HardWired II

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In emachineshop there's an option you can select to highlight the centre of gravity, no idea if this was the 'proper' way to do it but I just made a rough spiral shape then placed cutouts until the marker was exactly where the shaft would go so it was properly balanced. I'd presume there's the same sort of options on Inventor and Solidworks, just found it much easier to get my head round it on that!

Thanks for the comments too! I'm hoping it does come together well. It's definitely been a learning curve, finally learned how to Cad so that's definitely a good thing. Harry's done an excellent job on the parts, it's looking great!

Haha yeah it is a spare Jamie, got a spare pair of discs should the worst happen. Not taking any chances with how scary everything sounds this year! Won't lie though, I have been thinking of other uses for the spares which you may see in due course, after this one's done

[Ellis]

You coming to Yeovil? We'll have to have a drumlet-off.

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Oooh the gauntlet has been thrown down I will almost definitely be there, depending when it is. Don't get many opportunities to get the spinners out, so it'd be wrong not to take the trip down!

[daveimi]

Hiya, I wondered if you could recommend a smallish battery for a beetle?

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Depends how small really! I'm using a 1000mah Nano-Tech 3s that Sam used to have in Lynx (http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...Lipo_Pack.html I think) and that seems to run alright. What are you running from it? Just drive motors?

[mrsam]

The battery Matt currently has ran Lynx okay but couldn't really last a whole fight with both drive and weapon, if you're looking at a battery for your machine though that battery would be perfectly fine, nice and light too.

[daveimi]

Yeah been using nimh packs for the last couple of years was impressed with how much space id save with a lipo. This is a stupid question but what would I need to charge a 3s pack? Is the second plug for balance charging?

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You'll need a balance charger for any Lipos, I use the Turnigy Accucel 6 and I've had no problems with that up to press. The white plug is for balancing, you put that into the charger at the same time and it keeps the cells balanced which is what you need for Lipo cells to not consume themselves in a fireball!

I'd recommend reading up on Lipo safety first then making the jump, they're cheap and incredibly power dense for the size and weight so you can't really go wrong. I think the vast majority of beetles use them and I think it's much the same for feathers, though there are a few that use A123 cells in those...

Don't forget you'll need a fuse, rated for something below the battery's maximum burst output, as well as a lipo sack to charge it in. Also will need 2mm aluminium/steel/ti below the battery too as per the rules, though you could try encasing it in a box to keep it in place too and that covers all of your bases!

[daveimi]

Ok thanx for the info. Will google it and have a read

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No worries at all! Happy to help Just be aware though that Lipos are a lot more volatile compared to most other kinds of battery so make sure you know what you're doing before you use them. I've never had an issue and I'm about as technologically incompetent as they come, but you've really got to be careful with them!

[Rapidrory]

Just make sure your charger cable doesn't let you accidentally plug in a 2 cell antweight battery and a 3 cell feather batteries at the same time... I learnt that lesson in a rather fiery explosion Other than that, don't short them out or poke holes in them and you'll probably be fine :P

[daveimi]

Lol thanks for all the help I've purposefully stayed away from them till now, but after seeing people use them up close on Saturday I'm pretty sold

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Some video of Fhqwhgads in action last weekend here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fNx4Tv8HZA

Managed to take on 3 spinners and beat the lot of them! Even if all their weapons stopped... still, was rather fun! Will be sorting out the clearance issue and the lack of grip on the wheels for the next event, definitely. They were hard foam with duct tape hubs so definitely room for improvement in that regard. Other than that and a few changes structurally, it'll be back in the ring before long! Oh, and I've finally got the mixing sorted on the Tx so at long last I'll be able to drive somewhat coherently!

[daveimi]

I'm sorry to be a pain, and this is really weird, but I'm an absolutely massive fan of your beetle and wondered if you could put some up-close pictures up? Really interested to see how it goes together up close. Meant to come and have a look on the day but it was all a bit of a whirlwind.

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Thanks! Of course I can too, the electronics are a little out of place but you'll probably be able to get the general idea (sorry about the crappy phone photos)









Everything was put together in a couple of hours using whatever I had laying about, which is why a lot of it looks pretty badly made. The main 2mm aluminium 'chassis' is just a bent piece of the stuff that I had left over from HW1, it's essentially just a large piece of Ali angle with the two gearboxes bolted to that. After that, the wood's just screwed onto some small angled pieces of steel I think (no idea, just had them about) and then onto the base, with the hdpe outer frame being attached to that piece of wood via wood screws.

When I end up modifying it, that wood will be HDPE with barrel nuts probably, the wood split which is why there's loads of cable ties on it haha!