Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #01963
To: Chiu-Yuan Fang chiumanfu@home.com
From: James Wilson jameswilson@globalserve.net
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 12:50:44 -0500
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: The VoreBall
Some talk of solenoids has started. I have found some very small (pager
motor sized) solenoids that operate at 1.5 to 6V. I will look in to the
costs associated with them and post the results, but please be patient.
Also I still have 71 gear motors left 5$ Canadian.
James
Chiu-Yuan Fang wrote:
>
> Low power solenoids are few and far between. They're harder to find than those
> pesky gear motors! ;-)
>
> As for the cybug circuit. Check that the "zener", which is actually just a
> regular diode, is in the right way. The stripe on the diode must face towards
> the 555.
>
> Chiu
>
> Nigel Joyce wrote:
> >
> > Hello Beamers,
> > I have just started with BEAM (about 6 days ago), I have buggerall
> > electronics knowledge but I am picking it up fast.
> > I have a design in mind and thought I would run it past everyone out there
> > and see what the response is like.
> > Anyone is welcome to build this, as long as you help me build it as well
> > with ideas, tips and problems that you experience. Basically the idea is
> > this:
> >
> > An array of 12 or 20 solar roller or photo popper circuits arranged into a
> > ball. OK this is how it will work, Each circuit when it fires, would fire a
> > solenoid out the opposite side of the ball to the solar collectors
> > (photovoltaic cells). The solenoid would push against the ground pushing the
> > ball over onto the next side. That way, it would roll towards the light.
> > To build a sphere out of components (The VOREBALL), we would need either a
> > triangular "side" for a 20 sided sphere (bit of an oxymoron) and a
> > pentagonal side for a 12 sided sphere. I will talk about a 12 sided to
> > start off with. We have 5 photov cells in series, arranged around a
> > photoresistor for lightsource detection. Also with a sphere there would be
> > about 30 photov cells receiving light at 1 time, coincidentally the 20
> > sided 1 made up of 3 photov cells per side would have 30 cells in light as
> > well. Anyway each photovoltaic cell produces about 0.4v i think, that would
> > make about 2v total - 0.6v drop over the diode = 1.4v per side. Enough?
> > Are there higher tolerance diodes available with lower voltage drops? I
> > have three thoughts here. 1. Use a photopopper circuit per side with a
> > central supercap. (heaps of electronics) 2. Or don't use a supercap, and
> > allow the current to flow directly to the solenoid opposite the circuit
> > which is receiving the most light (if this worked (I recon) it would be a
> > smoother movement, more like a spherical centipede then the delayed popping
> > of a photopopper) 3. Or just use 12 solarroller circuits, allowing for a
> > haphazard firing of the solenoids, but a photovore movement because the side
> > receiving more light would fire more often, remembering the solenoids would
> > be mounted opposite the photov cells in the same circuit.
> > Now, for aesthetics, I see that the ball would be very tight with the only
> > visible parts being the photovoltaic cells and the photoresistors, and to
> > make it even more asthetic, have the photoresistor mounted on the top of the
> > solenoid from the circuit from the opposite side.
> > I think the 20 side concept would work better because there would be less
> > drive required for the solenoids.
> > you may also require rubber pads on each side to prevent it smashing itself
> > to bits.
> > This VoreBall Concept, is probably complicated, expensive and way out of my
> > league, but if anyone wants to build it, put in the time and the
> > maths/electronic knowledge be my guest, just acknowledge my input and help
> > me build 1.
> > It has also been suggested (by Ben Hitchcock, thanks for your help Ben,)
> > that I build a 4 sided tetrahedron design for simplicity but (I think) the
> > mechanics would not allow the ball to roll over onto the side firing the
> > solenoid, the angles are all wrong.
> >
> > Please, any feedback would be greatly appreciated, even if it is something
> > like "that is bloody impossible, wake up to yourself"
> >
> > Remember I have been into beam for about 6 days and I am trying to remember
> > high school electronics from 11 years ago.
> >
> > Oh, BTW, I bought a cybug kit yesterday, wired it up on a bread board last
> > night and the bloody thing won't work, some problem in the 555 timer area, a
> > led lights up when I short across the zeiner (did I spell that right?) diode
> > with my finger, any ideas?
> >
> > Blue Skies
> > ---Buzz---
> > I didn't just kiss death, I slipped it the tongue!
> > nigel.joyce@usa.net
>
> --
> Chiu-Yuan Fang
> chiumanfu@home.com
> ICQ=5614919
> http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/6897/beam2.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/alt-beam
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com
Home