Electronics

[Primate]

I see. I'll just try different stuff with the photoresistors until I get it right, I was using one of the 1" motors. I might just put the photoresistor somewhere else to do something else, because I gave up on it and started to do something else. haha.
As for the electromagnet, I went out to get the magnet wire from radio shack and it worked like a charm. Thanks for that tip.

Now, on the melting part, that's the part thats bugging me most right now,b ecause I thought it would be just like how you put a paperclip to a battery and it gets hot, but as I did that, it didn't work either, so that part is just ehh.

Can you get your hands on one of the 6v lantern batteries? Those guys will save your life. Your normal 9v battery just can't push enough current to do anything useful. I had the exact same problem you were having, but as soon as I switched to lanterns everything started working. You'll also want to make sure you've got some nichrome wire--you can find some pretty cheap on Amazon.

[zcshiner]

Now, on the melting part, that's the part thats bugging me most right now, because I thought it would be just like how you put a paperclip to a battery and it gets hot, but as I did that, it didn't work either, so that part is just ehh.

Get an old toaster and take the heating element (nichrome wire) out of it. If you get a 2 inch piece of that wire, and a 9v battery, it should glow red hot (which is more than you need anyway).

[yousmellchinese123]

Thanks guys.
I've been asking around for an old toaster from friends now
and
I'll get the lantern battery soon.

[Paradox21]

I was thinking about nichrome wire a few weeks ago and I realized that the little wire things I use in chemistry class for flame tests are supposed to be nichrome wire. I haven't bothered to hook one up to batteries because I bought a used toaster. But if for some reason people can't get a toaster, those flame test wires may work.

[yousmellchinese123]

There is one more question I have, can we have the electromagnet pre turned on before we start the machine?

[cypressfalls Robert]

yes we can do that, in fact we wait to turn it on right before our run to save energy

[yousmellchinese123]

Okay, at regionals our machine was pretty bad o-o
We touched 4 times and half the machines didn't work. Also, the starting task inadvertantly started the action that lead to the final task, but the final task didn't start. We got 12th.

The part that I was stressed out most on was the melting the monofilament line. A week before the competition, I had it working by running a lantern battery through nichrome wire, I remade everything exactly but got a different brand lantern battery adn now it does not work, any ideas? o-o I spent like most of the time trying to fix it.

[Primate]

Okay, at regionals our machine was pretty bad o-o
We touched 4 times and half the machines didn't work. Also, the starting task inadvertantly started the action that lead to the final task, but the final task didn't start. We got 12th.

The part that I was stressed out most on was the melting the monofilament line. A week before the competition, I had it working by running a lantern battery through nichrome wire, I remade everything exactly but got a different brand lantern battery adn now it does not work, any ideas? o-o I spent like most of the time trying to fix it.

Grab a multimeter, make sure your connection works. If it does, find a new 6v battery. I've found that some brands just aren't powerful enough.

[yousmellchinese123]

I just did that today LOL cause I didn't have a multimeter at home I wen tto school with a battery and took the voltage of an energizer lantern battery, I was freaking annoyed it was at like 5 V. I think I sohuld stick with the Radio Shack brand cause it worked the first time? I changed it becaue the battery died right before competition and I told my coach to get me some lantern batteries, he got me the energizer, I tried it and yeah as you can suspect.

Anyways thanks for the Advice, I'll have to ask my coach to return the 3 he bought and go get some radioshack brand

[courage7856]

I just did that today LOL cause I didn't have a multimeter at home I wen tto school with a battery and took the voltage of an energizer lantern battery, I was freaking annoyed it was at like 5 V. I think I sohuld stick with the Radio Shack brand cause it worked the first time? I changed it becaue the battery died right before competition and I told my coach to get me some lantern batteries, he got me the energizer, I tried it and yeah as you can suspect.

Anyways thanks for the Advice, I'll have to ask my coach to return the 3 he bought and go get some radioshack brand

We used all D batteries (1.5 volt) and had no problems with our batteries. They were Duracells, we only did one quick test, and used them essentially brand-new for Reg. I don't want to think about how many we've gone through.