@mk3 -- Thanks. I do have both an oxy and mig (metal sculpture). I will check out the book 101. Thanks for that. research - will do.
@retrolefty -- Yeah! That's what I thought. But then nobody died with the hovercraft project but it did sink into the river. Should have tried the lake first. But that's another story.
@cr0sh -- Thanks so much for all of your ideas. I will do my due diligence first and of course I am researching now. Manual unkillling switches, got it. check. ;=) seriously, as i progress I plan to draw up plans, hack a little, research, draw up more plans so I will be asking alot of questions as I progress this spring and summer.
I will start with the motor and research that thoroughly - good point. Actually there may be working parts on this scooter that are not fried so I will use that as a starting point to get an idea of what 'was' used to control it before. I will also ry to plan from the beginning a safety system. In fact That will probably be my first set of questions as I research this.
Wow, you really have given me a lot of advice. I have printed out your reply and have read through it a couple of times and I'm sure I will again as I proceed. (12vdc 24vdc rails and such with paint dabs, inline fuses, etc. - good ideas).
Actually, this may be a push and/or pull thing but I have to see how much wait it can push first. 'IF' things get to the point of backing up the shaft will make this connected to the mower/fish sled and not a tongue system like a trailer. so I was thinking it would be 1 turn wheel 2 reverse motor for x time 3 turn wheel 4 forward motor etc. rinse and repeat until sensors are not getting triggered. We'll see, hopefully by then I will know a lot more.
CABLE TRACKER ! yes that seems probable.
Thanks again for 'bringing me down to earth' as it were and I agree safety has to be my first order of business and throughout this project. That said, I am almost giddy with the thought of this maybe working. It has been a long time dream of mine to tackle something like this.
Lastly, as for video, I have a half dozen wireless cameras and as such can monitor this from first person, third person, and across the yard as well as from the roof of my house. I live in a semi secluded area with an acre of 'grass' to cut. I have in the past hooked up my video cameras to RC cars and had a track outside and my friend and I inside racing around the track on TV so I know how hard it is to do it that way but it was great fun. This project is completely different and of a scale that that would be dangerous to attempt and I do not expect to do that here. But video would be very cool, none the same.
Off note: I did consider that this might work best with more than one Arduino controlling each system. And the idea of monitoring the whole system seems prudent.
Good ideas all.
I will post/ask as I progress and judging from the responses so far I think this is the perfect forum to proceed with.
Back soon....
Tom