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Subject: 
TexLUG Austin 5/8 meeting report
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.org.us.texlug, lugnet.loc.us.tx.aus, lugnet.loc.us.tx
Followup-To: 
lugnet.org.us.texlug
Date: 
Wed, 11 May 2005 03:04:41 GMT
Viewed: 
9 times
  
All,

Attending the 5/8 Texlug Austin meeting were:

  Kurt Baty
  Ed Southerland
  Tim Rueger

A low-key meeting this time (the weather was highly inclement, and it
was Mother's Day), but we still had a fine time.

Ed brought a neat minifig forestman with a cart-mounted crossbow, and
reported acquiring a space monorail set with expansion track on eBay for
the princely sum of $88 (!).  Between Ed, Pat, and myself, the next
all-Texlug meeting layout should be completely infested with monorail
track.

Ed and I discussed a Disney/Epcot-like theme park layout theme, with
each section of the layout accommodating a monorail stop built according
to a moonbase-like spec.  Possibilities abound: castle people could do a
medieval fantasy park, space folks could do a sci-fi park, etc., so
just about anyone can be involved in the layout.

Kurt brought a carrying case of technic parts and built out part of an
adder-subtractor that works with three motors to generate a "A1+A2-B"
output.  A1+A2 is summed with a differential, with its output going
where the "A" input would go in a "A-B" adder-subtractor.  A partially
completed mockup is found among the photos below.

Kurt also brought a stock 8419 Excavator, which packs an impressive
amount of mechanics into a small volume.

Due to the bad weather, I didn't bring my recently-completed sumobot
arena (I need to tie it to the top of my Civic to transport it).
Instead, I improvised an area border on one of the library tables with
black duct tape (see photos below).  It worked really well, so if you
can't make your own sumo arena, put some black duct tape on a white
table for a fast and cheap alternative.

Kurt and I broke down my rendition of a David Perdue Zip-Zam Bot to
lower its center of gravity for improved sumo arena performance.

Laura had asked me to coordinate a TexLUG MOC display at this Saturday's
Robolab Mania gathering at National Instruments.  Kurt, Ed, and I are
planning to bring MOCs: one of Kurt's Texas navy ships, some of Ed's
space models and custom minifigs, and my sumo arena with one or more
sumobots, and maybe the monorail mountain if there's room.  I'll bring
sumo contest signups and TexLUG handouts on Saturday as well.

-Tim

------------------------------------------------------------

Brickshelf gallery link:

  http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=128844

Ed's forestman with crossbow cart:

  http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1219962

Improvised sumo arena:

  http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1219963
  http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1219964

Kurt at work, with Excavator in foreground:

  http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1219965

A partial A1+A2-B adder/subtractor:

  http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1219966



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