Building a remote control mower
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Building a remote control mower

 
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Nick Huckaby
Guest
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:01 pm    Post subject: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
We are building a robot mower so we don't have to bear the cold
winter. I have a 120V AC mower and a gas powered mower that cuts
a leveled 20'x40' grass field perfectly fine. I have a remote control
and a receiver capable of a hundred meters that can switch a relay to
get a DC motor to go in forward or reverse. I also have two 8-Amps DC
motors and two indrustrial drill AC motors.

We've never built a mower like this before so we don't know if we should go
with AC or DC motors or know the best way to transfer power to the
wheels. How should we begin building a robot grass cutting mower?

Thanks

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carl mciver
Guest
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
"Nick Huckaby" <simoung@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1110034205.a2af8d4aea092dde8fa9095747643f2a@bubbanews...
| We are building a robot mower so we don't have to bear the cold
| winter. I have a 120V AC mower and a gas powered mower that cuts
| a leveled 20'x40' grass field perfectly fine. I have a remote control
| and a receiver capable of a hundred meters that can switch a relay to
| get a DC motor to go in forward or reverse. I also have two 8-Amps DC
| motors and two indrustrial drill AC motors.
|
| We've never built a mower like this before so we don't know if we should
go
| with AC or DC motors or know the best way to transfer power to the
| wheels. How should we begin building a robot grass cutting mower?
|
| Thanks

1. How can you get AC power to the mower without it being wireless? If
you plan on using a wireless system and AC motors, then you have a lot of
electronics learning to do first.
2. What happens if the batteries in the receiver go dead? Will it just
mow right over your neighbors cats?
3. A receiver that can switch a relay for a DC motor is highly unlikely
strong enough for a high current DC motor from a cordless mower. You will
need a second, more powerful relay/contactor for that job.
4. Get on some robotics forums and groups and learn a lot more. RC
groups are good, but in this case, there's a lot of crossover and more basic
robotics than RC.
5. RC servos can be modified to run as motors with proportional
control. A pair are popular for robots, but if you go for motors big enough
for your robot you need to go with purpose built designs. Visit
surpluscenter.com for a couple useful drivetrains.
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Clint Sharp
Guest
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:19 pm    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
In message <UfkWd.1926$cN6.591@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>, carl
mciver <cmciver@mindspring.com> writes
Quote:
2. What happens if the batteries in the receiver go dead? Will it just
mow right over your neighbors cats?
Sound's like an ideal selling point for me, maybe you could upgrade it

to seek and destroy? Especially for evil faced black and white cats that
*do NOT* bury their crap after they've left it in my garden every day.

--
Clint Sharp

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WoofWoof
Guest
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
Nick Huckaby wrote:
Quote:
We are building a robot mower so we don't have to bear the cold
winter. I have a 120V AC mower and a gas powered mower that cuts
a leveled 20'x40' grass field perfectly fine. I have a remote control
and a receiver capable of a hundred meters that can switch a relay to
get a DC motor to go in forward or reverse. I also have two 8-Amps DC
motors and two indrustrial drill AC motors.

You can cut grass in your "cold" winter?
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Lane
Guest
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:59 pm    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
Quote:
Sound's like an ideal selling point for me, maybe you could upgrade it to
seek and destroy? Especially for evil faced black and white cats that *do
NOT* bury their crap after they've left it in my garden every day.

--
Clint Sharp

A seek and destroy for those pesky moles that leave hills all over my yard
would be idea. I'd buy it.
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Robert Monsen
Guest
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 1:15 am    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
WoofWoof wrote:
Quote:
Nick Huckaby wrote:

We are building a robot mower so we don't have to bear the cold
winter. I have a 120V AC mower and a gas powered mower that cuts
a leveled 20'x40' grass field perfectly fine. I have a remote control
and a receiver capable of a hundred meters that can switch a relay to
get a DC motor to go in forward or reverse. I also have two 8-Amps DC
motors and two indrustrial drill AC motors.


You can cut grass in your "cold" winter?

He already has the remote control snowblower.

--
Regards,
Robert Monsen

"Your Highness, I have no need of this hypothesis."
- Pierre Laplace (1749-1827), to Napoleon,
on why his works on celestial mechanics make no mention of God.
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Chris W
Guest
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 1:17 am    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
carl mciver wrote:

Quote:
2. What happens if the batteries in the receiver go dead? Will it just mow right over your neighbors cats?


In electric RC cars, the same battery that spins the wheels powers the

receiver, and the wheels stop spinning long before the battery is to low
to power the receiver. The real question is, what happens if it goes
out of range or there is some kind of radio interference?


--
Chris W

Gift Giving Made Easy
Get the gifts you want &
give the gifts they want
http://thewishzone.com
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jim dorey
Guest
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 3:18 am    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 07:01:52 -0800, Nick Huckaby <simoung@gmail.com> wrote:

Quote:
We are building a robot mower so we don't have to bear the cold
winter. I have a 120V AC mower and a gas powered mower that cuts
a leveled 20'x40' grass field perfectly fine. I have a remote control
and a receiver capable of a hundred meters that can switch a relay to
get a DC motor to go in forward or reverse. I also have two 8-Amps DC
motors and two indrustrial drill AC motors.

We've never built a mower like this before so we don't know if we should
go
with AC or DC motors or know the best way to transfer power to the
wheels. How should we begin building a robot grass cutting mower?

Thanks

for completely wireless i'd suggest you use the gas mower and an
alternator. you pull the starter cord off and you can usually bolt a
spool to the top, add a pulley under the spool and you have a place for
the alternator to go, which of course means you'll use dc(though not
necessarily).

--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
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ff
Guest
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 3:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
Chris W wrote:

Quote:
carl mciver wrote:

2. What happens if the batteries in the receiver go dead? Will it
just mow right over your neighbors cats?


In electric RC cars, the same battery that spins the wheels powers the
receiver, and the wheels stop spinning long before the battery is to
low to power the receiver. The real question is, what happens if it
goes out of range or there is some kind of radio interference?


RC receivers have a failsafe mode that they go into if the transmission

is interupted. For example my plane's receiver is preprogrammed to idle
the engine and circle left until it gets further instructions (or it
hits the ground)
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Rich Grise
Guest
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 8:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Building a remote control mower Reply with quote
On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 07:01:52 -0800, Nick Huckaby wrote:

Quote:
We are building a robot mower so we don't have to bear the cold
winter. I have a 120V AC mower and a gas powered mower that cuts
a leveled 20'x40' grass field perfectly fine. I have a remote control
and a receiver capable of a hundred meters ...

Remote Control Mower?

Like this one?
http://www.flyingthingz.com/videos/Whatisit.mpg

Cheers!
Rich
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