OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

[George_TeamZog]

I have already posted this on the Roaming Robots forum, but I'm getting no replies there, so I'll try here instead

The Stats -

Shape - Box (hey, it's my first one, so it's cool!)
Armor - 15mm thick polycarbonate.
Weapon - Electrically powered axe

Don't worry, I've got everything sussed out for the transmitters, recievers and such like. It's just the speedos (isn't that a swimming trunk? ) motors I need help with.

What motors should I use for the drive?

http://www.technobots.co.uk/acatalog/On ... rs_79.html

Any from Technobots?

And also, which motor would be powerful enough to make the axe self-right the robot?

[craig_colliass]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

I am glad you want to go and make a heavyweight robot, but have you thought it through, to have such a monster requires a lot of money to run and even without any weapon they are potentially lethal!
A 100Kg robot is heavier than most men, and it takes two men to lift them safely, poorly wired electrical weapon (axe) and it operating when you don€™t expect it too, the result would be very serious, I would not start such a project until I was at least 18 years old with experience with feathers for at least two years. I know you don€™t want to here this but without dampening your enthusiasm 13 years old is not quite old enough for heavyweight robots. Sorry

[calumco]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

to be fair you only waited a day, not everyone goes on the forum daily

but i have to agree with craig here, start of with feathers or ants, then move up to heavies when your older and you've got some more experience with building

you could build an affordable feather on pocket money etc but you'd have no chance with a heavyweight, before i started my heavyweight i waited untill i had a job, but before that i bought all my feather parts using pocket money and EMA from college and even then it took awhile to save up for bits

just to give you an idea, my heavys motors cost me £207 or so for a pair, and you could potentially build a feather for that.

[George_TeamZog]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

Guys guys guys guys...

The main thing for it was to first just make the electronics on a 120cm x 70cm sheet of Polycarb, then when I have enough money (after all, Christmas has come and gone now - I'm rich now! ) I would build the shell and suchlike.

Also, I have a very good knowledge of electronics for my age (I feel like I'm speaking like a granny) and I have built so far 1 antweight and 3 feathers...

I'm not going to leave it till I'm 18, that's a looooong way off, and Roaming Robots and Robots Live may have shut down by then, people may have moved on.

George@TeamZog

[typhoon_driver]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

Ok I'm not gonna launch into a full this is why you shouldn't but I want you to seriously consider the following points,

- 100kg is a hell of a lot of weight. Back when I was 14 it took 4 of us to carry typhoon 2 around safely and even that was a struggle at times! If you don't have someone to help you move it around then I'd seriously consider staying with featherweights for the time being.

- Machining - Building things for a heavyweight is a lot harder simply down to its size. Are you going to be able to machine all the parts you will need? I'm sure I will get a few people disagreeing with me on this one but I'd say that to build a decent competition ready heavyweight you need access to a mill and lathe.

- safety - Heavyweights again by their sheer size require a lot of respect. 100kg falling off a bench onto your foot will hurt! Even something simple like setting failsafes on a heavyweight requires proper preparation. Turning on the transmitter and 100kg running straight at you, your parents car or something else valuable will cause a lot of damage. You have to bear this in mind throughout the build.

cost - A speedo for a heavyweight can easily run into the hundreds. Remember its not just the initial cost of building a heavyweight but what if that 300 pound speedo gets destroyed in a battle? Can you afford to lose the cash? This isn't as much of a risk these days with hardox and the lack of spinners in the heavyweights these days (sorry guys but they're a bit tame compared to the top spec feathers around atm!)

[team_orr]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

right, i know that you think you have a good knowledge of electronics (im not saying you dont, im 13 and i built all my robots myself...bar the ones i bought :P) but a heavyweight is a whole different league to feathers, even simple things like a chain coming off (which is easy anough in feathers) took 5 guys to get back on at reading in my heavyweight, my old one is remarkably similar to your idea (4wd, box, axe)and it only ran at about 8mph, but even at that low speed it mangaged to break my dads toe (could have been alot worse).

the cost of machining s like this (yes even polycarb) could easily stretch into the thousends, i know i didnt get £1000 for christmas :P

also the work in keeping this thing working is just huge! iv easily spent a thousned hours on my bots, now, take it from me that even havin 1 bot is tricky, let alone the 34 that i have :P it sucks up the hours like nohing iv ever had befor

and what about when its damaged? (belive me it WILL get damaged)


still want to give it a go? lol, then your either foolish,mad or incredibly brave :Pi only get thru it cos i have a team and a great forum to ask q+a on.

as for parts, i would recamend sla's, a wotty and wheelchair motors, think its be pants? well i manged to beat dantomkia with it

[dgr]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

I'm just nearing completion of my first solo heavyweight project and I would catagorically say that it would have been impossible to do even with a 13 year old in tow, never mind when I was one. My robot has cost me well in excess of a grand now and it is basically rubbish. None of the motors Technobots sell are good enough for a heavy and the only way that you're gunna get something plug and play like featherweights is if you spent £500 on motors like I did and even then you can only get them in the States and shipping costs are ridiculous. To get an electric axe that self-rights a 100kg machine is really not possible for anyone who isn't really experienced in mechanical engineering. You can't just bolt one on to a motor shaft. Ever take a look inside Thor or Terrorhurtz? They are phenomenally complicated and precise. You can't just build a featherweight kit and then be ready to build, maintain and transport a heavyweight alone. I'm sorry, but I'm really trying to help. Don't start throwing money at a project that won't ever work when you could get really good at the smaller costs for a fraction of the cost.

[cliveb]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

Just to let you know the pitfalls of owning a heavyweight.Last year we spent amongst all of the day to day costs of keeping it running the following on And His Army: 2 x Bosch 750 motors @ £110.00 each, 1 x RoboteQ speed controller $500.00 which blew after 8 minutes use ( replaced by RoboteQ), 3 x Hawker batterys gone down @ £90.00 each ( replacement nicad packs £80.00 each). We also had 2 x wheel hubs made which would have cost a good deal had a good friend not made them for us.
All of this resulted in our machine being seeded 7th for this year.It is a rambot so we had no pneumatics or hydraulics to replace or who knows how much more money it would have swallowed up.So I would agree with the others, think long and hard before you decide to start out with a heavy, it is no fun being beaten up all the time, with an unreliable robot that just keeps letting you down, just ask Wendy about Stagefright.

[George_TeamZog]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

I'll put it on hold at the moment and keep building ants and feathers....

The only problem is, when you come to fight with the feathers, you can't see them as they're very small and you're fighting with around 10 more.... Very clustered.

George@TeamZog

[robotwars]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

George,



Yes there are high and low points of building a heavy weight, but speaking as someone who runs events, you are right in what you say feather weights are ok, but they are a show filler, the heavy weights are what people want to see, and if you want to build one go for it.

I for one, am doing my hardest to build up our hobby and keep it going, and we need people to build more robots, especially heavyweights.

I think its plain rude that you've been shot down and put off of building a heavy weight.. What they should have done is help.... thats what i think you wanted.

The first thing you need to get is get the backing of your parents, they will need to be behind you 100%.
And you need to take what they said above on board, costs, weight of the robot, transporting it, getting to events etc...

If you are serious, and have your parents on board, then get them to contact me first so i can chat to them about whats involved.

You have my details already i think.

John
http://www.RoamingRobots.co.uk

[George_TeamZog]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

Yes I do have your details. It's just that I have two email addresses. The point is, which one should I email? I've been emailing to your Yahoo one, not the address seen on the main page. Am I emailing the right one? But at the moment, I have got my parents backing (although my Dad claims he doesn't understand the electronics) so they should speak to you.

George@TeamZog

[psycho_fling]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

use the roamingrobots.co.uk one

[typhoon_driver]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

Jonno, there's being rude and then there's being realistic. I have no problem with someone trying to build a heavyweight or any other machine for that matter. I just believe that people should be made aware of the complications in running such a machine.

George, best of luck mate if you do decide to build a heavyweight. Just be careful and if theres one piece of advice I can give you that I wished I had followed on every machine I've built its this,

If it costs a little extra money and time to do something right first time then spend it, you will save twice the cash and time in the long run.

[dgr]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

Jonno, there's being rude and then there's being realistic. I have no problem with someone trying to build a heavyweight or any other machine for that matter. I just believe that people should be made aware of the complications in running such a machine.

I agree with Gary, it's not about being rude, it's realistic. I attempted to build a heavy at that age and got no further than a pop-rivited aluminium chassis and some wheelchair motors that couldn't go backwards - wasted about £50, which is a lot when you're 13. If someone is aware of all the complications and still thinks they can have a go, then yeah, they definately should! It's not just a miserable experience, there are highs and lows, its a real rollercoaster building your own.

On a more positive bit of advice, nowadays you don't have to understand the electronics to build a heavy. I certainly don't, and I'd say a lot of the heavy operators would say the same. I'd recommend getting a Wotty as your speedo, it's pretty much plug and play, sorts all your failsafe issues, and you have Ian Wotts on hand to fix it if ever something goes wrong. He's done a great service to the roboteer community!

[botmad]

Re: OK, I'm building a heavy... But need some help...

there is also a vast aray of knowledge in this community to call upon to in your endevor and the knowledge is freelyavailable ......

Good luck with your project hope to see you at an event soon

Best wishes ..........pete