Hi Kevin

Good to see robot Wars still has its international appeal.

Most people here in the UK use specially made NiCad or RC NiCad batteries now as its quite competative. But if your not going to overload it (probably rules out a spinner) you could possibly use the batteries from the drills that are providing the motors.

In response to your questions about the transmitter. It should be possible (however it isnt normally done this way). With a three channel transmitter it would be possible to control three motors individually. So pushing forward on the left stick will only effect one channel on the receiver which U could use control your left motor. Similarly for your right stick & motor.

As I say this isnt how it is normally done Im also not sure about these mechanical speed controllers.

I used to have an RC car with a mechancal speed control it simply used a servo to turn a metal arm which ran other a three or four contacts one reversed the motor for reverse the other two or three contacts provided various forwards speeds (I believe by dumping the current through various resistors). Is this the type of mechanical speed control you mean?

If so Im not sure if the steering will be very easy and as you only have one speed in reverse it would be impossible to steer in reverse. Oh and you definately want to have a reverse or youll always be getting tangled up with other robots or stuck against the barrier. There is also the risk of the RC power failing and your servos staying in the same place and your robot running away out of control.

Steering is normally done off of one stick for forward and steer (I know there are exceptions out there). And either a two channel electronic speed controller that takes in the speed and steer signal from the receiver OR two single channel electronic speed controllers and an interface to take in the speed and steer signals from the receiver and control each speed controller. This gives you an infinately variable speed in both forward and reverse rather than a series of discrete speeds as youd get from the mech speed controller I described above. This will make steering much better.

These electronic speed controllers can be very expensive for a top of the range one but there are some cheaper alternatives around. Not my field of expetise really but Im sure someone else could advise you of the options.

As for a weapon either sound good to me but as I said above the batteries may rule out a spinner. Also as others have said spinners are destructive and require good areans to contain them. So Id go for a flipper/lifter. (Yes everone I know mines a spinner).

Hope this helps best of luck.

Richard Wenman
Team Mayhem