doug72

Agree, I had problems setting up for the Libeer excavator, not a fan of Control plus. Have started the PF build and I have kept all the sub modules from the CAT D11 for reuse, just need to strip stage 1 parts first.

I have check connections are correct. If they are wrong you get a warning message. "Incorrect connection" When programe starts the drive to the ladder runs for a short time in one direction then seleltor changes over and drive to ladder runs the other way and but does not then oroceed to the next test. I will use the excellent instructions by @Ngoc Nguyen for a PF version,

NO I tried changing which hub port the motors connect to but got "incorrect connection" I will try one more time.

Re-set all data and tried testing. CAT D11 problems. So far I have been unable to calibrate this as required on page 169 I Have gone back to first page and re-built it. Every step checked and double checked before moving on. Suspect something in the gear box with multiple red gears is correct. Now rebuilt gear box section 5 times and ensured the orange gear selector is in the correctly positioned. But after initial movemnt gets mis aligned !! Checked all cable correctly made to the hub and fresh batteries in the hub. On starting calibration at page 169 - press red lever and connects OK to iPad, there is some movement of gears back & forth & orange selector - then just squeaking noise from the hub. Moved my iPad close to my router to ensure gets a good signal. I am not fan of Control + and it looks very likely I will revert to PF control, unless anyone has ideas why I am having trouble. Thanks in advance for any helpful ideas. One more try & if that fail its PF Time !!! Doug72

Thanks for your reply, & help, Yes I realise you can break it done into sub units. I have downloaded your PDF instructions. Which motor goes to which PF receiver ? and did you used a bespoke hand held contoller. So far the ripper has been calibrated OK Now on the next calibration and I have moved iPad close to my router for max download speed 200 Mbps.

CAT D11 Built but will not calibrate !!!!! ( HELP ) How long should it take to calibrate ? Received this at Christmas and have been slowly building it in stages each day ever since and double / triple checking all is correct before moving onto the next page. Checked cable connections from the motors are correctly made. Found the build very frustrating at times and that the new black 2L pins are very hard to insert especially when there were multiple pins to connect at same time. Having tendonitis in my wrists doesn’t help. Build finally completed today and proceeded to try and calibrate it. Had a message about downloading latest firmware but could not find how to get this. My iPad connected OK to the hub and a calibration diagram appeared showing the lift rams for the blade on the left & another on the right for blade tilt ? All I get is a constant squeaking noise from somewhere inside, presumably one of the motors but unable to figure out which one. Hard to see inside but no gears seem to be moving and unable to determine which motor is squeaking. Any help would be much appreciated. Tempted to dismantle and build the PF version as I have enough PF motors & controllers.

Thanks for your comments, On all my GBC builds now, I try to eliminate the need for a reversing the drive. I aways review a build and tinker with it until satisfied. It can take a long time to get reliable running without jams & losing balls.

GBC Square Update:- intermitent problem with balls dropping. Occasionally a ball would drop from a loaded ball carrying cradle and land on the one that had preceded it. As the ball cradle tried to rise up at the loading point the rogue ball then jammed the system, causeing the worm drive gear to skip on the 20T gear. If too many balls are in the input box the ball cradle lifts tries too carry too many balls which drop off on the horizontal run or at the unloading point where some balls fall backwards and drop onto the cradle below. Two solutions:- 1/. Install a system to only load 6 balls per cradle but synchronisation would be very difficult. - rejected. 2/. Add a slope below the top rail to catch any balls that fall direct to roll down to the output chute. Modify the ball carrying cradle to restrict the number of balls to six and prevent any of them rolling off backwards. Solution 2 tested and module now running OK. IMG_8495

Thanks for the reply and the explanation. Now completed stage 2. I will follow your advice about tilting the blade forward before calibration.

HELP:- having problems with calibrating. Having received a the Cat 11 bulldozer at Christmas I have so far successfully built stage 1. Stage 2 built as far as page 198 and down load C + to my iPad. & downloaded software and latest firmware OK. How long should it take and should you wait until stage 2 is completed or until book 2 page 974 when blade tilt system installed? 1st attempt:- Turned on hub and some movement from the long linear actuators and then nothing, later found the 20T DBG gear for the differential had dropped out !! 2nd attempt:- Stripped gear box down and rebuilt making sure all gears correct and orange gear selector correctly positioned. Tried calibration again without success. 3rd Attempt :- Rebuilt gear box again and double checked all correct and that all cables correctly connected to the hub This time the calibration started with both L.A rotating and after a long pause calibration moved onto the next step ( right hand image showing the blade tilting system) But blade tilt system is not installed until page 974. So far no further progress. Should I continue you the to complete stage 2 before trying to calibrating again ? Tempted to use the PF solution as I have enough PF motors and PF receivers to use this. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. Now completed stage 2. Doug72

Correct they come in packs of 100 pce.

Build 100% complete after further Improvements:- Tried with two ball cradles but still unable to meet the 1 ball per second. So four Ball cradles are now installed, equally space out on the chain belt and can carry up to 6 balls each. In Box side fences raised to stop balls over topping. With the L motor at full speed and 20:1 drive ratio, the transfer of 60 balls is 45 seconds. Thus the Motor can now be regulated to give 1 ball per second Module Tested and is very smooth running. Still hunting for lost balls !!! IMG_8494

Build Completed and tested OK - Photos & Video added. Ball loading in Box now installed and after a lot of alterations was functioning as required. In box is GBC compliant at Entry 10L height. Entry Width 8L and length 16L. Four fixed bars with ball retainers at the end of the free arm. The transfer carriage has three arms. Various means to prevent balls escaping had to be fitted. Transfer of 60 balls is too long at 68 seconds. To meet GBC 1 ball per second the speed needs to be increased, At present drive is using an L motor with a 20:1 reduction. Possible solutiuon: to meet 1 ball /sec. 1/. use L motor with a 16T gear with worm drive to give 16:1 ratio. 2/. Widen the input box & discharge box. 3/ Have two carriages ? Photos. General View:- IMG_8487 Loading input box. IMG_8488 Discharge box IMG_8489 Carrier arms passing through the fixed arms. IMG_8490 IMG_8491 Video: Filmed using hand held camera in right hand & loading balls using left hand hence a bit shaky !!

Original post 7 years ago Feb 2014

Progress update: Ball discharge unit :- It took a long time to get the correct arrangements for the carriage fingers arms to align with the static fingers arms. 15 balls per trip are unloaded into a GBC compliant in box which modified with a tilting section to release 15 ball when the trip bar is activated. Inbox can also be positioned sideways as shown or inline. Static finger arms. IMG_8481 Ball carriage about to pass through the static fingers and drop balls which roll down to exit the module. IMG_8482 Short Video: showing balls rolling down to the next "in box". Next stage Build the input ball loading unit. I hope to be able to keep the ball input height at 10L.

Your solution works fine, tilt is now very small, now, tested with carriage holding 16 balls.

Thanks for your ideas, I will study them and see if I have enough gears. Meanwhile I have come up with a way to keep the carriage horizontal on the top rail for most of the travel, just a slight tilt as it enters & leaves the support rail. IMG_8480 by Doug Ridgway, on Flickr Re GBC compliant loading / discharge. I have several designs of the GBC Inbox all with 10L entry height andI need to figure if front or side position to load balls is best. Carriage at the moment can hold 9 balls but could be widened to carry 15 balls. I have an inbox that releases 15 balls per loading cycle.

@Thierry-GearsManiac "For the top horizontal travel, no need to maintain a tight horizontality of the carriage, because its low center of gravity may be sufficient." I tried installing a guide beam for top horizontal run but carriage kept catching and tipping over so removed. Now trying to figure out the ball loading and unloading Doug

Update:- Guide track modified and two support legs added to the front to keep i the main structure upright. Guide beams to baseplate for the lower horizontal section to keep carriage horizontal as it traverses. Next step is the difficult bit, to arrange the ball loading and unloading stations. Ball carriage can carry 9 per trip so probably does not meet GBC flow rate of 1 ball per second. IMG_8477 IMG_8478 Video:-

@Thierry-GearsManiac Thanks for explaining that mechanism but it will make the module too front heavy and would need bracing to prevent that. Please keep posting your ideas on this thread. I have 4 pce. Lego Monoarm with 24T gears (32311) that might possible work. Progress Update:- Meanwhile I have now sorted the layout for the guide beams and the carriage now traverses without snagging at the 90 deg. turns The track tensioners for the two top sprocket wheels are working well to keep the track from sagging on both upper, lower & vertical runs. Now working installing the guide beams which are similar to the earlier version, with a subtle guide for the carriage to engage the vertical guide beam. Next step is to install the guide rails to support the carriage at the lower level. I will post new images tomorrow of the revised layout.

You are correct but might put out the alignment for the side guide beams. I will try it with track tensioners at the top only to tension the vertical sections of track.

Track tensioning:- Have come up with a method using small shock absorbers to keep the track taut and eliminate the sag when using large sprocket wheels. Test rig made and keeps track links taut. Support beams for the track now are now in line with side of the track. Next step is to re-build the main structure using four large sprocket wheels and four track tensioners This could also be used with tracked vehicles such as tanks , crawlers etc. Ahead view: IMG_8469 Underside view: IMG_8470 Front View: IMG_8471 Rear View: IMG_8472

@Thierry-GearsManiacThanks, for your idea I think I understand what you mean, & will try it out. I tend to build by trial & Error Then modify until happy with the result. The build has become a bit too unwieldy., so starting afresh. Have a possible solution for chain tension which can be adjusted by using thin legal Lego parts. Keeps me busy during the current times. Doug.

Thanks for your reply and comments. Managed to get the carriage to traverse around the system by adding additional guide beams etc. The main problem is the turns when using the medium size sprocket wheels. One other problem is some Lego rounded parts stick out a tiny bit and the carriage would catch on them and tilt. Now resolved I am now building Version 2 using large sprocket wheels which is giving much better belt tension and the larger radius at the tuns which should make the module perform better. IMG_8466