Team Expat - Beetleweight Adventures

[Ellis]

I'm not sure in the long run. For Deeside Harry is letting me use a Scorpion XL. For testing before then I might throw in T2's tz85's or maybe the old Electronizes. I do have some 10a Botbitz now but I'd fully expect to fry them if I were to use those in this.

Could go a halfway house and nab a set of the new 30a Botbitz, if they'd fit!

Thanks both.

[Ellis]

Brushless motor and speedo ordered, along with 3 belts, 2 large pulleys and a single motor pulley.

Also ordered a BEC for Gonzales, which currently sits like this:





Tonight might see a test drive...

[Ellis]

After a true first test drive being completely useless, with the Elctronize test speedos on variable pwm, meaning their low end control was rubbish, I was actually pretty disheartened. It didn't appear to have a chance of being controllable.

Today I tweaked the speedos some and, despite their clunky nature, managed to get it driving to a point where a video was worth it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjJd-5jstUc

Extra points for the box of electronics taped on top!

Will be getting a Scorpion XL kindly put forward by Harry for Deeside, and I still have hopes to get a gyro in there. Add the centre of gravity being improved, as the electronics gradually relocate actually inside the body, and the overkill nature of it might become remotely usable.

[Eventorizon]

You need to try fit it with traction control, that would solve all your drive problems, I think...

[Ellis]

Internal space is the limiting factor. At this rate, if I go for a gyro, it'll probably have to sit outside the main chassis, behind the scoop...

[Ellis]

There are dozens of cheap options on Ebay to get a gyro in there and play with it, such as this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-RC-Hel...50839523377%26

What would people recommend? Do those things work, or are they too cheapy to be worth it?

[razerdave]

Head lock gyro not very good for combat, it will turn you back to the direction you were facing when you armed up when your fingers are off the stick. Not good if you're near a pit.

GWS P-03 is worth it's cost, and a gyro switcher as well (invertable robots need it).

[Ellis]

Can't believe I'm saying this but, work on the beetle spinner has begun very briefly tonight. Bent a piece of 6mm hdpe into a 240mm long channel.

So that's 8 days left to build it top to bottom. And hobbyking have only just dispatched the weapon motor and ESC. I expect that to take at least 7 days to get here.

Last minute robot building hoorah!

[harry hills]

Ladies and gentlemen, you have no idea how much pestering that took to get him to do that and start the bloody build haha

[Ellis]

Before cutting the HDPE I had one final stab at making a "proper" hub for the wheels. Without the right tools it's dead difficult to get something square, so this is a bit wonky, but some of you might recognise the attachment method for the wheel.

[Ellis]

Am giving up on the spinner beetle until further notice. Further notice meaning until we own a mini lathe. Yesterday and today I tried everything possible to shape the weapon pulley and the piece that goes on the opposing side of the weapon correctly, and both are way off centre, as I have come to expect from the cheap pillar drill. Turns out pillar drills can't do everything.

So that's a bit of a bummer, but I have bought a gyro for Gonzales, so assuming it actually fits, that should be running nicely for Deeside. Whilst in the UK we're going to look at a particular lathe, size 7x14, and if we like it/can afford it, we may just get it and be done.

So that's that. In the long run, the machine(s) will benefit hugely. I could possible have had something running but it'd be a bit rubbish at best, and I don't want to make something only to have it kill itself/and or take it apart a week later.

[Ellis]

Have cut the scoop and bolted it on. Nearing the limit of what I can do here, the rest of the parts are either being kindly put forward by Harry or are waiting for me in the UK, so will get done just ahead of the event.

Picture spam:





The bolts holding the scoop will be changed for better ones, and I may bury the heads in some 6mm hdpe.

[harry hills]

Looks naff. Start again.

[swanaldo]

lol

[harry hills]

Can anyone help with a scorpion xl problem?
In testing, a small jolt caused one side of the robot to stop working, at first we thought it was just a loose joint. There was a lose joint, that was fixed but one side remained broken. It seems to give just enough to give a little trickle of power to an LED but nothing like as bright as it should be. No motor movement. Both motors are fine and functional, and the left hand side is fine. The red/green directional LED's on the scorpion still work.
Checked battery, signal; tx/rx and the wiring.

Any thoughts?
Cheers. Harry/Ellis

Edit: yes, tried recalibrating, made no difference...