What time do pits open at Championship?
 

I've tried searching the pretty worthless new FIRST website, and I can't find out what time the pits at the Championship open on Wednesday. The spectator schedule for 2016 shows practice matches starting at 6:00 but that's about all I can find out. I thought I saw a blog post sometime last year but the website still says info coming soon, half of the links go to the 2015 information, and I didn't find it in the game or admin manual. I'd like to volunteer as an inspector even if our team doesn't qualify, but it's a 5-6 hour drive so I need to know if I can drive up early in the morning or if I need to leave Tuesday night.

Can anyone point me toward the information (and if possible how I would navigate to it if I was trying to use the FIRST website)?

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

I haven't seen any info posted yet for this year. However, I dug through my email archive and it seems that last year inspectors were asked to be available starting at 1:30 for an all-inspector meeting before pits opened. Absent other info, I would probably assume a similar timeframe this year.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

I couldn't find this year's FRC Championship schedule online either, but here is last year's for reference.

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM FRC Team Load-In – 5 Team Reps
2:00 PM – 8:30 PM FRC Machine Shop Open
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM FRC Fields Open to Teams for Measurement
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM FRC Driver’s Meeting – Edward Jones Dome
5:00 PM – 8:30 PM FRC Pits Open
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM FRC Practice Matches
8:30 PM FRC Pits and Machine Shop Close

Since this year's practice match times are the same, I would expect something similar.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

Found this. http://www.firstchampionship.org/sit...c-schedule.pdf

Hope that helps. :)

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

At Regionals, during Load-in, teams were allowed to setup the pit.

Will that be the same at Championships?

Will teams be allowed to un-crate the robot during Load-in so RI's can clear teams to unbag as soon as pits open?

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

The 5 team reps for load-in, at least in the past, have been there specifically to uncrate the robot, set up the pit, and get inspection started for their teams. While it didn't work out too well last year, I think the general idea is to keep body count low for those first couple of hours so the crates can be moved out to storage to make room for the masses, not to limit what work teams can do during that time!

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

pit setup at regionals during load in was new year and was regional specific - not all regionals allowed it. See section 4.6 in the admin manual - it says "regionals" so I suspect it doesn't apply to the championship.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

What didn't work out about it? Was it an issue with inspection? From the perspective of someone who was in there with a lot of work to do on our robot, it was very welcome. Curious as to what didn't work out.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

It was an issue with getting the crates out of the pits and into their storage areas. Long story short, practically nothing got moved until the next day, so things were quite crowded that first evening.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

Maybe let 5 to load-in, but only 3 can remain to uncrate/pit setup until the end of load-in. Maybe limit the amount they can bleed into the aisle during setup - have a 5" wide corridor down the center of each aisle where nothing can be placed, other than empty crates. That should allow enough room to get the 4x4 crates out.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

That's usually not the problem. The people supposed to be moving the crates were doing other stuff (with the fields, I think), and there just wasn't anyone around to actually move them!

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

Gary,
I have not been contacted directly on this yet. I will assume if the pits open at 1PM we will start inspections about that same time. Pretty much depends on HOF reception since many inspectors are part of that, myself included.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

Leave a few pallet jacks around, and show us where to put the crates. I bet I could find a bunch of mentors to move crates.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

Yes, but there's agreements with the Dome staff / Shepard around moving crates. I wish it was that easy!

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

Rich,
Union Contracts...

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

I believe most teams have to disassemble their crates to remove the robot, and then put them back together to have them taken away.

How about a crate re-assembly area? Along the walls?

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

I can't speak to other teams, but we just unscrew the door, and put it back on before we have the crate removed from our pit.

Fun-fact: We almost didn't get our 2015 robot back because one of the students thought it would be funny to write "NOT" on the "Empty" sticker, and put it on the crate. :ahh: I don't recommend that move.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

Rich,
Remember we have 800 crates at Champs. No robots may be carried in.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

That's one strategy for bringing event staff to where the crates need to be moved.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

My thought is for Teams to open the crates in the pits. Take the pieces of the crate to a designated area, and reassemble the crate there for hauling off to storage. I can appreciate that it is hard to find space to temporarily locate 800 crates.

I don't think it violates union contracts for a team to move its own stuff without the assistance of Dome property (pallet jacks).

BTW: Is it 8 fields of 75 robots (600), or 8 fields of 100 robots (800)?

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

600 crates (advertised CMP capacity).

But MOST crates are not disassembled to get the robot out. It's more "remove one side that is designed to be opened". Maybe pull a few smaller pieces.

You still have a 4' square hunk of material that needs to be moved.

Re: What time do pits open at Championship?
 

Yes, I am in 2017 mode already. Sorry.