As you can see the Wheelybird mount bracket bolts right up to the Workhorse with no modifications. My shop space is at a premium at the moment, so I have the thrower in my basement for the time being.
In the near future it too will sport the Champion remote system which I'll match/pair up to my other remote on the Wheelybird. I'm hoping for an X-mas sale...

One other upgrade I will be doing, (just like I did when I brought home my 10 year old Wheelybird), I'll be making a new aluminum horsehoe retainer for the top of the magazine. I just dont trust the flimsyness of the plastic one it comes with. However I've yet to ever hear of one breaking...

Another upgrade...
I happened across some thumbwheel bolts which are/will be perfect for doing quick adjust elevation changes for the Workhorse. (I think we all know, the wrench is kind of a PIA for changes in the field).
As an FYI the bolt threads on both the Wheelybird and the Workhorse mounts are M10 x 1.5 thread pitch. These ones are an inch in length, but 3/4 inch would be plenty sufficient if you end up searching for some.

May '24 Update Edit...I cant in good conscience endorse the thumbwheel bolts any longer. No matter how tight or the added lock washers used, hand tightening of these bolts were sadly a fail for me. One or two would loosen up at approx the 20 bird mark every time which changed/maxxed the elevation at inoppertune times.
Hence I reverted back to the original factory bolts and carrying the 5/8" wrench...

 

I happened across some thumbwheel bolts which are/will be perfect for doing quick adjust elevation changes for the Workhorse. (I think we all know, the wrench is kind of a PIA for changes in the field).

Just an update...I've given up and removed the thumbwheel bolts for quick elevation changes as no matter the washers I used (or didnt), no matter how tight I turned them (by hand) one or two would loosen itself around the 20 bird mark and the elevation would climb to it's max setting.
That got old in short order so I removed them and went back to the original 4 bolts and using a 5/8" wrench. I'm thinking 4 'Levered' style bolts might be viable tho...

 

Nice I have a Workhorse as a secondary trap but don't use it much because I'm so used to the immediate release from my Atlas trap the workhorse throws my timing off taking so long after call pull before it throws.

 

For anyone following along, I took some spare time and welded up the frame, threw some paint on it while it was still warm and bolted the mount in place, consider it temporary.

Until I get the material I want to use for the angle tilt fabrication, this is about as far as I'll get with it for the next while. No big rush, I'm not much for clay shooting during the winter/snow months anyway.

I'm going to be keeping an eye out for an in-expensive larger wheel package in the 12-16" region to help offer a little more angle once its all said and done.

I now have the Champion remote on its way thanks to a surprise flash sale/free shipping from Cabela's Once I get that, I'll do the same as I did with the Wheelybird/Wobbler unit and weld a somewhat tall stand-alone post for remotes receiver on the frame.

 

Love to see what you come up with for larger wheel design. Been seriously considering putting larger wheels on my own. Haven't measured but assuming i,ll have to weld on a drop down from angle at axle end ends to get wheel clearance from the Nylon safety ring

 

That's a lot of work & thought, it'll pay off for sure. Have a blast!
Shoot well
Bob

 

That's a lot of work & thought, it'll pay off for sure. Have a blast!

Thanks Bob. I'm looking forward to fabbing up a simple angle tilt for it. I hope it ends up looking and working as good as it does in my head

 

Looks like you are on the right track. My only suggestion is to use external tooth star lock washers on the hand knobs.

 

Your referring to the angle adjustment bolts you replaced with knobs i,ll presume. Presently I just stick a rathet/socket in bx. I carry remote, foot petal and cables in but those knobs are a good idea.

 

Will the 12" wheels go directly onto existing axle without interfering with throwing arm when in a fully down position?

 

Will the 12" wheels go directly onto existing axle without interfering with throwing arm when in a fully down position?

Yes, no issues at all clearance wise. I just went and measured, with the 8" wheel on it now, there is 6" from the top of the wheel to the hoop. From the center of the axle to the hoop, 10".
The throwing arm (on mine anyway) is 2" above the designated path of the hoop so you can add another 2" to the above measurements.

When I create the angle tilt, I'll then have to be sure there is no chance of interference to the arm and hoop.

 

After what seems like weeks, I'm one step closer now that the Champ remote was delivered yesterday. Took less than a minute to pair the new receiver up to the Wheelybird's remote transmitter.

 

Somehow I broke my antenna off yesterday. Still works without but distance might be impacted. Contacted Champion and I can get a new one for $10. But I wonder if it’s a standard antenna available elsewhere?

 

I wonder if it’s a standard antenna available elsewhere?

That sucks. I've no idea on that question, you could try taking the receiver with you into a hobby store perhaps? I wonder if standard coax cable would thread on? If so that might be worth a try.
For $10 I'd go with the Champ antenna myself.

 

Is Radio Shack still a thing? They're some other name up this way now, called 'The Source'.

 

You need female version of the ham/uhf vhf radio antenna. I just tried a spare one I have and it screws directly to the champion antenna which is the female version.

The retevis rt20 is on the right and the champion on on the left. Same thread pattern but male/female versions.

 

Thanks! There are several on Amazon. More than $10 but will get here faster. Not sure how I broke it so a spare is in order.
Edit: it’s an SMA-female connection. New antenna will be here in a couple days

 

Thanks Bob, appreciate it

There are several on Amazon. More than $10 but will get here faster. Not sure how I broke it so a spare is in order.
Edit: it’s an SMA-female connection. New antenna will be here in a couple days

It's funny (in a way...), ever since you mentioned breaking yours, 3 times now I've been close to doing the same dbh! So in advance of what seems bound to happen I'd like to have an extra or two, I've had a struggle contacting Champion but 'may' have found an antenna that might work? (link below)

@dbh1956 or @Mtbkn, can either of you by chance confirm if this cheap antenna would be a viable option? It looks to be OK to me but doesnt have the metal female thread as the original. That may be needed as a grounding element?

Bingfu Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 3dBi MIMO RP-SMA Male Antenna (2-Pack) for WiFi Router Signal Booster Repeater Wireless Network Card USB Adapter Security IP Camera Video Surveillance Monitor : Amazon.ca: Electronics

Bingfu Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 3dBi MIMO RP-SMA Male Antenna (2-Pack) for WiFi Router Signal Booster Repeater Wireless Network Card USB Adapter Security IP Camera Video Surveillance Monitor : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

 

Bit more progress on the Workhorse this afternoon due to the new 12" wheels which were surprisingly delivered yesterday, wasnt expecting them until next week.
I had to mod the axle shaft a wee bit as the hubs needed 3/16" more of the shaft than what was available. Easy enough tho, using a cutoff wheel/disc on my mini grinder I trimmed 3/16" of angle iron from the 1/2" axle to expose that much more of the shaft for the new wheels.
All good, I really like these ones. They roll even easier than the new 8" bearing models I put on the Wheelybird. Impressive.

To add, I had cut up some thin wall 1" sq tubing to fab up a handle a coupla days ago. Got that welded up today and also an anchor point on the main frame same/similair as I had done previously on both of the Wheelybird frames.

Being a balmy 20F this afternoon, I figured I'd best throw some paint on what I needed to while I could with the material still warm from any welding. I'll get a pic or two tomorrow once dry and can finish up with where I'm at.

 

Here's where I'm at. Now it just comes down to finding a small inexpensive 12 volt and material for for the angle tilt fabrication.

Just for a comparison reference I got out one of the original wheels that came with my 10ish year old Wheelybird. Big difference!

 

Been a while, thought I'd give an update. I have aquired what I figure are all the necessary items to complete the left(?) angled thrower modifications.
However, its cold(!) and my outdoor welding bench is constantly snow covered so it'll be a month or likely 2 before I can/will complete.

I did do one mod to the thrower that could be of interest tho...Unlike the Wheelybird 1.0 I have, one thing that didnt impress me with this Workhorse is the somewhat loose fitting magazine tube sleeves on the aluminum stud inserts. I 'think' it'd be just fine for the straight away use, but for the somewhat extreme angle I plan on trying/using I'm about sure the mag rack might just pop off when fired while full of clays. Aint no one wants to see that! (Especially me...)

As said, I cant say for sure but just for preventative measure I drilled and tapped for some allen key set screws on all four sleeves. (Yes, the set screws are a tad long but I already had them in the drawer, no worries).
Once the thrower is fully complete I'll locktite them in place, for now they're not as I'll be removing the mag stack likely numerous times between now and completion. After that it wont matter as I've no need to remove the stack for simple storage.

Quick pic to show/help explain my meaning...

 

Are the posts that the magazine slips over suppose to be loose? I can't seem to tightened them up which makes the magazine loose and causes problems with the feeding.

 

Right on, glad to hear it! I fully agree, the difference is indeed amazing.

Just to add, doing so with the 12" wheels will give/allow you a little extra 'up' angle if desired.

 

Never doubted for a moment it wouldn't get done.....nice job Sled!
Now, get a pair of Cragar 5 spoke mag wheels on there and You'll be the envy of the Province.
No, really, nice engineering on You're project, this info & pictures will most likely help others in their efforts.
Thanks for the update.
Shoot well
Bob

 

I can’t confirm about the metal but wouldn’t think it has to do with grounding. If it’s being purchased from Amazon or the like you should be able to return it if it doesnt work. repoort back if it does. Maybe a good alternative part.

 

OK, thanks. I've found a few others on Amazon and another site that do have the metal threaded insert so I'll lean that way. They're not very expensive so I'll experiment with a few. The one thing that I find confusing is the dBi numbers?
Examples below, one is a 6 while the other has a 10. Does it matter you think? Both examples are for routers, both mention those numbers as 'gain'. I know nothing to what that refers, I wonder if it's a distance thing? Higher the better?

2pcs 6dBi Dual Band 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8Ghz WiFi Antenna RP-SMA Connector Universal Antennas Amplifier WLAN Router Antenne Booster - Newegg.com

Buy 2pcs 6dBi Dual Band 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8Ghz WiFi Antenna RP-SMA Connector Universal Antennas Amplifier WLAN Router Antenne Booster with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.ca

2 X 10dBi RP-SMA High Gain Antennas Dual Band 2.4GHz 5GHz WiFi Antenna Connector Universal Antennas Amplifier WLAN Router Antenna Booster - Newegg.com

Buy 2 X 10dBi RP-SMA High Gain Antennas Dual Band 2.4GHz 5GHz WiFi Antenna Connector Universal Antennas Amplifier WLAN Router Antenna Booster with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.ca

 

From what I could read on it. 10dbi would be good for longer distances like in mile(s). Lower should work for us. When only a few yards are in play. Mine with line of sight does well over 80-100 yards.

 

Dbi is a gain measurement. I’m sure someone here has shortwave or ham experience could go into more detail.

 

OK, thanks again. I can get 75 or 80 yards with no problem on the one original unit tested last fall, very likely more, which is fine and dandy for me.

For sure I'll be reporting back with whatever aftermarket antenna I purchase and test.

 

My antenna order came in yesterday, here's a couple pics.
No I havent tested for use as yet as I'm busy dealing with other must-do chores. I did however test for fit and they all passed that test.
In the photo below you'll see all 3 aftermarket antennas with the receivers and an un-mounted factory Champion antenna on the right.
The unmounted left hand model is identical in size and length to what comes with the receiver.

The only noticeable question mark I have is the aftermarket antenna (left) not having the metal threaded insert vs the Champ's on the right as seen below...(The other two aftermarkets both have it)
Testing will be the tell-tale. I hope they all work, at least to some degree.

 

All guesses but..

I think it’s going to be a case of good grounding vs better grounding. Or maybe easier to strip the plastic threaded on vs metal threaded.

The plastic one still has an outer metal contact ring.

Will be interesting to see your results.

 

Will be interesting to see your results.

Update...I spent a few minutes doing an antenna test yesterday afternoon. Very happy to report each and every one of the antennas performed exactly as the factory original.
I tested using both throwers ranging in distances from right next to them out to 75-80 yards and also thru a tree line. All good, even the short and the odd shaped fat one.

 

So what atenna(s) did you end up ordering? Pretty sure mine is broken, it keeps falling off.

 

So what atenna(s) did you end up ordering?

These are the 3 units purchased. Make note, the links are Amazon Canada...

Bingfu Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 6dBi MIMO RP-SMA Male Antenna (2-Pack) for WiFi Router Signal Booster Repeater Wireless Network Card USB Adapter Security IP Camera Video Surveillance Monitor : Amazon.ca: Electronics

Bingfu Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 6dBi MIMO RP-SMA Male Antenna (2-Pack) for WiFi Router Signal Booster Repeater Wireless Network Card USB Adapter Security IP Camera Video Surveillance Monitor : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

Bingfu Dual Band WiFi Antenna 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 3dBi RP-SMA Male Antenna Replacement (2-Pack) for WiFi Router Wireless Network Card USB Adapter Security IP Camera Video Surveillance Monitor : Amazon.ca: Electronics

Bingfu Dual Band WiFi Antenna 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 3dBi RP-SMA Male Antenna Replacement (2-Pack) for WiFi Router Wireless Network Card USB Adapter Security IP Camera Video Surveillance Monitor : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

Bingfu Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 8dBi MIMO RP-SMA Male Antenna (2-Pack) for WiFi Router Signal Booster Repeater Wireless Network Card USB Adapter Security IP Camera Video Surveillance Monitor : Amazon.ca: Electronics

Bingfu Dual Band WiFi 2.4GHz 5GHz 5.8GHz 8dBi MIMO RP-SMA Male Antenna (2-Pack) for WiFi Router Signal Booster Repeater Wireless Network Card USB Adapter Security IP Camera Video Surveillance Monitor : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

 

In the pic below the Champion factory original is on the extreme left. Next closest is the identical looking antenna with no metal insert, works perfect. As do the other two.
I dont have them handy at the moment but will provide links soon.