Automatic Charge Station (ACS) - Page 3

Dutch · #31 02-23-2003, 07:37 PM

Sounds cool Steve,

But........ Let me play the devils advocate

1. Different body sizes and chassie types can change the charge contact points by as much 1/4" which is a lot when your trying to hit a point thats about 3/16" square.

2. Your track would have to on a table or you need a elevated section to make it work.

I was trying to make this as easy as I could with little or no cost and portable also.

I know if you make your idea work there will some "Gear Heads" in here that will make them also my self included. But for right now i'm trying the 'KISS" principle (Keep It Simple Stupid)

Steve · #32 02-23-2003, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dutch
Sounds cool Steve,

But........ Let me play the devils advocate

1. Different body sizes and chassie types can change the charge contact points by as much 1/4" which is a lot when your trying to hit a point thats about 3/16" square.

2. Your track would have to on a table or you need a elevated section to make it work.

I was trying to make this as easy as I could with little or no cost and portable also.

I know if you make your idea work there will some "Gear Heads" in here that will make them also my self included. But for right now i'm trying the 'KISS" principle (Keep It Simple Stupid)

Yep, thought of all those but thanks for pointing them all out again! LOL. Fortunately for me, my track is elevated, and it's about 2 inches thick which would give plenty of mounting depth. But since most tracks aren't, there's got to be another solution.

A small platform idea wouldn't be bad as you could build it up on a sheet of Lexan, then just move it around wherever you want...the Lexan edges can be sanded paper thin so the cars can drive onto them with ease.

The body type wouldn't matter as the blocker could be below the from bumber, just high enough to halt the front wheels, it doesn't take much to stop a coasting Zip. This way, the wheelbase is what I'd use for measurement purposes.

Glad to see someone is still interested in this at least a little. Any idea where I might find a micro solenoid?

Dutch · #33 02-23-2003, 08:28 PM

Steve,

Funny you should ask. I have a solenoid in my junk box that I ripped out of a 240 meg Sy-quest drive but it's kinda big
1-1/2" lg x 3/8" dia

Steve · #34 02-23-2003, 08:34 PM

do it do it do it!!!! Make it HUGE right now...then make it practical. You got me thinking, CDROMS have mechanisms that move up and down to clamp the disc..they're geared, but they might work. I'll look into it.

Steve · #35 02-23-2003, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dutch
Steve,

Funny you should ask. I have a solenoid in my junk box that I ripped out of a 240 meg Sy-quest drive but it's kinda big
1-1/2" lg x 3/8" dia

LOL, I can see it now...the Zip drives over it, you flip the switch and POW..the solenoid launches the Zip sky high...hehehe

Dutch · #36 02-23-2003, 09:04 PM

Steve,

I ripped apart a CD also, 2 motors no solenoid :-(

Where I work is getting rid of a bunch of old computer stuff and I told the IT guy to give it to me be he trashed it. So far 2 CD rom's
2 3-1/2 floppys 1 sy-quest 1 Jazz drive 2 old 233 computers and a bunch of odd's and end's

Steve · #37 02-24-2003, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dutch
Steve,

I ripped apart a CD also, 2 motors no solenoid :-( ...

...silly me, the front end of a Zip (or clone) is exactly what I need. I've got a few parts cars laying around, I'll see what I can find.

BenCloned · #38 02-24-2003, 11:11 AM

Returning to a simpler idea:

A small bent plate (very small - a piece of card stock may work) slightly bent so that when a bit or zip backs onto it, the weight of the rear wheels rocks it backward, lifting the charging contacts (like slot car pick-up shoes) into the charging points on the bit. It could be very small and very simple. The weight of the bit would lever the charging contacts into place. Then when you want to leave, you just mash the go pedal.

The scale of the drawing is very wrong, as I had to just throw it together as a concept drawing. Very light wire could be used to power the contacts, which could be left on. No energy would be lost unless they were shorted, or if a car pulled up to charge.

Steve · #39 02-24-2003, 07:39 PM

you might be on to something here. Might I suggest using ribbon cable from old CDROMs or Laptops to run to the charging terminals..it's so thin you'd never know it was there.

Squishy · #40 02-24-2003, 07:58 PM

wow, i like your idea you have BenCloned! it's simple, but looks like it could work!

sm2osley · #41 02-24-2003, 10:55 PM

I saw a track with metal that you drive on and it autmaticly char-ges the car

Squishy · #42 02-25-2003, 05:52 PM

do you have any pics or a website or something sm2osley?

#43 03-04-2003, 11:38 PM

look. You can drive in & back out when finished. Pic is a cut-away of the front of a car

Keep It Simple Stinky!

Squishy · #44 03-12-2003, 08:25 PM

where is the other wire to make contact? if you only stick one wire out, your not going to be going very far.

AUDI-TT · #45 03-12-2003, 08:58 PM

okidoki
heres my idea
u put 2 new charge contacts in the rear end of the car right under the motor/gears
then in ur charge station u have 2 lil springs popping out and
2 toothpicks placed so the rear wheels can fit right in.
you drive in and you go right into the toothpics, then the springs
hit the new charge contacts and viola.