UK Kilobots - 1.362kg (3 lbs) Combat Robots

**dgr** · 30th January 2010, 07:00

I think it's easy enough to get a robot running on 40mhz or 2 gig. I mean, I'm all for encouraging new builders, definately, but we don't want to make the class unattractive to experienced roboteers either. I mean, I don't know if it'd be taken that seriously as a category if it's just full of modified RC cars or toys.

I mean, if a rookie wants to join in, it'd be better for them to get into ants first and work their way up. Antweights are a much easier and much less punishing weight category for a learner than this one could turn out to be.

**typhoon_driver** · 30th January 2010, 09:58

I mean, I don't know if it'd be taken that seriously as a category if it's just full of modified RC cars or toys.

Could always start up a badge of honour system on how many RC car machines you'd taken out

**john_frizell** · 30th January 2010, 10:00

Tom said:

We cant run 27mhz, this weight class is running under modified/upgraded featherweight rules, and they dont allow 27mhz in the featherweight class.

The FRA rule set, effective 2008, as currently reached through the Roaming Robots site, lists 27 MHz as approved for feathers. There were certainly proposals to change that but I don't remember the proposals being approved. Does anyone have a link to the current FRA rule set?

And I would not worry about making the class unattractive to experienced roboteers by filling it with modified RC cars or toys. A proper robot built by an experienced builder will clear them out quickly. And if it does fill up in this way, then it will mean that we have attracted a whole new group of people to our sport. They will quickly learn to build more robust machines. After all, the first feathers to appear on Robot Wars were RC cars in armour and look where that took us.

**john_frizell** · 30th January 2010, 10:03

And I like Garry's 'badge of honour' idea. The more of these RC car machines the better!

**xtreme** · 30th January 2010, 12:46

I suppose they could, will have to get a few more opinoins on it, By the time things get serious any people have built more advanced robot there will propbably be a 2.4ghz rule anyway. So people get posting 2.4ghz only or allow 40mhz and 27mhz

**xtreme** · 30th January 2010, 13:09

Iv created a micro poll, Vote for what you want.
What Radio Frequencies Should Be Allowed:
http://micropoll.com/t/KDjP0ZBBCo

**xtreme** · 30th January 2010, 13:27

Tell us on here whos voting for what still.

**xtreme** · 30th January 2010, 13:50

Bloody hell 9 votes already. Didnt even know that many were interested. So common whos voting? 9 votes so far and no 1s posted.

**RogueTwoRobots** · 30th January 2010, 14:31

Just voted - I voted for all the frequencies, but really I was just voting for 2.4GHz and 40MHz. I forgot about 459MHz because not many people use that but it is viable. Not so keen on 27MHz as there are about six frequencies available for the Futaba Txs and many RC toys using 'splat' frequencies (some channel on the 27MHz band, but which is unknown) so I think interference on that frequency will be occuring a lot more than the others.

I don't think that 40MHz should be written off for this class though. It has worked well enough in the past for every weight class (with exceptions, naturally) and still works well currently. A lot of perfectly good 40MHz units will be getting retired in a matter of months because of the new FW rule so I think this class is a good place for them to be put to good use again. If anyone was building from scratch, I would recommend they get a 2.4GHz unit purely for the signal quality and cost and if I was buying a new unit I would get a 2.4GHz set as well but if I was building a kilobot and had a high-quality Futaba 6-channel programmable transmitter sitting on a shelf gathering dust I would much prefer to use that, especially since I've recently adotped a 'recycle as many old bot parts as you can when building a new machine' approach. I'm also quite partial to my blue Skysport 6 controller; it was my first ever transmitter (and was a pocket-money-saving feat at Â£120!), been used in every robot competition I've attended, has never let me down and still works perfectly, so I would not want to see it sitting doing nothing or having to put it up for sale because it's taking up space.

Kilobots drivers will also be closer to the arena and the arena is obviously smaller so the chances of having stuttering drive because your robot is miles away at the other side of the arena are going to be a lot less.

What about going with 40MHz to start off with and see how it manages? If it seems that robots are acting in an uncontrollable fashion as a result of the frequency then okay, rule it out but if it is doing a good job then stick with it. I'm not underestimating the power these things will pack - every weight class of combat robotics is inherently dangerous - but with the right safety procedures (links, failsafes etc, which are already in place) using 40MHz should pose no great risk. A quick final point; lots of us already use 2.4GHz and wouldn't want to go back to 40MHz regardless of the weight class so there might not be many kilobots made that would be operating on 40MHz.