[Mike Betts]

Originally Posted by jvriezen

Be careful about using hard drive magnets. If they are encased in some other material designed to mount it to the drive that isn't a legal mini-bot part, you might have trouble.

I believe I also read somewhere here early on in the season that technically using a hard drive magnet means you are using a COTS component (the entire hard drive or the device it came from) and then modifying it (stripping it down to just the magnets) and that technically is not allowed, because Hard Drives are not permitted on the mini-bot. I know it sounds weird, but if you want to be uber-safe, buy a magnet alone, rather than scavenging one out of something else. I doubt a nickel coating or other similar coating that comes with a COTS magnet would be an issue, just because its not entirely a magnet.

There is a chance approaching 1 in 4 that I'll be inspecting your mini bot in St. Louis. I'll be asking deferring to my LRI about questionable minibots, however, (especially if you ask me to!)

John Vriezen
Team 2530 "Inconceivable"
Mentor, Drive coach, Inspector

John,

The rules do not specify where the magnet comes from. Also, the GDC ruled on hard drive magnets specifically here.

Regards,

Mike