Team Update #5

[Molten]

I'm clearly missing something, what was the point of the R14 change and why is everyone a fan of the change?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Molten

I'm clearly missing something, what was the point of the R14 change and why is everyone a fan of the change?

You have an upper frame. It is the same size as the frame in the area of the Frame Perimeter. You have one bolt that sticks out over the frame perimeter.

Previously, you would not have been allowed to compete. Now, you are. It's the same change they made last year in like Week 4 or 5 of build, IIRC.

[Don Wright]

Originally Posted by EricH

It's the same change they made last year in like Week 4 or 5 of build, IIRC.

Not to be a stickler...but no, they didn't make the change last year... This is all almost everyone was asking for...but the GDC stuck to their original wording and teams had to add creative shims all around their robot to comply with the rules...

[J.Warsoff]

Well now they finally have a clearly labeled list of allowed parts, so no more arguments about hinges for me on CD! btw, anyone involved in that, I do apologize that I overreacted. I actually rebuilt my minibot from scratch and it uses all legal parts now (and I'm sure of it).

[fox46]

I'm still scratching my head... we got an RS775-18 in the KOP! It seems Banebots and FIRST can't get their stories straight.

[apalrd]

Originally Posted by fox46

I'm still scratching my head... we got an RS775-18 in the KOP! It seems Banebots and FIRST can't get their stories straight.

Read the actual text of the update. Both are allowed (12v or 18v, the 18v is more powerful even at 12v).

[Eagleeyedan]

It seemed to be fixing a lot of grammatical errors.

[Astrokid248]

Originally Posted by Don Wright

Not to be a stickler...but no, they didn't make the change last year... This is all almost everyone was asking for...but the GDC stuck to their original wording and teams had to add creative shims all around their robot to comply with the rules...

Haha, last year we very nearly got busted in Florida for that. Lucky for us we had some plastic strips that were just longer than the bolt heads that became our "frame perimeter". I'm glad we don't have to worry about that sort of thing this year. Means less time spent countersinking and more time troubleshooting.

[Molten]

Originally Posted by EricH

You have an upper frame. It is the same size as the frame in the area of the Frame Perimeter. You have one bolt that sticks out over the frame perimeter.

Previously, you would not have been allowed to compete. Now, you are. It's the same change they made last year in like Week 4 or 5 of build, IIRC.

Wouldn't it still not pass initial inspection during the box test? Or is that what they are altering?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Molten

Wouldn't it still not pass initial inspection during the box test? Or is that what they are altering?

Nope, because the smart teams always build smaller than the box to allow for bolt heads. Bolt heads are exempted from the frame perimeter. So it's quite possible to have a bolt head sticking out from the volume defined by the frame perimeter (vertical dimension infinite). Before this ruling, that would have been an issue--it was last year. Now that this update has come out, there is much rejoicing that this doesn't have to happen again.

The box is still the box; no leniency on that for being oversize.

[Molten]

Originally Posted by EricH

Nope, because the smart teams always build smaller than the box to allow for bolt heads. Bolt heads are exempted from the frame perimeter. So it's quite possible to have a bolt head sticking out from the volume defined by the frame perimeter (vertical dimension infinite). Before this ruling, that would have been an issue--it was last year. Now that this update has come out, there is much rejoicing that this doesn't have to happen again.

The box is still the box; no leniency on that for being oversize.

That's good. I thought FIRST was starting to go easy. Who knows maybe the next update would have been "its ok if your .5 lbs overweight?". Now that I understand the difference, an overall good ruling.

[team222badbrad]

Team222badbrad remembers when nobody knew what bumpers where...

"<R14> When a ROBOT is in its STARTING CONFIGURATION, no part of the ROBOT shall extend outside the vertical projection of the FRAME PERIMETER"

Now we don't have to worry about adding lexan and such to our frame to make the bolts flush...

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Please also note that the update is allowing the thermal protection wires for the Tetrix motors as listed on the linked Approved Tetrix Parts list.
R92..
A. TETRIX components that are not in violation of any other rules (Tetrix components are listed in Approved Tetrix Parts at www.usfirst.org/frc/competitionmanual),

[JesseK]

Woohoo, we can solder the motor leads so they don't come unplugged! There would be many disappointed MINIBOT deployers if they didn't allow this. It was fairly painful in 2009-2010's FTC game.

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by EricH

Nope, because the smart teams always build smaller than the box to allow for bolt heads. Bolt heads are exempted from the frame perimeter. So it's quite possible to have a bolt head sticking out from the volume defined by the frame perimeter (vertical dimension infinite). Before this ruling, that would have been an issue--it was last year. Now that this update has come out, there is much rejoicing that this doesn't have to happen again.

The box is still the box; no leniency on that for being oversize.

I'm excited because our base is 1" undersized in any direction, but we have some minor protrusions in the bumper zone, and possibly one or two above, and they weren't specifically addressed prior to this update. I can sleep again.

Oh, and I can get rid of the wooden shims.