Starting Point

[muchalucha]

Re: Starting Point

im not ging to look at prices for these controlers :P , but for more high end stuff heres my recommendations. 2 Victors ( ask razor dave ) , a sabertooth 25 A ??? (might it handl eit just about ?). or have a look at the vantec. Or one of the 50 quid wotys would do what you want i think (or are they 100 quid ?).

And yeh i ment 40 A electronize :P , 40 A sabertooth , i can dream .

[craig_colliass]

Re: Starting Point

Hi I think you mean the Wotty100 I have put in an order with Ian and the price is £190 each
Bargin they will handle almost the same amps as a sidewinder (I had one of those in a heavyweight.)

[zoll]

Re: Starting Point

Cheers guys, im tempted by the electronize 40A but i think im going to try the XXL and hope it work unless anyone says otherwise before rick mails me back.

If i did swap and go for the electronize how hard is tht mod to do?

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Starting Point

to swap speed controllers is merely a case of disconnecting and reconnecting a few wires (depending on your robot design)

Modifying the electronize to take 40A is a bit more tricky but if you have a decent soldering iron and some experience soldering it will only take a few hours to do.

[RogueTwoRobots]

Re: Starting Point

Or, failing that, I'm sure someone on this forum would be happy to mod them for you, either for free or a small fee.

I would offer, but I should be busy studying right now and I don't have 100% confidence in performing a mod like that on someone else's components. Plus when I received mine, they were already modded so all I had to do was crimp some spade terminals on to the wires and connect them up to the relays.

In regards to the XXL, I've not used that (or the XL) myself but I seem to remember that the XL is 12.5A per channel and the commercial XXL is 25A per channel. Whether Rick's mods make his XXLs 25A I do not know, but personally I still wouldn't be too confident with using one to control four drills.

Apologies if all these opinions are confusing you as to which controller to go for. The Electronize option will work, but that's the only one I can say based on my personal use and experience.

[psycho_fling]

Re: Starting Point

i really think you might aswell get a dual controller i find the elctronize a real pain and found it so much easier once i was on a different controller

if we are talking about overkill i used an rs80d with 2 drills but it was intended for the speed 900s

[craig_colliass]

Re: Starting Point

I have found with Tron (a 4 drill feather robot) the Sabertooth 25A per channel did not work very well, I never used it in a fight it was that bad!
The drills were 9.4v over-volted to 14.4V, In the end I fitted the Sidewinder (75A per channel) this stopped all the messing about.

You can go about in circles with all of this, if you want a reliable speed controller it has to be over spec and expensive. :shock: :shock:

[zoll]

Re: Starting Point

how much is a sidewinder and do they sell them in the uk or do i have to get one from abroad?

[teamshock]

Re: Starting Point

We used to run Whirlpool with 4, 12v drills running at 15.6v on a single scorpion XL (with 2 small fans for cooling).

When we changed to 18v motors we added an extra Scorpion XL using one for each side.

Eventually we put a sidewinder in there (only because we are using the XLs in Heatwave and Whirlwind) and it has run without any problems at all.We got ours from http://www.robotmarketplace.com

Heres a quick video of Whirlpool when it ran with 4, 12v motors on a single Scorpion XL (it ran like this for almost 2 years without any problems)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo5dafd-MGg

[zoll]

Re: Starting Point

Yeah getting slightly confussing but you recon the XXL should run 4 motors fine also, or do u recon id be best getting 2x XL or is it really worth making a bit of an investment and getting a sidewinder

[craig_colliass]

Re: Starting Point

Speed controllers are the most expensive part in most robots, my experience of the Sabertooth is not a good one, but it could be I just had a duff unit (it€™s back in the USA at the moment being fixed!!)
Sidewinders I think my unit was £275, Sabertooth was £92 and Wotty100 £190.
But I think I will be the first to be using this unit in a feather when it comes next week, the wotty100 is a new design, so I am expecting some teething problems with it and so can€™t recommend it at the moment, but I think it will be the new standard for feather speed controllers soon.
I would suggest you get the best quality unit you can.

[leorcc]

Re: Starting Point

Yeah getting slightly confussing but you recon the XXL should run 4 motors fine also, or do u recon id be best getting 2x XL or is it really worth making a bit of an investment and getting a sidewinder

If you use 4 12V motors, and Will could run his setup on an XL, then the XXL should certainly be able to handle it.

But, it is a bit like comparing apples and oranges really. No 2 brands of drill motors are alike so what works for one set might not work on another set, and what works on 12V might not work on 14.4V or 18V or 24V.

Sidewinders are a more robust option, but more expensive. The Wotty 100 might be an option though not tested in the field yet.

[muchalucha]

Re: Starting Point

seeing as a saberooth 10 A willl run 2 drill motors over volted to 14.4 V just dandy , you could use 2 ) 1 on the front 2 motors and 1 on the back 2 ) and then use 2 y leads to connect both the inputs togehtor , no soldering and it comes in at about 90 quid .

[zoll]

Re: Starting Point

wheres the cheapest place to get a sidewinder as i take it tht will defo work and will allow me to use it for other things in the future

[psycho_fling]

Re: Starting Point

i belive you get them new from th us and yes these can be used with heavies