1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

jk, probably not.

Also, shout out to 1323, super disappointed about the mix up with the ref.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

Any idea what caused the power loss in the second finals match? Congrats on making it to the finals, your alliance was pretty spectacular.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

1000 assist points is unbelievable! Might I ask what role and strategy was used?

Did you just insist on getting 3 assist cycles every match?

Even though we tried almost every match, seemed like something failed and the third assist was missed.

Trying to play this game the "right way" is just awkward for us.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

Totally agree Adam. We found that two assist cycles flowed much better going down the field than threes. Two assist cycles also gave us a chance to get in more cycles each match.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

Main breaker blew after an impact while in high gear.

Killer alliance partners and making sure to help as many teams as possible to improve. Your alliance is only as strong as your weakest link. We spent a good portion of our time sending mentors to help other teams. We actually had a couple mentors designated to specific rookie teams to help them throughout quals.

Increasing the overall competitiveness of the field helps you more than it hurts you, and of course for the sake of co-opertition.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

So what happened with the power loss was we forgot to properly bait the gremlin traps before the match. So when we collided with 1662 the evil little devils decided to strike our main breaker and trip it.

But all joking aside the current draw from the sudden high speed impact while the controls were at full throttle caused the main breaker to pop from the sudden surge in power draw. We have a few plans to deal with this issue before champs.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

While this may be the case, it won't get you three times as many cycles. Teams have to weigh these factors. For us, getting high assist points was a priority, and our gameplay reflected that. Feel free to watch all our matches on TBA.

Playing the middle man isn't always the coolest position on the field, but I'm incredibly proud of the way my kids played these last two days. We couldn't be more excited for Saint Louis.

Also, love my friends on 1323. You guys have so much to be proud of, we look up to you guys so much. Thanks for all of your help this year, 1678 wouldn't be where we are without all of your support, encouragement and advice this season. I hope FIRST reaches out to you soon to apologize, your kids deserved better.

-Mike

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

Disclaimer: I am an outsider to CA FIRST.

To piggy back onto this point the quality of robots/play at Silicon Valley is higher than most regionals. I there appeared to be less "bricks on wheels" at this event which is certainly helped by coopertition and helping other teams improve.

Also skimming 1678's schedule they had 254, 971, 1323 and 2035 as partners.

On an unrelated note, why was there no webcast by 1678 at this event? I highly enjoy your high definition recordings as well as graphic overlays; I would prefer them over 240p ones all day. :)

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

Are you talking about the main "on/off" breaker on the robot, or something on the power board?

If you are talking about the main "on/off", check that closely. Some of them are easy to trip from impact because they release, not because of overload.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

I completly agree that the three assists come with high benefits and I apologize if my post did not come across like that. In my experiences this year, I have found that the high reward of three assists are also tough to come by in some qualification matches. It all comes down to what strategy works the best with the partners that you have.

I have been following your team this year and have learned a lot from your strategy and alliance selections. Good luck at Championship!

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

1678 has risen to be one of the biggest powerhouses in California, and even the world! I still remember when you guys took your first regional win against us in the Sac finals back in 2011, and you guys have risen so much since then. I can't wait to see you guys at Championships! Hoping you guys can bring home another banner for Sac! And, hopefully we'll see you at our event in September again!

P.S: Mike, take an "Einstein Selfie" when you guys make it back to that field, please!

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

I wouldn't say that... There were a fair number of teams that just couldn't seem to get the ball out of their robot, or even drive particularly well.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

We have 2 suspicions as to what caused the main "on/off" switch failure. The first is that we drew enough current in the impact to trip the breaker; the second is that the impact bent our bumper plywood back far enough to touch the red "off" switch. Looking at how skewed our bumpers are, I'm inclined to go with the second hypothesis. We'll probably be moving the location of the switch soon.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

We didn't have a particularly difficult schedule; although, neither did any of the other top seeded teams. 368 and 254 played 971, 846, and 1323 in one match, but aside from that 368, 254, 971, and 1678 never played each other except for our(1678's) one match against 368.
Are there any remedies for physical disconnections? Taping the breaker closed is obviously a no no. Other than just limiting current draw is there anything else to do to protect it? We've had our main breaker go out on us 3 times in crucial matches this season.
Thank you! I'm sure Mike would be glad to provide more selfies for your viewing pleasure.

Re: 1000 assist points and we could have done more
 

There was this ingenious design on one of the rookie teams this past weekend at Troy. They had a lexan box surrounding their main breaker, with a hole on top the turn the breaker off, and a hole on the side to turn the breaker back on. The holes were plenty big enough for their functionality, but were small enough as to where the breaker couldn't be accidentally pressed.