Porch Testing

I took R2 on the front porch today and drove him around some.
His foot motors are wired for 12v. and they are working GREAT!!!!
I was also testing the range on the PS2 controller and it was
pretty good, Since the receiver is inside R2's aluminum body.
Seems like the maximum range is around 40 feet.
Now that's from my porch, out of my front yard (15 feet)
across the street (15 feet) and about 10 feet into the neighbors yard.
If I held the remote up high, I could regain a signal.
That's not bad for a cheap PS2 controller and I never intend to get
that far away from him while driving. :o)
With the Cheap Controller (C6C)
and a Sabertooth Motor controller
I don't think you can go wrong with the price of both parts.
I'll post a video of R2 in the street when I get a few more things completed,
He's not ready for any real exercise yet.

12v. vs 24v.

I've been trying to run my scooter motors on 24v., Which they
are designed to run.
But the power is just too much.
I'm going to try running them on 12v. which responds and moves much
better too me.
I'm going to order 2- 12v. 22amp batteries after the holidays and wire
them for 12v.
These batts should give me enough run time even though it will be 12v.
I have some emails out concerning the motors.
I don't want to damage the motors are run them too hot, So when the emails
return I'll let everyone know what I've learned.

Rear Logic Complete

I finally got that ding-dang rear logic working.
The wiring process is what kept throwing me off.
So, If anyone needs to wire this thing through the 24v. converter
here's how it wires:

Run the 12v. neg./pos. from the 12v. Batt. to the Pic Flasher.
Run a 2 jumpers from the Flasher pos/neg to the 24v. input on
the converter neg/pos. This will supply the power for both items.
Run a 24v. pos. wire from the output of the converter to the rear logic.
The output 24v. neg. on the converter is not used.
And believe it or not it works.

Everyone was telling me how to wire Leon's rear logic, But it was not working
for me.
And after I burnt up the rectifier on the pic flasher, I tried my own setup.
I'm glad this is over, It was a pain :o)

Voltage Regulator

My regulator arrived today.
This will convert 12v. to 24v. for Leon's rear logic display.
The regulator is adjustable so I will need a better Multimeter
to get the voltage correct.
Since I always give credit where it's do, This is one of Chris James
idea.
The regulator can be purchased on Ebay and it ships from China.

Dome Side Light

Before anyone ask me, I have no idea what this light is called :o)
If anyone knows the name, Please let me know.
In the movie at the cave with the Ewoks, R2 gets zapped by one of the
Storm Troopers and goes CRAZY. As the dome turns you will see this red light
flashing.
I had planned to place a small LCD screen in this area so it would flash red
and if you push one of the dome buttons it would show pictures and video.
That will have to come later.
These two pics show the light off/on. When it's off the panel is like a mirror
and you can't see inside the dome. The pics are kinda crappy, But you get the idea.
And the LEDs don't show that bad in person, The camera makes them really show up.

More Wiring

I did some more wiring today and installed 2 main power switches.
The switches are setup as: 1 for 12v. and 1 for 24v.
We put the 2 switches inside one of the large doors for easy access.
The only thing left is to run the wires inside the legs and I'm hunting a
good master connector for the charge plug, speakers and the flashing red lights
in the front skin. The master connector will allow me to remove the front skin
and unplug 1 master instead of a lot of small connectors.
Everything is run through the fuse box and I'll experiment with different size fuses
to see what will be the correct size for each item.

Door Magnets

I added magnets to the rest of the doors and everything looks good except 1 door.
I noticed when I cut the doors open from the original aluminum skins, The aluminum
seems to have a little tension on it when you cut the parts apart.
So this door doesn't want to close completely. Maybe the servo will keep it tighter
when I get to this part.

Anyway, Here's where I stand in the build.
Once he's complete, I'll dirty him up to look like the Empire Strikes Back R2.

One More Video

I put a set of 12v. 10amp batteries in a 24v. configuration and what a power difference. He was so strong I had to reset the C6C and the Sabertooth to get a smoother start. Setting the C6C can be alittle odd since all settings are set by pushing different buttons on the PS2 controller.
Hey, The table got run over once and I got run over 3 times. And believe me, R2 has quite a bit of strength and started pushing me around pretty good :o)

Now that the settings are correct, I've got to get the ankles locked and get a few things done. Hopefully by Sunday, I'll be able to get him to the street and do
some more testing.

Anyone useing the C6C, I suggest you read the manual or you'll get run over
like me and the table!!!

Added More Wiring

I added the Voltage regulator into my system for the C6C to obtain
power from my 12v. batteries. You can buy these at Walmart for $10.00
and it has a switch which allows you to select the votage you need.
I set mine to 7.5 volts. I have one of these in my dome to power the Vex
Micro and it works fine.
I also picked up a Pelican wireless Ps2 remote and it works Great.
So far range tested on the remote is 40 feet, More than enough.

Once all is wired, I plan to add two main switches to the system.
One for the 12v. and one for the 24v.
I will also add some relays to switch between charging and run time.
More to come :o)

2nd Test Video

Ok, Here's a short video of R2 moving with both feet.
It's not much But I don't have much room in my junk room to move around and the wires
are hanging all over the back of him right now.

I still need to work on the controlls as it's still alittle touchy on the remote.
I've got to lock the outter ankles in place because they want to jump as I aply
power.
I'm running for now 1- 12v. 4.5amp battery for both feet.
I'll get the other batteries ready today.

1st Test

I did a little test to see if my wiring was going to be OK and in
the pic you can see I've got one foot motor connected to a small
12v. 4.5amp battery.
As soon as I gave R2 a little juice from the PS2 controller he jumped and turned
to the right. Which is what I was hoping would happen.

One thing I did notice, The C6C has a adjustable throttle and it needs to be turned down. And this is possible with this little board.
I have more wiring to do and still have work to do on 1 of the legs,
But maybe soon I'll be able to take him for a spin.
I have some large 24v. Scooters and I'm going to borrow the batteries from them,
So I can give R2 a fair amount of power for the test run.

Electronic Locations

I started installing the motor drivers and the C6C.
1st, I cut another piece of Plexiglas as a base for everything to mount
and tried to set the parts in the best spot.
I need some more white wire clips and some other goodies, But at least it's started.

More Goodies

These 2 pics show the C6C (PS2 Controller) that I plan to use to control R2's
feet, Dome and Utility Arms. I've ran the controller for a few hours on the dome to
see if it can handle use for a long period of time. And it seems to be up to the job.

The Sabertooth 2x25 amp controller came in today.
I will use this to run the 24v. foot motors and I have a Syren 10 to run the dome motor.
If all goes well and I'm lucky, I may have R2 ready for a test run this weekend.
I still have to order the 2- 12v. 20 amp batteries that I have made room for in R2.
These should supply more than enough power to run the feet.
I have 2- 12v. 4.5 amp batts that will supply power for the small stuff.

Crazy Days!!!!!

I knew this day would come and I was not looking forward to it.
R2 from the Ankles up is basically finished, There is a couple of details that
need paint but I'll do it later.

When I started the build, Everything was done in a temporary mode.
As things changed and more functions were added it didn't make seance to
make everything permanent.
So, Today I started tearing him apart a piece at a time and making everything
fit. It took all day to rework 1 leg. All the bolts were added and I changed allot of screws to Allen head bolts.
I also drilled the outer ankle for the wiring to pass through to the foot.
I made a aluminum plate to put under the shoulder hub to bolt my wood outer legs
to the frame. The plate adds allot of strength to this area and I'm positive now the leg won't give in a strain.
Tomorrow, I'll start on the other leg and do the same process.

Even though I have an A&A frame, I have added many different modifications to the frame and used aluminum for these mods. I have never glued the frame and still will never glue it, So future gadgets can be added.
I have screws in all the weak spots I could find on the frame.
Some people claim the frame is too weak for a fully loaded R2, But I disagree.
Mine doesn't give in the joints, It doesn't squeak like some people claim.
More to Come :o)

Skirt Update

I mounted my skirt to see if the screws in the center ankle would show and only the bottom 2 can be seen if you look from the bottom.
I haven't seen the painted skirt mounted until now and it looks funny to me.
I guess I'm use to the flat bottom.

I still have alot of work to get done before MegaCon and I hope I get it finished.
The skirts on the feet, Finishing the battery boxes, Painting the rear door
and alot of small details here and there must be completed.

We ordered the Sabertooth motor controller for the foot motors and I have the Cheap PS2 controller, So it will be wiring time soon.
For MegaCon, I'm going to wire the basics. Feet, Dome and lighting.

General Update

I got the center foot set and it's level with the outter feet.
Both casters in the center foot are touching the floor and R2 seems to be very easy to push around.
I still have allot of work ahead and really need to start finishing up.
Well, Not much to post but a small update.

Wheel Setting

Here's some pics of what I worked on today.
I managed to get the feet on and get some idea of what I need to do to get everything aligned.
The plastic sheets under the center foot allowed me to get a measurement of how far I need to move the casters down.
Right now you can see the A&A foot motor holder is off balance, But once I get everything set I'll pin it in place.
And you can see now R2 is taller, Due to the large pneumatic wheels.
Once the feet are set I'll know how much the skirt on the bottom of the feet will hide much of the wheels.

Cheap Skin Fasteners

I found these a Lowe's and they work GREAT!!!
They are Variable Depth GM Push Fasteners and they're only $.80 for two.
All I did was drill a hole through the skin and a slightly smaller hole
in the A&A frame where I had added more PVC to the frame making the frame thicker.
Now all I have to do is pop the skin on with the fastener.
I'll paint them white so they don't show much.

More Center Foot

From bottom to top pics.
I had allready cut the Jag flange off the bottom of the foot.
And now I'm building the new skirt for the foot.
I used a 1 inch wide steel plate and this will leave me with a 1/2 inch
reveal around the bottom of the foot. I really wanted a 3/4 inch skirt,
But it looks funny so I'm staying with 1/2 inch.
Once I get the front/back cut, I may stop by and have it spot welded to the foot.
I could used J.B. Weld, But I really want it to be strong.

Center Ankle Work

Ok, I've done something I'm NOT really proud of, But I needed a solution for this problem.
My center leg is made from square aluminum tubing and the standard Ankle mount would not work for me.
In the pic you can see inside the Ankle and the square plates I added inside will cup the aluminum leg very tightly. I plan to add a slot in the plates so a fixed bolt in the leg will slide down into the plates and allow me to tighten the plates to the leg. It's hard to describe so I'll post more pics later.

The other pic shows the screws on the outside. Yeah I know what it looks like :o(
I'll countersink the screws and paint them white so they don't show as much.
Most of the screws will be up in the skirt and will not be seen, But I think the bottom 2 screws may show up.

Center Foot Casters

In the bottom pic you can see I cut the original skirt plate off the Jag
Steel Feet. The reason I did this was to make room for the 3 inch casters
to turn without hitting the edges. I also cut this part off so I can match
the skirt to my outer feet.
The next pic shows how the plate and the casters are to fit inside the foot.
The next pic shows I left room between the casters so they don't make contact with each other and the next pic shows how they turn outward.
The next pic shows the top of the plates as they go into the foot shell.
The screw type bolts will be changed to regular bolts after I finish fitting everything.
The next pic shows how I redrilled the spots for the shaft couplers to bolt
together. Jag had this set for Omniwheels, But I like the casters better.
So his original holes had to be redrilled.
The last pic shows the bolts holding the caster to the plate. You can see the
screws that go into the top plate.
The idea behind this setup goes as this:
1st - You bolt the A plate inside the foot shell, The screws that hold it together
also bolt the Moons on the side of the foot.
2nd - You bolt the larger outer bolts through the caster and then set it down in the foot shell on top of the A plate.
3rd - You bolt the 4 bolts through the bottom plate into the A plate and this locks the plates together and your done.

Skirt Painted

Still wet with paint, But here's how it looks now.
There are Boo-Boo's from the day it was made, But I'm not
going to put allot of time into correcting them.
It will get weathered with the rest of R2.

A&A Foot Motor Mount Shims

After working with some nylon shims I found the correct size for the shims.
It will require a 1 inch and a 1/4 inch Aluminum tube shim along with 3 flat washers.
Now that this is behind me, I will finish up the motor mounts and will start on the
wheels for the center foot.
It will be nice to be able to move R2 around on his wheels, He's getting heavy enough that I have to drag him around.

Vex Signal Splitter

My replacement Signal Splitter came it today.
The original splitter had a problem with jittering when it was connected
on the 1st two outputs for the servos.
Vex really stays up on the parts they sell and I'm very happy with them.
The new splitter looks the same except on the back it says V.2.
Anyone that has purchased the splitter can get the replacement for free,
All you need is the invoice for the original splitter.

Skirt Work

I had allot of work to do on the Jag Skirt.
Everywhere you see the red Glazing Putty is a bad spot.
It was bad enough, I had to use some Bondo and actually grind down
some of the aluminum. But I'm still glad I was able to get the skirt.
Now it's primed and tomorrow, I'll be able to wet sand and paint it white.

Motor Testing

Here's a preview of the motor running.
I still have to work on the shims and fine tune everything.
They are running on a 12v. battery right now just for testing,
Once they are mounted in the droids they will run on 24v. batteries.

A&A Foot Motor Mounts

I started working on my A&A motor mounts and here's where I stand so far.
The bottom 2 pics show how they fit into my Krider Budget feet.
The tires are the new 6x2 inch tires that Andy found on the web.
The next pic shows the motor mounted into the frame.
I used 1/2 Nylon shims instead of the thin metal shims that come with the Scooter motors. The metal shims don't give much support to the motor and I think it will also keep the motor noise more quite.
The top pics shows the belt tensioner I'm working out.
Andy uses a Turn Buckle to adjust the belt, But I wanted something alittle more
exact because this also keeps the wheel in alignment.
More to come.

Looky Looky!!!!!

Look what I got in the mail today!!!!!
A Chance Cube!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!
Jason made this for my Watto and it looks GREAT!!!!!
Watto will be so happy and maybe he'll win this time.
THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!!!!
Dude, you really got that weathering thing down.
I need you here to weather my R2D2, Because I know he would look AWSOME!!!
I owe you one and I'll find something you need.
THANKS MAN!!!!!!!

My Moons are Showing

The feet are starting to look better each day.
I bolted the moons to the side panel and installed
4 aluminum plates around the inside.
The plates will keep the side plate from shifting when installed
on the foot. I will add a clamp mount to each end, So I can remove the
panels to tighten the Ankle bolts.

Foot Work

I started working on my Krider Budget feet today.
I used Goop to attach the details to the side panels and once this dries,
I'll attach the side moons.
I still need to get the feet welded and a aluminum channel added, But
this is about all I have to complete on the actual body.
Once everything is complete, I will tear R2 back down and make the final
adjustments. After this, All I need is to wire R2 and finish the computer
and he'll be running around.
At least I hope he'll be running around.

Fuse Block

This is a Blue Sea fuse block (Marine Grade).
On all my wiring and connections I will be using M.G., It's just a better grade
and has more protection against corrosion.
In the pics you can see the inside of the block and if it shows good enough,
You can see where I cut the main power bar to separate for a 24v. and a 12v.
power supply. I did want to have 2 fuse blocks for different voltages.
The other pics show how the block looks from the front and the fuse is in
1 of the 24v. connections. There will be 2 connections for 24v. and these are for
the foot motors. There's also a nice protective cover that shows in the pics.
In the long run I will have:
2- 24v. connections
8- 12v. connections.

R2 Wears a Skirt?

Well that's what the builders call it.
This is one of Jerry Green's aluminum skirts and I can see
why he was so upset at the machinist. The skirt has many flaws
in it and the bars are too long. So as I build the piece I'll have
to modify and correct the skirt.
Now I'm not 100% sure I have the bars in the correct place, But I made
a template and did the best I could with what I have to work with.
Anyway, Once I get everything bonded I'll do the filling and bondo
work to make it look as best as I can.

Guessing Game

Can you guess what this is and what it will be used for?
Answers in the next post.

Small Door Update

Just a quick pic of the rear door sides painted.
I was'nt trying to hide the magnets, Just clean up the jambs.

Just Thinking

I plan to weather my R2 and I noticed when I sanded the rear door
in the cracks around the panels it got a off white look and the
actual part that the sand paper did hit, It got a brighter white.
So what I'm thinking is to sand the entire body to match the rear door
then do the weathering.
After the weathering is done it should add a nice effect around the panels
and really look more authentic.
I don't plan to go extreme with the weathering, Just enough to give
it some character and the panels will be more noticeable in the sunlight.
R2 in the Empire Strikes Back is the model I'm using and the weathering
was mild in most of the movie.

Door Rework

The signatures are gone ;o(
I sanded the paint on the outside of the door getting it ready for
a new coat.
I also put some Bondo around the magnets for a smoother finish.
Once the rain stops, I'll repaint and put the power coupler in place.
On the inside I plan to cover the frame with Styrene and this will give me
a nice panel for signatures again.