Restocking the team's trailer

[rsisk]

As some of you know, our teams trailer was stolen over the summer and since we are a community team, everything our team owned was in the trailer.

Well, we have a new trailer and we are ready to stock it for the next season. I'm looking for ideas of what we should stock in the trailer to get us through the season.

I already have large tools such as drill press, chop saw, band saw, belt sander. I have two cRIOs and a few hand tools.

The kind of things I'm looking for is those odd size bolts and screws you need but never have, electrical components, connectors and supplies, small tools, ways to organize for storage and competition.

I appreciate any advice the CD community can offer. Suppliers and part numbers would be awesome

[slijin]

It's great to hear you guys were able to pull through. It's always terrible when teams have to deal with this kind of stuff.

Here's a list of electrical stuff:

General purpose connectors: We use quick disconnects and love them, even if they're annoying to deal with at times: stud mounting tabs, Digikey A27859-ND, 14-16AWG females, All Electronics 6225, 14-16AWG males 4225; 10-12AWG fem/male are 1325 and 2325 but only partially insulated - if you want fully, look on Mouser/Digikey).

General purpose connectors: Alternatively for a bit more cash, you can go with Powerpoles, which can be purchased from Powerwerx or Andymark (we've always foregone them because of the pricing disparity). I've heard that they're incredible because they're foolproof and easy to use, but do keep in mind that I've never had the opportunity to use them.

Motor connectors: Specifically for the small ones, like the Banebots and the FPs, use 3/16" female quick disconnects. We use All Electronics 1250, but you can find them on Andymark too.

Battery connectors: get the connectors and cable (6AWG recommended) separately. I recommend the welding cable for its flexibility, which I find makes it much easier and preferable to work with than the kind of wire that other suppliers (including Andymark - sorry Andy!) offer. It is, however, a bit on the pricey side.

Wire: Definitely 10/12 AWG, both red and black. Depending on your past usage, 16/18/22 AWG, again, both red and black, for sensors and low-power applications. Powerwerx and All Electronics carry bulk supplies; Andymark offers unspooled lengths. See Mouser, Digikey, and local suppliers for alternatives.

OI (or other custom stuff): 26/28/30AWG in assorted colors and uninsulated solid 22AWG (local Radioshack). Header pins, female for mounting stuff like the Cypress, male for output pins (we use PWM cables in our OIs with male header pins for easy servicing) (again, local Radioshack). A CCI, from EStop.

Custom PWMs: Hansen Hobbies. We use the economy 22AWG wire and haven't had any problems with it. You'll also obviously want both female and male pins as well as 1x3 housings; for encoders, consider the 1x4 housings (or if you use Jaguars, 1x5s). I've personally had trouble with their ratcheting crimper, but others on this forum have and never had problems. I instead use a manual crimper (that was with the team before I joined, so I'm not sure if it's the one they offer - it's certainly a similar design).

Tools: Powerwerx's crimper is to die for - it works on everything. For strippers, I have to recommend Hansen Hobbies again, although they're out of the 10-22 variety. Unfortunately, their strippers are no longer color coded by "size" (our 10-22 is red, and the 14-26 blue). This looks nice, but I've never used it, so I can't vouch for it. Get flush cutters (not dykes/diagonals - those are pseudo-flush cut); you can use them to trim leads, but also more importantly, zip ties (All Electronics carries them, but we bought ours using the Digikey PDV, although I'd expect that the ones All Electronics supplies is as reliable, if inferior quality). A multimeter (preferably small, like Digikey DM87C-ND or BK2700-ND; we use the latter). An ammeter is handy and important, but is arguably less critical. A small flathead screwdriver, for all the Wago terminals that we deal with.

Misc: Auto-reset fuses (20A/30A/40A, carried by Andymark). Power inverter for whenever you need to run something that uses AC power off a FRC battery. Battery charger. Joysticks (or gamepads, whichever one you use).

[MichaelBick]

We've been restocking our supplies too!

Everything that Slijin listed is perfect. A couple of things that I want to add on:

General: I've found this list from 971 immensely helpful for restocking. They list MC product numbers for almost everything which is really good if you are in a bind during season. In addition they list the fasteners for the small FP and Banebot motors at the end.

Wires: For all your wires except for the battery wires, I highly reccomend Zip Wire. It keeps your wiring clean.

Connectors: Flanged Connectors are really nice for all your victor wiring.

Quick Disconnects: You also need 1/4 female quick disconnects for the Spikes.

Tools: Chain Tools. If you use 25 chain I really like the Dark Sould Chain Tool.

Storage: Recently we bot these boxes from Mcmaster and love them.

[sanddrag]

My favorite small parts storage box would be the Stack-On 17-Compartment Storage Box-Red The red ones are really inexpensive right now. This is the cheapest I've ever seen them. They come in several colors, but it seems the green ones we have cannot be purchased anywhere any more. We have 17 of them and I could use about 8 more. You can fit 8 of them in a standard FIRST KOP crate.

[Jon Stratis]

Some great suggestions so far. As you go through the build season, keep a running list of everything you've purchased (receipts and invoices are great to help with this!). Then before competition, go through what you have in stock and compare against the list. Buy anything you don't have spares of!

Oh, and a couple of good, strong locks and a battery-backup cellular enabled GPS unit might come in handy too

[DonRotolo]

Not trying to be snarky, but maybe something to deter a repeat theft, like one of those "boots" the Philadelphia parking cops use?

[rsisk]

Don, you can be snarky any time you want

I have already implemented several additional security measures. For example, I don't leave it overnight in places where I am not.

I got one of the boot type locks for the wheels. The boot was off after a couple installations and now the claw portion no longer opens. I'm going to drop the boot for strong cable going between the wheels (trailer has a double axle).

[Alex Cormier]

Is it time for Graphics?

[R.C.]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

My favorite small parts storage box would be the Stack-On 17-Compartment Storage Box-Red The red ones are really inexpensive right now. This is the cheapest I've ever seen them. They come in several colors, but it seems the green ones we have cannot be purchased anywhere any more. We have 17 of them and I could use about 8 more. You can fit 8 of them in a standard FIRST KOP crate.

Totally didnt' know Amazon sold these, we've always gotten then from Sears. But Rich, David is right. These are really awesome, I think we own about 20 or more.

-RC

[Calvin Hartley]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

My favorite small parts storage box would be the Stack-On 17-Compartment Storage Box-Red The red ones are really inexpensive right now. This is the cheapest I've ever seen them. They come in several colors, but it seems the green ones we have cannot be purchased anywhere any more. We have 17 of them and I could use about 8 more. You can fit 8 of them in a standard FIRST KOP crate.

Inexpensive is right. $5.16 a piece. It may be prudent to order some now while they're 75% off.

[Wayne Doenges]

I have already implemented several additional security measures. For example, I don't leave it overnight in places where I am not.

FRC Team 1501 uses a robust Ball Lock. It goes into the ball receiver and has inverted "U" that locks into it. You would need a hefty cut off grinder to remove.

[rsisk]

Originally Posted by Wayne Doenges

FRC Team 1501 uses a robust Ball Lock. It goes into the ball receiver and has inverted "U" that locks into it. You would need a hefty cut off grinder to remove.

I had a ball lock on the trailer that ws stolen. I'm guessing it failed the robust test

Do you have a link to the type you use?

[amesmich]

Just a question as a rookie team mentor. How many team bring a trailer? How common is it? Do 50% of the teams bring one? I have a 6X9 enclosed trailer, is that similar to what most teams bring? I assume you keep parts and common tools/ machines in there for on the site repair? I am just trying to get a handle on how prepared to be.

[Alan Anderson]

The TechnoKats trailer carries everything that will be brought into the pit area. That includes workbench(es), battery cart with batteries and chargers, toolbox(es), spare parts, more spare parts, raw materials, buttons or other giveaways, scouting paraphernalia, spirit gear, mascot costume, power cords, lights, vacuum cleaner, wastebasket, safety glasses, electrical supplies, whiteboard(s) and markers, signs, pit displays and structure, tools, more tools, shelves, peer awards, extra spare parts, anything from the Kit of Parts that we didn't use but other teams might find useful, shop rags, grease, rivets, a heat gun, zip ties galore, extra t-shirts, hardware, computers, video monitors, yet more spare parts, and a robot cart. Plus a bagged robot. Sometimes another team's toolbox and bagged robot too. (After we broke a joystick in an unplanned tumble, the Driver Station typically gets a place of honor in the tow vehicle rather than in the trailer.)

I'm not counting the trailer's spare tire or the mass of tie-down straps we use to keep things in place.

Twice we've planned ahead and made sure there would be plenty of room to bring back the used carpet for our practice field. Many years ago there was also a propane-fired heater and a stock of paper goods for when the teachers provided lunch to the team in the parking lot.

[ehfeinberg]

Originally Posted by amesmich

Just a question as a rookie team mentor. How many team bring a trailer? How common is it? Do 50% of the teams bring one? I have a 6X9 enclosed trailer, is that similar to what most teams bring? I assume you keep parts and common tools/ machines in there for on the site repair? I am just trying to get a handle on how prepared to be.

I'd say that 30-40% of teams have at least some sort of trailer/transport to move their robot/tools/pit to competition. Unless you are traveling a long distance away (ie nationals) you really don't need to pack up your entire shop in the trailer. Most teams bring excess metal/mounting parts/or what ever they need to finish their robot at competition. Very few teams bring power tools to competition, IRCC there was one or two teams at Chesapeake last year who had a Drill Press or a Band Saw.

At all competitions there is a portable NASA machine shop with more machines then most teams have in their shops. And if you need a part, you either bring it in your pit or ask one of the 50 other teams at competition to loan you the part.