DLuders

@ Stevee: Sorry to hear about your trouble on the way to see The Mind. Again, we thank you for your efforts. When the sun rises there in beautiful Germany, you can look forward to a better day!

Those are the words we were hoping to hear! Thanks for the great review! I can't wait until the set is available in the USA in early August 2012.

@ Stevee: You, The Mind, GBCPeter, and efferman have been most generous of your time and effort to tell the world about the new 9398 set. Forgive us for being impatient. In an ideal world, The Lego Group itself would be providing details about THEIR PRODUCT that they sold. We are envious that you got the set, but realize that it is awkward to have to answer numerous quetions from around the world, via different languages. We THANK YOU for your work! :thumbup:

A week ago, Paul Boratko (a.k.a. Crowkillers) wrote this interesting Jalopnik article on "How To Build a Supercar Out of Lego". It was noted on this website belonging to Fernando Correia (Conchas), but folks may have missed it. It is recommended reading (with several pictures explaining his points below). Here is the gist of his advice: "1.) Don't rush your model This is not a contest to see how fast that you can pump out a car. I usually spend six months on average developing a car. Sometimes I spend 2 weeks just getting a door or hood right. If you take your time, you'll end up with a much more appreciated end product. 2.) Always look for the best possible solution As I said before, Lego makes hundreds and hundreds of Technic parts that can be used in billions of different combinations with each other. Don't settle for second best. More than likely there is a better solution to your problem even though you think that you have the right answer. 3.) Think of it like chess When building in the "studless" format, you have to treat it like a game of chess and always plan 5 moves ahead of where you are. It is best to build a separate module to make sure everything works properly before incorporating it into your build. This will prevent the frustration of having to tear half of your model back apart because things didn't work out the way that you thought that they would. 4.) Try not to use more parts than needed One of the most important factors with building any type of car is keeping the weight down, especially if you are incorporating suspension into them. So this takes us back to point #2 which is always look for the best possible solution. 5.) Be creative when using parts At first glance, some Technic parts appear to be simple and only have one use. If you feel this way, then you are not expanding your creative mind. If you look at Technic parts from multiple angles, you will begin to see that they are not 2 dimensional and do in fact have multiple uses. Maybe you can even discover one that no one has thought of yet. 6.) Don't get too frustrated I'll be the first to admit, that I have gotten so frustrated in the past that I almost wanted to give up on a project. You would be surprised what a day from building can do for you. It gives your brain a chance to reboot and start over. Hell, I have already been stuck on a project and had a dream about how to fix it. No kidding. 7.) Talk to others If you are thinking about getting started in building, don't hesitate to join a forum or e-mail someone who built something that you really liked and ask for a few pointers. Most guys love to talk to people who admire their work. 8.) Transmission woes Ok, I am going to be upfront about this, Lego gearboxes are more complex than an actual transmission in a real car. Lego currently only produces one type of clutch gear and in order to get a fully functional gearbox, it is far more complex than it needs to be. Many people will feel overwhelmed when they first look at what goes into building a transmission, but after you study one and realize what is actually happening, it's not as mystifying as it originally seemed. 9.) Steering issues When designing your steering, it is best to keep everything straight and uniform so that you don't run into toe in and toe out issues. If your steering links are parallel with your Steering rack and control arms, you won't have these problems. Of course as you advance, you may find alternative solutions that may suit your model's steering better. 10.) Building in Modules Modular building is a great way to build a chassis for a Technic car. By building various modules onto a naked chassis, you can interchange suspensions and transmissions. 11.) Studless Building vs Studded Building The new style of Technic building is mostly comprise of parts that don't "snap" together with studded parts, but are built by using a system of "Studless" parts and liftarms that are pinned and joined together. I prefer this style of building for cars as I feel that it produces a lighter stronger chassis. Of course there is nothing wrong with incorporating both into your building style. You may find advantages and disadvantages with both styles. 12.) Lego Technic is based on math Most Technic parts(especially Liftarms) are based on odd digits. 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15. Now there are some parts including axles that are both odd and even, so it isn't as hard to find the right part for the right situation. One of the key factors is to keep this math number in mind, especially when you start running into "1/2 a Stud" difference where your 2 parts may not line up properly because they are off 1/2 of a stud width. The one thing that you don't want to do is bend or flex parts to solve your problem. In most cases, you will almost always find the proper math solution to solve your dilemma. There are many Technic parts that are used to solve these "off by 1/2 a stud" issues properly. So by taking your time and having a solid game plan of ideas along with a wide selection of parts, just about anyone who can dream up their own Lego Technic Supercar can also build it into reality. Just like designing a real auto, it isn't easy, but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun."

@ Stevee: Yes, when you ask him about the video, please show the UNDERSIDE of the 4x4 Crawler while it is operating. There are no pictures of it upside-down yet. Could you also ask him to exchange the Power Functions RECEIVER that came with the 9498 set with an older PF Receiver, to be able to tell if there is any difference in the internal circuitry inside of it. The 9498's Parts List shows a different Lego Element ID than the existing PF Receivers. Thanks!

On this Doktor Brick Community post, "The Mind" posted this picture of the 9398 4x4 Crawler with (optional) Power Puller wheels & tires. He gave no indication about how the additional weight PERFORMED, however....

On this TechnicBRICKS topic, Fernando Correia (Conchas) commented: "As I've anticipated yesterday in this post, PF L-motor speed might be pretty the same as the former M-Motor. "I measure 340-360rpm for the L-Motor with LEGO Speed Computer with a PF Rechargeable Battery at 8,36V (fresh recharged). In the same conditions conditions M-Motor runs at 360-380rpm. "These are not ideal measures like Philo uses to do in his setup (9V steady power supply and optically measured non-load speed). In such conditions I should have measured the same 405rpm for the L-motor has he did and I'm sure the M-motor would follow very close (virtually the same speed) as the planetary stage suggests. "As for the torque also no precise measures, however while a one can easily stop the M-Motor with one hand (directly gripping to an output axle) the same is not possible for the L-Motor (Ok! I'm not the strongest guy in the world...). But this gives already a rough idea on what we got. "As for the weight, while the PF M-motor weights 31g, PF L-motor has 43g and PF SV-motor has 41g. Agoin not yet very precise." Menno Gorter said "The L-motor may not consume more than an M-motor, since two of the L-motors have to act on one receiver-output ! The best way to get more torque, at the same speed and current, is a much higher efficiency. The shape reveals an electro-motor with a wider rotor and bigger magnets..... ;-)"

I assume that you mean this "Lego MINDSTORMS NXT Classic [Cuckoo] Clock" ( by chunyanwang): LegoManIAm94 made two "Classic Clock Better Programs" available on this NXTLog2.0 website (click on the two blank-looking boxes below this photo once at that website). The "979695 Classic Clock Programming Files" (for Lego NXT 9695 + 9797) are available in PDF format on this Boy Scout Troop 503 Robotics Merit Badge website.

You should be able to reverse-engineer miron89's "PF Pistol Remote Controller" from the few photos on his Brickshelf gallery. They are too big to post here on Eurobricks. Littlehorn has also made a Lego "Power Functions Pistol Remote Controller" that you could emulate (Brickshelf gallery. denis-franc has step-by-step Building Instructions on his Brickshelf gallery for a PFS Remote Control.

What's the matter with using VMLN8R's pistol-grip trigger remote (the first reply to this topic)? He even provided step-by-step Building Instructions on this Flickr photoset.

Yes, it appears that the PF Receiver that comes with this 9398 4x4 Crawler set DOES HAVE a different Element ID. From the fuzzy parts list scan on the previous page, it has Element ID 6020086 (different from the 4566756 PF Receiver that came with the 8043 Motorized Excavator). I wonder if there are internal circuitry differences with this "new" PF Receiver"? I like "The Mind"'s picture of his new, colorful 9398 4x4 Crawler next to his grey 8297 Off Roader:

In this TechnicBRICKS topic ("PF Servo Glimpse"), Fernando Correia (Conchas) wrote in the Comments, "It works as per the known LPF [Lego Power Functions] Protocol which is public domain. With a PF IR Remote it goes full left/right when the sticks are pressed forward/back (depends on polarity switch). When there is no signal arriving it returns to the center like a regular servo. It behaves similarly when attached to a regular Battery Box. "Now if connected to the PF Speed Remote or the PF Rechargeable Battery it receives modulated proportional signals while attached to the IR Receiver or the Battery. Then it turns proportionally according to the received signal. That's why it does not return to the center automatically. The stop button must make it return to center though." AVCampos commented: "It makes sense: the way the rechargeable battery box and the train remote controller work is by applying a square wave to the PF data pins, with a duty cycle varying between 0% and +-100% (depending on the direction you turned the knob). While a regular motor uses the duty cycle to vary its speed, the servo uses it to vary its axle's position. The "Stop" button knocks the duty cycle back to zero, so the servo interprets it to "go to position zero", which is centre. "If I'm not mistaken, that's also how RC servos work."

If you are in the USA, you could buy several of these. Look through this list for alternatives. Most of the electrical-type 7mm corrugated tubing are SPLIT, and only come in black.

Yes, I would build your four sets in the order you specified (below). You will have to devote more and more time as you tackle them!

On his Brickshelf gallery, bonesiii posted pictures of 23 Lego Musical Instruments. Click on the first image below to enlarge it, so that you can see them in more detail. His Lego Digital Designer (LDD) .lxf Building Instructions file has all of them together, so that you can form your own musical band!

A fellow on that Doktor Bricks Community topic pointed out this additional source for the 9398 set.

If the 9398 4x4 Crawler set could have true "proportional steering" when using the optional 8879 "Power Functions IR Speed Remote Control" unit, how useful would that be for Lego Technic "Trial Trucks" (like the 9398's B-Model shown below)? Recommend getting the 8879 unit (available for $12.99 on Shop.Lego.com ) to take full advantage of the new PF Servo Motor.

If you have not read the story already on TechnicBRICKS, sunnykoomos just posted this short "teaser" with a mysterious picture of the 9398's servo motor -- "This video will be deleted while the 9398 comes out. Sorry that I can't say where I got this photo." Fernando Correia (Conchas) points out that the Power Functions Servo Motor's "backside" (seen above) shows the "dual output". Would not the new 4L Technic Axle be designed to NOT PASS COMPLETELY THROUGH the Servo Motor's axle hole? On his Flickr photostream, Mahjqa posted this image which has these comments written on the photo there: "So the point of the axle is that it won't slide out in this situation." Question: "Would a normal axle ever do that?" Mahjqa's answer: "Eventually, yes. Especially if there's a lot of force on the axle. Of course, I found that out in the middle of a race, where an axle dropped out of the motor as I was winning :p " Comment: "These gears tend to have a lot of friction - was it a double bevel or an 8-tooth that slid out?" Reply: "It seems to me that the newer gears (the bevel gears, the new mold of the 16z gear) don't grip as tightly. The 8z gear can be a bit iffy at times as well."

...or, you could use this free software to take a screenshot VIDEO of your LDD model being rotated or manipulated.

Yes, Crowkillers (Paul Boratko) posted a larger picture on his Twitter feed. Click on the image below to enlarge it even more. He also posted this to show its functions. Since he's from western Pennsylvania in the USA, the local professional National Football League team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. I guess he couldn't enjoy "smashmouth football" unless he could survive a :

Nice robot! If it were any larger, the poor motors would not be able to handle it! How fast does it use up the batteries?

Here is the other side of Erik Leppen's Lego Technic bearing (from his "Unfinished Liebherr LTM 1500 8-Axle Mobile Crane" shown in Brickshelf gallery):

There are several 9398 sets available now in this Berlin, Germany location. On that Doktor Brick Community topic that Efferman found, GBCPeter added (via a rough translation from German to English): "As a first impression, I can say the Steering servo has damn quick response and can be used to very precisely to the point to control....The [new] L motor is in my opinion a M motor with new housing and better mounting positions....The [Lego Element ID for the new 4L Technic Axle above] is 4666999 but still not listed in the relevant databases."

[bUMP] Han's 4-Axle Drawbar Trailer (pictured below) has been added to Rebrickable. Read more about it on Designer-Han's webpage.

Here are two more of Tailgunner088's Lego Pneumatic Engine (LPE) creations on YouTube: Lego Technic Short-Stroke Inline-3 Pneumatic Engine: "Due to short stroke and one valve per cylinder this engine is quite speedy with rather small torque. Surely needs gearing down for some practical use. What you can hear is not the sound of the engine itself, but a working air compressor": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fseclE2_hTA Lego Technic : "3 gears forward + reverse. Ratios 1:3, 1:2, 1:1 and 1:1.34. Also could have 4 gears forward with ratios 1:6, 1:4, 1:2 and 1:1 without reverse. There is a flywheel with a clutch, which in fact is just an elastic joint":