The Solarbotics Marble Machine Kit - Solar Edition

SKU: KMMS Brand: Solarbotics

Retired Product

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This product has been retired. It is no longer available, but this page has been kept for reference.

Solarbotics have partnered up with Mr Raynsford to create a rendition of his Marble Machine with the classic Solarbotics touch, solar power!

This laser cut kit is bound to capture the imagination of minds everywhere, as it is powered by the sun. It stores the power from the solar cell and uses it to pulse the mechanics of the wheel. These pulses cause marbles to fall down into the contraption and bring the wonder of inventing to life. Solarbotics estimate that in direct sunlight the motor pulses every couple of seconds, which cause a marble to drop approximately once a minute. However, away from direct sunlight, such as an indoor environment, the motor will only pulse every couple of minutes which cause the marbles to fall much slower.

If you're not the patient type, then you can always speed things up with the hand crank.

See it in Action:

In this kit, you'll have everything you need to get your very own solar-powered Marble Machine up and running. You will need a couple of tools though; a soldering iron, a Philips #1 screwdriver, and a small amount of glue. High detail instructions are included.

What's in the Box:

1 x Set of wooden parts
1 x GM9 motor
2 x #4x½" screws
7 x ⅜" Balls
1 x 4700μF capacitor
1 x SCC3733 Solar Cell
1 x PN222A transistor
1 x 381L trigger
1 x Double-sided sticky tape
1 x 6.8μF capacitor
2 x 2-conductor wire
1 x Diode
1 x Solar Engine circuit board

Here are some troubleshooting tips straight from Solarbotics:

"The marble doesn’t consistently run the entire length of the spiral: find the ledge where the marble jumps off and shift the spiral forwards or backwards slightly to make that section of ledge a bit larger. Also, make sure the surface that the machine is sitting on is completely even and horizontal.

The motor is not moving: make sure your circuit is soldered correctly. This includes the orientation of all polarity-sensitive components and their placement on the circuit. Check the wire connections too."

This is what it looks like when it's all put together:

This product is listed in:

Retired

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Exact shipping can be calculated on the view cart page (no login required).

Products that weigh more than 0.5 KG may cost more than what's shown (for example, test equipment, machines, >500mL liquids, etc).

We deliver Australia-wide with these options (depends on the final destination - you can get a quote on the view cart page):

$3+ for Stamped Mail (typically 10+ business days, not tracked, only available on selected small items)
$6+ for Standard Post (typically 6+ business days, tracked)
$10+ for Express Post (typically 2+ business days, tracked)
Pickup - Free! Only available to customers who live in the Newcastle region (must order online and only pickup after we email to notify you the order is ready). Orders placed after 2PM may not be ready until the following business day.

Non-metro addresses in WA, NT, SA & TAS can take 2+ days in addition to the above information.

Some batteries (such as LiPo) can't be shipped by Air. During checkout, Express Post and International Methods will not be an option if you have that type of battery in your shopping cart.

International Orders - the following rates are for New Zealand and will vary for other countries:

$11+ for Pack and Track (3+ days, tracked)
$16+ for Express International (2-5 days, tracked)

If you order lots of gear, the postage amount will increase based on the weight of your order.

Our physical address (here's a PDF which includes other key business details):

Unit 18, 132 Garden Grove Parade
Adamstown
NSW, 2289
Australia

Take a look at our customer service page if you have other questions such as "do we do purchase orders" (yes!) or "are prices GST inclusive" (yes they are!). We're here to help - get in touch with us to talk shop.

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