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8/6/01

The website finally made it to my new host server. I’ve made a few changes, including organization and imagery. Realized I didn’t really have a good picture of Ramming Speed anywhere, so here it is!...

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8/9/01

I found it! At the Battlebots competition, they took a 360 degree animation of the bots, and though they only made a few of the ‘winners’ public, I found mine. Take a look!

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8/15/01

While relaxing in the north woods, I heard a rustling outside, and was able to capture a faint image of this strange creature, covered in plastic bags. The camera flash startled it, and it ran off into...

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9/2/01

The next Battlebots competition will be at Treasure Island in San Francisco again, most likely in early November. I will be in attendance, and will do much better this time around. I’ve ordered parts,...

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9/26/01

The dates have been announced! The next event will be at Treasure Island in San Francisco from November 3rd till November 11th. I will be in attendance, alone this time, and hope to do a bit better...

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10/14/01

I’ve been working hard! The wheels, hubs and axles I ordered have arrived and they look great! I’ve got them on the bot, and have done some bench runs. The motors and speed controllers are working...

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10/30/01

I leave this Saturday! The bot has been shipped. Total weight of the bot is 54lbs, 6 pounds under! I will possibly take advantage of the extra weight by designing add-ons depending on the opponent....

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11/01/01

They’ve finally added all of the robots pictures and profiles on the BattleBots web site. Check out Ramming Speed (link dead now)! So how am I ranked? There I’m ranked 63rd. On the LightWeight ranking...

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11/03/01

I’m on the plane headed out to San Francisco. Perfect time to catch up on a few of the pictures I need to get posted here. Here’s what Ramming Speed looks like now: As you can see in the last picture,...

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11/04/01

Sunday, a beautiful day with clear skies and temperatures in the 60’s. I hitched a ride to the island and got there a bit before nine. A line had already started forming, even tough check-in didn’t...

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11/5/01

Monday, a beautiful day with clear skies and temperatures in the 60’s. Don’t need to go to the island today since I already passed my safety inspection. Slept in (8am, which is10am home time). Found...

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11/6/01

Tuesday. Little (OK, a lot) hung-over from a late night of partying. Had to get up at 7:30 to catch a ride to the island. Preliminary rounds begin today, and I watched fights most of the day. These are...

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11/7/01

Wednesday, the day of my fight. Got down to the island early, topped off the batteries, and prepared for the fight. About 45 minutes before the fight they called me to get in line. Apparently someone...

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11/8/01

Thursday, last day of the prelims. I made an add on appendage for Ramming Speed, for reasons I can’t discuss, and missed most of the fights in the morning session. I got to see the afternoon session,...

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11/9/01

Friday, first day of the actual tournament, and beginning of Comedy Central’s filming. In May, many teams handed out stickers, hats, shirts, etc. It’s even more popular this time, with inflatable...

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11/10/01

Saturday, elimination and quarter-finals today. The second session was possibly the best session I’ve ever seen. One heavy-weight fight resulted in an awesome ‘explosion’, with parts flying everywhere....

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11/11/01

Sunday, last day of the competition. Semi-finals, finals, and rumbles today. They bolted some new Lexan over the two panels that were damaged yesterday. Their are a number of familiar bots fighting...

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11/12/01

Monday, time to go home. It’s pouring outside. Standing in the lobby waiting for my cab to the airport, I see that a plane crashed in Jersey. Looks like it was an accident, not a terrorist attack....

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12/3/01

I continue to have problems with my ISP(s). I switched from one after they gave me 12 hours notice they were switching servers. My new one hasn’t responded to e-mails asking why my navigations isn’t...

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Disassembling a Dewalt 14.4

I disassembled my Dewalt 14.4v drill (cause that’s the kind of guy I am). Took pictures along the way. Note that I actually took the pictures as I put it back together, and simply reversed the order...

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2/18/02

It’s been a while. I’ve been working on a redesign of Ramming Speed. Why? Well, I think it’s late enough in the TV showings to disclose that I won my first fight, but lost the second. In both fights, I...

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2/23/02

Here are descriptions of my two fights at the November event, as reported by spectator Chris McVey: Ramming Speed (won) vs. 401k Ramming speed was not real fast, either. In the beginning, 401k could...

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2/24/02

I’ve been working on a new version of Ramming Speed, which I’m referring to as Ramming Speed 2. It will be faster, smaller, and tougher.

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Ramming Speed 2

The design of RS2 (that’s the short name for Ramming Speed 2 for those of you just getting out of bed) is evolving quickly. I’ve got it close enough to final that I can start ordering some of the...

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Ramming Speed 2: Design

My general design philosophy for RS2 is similar to RS1: small: less of a target for the opponent tight: the smaller the package, the less weight used on structure and armor tough: components must not...

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Ramming Speed 2: Components

As the design has evolved, a modular system has developed that will make construction and maintenance of the bot easier. The modules are: Power Module The Power Module (total of two) includes 18 1.2v...

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Ramming Speed 2: Wiring

Wire I’ll be using W.S. Dean’s Wet Noodle wire. It is 12 gauge copper with silicone insulation. It is highly flexible. 1603 strands in 7 bundles Composition: High purity OFC (oxygen free copper)...

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Ramming Speed 2: ESC

I am using Victor 883 speed controllers. With the exception of fan mounts cracking, they have worked flawlessly so far. I will use two controllers to power my 4 18v Dewalt motors at 21.6 volts. This...

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Ramming Speed 2: Motors

In RS1, I used four Dewalt 24v hammer-drill motors and ran them at 24v. They offered good power, but were very difficult to mount. The gearbox does not securely attach to the motor, they instead rely...

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Ramming Speed 2: Receiver

I was going to use the same receiver that I had in the past, but I couldn’t get it to fit in the design (it is an 8-channel Futaba FP-R148DP). Instead, their is now a smaller 3 channel PCM receiver...

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Ramming Speed 2: Power Source

A solid state DC-DC converter block generates a clean 5v power rail for your R/C receiver and associated interfaces while preserving ground isolation for continued noise immunity. Input is 24v nominal...

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Ramming Speed 2: Signal Wiring

Receiver Signal Amplifier Some radio control receivers require an inline signal amplifier to drive the Victor 883 controller. This is because the Victor was originally designed to be run by the IFI...

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Ramming Speed 2: Drive Train

Motor Spindles I will be using 1/2″ Team Delta spindles custom made to fit the Dewalt 18v Gearbox. The spindles are keyed, to allow for a secure connection to the sprockets. It’s made of ETD150, a...

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Ramming Speed 2: Batteries

I’ve decided to go with 21.6 volts. The reasons are as follows: The Dewalt motors are rated for 18v, but have been proven in competition up to 24v without problems. I’m using Victor 883 speed...

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3/18/02

I purchase my motors on Saturday. They are 18v Dewalt, but not the version I’ve described so far. This is a new combination though probably just as difficult to mount as the 24v motors I got rid of,...

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3/23/02

I’ve added OnlineMetals as an affiliate. I’m getting all of my Stainless Steel from them. If you’re looking for metal, definitely check them out. I found them to be cheaper than going through...

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4/2/02

Parts are rolling in left and right. I’ll try to get pictures up soon. The design is becoming quite modular. Their will be two power modules (the batteries and connections), two controller modules (a...

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4/12/02

I have the design ready, and drawings for the parts to be made for Ramming Speed. PDF drawings: Overview Outer Structure Inner Structure Bottom Armor Top Armor Angle Frame Axle Spindle Spindle Assembly...

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5/7/02

Well, was doing pretty good on RS2, till today. Was trimming some rubber wheels down on the table saw, and one kicked back, threw the plastic pusher I was using into my gut, and left a pretty good...

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5/12/02

Been very busy. Had the frame done by W. Haut Specialty in Waukesha. Turned out pretty nice. Been busy getting everything assembled. Finally have it ready for a test drive. Here’s what it’s looking like:

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5/20/02

BattleBots Season 5 Some of these picture show damage done to bots in the fights, and may hint at fight outcomes (though some are misleading). Don’t go further if you don’t want to know any results! If...

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5/21/02

BattleBots Season 5 Some of these picture show damage done to bots in the fights, and may hint at fight outcomes (though some are misleading). Don’t go further if you don’t want to know any results! If...

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5/22/02

BattleBots Season 5 Some of these picture show damage done to bots in the fights, and may hint at fight outcomes (though some are misleading). Don’t go further if you don’t want to know any results! If...

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5/24/02

BattleBots Season 5 Some of these picture show damage done to bots in the fights, and may hint at fight outcomes (though some are misleading). Don’t go further if you don’t want to know any results! If...

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5/25/02

BattleBots Season 5 Some of these picture show damage done to bots in the fights, and may hint at fight outcomes (though some are misleading). Don’t go further if you don’t want to know any results! If...

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5/26/02

BattleBots Season 5 Some of these picture show damage done to bots in the fights, and may hint at fight outcomes (though some are misleading). Don’t go further if you don’t want to know any results! If...

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5/27/02

BattleBots Season 5 Some of these picture show damage done to bots in the fights, and may hint at fight outcomes (though some are misleading). Don’t go further if you don’t want to know any results! If...

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6/1/02

Following are ideas for bots, or series of bots. You should be able to tell by the names that I’m looking to have some fun with this. The ‘Growing Up’ Series Bundle of Joy A small light-weight...

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6/6/02

Well, I’m back, and had a great time. Unfortunately I didn’t get to compete. Before I left, I found the gearing was to high, and the motors were smoking. It was to late to do anything about it, so I...

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7/3/02

I’ve decided to step back from BattleBots. I’ve sold most of my BattleBots related equipment, including Ramming Speed 2. I’ve got enough money to pay off my credit cards, and take a breather. I’ve done...

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