bigtrak Commands

The keypad interface is simple to use, and my old granny threw the user manual away, saying "Manual sch-manual..." She started inputting commands straight away and by the time she was finished, it became her pal bringing her cups of tea, her false teeth, and hearing aid.

Firstly, you slide this switch forward to switch it ON. Do not forget to switch it OFF when you are finished playing -- ahem... analysing the complex human-robot inter-relationship governing dynamics -- otherwise the batteries will go flat and it will cost you three bucks at the pound store.

Factory Test Command

If you have just bought the toy, you will need to keep the over-exited children (including husband) entertained whilst you read the manual to figure out how it works. The best thing to do is to press the test button, which will execute a set of factory pre-programmed instructions to test the toy.

The CM key is to clear the memory. This erases the previous set of commands so that you can start anew. You will be using this many times, so it is best to learn it. Some people incorrectly use the OFF switch, which does the same thing, but in the end, the switch contacts will wear out. The GO key is obvious, it executes the commands that you have entered. All that remains now is to learn how to enter the directions.

Setting Direction and Length

Using your common sense, there are arrows, which obviously allows you to set the direction. Therefore, you press that first. The other thing you need to tell it is the distance you want it to move. For this, you need to press the number key. If you press 1, the distance will be approximately 13 inches which is the same as the length of the toy. If you press GO then it will execute the direction and distance you entered.

Expressing Degrees

In the world of the bigtrak, a complete revolution consists of 60 intervals. Hence, the old-fashion method of using the clock face to convey angle works. Turning left would be 15-minutes. Hence you enter 15 on the keypad. Turning right would be 45-minutes. Reverse would be 30-minutes.

Turning exactly 45 degrees would be 7.5-minutes; unfortunately, there is no decimal point on the keypad so it is approximated to 7, or 8.

This is 45-degrees. You enter 7 or 8 on the keypad.

This is 90-degrees. You enter 15 on the keypad.

This is 180-degrees. You enter 30 on the keypad.

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