Total cost?

[mcscruff]

I will start by admiting i know nothing.
But i will learn.

Im looking to make my first robot as cheap as possible. Looking at the parts (excluding shell) what is the most expensive part? It looks like the transmitter and receiver?

It wont be a super quick build but other than reading here where is the best place to start? Taking an rc car apart or just start from scratch?

[joey_picus]

When you know nothing, the only way is up welcome to the world of antweights!

Taking an R/C car apart is of limited use, unless you really do have no prior knowledge of r/c systems at all - it's unlikely any of the parts will be transferable to 150g, assuming (from the forum you've posted in!) that's the class you're aiming for. There are a number of kits available to help you get started; the kit sold on this very site gives you literally everything you need for a working robot including transmitter, while Rory Mangles of Nuts off the telly fame and these forums sells a basic kit including motors, wheels and an electronics module for considerably cheaper but without the transmitter, a battery or charger, or extra materials. I can vouch for the quality of both

Reading through the forums is a good start, and to answer the question about cost, most of my ants have cost between £50 and £200 to build (I promise I am working on a big website update) but it tends to vary a lot as most components will be reusable between robots, damage allowing. Hopefully this helps - I've got a bad cold so some of this may not make sense...

[tdufall]

When you said you were working on an update I wasn't expecting that old a style!

[mcscruff]

Update:

I emailed the shop owner on here to buy a kit (waiting for a reply) , and i have a few designs, time now to learn to use blender to put them into 3d and not sketches on paper.

As soon as i get my order i will start a build diary.

[oxhey]

Can i suggest using Sketchup instead of blender. Its easier to use.

[mcscruff]

Thanks for the tip, i will look into it, the only reason i picked blender was because it can run on Linux, but i will give this one a go on my windows pc

[Skillz]

Have a look on YouTube for videos there are a small fee of guys building robots as well as many duals of antweight robots for inspiration

[mcscruff]

I looked at the kit and wikk get one when i mess up my 1st go... But i want to try from scratch. All pointers and bits im missing would appriciated:

Transmitter and reciever
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/st ... de_1_.html

50:1 motors
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/st ... arbox.html

Wheels
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/st ... _bag_.html

Servo
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/st ... ervo_.html

Battery and charger
No idea

Would these bits all work together?

[peterwaller]

You really need to start with the controller.
If you go for Rory's option you get the controller, receiver, motors wheels and tyres which are tried and tested and have won many of the recent AWS's for £40 +£2 P&P.
To work with that the transmitter needs to be DSM2 which that one is not and also if you want to drive single stick as most do the transmitter needs to be Mode 2 not 1.
If you don't want to go with Rory's then you need a controller, a receiver, a compatible transmitter, motor gearboxes, wheels/tyres and a battery plus charger.
The wheels you have selected are unlikely to fit the gearboxes and being aircraft tyres they are probably to hard and the rounded section means little or no grip.
The servo is too small with very little power and plastic gears so will not be up to a lifter if that is what you are considering.
The motor gearbox is probably OK.
To be brutally honest if you are new to Antweights why risk buying the wrong parts when Rory the reigning AWS champion has done the hard work for you.
You still need to design a robot but at least the parts are all up to scratch.

[Skillz]

I understand the above point but I also get the logic of mcscruff as buying a kit all in one it's hard to learn when something is already assembled for you