The Picnickers - Build Diary(s)

Hey there! I don't think that I've properly introduced myself! I'm Dan, and I've followed robotic combat for practically my whole life (1998-present), but sadly I've never been able to join in on the fun.
BUT
Recently events have aligned themselves in such a way that I have time, tools and expertise on hand to help build my own! Sadly, no money, but I have all the bits and bobs that are needed (I think) already, so I've started to live my dream of building and being able to drive my own robot! So many exclamation marks! :D
Some of you may have guessed already that I already have robots (22 Lego ones. So mature. :P) and so I'm going to apply mostly the same principles in the non-lego build as I do in the Legos, such as compactness but room to flex, and a way to easily get electronics in and out.

Here's the 'bot so far (ignore the sideways drill motors, the mounting holes haven't been cut yet):
Attachment 4461
The parts I have:
2x Drill motors (locked with grub screws)
2x Drill batteries (which will be used for cheapness)
1x Sabertooth 2x25a speed control
2x Robochallenge 100mm wheels
1x Spektrum DX3
£15.00 (membership for three)
Do I need to add anything else on to that list?

Sorry for the word wall, i couldn't really help it. Still, if any of you got down here without casualty, thanks for the time!
EDIT: On second thought this isn't actually too long... Still wordy though.

Congrats on first robot! Erm...removable link and LED?

On the link, few questions:
Does it have to be a certain type? And how accessible does it need to be?
I've bodged a link with dad, would this be okay?
Attachment 4463Attachment 4464

Is it removable without tools?

Will it stay seated even under heavy impacts?

How big is it?

Yes, it is removable without tools. The other side will be either screwed or taped down.
Here's it compared to a drill motor and a wheel:
Attachment 4465
The pics are really hard to take, as I only have a front facing camera on my tablet. :l

Large. And large equals space robbing in the robot. And that adds up in weight. And weight means a lot of forces under the huge G-loads our machines sustain.

Why not using a classic, like an EC3, XT60 or Deans connector? Small, light, easy and cheap.

The machine only weighs 4kg as it stands, and the only thing still to make is the stainless wedge :P.
I'll look at some, and see how they are. Thanks.

4 Kg, you're aiming for a Raptor, a popular German class?

Nope, this is supposed to be a feather. It just turned out lighter than I thought it would. Is there a minimum weight for a feather that I'm unaware about?

2. Weight Classes
2.1 Weight Classification
• Antweight: 0 to 150 grams
• Beetleweight: 150 grams to 1.362kgs [3lbs]
• Featherweight: 1kg to 13.6kgs [30lbs]
• Lightweight: 12kgs to 27.5kgs [60lbs]
• Middleweight: 27.5kgs to 55kgs [120lbs]
• Heavyweight: 55kgs to 100kgs [220lbs]
• Super Heavyweight: 100kgs to 145kgs [320Ibs]

Good, I didn't think they'd change without an announcement. At least it'll fly quite far. :D

Hiya

There are a lot more feather builders on here that will chip in, but they're all at the FW Champs this weekend lol so it will be a few days before you here from them. The feather weight class is from 1kilo up to 13.6kg. My first robot was about 4kg wet through as I'm rubbish at robot building. It was a little compact pushy robot with a spike, so was only tiny. I use a lot of wood and plastic, mostly cause they're easy to work with. The downside is that I've had a hard time getting robots up past the 7kg mark. In the events my robots got thrown about a lot but it was a lot of fun. The serious competitors often reach the full weight as they have dead complicated weapons and stuff, if you take the weapons off their robots they would only weigh a few kilos.

Usually pushy rammer robots use a few kilo's to make a solid and powerful drivetrain with plenty of batteries, and then use the rest of the weight to weld up a hefty steel shell for it all to sit in. I've had problems with this as I can't weld lol :) The other option is you can enter say 2 x 6kg machines as one entry as a cluster bot. I've been umming and arring about this for ages.

The links people use are usually made up from some sort of male/female connector, with one end of the connector bridged and acting as a removable link. When I was building my first robot I asked about links and people stuck a load of pictures up. Have a look through this.

http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/thre...removable+link

Any more questions just give us a shout, like I say there will be millions more responses after the weekend and the champs is over.

Dangerous Dave

Hey Dave, thanks for the tips. I know the basic 'build to the weight limit' stuff, as I hail from a robot arena 2 forum where it's drilled into everyone on a regular basis, and I've lurked as a non-registered member here for about a year now. All I'm trying to do so far is to broaden my engineering knowledge so that my next 'bot will be better.
Hey, if we're stuck, we can always enter our bots as a cluster ;)

Yeah I'd definitely do that with you! I'm sure my next plywood creation will only be 6kg or so. We can be 2Cool haha.

Attachment 4511
The main armour has been drilled and screwed onto one of the plates, top or bottom. I haven't decided which it is yet.
Attachment 4512
Here you can see a pretend-o-bot in front of a 4mm thick piece of some yet-unknown metal [Edit - Aluminum] that I found in the shed when I was drilling the holes, so that will be used as the wedge on the front. The weight looks to be around 4.5kg-5kg when finished, but again, this isn't built for effectiveness, it's for practice.

Good stuff mate. What did you end up using as a link in the end? Also get like a magnet or something and see if the mystery metal is magnetic or not to see if its a steel or aluminium. It looks aluminiumey to my eyes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by harry hills

Good stuff mate. What did you end up using as a link in the end? Also get like a magnet or something and see if the mystery metal is magnetic or not to see if its a steel or aluminium. It looks aluminiumey to my eyes.

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Correct, it was aluminium. I can't believe I didn't think to do that >.<.
The giant black link still is an option, but I'm putting the thing together before I worry about wiring and such.

Bump

May be about a month late, will update with a picture post when I get chance, but the thing worked, it did fly, very far, and drill batteries aren't too bad. Surprisingly, no damage whatsoever (apart from a missing piece of acrylic I bodged another of).

Next project is a Beetleweight vertical spinner. I'm currently browsing brushless motors and eyeing up some 3S LiPos, and am just wondering what everyone else runs in their spinners? I already have a sabretooth 2x5 and two 1000rpm eBay motors, so am starting to draw up some sketches (again, will show soon).

Triple Post but:
Attachment 4689
Attachment 4691
Attachment 4692

The bot in it's final form. Uses the one amp drill battery, a sabretooth 2X25 (Under the fan) and weighs 4.1kg.

Sadly, I left the beetle sketches in France, but I will draw some more up to show.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fathersplat

I'm currently browsing brushless motors and eyeing up some 3S LiPos, and am just wondering what everyone else runs in their spinners?

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This is awesome!!!

Cool!
Some one should organize a wooden robot rumble!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tashic

Some one should organize a wooden robot rumble!

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Could be fun.
Heh, it'd be protective gloves mandatory, nobody wants splinters.

I have a wooden robot I could bring along :)

Me too

Dad decided to order a 1300mAh 3S lipo even after I told him I didn't have a proper plan yet, so I guess I'm using that, plus one of these probably:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=31782
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...ess_Motor.html

Will probably be the turnigy. Looking at some 40a escs also.
Will keep you posted on my progress.

The stuff's here:http://gametechmods.com/../uploads/i...809_235640.JPG
Includes a 1.3 amp 45-90c nano-tech, a 1400kv 2826 turnigy and a 40a ESC, plus two eBay 1000rpm motors, a sabretooth 2x5 and a dx4 receiver. Please note that the wiring is by no means final, its only a test rig.
No wheels yet, but any recommendations? Looking at either smallest banebots or small foam wheels.

I'm now looking at 62mm onroad rc tyres that should arrive in the coming week.

I used 80mm selfmade wheels earlier (70mm hdpe circles with bikethread on it)

In both cases I use these to connect the wheel to the motors:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/121246368179?...84.m1497.l2649

I use those 12mm hex adapters on my beetles, make sure you locktite the threads or they will fall off lol

Thanks, will take a look.
Different motor now, how do people mount their brushlesses? I see it has something to do with having the shaft at the other side, but that's all I can guess. I've never had a brushless to play with before, as you can tell.

Okay, I admit it. I got lazy. Being involved in a semi-esport for the past two years has eaten a lot of my time away from other hobbies. I still have everything, it is just gathering dust at this point.

After visiting insomnia to meet with a few friends I was told by a good amount of roboteers to get back into this vastly-neglected past time of mine, and I think I agree, I have to do it. I just have to.

Two questions, where can I source machined parts and wheels from for beetle/featherweights, and how much do they typically cost? I'm not confident in my own abilities to search for this stuff as so far I have found no real answers.

Lastly, I haven't been completely idle. I still mess with lego from time to time, these being two recent creations, both kept under 500g in weight:
Attachment 6136Attachment 6137
They're quite ugly but I was rusty with my building techniques so forgive me.