I voted for 2.4Ghz, granted it may be a wee while before I'm building one and I wouldn't have minded using some of my old 40meg gear but I really don't want to see machines of this size running off 27Mhz.
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I voted for 2.4Ghz, granted it may be a wee while before I'm building one and I wouldn't have minded using some of my old 40meg gear but I really don't want to see machines of this size running off 27Mhz.
well I guess we could see how it goes, then maybe drop AM first if theres problems.
If sombody built a walker there could be a heavy spinning bar or disk in the arena, even with the wheeled spinners it wouldnt be nice if one of them picked up a signal when sombody had there hand in the arena.
Arenas going to be steel framed and steel floored.
Did anyone have any probs usin 40meg at robochallenge?
Totally agree with this. However when there is a hand in the arena all robots should be in failsafe mode so that random signals picked up don't have any effect. In the case of dis-arming, make sure everyone turns off their transmitters after the fight but before the door is opened; for arming up, once a robot has been activated and driven to the other side of the arena, get the driver to switch off their transmitter (thereby being in failsafe mode) until the doors are closed and just turn Tx's on before the fight begins.Quote:
even with the wheeled spinners it wouldnt be nice if one of them picked up a signal when sombody had there hand in the arena.
Drumroll's ran two Robo Challenge events on the steel floor/steel frame combo now and had no interference problems. Carcinus had interference problems at the tags but that was because I was using a Futaba Tx with a 'compatible' Cirrus brand Rx, external aerial taped to the body and horrible internal wiring that had wires crossing over sources of electrical noise (really quite shameful!)
It depends how many robots are in the arena doesn't it? I've heard talk of 40mhz machine struggling to be heard as it were, in some of the big featherweight melees at RR events. Also, it's a much smaller arena, completely made of steel, I don't know if that increases the farrady effect or not? I guess it'll be a case of trial and error to see what works. I know that going over to 2gig was the best decision I ever made, and with them being so cheap now, I'd vote to use them.
Cool, Shouldnt be any major problems in this arena then. We will just have to do some testing once the arenas done.
Its looking like theres going to be a few spinners, i know jacks been looking at brushless motors and speedos today. Should be some good fights with a few spinners in the arena.
http://cgi.ebay.com/RC-Model-1580-Outru ... 5ad6ac2841
the lipo im using:
http://www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk/lipo_ego.html
second from bottem
Cool, That poll I put up is at 50/50.
Should I do more polls for other things we discuss?
Yes.
you'll have to do a poll asking if you should do more polls- that will clear things up
Next poll will be to choose arena hazards, and obsticals challenges etc.
Hi Tom & Kenny
Just spent a lot of time reading through from the beginning of this thread. A very nice idea. If you build your arena to the spec you have posted I cant see the new Safety Officer & the FRA having any problem. Build to featherweight rules for now. Why not present your ideas to the governing body - we may be able to get this as an official new weight class with it's own rules & regulations.
Tech Checking - there have been courses & plans to set up more in the future, maybe you could take one when they occur thus solving your problem.
If you wish to set an active weapon rule for your class that is your call - it would possibly make the battles more interesting.
As I said earlier if you wish to put this in front of the committee I would be happy to request that it is added to the next meeting's agenda for you.
John
Thanks John that would be awsome if you could request that it is added to the next meetings agenda. If you let us know when the tech check courses are going to be we would like to do it. Thanks for taking your time to read through it all.
I would urge very much against running 27Mhz AM frequencies as the odds of outside interference is so big that a starting roboteer will never get a chance to enjoy a fight. There is nothing more annoying than fighting your controls instead of your opponent.
It has nothing to do with safety, just enjoyment of the sport.
The idea behind allowing 27MHz AM is that so beginners can make robots out of RC toy cars. I would expect experienced users to use 2.4 GHz or 40 MHz. Do you think that 2.4 GHz or 40 MHz will interfer with a 27 MHz link? If the problem is 27 MHz units interfering with each other, then limit them to one at a time.
tbh i would rather have 2.4ghz only basicly you don't after worry bout anything , you can get a spectrum set for like 40 quid now inc a rx and if people want to get into this hobby 40quid isnt a bad investment when you can use it for a featherweight and heavyweight later aswell
Started doing a bit of cutting for the arena after work today. Hopefully get rest of cutting done and get some parts drilled off. Try get plates cut for the floor aswell tomorrow.
There are 2 problems with that.Quote:
Originally Posted by john_frizell
1 is that the TX's of toy cars are very weak, so it only requires a little obstruction and your robot is dead in the water.
2 that toy car TX's are made with a limited amount different frequencies. 27.125 being by far the most used one. That means you almost never get to be able to fight another robot made of a toy car because there are pretty much guaranteed to interfere. You cannot set up a serious competition if certain robots can never compete against each other.
The problems that Leo raised are real but need not impede the use of these transmitters in this situation.
1. 'the TX's of toy cars are very weak, so it only requires a little obstruction and your robot is dead in the water'
Given that the box is only 2 metres on a side it should not be hard to get a line of sight to the robot.
2. 'Toy car TX's are made with a limited amount different frequencies. 27.125 being by far the most used one. That means you almost never get to be able to fight another robot made of a toy car because there are pretty much guaranteed to interfere.'
True enough but remember this is about making it easy for beginners to get into our sport. They are likely to be in a small minority and so we can just match them up against machines controlled by 2.4 GHz. And although 27.145 (Yellow) is the most common band, many toy cars are on one of four 27 MHz bands [A,B,C or D], so it might even be possible to have two or more competing against each other.
When did this weight catagory become about trying to get beginners involved? With 1kg spinners and full combat, I think beginners would be much better off running in the antweight catagory than this one.
This weight category is not about trying to get new people involved. Others have put it forward and are doing the work of building an arena. But this weight category just happens to make it possible to convert a cheap toy car or truck to a robot of sorts and would offer an entry route, encouraging new people to give roboteering a try.
Antweights are not easy for a beginner to build. The size and weight constraints call for a fair bit of skill and budget, a lot more than would be needed to convert an RC car.
Then put it this way,
Make the weight class 2.4gig and if someone new turns up with a 27meg car, a robosapien or a furby then it's up to the event organiser as to whether or not it runs, in most cases I can't see a problem but I don't see any point in taking a step back technology wise. Especially when a 2.4gig set can be picked up for less than a 40meg set. PLEASE SOMEONE MAKE A ROBOTIC MOVING FURBY!!! :D
Well, I know I started in antweights with no money and even less electronic or engineering know-how and I never had a problem.
I agree with Gary, pretty much entirely.
As for the Furby, someone did that in America. It was called El Furro :lol:
lipo arrived today :) just mounted it on the chassis, made the shell as well :)
Got most of the bottom of the arena frame cut and drilled today, plus cut the frame for the polycarb to sit in. Not really had much time to work on it yet. shoud be able to get a few hours on it tomorrow night.
are you gonna be releasing pictures of the arena or waiting until it's all finished?
Got a few more bits drilled and cut floor plates today. Welded parts of the frame onto the underside of 2 floor plates. Ill do the other 2 monday and build the legs.
I will try get pics tomorrow.
Note: The obstacle course will have a 200mm wide see-saw ramp, it wont have any sides so the body of your robot can be wider. So if you want to be able to do the obstacle course dont make your wheels wider that 200mm appart.
also a rule will be in place that when on the assault course the driver will stay in an box marked on the floor and not be able to walk around the arena, this will bring out the better drivers being able to do the tasks while driving towards themselfs etc
spinning disc anyone?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6-4-Titanium-plat ... 439d02d4a7
Just a few links to sources of parts for your 3lb machine. They are based in the US, but are more than happy to ship the the UK.....
http://www.robotmarketplace.com/store.html
http://www.dimensionengineering.com/
http://banebots.com/index.html
http://www.kitbots.com/
http://www.pololu.com/
http://www.fingertechrobotics.com/
Based in the UK...
http://technobots.co.uk/
http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/
http://directplasticsonline.co.uk/
http://www.hpcgears.com/
http://www.metalfast.co.uk/
http://store.modelpower.co.uk/
And finally a very useful tool to help you calculate all aspects of your drive train and battery life.
http://architeuthis-dux.org/torquecalc.asp
(Posted for everyones benifit, I have no comercial interest in any of the above)
Some good websites there. That calculator was handy, now I know ill deffinately be safe using the 5a sabertooth.
I only managed to get 2 pics of 2 of the arena floor panels, as soon as I got to work we set off to Worksop to fit a job, so just took pic of what was on the floor.
I may actually attempt this, I got an RC car (albeit squished in the house somewhere, and generally half-working :P ) and I might just take it apart and mess with it to see if I can put something together. :)
Ok, So when the arenas done how should it be painted/powder coated?
Im thinking black frame, grey floor, red or yellow inner walls. What you guys think?
Don't care what colour it is, but it would be useful to know what type of paint you are thinking of using on the floor. (my thoughts would be to leave it as plain steel)
Get some paint thats got a bit of grip to it on the floor :)
Not too grippy. XFM had a floor that ate tires like nothing else. I was driving on the bare rims in 3 fights.
I remember that floor Leo, as you say, murder on the tyres, :sad: but the grip was unreal!! :shock:Quote:
Originally Posted by leorcc
I recall Ed telling me it was grey textured masonary paint with a few handfuls of sharp sand mixed in.
Im thinking a polyurethane floor paint like robo challenge. Or just a steel primer.
Works for me! (especially with the wheels I have in mind! 8) )Quote:
Originally Posted by xtreme
So would you all prefer a polyurethane floor paint on the arena floor?