Robotics : 5966


Robotics / 5966

RCX battery cover —Marty

I noticed that the battery cover on the bottom of my RCX is really loose. So loose that I wouldn't risk holding the thing upside down by the cover (since i'm afraid it would come off). Has anyone else noticed this? Marty. -- Did you check the web (...) (25 years ago, 2-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Robert Munafo

(...) Yeah, you pretty much have to make sure your design holds the battery cover on, for example by having beams both underneath and on top of the RCX, held together with vertical beams and connector pegs. This can be a bit of a challenge if you (...) (25 years ago, 2-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Michael Aaron Finch

Robert, it would also make the robot a lot lighter because u don't have to hold those 6 AA's in the rcx. Michael Aaron (...) (25 years ago, 2-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Robert Munafo

Yeah, but that's kind of balanced out by having the seperate battery pack, right? 8-) (...) - Robert Munafo (25 years ago, 2-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Michael Aaron Finch

Perhaps i misunderstood the idea. I thought the RCX was being powered via a chord, like an AC adapter. Thus all the robnot is really having to do is drag the chord w.it. But hey, what do i know about this stuff? : ) Michael Aaron (...) (25 years ago, 2-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Nick Goetz

What is the weight difference between 6 double A batteries and a single nine volt battery. Noticeable I am sure. -Nick Robert Munafo wrote in message ... (...) (25 years ago, 2-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Shawn Menninga

(...) True, but a single 9V battery won't last very long (hours at most) driving that kind of load, and will probably get quite warm in the process. They're designed for lighter work. The same's true of a set of 6 AAAs. Either one would probably be (...) (25 years ago, 3-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Matthew Miller

(...) I wonder if you'd actually see much of a gain, given the heavier weight. Those Lego motors can only pull so much. (25 years ago, 3-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Robert Munafo

(...) It all depends on the robot design and its environment, in this case mainly what kind of traction it has and how fast it's trying to move and/or accelerate. A design that moves on treads (like a tank) or something that uses wheels on a smooth (...) (25 years ago, 3-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

mini powered vehicles (was Re: RCX battery cover) —Robert Munafo

I have half a mind to build a LEGO-compatible 9V battery holder just to try some tiny vehicle designs. Without an RCX you can't make it do much, but it would still be really fun to build small Technic models powered by a 9V battery and a micromotor. (...) (25 years ago, 4-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics, lugnet.build)

Re: RCX battery cover) —Bram Lambrecht

(...) Couldn't you use one of the 9V battery boxes from the old Light&Sound sets? That way you could use regular electric LEGO plates and wires to hook everything up--a pure LEGO solution. --Bram Bram Lambrecht / o o \ BramL@juno.com (...) (25 years ago, 4-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics, lugnet.build)

Re: mini powered vehicles (was Re: RCX battery cover) —Alex Wetmore

From: Robert Munafo <munafo@gcctechNO.SPAMcom> (...) try (...) it (...) battery (...) the (...) isn't (...) Lego already makes a compatible 9v battery holder. It used to come with their town "sound and lights" sets (I don't know if these exist (...) (25 years ago, 4-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: mini powered vehicles (was Re: RCX battery cover) —Nick Taylor

alex wetmore wrote: [snip] (...) The 9V battery box is available from S@H for US$5.50 as #5391. 800.453.4652 - Nick - -- Did you check the web site first?: (URL) (25 years ago, 4-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

RE: mini powered vehicles (was Re: RCX battery cover) —Tilman Sporkert

(...) Yup, that would be 5391, for $5.50 from Shop-At-Home in the US. This battery box is also a good base for various electronics projects. It conveniently includes a 2x6 connector strip on the top. Tilmn -- Did you check the web site first?: (URL) (25 years ago, 4-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: mini powered vehicles (was Re: RCX battery cover) —S. Crawshaw

(...) This is the same battery holder that is in the ZNAP sets. Stuart -- Did you check the web site first?: (URL) (25 years ago, 5-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: mini powered vehicles (was Re: RCX battery cover) —Dennis Clark

(...) [snip] (...) [snip] Lego S@H #5391 - small and cool, they use a 9V battery. DLC (25 years ago, 5-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: mini powered vehicles (was Re: RCX battery cover) —Robert Munafo

(...) Thanks, everyone for generating the answers. I'm sorry for generating so many replies. I searched all around in the online catalog (US version: (URL) for quite a while before I gave up and posted that message. Anyway, now that I'm looking at (...) (25 years ago, 5-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Don't use Lithium Ion (was Re: RCX battery cover) —Robert Munafo

Someone sent me an e-mail reply saying that they had used an external Lithium Ion battery pack to power their RCX, and that after a few days of use the RCX appeared to stop working, then they discovered that it only worked with internal batteries. (...) (25 years ago, 3-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

RE: Don't use Lithium Ion (was Re: RCX battery cover) —Ralph Hempel

(...) It would be good to figure out exactly what the burnout mechanism was. does any other external power source work? I use a 4Ahr 12V rechargable gel-cel as used in many security panels, its no-load voltage is about 13V and I have used it for a (...) (25 years ago, 3-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)

Re: RCX battery cover —Michael Aaron Finch

yup! (...) (25 years ago, 2-Aug-99, to lugnet.robotics)