Legality of "Walkie-Talkie" at the Championship

[GuyM142]

Can someone tell me if it is legal to use radio communication devices? (usually called "Walkie-Talkie")
We look for a good way for the drive team to communicate with the stands (between matches),
we couldn't find any rule prohibiting the use of them but we worry it is still forbidden.

[zinthorne]

It is illegal to communicate with anybody outside of the driverstation during a match. I do not know what the rules are if you wanted to connect from lets say the pits to the stands.

[GuyM142]

Originally Posted by zinthorne

It is illegal to communicate with anybody outside of the driverstation during a match. I do not know what the rules are if you wanted to connect from lets say the pits to the stands.

It will be used only between matches (during queuing).

[Loose Screw]

R84: Other than the system provided by the ARENA, no other form of wireless communications shall be used to communicate to,
from, or within the OPERATOR CONSOLE.

That's the only rule I could find, but that's about controling the robot. I know FTC has a specific rule on communications during a match, but nothing inbetween.

There should be no rules against what you're describing, but keep in mind that cell phones have a pretty rough time in arenas.

[Joe Ross]

See section 4.14 of the Admin manual

Please read the following common site restrictions and adhere to them in order to promote an orderly, safe, pleasant and exciting competition.
...
Do not use walkie-talkies

[GuyM142]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

See section 4.14 of the Admin manual

Thank you!

[RyanCahoon]

Maybe buy a couple of prepaid/"burner" cell phones?

[MooreteP]

Originally Posted by RyanCahoon

Maybe buy a couple of prepaid/"burner" cell phones?

Are you Heisenberg?

[The other Gabe]

I am a big fan of texting when the drive team is not easily reachable. however, the Edwards Dome does not always let that happen

[Munchskull]

How about a string and two cans?

[alicen]

The biggest problem with using walkie-talkies that I see is the fact that that's how FIRST runs the event. (At least in my experience)
ref squads are each on a walkie channel, scoring/FTA have a channel, then all of the other people who run the different areas of the event.

There may not be any channels left over with 8 fields going on!

[kevin.li.rit]

Originally Posted by The other Gabe

I am a big fan of texting when the drive team is not easily reachable. however, the Edwards Dome does not always let that happen

There's a new distributed antenna system operating inside the dome and convention center so cell coverage and capacity should be much better.

[dag0620]

Originally Posted by alicen

The biggest problem with using walkie-talkies that I see is the fact that that's how FIRST runs the event. (At least in my experience)
ref squads are each on a walkie channel, scoring/FTA have a channel, then all of the other people who run the different areas of the event.

There may not be any channels left over with 8 fields going on!

Thats why the rule exists banning them. It has nothing to do with strategy, its simply to keep channels free for event staff to use. Like you said at a normal event there's various channels in use, and with 8 fields going on it will get even tighter. The last thing you'd want to do is stumble across a field channel, or worse the EMT channel and cause confusion.

[Chris_Elston]

One year at Championships...I can't remember which year. I asked Pit Admin if we could use a 2-Way Professional Radio. Not a "walkie-talkie".

Something like this:
http://wwww.factoryoutletstore.com/c...S-Series-.html

We was on a UHF freq that did not interfere with the event radios, and they gave permission to use the 2-way radio from pits to stands. But the radio could not be on the drive team of course.

Is it a case that these rules say DO NOT USE "walkie-talkie" but if you have a professional 2-way radio, that they give you permission to use it? Anyone else gotten the "ok" to use a 2-way radio?

I don't view a 2-way radio as a walkie-talkie. I have shown the same radio to some of the Regional Events FTA/Pit Admin and District Events FTA/Pit Admin, and sometimes they said "ok" sometimes they said "no" even when I showed them it was not a "walkie-talkie". I assume if they started to allow 2-way radios, that everyone would have them. This year in Indiana, we had the same FTA for all the events we went too and was told "no" at the first event so I assume the ruling would be the same for the rest of the season events we attended, so we just left the 2-way radios home for every Indiana event we went too.

A Push to Talk phone is the same thing or a phone call works the same too....That's what we do when 2-way is not allowed.

[Sperkowsky]

Early on during a match our robot got stuck on the scoring platform. Our drive coach thought it was funny so he took out his phone.

One yellow card later we have learned a lesson.