Subject:
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Re: Modular RC kits?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Mon, 31 Jan 2005 15:44:11 GMT
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Original-From:
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Joseph J. Strout <JOE@STROUTstopspam.NET>
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Viewed:
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1343 times
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At 11:53 AM -0800 1/30/05, Steve Baker wrote:
> You may not be aware that you don't need a computer - or to do any form of
> programming in order to use the RCX with the Lego remote controller.
I know you don't need to program it, but the RCX *is* a computer, and
it seems ridiculous to use it to achieve remote control. I can buy a
2-channel R/C car for $25, which probably weighs less all together
than the RCX and certainly costs 1/4 as much. I should be able to
build an R/C lego model on the same scale.
> However, it's certainly InfraRed and not Radio - with all of the limitations
> that implies.
True.
> > LEGO already makes several RC cars, but at least from the ones I • have seen, they
> > are not modular...
>
> Yeah - they are pretty much useless. I really wish Lego wouldn't make sets
> like that...it's totally counter to the overall philosophy of the Lego system.
Agreed. I mean, it's fine with me that they make them -- if you're
just looking for an R/C car, I'm glad you can buy a Lego one instead
of some other brand. But it's very annoying that they're not more
modular. Seems like they're really missing the boat on this one.
> Well, there are plenty of people who have adapted the Servo motors from a
> standard model R/C set (eg Futaba) to drive Lego parts.
Yes, and I've even seen one guy who used a servo to press the buttons
on the 9V battery pack to control a motor. But that seems like a
very crude approach to me. It only works for controlling one motor
(or at least, all motors in the same way), too.
> The up-market radio controlled car people have fully proportional speed
> controllers that connect to the output of a standard radio reciever and
> generate voltages appropriate to driving small electric motors. Seems
> like that's what you should be investigating.
Yes, I'm finding stuff like that. I can get a receiver for about
$40, and connect that to a switch module for another $20, and have a
digital one-channel controller for $60. This starts to make the RCX
route look attractive. :)
I think there must be a huge markup on these R/C parts, or else they
include some powerful capability I don't need.
> Another possiblility is to buy a cheap R/C toy and rip that apart.
Yes, that is seriously starting to look like the best option.
I'm still intrigued by the wireless transmitter/receiver boards from
Radiotronix. These are $4 to $5 each. But they operate at high
frequencies (e.g. 418 MHz, compared to the 27 or 40 MHz typical of
R/C toys), and they seem require a fairly large amount of support
circuitry. Sample schematics are provided by the company, but I
think it's probably beyond my electronics skills to actually build
something out of them.
For somebody better with a soldering iron, though, these seem like
they might be a good approach. Or, somebody could figure out how
those $25 cars are able to send and receive signals so cheaply --
there MUST be some source for R/C systems on a chip -- and build
custom LEGO bricks out of that.
Thanks,
- Joe
--
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| Joseph J. Strout Check out the Mac Web Directory: |
| joe@strout.net http://www.macwebdir.com/ |
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Modular RC kits?
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| Joe Strout wrote: > I knew that, and thank you, but it's not what I'm asking for. I don't have an > RCX, nor would I want to use one for this. I need *radio* control, not remote > (infrared) control, and I don't want to involve a computer. I (...) (20 years ago, 30-Jan-05, to lugnet.robotics)
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