finally, seemingly perfect steering system! pictures of old systems included

P!-Ro

It still needs to be cleaned up a bit, painted, wires and wrong types of screws replaced with better ones, and completed welding in some areas but for right now I'm quite excited. After taking 3 forms, finally with a new power wheels motor replacing the old windshield wiper motor it's working like a charm. I just have to decide how to control it--with an expensive motor controller I can't afford or a couple relays and transistors? No duh there. Also included are the different steering forms it took before something finally worked, going in order from oldest to newest.

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erco

Pi Guy: Happy to hear you're building & excited. Nothing better than the sweet satisfaction of getting the results you're after. Congrats on your improvements, keep those updates coming! Videos are good!

PS: Nothing wrong with relays! [noparse]:)[/noparse]

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·"If you build it, they will come."

P!-Ro

Yup more is definitely to come! Once I get the steering control done and I get the engine cleaned out and running again I should be able to have it rolling! Hopefully I'll get somewhere with this over the weekend, but will see where I can get. School and friends eat most of my days up, so to finish the steering setup yesterday I had to get farther behind in the completion of my schoolwork! No wonder I wake up to 3 cups of coffee.

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erco

Pi Guy:

Your homebuilt bot and mine just have to team up to take on Parallax' Probots in a head to head, tag team robotic showdown. Your gas engine bot vs their QuadRover· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1GK00oe170· and my poor cousin bot vs their Propeller CNC Bot http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=869245

I think Pay-Per-View is the way to go. You with me, Pal?

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·"If you build it, they will come."

P!-Ro

It's 5hp, should do! And just for the show it can throw sparks from the clutch and flame from the exhaust--both of which it does on a regular basis. Would kill to see the the Quadrover do that!

As for pay per view...I think I could handle it [noparse];)[/noparse]

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rpdb

That is a cool set up. I just had a thought. I remember seeing linkage on I think a Toyota pick-up or 4 runner that attaches from the differential to a sensor / valve on the frame for rear anti lock braking. There a nice hardend rod with ball joints on both ends. They might work to connect your steering box to the pitman arms and might be cheap at the local wreaking (auto re-cycling dismantler PC). Keep up the good work.

P!-Ro

Oh I'll try to keep up the good work, just as I have for the past year and 3 months now. If it wasn't for the darn winter the whole thing would be running by now (or so I say).

There's a possibility I may try using something like that rod on it, but from what I've seen using wire it seems to bend on the side not being pulled, problematic if using solid rods. I do have cable I plan to replace the wire with later though, so will see if that works first.

Also, I was just checking out my Polaroid 6500 manual. I'm hoping to make sonar object avoidance one of the first programs it runs, so I'll see how it works out. Sometimes I wonder if 35' detection is far enough though, especially before I make the brakes!

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PG