Toastie

Post is really old - but crap where crap needs even more crap: This is indeed a very nice project. That bridge by the way is not even close to crap - but may you know better. Been there? I live there. No crap bridge. To tne crap - we have a LEGO bridge in Wuppertal Best Thorsten

So I should recalculate my numbers by using 3x 3.6V, correct? When LiPos are connected in series, the capacity remains the same as each for each individual cell (provided they are all the sam), but as you said, due to the elevated voltage, the externally drawn current goes up correspondingly, right? Best Thorsten

OK, I found a good reference (for me that is), which makes a couple of things clearer: https://rogershobbycenter.com/lipoguide This is copied from the BuWizz website for the 3.0 Pro brick: Battery Battery type: Lithium Polymer (Li-Ion) Battery capacity: 2300 mAh 8.5 Wh I believe LiPo is meant and not Li-ion, but that is not the point. The capacity is 2,3 Ah; lets assume we operate at 2x 3.6 = 7.2 V nominal LiPo voltage. 8.5 Wh does then mean Watt hours per cell, or I am calculating wrong: 3.6 V x 2,3 Ah = 8.3 Wh, which is close enough to 8.5 Wh 8.5 Wh translates to (@100% conversion, which is not the case, but) 8.5 W can be delivered in one hour. With two cells, this should be 17 W in 1 hour (sustained). Looking further into the BuWizz3.0 pro specs 2x Power Functions outputs Max continuous current per PF channel: 4 A Max instantaneous current per PF channel: 6 A compatible with older 9V system motors (RC/Buggy motor) Max continuous power per PF channel: 48 W Max total power: over 100 W I believe it is fair so say that all these numbers are truly ultimate Max numbers, as also indicated, and furthermore, that when you dissipate 100W total, that the battery is "empty" in 17/100 h = 10 min. Or am I doing something wrong here? Best Thorsten

Cheers! Best wishes Thorsten

OK folks, I don't want to pester ... I am really just curious. I studied the BuWizz3.0 website a bit. And then the suppliers of LiPo batteries of the size that possibly fit into the BuWizz Brick. There are (a few) Chinese LiPo manufacturers who claim that sustained discharge currents of 4(+) Amps are possible with "BuWizz sized LiPos". However, this also reduces the lifetime to less than 100+ charging cycles. This is what I got from a quick search. I would like to see more on that issue. There is no question that electronics can handle 4+ amps. But to supply that usually way larger LiPo pouches/batteries are required (and available of course). The BuWizz brick though is, as copied from the website 9 x 4 x 3 bricks (72 x 32 x 30 mm) in size. All these 50(+)Watts sustained output claims must come from either: Within 10 minutes (max!!!) of operation or simply as peak wattage. If not, I am totally puzzled. We are working closely with companies making LiPos (not the electronics - the chemical power source) and with companies making equipment to find failures during LiPo manufacturing (leakage etc). Please educate me! All the best Thorsten

No - I mean buying other than orginal LEGO stets - but this is really not for discussion here. There is another forum. for such things. I am just saying that for me everything has a "price tag" (including time for getting pieces) limit or threshold - and then it may happen. BTW it happened two times in 56 years - I must admit though both during the past 3 years: The Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman. For the latter, I am still trying to find out, whether this is original work from MK, they are giving credit to a hidden builder, or they simply stole the whole thing. Best Thorsten

That is exactly how I look at things. (I did this with the Flying Dutchman from MK. It was a blast to build this model. Nothing even close from TLG - even the Silent Mary looks ... well, I don't know. I do know that there is apparently playability in the Mary) But other than that: Not for going the cheap way. Best Thorsten

Sure! But the battery needs to supply that wattage - it simply does not change. What changes is the power dissipation in the wires and electrical contacts. Maybe even in the motor itself. However: The battery has a certain capacity. How many amps can you draw from a LiPo "sustained"? The operational time must come down considerably at this rating (50 W). Also: I have learned both theoretically as well as the hard way that when you stress a LiPo - and drawing 4 amps at 12V is "close" to shortening it, you want to be careful. All that will be built into the BuWizz box, essentially, you "just" have to monitor the temperature increase in the LiPo pack - and then limit current. But this brings me back to: What does sustained mean? Just assume some train heads will dive into BuWizz3.0. These folks run several PF XL motors to haul really heavy trains, with a lot of friction. Now, is this a scenario for BuWizz3.0? Or is it more the "reserve" in it? In terms of: When you need power, you get it, but only for so long? Or does this brick simply crank out long term 50 W until battery capacity (Ah) is drowned? As said: I am learning here! Best Thorsten

I have been thinking about this quite a while, so it is time to ask. BuWizz is not considered a clone type thing, but an addition to the range of LEGO hubs, right? I mean, this is electronics within a plastic case that may be considered, well, copied. There is a lot of flak that Chinese copy cats are getting, but this is different, correct? They do this one electronic thing and this is good, because it adds to the line of devices? They don't copy, they develop, correct? The case of the BuWizz 3.0 brick is of the same size as before (1.X, 2.X) . Presumably there is a LiPo battery inside, maybe not. In another thread the output of that brick was: "Buwizz 3.0 is a monster (from their website) each power functions channel has a continuous electrical power output of 48 watts (peak 60) while the total output for 1 brick is rated at over 100watts"How on earth is this possible? Is it me or is there a different interpretation of "sustained"? I am really interested in this! Best Thorsten

Thank you, I really appreciate that You'll never go the "forbidden route", right? (I have to be very careful here) Best Thorsten

Well the problem in LEGO towns is: Automation. It is tough to negotiate the usually rather tight curves (baseplate based). Wide curves are not find that often. And this sort of limits the operation of remotely controlled cars/trucks. Your solution is nice though!!! Problem again may be the minimum radius you can steer your truck through, right? Best wishes, and thanks for sharing! Thorsten

Wow, that is a nice locomotive! I can see this one next to the LEGO Crocodile! You also purposely borrowed a few (improved!) design items from the Croc, right? Oh this is so nice. It may be tough on IDEAS though, as the Croc is already pretty much filling that "slot". But: For 6-wide train fans this must be a marvel. It is for me. I would love to see this loco next to my croc for sure. Motorized with PUp ... Very, very nice debut, a very warm welcome joining EB and all the very best! Thorsten

It is. But as you said: It releases a lot of energy otherwise not available - to me that is. All the best, Thorsten

Yes, same here, many of which are already marked as "Banned Outlaws" Best Thorsten

Nice! Never seen. Bookmarked - man, so nice stuff out there ... Thanks for the link! Best Thorsten

@Duq I saw that on as well. Very nice analysis and even more so a nice write-up. It appears though that a lot of reengineering efforts and "RCX research" was done earlier - in the years after the RCX system was released. This here is from 2001; I always refer to this page (well, saved the page as PDF, just in case it disappears ...): http://www.mientki.ruhosting.nl/data_www/lego_knex/lego_electronica/ir_tower/ir_tower.html This page is still there; many of the links may not work anymore though. It is really a very nice resource for also making your own IR hardware. The notes on the LEGO IR (RCX/Scout/Spybot) serial protocol are really helpful. @BrickTronic provided this link http://www.robotika.sk/mains.php?page=/projects/lego/tower/index.php for a "correct" circuit diagram of the serial IR tower electronics - this page is not in English but has nice further information. Also the links provided are helpful. Best Thorsten

And this is because speed tries to determine the motors' rpm and the adjust power to keep that value constant to the speed setting, is this correct? Power on the other hand does not do that - it just sets the PWM to the corresponding power value, right? (I have never worked with scratch or Spike) Thanks, Thorsten

Yes, I do as well. The concept that is. But the affordability? No. I simply do not get this. Maybe TLG is losing touch with the base a bit when it comes to affordably for building worlds. Really? I don't. Good things should stay and bad things should disappear in a puff of logic Best Thorsten

What gets me always in trouble in these discussions: You can ramp up the voltage to levels you see fit - but when we are talking about wattage it is always (at least) voltage x current. And the current is not supplied by the controller but the "battery". Regardless of type. Then of course comes the max. current provided by the motor drivers. When these are capable of delivering unlimited amounts of current, you still need a power source to sustain that current (at a voltage that adjusts). So what are your wattage numbers based on? What is your power source? I am just curious! Best Thorsten

I can see that Best Thorsten

Wow, the suspended LEGO train solutions presented here are really nice! I do take the "Schwebebahn" frequently in real life to get rather fast from A to B in the city of Wuppertal in Germany - this is where my university is located. How many of this particular type of suspended trains are out there? Not the ones that run on elevated track, as on mono rails. I really don't know ... Best Thorsten

But isn't that helmet, along with the faded "LEGO space" print and the slightly out-spaced look in his face plus his name meant to illustrate the "Benny" character? When you change any or all of that he becomes more the "Ben" or "Joe" type, right? Best Thorsten

Damned. I knew it. Irrelevant. Always felt it - sitting here with a hot solder iron (at least that one is only 5 years old - oh well and only because I failed to repair the old one ). And you are right of course! The past will always will be irrelevant to market&profit. But maybe there is a little more than just that in TLG's philosophy. Maybe not. Whatever. But I can tell you the feeling: "It works! The old stuff works with the new stuff - I knew it, I knew it, I knew it" ... is a good feeling. Irrelevant but really good . Hey, this was decades ago a comic strip ("The Wizard of ID" by Brant Parker/Johnny Heart): "How old are you old timer?" "One Hundred" "Wow" "I can remember when global warming was called summer" Best wishes, Thorsten

Well they are always in for something special at TLG, right? ... 10V DC charging wall warts, no one else uses in the known parts of at least this universe, these weird plugs and sockets - no wait, that was solely for safety reasons ... but wait, wait, wait 3x2 sounds very familiar, need to check, back in a minute. Yeap, I know why that is: They are running their Ideas program on Sinclair ZX Spectrums: 32 columns x 22 lines. Close enough. Each line/column is 8/8 pixels. They are simply saving storage space here! Each Spectrum high-res screen-shot is 8kByte only. 1982 was a good year for high-res ... Just kidding. Was a long day here. 3x2 sounds really weird. Sorry to hear that you now have to do a lot of work, because simple cropping will be no option, right? Need to get a beer or two Have a nice weekend, Thorsten

Thank you that helped (me) a lot! I always admire the different ways one can express things in any language. But really shows when reading in a "non mother tongue" language. This is a very nice example! Thank you for your time translating this from English to English @MAB! I really like this. Best wishes, Thorsten