Printable View
Hi there! New builder following an old dream, since seeing Cassius on RW I've fancied a front hinge heavy, but we're gonna start small and sensible with a beetle and a feather first.
Got a few things slowly on the go, getting ready to order the next lot of parts, and here's the question...
How many spares, or what spares do you recommend? Obviously a whole spare robot is a tad excessive, and OTT for events, should I order spares or wait til I've broke something?
I carry a spare matching speed controller in the event of ESC failure, a secondary set of batteries for swapping out in between fights and a spare set of wheels in case the drive wheels are irreparably damaged. Apart from these items, little things like spare wire, LEDs and a good set of spare set of screws/nuts and bolts.
Those, coupled with a toolbox of a soldering iron, some screwdrivers, the battery charger + bag and my Dremel has seen me though several events.
Nice, thanks for the reply, doesn't seem like too much to lug around.
As an aside, what's the charge time and fight duration for a set of batteries? I know that's a bit vague and laden with variables, but looking at 5s LiPo in a feather, is 2 or 3 fights a reasonable estimate?
Hmm... The duration and subsequent charge time of batteries depends on how hard they are pushed, as you note.
The batteries I have in The Honey Badger 2.x are 2x 2S1P 2100mAh LiFePO4 batteries wired in series. Running around at full pelt, they can go about 2 fights before they are in need of charging (accidentally found this out at Maidstone 2017). This is why I carry around a spare set of batteries though - in between fights I can swap out one for the other and put them on charge whilst the other set goes out.
Brilliant! Thanks for that, had a bad feeling I was going to need a pack per fight for a moment...
Last daft question for a while, how do you practice? I can driver round the house and drive no problems, but do you organise "friendlies" or anything? Or just turn up and wing it?
I've not known friendlies to be organised though I have definitely seen ad-hoc battles (organised 3 myself as a test fight between The Honey Badger 2.x and The Honey Badger 1.0).
The issue, as I am sure you are aware, is safety. I would never want to be in a ad-hoc battle in anywhere with any robot where everyone collectively did not feel safe to be able to do so and definitely not in a public place. Ultimately, the safest place for these machines, at any weight class, is an arena.
You can definitely turn up to a event and wing it, I did that at Grantham 2017.
As an aside, I am organising a social for North West/North Wales roboteers for the 3rd of March - it might be worth coming along to it to see other roboteers and their robots from the regional area - http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/thre...l=1#post470829
The arena issue is what came to mind tbh, good to know tho...
I'll admit it, I've looked at the thread already, and considered it, would be nice to have a ride down and meet some of you guys and generally start trying to settle in.
By all means, please do come along, the more the merrier! :D