Radio Communications...

[Dan 550]

Would you like to be able to have the ability to use 2-way radios for communication between team members, like between the pit and field people? It would be very useful: when something breaks, tell the pit people it's broken, so they can prepare to fix it or install a new one; if the robot is about to fall over, and the driver can't see it, tell a human player ot tell the driver about it. Motorola, a competition sponsor, makes affordable digital radios that would have no chance of interfering with robot channels, so why can't we use them?

[Suneet]

if the robot is about to fall over, and the driver can't see it, tell a human player or tell the driver about it.

That could have a serious impact on the way a team plays the game. It would be helpful to have people outside the controlling area with better viewpoints communicating with the drivers, but then they'd have to give the same facility to everyone, as it could be a major advantage.

For communication within teams themselves, not involving people in competition, I don't see why not, as FRS is more than 400 MHz below the radio modem's 900 MHz.

[Dan 550]

Little FRS units are fine and dandy for hiking, but indoors they get confused. Those units are unsuitable for an environment such as a FIRST competition, with hundreds of them clawing for a band of their own. Motorolla's business units, the Spirit line, work on FCC-regulated UHF bands and have enough encryption channels to satisfy a regional's requirements. They require a liscense, but they're easily obtained, and would not interfere with the robots' transmissions.

[Suneet]

I think those use GMRS frequencies (not sure.) I don't have any, but I think its the same freq. range but broadcasting more watts. Still shouldn't interfere with FIRST, though, yeah.

[Carolyn Duncan]

While I'm not a wiz at this I think I remember this topic from last year. I seem to remember someone saying that FIRST people use two ways and other comunication methods to keep in touch with each other. I think they said no because they wouldn't want their communication to be blocked. But again, I'm not real sure.

[Tom Fairchild]

I voted against only because of the door that that would open. Basically it would create more red tape. Having to get certifications, no matter how easy to obtain, are still one thing. Then having the airwaves enforced is another. At the same time a team could accidentally use the wrong type of radio unknowingly and cause a problem. Basically it would create a whole lot of static (no pun intended ). Don't get me wrong, I really wish we could use it, but as of now it doesn't seem to be all that big of a feasible possibility.

~Tom Fairchild~, who is thinking about Nextel's direct connect feature since its a cell phone based.

[E. The Kidd]

I don't know about anyone else but last year at the nats I saw several team (as well as my own) using two way radios. not only did we pass by FIRST officials but we used ours at the pit service booth so I'm not sure but i think its ok to use them at the nats

[Elgin Clock]

Alot of people at the comps use two way radio's and that is fine. The only way using those were illegal is when someone watching the game was talking to a player at the players station while they were in the middle of a match. One of the rules from last year stated something like, there is to be no communication between team members at the players station and other team members, like ones watching the game. This happened more often than not but not by two way radio's but by a spectator team member giving hand signals or other motions to the players at the players station...ie: motioning a team member to move thier robot forward or backwards to be on the goal the way that it can balance..etc.
Two way radio's=very good; but not during gameplay for communication between players and spectators.

[Mike Soukup]

Originally posted by Tom Fairchild
~Tom Fairchild~, who is thinking about Nextel's direct connect feature since its a cell phone based.

Since many of the engineers on 108 & 111, including myself, work on iDEN (the network Nextel is built on) we use our Nextel phones whenever possible. They're excellent, but then again, I'm a bit biased. The problem is dispatch currently works only within your home market.

Mike

[Tom Fairchild]

Originally posted by Elgin Clock
Alot of people at the comps use two way radio's and that is fine.

I didn't think that radios were allowed after there were interference issues a few years back. That is what my mentors told me when I offered to lend 6 or so radios on the family band to the team. We all thought that they'd be useful, but I was told that they simply were not allowed. Personaly I love 'em for everything else though that involves groups spread over a wide area.

~Tom Fairchild~, who's really hoping that Elgin is right and we can use them!