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How much is too much
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Is $300 too much to spend on A 12kg bot not including IBC or radio controlle
yes
23%
 23%  [ 3 ]
no
69%
 69%  [ 9 ]
Unsure
7%
 7%  [ 1 ]
Total Votes : 13

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timmeh
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Joined: 20 Jul 2004
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How much is too much

How much is too much to spend on a fighting robot
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Post Thu Aug 19, 2004 10:23 pm 
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Spockie-Tech
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that depends on what you are fighting for.. Wink

If its a casual back-yard competition with just bragging rights amongst other builders, then its probably about right.. I would say most of the current bots cost between $100-$300 not including radio or electronics.

Put some prize money, media coverage, spectators and keeping your sponsors happy in there though, and suddenly things get a lot more competitive. If you can win 1st place on national television, what do you think that is worth ? (hint, prime time TV advertising costs tens of thousands of dollars per minute, how many minutes of airtime do you suppose you would get if you came first ?)

The most expensive bots I've heard of would have to be Warhead (I heard 12,000 pound or about $30,000 Aus) and one of the Whyachi bots, which I heard had a price tag of $45,000 - $60,000 Australian). But when you consider how much publicity these bots have bought their builders, it doesnt seem like so much.. (who here would have heard of whyachi engineering if they hadn't fought bots, now they have more engineering work than they can handle)

for the competition level right now though, I cant see any need to spend more than $500-$1000 to build a reasonably competitive bot. some have been done for a lot less.
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Post Thu Aug 19, 2004 11:16 pm 
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timmeh
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I totally agree.

And if you build a top notch bot that cost a bit more then usual you have i big chance of winning and think you only have to win 1 or two battles in robowars and your bot is pretty much paid for! Very Happy

HOW THE HELL CAN YOU RACK UP $60.000 i couldent rack up $15.000 if i tried
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Last edited by timmeh on Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 4:24 pm 
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DumHed
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Joined: 29 Jun 2004
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personally I reckon this kind of thing can be done just as well for small dollars as it can with big dollars.
The difference is that to do it cheaper a lot more thought and ingenuity has to go into it.
The beauty of building something that doesn't have to have a fixed design (just a few basic requirements, like weight) is that you can often find really useful parts, mechanisms, drives, power systems, etc normally used for totally different purposes - and adapt them to your own use.
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Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 5:34 pm 
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Glen
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well ive coughed up about $1000 total for cobra which is probably about half competitive at the moment.

i think that competitive robots are possible as to all who have been at the annihilator and on a budget, what with scooter motors quad drill drives and the like we really have drives matching it with the yanks.

however i believe that without a cheap source of decent nicads/nimhs we havent yet seen what can really be done in 12kg (thinking vd3 here).

summing up switches are a competitive system as is an IBC, just depends on what you want and how you want it to work..
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Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:20 pm 
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Ajax
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Joined: 17 Jun 2004
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What it really comes down too is, How much do you what to spend & how much can you afford. You can enjoy a day of battles with a bot that only costs a couple of hundred.

I have a problem, of not having any were to work or make bots. So every bot I make is going to cost more than most. But I am looking at making sure they can take a pounding and just keep running. To reduce continual costs.
(Bug Eyes, is an exception.this is more of a challenge)
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Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 7:19 pm 
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timmeh
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I think too if your going to biuld a bot try use newer parts eaven if its a little more expensive if you can.
Rather then if you buy old parts that may breakdown not long after you buy them and you still have to buy a new part anyway and end up spending more

And try and use parts that you know you can get replacements eaven if you have to buy all new parts to start off with its better then haveing to rebuild the whole robot because you used some motor you found on a hard garbage pile and you built the robot around that motor or eaven a part and then the motor or part sh#$s itself and you cant get another one and have to rebuild a diff robot
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Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:11 pm 
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kkeerroo
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quote:
I think too if your going to biuld a bot try use newer parts eaven if its a little more expensive if you can.
Rather then if you buy old parts that may breakdown not long after you buy them and you still have to buy a new part anyway and end up spending more


I disagree. Lifespan of parts in a robot is not a consideration. I don't know of a more hostile inviroment then an arena full of combat robots. If any mechanical or structural part of your robot is still working 100% after 3 comps then your doing exetremly well.
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Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:18 pm 
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Glen
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agreed, i cant recall many parts that have lived more than 3 events for me mecahnically.

ive busted castors, motors, wheels, hammers and what not.

well if you use the right part for the right job you wont spend a great deal, i guess youll learn that with experience.
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Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:23 pm 
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timmeh
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That is more for speed controllers batterys and some kinds of motors
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Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:31 pm 
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Spockie-Tech
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quote:
HOW THE HELL CAN YOU RACK UP $60.000 i couldent rack up $15.000 if i tried


I believe the whyachi's included all the time they spent on their robot at their standard shop rates of about $45/hr. Some Roboteers sniffed at this, but as Terry Ewert (team Whyachi) put it.. They're a business and time has to be paid for in lost other work.

Warhead used truckloads of titanium and custom waterjet cut parts and things..
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Post Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:50 pm 
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Totaly_Recycled
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All of our origional robots are still structualy sound most of our problems have been eletronic --radio related as well as normal Battles ours get battled against each other at least every second wekend but thats not with wheapons i only alow the kids to ram each other ..

Post Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:12 am 
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Philip
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Joined: 18 Jun 2004
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It should be noted that 100kg robots will cost more than 12 kg robots.

I spent less than $100 dollars on my first bot. I just wanted to make sure that I would complete the project before I spent big money. My existing bot has cost around $600. I expext my next to top $1000 including the parts that migrate from my existing one.

I am enjoying the design, build and fight therefore it is worth it to me.

You only need to know what it is worth to you. Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.

Post Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:39 am 
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timmeh
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quote:
Originally posted by Philip Taylor:
I am enjoying the design, build and fight therefore it is worth it to me.

You only need to know what it is worth to you. Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.


Yes Yes Yes couldent have put it better myself Very Happy
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Post Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:46 am 
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kkeerroo
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our first robot cost a little over $100 including the radio. But now we are slowly upgrading the parts from robot to robot.

by the way, I believe Son of Whyachi cost around $75000 in parts but was valued at $125000 for insurance reasons.
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Post Sat Aug 21, 2004 12:10 pm 
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