technobots feather gold motors

**G-DogG187** · 19th July 2010, 20:09

just a quick question wot do you think of the technobots feather gold motors 12v 150w ?? are they any good for a featherweight robot? or is it better just sticking with drill motors. was thinking of using them but not totaly sure if ther any good??? :shock:

**joey_picus** · 19th July 2010, 20:28

I haven't used them personally but they've been used in a lot of featherweights before including DB5, Cutlet, Cyberon and 4 4 Toon so I'd say they're worth a go (if you can build your own chain/belt/gear reduction, one thing they lack compared to drill motors is inbuild gearing)

**geeza** · 21st July 2010, 23:31

In DB5 i use the 24V version that is no longer avaliable, im down to my last 2 now so when they go I will need a replacement. Am currently thinking of the boschs that Alan uses in Alpha. The experience from others is that the 12V version is ok, but don't over volt them as they tend not to like it as much as some motors.

**G-DogG187** · 26th July 2010, 03:13

well thanks for the help.

i might give them a try just to see how they are although will keep a look out see if thers any thing else about. dont really fancy using drill motors. cant bring my self to ruin a perfectly working drill

but again thanks for the help

**RogueTwoRobots** · 26th July 2010, 11:59

Originally Posted by G-DogG187

dont really fancy using drill motors. cant bring my self to ruin a perfectly working drill

You can buy just the motor and gearbox combo from a drill from http://web.me.com/robochallenge/Robo_Ch ... nical.html
(bottom item)

That way, the ruining of a perfectly working drill has already been done for you

**typhoon_driver** · 26th July 2010, 13:13

cant bring my self to ruin a perfectly working drill

Give it a few months and you'll have a hard time keeping your tools in one piece!

**G-DogG187** · 31st July 2010, 00:30

Give it a few months and you'll have a hard time keeping your tools in one piece!

well ,i only use my teeth as tools

but no i got the tool bit covered so wont have to worry bout that for a while but i guess ill find that out. fun and games

You can buy just the motor and gearbox combo from a drill from http://web.me.com/robochallenge/Robo_Ch ... nical.html
(bottom item)

That way, the ruining of a perfectly working drill has already been done for you

thanks for the link had a look, will probebly buy wheels from robo challenge. but have decided to use drill motors ,got a couple of 12v drills for well cheap so am gona use them but thanks for the help anyway, the reason i wasnt wanting to use the ones i already had was because they where dewalt drills and not realy wating to put them into my fist robot. seeing as its pupusly gona have thin armour for all the spinners

just one more question. this is the bit im not sure about coz my physics is crap, but for speed controllers i was wondering if you had any advice

**joey_picus** · 31st July 2010, 01:04

Speed controllers isn't really that much of a physics area :P all you need to know is a few simple amp ratings and what other people use.

The only two bits of information you really need to know are:

- the stall current of the motors you intend on using (for drill motors it can vary, but in any case you're unlikely to stall the motors unless you manage to break the gearboxes in combat as usually the wheels will slip first...I've heard 20 to 30 amps quoted as a ballpark figure for 12 to 18 volt drill motors run at their rated voltages, so that can be used for now)

- the maximum current that the speed controller you're looking at can handle. It's worth noting here that radio controlled car speed controllers - usually recognised by a massive coloured heatsink and an 'edgy' name - tend to use the raw specification of the FETs (the thingymajigs that do the speed controlling) for this number and so you get quite weedy devices claiming to provide control over 180 or 200 amp currents - they won't, and it's usualy good to avoid R/C car speedos entirely for this and other reasons.

Ideally you want the second number to be higher than the first. In practice you are unlikely to see the stall current, unless you break the motor, for more than a fraction of a second, so you can *probably* get away with a 50A maximum controller for a motor that draws 60A at stall. (bear in mind that I've never fought with anything more than antweights so yu may want to check this with someone with wider experience, I'm not an engineer :P)

The best gauge of what works though is what other people use

For drill motors, the following have all been used:

- Sabertooth 2x25 (this is a dual controller that combines control of two motors, and control mixing, in one unit - this only handles 45A peak though, and if run with overvolted motors has been known to cut out under sudden acceleration due to the high amp draw)

- Scorpion XL and XXL (also dual controllers, not heard of any problems with these)

- IBC (also a dual controller, which has another channel from which a weapon relay can be activated)

- Electronize 15A and 30A (these are single channel controllers, so you need two - if you're proficient with electronics though you can add external relays to improve the current handling, Jamie will know more than me about this as he's done it quite often)

- RobotPower Sidewinder (also a dual controller, handles 80A continuously and is really overkill for featherweights)

- RS80E (I think that's what it's called - Alex Marler used one of these, ask him for more information but I believe it's also a dual controller)

- 'blue boat controllers' (these are single channel but seem to work well, aside from that I know nothing about them, sorry :P)

Hope that all helps, other people who know more than me will be able to correct or add to this ramble :P

**G-DogG187** · 31st July 2010, 10:02

i was actully looking at the sabertooth 2x25 and Scorpion XL and XXl. i kinda thaught they might have been all right.
thanks for taking the time to write that was very helpfull