# Tips & Tutorials **URL:** https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/c/tutorials/9.md [Latest](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/tags.md) --- ## [About the Tips & Tutorials category](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/about-the-tips-tutorials-category/515)
**Author:** [@bristolbotbuilders](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/bristolbotbuilders)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [30 June 2025 17:52 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/about-the-tips-tutorials-category/515 "2025-06-30T17:52:32Z")
A place to share helpful insights & guides that may be useful to others! --- ## [Guide: How to solder robots good](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/guide-how-to-solder-robots-good/725)
**Author:** [@IrregularJoe](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/IrregularJoe)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [13 October 2026 22:51 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/guide-how-to-solder-robots-good/725 "2026-10-13T22:51:42Z")
Hello everyone! In my time at various events round the country I have seen many many robots, and while everyone is super cool and so are your robots, good lord I have seen some crimes against electronics. Not only can ba… --- ## [Competing at your First BBB Event - A Guide](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/competing-at-your-first-bbb-event-a-guide/759)
**Author:** [@Craig](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/Craig)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [6 August 2026 21:20 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/competing-at-your-first-bbb-event-a-guide/759 "2026-08-06T21:20:39Z")
Afternoon all! I’ve spent some time today writing up this guide, walking through what an event with BBB looks like from the very start (signing up) right to leaving the venue at the end of the day - bbb.gd/first. This … --- ## [PLA, good or bad?](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/pla-good-or-bad/540)
**Author:** [@MarkR](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/MarkR)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [3 July 2026 07:48 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/pla-good-or-bad/540 "2026-07-03T07:48:08Z")
Hi, I’ve recently (between other things) been doing a bit of testing on different PLA based 3d printed plastics. You may have heard of the conventional wisdom “PLA is rubbish for combat robots”. This was certainly the … --- ## [What I have learned about foam big wheels](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/what-i-have-learned-about-foam-big-wheels/728)
**Author:** [@TeamCosmic](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/TeamCosmic)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [9 June 2026 14:36 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/what-i-have-learned-about-foam-big-wheels/728 "2026-06-09T14:36:53Z")
What I have learned about foam big wheels. My name is Alex, I have been working on a 150g big wheel robot called Eclipse - 150. I have been working on it for about three years now. Since it debuted it has seen over 100 f… --- ## [Using a Google Stadia controller to control a robot](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/using-a-google-stadia-controller-to-control-a-robot/589)
**Author:** [@IrregularJoe](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/IrregularJoe)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [27 October 2025 10:02 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/using-a-google-stadia-controller-to-control-a-robot/589 "2025-10-27T10:02:05Z")
Hey folks! I really enjoy throwing a controller at someone who’s never driven a robot before and letting them drive an antweight as a minibot in a beetle fight (See: feeding Fatal Deviant to Zephyrus at the last Pub Beet… --- ## [Failsafing your robot: Particularly with FS-i6 and FS2A receivers](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/failsafing-your-robot-particularly-with-fs-i6-and-fs2a-receivers/570)
**Author:** [@Joe](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/Joe)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [21 September 2025 10:38 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/failsafing-your-robot-particularly-with-fs-i6-and-fs2a-receivers/570 "2025-09-21T10:38:03Z")
Failsafing your robot: Had quite a few people asking about how to failsafe their drive & weapon at our ant event yesterday - we do have a full guide here: bbb.gd/failsafe - definitely give it a read, it’s important to e… --- ## [An anecdotal guide to flying with robots](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/an-anecdotal-guide-to-flying-with-robots/504)
**Author:** [@T\_Y](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/T_Y)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [17 June 2025 07:32 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/an-anecdotal-guide-to-flying-with-robots/504 "2025-06-17T07:32:01Z")
I thought I’d share my experiences of flying abroad with robots in the hope that it helps other people looking at travelling to events in countries you don’t live in. I do not claim that these steps will definitely get y… --- ## [Antweight Flipper Linkage: How the flip do I build a flipper?](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/antweight-flipper-linkage-how-the-flip-do-i-build-a-flipper/492)
**Author:** [@Cosmosrobotics](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/Cosmosrobotics)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [27 May 2025 15:19 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/antweight-flipper-linkage-how-the-flip-do-i-build-a-flipper/492 "2025-05-27T15:19:26Z")
I’m on the home stretch of my antweight flipper Nova and all my electronics work and it drives. My servos turned up a couple days ago and ive been trying to design my flipper. (sorry for no screenshot I’m writing on … --- ## [Locking Bars - Don't let them lock you out of competition](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/locking-bars-dont-let-them-lock-you-out-of-competition/320)
**Author:** [@Craig](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/Craig)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [12 March 2025 23:31 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/locking-bars-dont-let-them-lock-you-out-of-competition/320 "2025-03-12T23:31:54Z")
Locking bars. Whatever class you’re in now, you can’t escape them. Over the years, we’ve seen some good ones and some less good ones.. So let’s share some ideas to make sure we’re all on top of our game. 1. What is a … --- ## [Ari's Guide to Polypropylene - The Evil Is Defeated](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/aris-guide-to-polypropylene-the-evil-is-defeated/427)
**Author:** [@Revsmin](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/Revsmin)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [7 February 2025 21:59 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/aris-guide-to-polypropylene-the-evil-is-defeated/427 "2025-02-07T21:59:59Z")
Hi all! I’ve been printing my beetle chassis in polypropylene for a while now, thanks to it’s mixture of unique properties that make it pretty well suited to combat robots of that scale: It’s semi-flexible while maint… --- ## [Hammertime with OpenTX - a brief tutorial](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/hammertime-with-opentx-a-brief-tutorial/282)
**Author:** [@Craig](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/Craig)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [25 January 2025 09:45 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/hammertime-with-opentx-a-brief-tutorial/282 "2025-01-25T09:45:34Z")
Let me start this off by saying this is by no means an exhaustive guide and I myself am very new to this! However, hopefully this helps someone out who comes across the same sorts of issues I have… namely, running hammer… --- ## [Tank Steering Setup Diagram](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/tank-steering-setup-diagram/335)
**Author:** [@moop](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/moop)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [19 August 2024 15:55 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/tank-steering-setup-diagram/335 "2024-08-19T15:55:00Z")
I’m not sure if this is the quite right place for this, but I can’t find a better one. On the way back from North Down Havok I made a diagram to help with setting up a robot’s motors to drive correctly, and I figured I … --- ## [Removable Links: How to prevent the worst kind of loss from happening to you!](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/removable-links-how-to-prevent-the-worst-kind-of-loss-from-happening-to-you/229)
**Author:** [@Shooty](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/Shooty)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [14 March 2024 13:32 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/removable-links-how-to-prevent-the-worst-kind-of-loss-from-happening-to-you/229 "2024-03-14T13:32:05Z")
INTRO There are a few differences in the robot combat scene of Europe compared to the rest of the world, and one of these major differences is the requirement of a removable connector, or link, as a means to turn a robo… --- ## [Barrel nuts, insert nuts, T nuts](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/barrel-nuts-insert-nuts-t-nuts/213)
**Author:** [@MarkR](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/MarkR)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [28 January 2024 18:42 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/barrel-nuts-insert-nuts-t-nuts/213 "2024-01-28T18:42:34Z")
Hi, An informational post for you all There has been some confusion about different types of fasteners. All these types of fasteners use machine screws which means they can be done and undone as many times as you like … --- ## [BBB Beetleweight Home Checklist - making sure your robot is safe and your tech checks will go smoothly](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/bbb-beetleweight-home-checklist-making-sure-your-robot-is-safe-and-your-tech-checks-will-go-smoothly/155)
**Author:** [@Joe](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/u/Joe)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [24 September 2023 14:27 UTC](https://forum.bristolbotbuilders.com/t/bbb-beetleweight-home-checklist-making-sure-your-robot-is-safe-and-your-tech-checks-will-go-smoothly/155 "2023-09-24T14:27:10Z")
Mostly written by our resident guide master and scribe @Craig I thought I’d share awareness of this since we sent it out for Subterranean in August - a nice friendly list to make sure your robot is safe and ready to pas…