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Unread 28-01-2004, 19:43
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Dick Linn Dick Linn is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Rookie Year: 2001
Location: Midlothian, VA
Posts: 679
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Re: first year team needs help

If you can drive, you can compete. Concentrate on a basic 2 wheel drivetrain (if it fits your strategy), get everything adequately supported and precicely aligned and practice driving. Some of the more successful teams have had the same driver for years, whatever the design.

This year, we're using the kit-supplied sprockets, some of the aluminum pillar blocks and a simple plate and shaft arrangement for mounting the drill motors just like our first year's robot (which was 75% wood). Although we have some other stuff, we didn't feel the need for a 4 wheel drive mechanism like last year (well, we're trying to do an add-on to help us get up onto the platform.... Both years we've competed, we've never broken a drivetrain component, nor needed any drivetrain adjustment whatsoever for the regional and a subsequent national event.

As a team, we're not terribly experienced and have minimal financial and machining resources, but we managed to be top seeded team going into the finals at the Richmond, VA regional last year. We work out of the school's wood shop and mostly do everything with saws, files and off-the-shelf parts. Our most sophisticated maching resource is a couple of regular drill presses.

Be clever, be persistent and try to keep it simple. You can succeed! Best of luck, and let us know if we can be of help.

Synergy
Team 975
Richmond, VA
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Richard Linn

Proud father of Marine LCpl. Karl R. Linn
Co-founder Team 975
KIA, Iraq 1/26/2005