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Unread 26-03-2008, 16:56
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Alan Anderson Alan Anderson is offline
Software Architect
FRC #0045 (TechnoKats)
Team Role: Mentor
 
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Re: drive train wearing out?

I have two immediate thoughts.

First, did you do your drive practice on carpet? Robot handling is very dependent on the surface it's on. Many teams find that a robot which turns okay on tile or concrete won't turn at all on carpet.

Second, the general description you give, with separate systems seeming to be affected, points to a common problem. How does your battery wiring look? It sounds like you have a poor connection somewhere in the high current path. Double-check all the contact points: the main breaker, the distribution block, the breaker panels, etc. Feel for hot spots. Look at your battery voltage while you are running the motors.