Spazing Robot

[kmcclary]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schuetze

I would appretiate comments on what I understand to be a new idea for our team in regards to wiring of the cooling fans on the Victor's.

The above post is suggesting that the wire leads from the fan atop the SC be wired directly to the power terminals of that same Victor?

Correct.

Originally Posted by Andrew Schuetze

If this is the case, have teams using this wiring scheme every had issues with inspection? I really like the idea as it cleans up the nest of wires around the controllers.

This is a common, and legit configuration. We've NEVER had a problem with the inspectors.

For 99% of all apps, the tiny extra load won't matter. Payloads are normally intermittent, and it's only one fan. That's less than an amp, a few percent of the breaker's limit.

Drivetrains are normally the biggest current hogs, (and if you're THAT close to the limit, wiring the fan elsewhere probably won't help you... Look first for binding, friction, and/or review your design approach.) There are many ways to design drivetrains so they won't pop breakers. I could describe some, but that's not the point of THIS thread.

I can say though, on both of my teams we've always tied each fan to its Victor (AND designed for "robot wrestling stalls"), and have YET to pop a breaker. This year, we even held fast with TWO robots trying to push us away from the drop. So I know it CAN be done...

BTW, I also agree with the "flip the lug" comment. We do it, but I forgot to mention that. The final top-down order of a "fan up Victor" should be: Screw Head, Fan Lug (loop UP), internal star lockwasher, Power Lug (loop DOWN, and clearing the top surface of the Victor), bare Victor metal contact. All contact surfaces should be clean, and free of oxides.

The other thing I forgot to mention is to be sure the lugs are NARROW enough, so that they fit FLAT between the raised plastic bump "guides" on the Victor. They should NOT be at an angle, nor rock back and forth! If it is at an angle, it it WEDGED between the guides. One end is raised, and is not contacting correctly. To correct this, grind the lug width down with sandpaper, a file, or a Dremel tool so it fits nicely between the guides.

I hope this helps!

- Keith