Designed for Issue 65 of the Build the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 by Fanhome/DeAgostini/Eaglemoss.
- Connect the USB-C cable to the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board and plug in to a power source, such as a power bank, laptop, or USB-C adaptor.
- The blue LED on the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board will light up dimly and extinguish after 10 seconds.
- Single press the programming button on the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board.
- The blue led on the circuit board will flash to indicate that the board is ready to receive remote codes.
- Now press the buttons numbered 1-7 on the remote in this exact sequence, waiting one second between each press.
- Then press the AUX, ON and OFF buttons in that order.
During this process the LED on the circuit board will light statically and blink each time a button is pressed to confirm receipt of the button code.
When you have coded all buttons, the blue led on the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board will flash several times to confirm programming is complete.
Bind the buttons in this sequence:
- Button 1
- Button 2
- Button 3
- Button 4
- Button 5
- Button 6
- Button 7
- AUX
- ON
- OFF
The buttons on the remote will now operate as follows:
| Button | Function |
| ON | Turns ALL lighting circuits on |
| OFF | Turns ALL circuits off |
| 1 | Cycle Head and Taillights and Interior lights |
| 2 | Roof Lights on / off |
| 3 | Siren on / off |
| 4 | Play engine sound |
| 5 | Horn |
| 6 | Brake Lights |
| 7 | Cycles through two action sequences (‘Firehouse exit scene’ and ‘Possessed’) |
| AUX | Toggles AUX power circuit on / off (for example the Mike Lane Strobe Lighting, CODE 3 Lights or any third-party mods) |
If you make a mistake during the coding or need to code a new remote, simply restart the process by disconnecting and reconnecting the USB power from the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board, and pressing the programming button again.
Recovery mode
If you happen to lose or damage your remote in the future, once your build is complete and when the bind button is inaccessible, don’t panic!
A recovery mode has been specifically designed in to each RF circuit board allowing you to bind a new remote using a master remote, without needing to press the bind button.
If you find yourself needing a master recovery remote please contact us, they will be available to purchase separately.
This mod can be installed at any point after issue 65, when the PCB is installed and the interior floor fitted.
If the body has already been joined to the body, you will need to remove the roof rack and disconnect the body by following the instructions in issue 121 but in reverse.
You will need to remove the steering wheel to remove the interior floor from the car as it slides up over the steering column (refer to issue 114).
You will also need to remove the 13 x JP screws that hold the interior floor down. Each of these screws are installed from under the car and up into the floor.
Wiring diagram
- Disconnect cable B from the connection point near the driver’s side front wheel.
- Bridge this cable connection with one of the supplied Y-splitters. Using the Y-splitters allows the existing buttons to be used after the installation if you still wish to use them.
- Repeat this action for cables C, D, E, F, and G.
- Connect a long splitter extension cable to the remaining vacant plugs on each of the Y-splitters.
- Connect the other end of the splitter extension cables to the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board as follows:
| Stock Board | to | Mike Lane Remote Control Board |
| F | 1 | |
| C | 2 | |
| B | 3 | |
| D | 4 | |
| E | 5 | |
| G | 6 | |
| V | 7 |
- Now run the extension cables under the inner floor of the car, back towards the stock circuit board, taping them to the chassis plate. The Y-splitter cables can be gently stowed away in the void behind the dash, taking care not to block the action of the brake pedal mechanism.
- Unplug the battery box cable from the stock circuit board. The battery box will no longer be required. You can leave the stock switch and battery box in place, just make sure they are disconnected from the board.
- Take the supplied short power cable and connect one end to the stock circuit board socket A.
- Connect the other end of this cable to the socket on the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board labelled ‘PWR’.
- Disconnect cable V from the connection point near the Driver’s side rear wheel.
- Bridge this cable connection with the one remaining Y-splitter and connect this to port 7 of the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board.
- Disconnect cable N from the connection point near the Driver’s side rear wheel and connect it to the ‘AUX port’, this will allow you to control the CODE 3 lights separately with the remote.
- If you have Mike Lane Strobe Lighting and Control Kit installed, connect the power cable from the strobes to the socket on the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board labelled ‘AUX’ using the Y-splitter that came with it to allow the Strobes and CODE 3 lights (N) to both connect to AUX.
- Attach the Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board directly to the right-hand side of the stock mainboard as shown, using the supplied double-sided 3M pad.
- Connect the slimline USB-C extension cable to Mike Lane Remote Control circuit board. The angled head must be orientated towards the back of the model.
- This cable can route out of the back of the car down through the large round hole for the original battery box/fuel tank, then you can feed the USB-C cable out through the back of the car between the fuel tank and chassis. This can all be achieved without removing the battery box/fuel tank.
- You can now connect the braided USB-C cable to this extension and connect to a power source.
- Test the operation of the board prior to replacing the floor and re-fitting the body.
Flexibility by design
The model will receive power via the provided slimline USB-C cable. The advantage of this is that the cable can be fed through any available hole in the model’s chassis, either exiting the left or right side, and can even be routed towards the front or rear of the car – the choice is yours! In many cases it can even be fed into the battery box and hidden away when not in use. No drilling and no glueing – making it totally reversible and giving you plenty of options depending on how you wish to display your model.
The AUX port
The AUX port on the Mike Lane DeLorean Remote Control circuit board provides a 5v output at 1amp (max) – switchable via the AUX button on the remote.
This port provides plenty of power and flexibility for potential customisations and future Mike Lane upgrades planned for this model – all controllable from the remote.
Can this power third-party modifications?
Yes! Whilst we have our own suite of electronic upgrades coming for this model, the Mike Lane Remote Control Power Mod also supports third-party modifications which require power via Dupont connectors. Please see the example wiring diagrams below.
Seriously cool mods incoming!
We’d like to take this opportunity to announce that we have additional electronic upgrades for the Ecto-1 coming soon – trust us, you’re not going to want to miss them!
Polarity Warning
IMPORTANT: When connecting any third-party accessories using the supplied adaptor cables, ensure to check the polarity. The grey cable connects to positive and the black to negative.
Incorrect polarity will damage any connected circuit boards and modifications, voiding all associated warranties.
Use of third-party accessories and mods is entirely at the owners risk as not all third-party mods have been tested with this device.
The AUX adaptor kit
For powering third-party mods which require power from Dupont connectors, you can use the AUX adaptor kit. Please contact us if you require these cables and didn’t receive them within your kit.
This kit will split power from the AUX port on the circuit board to two Dupont connectors, together with additional JST splitter cables so you don’t lose access to the original AUX JST connection.
Example setup using the AUX adaptor kit
This upgrade features two special action sequences (controlled from button 7), programmed especially for this model and utilising all of its existing lights and sound effects – adding something entirely new to your model!
Firehouse exit
This action sequence mimics the iconic scene when we first see the Ecto-1 exit the firehouse in Ghostbusters – resplendently displaying the emergency lights, strobes and sirens, ready to ‘answer the call’.
Possessed
This action sequence imagines Ecto-1 possessed. Was it Slimer, was it Zuul? We may never know! With lights flickering, headlights pulsing, strobes triggered, an intermittent siren and even the engine starting, we can be certain that the Ecto-1 needs a thorough exorcism (and maybe an oil change for good measure!).
