Best Weapon for a noob

[daveimi]

Hello

Some of you may have seen we're having a go at building a small compact pushy bot. We're worried that this won't be enough at a competition but its taking ages to learn about ESC's, RX/TX and so on. Do you think we're on the right track or should we really be pushing for a weapon of some kind?

Dave

[Eventorizon]

For most peoples first robot (This is a featherweight right?) a pusher is fine and it is a staple of the veterans to; Tiny Toon is a 2WD pusher and it is the 2010? uk champ... So if you don't want a weapon or don't yet have the skills then just wait cos you may never need a weapon if your driving is good enough!

[Ellis]

I'd say you need to ask yourself(-ves) if your machine will work well as a rambot. Does it have the power and the shape to push other robots around? If it does, perhaps sticking with it and making it indestructible is the way to go (then enter full combat FW events, in my opinion a greater learning experience than the HW events), or if you feel that push alone isn't going to get you far then perhaps look into a weapon of some sort. An electric lifter is a common starting weapon, which is what we did and many others have done. Designed properly they can give you the upper hand. The key to rambots is getting underneath your opponents and raising their wheels, defeating their drive and even if your drive isn't particularly meaty, you can do the job of showing them the bottom of the pit. With enough power in your drive, a lifter isn't necessary, which classics like Tornado and Storm II proved, and nowadays feathers like Satanix and Tiny Toon demonstrate.

[PJ-27]

Building an effective rambot can be just as difficult and costly to engineer as any other robot.
You need decent batteries, ESC, drive train, weight distribution and traction.

For your first robot make whatever you're comfortable with and would find fun. Lots of people make lifters as their first I think because they are enough of a challenge to build and gives you an active weapon.

I'd just build something (within the rules), get it running, test it, fix faults and go to events. Learn, meet people, have fun and then think about the next one.

[daveimi]

Yeah will stick with where I'm at, just a fast pusher lol. I've just been watching Tiny Toon on youtube and it's rampant. I definitely get what you mean about getting in underneath stuff to break traction, I think I'm on the right lines but need to do something with the front end to drop it down more, so come up with something to put on the front.

[cliveb]

Tiny Toon is one of the older featherweights still fighting regularly and is still very competitive, and fun to drive.

[daveimi]

Tiny Toon is awesome. Does it use speed 900's? And do you let the wedge just ride along the floor or do you have any ball transfers / castor wheels that support it as it rides of the floor? Oh and which ESC's do you use? Do you have any internal pics etc?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm new to all this and getting a bit obsessive about how people rig their robots up inside etc. I love racing RC Cars so really wanted something that drives and handles well, so motors and ESC's etc that will give that are really important to me.

Dangerous Dave

[cliveb]

Hi Dave
Tiny Toon runs 24v Gold motors ( which are now obsolete ) at 7-1 ratio.The esc is a sidewinder and the front of the scoop runs hard to the floor,with no caster, sharpened up with an angle grinder for championship fights. When Alex won the UK Champs the front was so low to the ground that a cigarette paper literally would not get beneath it

Will have some pics somewhere,or somebody else on here may have some.

Clive

[daveimi]

That's awesome thank you! Does the wedge ever catch on the gaps in the floor tiles? If not what's your magical secret lol I appreciate the reply.

[cliveb]

On the metal floor at Robochallenge no.On the floors at Roaming Robots and Robots Live only if there is already damage to the floor panels.In which case a quick slam into reverse does the normally does the trick.