29 April
Got a lot done this last week, and the material for the gearboxes has finally arrived.
Bit of a problem with the speed controllers so the prototype board is having to be modified to allow adjustment of the base current for the power transistors so I can match the two sides, this also allows me to include over current protection for the motors as well as the actual controllers (this is my first dabble in electronics so its all a bit crude at the moment)
5 May
The chassis has come a long way and the gearboxes are almost finished, Ive made up one of the Ken Hewitt failsafes and it works well in tests.
The thermal cut-outs for the speed controllers and motors also work as a mock up so they are incorporated in the mark two prototype board that I am etching this afternoon lets hope it works properly this time because time is fast running out and the auditions are almost upon us.This is the chassis to date with half the gearbox fitted to find the drive belt length (14 days delivery would you believe, they are on order but I hope to find them with another supplier sooner than that)
1 June
Big gap in the diary is caused by the panic to get as much finished as possible for the audition, the drive pulleys and belts arrived just in time to be fitted. Unfortunately there just wasn't time to get the radio gear in with the speed controllers, so they went down to London in a plastic bag !
Pictures showing what we took down to show them, Ime a bit disappointed that so few people are making middleweights, I don't see the point in making an abysmal heavyweight when you could make a much better middleweight with the same components ( higher power to weight ratio). Mat sugested that we run in the heavyweight class. I have to decide soon and tell him, I think I will even though the chassis was only designed to cope with the stress of combat as a middleweight.
Some of the robots at the audition were very good some not so good, but what surprised me was that most people were using separate channels for the left and right steering circuits necessitating the use of both hands to steer the robot. Rather than using a mixer so that one hand is free for weapon control (the robots weapon)
I will have more detailed photos of the front suspension when the springs and pneumatic actuator linkages are finished (tomorrow)
Geraldine please let me have your email
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