Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

Referees will not wait until everything on the field comes to a rest to figure out the score: http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=1604

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

Apparently the GDC has a bad sense of humor.

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread...light=pressure

If a rookie team asked this I'm sure they would get a straight answer.
But seeing as it was 3 teams who have been in FIRST for 5+ years then I think this was an example of sarcasm.

Not cool. :(

edit: Looking at the title of this thread, I'm guessing this answer would more suit a thread named "Unimportant Q/A Forum Responses"

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

To follow up on Elgin's Unimportant Responses idea, take a look at this one:

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=1508

It's a little surprising that this question was asked six times, and it still wasn't really answered. I'm guessing that most teams have figured out that stores do indeed sell sprockets, but that they're interested in buying the exact sprockets that are in the kit, so they don't have to do "minor additional machining (broaching keyways, enlarging bores, etc.)". Is there any reason for FIRST to be beating around the bush with this one?

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

Saw this answered today:

Q:We were wondering if we could hang signs during Regional Competition where our team is sitting?
A:No. As stated in section 3.11.3, teams cannot hang banners in the competition area. This area is designated for official FIRST sponsors' banners. Teams may only hang banners in their own personal team station (within the pit).

I'm sure that will be interesting.

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

It's the same rule every year. And every year regionals have team banners hanging everywhere. I'm not going to speak on the beaten-to-death-topic of teams showing disregard for this rule, but if regionals and the championship are continually decked out with banners which stay up for the entirety of the event, why is this rule in the rulebook ever year?

On another note, we have to ship 2 batteries this year. :mad:

However, it is perfectly acceptable to bring the rest of your batteries in a car. :confused:
Does anyone here have any insight why we must ship the 2?

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=1683

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

Edit: I missed a key part of <R11>, the part under the box. I still don't like some of these rules, but I've struck out the erroneous parts.

I normally go with the flow when it comes to Q&A, but this new direction they're taking with the fabrication rules are getting highly irritating.

Irritation #1: http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread...=3878#post3878

<R11> says, in part:

I read further, thinking I missed something in the Robot section of the manual, and could not find any part of the manual definitively saying that the OPERATOR CONSOLE is part of the robot. Further language in the manual seems to indicate the opposite:

It seems like if they're going to go this route (which, in my humble opinion, is more frustration than anything), a further update to the manual would be required.

Irritation #2: http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread...=3897#post3897

This one obviously rules out some past designs, but I sincerely hope their view of "temporary" will be one of those much-feared subjective situations. I'm telling my drivers to keep their arm down as long as they can safely do it.

Irritation #3: http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread...=3897#post3897

Now, I will concede that the 12V battery is part of the robot. But somebody tell me, what's the benefit to this rule? While most everything else has changed with the batteries, I can't see why we can't put them in the trunk of the car Thursday morning like the past two (or three, or maybe more) seasons.

This sure seems to be the season of seemingly odd rule changes.

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

Possibly this is to keep from the rare possibility that a team may forget to bring it the day that they are traveling. Or, if a team must travel by air, some teams may have trouble getting their batteries to the regional/championship venue (i think 1 of our extra batteries were sent back by security on our way to Atlanta last year...).

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

This season, a lot of rules are costing veteran teams a lot of money. Our crate just squeaked in under the weight limit with only the robot in it last year. Now we have to put the controls in it. Okay, our robot is 10 lbs lighter, so we'll still squeak it. But now we have to put the batteries in it? Goodbye Ben Franklin.

Oh well, FIRST isn't cheap. Whadayagonnado?

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

Irritation #4
Regarding <R29>:The GDC has just made the kit-bot illegal and/or, utterly useless as built out of the box. I refuse to speculate on the reasoning here, for fear of losing my sanity. I have no idea why the whole "fit in a 28" x 38" x something box with something dimension vertical" paradigm wouldn't work this year.

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

This is quite odd. I mean, there's a lot of rules that we can say "are part of the game challenge" but, this is like the "gotta touch the triangle" thing of 05. It is gonna add ugliness to a fair number of robots out there. If it isn't dangling strings from their front frame rail,it is ugly sticks rising from their centers. I think this is probably aimed at discouraging teams from fielding a rolling box whose soll purpose is to get in the way of other robots, but if a tall stick satisfies this requirement...

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

Perhaps the GDC is tired of seeing a lot of knee-high motorized brick-bats charging wildly around the playing field?

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

This would make sense except they turn around and give simple suggestions for how to make these robots legal in about 10 minutes. So I really just don't know what we're going for here.

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

You need to read ALL of <R11>.

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

I agree with you 100%. I like to see good looking robots....but with a random stick out of no where to hold a flag? I understand the reasoning (ok...only a little) But it especially complicates the design of robots with ramps, as now teams need to place their flag holder somewhere, and hope a team driving up the ramp doesn't take it out.

Last year we had to go to home depot and get PVC and make a new flag holder because ours was an inch too short. Seriously, like it was going to affect our performance....maybe we would have been first seed instead of second if we didn't have that inch....

Re: Important Q/A forum responses
 

This response is interesting. I don't think it is a departure from standard practice since Q&A was introduced, but it does clarify how Q&A responses are to be used at events; i.e., as guidance.