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Following my hundreds of ridiculous questions, a momentous day occurred today.
We actually got Madusa moving.
Thanks for all your advice and help as we (me and my daughter) were so excited to see the wheels spin as a result of using the TX! At the moment it is a bash not that does some impressive wheelies! Without your guidance and patience, we would not have got there!
I still need to fit the lights and a fuse and get some armour on it etc (resulting in probably more silly questions)
a few things I need to figure out so if anyone can help please do!!
1. I imagine this is in the mixing or the connection to the RX - but at the moment both wheels go forwards or backward but not opposite directions to enable us to steer it!! How do I sort this?
2. It is very sensitive to ramp up the power ie it’s either slow or bloody fast!! Any ideas how I can improve this as my daughter will be driving it and could do with a reduction in sensitivity to help her.
3. What are your thoughts on us coming to Manchester? Should we have done more testing or some practice battles - ie do we need a level of competence / experience or robustness to enter?
Cheers
Jon
Last edited by Incontango; 5 March 2018, 18:28.
Reason: added video
1. I imagine this is in the mixing or the connection to the RX - but at the moment both wheels go forwards or backward but not opposite directions to enable us to steer it!! How do I sort this?
I presume you have one speed controller per motor? The only time I've heard of this happening is when one speed controller is driving both wheels (since the speed controller is mapped to only one channel, it can only go forwards and backwards on that channel).
Assuming it is one per side, I can't visualise a situation where this would be happening because one speed controller is mapped to one channel. Can you show us how the speed controllers are wired in to the RX?
2. It is very sensitive to ramp up the power ie it’s either slow or bloody fast!! Any ideas how I can improve this as my daughter will be driving it and could do with a reduction in sensitivity to help her.
I know some ESCs allow for a exponential acceleration curve rather than a linear one, I guess you are using TZ85As? If that is the case, I don't think the optional programming card work with them when brushed (could be wrong with that). The video suggests it is working OK to me, I'd just get some practice in driving the thing.
3. What are your thoughts on us coming to Manchester? Should we have done more testing or some practice battles - ie do we need a level of competence / experience or robustness to enter?
That is a question only you can answer. You don't need a level of competence (beyond being able to use the power tools you bring, which you evidently can) per se, just sign up and come on the day, it is what I did at Robots Live! Grantham 2017. If you feel able, by all means come, you'll be welcomed by everyone attending I am sure.
I have a Feather2ESC which is a dual ESC - so 1 ESC controls both motors - sorry I should have said this earlier. I know it can control both independently - I just need to know how!!!
I think in respect of the sensitivity you are probably right - just need to get used to it!!!- or more importantly my daughter does!
Thanks for your advice - power tools will be needed as it is not the most robust design. Howmany Featherweight fights are there each day - is it 2?
I have a Feather2ESC which is a dual ESC - so 1 ESC controls both motors - sorry I should have said this earlier. I know it can control both independently - I just need to know how!!!
There should be two JR servo leads coming out of the ESC if it is a mixing one (I think they are sold without mixing as well but then it would have 1 JR servo lead), is this the case here?
Thanks for your advice - power tools will be needed as it is not the most robust design. Howmany Featherweight fights are there each day - is it 2?
Can't be worse than The Honey Badger 1.0, that needed major surgery after one fight! Normally, it is 1 or 2 per show, so you can end up in a situation with 4 FW melees in one day, yes.
There should be two JR servo leads coming out of the ESC if it is a mixing one (I think they are sold without mixing as well but then it would have 1 JR servo lead), is this the case here?
Can't be worse than The Honey Badger 1.0, that needed major surgery after one fight! Normally, it is 1 or 2 per show, so you can end up in a situation with 4 FW melees in one day, yes.
The servo leads need to into the channels that map to the up/down and left/right directons on the transmitter and will want a bit of experimentation as to which channels this maps to. For example, left/right and up/down on the left stick on my TX is channels 1 and 2 on the RX. Don't plug it in the battery connector though (which is normally the top row of pins).
So we have a robot that goes forwards, goes backwards and also turns right and left (albeit to go right we have to turn left on the controller and visa versa). No matter which combination we try we cant sort it so any ideas let me know but for now we can cope with that!!
However, in order to try and make things safe and as per the FRA rules we need to sort out a removable link and an LED.
1. Is the diagram below and the removable link setup correct? (ignore the link soldering and Ill have a proper go once I know what I am doing!!!)
2. I am struggling to think how to put the LED in. The wire for the LED (14v) is so thin compared to the other 8 gauge wire that is used for the rest of the robot. Can anyone help me with this?
So we have a robot that goes forwards, goes backwards and also turns right and left (albeit to go right we have to turn left on the controller and visa versa). No matter which combination we try we cant sort it so any ideas let me know but for now we can cope with that!!
Oh excellent! What was the change in the end?
Some transmitters have a flip switch on them so left becomes right and right becomes left. I have this problem with Shu! but to be honest, I can live with it being opposed for the time being.
1. Is the diagram below and the removable link setup correct? (ignore the link soldering and Ill have a proper go once I know what I am doing!!!)
Yep, looks good to me.
2. I am struggling to think how to put the LED in. The wire for the LED (14v) is so thin compared to the other 8 gauge wire that is used for the rest of the robot. Can anyone help me with this?
So the LED, as far as I understand it, will only draw as many amps as it needs when wired into the circuitry (a bit like the motors). Since the LED only requires a tiny amount of current to make work, it doesn't need a very thick wire.
1. I swapped the motor wires around, then after many combination changes with the RX connection we got there!
2. Glad the wiring diagram looks ok.
3. So if I connect an XT60 connector to the fuse then solder in the light then join the other light wire to an XT60 connector with the Black battery wire in then connect this to the ESC?
I have 2 worries with this
a. I’d need a lot of solder to keep the thin wires in place in the XT60s- is this ok?
b. Just to confirm that the thin wires won’t prohibit power being routed through to the ESC and then to the motors causing us to to be even slower?
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