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Anyone bought anything from RK Education?

Posted at 14:21:08 Tue 5 Dec 2023

I bought some Servo brackets from this supplier a while ago and all went OK. No issues and the order arrived in a week or so. Recently I spotted an 8 channel Servo Point control board, self build, so I thought I'd get one. I'm not sure it will suit my purposes as there is no adjustment for distance of travel for the Servo arm, but for £20 I thought it was worth a punt. Anyway I waited and waited and finally after about three weeks I emailed the guy. He was very apologetic and told me of personal problems he was having but would get the order off to me. So a week and a half later the board finally arrived. It all looks well made, but - no documentation open_mouth. I emailed him yesterday but he's not yet got back to me yet. Now I can work most of the component placement out myself but there are four resistor arrays each containing 4 resistors. Now if all the resistances were the same there would be no problem, but two of the arrays contain 100R resistors and the other two contain 22R resistors. So without at least a component list I am scuppered as to which array goes where. I can only hope he gets back to me as there is nowhere on his site that I can see any docs for this product.

Just wondered if anyone else has had dealings with him.

Posted at 17:41:19 Tue 5 Dec 2023

I've certainly bought the products, I don't think directly from them but via ebay or amazon. Not had a problem, but to be fair if he has personal issues going on it can seriously distract.

I notice right on the front page for the RK Education web site there's a big green box directing you to "Documentation", have you tried looking there?


RK Online Store Documentation

Nick, long time Continental N gauge modeller but also dabbling in all sorts of other gauges and themes :)

Last Edited 17:42:55 Tue 5 Dec 2023
Posted 17:41:19 Tue 5 Dec 2023

Posted at 23:28:42 Tue 5 Dec 2023

Believe me I've looked through the entire site, and if you look in the schematics link every single one is a 'page not found'.

While I have every sympathy for someone undergoing difficulties, it's not good leaving people high and dry who have paid money for their products.

All I can do is keep banging him, plus tracing the circuit as best I can and making an educated guess.

Don't suppose you've bought that particular product by any chance RKP20Servo.

Last Edited 23:31:01 Tue 5 Dec 2023
Posted 23:28:42 Tue 5 Dec 2023

Posted at 23:56:14 Tue 5 Dec 2023

@Brew Man - if you follow @ntp’s link, (for documentation not schematics) in the list shown is one called ‘RKServo PCB Component List and Instructions’ which links to the following page:

https://files.ekmcdn.com/rkeducation/resources/other/rkpservo-component-list-and-instructions.pdf

Is that what you are after?

Toothpaste is 1:1 perfection, for models rule #1 applies... Suum cuique!


Posted 23:56:14 Tue 5 Dec 2023

Posted at 11:41:22 Wed 6 Dec 2023

No, that's not the same thing. I've looked at that two or three times hoping it would somehow miraculously transform into the product I have joy. There seems to be information on just about everything they do except for RKP20Servo.

I think I'm going to have to laboriously trace connections to/from the resistor connections. That way I should be able to narrow it down to two going one way and two going another. I'll then have a 50-50 chance of getting it right. If it's wrong I can then switch them around, assuming that is, if it's wrong it doesn't damage anything.

Last Edited 11:48:37 Wed 6 Dec 2023
Posted 11:41:22 Wed 6 Dec 2023

Posted at 11:50:57 Wed 6 Dec 2023

There is a contact us form and a direct email address telling that if you need more information to contact them.

http://www.halton96th.org.uk/robs_rails.html


Posted 11:50:57 Wed 6 Dec 2023

Posted at 12:02:46 Wed 6 Dec 2023

I've tried the email address, I'll try the form. He was responding to me when I was chasing up the product, but now when I want the documentation he's gone quiet.


Posted 12:02:46 Wed 6 Dec 2023

Posted at 15:10:53 Wed 6 Dec 2023

Well I've checked continuity from/to the resistor arrays and established that:

one pair of arrays, i.e. 8 resistors are connected between the PICAXE data outputs and the Servos and the other pair are connected between the PICAXE inputs and the switches and associated LEDs.

One pair of arrays are valued at 10R and the other pair are valued at 330R, so I'm taking a guess that the higher values will go to the LEDs and the others to the Servos. Will try that way round when I build it.


Posted 15:10:53 Wed 6 Dec 2023

Posted at 18:17:34 Wed 6 Dec 2023

I see what you mean about no sign of documentation for that one, and on the product page there's a review/comment from a year ago mentioning lack of assembly instructions.

Nick, long time Continental N gauge modeller but also dabbling in all sorts of other gauges and themes :)


Posted 18:17:34 Wed 6 Dec 2023

Posted at 10:56:38 Thu 7 Dec 2023

Yeah, I've pretty much given up on him now. I think I've got it right though from yesterday's investigation. Fortunately I was able to determine the placement of the three discrete resistors from the picture, though there has been a design change in that one of the resistors is a different value to that supplied and a power input rectifier has been changed to a LED. I think I'll change that back to a normal rectifier diode as per the picture. Interesting that the reviewer in spite of there being no documentation still gave it full marks, though he seemed to be talking about the pre-built version.

All in all I think they're another one to avoid in the future.


Posted 10:56:38 Thu 7 Dec 2023

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