Build Diary and some questions that may appear - BW/MW

**Bodge Job** · 15th January 2013, 15:58

10mm is more than enough, some people even use less than 10mm with feathers weights.

**Merkabah_PT** · 15th January 2013, 16:37

Ok, i will try to find 5mm or a bit more HDPE.
Instead of buy the raw material, i will buy meat cutting boards because i can get them really cheap and a 15x30cm one will be enough.
I hope e can find one thinner than 10mm, this way i will save money and weight.

Here are some pics of what i have in mind for the body:

The batteries will go on the back and the RX/H-Bridges on the front protected under the wedge.
As it is on those pics, the body is 300x150x60mm.
If someone could post links for your beetle and their dimensions it would be great, thay way i will be able to compare sizes.

Cheers!

**Ellis** · 15th January 2013, 17:12

Just a note, chopping board, in our experience, isn't good for use in a robot that will take on spinners. If you won't be fighting in spinner events it'll be fine, but high velocity impacts will shatter the material like glass, as we learned very quickly with our first robot:

First battle ever:

And just a week later:
(another angle: )

Use with caution!

Good luck with your build.

**Merkabah_PT** · 15th January 2013, 17:35

Hum... Normally chopping boards are made of HDPE, like the HDPE bought in raw...
Maybe some aren't made of it or made out of low quality HDPE? I will see if i can find some store in my little city that sells true HDPE, but if i find one, i bet it will be expensive as hell... Every thing is very expensive here in Portugal!

Like radio systems... A 6ch HobbyKing TX/RX costs $22.99, but portuguese stores sell the same TX/RX still with the stickers at 60â€š, $80... It's just crazy...

Like you can read on my previous posts, only two more guys here in Portugal build robots (feather vertical spinsers) and they are from far away. With this robot i intend to show it to people in my city, especially my stepmoms son and is friends, to see if someone gets interested. So it will be more to keep me occupied with the planning/build as i am unemployed and to paly around...

I see that you are from Spain, do you regularly go to the UK for competitions? Are there any events in Spain?

**Ellis** · 15th January 2013, 19:57

We are English, and live in Spain, yes. We have made two big trips so far to robot events (April '12 and September/October '12) in the UK, and we intend to do another one this April.

Sadly there is nothing at all here in Spain related to robot combat. As far as we know we are the only people ever in Spain to have started this hobby. It's sad.

**Merkabah_PT** · 15th January 2013, 20:25

Oh! I toght that you were spanish, now i understand why you build robots and take such long trips to go from MÂ¡laga to the UK.

It would be awesome if there was some competition in Spain, depending on the exact place i would be able to travel there.

A TV channel called SIC Radical transmitted BattleBots from season 1 to 4, i was just a kid, but ever since it as become my interest along with computers. But i have never had a chance to fight against anyone, even if with wired robots or made out of toys and recycled stuff.

This year i have the feeling that i will find someone here that wants to build a robot too. Even if i have to build this robot and another one, then i would just have to find a guy to drive it.

**PJ-27** · 16th January 2013, 16:08

Most Chopping boards market themselves as High Density but are in reality LDPE or another more brittle plastic.

**Marien** · 16th January 2013, 20:11

It is nice to see that there are active Roboteers in the south of Europe. Please keep us informed of your (building and event) activities.

**Merkabah_PT** · 16th January 2013, 21:59

Hi guys.

Today i spent the afternoon rebuilding my RX and making my batteries.

The radio is a 27Mhz band with interchangeable crystals. It might look like a toy RX but its not. The only diference is that instead of the regular 3 pins per channel, it has integrated ESC's, so there are just 2 pins per channel.

Besides that, i finally found my Ni-cd cells and i have assembled two 4.8v 1200mAh baterry packs. I still have 14 1000mAh cells left. I have to buy a piece of heatshrinking tube large enough to cover the batteries.

I have also improved my 3D design, reducing the wheels from 100mm to 75mm, making the body as small as possible and lowering the wedge angle.

Cheers!

**Merkabah_PT** · 17th January 2013, 15:00

So, i just found out that the internal Esc's on my RX handle 20v and 8A. No external H-Bridges needed anymore, and i will have speed control instead of 100%, 0%, -100%.

I still have to check my motors amperage under load but i am pretty shure that they will draw 3/5A at max. Hopefully my mom doesn't forget o bring me a multimeter from her school today.

Some pics of the final(ish) 3D design:

This weekend i am planning to go to a store to buy all the materials i need and start the build process.