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Showing results for tags 'Power functions'.
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Technic-powered Monorail Update - Faster Trains!
Brickthus posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
My new monorail, which began with Masao Hidaka's idea on LEGO Ideas, now has faster trains and a larger layout. - The trains now use PF Train motors, 2 per train, with belt drives. This is a much simpler transmission than the previous trains that used gears. - The train bogies are of Technic construction. - Powered by PF LiPo battery with PF IR Receiver control, S-Brick compatible. - Flashing lights in proportion to speed. - Junction with PF Servo Motor and rack system. - Speed is now up to 0.95m/s averaged over 10 laps of the 12-metre circuit. Full details and discussion here (and scroll down) Mark -
My new monorail, which began with Masao Hidaka's idea on LEGO Ideas, now has faster trains and a larger layout. - The trains now use PF Train motors, 2 per train. - Powered by PF LiPo battery with PF IR Receiver control. - Speed is now up to 0.95m/s averaged over 10 laps of the 12-metre circuit. Full details and discussion here (and scroll down) Mark
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What is the handiest way to power a 3 axle bogie? Im building a LKAB 6 axle locomotive and i don't know how i could power a 3 axle bogie with power functions. I have seen some designs with motors placed vertical above the bogie but i don't know how to attach something like that to a frame. And what would be the best motor to power it? Thank you for helping!
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After a month, my Arduino clone has arrived from China. I plan to use it to add some inexpensive automation to our LUG's ad hoc layout. We are starting to display trains and don't have anything permanently built. Some of our events are outside in the park where there is no plug in power. One of the requirements would be battery power option. We are basically starting new with the current LEGO train and power offerings. We agreed to make Power Functions our club standard. I selected an Arduino clone. I figured for $4 USD, it is not a big lost if I fried it. There is a reason it is $4. The clone is not quite exactly the same as the real Arduino UNO. It uses a CH340 USB to serial chip instead of the FTDI USB to serial chip found on the real Arduino. In order for the Arduino IDE to communicate with the board, the CH341 driver has to be installed. It doesn't come with the IDE software from the Arduino website. The driver can be downloaded from the Chinese manufacturer's website. Note the site is in Chinese: http://www.wch.cn/do...341SER_EXE.html For a quick test, I hooked up an IR LED desoldered from an old DVD player remote to the board and wrote a simple sketch. I made use of a LEGO Power Function library (http://forum.arduino...p?topic=89310.0) Some resources on the Internet say IR LED in the 940nm range works best for Power Function IR receivers. It worked! And it was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I've never used an Arduino before. More eBay parts are to arrive from China. I'm planning to use reed switches for detection. I think they are the simplest to set up and tear down with just two wires to connect. I ordered inexpensive SG90 servo motors to control the switches. I still have to figure out how to mount them on other club members switch tracks and remove at the end of events. I think this is going to be fun.
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My birthday is coming soon and I really want to buy some LEGO trains. But i can't spend 500 euros on LEGO and trains are expensive. I'm looking forward to have a Maersk train on my layout but i don't have the feeling that im happy with only 2 container wagons. But i can't afford 2 sets and i don't need/want an extra locomotive. And it doesn't have motors. But the design is 10 out of 10. A city train is cheaper for what its got but the details are a non. I could wait for a new creator expert train. I won't buy the Horizon Express just because i would but two of it and my layout i to small for it. So i can choose from this things: Maersk train, i would need to buy extra wagons and power functions Red lego city freight train (3677) Emerald night, i would need to buy extra coaches and power functions Where would you guys choose for?
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Motorized Blue & Yellow diesel locomotives - Power Functions MOCs
Murdoch17 posted a topic in LEGO Train Tech
I have motorized my 7939-inspired MOC and added a new engine inspired by early Box-cab diesels. This is my first couple of motorized MOCs ever, and I'm not sure I did it quite right. I won't be building them, but if anyone wants to take a crack at them be my guest. Here is the front view. The yellow engine is also build able in red or black, while the blue engine is also build able in white. The cab on the yellow engine opens up, but the blue loco is inaccessible at this time. It may be possible to fix this, but it would require a roof redesign and I don't feel like redoing the engine (again) right now... Here we see the innards of the engines: The triple A Battery box and IR receiver. There are two 2x2 holes in the frame of the engine for a PF cord to the motor. No lights are included, but it may be possible to make them fit inside if you really wanted to. The roof sections that are hidden in this picture are removable, and are held on by four studs each. LDD file: http://www.mocpages.com/user_images/80135/1432672946m.lxf As I said above, these are my first motorized models, so please tell me if I did something wrong. Also, Comments, Questions, & Complains are always welcome! -
Hey everyone! Been fiddling around in LDD for a few days now, and finally have something decent enough to post. I am working on this project with the intention of proposing it on Lego Ideas, however I would much rather know what you all think first!! This project started as an attempt to place PF components into a model of a Midland 4F. The end result imho looks... boxy and generic to say the least, but that may end up being a good thing...? The dimensions in studs are: 34 long by 10 1/3 tall by about 7 wide, not including the side rods. Front: Midland 4F(v3) by Nick Jackson, on Flickr Back: Midland 4F(v3)2 by Nick Jackson, on Flickr The colored cables are: red= receiver, green= motor, yellow= lights. Below is a close-up of the frame setup. I REALLY like how this turned out, because: 1) it has space to mount an L motor! 2) I can change gear ratios from 5/3 (speed) to 3/5 (torque) manually! Midland 4F(v3)3 by Nick Jackson, on Flickr Please give me some feedback, all are appreciated!
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I remember a topic from a few months ago about someone who managed to fit the PF battery box under the train base on a MOC of theirs. I've been trying to find it, using the search box, google, and just about every word combination I can think of, but I still can't find it. Can anyone help me? I'd like to use this on a MOC soon.
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[WIP] 18 Volt Drill Master LEGO conversion
Boxerlego posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
18 Volt Drill Master LEGO conversion [WIP] BY Boxerlego Introduction Hi, This is my latest LEGO custom motor project but its not the only one I'm working on I just bought this 18v drill today for the intention of modifying it for LEGO use. My previous drill motor project I only modify an old 18V drill motor to fit with LEGO but this time around I've a new 18V drill motor with a fresh 18 volt battery pack and I'm going to try to fit with LEGO. The nice thing about this is I got that power drill with an 18v battery pack along with charger for a great deal of $16, the original sale price was $35. My first 18v drill motor project had tons of problems to over come and for a long time at first the motor was not even able to be power with LEGO 9V PF system. This was a major problem for me and ultimately I didn't quite know enough on how to drive a DC motors with electronics. So I moved on to my next motor project which was a stepper motor and was more efficient that it could be driven with the LEGO V1 PF system. This was a good step up but it wasn't quite as powerful as the drill motor can be. It didn't take long for me to figure out how to drive a motor with electronics, there are lots of good YouTube videos out there that got me started but ultimately how to properly drive this 18v drill motor with LEGO was still far from perfect. My first motor driver had several mistakes however LEGO was able to still make it work but still those problems needed to be understood and corrected so I can make improvements and make it work better. I will spare all the details here and I will just say that in 2014 I learned tons about how to properly drive motors and more efficiently. Which brings me to my other motor project the upgraded XL motor I'm working on, which is reaching the final stages and that is building the motor driver. This motor driver here for the XL motor MOD is absolutely the best one I made yet. You wont believe what I was able to with this motor driver or maybe you will . I will just say that this motor driver here I made works from the regular 7-9 volts the LEGO Battery box can supply but however the XL motor mod has a switching DC power supply that can step up the 7-9 volts from the battery box to 12 volts for this XL motor mod to work off of. Overall this topic will mainly be about the 18v drill motor LEGO conversion so to start it off I want to show a video time line of some my previous projects with my first drill motor. Video Time Line Think this is either going to work or not please feel free to comment on the matter. I hope everything works out well -
Data Loss + Power Functions vs. Expansion Set
DamonMM2000 posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Hey guys, I have an update on the data loss I experienced recently. I have lost all my youtube video file archives, several important frames for my upcoming stop-motion animation, all documents of my book I’ve been working on, all videos for a Technic set review, a lot of pictures, and countless more. The bad news being said, I do have some good news (though not outweighing the bad). I am at a fork in the road considering my LEGO collection, and I really need your advice! The 45560 Lego® Mindstorms® Ev3 Expansion Set comes with 853 pieces (i.e. beams, pins, wheels and tires, gears and steering racks, panels, speciality parts). As for the other option, for $96 I can get two IR Receivers (V1), two XL Motors, one PF IR Remote-Control, and onePF Servo Motor. The spare parts included are as follows: four 3 Snap Gearbloks (Element ID: 4610378 / Design ID: 92909), two Cardan Cups with Cross Axle 2M (Element ID: 4610374 / Design ID: 92906), two 16z Gears (Element ID: 4640536 / Design ID: 94925), and six Slide Shoe Round 2×2 (Element ID: 4278412 / Design ID: 54196). Share your experiences, has anything similar ever happened to you guys? Also, which do you suggest I get? Thank you! -
[WIP] 1:50 NASA Crawler Transporter
OzShan posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
I am getting close to the end of this long term build and it's time to share some pictures and a bit of the story. Even before I had finished putting together 10231, I decided I wanted a Crawler to go with it. Being a Technic fan it had to at least drive around and lift the launch platform and shuttle. Those two basic goals spawned a project that has lasted a little over 2 years so far. Some ideas have stuck around since their inception, others were a bit optimistic (like building a peristaltic pump and hoping I could find a way to control the pneumatics hydraulically). February this year marked the 50th anniversary of when the two crawlers went into service, so recently there has been extra motivation to finish. The base equipment; - 16x M-motors (drive) - 4x L-motors (pneumatic jacking and leveling) - 4x IR Receivers (V1 as the V2s do not like driving multiple m-motors on a single channel) - 4x NXT servo motors (steering) - 4x RCX rotation sensors (measuring jacking level between truck and chassis) - 2x NXT bricks (one master and one slave. The master communicates with the Android Tablet and coordinates itself with the slave. Programmed in LeJOS) - 1x PF IR-Link sensor (link between master NXT and all PF motors) - 2x PF Battery boxes (with thermal overload removed) - 1x Android Tablet Future add-ons - Accelerometer (automatically detect the crawler is on a gradient and adjust the leveling to suit) Bricksafe folder is here: http://www.bricksafe.com/pages/OzShan/Crawler Firstly, a couple of my favorite reference pictures; The build itself started with the trucks, thinking that the pneumatics and LAs would dictate the scale. First proof of concept - build a coupling to give height, pitch, roll and yaw to the truck. The pneumatics need to be on their own gimbals too. The reinforced 2x2 rounds slide and rotate in the 4x4 macaroni's. It is on the limit of what will hold together without glue, but it does hold. The two 1x2 technic bricks at the base of the 2x2 column are helped a little by a string (not pictured) which runs up through the 2x2 rounds with the axle. Initial prototype of the drivetrain. I would have liked a higher ratio but there was just no room at this scale. When the gearbox was married with the truck chassis I had to juggle positions, so you will see in later pics the crown gears are facing in not out Best laid plans.... Marry studded and studless they said. It will be easy they said... Showing what will eventually be the steering between chassis and truck. The guide tube and pneumatic cylinders are all on gimbals with the pneumatics coupled together. The average height is preserved during any tilting. With prototypes sorted, it's time to bricklink some parts and quieten down the colour scheme! (thank you 42030 for providing 5L thin liftarms with axle hole in LBG color) You can see the relationship between "guide tube" and cylinders here. The pneumatic system was overhauled too many times to remember but this is what it arrived at. It is all controlled by the direction of the motor. Running forwards drives the pump. When running backwards, the lobes operate the pneumatic valves in series, letting small amounts of air escape each rotation. This lowers the chassis in a slow and controlled manner. The motor can be turned on or off and run in either direction at any time due to the valve timing. Early attempts with PF Servo and NXT servo just couldn't park the valve reliably and after a few operations I would hear a slow leak. I have been trying to keep up with the LDD but it's hard to stay motivated when I know I'm just going to have to suck it up and move over to LDraw if I want to include all the motors, pneumatics and LAs Works so far; (I'll make the files available if anybody would like them). I found LDD essential in the early days to plan ahead and simply find parts, but later on the build overtook it. Original 'box' pump. 1x PF XL motor, 4x 6L pumps running at 90 deg to each other. Very smooth but bulky. Flatter attempt in the same vein. The truck itself. The final design for the height control modules. I hope you enjoy the build so far. More pictures to come of chassis, steering, leveling and interior details. I'll leave it to others to decide what 'theme' it belongs to . -
MOC: Whack A Jar Jar Binks
dr_spock posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Now for something silly. I was planning a stairs GBC module for our upcoming LUG event season. It got morphed into a stress reliever or stress creator depending on how you look at whack a mole. YouTube Video: (I needed something quick for my Jar Jar photo a day project.) Day 111 of 365: Whack a Jar Jar Binks by dr_spock_888, on Flickr -
Hello Eurobricks community, I would like to share my newest design that I've been working on for many months and now it is finally complete. Please take a moment to read the description and see all the photos for all the details of the set! https://ideas.lego.com/projects/100353 As train enthusiasts, I would love to hear your opinions and criticisms of my design. If you have any questions, I will be glad to provide more information.
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Hi all, Long time lurker, first time posting. I came out of the dark ages (15yrs +) last year, saw all the amazing trains I'd missed (damn Maersk and EN) and decided to try my hand at a MOC - The new(?) pieces on offer these days are amazing! The following is all made up btw, it's loosely based on real engines and a bit of the LEGO Lone range train thrown in "The Persian Blue Express is one of the fastest in it's class, with almost unmatched speed for it's pulling power. Shown here is the model T version, which was used to carry the King and Queen through the Great Western plains. Following it's retirement in 1910, it has since made a comeback in 2015 with passengers from the city wanting to experience the regalia and nostalgia of the past." - Longer story is also WIP WIP, CC welcome please. I have a black clips and gold clips version. I'm learning towards the gold, although I haven't got any of those in my collection, but may well be brick-linked tonight! I've managed to build one side in bricks, have ordered all the blue bits I'm missing. I've also order enough parts to make an Emerald night carriage, so I'll hock that up when the parts arrive, before designing my own. Black Clips: Gold Version: Front: Cab: LDraw version, sometimes easier to see: And finally in real life! I built it in brick first, and then went to LDD, where I made some changes along the way..... I like the LDD file better than the brick built version now! The PF are in the tender, and it works well going round the track. (not with those Blue pegs though, annoying friction) - The T.C.R.R is from the Lone Ranger, I've yet to print my own stickers! Can anyone tell me how long the Engine of the EN is please? Mine is exactly two straight pieces long. Thanks Dylan
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Shortly after jtlan's CNJ1000, I set out to make a small PF boxcab of my own! I think like many of the earliest diesel electric locomotives in the US, the A6 had its beginnings in the Kaufman Act of the 1920s, which banned steam locomotives from operating in New York City. PRR built three A6 class two-axled switchers (3905-3907), one of which was repowered and reclassified A6B (3907), all of which operated in various New York yards between the late 1920s and late 1950s. Here is a picture of the lone A6B with some B1s up for scrap in 1961: This projext actually started out as one of those B1s, but along the way we found engineering drawings for the A6/B, and I was able to cram the drivetrain I'd designed for the B1 into the smaller body of the A6B. The unit is 24 studs long between couplers and has about 400 parts. The power comes from an AAA battery pack driving the old 9v geared motor. Not surprisingly the most difficult part of this model was figuring out how to position the battery pack, the geared motor, and that darn PF receiver inside the scaled dimensions of the loco. There weren't *that* many potential combinations of fit, but I had to go through a couple. In the end it's actually pretty tight given that the face of the receiver is already at the same height as the top of the curved slopes that make up the sides of the roof. The transmission is as simple as I could possibly make it: just 8-tooth gears meshed into 24-tooth crowns. You could actually speed this up by using 12 and 20 tooth bevels, but I prefer to go slower and have more pulling power - I want to be able to use the most worn out AAAs floating around and still go somewhere. Consequently the loco is *really* slow, but I'll call that a feature. Otherwise, the build is pretty straightforward, but I did try to make the top easily removable. My only real beef with this implementation is that the L drivers are slightly too big and the 1x1 tanks slightly too small. The receiption is also not amazing due to the positioning of the receiver, but it could be worse. There's a flap in the roof to access the power button. I have no idea what the big tank in the back is for. Someone enlighten me. More pics Bonus material #1: I tried my hand at "weathering" the unit by changing some of the brick colors, but I couldn't really get a combination with which I was happy: Bonus material #2: LDD of the B1 that I didn't finish. Pantographs are a pain. EDIT: Instructions now available for sale on Rebrickable: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-76470/NonsenseWars/148-pennsylvania-railroad-a6b-v2-powered-up/#details
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Inductive Charging for PF Trains - Last chance to support!
Brickthus posted a topic in LEGO Train Tech
My first project on the LEGO Ideas site is an Inductive Charging System for Power Functions LiPo batteries for Trains, Technic and Mindstorms. The project concept enables a train LiPo battery to be charged without manual intervention. The train stops over the charging coil. The charging coil would sit between the rails, powered from the standard charger. The receiving coil would be held between the bogies of a wagon, plugged into the charging port of the LiPo battery. The device would be compatible with use for Technic, Mindstorms and other themes, so that a robot could return to a charging station and charge itself. It might be possible for the charging and receiving coils to be two of the same device, minimising cost. This would bring LEGO products up to date with the charging of mobile phones and tablets. It may be a key technology to enable more development of Power Functions trains because it would make it easier to run them at shows. Please add your support to the project. We have 90 supporters so far, which is good for a technological project (as opposed to a populist project). Let's see if we can reach over 100 supporters, perhaps 150 in April! Even if the LEGO Ideas route is not the best route, your support adds weight to the case for pursuing another route, such as third party production or crowd funding. Thanks, Mark -
Lego working warning lights
Timtechnic12 posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Hello, I'm Tim. I'm new to EB. I had an idea to make working warning lights with only non rare lego bricks. So i came up with this idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GAaL5OIw7M I hope you liked it, Tim -
[MOC] Fury Supercar
Coola1 posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Here is my new MOC, it's my second super car and I think it's a lot better than my first. I'm not sure about the top speed, but it's reasonably fast since the XL motors drive 36t gears, that go to 12t gears and then the differential. It's 99% done, might make some small aesthetic changes if you guys suggest any. Specs: -2 XL Motors for RWD with differential. -1 Servo Motor for steering. -V8 Engine. -Full independent suspension, 2 hard shocks per wheel. -Working steering wheel. -Only one seat, so the interior is quite empty and dull . -Manually openable doors. Pics: Sorry if the pictures aren't very good quality, was using my phone. Some of them got a bit weird with the lighting. Video coming soon. Any feedback is welcome ! -
I have Light Gray Train, Track 4.5V Switch Point (x878cx2 or x879cx2) or Light Gray Train, Track 12V Switch Point (73696 or 73697) I also have the Change-Over Unit/Light Gray Electric, Train 12V Manual Switch Motor (5079 or 73112) Do you have already control one with a Power Function motor? Thank you Frederic -
Remote control old Track Switch Point 4.5V or 12V with Power Functions
fred-eric posted a topic in LEGO Train Tech
I have Light Gray Train, Track 4.5V Switch Point (x878cx2 or x879cx2) or Light Gray Train, Track 12V Switch Point (73696 or 73697) I also have the Change-Over Unit/Light Gray Electric, Train 12V Manual Switch Motor (5079 or 73112) Do you have already control one with a Power Function motor? Thank you Frederic -
Somewhere between talking to CommanderWolf about boxcabs, seeing his HH1000, and reading up on old diesel-electric locomotives on the internet, I somehow got the idea to build a model of the very first production diesel-electric locomotives in the United States. These locomotives were produced by a consortium of three companies: ALCo, General Electric, and Ingersoll-Rand. Diminutive as they were (this model represents a 60-ton, 300hp locomotive), they are the direct ancestors of the diesel-electric locomotives powering the US rail system today. As far as I can tell, only three locomotives were actually built with this specific layout: CNJ #1000, B&O #1, and Lehigh Valley 100. Later models featured doors at both ends in addition to the sides; in addition, larger 100-ton versions were built. They could run in either direction, although there are distinct ends and sides: the above image shows the "B" side and "2" end (which I consider the "rear" of the locomotive). I went into construction pretty set on equipping this locomotive with Power Functions while still building an accurate model (at the same scale as the rest of my locomotives). While there are examples of very small Power-Functions-equipped locomotives, I was pretty much dead-set against using the Power Functions train motor -- the locomotive would be too fast, and I wouldn't be able to accurately model the trucks. So, I had to fit motor(s), battery box, and receiver into the shell of the locomotive: As usual, the Power Functions receiver turned out to be the biggest bugbear in this whole adventure. Its shape is extremely inconvenient. While there is just barely enough room to fit Power Functions M motors vertically inside the locomotive above the trucks, placing them would imply that the battery box would have to go between them ... leaving no room for the receiver. I was not going to accept powering only one of the trucks (for a model this light, you need all the traction you can get). The locomotive is not long enough to orient the M motors any other way, so I turned to the trusty 9V gearmotor instead. However, I determined that, even using that motor, there wasn't enough room inside the model for both two motors and the receiver. It was around this point that I decided that 7-wide was the correct width for the model, to avoid it looking too big (it also resulted in better proportions for the windows at the end of the locomotive). At 7-wide, there are only 5 studs of width inside the locomotive, of which 4 studs are taken up by the battery box. The transmission would have to either be 1 stud wide, or I would have to integrate panels into the side of the locomotive in the hopes of hiding the gearing. So what did I do? Restrictions breed creativity: (chain doesn't connect correctly due to LDD difficulties) Turns out, the entire drivetrain can be made to fit into the space available using a chain. The grey idler wheel attaches to a 1x2 brick with pin in the wall of the locomotive. Other parts of the drivetrain are similarly integrated with the body, and the motor and battery box form integral parts of the model's frame. The Power Functions receiver just barely fits in this awkward position above the gears on the non-motor end, and receives signals through a trans-black 1x2 brick on the roof: It is actually a pretty decent puller despite its small size (it is the "AGEIR" listed in this thread; the power rating has since risen to ~0.2W after I carefully lubricated and reassembled the entire drive system). Oddly for a PF-equipped locomotive, it is possible to back-drive the motor by pushing the locomotive, due to the low mechanical resistance of the 9V gearmotor. An additional side "benefit" of the drive system is that the chain makes a pleasant diesel-like clicking/rumbling sound when the locomotive is in motion. As troublesome as all these restrictions (that I placed on myself...) were, I really enjoyed figuring out how to fit all the mechanical components into such a small space, while still maintaining an accurate depiction of the prototype. It just goes to show what's possible using Power Functions. Brickshelf gallery here. If you're curious about the history of these locomotives, you can read about them here.
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[MOC] Batman's Bat Hunter
LegoMathijs posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
A few month's ago I've build Batman's Bat Hunter. It's not an official Batman vehicle Last week I've made some pictures of it (I am/was very busy with other LEGO mocs) I've created this MOC in 1,5 day. Short description of the moc: Batman use the Bat Hunter for keeping Gotham City safe. The Bat Hunter is a fast vehicle for patrolling around Gotham City. When riding the Bat Hunter, the wings are moving. The Bat Hunter is remote controlled by one PF medium motor, and for steering one PF medium motor. Some pictures: 01_Bat_Hunter by LegoMathijs, on Flickr I've used the IR receiver as cabin. 05_Bat_Hunter_backside_view by LegoMathijs, on Flickr Backside of the Bat Hunter 04_Bat_Hunter by LegoMathijs, on Flickr 02_Bat_Hunter by LegoMathijs, on Flickr More pictures at my Flickr photostream: https://www.flickr.c...157650266117900 -
[TC6] Mini compact forklift
Zerobricks posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
This is what I managed to build today in cca 5 hours. Its a very efficient, lightweight yet powerfull forklift. All functions are motorized with M motors. Features: - Front wheel drive with differential - Pendular rear axle with ackermann steering geometry - Lifting mechanism with double chains for max lift force of over 500 grams - Fork tilting mechanism I will upload better pictures and a video tomorrow -
Power to weight ratio for technic supercars
LeocornoProductions posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Hello all I just thought of an interesting concept for technic supercars, that could help compare them properly. As we all know, the real supercar world is a buzz about power to weight ratio figures and such. I know you would probably think this is pointless for a technic supercar, because you would expect its power to weight figure to be so low but, it's still a neat way of comparing them. Because some technic supercars are heavy but powerful and others are the opposite. So I have researched a formula to work out power to weight ratio for real cars, and thus used this for technic models, and have also worked out the power and torque of every modern technic motor: Xl motor, L motor, m motor and possibly RC motors. Here are some power to weight figures from 2 of my motorized supercars: My Lamborghini Huracan *1.3kg *0.004hp = 3.08hp per ton My Mclaren P1 *2.8kg *0.008hp = 2.86hp per ton. As you can see. eventhough my Mclaren has 2 Xl motors and my Lamborghini only has 1, the Lamborghini edges out a better power to weight ratio because its less than half the weight of the Mclaren. Which explains why my Lamborghini is almost twice as fast as the Mclaren (apart from the fact that the Lamborghini has a 3 speed gearbox, 4wd and better gearing, and the Mclaren just has 2 Xl motors powered to a differential.) Thank you for viewing this topic, if you have any questions feel free to ask. If you have any motorized mocs that you would like me to work out their power to weight ratio, just tell me their weight in kilograms, and how many motors it's power by e.g. 1 Xl motor or 2 L motors. I'm not sure about RC motors but if your moc is powered by RC motors I will try my best to work it out. LeocornoProductions -
Ever wonder how much power you're actually getting out of your locomotives? Commander Wolf and I did! Of course there's Philo's motor characteristics page, but that only tells you the motor power ratings under the load he tested with, under his conditions. We wanted to see how much drawbar power we were actually getting, particularly with Power Functions locomotives. Here's our setup: A string is attached to a pin inserted where the magnet would normally go on the locomotive. The string is attached to a weight, which dangles off the balcony into the floor below (a 3-meter drop). Here's what we tested: AGEIR Power source: PF rechargeable battery Motor: 71427 gearmotor 2096 Power source: 2-cell 20C Lithium-Ion battery (custom) Motor: 2x PF M motor Baggage Car 999 Power source: Wall wart Motor: 2x 9V train motor HH1000 Power source: AA battery box with Eneloops Motor: 2x PF M motor U30 Power source: AA battery box with Eneloops Motor: 2x PF L motor We did two tests. Traction Test We ran each locomotive at top speed. If it moved the weight, we increased the weight until it no longer moved, then recorded the result. We then divided the max weight pulled by the weight of the locomotive to get an effective traction ratio (for 2096, we divided by the weight of the center powered section only). Unfortunately, since our weight was made up of two battery boxes, the minimum granularity in our measurement was the weight of a AA battery. Results: The locomotives with the PF train wheel, as well as the 9V motor unit, all had about the same traction ratio, from 0.25 to 0.27. No. 2096 had a much higher ratio of 0.337. I'll note that 2096 uses the large drive wheels with custom O-ring tires, rather than the official rubber band. Some locomotives had different traction ratios going forward and going backward. Power Test In this test, we fixed the weight at 98g. We then measured how long it took each locomotive to raise the weight a fixed distance. From this we could calculate the power output by each locomotive against that particular load: mass of weight (kg) * acceleration of gravity (m/s^2) * distance (m) / time (s) Results: Note the high values for 2096 and the baggage car -- this is due to their high top speed (large drivers on 2096, speedy 9V motor on the baggage car -- we ran the 9V motors at top speed). We ran the test on our top three winners with 2 more AA batteries of weight: Note that the power ratings for 2096 and U30 went up more than the power rating of the baggage car did. Interpretation: PF motors can continue to haul heavy loads at decent speeds, whereas 9V motors are gradually slowed by the addition of more weight. How much is 98 grams of load equivalent to though? The bonus round: Measuring Rolling Resistance We hooked up some unpowered rolling stock to the weight, and increased the weight until they began to move. Turns out the normal 9V wheelsets, lightly lubricated, have neglible resistance. The weight of a single 2x4 brick was sufficient to move a piece of 2-axle rolling stock. Of course, there are things with a lot more rolling resistance: - Commander Wolf's PRR T1: 52 grams worth of resistance - The entire rake of P54 cars (3 total): 32 grams worth of resistance Conclusions Effective traction is about the same regardless of your power source. If you want more pulling power, increase the weight of your locomotive ... or try to find some tires with more traction. U30 weighs 1020 grams and could lift ~ 250 grams. 9V train motors produce a huge amount of power ... if you want to go really fast. For pulling heavy loads at more sedate speeds, use the PF motors. We haven't tested the 9V train motors at a lower speed, but observational evidence suggests that their effective pulling power is drastically reduced at lower speeds. The rolling resistance of lubricated stock wheelsets is almost nothing compared to much lower than the rolling resistance of technic axles. Be prepared to fight lots of resistance if you make custom rolling stock that doesn't use the stock wheelsets. Until next time!
