FRC Blogged - Blog Info, Pool Noodles, Bag and Tag

[Saberbot]

Nothing unexpected, Just a confirmation that pool noodle bumpers and bag and tag are returning for the 2013 season.

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/blog-09-18-12

Lately we’ve been releasing some important season information via this blog. Some folks have expressed concern about knowing when key season information gets released.

Any important season-related information will get shared in summary form on the regular team email blasts we send out. We limit these email blasts to one – or at most two – per week to reduce the chance of email overload, but team Main and Alternate Contacts and any Adult Mentors registered in TIMS who opt-in to receiving email blasts should be receiving them. If you want to know about it anytime we post a new blog, you can subscribe to our RSS feed. Look for the icon at the top of the main blog page. As a side note – one of the reasons we recently made this blog a direct part of usfirst.org is that we found some schools were blocking access to our prior blog provider, and we want blog information to be available broadly.

Pool Noodles

Buy them, if you don’t have them already, for your 2013 bumpers.

Bag and Tag

Just like last year, all North American FRC events, with the exception of Championship, will be bag and tag.

I’ll blog again soon.

Frank

[rsisk]

Appreciate the back story from Frank regarding why they moved the blog and confirming the regular emails are THE place to get official and important information from FIRST.

That being said, do you know who on your team receives emails from FIRST? I believe it is based on the main contact in TIMS. So in order to get critical information from FIRST, your TIMS account needs to be up to date and the person receiving the email needs to distribute it to the appropriate people on the team.

[Aren_Hill]

Nothing unexpected, Just a confirmation that pool noodle bumpers and bag and tag are returning for the 2013 season.

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/blog-09-18-12

Wow, that was simple, clearly stated and straightforward, I approve of "Frank"

[Jon Stratis]

Appreciate the back story from Frank regarding why they moved the blog and confirming the regular emails are THE place to get official and important information from FIRST.

That being said, do you know who on your team receives emails from FIRST? I believe it is based on the main contact in TIMS. So in order to get critical information from FIRST, your TIMS account needs to be up to date and the person receiving the email needs to distribute it to the appropriate people on the team.

The Main and Alternate contacts (as indicated in TIMS) automatically receive all e-mail blasts. Additionally, mentors can sign up in TIMS to receive them as well.

[Jimmy Nichols]

Also having that secondary contact setup is important also. I have seen teams whose Main is the same person with 2 different emails. I have also been sending info out to teams whose secondary contact keeps bouncing.

3 years ago I was out of country and our team wouldn't have been able to register for our 2nd event if we hadn't had our secondary contact setup.

[sanddrag]

I appreciate them giving us this info, but for us it's trivial. What would be really helpful to know is if there is a new cRio coming out and what motor controllers are legal (new version?). Those are often the two most expensive parts of the robot, and school districts often do their purchasing in the Fall.

[Billfred]

I appreciate them giving us this info, but for us it's trivial. What would be really helpful to know is if there is a new cRio coming out and what motor controllers are legal (new version?). Those are often the two most expensive parts of the robot, and school districts often do their purchasing in the Fall.
Motor controllers are a known unknown--but remember that the cRIO FRC-II was unveiled at Championship 2011 in advance of its legality in 2012. FIRST could still pull something, but precedent would say you're safe there.

[F22Rapture]

Motor controllers are a known unknown--but remember that the cRIO FRC-II was unveiled at Championship 2011 in advance of its legality in 2012. FIRST could still pull something, but precedent would say you're safe there.

I think it's quite likely we could get a new standard radio for next year.

[Walter Deitzler]

I think it's quite likely we could get a new standard radio for next year.

Nope, they are keeping the current radio until 2015.

Good thing we got pool noodles, we need them for keeping our robot afloat during the 2013 water game.

[R.C.]

Nope, they are keeping the current radio until 2015.


Really? I've heard otherwise. Can you confirm they will not be changing the radios?

-RC

[Brandon Holley]

Really? I've heard otherwise. Can you confirm they will not be changing the radios?

-RC

I'm thinking this may be a case of different terminology. When someone may be referring to the control system in general as "radio", while someone else is referring to the actual radio access points on each robot.

-Brando

[Jon Stratis]

Agreed... the control system (aka cRio, and likely the Power distribution board and Digital Sidecar as well) won't change until 2015 when we get the new control system. However, FIRST has not made any statement limiting their options on motor controllers or radios (aka the wireless bridges that go on the robot). In fact, the radio was one of the specific items they mentioned they were looking at in the Einstein report.

[James Tonthat]

Wow, that was simple, clearly stated and straightforward, I approve of "Frank"

All hail "Frank"

[Nate Laverdure]

All hail "Frank"
Guys, I'm fairly sure that Frank Merrick (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wpialumni/5710096683/) is a real person. Why put his name in quotes?

[Jon Stratis]

All hail "Frank"

I read this, and I'll I could think of was the little locker aliens from Men In Black II (I think it was the second one)...

[Alan Anderson]

Guys, I'm fairly sure that Frank Merrick (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wpialumni/5710096683/) is a real person. Why put his name in quotes?

There's no real reason to think that the FRC Blog is not actually written by Frank Merrick, but several bits of evidence hinted that Bill's Blog was at least partially ghost-written.

[rsisk]

There's no real reason to think that the FRC Blog is not actually written by Frank Merrick, but several bits of evidence hinted that Bill's Blog was at least partially ghost-written.

I would have to concur

Also putting Frank in quotes was probably a play on words, you know, short and to the point, being frank.

[Aren_Hill]

Also putting Frank in quotes was probably a play on words, you know, short and to the point, being frank.

and the winner is!

[Nate Laverdure]

...being frank.
Yeah, I did get the pun... But I think somewhere at the back of my mind, a part of me had been kind of worrying that maybe there was no Frank-- that he'd been made up to personify a revamped FIRST PR effort. Thanks for keeping my paranoia in check!

[Libby K]

Yeah, I did get the pun... But I think somewhere at the back of my mind, a part of me had been kind of worrying that maybe there was no Frank-- that he'd been made up to personify a revamped FIRST PR effort. Thanks for keeping my paranoia in check!

New ChiefDelphi conspiracy theory:

THERE IS NO FRANK.

[Jon Stratis]

When I was at FIRST headquarters last year, I overheard someone talking about the "Friendly Robotic Android Nourishes Kids (minds)" project, but I never knew what they were talking about until now!

[BigJ]

Do not try to identify "Frank" -- that is impossible.

Instead, try to realize the truth.

[Jon Stratis]

uh-oh... apparently "Frank" saw this thread!

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/blog-09-28-12

[Jimmy Nichols]

In the words of my 4 year old, your busted.

[Nate Laverdure]

YES!!!