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Unread 21-10-2002, 16:08
Adams High Man Adams High Man is offline
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pre-inspection preparation questions

I was reading the "Inspection Checklist" at school today, and a few questions came up. Here are all my worries:

Q. First of all, the wiper motors and their grounding to the base. The list says this mustnt be so. Does this mean that i have to take apart the motor and cut/insulate whatever is grounding the case? simply mounting the motor on wood wouldnt work, as the chain still conducts electricity.

Q. Secondly, about the wiper motor. What guage wire must be used? I think right now it has some 14 guage 2 contact wire connecting it to the speed controller. It is what we used last year.

Q. The list says the electronics box mustnt have any exposed wires. I redid our electronics box over the summer, as it was a complete mess. I used quick-connect style terminals and ring terminals from my dad's work supply. They do not have the plastic casing, like the occra ones, though. I did a pretty nice job with the crimping and everything, and it looks quite pretty. would you consider this an exposed wire at inspection? Im sorta reluctant to replace them, because those things arnt cheap! If so, would electrical tape solve the violation?

Q. On the list, it says the electronics box mustnt be altered and components can not be removed. Right now, we only have 3 relays inside (and we are only using 1!) and the automotive relay isnt in there because we arnt using that either. the RC, fuse panel, ground panel, main circut breaker, and all 4 speed controllers (3 being used) are all in there. Do i have to add the 5 more unused relays and the unused automotive relay to pass inspection?

Q. our electronics box is sitting on a piece of plywood, between some sheet metal and more plywood (so it isnt going anywhere) It is duct taped to the robot. is the duct tape sufficiant "mounting" for the elctronics box?

These are all my top worries about next saturday's competition... i cant attend unfortionatly, so i want to be sure everything is in order.

*EDIT*
oh yea... our driver station board is pretty gross... i want to remake it on some plywood. Is there an official dimension?

Last edited by Adams High Man : 21-10-2002 at 17:38.
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Unread 21-10-2002, 20:39
Mike Martus's Avatar Unsung FIRST Hero
Mike Martus Mike Martus is offline
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Official Answer

Q. First of all, the wiper motors and their grounding to the base. The list says this mustnt be so. Does this mean that i have to take apart the motor and cut/insulate whatever is grounding the case? simply mounting the motor on wood wouldnt work, as the chain still conducts electricity.

Answer:Correct you are. Insulation is important. You can get a grounded motor from Justin at OTC.

Q. Secondly, about the wiper motor. What guage wire must be used? I think right now it has some 14 guage 2 contact wire connecting it to the speed controller. It is what we used last year.

Answer: #14 is OK.

Q. The list says the electronics box mustnt have any exposed wires. I redid our electronics box over the summer, as it was a complete mess. I used quick-connect style terminals and ring terminals from my dad's work supply. They do not have the plastic casing, like the occra ones, though. I did a pretty nice job with the crimping and everything, and it looks quite pretty. would you consider this an exposed wire at inspection? Im sorta reluctant to replace them, because those things arnt cheap! If so, would electrical tape solve the violation?


Answer: Exposed wires or wires not in shielded connectors is a Problem if touches by a falling spike or victor causing a short. See inspectors at the competition early.

Q. On the list, it says the electronics box mustnt be altered and components can not be removed. Right now, we only have 3 relays inside (and we are only using 1!) and the automotive relay isnt in there because we arnt using that either. the RC, fuse panel, ground panel, main circut breaker, and all 4 speed controllers (3 being used) are all in there. Do i have to add the 5 more unused relays and the unused automotive relay to pass inspection?

Answer: Your control box should have the Min. parts as shipped last year. The extra spikes are not required.

Q. our electronics box is sitting on a piece of plywood, between some sheet metal and more plywood (so it isnt going anywhere) It is duct taped to the robot. is the duct tape sufficiant "mounting" for the elctronics box?

Answer: While duct tape is legal this year please make sure your robot is well built and not tacky looking. Duct tape was intended for emergency repairs not a construction standard.
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Unread 21-10-2002, 22:27
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Size of operator board

Look in the OCCRA rules/guide. The layout as well as the size is there.

Remember you must Mount the 4 joysticks, operator control as detailed. No other steering or joy sticks can be used this year.

A standard formica covered shelf works very good. you only have to cut a handle and mount the controls with velcro. This is low cost, looks good and is available at Home depot.
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Unread 22-10-2002, 00:10
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A Few More Clarifications...

We do not have a stockpile of wiper motors with ungrounded cases at OSTCNE: if you want to have an ungrounded wiper motor, we have some Denso motors that take about a half hour to modify; better yet, bring yours in and we'll show you how to do it.
The driver station board needs to be no more than 4' long and should be about 1' wide; the board is pictured in the "How-To" video and the manual, but the CAD file from past years seems to have been left out this year. We ask teams to make their drivers' stations similar to the ones we've shown so that teams fit onto the tables nicely. (2 alliance teams may be sharing an 8' table)
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Unread 22-10-2002, 16:26
Adams High Man Adams High Man is offline
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ok, cool!
since we are allowed to modify the motor to unground it, we will just do that. Tomorrow (wed.) is the only time i can work on the motor, as my thursday and friday are busy. it is a little short notice to go in and do it at your facilities, but i am 90% sure that i can do that on my own. Could you possibly just give me some quick basic directions, to get me pointed on the right track right off? From what iv heard there is just a wire somewhere inside that needs to be cut/insulated.

We are only using the 1 wiper motor on the robot, and the light is isolated. Does the isolation rule only apply to people using 2 wiper motors, or do we still have to have the lone motor isolated?

thanks.

Last edited by Adams High Man : 22-10-2002 at 20:27.
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Unread 22-10-2002, 22:15
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Wiper Motor

If I remember correctly, the isolation rule as far as the wiper motor is concerened is with using two motors.

There is another thread concerning the isolation of the motor and how to do it.
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Unread 22-10-2002, 22:18
Mr. Mac Mr. Mac is offline
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Isolating the Denso Motor

If no other part of your electrical system is connected to your chassis, you probably do not need to isolate the Denso. If you decide to unground the Denso's case, it involves opening the cylindrical case that houses the armature, snipping two wires, and soldering in a short jumper wire between two spots on the circuit. All this would be easy if it wasn't for those powerful field magnets that keep pulling the case out of alignment when you're trying to disassemble and reassemble the housing!
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Unread 22-10-2002, 22:22
Adams High Man Adams High Man is offline
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yay! since the wiper motor is the only thing grounded to the base, im not gonna mess with it! Thanks for the reponses.
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