1:10ish Reach Stacker for "conex" cargo containers

[dremu]

Thanks all for the good words!

The gyro boards are sold as both GY-521 and MPU-6050, Amazon, Fleabay, Aliexpress would all have 'em. From that you can Google the code, easy enough, or in a pinch I can dig up mine and post the relevant sections.

Wrt the stupidly wide sliders, ddmckee, your idea sounds eminently sensible. I'll admit I started this build like a year ago and so my memory is a bit fuzzy ... I might have had a good reason to do it the backwards way I did, or I might not Maybe I couldn't get enough reach with the hardware I had to grab both the large and small conexes, or maybe when I tested it there wasn't enough strength in the center and they drooped. Or maybe I just didn't think of it (slaps forehead.) I'll see if I kept notes about it, which I do sometimes, and look at the earlier CAD work. Otherwise that might a great way to reduce the size of that head.

-- A

[ddmckee54]

dremu:

I know what yopu mean about long-term projects, I started my Manitou build in November, 2019. I know what you mean about fuzzy memories. I started posting that project on another forum, so I can go back and get some idea of "What the **** was I thinking?"

I've done a lot of 3D design work on the Manitou and printed out some prototype parts - testing to be sure they'd work. If I printed out enough parts, and did enough cutting and hacking on the lower chassis half, I could make a rolling chassis at this point. I've got the Arduino Nano clone controlled lights working on a breadboard. About that time I had a brain-fart about a servo controlled switch that I could use to switch 1 ESC between multiple motors, instead of using 8 channels for just the leveling feet. It would've worked... but I never really liked that idea anyway - too clunky.

Then I discovered "Mick thebass" and his youtube channel, that guy can really pack 10 pounds into a 5 pound sack! He got me wondering how much of the work I could make the Arduino handle. Then the Devil put the thought in my head that I could make the Arduino auto-level the crane on command.

This RC conversion stuff is a REALLY, REALLY, deep rabbit hole isn't it?

Don