1519 is using two Neodymium magnets also...
As always, be careful with high-strength magnets! I do recommend using a smaller magnet at a closer distance (partly for weight, but primarily for safety). We didn't have any trouble mounting ours ~.125" from the pole, and the two of them have only 23 pounds of force each!
Here's the link for the ones we used:
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetai...884DCS&cat=173
Some recommendations:
- Use ones with countersunk holes... they make mounting them a charm!
- Mount closer to the pole (3/16" or less), to minimize the weight of the magnet you have to lift and reduce the danger from having a higher-strength magnet.
- Not that important, but the narrower your magnets are the more of the magnet is at the minimum distance from the circular pole.
- Spread them out over the length of the minibot, if possible. This will help create a longer moment for your resistance to the minibot driving up the pole at an angle. We relied more on near-perfectly balanced weight to achieve a straight ascension.
Best of luck, the magnets really made our design possible!
And here are some links of our minibot climbing:
Climb Only:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ht0gHEOb14
Slowed Down Minibot Race at GSR:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl55U1PuDKM
Thanks to Joe Barra from Team 20 for posting (
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...59&postcount=1) the second video.