

662018E1

610809

head 640102

(6AK870B2E)

TM

if it is not clear which

(6AK870B1E)