UK Kilobots - 1.362kg (3 lbs) Combat Robots

[dgr]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

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]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

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]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

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]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

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

[xtreme]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

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]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

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

[xtreme]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

Tell us on here whos voting for what still.

[xtreme]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

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]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

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 £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.

[daliad100]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

I also voted for all frequencies as it is likely to allow more people to use their old radios, but feel that 2.4 GHz should be encouraged.

[typhoon_driver]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

I voted for 2.4Ghz, granted it may be a wee while before I'm building one and I wouldn't have minded using some of my old 40meg gear but I really don't want to see machines of this size running off 27Mhz.

[xtreme]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

well I guess we could see how it goes, then maybe drop AM first if theres problems.
If sombody built a walker there could be a heavy spinning bar or disk in the arena, even with the wheeled spinners it wouldnt be nice if one of them picked up a signal when sombody had there hand in the arena.

Arenas going to be steel framed and steel floored.
Did anyone have any probs usin 40meg at robochallenge?

[RogueTwoRobots]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

even with the wheeled spinners it wouldnt be nice if one of them picked up a signal when sombody had there hand in the arena.

Totally agree with this. However when there is a hand in the arena all robots should be in failsafe mode so that random signals picked up don't have any effect. In the case of dis-arming, make sure everyone turns off their transmitters after the fight but before the door is opened; for arming up, once a robot has been activated and driven to the other side of the arena, get the driver to switch off their transmitter (thereby being in failsafe mode) until the doors are closed and just turn Tx's on before the fight begins.

Drumroll's ran two Robo Challenge events on the steel floor/steel frame combo now and had no interference problems. Carcinus had interference problems at the tags but that was because I was using a Futaba Tx with a 'compatible' Cirrus brand Rx, external aerial taped to the body and horrible internal wiring that had wires crossing over sources of electrical noise (really quite shameful!)

[dgr]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

It depends how many robots are in the arena doesn't it? I've heard talk of 40mhz machine struggling to be heard as it were, in some of the big featherweight melees at RR events. Also, it's a much smaller arena, completely made of steel, I don't know if that increases the farrady effect or not? I guess it'll be a case of trial and error to see what works. I know that going over to 2gig was the best decision I ever made, and with them being so cheap now, I'd vote to use them.

[xtreme]

Re: UK Kilobots - 1kg Combat Robots

Cool, Shouldnt be any major problems in this arena then. We will just have to do some testing once the arenas done.

Its looking like theres going to be a few spinners, i know jacks been looking at brushless motors and speedos today. Should be some good fights with a few spinners in the arena.