23-05-2013 21:12

coalhot

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

Those evil evil things. Glad I don't have to work with them anymore. (shivers, did FTC for a few years)

23-05-2013 21:13

ehochstein

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

Tetrix motors are the one thing I dislike about FTC.

Also we found we could fix some of the motors by replacing the resistor on the inside plate. I suggest using a higher watt rating resistor, just keep in mind the motor is not legal as this is considered a modification.

23-05-2013 21:15

Gdeaver

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

I hate mini-bots.

23-05-2013 22:16

Justin Montois

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

That's a lot of learning.

23-05-2013 22:41

Chris is me

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

Ugh, this brings back painful memories. Honestly, a big reason minibots were copied verbatim that year was because it was way too costly to develop your own. I even remember having a design discussion where we determined "wait and copy" was the clearly most favorable option for our team's constraints. That year, we were on such a shoestring budget we simply could not afford to try development ourselves.

23-05-2013 22:59

cgmv123

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

That's not a resistor. That's an inductor.

24-05-2013 00:25

ehochstein

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

Huh. The guy who has been repairing them for us has always told me he replaced them with resistors. I'll have to look into that.

24-05-2013 09:00

Nemo

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

Actually, these weren't all burned out in minibots. Our FTC teams have toasted their share as well.

These motors let out the nasty smelling smoke if you stall them for even a few seconds. I've complained to Pitsco that these motors need to be improved, but they are in denial that it is a problem. I was told that they work fine as long as you use them for what they're designed for. Of course I disagree. Hopefully we'll track down the funding to test out some Matrix motors and see if they're more durable.

24-05-2013 09:48

Andrew Schuetze

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

Be advised that Matrix motors are of a different voltage, have integrated encoders and a custom connector that includes power and the encoder signals. Nothing that is a deal breaker for your potential experiments. Just wanted you to be aware that they are not a 1 to 1 comparison.

24-05-2013 09:51

Andrew Schreiber

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

As long as what they were designed for is to make a boat load of money by selling a cheap motor for $30 and letting it cook off if you stall it at all.

24-05-2013 10:15

Richard Wallace

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

Straight talk is refreshing. I could not have stated this better.

Life lesson: you do not always get what you pay for -- sometimes you get less than that.

24-05-2013 10:29

cgmv123

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=89848

24-05-2013 10:36

Nemo

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

Yeah, I figured changing the motors would end up changing quite a few other components on the robot. But if they're better, it ends up being a pretty significant benefit. Thanks for the info.

24-05-2013 11:00

tr6scott

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

I counted 20 motors, $600, poof!

We have/had (not sure of the status) a similar pile...

For a team that has never used a 2 speed gearbox, vision processing, mercaium wheels, or canbus due to funding...

Yet we still have two 1.3ish second minibots that have not moved, since the Kettering Kickoff for Rebound Rumble.

Such a shame.

24-05-2013 18:12

Bill_B

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

I divided up our team's tetrix remnants and had a grab bag ceremony at last year's FTC CT tournament. I offered the motor carcasses in a seventh bag, and it was snapped up by some enterprising youngster. I wished him well with the parts as the chances they would/will be useful in FRC future are slim indeed.

IMNSHO - GDC/FIRST failed big-time with the mini-bot challenge. They should have required construction of minibots by a registered FTC team and braced themselves to withstand the inevitable whining by FRC teams complaining of a lack of FTC resource in their area. Point would have been promotion and wider recognition of FTC.

24-05-2013 18:15

Gregor

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

If your goal is to have no Canadian* teams with minibots, that sounds like a fantastic idea.

*and other areas where FTC doesn't exist

24-05-2013 20:15

wilsonmw04

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

That was suggested at some point here on CD. Then the Trolls came out. We have a few around here ya know. Something about "if I wanted to do FTC i would have done FTC." There was some raging and a bit of whining in there too, but that was the gist of it. Oh, and throw in a "FIRST is anti IFI/Vex" in there for good measure.

25-05-2013 08:41

Al Skierkiewicz

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

The part is an inductor with a current rating of something like 3 amps as I remember. A higher current rating will not fit in the allowed space. Although not legal at the time, two or three inductors could be wired in parallel and make the motor happy while still lying flat inside the case end.

26-05-2013 01:54

Karthik

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

//Edit: Can't seem to be able to delete my post, only edit it...

26-05-2013 03:03

StevenB

Re: pic: Our 2011 Mini-bot Tetrix motor grave

I can't find the original (it's somewhere here on CD), but I had to repost: