DLuders

Sariel (Paul Kmiec) interview on Polish TV: http://sariel.pl/2010/01/how-the-tv-was-won/ . Blakbird (Eric Albrecht) inteview is on Hispabrick Magazine 008, page 40: https://sites.google.com/a/hispabrickmagazine.com/numerosanteriores/ . Crowkillers (Paul Boratko) inteview on BrickJournal: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45236 .

On his Flickr photostream, Steven Marshall ("steven1980" on Brickshelf) posted these four images of a 1980 Seat 131 car. The amount of detail is excellent for a Lego car of that scale, and the cutaway view shows how the model's interior is constructed. The same pictures appear on steven1980's Brickshelf gallery.

There could be a lot of functionality built into the upcoming Lego Technic 8110 Unimog U-400. According to Unimogs.org, "Why UNIMOG? There is no other vehicle produced in it’s class that can climb an 80% grade or hold a 30 degree side slope pull 180,000 lbs in low gear at 1/8 mile per hour and then go down the freeway at 70 mph. Go where a Hummer can’t go, to mow your fields, drill fence posts, plow snow, plow fields, become a back hoe, grade your road run a huge SEE Sno-Go snow blower, turn into a street sweeper, haul a load of gravel, attach train wheels, install a crane and run overhead cable, or run through 4 feet of water and mud without getting stuck! The list is as long as your imagination!" Since the most Lego TECHNIC sets are sold in Germany, and Unimog is German, I bet you TLG sells a LOT of the 8110 sets.

The Greater Midwest Lego Train Club and Brickmania have posted this announcement on Flickr: "The GMLTC has decided to have a bonus open house before school starts up again. We've recently been joined at the Toyworks by the Twin Cities Lego Train Club for double the fun. Brickmania Toyworks is located at 1620 Central Avenue NE, Suite 177, Minneapolis, MN 55413. We are open to the public every second Saturday of each month (11am to 4 pm) for a free public open house. The space is also available by arrangement for birthday parties and other private events." For the big, one-page PDF flier on the Saturday, January 1st, 2011 OPEN HOUSE, see http://www.brickmania.com/images/New_Years11_Flyer.pdf . For directions, see http://gmltc.org/index.php/about-us/location-and-hours.html .

Read about the 2H2011 Lego Technic sets on TechnicBRICKS and on Brickset. It would be nice if the Lego Technic Unimog U-400 was built with ORANGE parts, and had HUGE tires like the 32298 Technic Power Puller ones.

Be sure to read Sariel's Gears Tutorial , and then shop for the needed gears on this Bricklink Catalog list of Technic gears.

The Lego-x.com website has a poll which asks AFOLs for subjects of his next interview. Sariel and Blakbird have been interviewed by others, as well as Crowkillers....

The Lego Club has posted 14 PDF instruction booklets for the small Lego models shown below. Of particular interest to the members of this forum are these 2 Lego models: Lego BULLDOZER, which can be made from your spare parts, or from 8294 Excavator + 8295 Telescopic Handler sets. Shovel Trac, which can be built from your spare parts, or from the 7830 Front-End Loader + 7831 Dump Truck.

The new mini Linear Actuators (mLAs) are cataloged on Bricklink as 92637c01 "Technic Linear Actuator Mini with Dark Bluish Gray Head and Orange Axle":

On his Brickshelf gallery, Coney/ Contech7 posted 13 BIG images of his TRACKINATOR vehicle. He also posted this , where he wrote that its "Front and rear sets of tracks have independently suspended tracks, also the front and rear sets of tracks rotate to provide steering. The body of the machine can flex between each set of tracks to help keep the tracks in contact with the surface. Two standard battery boxes are used and can be removed by pulling out six pins. Driven by four XL motors and steering provided by two M motors." Approx. 32" long and heavy!

@ apemax: Since there is some variation in the amount of TORQUE in the 24-tooth Clutch Gear 60c01 (per this Eurobricks post), you could see what color the center of your Clutch Gear is and get one with a LIGHTER-colored center.

On his Brickshelf gallery, Czech AFOL MeNadruhou/ MrGO1 posted 20 BIG pictures of his "Sklopka z Lego dílků" dump "Truck [which] is like 8258, with IR control of PF lights, driving steering and uplift, manual stabilizers, opening doors, cabin." The pictures are too big to post here, but from the gallery, one can see the cabin details and the Power Functions elements. Do any Eurobricks AFOLs (like grohl) know this fellow? The shows it dumping out many Lego bricks:

On his Brickshelf gallery, Bremser posted several GIF animations of fully-functional Lego Technic models. Lego Technic Super Car 8880 (done with Catia V5): Lego Technic 8480 Space Shuttle: Lego Technic 8860 Auto Chassis:

Veselé Vánoce a šťastný nový rok přeje Eurobricks! [Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Eurobricks!]

There may be portions of this 6-page "Lego Robots Tutorials -- Light Sensors" PDF document that may be helpful. Maybe you could adapt some of the programming to your Solar Follower robot.

Have you seen Justin Fisher's webpage about LEGO Solar Rover Autonomous Robots? There is a lot of good stuff there.

Italian AFOL "Technicmen" built two studded Lego pneumatic models of heavy equipment, and posted YouTube videos of them in action. : -- "two motors for the compressor and two motors for the traction, from have not exited much true evil? : -)) albywolf@hotmail.it " :

You will need an 8885 Power Functions Remote Control and 8884 Power Functions Receiver (shown on this Lego.com website): Wire everything up like this:

On his Brickshelf gallery, Grohl/ Grohl666 has posted 4 pages of photo-sequence Building Instructions for his Lego Technic Red Monster Truck, with all of the required parts shown.

Crowkillers just posted this (silent) YouTube video of his 2011 Lego Supercar. He wrote, " http://www.crowkillers.com 2011 Lego Technic Supercar built in studless design with full suspension, both Hand of God steering and also inside the car, V8 engine and 4 function control box that is operated by shifting into 4 different positions and turning a knob in the rear. Turning clockwise opens all functions and counter clockwise closes all functions." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzYgAkXU_Fs Images of the completed car will appear soon on this Brickshelf folder (when moderated) .

On MOCpages, a fellow named Rahkshi Poopi posted 11 pictures of his Lego Harley Davidson Night Rod Special motorcycle. He wrote, "This is my dream-bike, a Harley Davidson Night Rod Special, an awesome bike. It is based on the Set #8420 (I bought it 5 years ago), and I mostly used black pieces, except for the fender (it's the only piece I can use =P ). Oops, I forgot about the mufflers (meh, no matter, I'll make an another version later)."

I like it! The rear of your model looks close to the rounded shape of the real thing:

No, they are the same speed. See this TechnicBRICKS article for details.

Want to set your Lego TECHNIC sets apart from the others? Want more LED light colors than the plain-white one? Well, Artifex Creations has made available 68 Brick Lights LED kits for Lego sets. On Flickr, he wrote: "My website will host How-to-install Photos and Contests, http://www.artifexcreation.com coming soon! Check out many other sets installed with Brick Lights in my Flickr Collection." Lego TECHNIC AFOLs should note these LED kits: 8285 Tow Truck Motorized Bulldozer 8275 and Motorized Excavator 8043 Mobile Crane Truck 8421 Lego Technic Race Truck 8041, Buggy 8048, and Motorbike 8051 Lego Technic Off Roaders 8297 & 8466, and Front Loader 8265

On YouTube, Eric Emmett (axoholic1) posted two videos of his completed Lego DeLorean Time Machine (from the "Back to the Future" movies). On Facebook, he's trying to petition TLG to make this an official set. He wrote, "This Lego model is a 1/10 scale size (17"x6 1/2") very detailed, LEDs installed to illuminate, R/C, and also can be converted to a stock DeLorean without the Time Machine parts!" I believe that he used many multi-color Brick Lights to illuminate his Time Machine. : :