Preparation
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WORKAREA
Prepare a work area at least 3' by 2' for your tools and assembly.
Unpack the robot parts and ignore the bag numbers. The only thing of value on the bag labels are the screw sizes. Make sure to place the screws in little containers WITH the size label. Be careful as there are round and flat head versions of at least one screw size. Prepare a container for the screws that you remove from the servos, they will not be used again.
All of the parts look very similar at first. Especially the black resin connecting parts. Make sure that BEFORE you start the first screw in a part, check that it is the right part at least twice. Then check twice that it is in the correct orientation. Mistakes in the early assembly steps will bite you WAY down the line. (I thought I was really detailed and found out quickly that I was NOT following directions as well as I would like to think.
DOCUMENTATION
If you have the Japanese (J.) version of the docs, all the info you need is in the DIAGRAMS. Do not use the manual that came with the robot, there is likely a more recent PDF version online. Use the PDF file and you can blow up the pix to see the details. You do NOT really need to know what the text says.
When we begin assembly, follow the manual ONE PAGE AT A TIME. Be METICULOUS. Building this robot will show you why they invented the word METICULOUS. Pay attention to the details, and we will walk through the assembly quickly and efficiently. On page 14, notice the pairs of parts are labeled A and B. Use the Sharpie and write A or B on them.
DOCUMENTATION ERRATA
1. The power switch in the manual pix is wrong. The real switch that we are seeing has ONLY a DOT on it, not a DOT and LINE. Therefore, the DOT being pressed means ON, but, contrary to the manual, there is no line.
2. The lengths of the servo wires are occasionally wrong in the diagram, but are correct in the heading where all of the parts are listed. Go by that.
CHARGING THE BATTERY
The battery charger should be set to 0.5A for the 300mAH 10.8V battery. Charge the battery for overnight before you use it. Then run it dead before charging again. Once assembled, you can monitor the battery voltage with the crummy Heart To Heart 3 software (HTH3) form the analog option screen. We need a battery to setup the servos, so charge it now!
WARNING, WILL ROBINSON! Screw head ahead!
In many cases, you will be assembling stuff that will later be remover or the screws removed. We will be identifying those screws in the step by step. Especially problematic are the 2x15 screws. Since they are so long, if they grab enough plastic/resin, they can be hard to remove without busting the head. Be sure to use the best screwdrivers and a TON of caution when you remove ANY screw, and especially the 2x15s. We have also found that screws that go into the servos can strip the seats easier than the ones into the black resin parts. So, use the LEAST force to tighten all of them. Put good pressure to keep the driver seated in the head when going either way.
