B.E.A.M.
BEAM is an acronym standing for :
Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics and Mechanics
Andy's Light-seeking Robots
DIY Robot : Solar-Bug

last updated : Mar 27, 2007

Parts list :

2 Transistors 2N3904	2 pager motors, high-efficient motors	1 solar panel, 3 volts
2 Transistors 2N3906	2 pager motor holders	1 capacitor, 2200uF, 16 volts
2 blinking LEDs (green or red)	2 resistors 2.2k Ohms, 1/4 watt, 5%	copper wires & heat-shrink tube

It's only 10 items, you can handle it for sure !

How to freeform it (without PCB) :  the regular FLED solar-engine.

	1: 2N3904, bend the base lead (middle lead) toward you. The labelled flat-side facing you and the leads are pointing downward.
	2: 2N3906, bend the collector lead (the third lead) away. The labelled flat-side facing you and the leads are pointing downward.
	3: solder them together face to face and clip off the excess leads
	4: bends the leads as shown 2N3904 :the collector upward 2N3906 : the base upward
	5: solder on the 2.2K resistor, clip off the excess leads
	6: bends the leads like that, it's the bug's left brain E3904 goes to -ve lead of the caps E3906 goes to +ve lead. Also make a loop for motor lead (E3906 loop)
	7: bends the leads like that, it's the bug's right brain The leads of left brain bend one way, and the leads of right brain bend the other way. E3904 goes to -ve lead of the caps E3906 goes to +ve lead. Also make a loop for motor lead.
	8: prepare the motors and mount
	9: attach the copper-wires to the motors and capacitor : looping the +ve lead of the caps
	10: strip the coating of the capacitor, it's more cyber-look this way
	11: left motor blue wire go to E3906 loop of the left brain left motor red wire go to C3904 loop of left brain right motor blue wire go to C3904 loop of the right brain right motor red wire go to E3906 loop of right brain
	12: solder the left brain, then the right brain
	13: solder the left-eye (FLED), then the right-eye For the left eye (fled) solder the anode (round-sided with longer lead) of the fled to the junction between 2N3906B (base of 2N3906) and 2.2K resistor,  solder the cathode (flat-sided with shorter lead) to the -ve (shorter) lead of the 2200uF caps. Do the same to the right-eye as well.
	14: finally the solar panel solder the leads and  glue (or epoxy) the leads onto the panel handle with care (don't pull the leads to test their strength) before the glue (epoxy) set in
	15:  bend the + ve lead down as the front support put on the shoes (heat-shrink tubing) and you're done !!  handle the bug by its tail (main caps) or it eye (fled bulb, not the leads) See, it's not that hard !!

Solar-panel soldering

 I use " low temp" method to solder the wires on. 

 1. Heat up the soldering iron first until it can melt down the solder
 2. Unplug it and cool for 20 sec 
 3. lay the wires on top of pads( I use C-clamp to fix the position) 
 4. solder the wires onto the pads 
 5. check to see if wires can conduct electricity 
 6. if so, crazy-glue the wires onto the back of solar-panel 
 7. if not, clean the pads and re-solder it again (step 1 to 6) 
 8. don't pull the wires to test the soldering strength, a definitely " no-no " 
 9. after the glue set (5 min-overnight), remove the C-clamp 

Tutorial for making Ben Hitchcock's Fred

Tutorial for making Light Tracking Bicore Head

Tutorial for making Lee's Solar-Pockmark

Tutorial for making Math's Lighthead2

More light-seeking robots	Robot kits & parts
Tutorials : DIY	Home of Solar Bugs
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