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Posted by JVN at 1/25/2001 8:28 AM EST


Student on team #250, GE Dynamos - Capital District Robotics Team, from Shenendehowa High School and General Electric.


In Reply to: Drill motor change out question??
Posted by Dennis Hughes on 1/25/2001 7:01 AM EST:



: Anyone have a good rule of thumb on when to change out a used drill motor? Meaning, how many
hours or minutes of hard driving ( HOT motors ) can a motor take before efficiency begins to
drop????

Depends on what kind of conditions your running them under... Usually ours last about 45 minutes
before they get hot, after which we just stop the robot, let em cool for 20 minutes, then continue
testing.

We also weighted down a previous years robot with about 200 lbs. of weight and drove it
around/up the ramp. It only lasted about 20 minutes before it got REALLY hot. Those conditions
could never really be repeated in the competition.

Usually we don't switch em out unless they get visibly slower/weaker (maybe once 3 years ago).
If you just give them a chance to cool, we found they don't give you many problems. Gear boxes are
something completely different. Ever seen a liquid plasitc drill gearbox?
~John #250