RC car with BB/Paint ball gun.

[GeorgeBA13]

 Hi guys,
i am trying to make an RC car with a BB/paint ball gun. I am VERY new to this and was wondering if I can get some help? First can I buy an rc car and connect in to a transmitter. Second how do you know when you plug in something on the receiver how do you know what that corresponds to on the transmitter. Can I get a transmitter with two joystick things and use one to controll movement of the car and another to shoot and make the gun go up and down?

Thanks very much to anyone!

[Soeren]

Hi,

First can I buy an rc car and connect in to a transmitter.

Eh?
If you buy an R/C car, you should by an R/C transmitter and receiver as well and then things are quite straightforward.

Second how do you know when you plug in something on the receiver how do you know what that corresponds to on the transmitter. Can I get a transmitter with two joystick things and use one to controll movement of the car and another to shoot and make the gun go up and down?

Movement and steering takes 2 channels.
For a gun turret, you'd need two channels more (and two servos) plus you-ll need a single channel for the trigger (assuming a gas or motor driven gun).
All in all that's 5 channels:

Here's a cheap 6-channel transmitter and receiver
You'll need servos and an ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) as well.

[GeorgeBA13]

Hi Thanks for responding,
I was wondering if I spent say £30 on a rc car how would I connect a new transmitter to it? Also my gun is going to be stationary so to move it from side to side I would turn the whole car. To fire I am just going to use a servo to pull the trigger. So i count 2 for the movement of the car and 2 for the gun. I was wondering have I missed one out for a fifth? Thanks

[newInRobotics]

I was wondering if I spent say £30 on a rc car how would I connect a new transmitter to it?

You don't connect new transmitter to it, just use the one that already comes with the car; for gun control use second transmitter with separate controller (which can be attached to the controller of the car); unless You want everything to be controlled by one controller and one receiver/transmitter pair.

Also my gun is going to be stationary so to move it from side to side I would turn the whole car. To fire I am just going to use a servo to pull the trigger. So i count 2 for the movement of the car and 2 for the gun. I was wondering have I missed one out for a fifth?

2 for moving car, 1 to for tilting gun, 1 for triggering. Soeren had in mind gun independent from the car, hence if You want to turn the gun and hold car stationary, You need 1 extra servo, hence one extra channel for communications.

[GeorgeBA13]

Thanks a lot, that was really helpful. I was wondering how would you put everything on one receiver/transmitter? As I need 4 ports for the control of both sections would I need a five. As I would have to also connect a battery would I? or Do i need a speed control thing as mentioned by Soeren?

[newInRobotics]

Sorry, don't follow You. Can You rephrase it?

[GeorgeBA13]

OK I will try agin that was really helpful.

 I was wondering how would you put everything on one receiver/transmitter? You said in your last post about using two transmitters. unless You want everything to be controlled by one controller and one receiver/transmitter pair.

I was wondering how I could do that?
Also  you said (which can be attached to the controller of the car)
How could I attach them together?

As I need 4 ports for the control of both sections would I need a five. As I would have to also connect a battery would I? or Do i need a speed control thing as mentioned by Soeren?

I was basically asking it total how many channels I need in total for all of the robot? in a tutorial they added a battery on the receive, would I need that?

Hope this is clearer?

[GeorgeBA13]

When I say do I need a five I was saying do I need a five channel trans/reicver as do you need to add a battery to the receiver?

[newInRobotics]

What does using battery to power circuit have anything to do with number of channels?

[GeorgeBA13]

In a tutoril I saw it looked like me plugged it in to a channel. O wait I am stupid there was a battery slot that he plugged it in to!

Any light on the other q's?

Thanks

[newInRobotics]

I was wondering how would you put everything on one receiver/transmitter? You said in your last post about using two transmitters. unless You want everything to be controlled by one controller and one receiver/transmitter pair.

If You want one transmitter/receiver to control Your car and gun, then You have to hack the car, disconnect original receiver and connect Your receiver instead; then mount gun and use 2 or 3 remaining channels for gun control.

I was wondering how I could do that?

Can you post link to the tutorial You follow?
Also  you said (which can be attached to the controller of the car)
How could I attach them together?

By glue, screws, duct tape, etc... 

Do i need a speed control thing as mentioned by Soeren?

You do need ESC to drive actuators.

in a tutorial they added a battery on the receive, would I need that?

You can try it without a battery 

[GeorgeBA13]

Cheers man, Great help!

[GeorgeBA13]

Sorry mate one last thing please. How hard would it be to connect a camera so I could have a live feed on my laptop?

Thanks

[newInRobotics]

Sorry mate one last thing please. How hard would it be to connect a camera so I could have a live feed on my laptop?

Thanks

I'm not sure, as I've never attempted anything of that sort. Think of it this way, it's not only camera, You also need means to transfer video, so it's going to be WiFi, or 3G, or Bluetooth (which is too slow I believe), etc, etc... Don't be offended, but if You ask questions whether You need battery for transmitter/receiver, then live video feed is not yet for You to handle 

[GeorgeBA13]

None taken dude I was thinking it might be!

[GeorgeBA13]

I have just been thinking about stuff and using the DT department at my school it would actually be cheaper to make the robot from scratch. So quick noob questions...

If I want differential drive how many servos will I need?

Which is better DC motors or servos for a robot like this?

Thanks,

BTW I am going to base my robot on a VERY simplified version of this: http://hacknmod.com/hack/absolutely-epic-paintball-gun-robot/

[Soeren]

Hi,

If I want differential drive how many servos will I need?

For the drive, either none (if using DC motors) or two.
For gun tilt a servo will be the easiest way to go.
For the trigger, either use a servo or a suitable solenoid.

Which is better DC motors or servos for a robot like this?

Although this may start a "religious war", the answer is pretty clear, just open a servo and see how extremely small  the motor is - if you want power and speed, use DC motors.
Servos will do for very small robots only and for very low speeds.

[GeorgeBA13]

Cool thanks!

What else do i have to do for dc motors. how do i connect them to the receiver? Also how many speed control things will i need?

Thanks 

[GeorgeBA13]

Hello?

Anybody......?

 

[newInRobotics]

Hello?

In English (or any other language that I know) usage of question mark in a greeting is not grammatically correct 

Anybody......?

 

My advice is to try to find info Yourself, especially when there's plenty of it online, as waiting for forum members to answer questions, that have been answered many many times before, is very time consuming, plus it shows that You don't put much effort to understand the matter.

What else do i have to do for dc motors. how do i connect them to the receiver? Also how many speed control things will i need?

REMOTE CONTROL ROBOTS tutorial, in my opinion, is a good starting point. If You need more info, Google is Your best friend 

[GeorgeBA13]

Yeah thanks,
I have been looking around I can't find it anywhere. Please don't accuse me to not trying but everyone seems just to use servos instead of DCs.

 

[newInRobotics]

Find out what sort of output RC receiver outputs, whether it's analog or digital; then find out what sort of analog or digital signal that is; then look for a motor driver that can take that sort of signal in order to regulate speed of the motor. It's not rocket science  When You find something that You think will fit the bill - post it here

All in all, most useful thing to do is research how devices mentioned above work, that way there wouldn't be any need to ask how to actuate motors

[GeorgeBA13]

I give up, this whole thing is just to complicated for me to understand. It seems like the speed controller will connect the motor to the receiver but I don't understand how to connect them to anything. People are telling me to use drill motors but I don't understand how to use them. All of these different outputs and inputs and signals and stuff is just too complicated. Thanks a lot anyway guys you made it sound easier than it is, I give up. I guess this isn't for me. 

[Soeren]

Hi,

I give up, this whole thing is just to complicated for me to understand. It seems like the speed controller will connect the motor to the receiver but I don't understand how to connect them to anything. People are telling me to use drill motors but I don't understand how to use them. All of these different outputs and inputs and signals and stuff is just too complicated. Thanks a lot anyway guys you made it sound easier than it is, I give up. I guess this isn't for me. 

The receiver (when you buy one like the 6-channel set I linked to) have connectors to directly connect servos (Plug'N'Pray).
When you want to use DC motors (on some of the channels, you connect an ESC instead, biut in the same way (in two connectors if it's a dual motor ESC, otherwise two separate ESCs, still in two different connectors), then you wire each motor to the ESC.

We don't make it sound less complicated than it is, quite the opposite - it's just plug in and connect wires to the motor.

Keep on with it and in a few months, you will look back on this and not understand why you found it difficult

[GeorgeBA13]

Thanks man!
I decided to forget about robots for a few days and am starting to wonder why I was so confused! I'll give it another shot! Thanks for the help in you last post!
 

[Resilient]

Go to a local hobby shop and look at some of the RC cars there. Ask them what the different pieces are in the car, it will make it a lot more clear.