Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Johnson
Some comments.
Worm gears:
There is almost NEVER a good reason to use a worm gear (other than inside an existing motor/gearbox like a window motor). If you think you need it, think again. There is almost always a better way. Really. Worm gears are hard to get right.
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Out of curiosity, why do you say this? I agree that they aren't the easiest gearbox to get right, but I don't think they're impossible. You can get some really huge reductions. We had success with putting a worm gear reduction in a 2" x 2" aluminum square tube with .125" wall. We drove the thing with three CIM motors, so I don't think the typical FRC planetaries would have worked in that situation.
I agree with all your other comments, especially the note about the CIM motors. They're big and heavy, but when you consider how long some teams stall them for on their drives, it's very impressive that they last as long as they do.