pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

...Apparently I sat though the entire photo taking time without realizing that there was a guy in a banana suit behind me. Huh.

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

The picture of the CADed treads on their front page oddly look like they belong on a legal FRC robot :p .

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

Outback makes a great drivetrain. Fairly easy to work with, and very easy to build on top of. Thanks Outback for a great chassis to work with.

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

so now that I'm not in a hurry I'll post a little more about these awesome treads.

We decided to go with Outback fairly late in the season, later than the other teams, and everything was just awesome. The treads were there in good time, everything went together easily, and the small amount of problems we had all we had to do was call.

To attest to the sheer brute force of these treads look at (I can't recall the match number) but at SVR 114's auto malfunctioned and drove them straight into another robot, which flipped. Most of 1458's matches show us pushing people around on defense, most of the time unintentionally tipping teams(only actually flipped one robot). The best analogy I heard as a reference to the strength of the treads was the announcer at SVR saying if this game is soccer, then our defense is more like rugby.

In short, these treads are tried, true, and reliable, I think we'll be looking to Outback whenever we might need treads in future years

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

Match 68. Martin uploaded a video to youtube, check out the thread here: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=84552

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

The way the kit robots are this year just about any custom drivetrain with a much lower center of gravity will be able to tip and flip them. Its not so much a testament to the strength of treads but rather for having the weight down low and not having massive 8" diameter wheels and the transmissions mounted up high

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

Oh my, the carnage! :ahh:

The amount of people that came together this year in working on these tracks was amazing. It's always a wonderful experience for the students to go to Outback and work on the machines as they come together. Sam is a great teacher and ever year he opens his shop and house to the teams who are there. It wouldn't happen with out him.

It was also a great experience working with Dennis and Craig this year, thanks guys!

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

The treads were great but took forever to get and arnt really allowed because of some bolts that need to be countersunk

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

what was not allowed about them?

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

The holes on the outside of the trackplates all needed to be countersunk to stay within the frame perimeter and not extend into the bumper perimeter.

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

This year, there are provisions for that! :D

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

how long did it take for you guys to get the treads manufactured and delivered because treads are one of the options our team has been looking at since last year

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

Really? I'll have to check ours out tomorrow in the shop, I don't remember use having much trouble last year.

It depends, talk to outback manufacturing, call them up, they love talking to FIRST teams and are very reasonable. If you want to stop by 1458's(Monte Vista High School) shop to check out ours from last year up close, feel free. email me at ramones.rock@gmail.com if you're interested.

Re: pic: Outback Teams at SVR
 

yeah we checked it out last year and liked the idea we have their info but are just wondering how long it would take that way if we go ahead with it we can design our build season around that timing