Shooter question
 

We have a rookie team and are having some debate over how to design the shooter. we are trying to figure out whether it is better to have two of the 8in wheels (from the 2011 KOP) and sheet metal on the top, or to have the same set up with a static or powered wheel at the top. any thoughts? I am wanting to have just the wheels on the bottom for simplicity sake, but does that reduce the range enough to want to add wheels on top?

Re: Shooter question
 

Team 1208 has found the set up in the attached photo to be a very effective shooter. One powered wheel with a fixed polycarb plate as a deflector.

Re: Shooter question
 

There is some very good discussion in this threads:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=100293

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=100182

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=101055

If you use the search function at the top, you'll probably find more.

Re: Shooter question
 

I noticed that your using a Quikrete tube on your lift mechanism. That is a really neat idea. What is the diameter on it and is there much slop around the ball because of it?

Re: Shooter question
 

The diameter is labled "8 inches nominal". The ball will fall through the tube, but there is very little gap between the ball and the tube.

Re: Shooter question
 

Were using two wheels attached together. A motor spins them and launches from the bottom, which gives more power and distance from the top in our tests.

Re: Shooter question
 

http://www.screamingchickens.org/videos.html

We are a rookie team too and this was our first prototype and it worked great for us. You might find if it was over kill once u see it but work well.

Re: Shooter question
 

Well a powered wheel at the top would constitute a two wheel shooter which, in general, you WILL see much greater distance with. But, as you said, it is more complicated. The way I see it is that you should go one wheel and a sheet hood because we actually don't really need the large distances mentioned before! Aiming from more than half court would be quite the challenge, so do you really need a shooter that can go farther than that?

To note on the static wheel, do you mean free-spinning or fixed, e.g. non-spinning wheel? Having a static fixed wheel seems kind-of wasteful space and weight wise, also I'm not sure it would really even work! Just doesn't seem right...

For free-spinning, that's also a no go. I think you would get in a situation where the ball contacted the powered wheel, began to spin, and just twirled there spinning you're free spinning wheel with it!

+ on that one wheel with a hood, you also get some of that great, magical backspin :ahh:

Re: Shooter question
 

Using 2 wheels and one lexan sheet as a compression point would be good, 2 wheels help give it stability and will be more consistent.