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Unread 16-04-2007, 14:20
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RTTComanche17 RTTComanche17 is offline
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FRC #1662 (Raptor Force Engineering)
Team Role: Engineer
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Rookie Year: 2005
Location: Lodi, CA
Posts: 12
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Re: pic: Track System

Quote:
Originally Posted by FunkyRatDemon View Post
The tracks worked great, I hope that Sam makes your team do awesome!
(670, 997 and 753 fully (ab)used them)
Beware of (ab)using these track systems. My team (1662) thought about using them but decided against it for a cople of reasons:

1. Track material falls off. Last year we saw 753 at the davis regional and they did very well, bt they (ab)used the eystem so much, tread/track material started to fall off in pieces. This also happened this year where a team on our alliance (dont remember number) left a three inch long by inch and a half wide piece of material on the field.

2. These belts break if (ab)used too much. Just ask 997. In their 6th qualifying match sat. morning at the championships, they were pushed from the side and a belt snapped, leaving one side of the robot disabled. they said it took an hour to change both belts.

3. Teams do not gear them low enough. This year and last year, we have been able to psh or at least stop any robot with tracks. last year we had very low gearing with 4 two inch wide by 8 inch diameter IFI wedgetom traction wheels. We pshed 753 arond no problem. They did have more traction than us, but they were geared so high that they pulled too many volts when they lugged thir cims down low, their robot wold essentially shut down to protect itself, enabling them to be moved across the entire field.
This year we had 6 two inch wide 6 inch diameter IFI wedgetop wheels with a lowered center wheel and a bit higher gearing for mare speed and manuverability. Of the three track systems we encontered this year, we pushed two and stood up the third (they couldnt move us, we couldnt move them).

We love traction wheels We havent benn moved in the last two years!!
A track system cold definately outpush us if you designed them right.
Instead of 5 fps and 15 fps(most teams end up locking them in low gear anyway), try 2 fps and 6-8 fps or 3 fps and 9 fps.

Just tying to provide a little insight, thats all.
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