I'm looking for advice as to whether the Mr Basic motor/chassis kit (http://www.robotgear.com.au/Product.aspx/Details/572) is worth its bargain price - or is would it be much more reliable to use the Tamiya Twin Motor kit ( http://www.robotgear.com.au/Product.aspx/Details/440) and build my own chassis etc?
And I've seen videos where direction changes of robots built with this kit skid the back 2 wheels - would it be an easy enough/recommended to replace the rear wheels of Mr Basic with a caster?
I have 2 or 3 RC cars that I intend to add brains to. That being said, I also have plans for constructing my own chassis for a few robots as well. I would say that it really depends on what you want to learn first. Building your own chassis will teach you things, just as working with a pre-designed/built chassis will let you learn different things.
I have seen it mentioned many times. Hobby robotics is part mechanical engineer, part software engineer, and part electrical engineer. I would imagine that minimizing your learning curve would be a good thing, and, that you should probably start with a pre-built chassis. But, that is purely my opinion.
In answer to your question, no. You cannot replace any of the MR basic wheels. The clever gearing/transmission controlls two wheels with each motor. This gives it crazy speed but less torque per wheel. But it’s all or nothing with the wheel configuration. You really should use the Mr Basic controller with it for it to be useful.
However, if you want to build your own chasse, the tamiya gearbox is the way to go. It’s easier to build and will run with lower voltage. Also, when you put it together, use the high torque second configuration. (You can build it in high-speed or high-torque configuration, but only the high torque lets the wheels move independently.
WIth both of these options, though, the motors will make a lot of noise. Calculon recommends putting small caps across the leads of the motors.
There are also some replacement motors for the Tamiya dual gearbox, which allow you to operate them at higher voltage and less current. The original motors are designed to operat at 3V. The replacement motors also produce less electrical noise.
Thanks for the advice! I’ve built a couple of kits before (not as complex as Mr Basic though…), so maybe I’ll build my own because I just want a simple set-up for the moment.
