13 Nov
Yet another axe!.
4 Nov
Making up new steering servos in preparation for BattleBots Las Vegas in a couple of weeks.
9 Sept
Playing with my new electric model helicopter.
24 July - 'American RobotWars 2000' and the 'War of Independance'
Just got back from Park St. Studios, St.Albans. Nice big old distribution warehouse. Several American machines made it over for the RobotWars Championship - Mauler, Frenzy, Spike(!), Ramstein, GhettoBot, Mjolinir(sp?), plus the 'joint' machine, Mangulator. Mauler, Frenzy, Spike and Mangulator got picked for the US fights and Ramstein and GhettoBot got to fight Panic Attack and Mortis respectively in the 'War of Independance'. I'm glad to say that the Brits won! Unfortunately for Todd, Mjolinir didn't get to fight.
If you're wondering what on earth Spike was doing amongst these heavyweights, he had covered the whole machine with 3/4" steel plate! This put the weight up to around 190lbs...
Nice new arena they've built - the polycarb box is 72 x 60ft x 32ft high. The arena itself (surrounded by 1ft high polycarb and steel barrier) is somewhat smaller than this, as between it and the box is a 4ft trench that the cameras roll along on tracks. To move the camera, the sides of the box are suspended about 4" clear of the ground from a gantry, and scaffolding poles come out from the camera trolley, under the polycarb, to the cameraman, who is safely outside the box. Weird but effective! The polycarb panels are 8 x 12ft, framed in ally. The Arena surface (plywood) is the same height off the ground as the pit tables and they provide trolleys, also the same height, to transport the machines between the two. Space for about 1000 spectators now, too.
16 July
Pics and video of the meet at the Somerset Steam Spectacular over the weekend.
8 July
Pictures and video from the charity event at Wilson's School, near Croydon.
26 June
Pics and video of a get together in Oxford at the weekend.
9 June
Report from BattleBots San Francisco.
I've been developing a Basic Stamp based dual Speed Controller interface. Designed to interface the Radio Control Receiver to two 4QD Speed Controllers. Provides mixing, exponential throttle response and a relay for system shutdown. I'm planning to publish full details of how to make your own, probably after we've tested it thoroughly in series IV.
Video (410KB, Quicktime) of us testing the 'sucker' on KHz that we tried last year. Generates over 150kg of downforce on the right surface. Partial vacuum is created under the floor by turbo impeller being driven at around 30,000rpm by 500 Watt Astroflight Cobalt model airplane electric motor. Abandoned the project due to problems with maintaining the seal with the ground.
I've been developing a Basic Stamp based dual Speed Controller interface. Designed to interface the Radio Control Receiver to two 4QD Speed Controllers. Provides mixing, exponential throttle response and a relay for system shutdown. I'm planning to publish full details of how to make your own, probably after we've tested it thoroughly in series IV.