Jetro

I'd love to see a video of this: and to learn a little bit more about the project.

Seeing it live is better anyway and it's one more incentive to go to LEGOWORLD.

That's not big, it's massive! Can't seem to find the link to the video (if you posted one) - Any plans to do something with the camera or is it just for looks?

Nice MOC! I especially like the rotating cabin and the functional steering wheel inside it.

I'd love to see some "smart" sensors for PF. Granted, there is a plethora of sensors for the NXT, but building an NXT into a Technic model and then programming it is quite a bit more complicated than the many possibilities you could have with "mechanically" programmed sensors. I like the idea of a know on the distance sensor to set the resolution/distance it measures.

Thanks for the video. I hadn't realised it is (was) a functional model, not just good looking!

Just saw the blog post on The NXT Step - way to go LEGO!!

It all depends on how you take the description: there is something between the seats that looks and works like a 4-speed gearbox, but the gearpositions are used to control different functions. Keep in mind this is not a Technical description, but a sales pitch - it looks like a gearbox, you can shift the lever.

Just to be clear on this: there is an important difference between omniwheels (wheels within wheels at 90º) and the "vector" wheels which are wheels within wheels at 45º - they behave quite differently when applied in models and are not interchangeable. I look forward to seeing a full post on mahjqa's MOC when he's ready to show it...

Translations are sometimes difficult to understand for those who don't speak the original language (and don't know how expressions are used in a particular language). TBs now has a copy of the Dutch retail brochure which reads: "The gearbox between the chairs and the Power Functions system allow the rear spoiler, hood and doors to be opened and closed" - just in case anybody still doubted there would be a transmission gearbox... BTW, the secondary model for the backhoe is ... a log loader

What a great implementation of this technique. I'd seen a big version of this in LEGO, controlled by NXT some time ago, but yours is really compact and "simple"

As you can see in the furst part of the video, pressure on the mouthpiece (simulating "blowing") si what changes the harmonics. I have only included the first 5 harmmonics in the program but a second octave could easily be included although it would be more difiicult to precisely appy the right pressure and get the tone you want.

I got my hands on a dPressure sensor from Dexter Industries some time ago and started thinking about how I could use it in a slightly less obvious way than for example datalogging or monitoring a Pneumetics circuit. Of course Pneumatics is the way to go so I started toying with the different elements and the sensor until I came up with this: More pictures here The red piston is and old type Pneumatics pump (only diferent from the old type single acting cylinders in that it has a return spring) which is directly connected to the positive presure port of the sensor. Add three touch sensor and a bit of programming and you have an NXT trumpet: Now just need to learn to play it better

I built the small one last year and it satyed in my pocket for several weeks - great stress relief

The doors are indeed extremely easy to open. It was one of the first things I changed when I started modding the truck: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=37724

Finished mine today and I was ... well, disappointed is a big word, but it certainly can't take a lot of weight. The rack with the four tyres already puts a lot of stress on the turntable. The model really needs a counterweight!

I sometimes get the feeling LEGO is one of those companies where website development is done by people who can do fancy stuff but don't live in the real world. Take the Technic pages. Very flashy and all, but I absolutely loath websites that play music and videos without asking your permission - you are quietly surfing the internet and suddenly from one of your 10 open tabs an unexpected noise turns up (this has actually ben changed and now you have to start the video, except on the video page). Then a blog which isn't a blog - terribly hard to keep track of and the more so because it is updated and highly infrequent intervals + tucked away at a very inaccessible place inside the whole Technic division. Blakbirds explanation about why vector PDFs are no longer available may have a point though - they may not want to make it even easier for the chinese pirate cloners to copy LEGOs products.

Actually I'm not at all happy with the image quality of the PDF files. The renderings are blocky and colours are even poorer then in the printed instructions (black/dark grey differences especially). If alternate models must be downloaded I'd like to get better quality PDFs.

The sad thing to me - completely apart from the plagiarism issue itself - is that the people at TLG who are responsible for the competition have little or no idea of what's going on in the AFOL community. Anyone with half an eye on what happens in the AFOL Technic community would recognize Mahjqa's MOC without the least difficulty. It was a nice gesture to get Conchas, Sariel and Blakbird involved in the Technic Blog, but just maybe it would be good to get some more collaboration and interaction with the Technic community than is the case right now.

Haven't had a chance to add my comments here (did so at TBs) but I agree with you - I wish they were mini LA's, but I strongly believe they'll turn out to be just friction parts.

Please, no, never again!! LEGO did that for the Cybermaster and the Ultimate Builders set for the RCX and not only does that mean you need to be glued to the screen, but there is no way to make them available in a small file, skipping to the step you need is a pain and the list of annoyances goes on. Just PDF please. Let's not make it any more difficult.

The video stops just when it gets really interesting: I'd love to see the functions it has and how they work. Never mind, I'll have to build it myself

You've got a point there, but I wish there were a middle way.

Change that for "stupider" :D and I'd be more likely to agree. If a 4-year-old can follow instructions that are supposed to be for 7+ then something doesn't add up.

The temptation to skip steps is indeed very big with the new style instructions. Sometimes I wish they'd give bigger pictures of the submodels so I could attempt to build them without the instructions... Recently I built a 1995 Castle set. I had just built the new big Kingdoms castle (age 7-12) with my 4-year-old daughter (she did most of the work!!) and that was great fun. The 1995 castle though was a pain - I had to spend far too much time making sure I'd seen al the changes and knew what parts I needed to add and so she got bored after a couple of steps and didn't participate in building the rest of the set. In old style technic sets t least you get a list of parts you need to add and to be quite honest I prefer it that way. I'm tired of adding two technic pins only to find I only need to add another 4 in the next step.