V-22 Osprey no longer coming to stores August 1st.

So the Osprey set has been cancelled, and we won't be discussing the politics of why here.  So instead let's talk about the tangible effects of the set being cancelled.

First let's speak on the demise of Lego Power Functions as it currently exists.

The Lego Group has stated that the Power Functions line of electronics will be sunset at the end of 2020.  This follows the 2019 discontinuation of the 84599 Rechargeable Battery Pack which is now over $100 used on Bricklink.  The 84599 was the only modern purist way to have variable speed control and be able to plug it into a wall.  Variable speed control is crucial in developing GBC modules, as it allows for various test situations to ensure module reliability.

84599 Rechargeable Battery Pack

Now while most veteran GBC builders today are using the older discontinued 2868b 9v Train Speed Regulators.  Many of us are looking to move forward with the Powered Up (PUP) line of products so that we will be able to quickly and easily buy new components direct from Lego should the need arise.  The current issue is that none of the current powered up hubs allow for AC power, and none of them have a rechargeable component.  As well they are very expensive because they include a small circuit board and bluetooth radio inside each one.  (Lego Education hubs do have rechargeable batteries)

PUP Boost HUB

PUP City HUB

PUP Control+ HUB

So where does the V-22 Osprey fit into all of this?  TLG hinted at a "Simple Battery Box" over a year ago during their PUP workgroup.  It was supposed to be a device that would operate like the current PF battery box offering a simple "on/off" for the PUP motors.  We rejoiced in knowing that "it may arrive eventually".

Well with the reveal of the V-22 Osprey set, many of us were delighted to see that the simple battery box would indeed be released, and be more functional then we expected.  It had 2 motor ports and offered axle holes connected to each switch that would allow for interesting connections to flip the switches.

PUP Simple Battery Box and L Motor

Well now that the set has been cancelled, we are nowhere closer to having a cheap solution to run our PUP motors.  Some are speculating that the parts may become available on Lego's Bricks & Pieces  on August 1st.  We will have to wait and see.

Happy Holidays from the Great Ball Pit

2019 has been a great year for Lego Great Ball Contraption!  There was a large amount of new modules and mechanisms created throughout the year.  Personal highlights were BrickCan 2019, where I was able to meet Lawrie and check out his Mini-Golf modules in person.  Second to that, I enjoyed helping contribute to the largest GBC the Pacific Northwest has ever seen at BrickCon 2019.

2020 will be an interesting "Transition Year" as Lego's Bluetooth initiative takes over and the Power Functions system is discontinued.  Many veteran builders have been stockpiling Power Functions components in anticipation of this situation. 

As for train controllers, they are still available on BrickLink but have increased in average price by approximately $3.00 over the year.  Be sure to grab a couple if you are planning on building GBC in 2020.

Have a great holiday week everyone!

Challenge 2019 Winners

The 2019 Great Ball Pit Challenge has come to an end.  Votes were counted and the results have been published in the video below.


Big thanks to everyone who participated!  An archive of all of the entries will be posted here: https://www.greatballpit.com/p/2019-great-ball-pit-challenge.html

Retiring Lego Technic Sets for 2019

Lego news site The Brick Fan has just released a list of soon to be retired sets according to a "very reliable source".  Of interest to the GBC community will be the Technic section of that list, so let's take a look.

LEGO Power Functions Motor Set (8293)

This set is great for people getting started in GBC because it contains everything you would need to motorize a module.  It's a shame it's going away (but it's to be expected with PF being phased out at the end of 2020).  Hopefully it's replaced with something soon, Powered Up simple battery box anyone?

6×6 All Terrain Tow Truck (42070)

This set had an unusual color scheme and high price.  The price was most likely due to the XL motor, IR remote/receiver, and Battery Box which was included.

WHACK! (42072) and BASH! (42073)

These smaller pull-back models have a fun play feature where they intentionally destruct when they hit something.

Racing Yacht (42074)

I'm not sure what you would ever use the plastic sails for.  Has anyone used them in a Lego GBC module?

First Responder (42075)

I purchased one of these with the intention of creating a C-model GBC.  I was unsuccessful so it was parted into my collection.  Maico Arts on the other hand created an interesting tilting ramp module out of it, and instructions can be found here: http://greatballcontraption.nl/bi/42075-C-v1.4.pdf

Mack Anthem (42078)

This set looks like a great parts pack due to all the large panels included.

Heavy Duty Forklift (42079)

This is a 2018 set that didn't really get that much attention.  It does have some wheels that I'm told are great for battle bots or perhaps a GBC dozer.

Forest Machine (42080)

This is the most recent set to include a working pneumatic pump and valves.  It also comes with a PF-L motor and battery box.

Power Boat (42089)

A small set that contains mostly black and red pieces.

Tracked Loader (42094)

This 2019 set could be good for a small conveyor type module.

I'm very curious what types of Technic sets we will see in 2020.  Will there be any more power functions sets?  Will there be some more Control+ sets? 🤷‍♂️

Lego Powered Up Reference Page

As we move into 2020, Lego will be sunsetting its power functions range of products and moving forward with their connected line of products that fall under the "Powered Up" moniker.  

I've started a reference page of information that may be useful to both Lego GBC and Technic builders which will have key information on the products, part numbers, and where you can get them.

While it will be sad to see Power Functions go, Powered Up is here to stay and I'm hoping this reference page will help you plan and execute your Lego Technic and Great Ball Contraption creations into 2020 and beyond!

The Lego Powered Up Reference Page is here: https://www.greatballpit.com/p/lego-powered-up.html

I will keep this information updated as more information is released or software is updated.

Lego Powered Up Controller Mod by Ryk Field

Australian builder Ryk Field has come up with a clever solution to improve the ergonomics of using the Lego Powered Up bluetooth controller.  He's been kind enough to create instructions and post them here: https://github.com/rykfield/Other-Stuff/raw/master/PU%20Controller%20Rocker%20Instructions.pdf

Why did he create this mod?

Like Ryk, some of the other builders on Discord including myself have recently built small remote control cars for a "Ball Dozer" style GBC module.  We noticed that using the tiny buttons on the bluetooth controller was difficult due to how small the buttons are.  This mod allow you to control the buttons using a more traditional "joystick" that you can toggle up and down, removing the need to press the tiny buttons.

My version of Ryk's mod

If you would like to join in on the conversation, you can jump into the Discord server here: http://discord.gg/YPwm9w7

Lego GBC Modules for Beginners

I'm frequently asked, "What are some good starter modules" for newcomers to Lego Great Ball Contraption?

To help answer that question, I have compiled this list of 5 modules that are small, easy to build, and reliable.  I have personally tested all of these modules and keep them in my collection.  These modules use different lift mechanisms: Conveyor, Tipping Ramp, Ball Pump, Wheel, and Cardan Lift.


WM01 - Small Conveyor

GBCRamps

BrickWorld 2018 Pump

Stackable Wheel

Compact Cardan Lift

All of this information now lives on it's own page here @ https://www.greatballpit.com/p/lego-gbc-for-beginners.html as a part of my "Discover GBC" information section.

Have you built any of these modules?  Which one do you like the most and why?

What's in my GBC convention kit?

As I prepare for a few upcoming events I thought I would share what's in my GBC parts/repair/utility kit that I bring with me to conventions.  My current kit is stored inside a small Plano fishing tackle organizer, adorned with some various Lego/Convention related stickers.

Inside everything is somewhat organized with different tools/parts stored in their own section.  From top left to bottom right is the following:

• New Spare Motors: 1XL, 1L, 1M.
• Larger Technic Bricks & Beams, Technic Plates
• Spare Gears (2+ of each type)
• Technic Pins, Bushings and Telescopes.
• Various Technic Beam Variants (Dogbones, T's, Biscuits, HassenPins, etc)
• Technic Connectors (all sizes)
• Axles (2+ of most sizes), Spare Sprockets (1 of each size)
• Smaller Technic Bricks
• Tools, Larger Pieces, Sharpies, Labels, Pocket Knife, Brick Badge & Promo Bricks.

Here's a closer look at some of the parts stored inside.

One essential item I would also recommend you bring is Masking Tape.  You can use it to label various things like train controllers, wires, or modules.

What is inside your toolkit, and what do you store it in?  Am I missing some essential items?  Leave a comment below.

The future of GreatBallContraption.com

Several members of the GBC Community Chat on Discord attended BrickWorld Chicago 2019 earlier this year, and one of the topics of discussion was the future of the "GreatBallContraption.com" website.  It was revealed that the current ownership is looking for a person, or group of people to manage it in 2020 and beyond.

The current owner (Mr. Alano) as well as other GBC heavyweights like Mr. Atkinson have already checked in on Discord and the discussion is now taking place in the Symposium chat room.

If you would like to participate in the discussion you can join the chat room HERE.  Please introduce yourself when you arrive and you will be given access to join the discussion.

Lego Star Wars Boost Commander now available!

Beep Boop, the new Lego Star Wars Boost Commander set (75253) is now available from Lego shop @ home.  It contains 1177 pieces and similar to the original Boost Creative Box (17101) it appears to contain 1 Boost HUB, 1 External motor, and 1 Color/Distance sensor.

Including the 2 motors in the HUB, that gives you a total of 3 motors to use in your projects.

The Lego Boost system requires the use of a mobile smart device (phone/tablet) to both code, and run your applications.  This is the biggest downside of the Boost system.  When I was running my Boost Pachinko module at BrickCon 2018 I had to leave my mobile phone running the boost app within range of the module at all times otherwise the module would stop functioning.

Only a few builders have created Lego Boost modules, here are a few recent videos I've found.

Brian is using both a Boost HUB and a Powered Up HUB to prototype a train system.

HRU Bricks has a hybrid Boost Lego Ball Machine which also features pneumatics.



A German builder has also built an interesting Boost powered Lego Ball Machine.

Powered Up Liebherr @ Rock Crawler Interview by Assembled.

The Assembled YouTube channel has recently posted a video interviewing several Lego Technic designers while they showed off the new Control+ models the 4x4 Rock Crawler, and Liebherr  R9800

Of interest to Lego GBC builders will be all the new parts shown and discussed including the new linear actuators, gears, sprockets and clutch elements.  As well they show off how the new Control+ application works and show that you can do some simple programming as well.

I would say that with 4000+ elements, 7 motors, and 2 hubs, the R9800 would definitely make a great GBC starter set!

Build & Chat w/ Matt (Live Stream) Recap

This last Saturday I was feeling inspired to try Live Streaming some GBC building again, and it seemed to go pretty well.  I think the 2 hour duration works well for me and allows for enough time to complete one project, and chat with everyone.

On the stream, I built Ethan M's Bananagig module, and did some fixes to my broken Upslide module.  Thanks to everyone who jumped into chat to talk about GBC!

Moving forward I will be doing a monthly live stream every 2nd Saturday of the month starting at 5PM PST (00:00GMT) This time allows for most of my viewers to be able to tune in.

The format is subject to change but I will most likely be:

• First Hour: Building a module I have not built before (from instructions)
• Second Hour: Tweaking some of my own projects.

Below is the replay from the last stream.

If you have any feedback on the live streams please email me or drop a comment below or on YouTube!

Spring into GBC Challenge Results

Over the last month, 3 of the community chat members came together to organize a small build challenge.  FakeSpaceSquid, Ethan M, and Brian Bell put up some great prizes for their "Themed GBC" challenge.

The challenge was to build a themed module, one that you may recognize, or one that told some kind of story.

There were 11 builders and each builder was allowed to vote for 3 other modules that they liked the most.

The results:

First place: Pinwheel and his "Super Mario Brothers" module.



Second place: The Scrooge McDuck "Money Bin" that I created for my 1000 subscriber milestone.




Third place: Tunnel Cat's "Another Day in the Mine" module.



Honourable mentions to all of the other entries which I've linked below

Bengineer's Crane and Truck



Ethan's BananaGIG



Joel's Christmas Module



Lawrie's Rover



Ryk's Power Miners Wheel



Brian's Stepper Module



Lawrie's Lapras Pokemon Pump



Dill.I.Am's Mountain Pump



Not shown is LittlePlasticBricks "White Castle Conveyor"  which was one of my favourites.  I'll edit this post and add the video if it every shows up on YouTube.

I enjoyed all of these modules, and I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone builds next!

Lego Powered Up! Part 3

This is a follow up to Part 1 and Part 2 of the discussion of the next generation of Lego motorized and programmable products.

Last Week Lego hosted a Fan Media event and a talk was given about the roll out of the Lego Powered Up! line of products.   They showed several slides, and then did some interviews taking questions from AFOL media.

So far this is what falls under the "Powered Up!" umbrella of products:

• Lego Education WeDo 2.0
• Lego Education Spike Prime
• Lego Boost
• Lego Technic Control+
• Lego Duplo Train
• Lego City Powered Up

This video from the "Assembled" YouTube channel shows all of the above products and has the program designers answering some questions on the products.

The Good News

• There will be a "Technic Simple Battery Box" that should be able to turn motors on and off without needing a bluetooth connected device.
• They are working on rechargeable packs for some of the PU hubs, probably the Powered Up HUB and maybe the Boost HUB.
• There is still talks of a Powered Up <-> Power Functions compatibility cable.  What we need for the Lego GBC community is a cable that will allow us to connect the new motors to our older 9v Train Controllers.
• They talked about a possible firmware update to allow the bluetooth hubs to offer basic functionality when not connected to a bluetooth controller.

The Bad News

• No release date for the simple Technic battery box.
• Prices for all of this new stuff is much higher than the current power functions.
• No mention of a Mindstorms EV3 successor

Powered Up GBC Modules in the wild?

Has anyone else publicly displayed a Lego GBC from any of these components?  As far as I know, I have been the first and only person in the world to display a Lego Powered Up Lego GBC module at a public layout.  That was my Lego Boost Pachinko @ BrickCon 2018 which was surprisingly very reliable.  The only drawback was needing my phone to be used for the Boost App whenever the module was turned on.

Technic Control+

The first Technic Control+ sets should be shipping sometime in the second half of 2019.  The massive Liebherr Bucket Excavator (42100) has been delayed until October.  Following that should be the Rock Crawler set that was shown to attendee's at BrickCan 2019 which also used the Control+ system.

Titans of GBC collaborating @ Skærbæk Fan Weekend

Beyond the Brick has announced that 3 of the world's most influential GBC builders will all be participating in the GBC @ the Skærbæk Fan Weekend on the 28th and 29th of September later this year.

Akiyuki Kawaguchi from Japan

Tom Atkinson from the USA

Maico Arts from the Netherlands

This will be the first time these GBC heavyweights will be collaborating and should make for an epic layout.  I'm hoping they bring some never before seen modules to display for this special occasion!

8 minutes @ BrickCan 2019 plus module breakdown details.

I've uploaded the last of the BrickCan 2019 footage in this 8 minute video showing several clips of the GBC loop up close.



Here is a list of my module failures/breakdowns during the event.  (Dropping balls is not included in this list)

EV3 Counter

I left the brick powered on with the program running when I went home on Friday night after the Friends & Family event.  I realized this at home and brought new batteries for the next session on Saturday morning, sadly the Brick was completely wiped, my program was gone and brick settings like "Sleep Timer" were reset to default

Solaire

The well known jam that can occur if balls gets trapped between the technic connectors and the ramp drop in as it is rotating.  This happened several times, but the module is now clutched so it was a quick clear/fix by putting the module in reverse for a second.

Whirligig/Ronald

After 4 hours or so of runtime balls started to get jammed between the pushing axles and the exterior walls.  This was fixed at the show by changing the axle holding the exit beams/axles from a 10 to a 12 and adding a 2L beam w/ axle hole to brace the wall at the outside.

 

GBB-8C2

Frequent anti-jam activations, this was due to the un-level table.  I had to shut it down a few times, once to clear out a 2x2 tapered round brick (droid head) that somehow made it's way up into the pump.

Jade Dragon

The output piece inside the dragons mouth (1x4 black tile) would sometimes fall off if the speed was too high, this happened around 3-4 times throughout the event.  It was easy to fix and keep the module in the loop.

Chicken Pump

The module was not built using all of the bracing included in the original BrickWorld 2018 instructions so it anti-jammed enough that it eventually tore itself apart.  It was repaired and reinforced but continued to open itself up.  I eventually removed it from the loop on day 3.  

After it exploded the first time, someone in the crowd pointed to the TNT brick and said that was the problem.  😂

Matt's Mine

The 3rd step in my stepper was getting worn in and started to wobble and pop on each stroke.  I tried to repair it, but it would require a bit of a rebuilt with brick I didn't have handy so it was removed on Day 3.  Lawrie showed me some ideas on how to rebuild it to fix the issue which I will be doing sometime soon.

BrickCan 2019 GBC Report

BrickCan 2019 has come to an end, and the GBC layout that suddenly appeared on Thursday has now faded away.

Here are the stats we recorded on Day 1 (Friday)

Number of Modules: 56

Number of builders: 8

Layout Length: 20m

Length x Width: 6.8 x 3.5

Number of Balls: 400

Average Ball Lap time: 11 minutes

Highlights for me include

Dave DeGobbi bringing a proper elevated gateway module.  This is the first time we had one at BrickCan, and I don't think I can go without it ever again.  The module had a larger version of his "cheesy buckets" cheese spiral to lower the balls which seemed to work well and also had the ability to mesmerize the public.

Everyones reaction to the Toilet Module I brought.  There was lots of laughing and shouting "IT'S A TOILET" all weekend.

Lawrie flying in from New York with his famous 9 hole putt putt golf layout.  Seeing it in person was very cool!

Running the GBC

BrickCan is a bit strange in that the public sessions are in 2 hour blocks, with a 30 minute break in between.  This allows for scheduled breaks to eat, rest, or fix modules which is great!

Lots of modules needed fixing including my Chicken Pump module which exploded twice, and continued to have issues even after being repaired/reenforced.

It was really hot because the lighting is poor in that area so they add a few standing lamps which seem to emit a lot of heat.This made standing around quite tiring, I think next year we will have to bring some fans or get them from the venue.

The public was good, with very little module grabbing, however lots of dropped ball grabbing was going on, and someone tore down 2 sides of the fencing at some point on the last day.

In Conclusion

It was a good event, and a great GBC layout!  I learned quite a bit and also had some fun.

Getting Ready for BrickCan 2019

It's almost time for another Lego Con and that means another collaborative GBC layout!  I will be heading to BrickCan 2019 in nearby Richmond, BC May 2nd-May 5th.

Event Website Here: http://www.brickcan.com/

River Rock Event Page: https://riverrock.com/event/brickcan-2019/

BrickCan is a smaller con with AFOL attendance capped around 250.  This will be my 3rd year there and I plan on bringing around 20 modules.  In order to support that I've upgraded and updated my infrastructure now with 8 Train Controllers, more power extensions, a large amount of fencing, and new promotional material.  As well I have a new large bypass, and have rebuilt/repaired many modules over the last year.

BrickCan 2019 Loadout

Please introduce yourself even if I look busy, I'm always happy to meet other people who enjoy Lego GBC!

"Powered Up" now available at Lego Shop @ Home

So I just looked on Lego Shop@Home (here in Canada) and quite a few Powered Up components are now available for sale.  (Note all prices quoted in this article are in Canadian Dollars)

Intersting things:

• They are now calling the "Boost Hub" the "Move Hub".
• Both Medium motors have different prices, with the "simple" one costing $14.50 more. 🤔
• The Powered Up LED lights are no longer showing up for sale.

GBC Cost Analysis:

• Power Functions Battery Box + PF M-Motor = $18.48
• Powered Up Hub + PU M-Motor = $89.98

Disappointingly, even at $90 the powered up components would still require a "Smart Device" or the $30 remote control to even turn on the motor.  Let's hope that some adapter cables will appear that allow us to power the newer PU motors from older PF power sources.

GBC is already quite an expensive theme to build and these new components are really going to push the price up.  I would recommend that everyone continue to stockpile Power Functions components over the rest of 2019, and get a good quantity of the 9v Train Controllers as well.

Spring into GBC 2019 Contest

Looking for a reason to build GBC this weekend?

A few of the builders over on the GreatBallPit Community GBC Chat are hosting a "Spring into GBC 2019" module building contest**.  Build a GBC module up to 48x48 in size, prizes include official Lego GBC balls and some other great stuff.  Detailed rules and prize information can be found here: Spring into GBC 2019 Contest

The official Discord server for the contest can be located here: https://discord.gg/E8fRkUG

I'm looking forward to seeing what is created for this contest!

**This is not an official greatballpit.com challenge so please direct any questions about this contest to the associated discord server.