[Al Skierkiewicz]

OK,
We have passed through several weeks of competition and above all, electrical issues are the greatest problem for teams. At Midwest over the weekend, around twenty field issues turned out to be electrical issues on robots. So here is some reminders for those who have upcoming events and the Champs.

1. Be sure to crimp the #6 terminals properly and tug test everything. We solder all of them as insurance. (see my post from last night on how to crimp if you do not have a tool)
2. Loose #6 terminals (on the PDP, main breaker or battery) will produce brownout or loss of primary electrical power. If it moves, it is resistive. Even tight connections will loosen in this game. Check your batteries now.
3. Secure the radio power at both ends. If it moves during the game, the radio will drop or reboot. The radio takes 50 seconds to reboot. That is along time to sit there doing nothing for your alliance.
4. Make sure that the fuses on the end of the PDP are firmly pushed all the way in.
5. Make sure there are no 'whiskers' that will short adjacent conductors on any electrical component.
6. Do not run electrical cable near moving parts including parts that move unintentionally. It is not uncommon to wear through the insulation and short the cable when continuously abraded by moving parts.
7. Check all of the above after every match!