FTC Motors breaking
 

Our team is having lots of problems with the terminals shearing clean off the FTC motors. Is anyone else having this problem? And if so how are you trying to stop this from happening?

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

Try not to drop them? :) :) :confused:

I was thinking about how to repair these terminals, but I fear that it would be considered a modification and make the motor illegal for competition. However, for practice, my idea was to drill a very small pilot hole next to the broken terminal in its plastic berth. Into this would go a small screw whose threads would contact the remaining metal of the tab. Electrical connection to the screw might be done by ring connector if it were on top of an insulating washer. That is, screw goes thru ring connector, insulating washer (fiber or plastic) then into pilot hole in plastic. I haven't done this yet, haven't needed to. This is only a plan, so if you try it let us know how it works. Good luck!

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

Thanks for your reply. We haven't dropped them but I was looking for a way to make the posts more robust. I am not on our minibot team so I dont know a lot about our setup

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

If you are using the white terminal/wire mounts, there should be no problem with the tabs coming off. (unless you are smacking the robot on the ground). These were added last year to protect the motor tabs.

If you need to restrain the white clips, then use some velcro to keep them in place.

If you have soldered directly to the tabs, then you will have to protect the wires otherwise the terminals WILL break off. We always fold the wires back over the motor body and zip tie them in place.

If you need more protection, get some thin polycarbonate (Lowes) and cut it into a thin strip. Heat up that strip and fold it over the end of the motor.. Velcro it in pace.

Phil.

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

We have had problems internally with the motors. We let off some smoke... I'm guessing it was the coating around the magnet wire that we burned off. I think the windings are shorting within themselves, greatly reducing the resistance on the windings, and pulling so much current that it's burning off even more insulating material.

I really don't like this kit in general! It's not very good, and is very expensive. I want to try making a minibot from VEX parts to prove how much better VEX is!

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

What mounts are you talking about? I do the vast majority of the soldering for our team and its a big problem wen they break off because we have to get another motor out and solder it and put heat shrink tubing over that.

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

The FTC kit came with two white plastic motor wire connectors (with wires attached).
You don't "have" to solder the motor wires on to the motors.
Using the connector makes it extremely easy to replace motors this way.

http://parts.ftcrobots.com/store/det...&c=1&t=0&l= 0

If you are going to solder, you MUST strain add strain relii to hese terminals.

Phil.

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

In our design we have two motors so could we order more?

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

There is nothing stopping you from showing how the minibot made of VEX compares to the other minibots -- it just won't be legal. Make it, prove to yourself, prove to others, suggest improvements to the kits, etc.

Greg McKaskle

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

Order more what?

Motors? Only as spares.
Connectors? Sure as many as you want.... (but you should have 2 already)

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

I meant the Motor connectors
Do you mean 2 connectors or two pairs of connectors?

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

The FTC kit may have included these connection devices, but the Tetrix jumble that came from first choice did not. They can be ordered from pitsco. So, if you're ordering anyway, you would do better to get the connector that has thermal overload protection built into it. Not sure about how firmly that connection device fits onto the back of the motor either.

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

So far we havn't been having that problem, but we have bent three axles, burnt out one motor, and blown four fuses

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

We did not get any motor mounts and broke the tabs. Now we have $60 more worth of motors on order.

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

Hopfully you saw the motor mounts and ordered some.

Re: FTC Motors breaking
 

I think that we will have to order some for competition!!!
Thanks everyone for the help!