What motors to use?

[Brandon_L]

We're trying to figure out what motors to use to control our arm with the tube grabber on the end, and ran into problems. We tried using a window motor, and it could not lift the grabber on the end of a pole. We then tried two window motors and it still couldn't do it. They were both direct drive, no gearing.

So then we turned our attention to the fisher price gearbox, but couldn't get the motors in them. We'd stick the motors in and screw them in, but when we ran power to it it couldn't turn as if it was jammed. After playing with it for awhile we found that it only works in some weird position that doesn't allow you to screw the motor in. Has anyone else had this problem? we tried all the motors we had with the gear on the end and it happened with all of them.

The grabber is pretty heavy, But we are putting it on a weight loss program

EDIT: Without CIMs, if possible..

[Joe G.]

Both window motors and the FP can work for this application, but both also benefit from gearing. A one or 2 stage chain reduction is fairly simple to build, and will reduce speed to a manageable level.

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by Brandon_L

So then we turned our attention to the fisher price gearbox, but couldn't get the motors in them. We'd stick the motors in and screw them in, but when we ran power to it it couldn't turn as if it was jammed. After playing with it for awhile we found that it only works in some weird position that doesn't allow you to screw the motor in. Has anyone else had this problem? we tried all the motors we had with the gear on the end and it happened with all of them.

You may have a Fischer Price gearbox that does not match your motor pinion. The pinion the gearbox is designed for is molded into the outside of the gearbox (two places I think, don't remember where), it should be something like "19T" or "17T". Make sure this number matches the number of teeth on the pinion for your 2011 FP motor.

[Brandon_L]

Originally Posted by Vikesrock

You may have a Fischer Price gearbox that does not match your motor pinion. The pinion the gearbox is designed for is molded into the outside of the gearbox (two places I think, don't remember where), it should be something like "19T" or "17T". Make sure this number matches the number of teeth on the pinion for your 2011 FP motor.

We used the gearbox we got this year (the orange one) with the motor with the orange collar, which already had a gear on the end of it. I didn't know that and didn't count but I thought orange+orange=good lol

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by Brandon_L

We used the gearbox we got this year (the orange one) with the motor with the orange collar, which already had a gear on the end of it. I didn't know that and didn't count but I thought orange+orange=good lol

You'd think so. I haven't actually seen a KOP from this year, my observation was based on our team getting FPs and gearboxes in the past that didn't match.