PHOTO 3. The Banebots
parts fitted in Orbit.
similar thickness to
the 36 and 42 mm
gearboxes and has
the same improved
construction and
materials as the front
plate. It adds some
ventilation recesses so
that motors can draw
air in through their
front faces — a small
but worthwhile
upgrade.
PHOTO 2. Internals of the
P60 with the 36 mm and 42
mm ring gears at the back.
In Action
where the shaft is going to bend or
break every time, but it is no worse
than its predecessor and is stronger
than the 36 mm gearboxes. The
P60 is a little heavier and longer
than the old 36 mm gearbox and
unfortunately for existing users the
mounting holes do not line up,
meaning that P60 is not a drop-in
replacement.
The front plate is a definite
improvement over the 36 and 42
mm gearboxes. It is well machined
and made of a tougher grade of
aluminum, supposedly 2024. The
cheaper gearboxes are made with
aluminum that crumbles after small
amounts of shock damage and the
front plate design has a very thin
cross-section in places. The new
version does away with the largely
useless face mount screw holes and
moves the remaining holes to better
locations, making a stronger part.
PHOTO 4. Orbit and the P60 gearboxes
in action.
The ring gear has had a major
overhaul: the outside diameter has
remained, but the wall thickness has
dropped so that the same gears
from the 42 mm box now fit in a
36 mm box — this is the ‘secret
ingredient’ and is the most
significant design change in my
opinion. The case screws that
formerly went through the ring gear
are now external and have changed
from M3 to a larger 6-32 imperial
thread pitch — a good move. The
only bad point here is the use of
screws with a slotted, round head.
The slot strips very easily and I have
already replaced them with socket
head screws; for the small cost, I
suggest you do the same.
Inside, the P60 looks very
similar to the 42 mm box but there
are several small but important
differences: the gears are now all
steel; the pins are increased from
3 mm to .125”; and the carrier
plates are thicker and
stronger steel.
Banebots lists the
gears as being larger
than before, but my
callipers say they are
the same — except
steel, so it’s still all
good news. The only
disappointment is the
small increase in the
pin size; a 5/32” pin
would have been
better IMHO.
The back plate is a
An Aussie 30 lb vertical disk
bot named Orbit has a pair of P60
gearboxes, Banebots 2-7/8” wheels,
and bearing blocks fitted. In a
recent event, it had seven matches
against a variety of opponents:
vertical and horizontal spinners,
wedges, and thwackbots. While it
took its fair share of damage, the
P60 gearboxes still look and operate
like new; the only problem being
the motors coming loose (clamping
the motor to the frame would have
fixed this). The gearboxes had to
withstand some huge downward
forces as Orbit bounced opponents
off the roof and walls.
Summary
The big question is: ‘Are they
worth it?’ I would say definitely yes,
if you ever broke one of the 42 or
36 mm gearboxes. For about the
same price the 42 was and $19
more than the weaker 36 mm unit
(based on the 16:1 version), you will
end up saving money in reduced
breakages and repairs. If you have
not yet killed any of your 36 mm
gearboxes, then the extra strength
of the P60 is possibly wasted, but
still a comfort to have.
If I was going to change
anything about these gearboxes, I
would still upgrade the second
stage pins to 5/32” and replace
the case screws with socket cap
screws, however, the mods are
more optional than essential. SV
28 SERVO 06.2009
