2 NORMAL Switches on a Minibot.

[FRC4ME]

Originally Posted by Android

My colleague came to me with the question "Can we have 2 normal switches on our minibot."

Simple is that. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

<R92> specifies that you can use:

M. limit switches
N. no more than two common household light switches

The GDC has clarified this in Q&A to mean:

-"Only items sold as "limit switches" are allowed on the MINIBOT."
-"For the purposes of the 2011 competition, a common household light switch is any electrical switch that would normally be mounted in a wall outlet box with household wiring, typically available at a home supply center (e.g. Lowes or Home Depot)."

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=16722
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=16347

If by "normal switch" you mean a toggle switch, my interpretation of the rules is that this would not be allowed. If you mean a household light switch or a limit switch that fits the above definitions, my interpretation of the rules is that this would be allowed.

[pfreivald]

Awww... I was hoping they'd look it up -- and perhaps look at all of the other very restrictive minibot materials usage rules!

[Android]

I was hoping for an answer for something like this
http://www.carlmartin.com/Images/octa_on_off_switch.jpg

'm not entirely sure if this is considered a "light switch"

[pfreivald]

That's not a light switch, but light rocker switches would qualify (and are similar, though typically larger).

[FRC4ME]

Originally Posted by pfreivald

Awww... I was hoping they'd look it up -- and perhaps look at all of the other very restrictive minibot materials usage rules!

Allowing household light switches but not functionally identical toggle switches is nonintuitive at best: About 1 in 10 of the Minibot Q&A posts are "is this switch legal?" questions.

[Matt Krass]

Originally Posted by FRC4ME

Allowing household light switches but not functionally identical toggle switches is nonintuitive at best: About 1 in 10 of the Minibot Q&A posts are "is this switch legal?" questions.

And about 9 in 10 could be answered by reading the manual. It describes the criteria for a limit switch (must be sold as a limit switch) and a household light switch (standard switch intended for mounting in a wall outlet box).

Can't coddle people forever. Though showing them the wealth of useful bits in the manual is (hopefully) good incentive for them to start pawing through it at least.

[kmusa]

Originally Posted by FRC4ME

Allowing household light switches but not functionally identical toggle switches is nonintuitive at best: About 1 in 10 of the Minibot Q&A posts are "is this switch legal?" questions.

Very true. But at least they used a recognizable definition of a "household light switch".

It's their definition of "limit switch" that leaves people scratching their heads - if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it MIGHT be a duck, but only if it is tattooed with "I AM A DUCK" in at least two places will we recognize that it truely is a duck.

We'll see how it all plays out at regionals.

[bob1182]

I interpreted the initial post differently. Is it legal to use two of the official tetrix on/off rocker switches ?

Hope so, since that is what our plan is.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by bob1182

I interpreted the initial post differently. Is it legal to use two of the official tetrix on/off rocker switches ?

Hope so, since that is what our plan is.

Are they on the official FRC-legal Tetrix parts list, available at http://usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Rob...ix%20Parts.pdf ?
If not, are they sold either as household light switches or as limit switches?
Is there any other way that you could possibly get them in via <R92>?


Hint: The correct answer is that your plan will need to change. How it will need to change is up to you.

[DavidGitz]

Originally Posted by EricH

Are they on the official FRC-legal Tetrix parts list, available at http://usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Rob...ix%20Parts.pdf ?
If not, are they sold either as household light switches or as limit switches?
Is there any other way that you could possibly get them in via <R92>?


Hint: The correct answer is that your plan will need to change. How it will need to change is up to you.

The Tetrix On/Off Switch is on the last page of this document. We are using 1.