whats the difference between the batteries you linked for me and say http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-2V-3800mAh-N...item35a4af5dc8 is it just the make, ie cheaper brand worse quality even thought they claim to do the same thing?
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whats the difference between the batteries you linked for me and say http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-2V-3800mAh-N...item35a4af5dc8 is it just the make, ie cheaper brand worse quality even thought they claim to do the same thing?
Yes those are worse quality. When buying parts for robots you pay for quality. You can get away with going cheaper but you must know which batteries or components specifically you are looking for.
I can almost guarantee that those batteries will run flat very quickly and won't be able to provide you with the current you are after.
Just ordered some HDPE, what would you recomend for fixing it together, angle iron and pop rivits or box section and bolts?
pop rivets arent a great idea for hdpe , and you would still need somehting to rivet it to. So i would suggest angle iron on all the right angles , with bolts and using wood screws and blocks of hdpe for unusual angles joints or joining 2 flat pieces togethor. Have you decided ona weapon ?
Well i wanted an axe or lifter but dont really have the knowledge to make one, so might just not have a weapon and build one in at a later date.
It was suggested that I could weld HDPE has anyone done that and does anyone know where I can get the attachment for a heat gun to do this in the uk.
If not i will got the bolt and angle iron route, will i need any special tools to cut and drill this?
to weld hdpe you will really need a crash course from someone who has done it before. As for a weapon, a humble scoop would be good a s a first weapon , this bot should have quite a bit of power to so a scoop would make a very competitive bot.
anyone have ian watts email please?
Also have just purchased a DX6 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWNX:IT) anyone know if this charger will work?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-4GHZ-SPEKTRU...item588439d408
ahhhhhh , plnaet 5 planet 5 planet 5 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: . I may e wrong but i think you will regret pruchasing a spektrum systems. Many people are happy with them but for a first robot i dont personally think its a good idea.
why isnt it a good idea its a great set ?
I have 2 DX6 with BR6000 recievers, and 2 DX5e with AR5000 recievers, and have had no problems with them at all. if I was looking for any more I think I would still buy Spectrum :D
I really don't see the logic in that statement, please explain.
Hmm, I don't think he'll regret it. A DX6 does the same job as a Planet 5 except it has an extra channel, more built-in functions and may provide a more secure signal between transmitter and receiver. You get what you pay for, and while I like the Planet 5 for its legality and low cost I don't see how it can be considered superior yet to a DX6.
It's sort of like speed controllers in the sense that if you invest that little bit more and buy a top-spec one to begin with, it'll save you money in the long run. While a first-time robot can be successfully run on a Planet 5, and while doing so will keep the budget down, there is no disadvantage to paying more and getting a more functional transmitter by a more widespread and, at this time, better-known manufacturer.
Well it was me who bought that DX6 so its in the post now. Hope it works and I dont regret it
Just to point out that the ONLY receiver you can use for robots is the BR6000 as the AR6000 does not have the failsafes. (unless you're building an ant where the AR6000 should be fine)
Andy
Yeah am getting a BR6000 off grant
*points out ar500*Quote:
Originally Posted by widow_twanky
but couldnt he use external failsafes? like a plug in device? i used to use them in mythras, and what if the esc has a built in failsafes?Quote:
Originally Posted by widow_twanky
jack
The AR6000 keeps giving a valid signal after losing reception, so external failsafes don't kick in.
well i personally cant see the advantage of anything but the br6000 in a robot just buy something that has been proven to work then you should be all set
its of course very very subjective, personally regardless of price having sued both i prfer the planet 5 for beginners due to there ease of use and reliability. But that came across a bit wrong, should you have the money and disagree about it not looking as nice then spectrum is great :). To be honest you seem to be very knowledable so a set suitable for a bieginenr porbably isnt for you anyway :).
Just recieved my DX6 this is probably a stupid question but the left stick doesnt return to neutral from the vertical direction, is this normal?
Yep that's normal. It's a ratchet system so that on aircraft you can set the engine throttle to a certain speed and let go of the stick. Useful too in robotics for spinning weapons or other weapon controls.
But if you want to use tank steering to control your robot (i.e. push both sticks forward to go forward etc) then the ratchet can be a bit of a pain. There are kits available in model shops I believe to allow you to remove the ratchet and make the stick a spring-return if you wanted to change it.
What some people do is switch the ratchet on the left stick from the vertical axis to the horizontal axis - which does spring return - and use the springs and levers from the horizontal axis to make the vertical axis spring return as the parts are identical. As Jamie said though, having it on ratchet is very useful if you can drive on one stick, it gives you nice easy variable control of spinning weapons :)
[quote=team_orr]*points out ar500* [/quote:1j5w43e7]Quote:
Originally Posted by widow_twanky:1j5w43e7
An AR500 is DSM2 protocol, and does not work on a DX6 transmitter. Only on DSM2 transmitters like the DX6i or DX5e or DX7 will work with those.
Hi just a bit of an update to let you know where I am with this.
I have bought/ordered the following parts; 4 drill motors and mounts, 4 100mm blue wheels, DX6, TX Charger, BR6000
I am looking to get a wotty100 (decided not to get a sidewinder as it was a little expensice) have emailed Ian Watt and just waiting for a reply from him. Hopefully ill be able to get ont before christmas as this is when i plan to do the majority of the build.
Going to initiall build it out of wood as its cheaper and I can make mistakes on it and then go the HDPE route when the design is finalised.
Battieries I am initailly using the ones that come with the drills and when its working i am going to switch to nimhs.
Can anyone thing of anything ive missed?
also should i have kept the ball bearings from the drill as just realised ive lost aload of them ><
You don't need them. Just screw a couple of grub screws down the holes that they were in to lock off the gearbox. Or you can go for the cheap option and use a 5mm bolt, screw it down until it just locks the gearbox off and then cut the excess.
I cant seem to get hold of Ian anyone in close contact possible ask him if i can buy a wotty 100 or 180, thanks
I've managed to get in touch with him now, the Wotty100 is 50Amps per channel for 5 mintues, would this be enough for 2 motors per channel?
For the types of motors you'll use in feathers, unless you go overboard and use Speed 900s or Astroflights or something similarly powerful it'll be more than enough :)
^ What he said ^ :)
50A per channel will give you a relatively good safety margin as well - the 30A controllers I use with the slightly bigger 40A relays on them have never suffered while being connected to two drill motors each so having 50A each side should see your robot perform comfortably enough in the arena. Add to that the fact it's been designed and constructed with robot combat in mind, it seems like a good unit.
I've never used one before so I don't know how precise it is with its motor control (instantaneous, responsive, etc) but I imagine it will be quite positive. From the reviews of the other Wotty models, Ian has put a lot of effort into these so I reckon it would be a worthwhile investment
Yeah i'm buying it more on his reputation and the experience people have had with his past controllers. Think after that i will just about have all my parts.
One thing i noticed in the wotty100 instruction he sent me was to use a power breaker in the supply line before the wotty100. Whats he refering to here?
Also what size grub screws do i need for locking the gearboxs on drill motors, is it something like 8mm M5's?
refence the drills: http://www.robowars.org/guides/guides-d ... cking.html
Could anyone recomend me a good cheap battery charger for these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-2v-NiMH-3700...item3357365ba0 Thanks
the one i told you about is still for sale :lame:
Ok i have the motors base and most the body made now, unfortunatly no picutres as my camera broke and am now back at university.
Next thing im looking at doing is building an electric axe with a scooter motor, basically have the design figured out what im a little confussed on is the electronics of it. How can i make it only rotate 180 degress and not just continually try to spin?
not sure if anyone has refered you to this but it shows how to make a axe:
http://www.robowars.org/wikka/ElectricAxeWeapons
yeh thats what im going for from a design point of view i just dont get how to limit its range of movement
same thing i was thinking about when reading it. if i find a solution il get back to you
There are a few ways to stop the axe trying to continually spin once it has reached the end of its travel. The first one is quite simply to let go of the transmitter stick you are using to control the axe. You have to keep an eye on your axe travel during a battle and as soon as it gets towards the end of its travel, remove the power to the axe motor by letting go of the stick. I believe this is the method used in the above guide for Avenger. Avenger's axe motor is also controlled by a speed controller, rather than just being on/off control. That means, using a little bit of transmitter limiting, you can set the return speed to about 20% of the total speed so your axe isn't firing full-speed into your chassis when retracting.
The second method would be to install a couple of small microswitches mounted at either end of the axe's travel to act as limit switches. Essentially they are wired up in such a way that, when the axe hits one of these, it removes power from the battery to the motor and stops rotation. But it only stops rotation in that direction, which means you can still reverse your motor/axe and then have it cut battery power again once it has retracted and hit the other limit switch. I can draw up a wiring diagram of that if you wish (been a few years since I tried that method but it's still in my brain somewhere :lol: )
Third option, and probably a bit over-the-top for a basic weapon, is to fit a clutch between the transmission and the axe. You can set it so that the torque required to turn/fire the axe doesn't cause the clutch to slip but once it hits an oppponent (or your chassis) and tries to continue spinning, the clutch will slip and give you time to turn off your motor. It goes without saying that this would require the highest degree of engineering of the three methods; personally I wouldn't bother with one (mainly because I don't have the facilities/skills to make one)
So yeah, either method 1 or 2 would work well enough. If you go down the limit switch route, I'd advise maybe putting a bit of foam (or similar) padding over the limit switches; having a rugged axe arm hitting down directly onto the little plastic bodies and metal triggers of the switches will probably annihilate them very quickly. The foam can then also double up as a form of shock-absorption.