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I hate to say it, but it's really not in the world of robotic combat. Although it's A LOT cheaper now than it used to be. When I started a half decent transmitter cost 100 quid plus. Start gathering the parts one at a time and gradually over time you will be able to build it up. Keep a look out in the for sale section for second hand parts that may be of use to you.
If you're using Electronize controllers, that price you've mentioned of £39.75 sounds like the cost of one controller. With Electronize units you will need two controllers (one for each side of drive on your robot) so the chances are that your speed controller price will more likely be around £79.50, plus P&P. At that price it may be worth contemplating getting a dual speed controller (one controller but controls both drive motors) as the Scorpion XL and the Sabretooth 2x25 are both roughly £80 and offer more precise control.
£200 can seem quite a lot when your funds are small, but that is the average price of an entry level featherweight.
Just to make you aware, there is a transmitter/receiver combo that offers four channels of control for £27, making it a cheaper option than the £45 one you listed. Take a look at: http://www.giantcod.co.uk/gianitcod-24g ... 03779.html
And yeah as Gary said, be prepared to spend more than you possibly anticipated buying all the little bits and pieces. Bolts, LEDs, wire, connectors and so on really do add up when you're on a budget so keep an eye on that. In addition to the delivery costs, a lot of websites list their prices without VAT (and then the VAT-inclusive price in smaller text and/or brackets next to that) so that can add an unexpected few pounds onto the cost of items if you initially overlook that.
Slightly off-topic: I've always liked the simplistic design of the Rampaging Chariots robots, but that modified one (bottom picture in the link Tony provided) is immense! Still simple, but it looks so cool
Haha I wasn't mocking it, just reminding George that I had mentioned it as a possibility earlier that would bring the cost down a bit.
I do like that bottom Rampaging Chariot on that page, shows what you can do with a nice simple design. Looks like they may have spent more time on the aesthetics than they did building the rest of it. I'm trying to convince some of the local BB companies as well as primary & secondary schools around here to get involved with it, I know I would have loved that when I was at school.
It's like a smaller scale version of the Riobotz tutorial, but for basic featherweight-esque robots. Good clear explanations of what the parts are, why they're used, how to do things and so on. Doesn't cover as many topics as the Riobotz book because, well, because it doesn't need to, but could be handy for any new featherweight builders who don't really know where to start.
I think we may have wandered off topic a bit. Went from a nice thread about helping build a robot to getting the poor guy involved in a grudge match before he's even started haha
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