No Ship Day?

[DampRobot]

This was mentioned to me at dinner tonight, and as after the requisite five minutes of shipping nothing had turned up, I thought that she just might have stumbled across something interesting...

There's no official ship or bag and tag date on the official FIRST calendar. All of the award deadlines are on there, and most of the regional dates. Could it be that there will be no ship date and an open build season? Given that the traditional ship date is always the seventh Tuesday after kickoff, and kickoff appears to be scheduled, shouldn't we seriously consider Manchester considering a non-conventional length or open build season? Wouldn't they normally just put bag and tag day on the calendar?

On the other hand, it could be that I'm missing something huge, or that FIRST doesn't usually post bag and tag day.

Interesting idea, but I think it's more likely that it's just not on the calendar yet for some silly reason or another. Remember Frank's blog post about how they like the idea of a stop build time?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Please note that there is a very limited number of 2014 entries and most of these are for awards.

[rick.oliver]

Very interesting. Kick off is listed, but no Bag 'N Tag date. I don't recall not seeing the date listed by this time. Not going to read in anything either, but will hope that positive change is coming.

[Pault]

I'm just going to leave this here. Take it as you will.

Originally Posted by FRC Blog

This topic [The necessity of stop build day] has been on my mind lately, and to answer the second part of your question, FRC is carefully exploring it and our alternatives. We are constantly looking for ways to improve all aspects of our program. I don’t want to get everyone excited, though, no change is imminent, and any significant change to this aspect of the program, which represents a core part of what it means to be FRC, would need to go to the very top for approval.

source

[E Dawg]

Intriguing...

Although having more days to work on the robot would be excellent, I hope that there is a set bag'n'tag date. 6 weeks is already a lot of time (especially for the mentors) away from family. I should think that HQ wouldn't increase the time longer than it already is.

In addition, I think that increasing the build time may give some teams an unfair advantage at Nationals. Since competitions are staggered over the course of several weeks, those teams who have earlier events are at a disadvantage compared to other teams, especially those who can only afford to go to one event (other than Nationals, of course).

[AllenGregoryIV]

Originally Posted by E Dawg

Intriguing...

Although having more days to work on the robot would be excellent, I hope that there is a set bag'n'tag date. 6 weeks is already a lot of time (especially for the mentors) away from family. I should think that HQ wouldn't increase the time longer than it already is.

In addition, I think that increasing the build time may give some teams an unfair advantage at Nationals. Since competitions are staggered over the course of several weeks, those teams who have earlier events are at a disadvantage compared to other teams, especially those who can only afford to go to one event (other than Nationals, of course).

Before this thread goes to much further, anyone with an opinon on this issue should first read through this thread. The 442 posts pretty much encompass every argument and view point on the issue.

[khanh111]

The Pacific Northwest is switching to a district model this year. Two main changes to bag n' tag will apply for us. These are in the interest of saving time that would otherwise be used on competition day.

1. There will be FIRST-certified inspectors who can inspect your robots and tell you the issues.

2. Teams will have 6 hours, divided up into a max of three individual instances, where they can unbag the robot and work on it.

The district model is still being refined, so these may change slightly, but I've posted the gist of it.

[DampRobot]

Originally Posted by khanh111

The Pacific Northwest is switching to a district model this year. Two main changes to bag n' tag will apply for us. These are in the interest of saving time that would otherwise be used on competition day.

1. There will be FIRST-certified inspectors who can inspect your robots and tell you the issues.

2. Teams will have 6 hours, divided up into a max of three individual instances, where they can unbag the robot and work on it.

The district model is still being refined, so these may change slightly, but I've posted the gist of it.

So, just to be clear, the inspectors inspect your robot while it would normally be bagged, or the inspectors make sure it's bagged and unbagged for the right lengths of time?

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by DampRobot

So, just to be clear, the inspectors inspect your robot while it would normally be bagged, or the inspectors make sure it's bagged and unbagged for the right lengths of time?

From what I got from the webcast, the intent is to have inspectors looking at robots prior to the district events so that teams can more easily pass inspection in the abbreviated practice time at a district versus the full day we have traditionally had at regionals. It sounded as if the details were very much a work in progress, but that HQ was very interested in the idea and making it work.

[Steven Donow]

Originally Posted by Ian Curtis

From what I got from the webcast, the intent is to have inspectors looking at robots prior to the district events so that teams can more easily pass inspection in the abbreviated practice time at a district versus the full day we have traditionally had at regionals. It sounded as if the details were very much a work in progress, but that HQ was very interested in the idea and making it work.

So, if I'm reading this correctly, it's an opportunity to use your 6 hour unbag time(which existed in FiM and MAR) and go to a predetermined location where you can (essentially) go through a preliminary, unofficial inspection by official FIRST inspectors?

[BrendanB]

Last week we got an email from our director for NH & VT saying that in the NEFIRST model the day before your competitions from 5-10 (preliminary and subject to change) teams are allowed to load in their event, pits open, and get inspected. Robots enter the event that evening bagged and at the conclusion of the event leave bagged. There has been talk of the 6 hour work window as used in Michingan and MAR but nothing official has been said. It sounds like this method is becoming standard for the two day district events.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by khanh111

The Pacific Northwest is switching to a district model this year. Two main changes to bag n' tag will apply for us. These are in the interest of saving time that would otherwise be used on competition day.

1. There will be FIRST-certified inspectors who can inspect your robots and tell you the issues.

2. Teams will have 6 hours, divided up into a max of three individual instances, where they can unbag the robot and work on it.

The district model is still being refined, so these may change slightly, but I've posted the gist of it.

1. This is something that the PNW district has asked for, it is still under consideration by FIRST headquarters.

2. The 6 hour un-bag time in the week preceding your district events was what was done last season in FiM and MAR. The minimum un-bag time is 2hrs per opening of the bag. So you could do 3-2 hr sessions, 2-3hr, 1-4hr + 1-2hr or 1-6hr. This is unlikely to change as it represents a change from the 8hr un-bag time that was used in the first years of the FiM district.

Originally Posted by DampRobot

So, just to be clear, the inspectors inspect your robot while it would normally be bagged, or the inspectors make sure it's bagged and unbagged for the right lengths of time?

This would be an additional un-bagged time in which teams are not allowed to do any work on the robot, nor power it up other than as necessary for inspection, for example to verify proper operation of a pneumatics system.

Originally Posted by DevenStonow

So, if I'm reading this correctly, it's an opportunity to use your 6 hour unbag time(which existed in FiM and MAR) and go to a predetermined location where you can (essentially) go through a preliminary, unofficial inspection by official FIRST inspectors?

As mentioned above it is in addition to the 6hrs of un-bag time to work on the robot.

What the PNW district is proposing that we would come up with a number of places where teams could bring their robot to have it officially pre-inspected, it would be done by official FIRST inspectors and the document would then be brought to the event where the inspection would be completed. The goal would be to catch potential problem areas so team can use some of their 6hr un-bag time to fix problems.

Since the goal is for all districts to have the same rules, starting this season, I would fully expect all districts to have this option IF FIRST approves of it.

[JohnBoucher]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

before your first competition from 5-10 (preliminary and subject to change)

Suggesting inspections will be different at your second event?

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by JohnBoucher

Suggesting inspections will be different at your second event?

Meant to say "first day of competition". Fixed now.