**FIRST EMAIL**/Advance Material List for the 2005 Competition Now Available!

[Paradox1350]

A lot of people have been talking about the 35 ANSI Chain Loink connector. If you look it up on McMaster (http://www.mcmaster.com) you can see that it's a part for holding something up, or lifting something. Perhaps there will be something suspended in the air?

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Paradox1350

A lot of people have been talking about the 35 ANSI Chain Loink connector. If you look it up on McMaster (http://www.mcmaster.com) you can see that it's a part for holding something up, or lifting something. Perhaps there will be something suspended in the air?

Try typing in the part number, not the name. You will see that it is a connecting link for #35 roller chain.

ChrisH

[Skabana159]

Originally Posted by MikeDubreuil

There's 100 feet of 1 1/4 in. Sch. 40 Electrical Conduit. Hmm... with all this pipe- anyone thinking of Ladder Logic?

I would find this extremely hard to believe. I think it is well precedented that robots be barred for even touching the PVC parts, much less putting thier entire weight on them. Remeber how we had to grab steel bars on the soccer ball game

[kmcclary]

Originally Posted by MikeDubreuil

There's 100 feet of 1 1/4 in. Sch. 40 Electrical Conduit. Hmm... with all this pipe- anyone thinking of Ladder Logic?

Doubt it. And not enough connectors to make a complex PVC "ball" to grab either, unless wood is involved.

I'm going to assume the PVC is EITHER for yet another goal with fingers pointed up, or else up to 12 "rungs" on a ladder with wooden sides. Holes in the wood and the caps nicely act as retainers for a ladder. You also have enough plywood again for a 4x4' by two layer base again, to form a static version of last year's rolling goal.

Note that the only significant steel in the BOM is the four washers (item 14).
Their 2" diameter would nicely work with the magnet.

One possibility is that the washers are mounted in various positions on the static item, and that the magnet is attached to the box, making a grabbing "token" that can have up to four separate positions.

Another interesting thing to note is that you can EXACTLY cover two sides of the plastic box with the four washers (two per side), to make a box that can be easily PLACED onto the magnet by the robot.

I HIGHLY doubt that the magnet goes on the robot. A good use for it would be to have either Hall Effect sensors or Reed Switch in the kit, and DETECT the magnet with the robot.

But, I'm pretty sure that the washers and the magnet do go together.

Hey... You could make a "magnetically selectable" device of some kind with four detent positions! Imagine a "selector switch" for three alliances and Zero, that robots would have to "set" to determine who would own the points in the goal. (Probably not that much fun though... You'd be fighting over the "switch", or hovering over it.)

Since there is no chain included, the ANSI 35 link is probably a "poor man's coupler/hinge", to add a degree of freedom to something small on the assembly.

BTW... Does anyone here think that the quantities of the 4-40 and 10-24 nuts are misprinted?? There are (5) 4-40 screws and (2) 10-24 screws, but the OPPOSITE quantities of nuts for them.

- Keith

[dubious elise]

after some discussions i had today, i really think that those PVC endcaps will be for short pieces that would be used as game/scoring pieces, like the balls were last year. i was told that we would need 1000 endcaps overall to build the entire field, though only 24 are listed on the advance materials list.

[Max Lobovsky]

You were told? by whom?

[dubious elise]

great question max. a mentor stated today that she recieved a follow-up email concerning the list that stated this figure and also said that you would need 100-150 encaps minimum to build a practice field. i'm not a big advocate of spreading erroneous rumors, so if any of you can verify/denounce this, please let me know!

[Max Lobovsky]

Sounds pretty specious. You'd think it would be posted about if anyone else had heard it...

[Barry Bonzack]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

I think with the relatively small amount of materials (in relation to previous years) that the field will be mostly flat.

if its a mostly flat field with fewer objects, would that make for more room for 6 robots on the field at the same time?

[rees2001]

Originally Posted by MikeDubreuil

There's 100 feet of 1 1/4 in. Sch. 40 Electrical Conduit. Hmm... with all this pipe- anyone thinking of Ladder Logic?

With all of this talk about the PVC, magnet, the washers that go "with" the magnet, the endcaps, the polycarb tube...why has nobody pointed out the schedule 80 PVC tube, which btw is NOT available at our local Home Depot.
Everything else has been pretty easy to get, Looks like I'll need to contact a plumbing supply or electrical supply store.

& yes I believe the chain the magnet & the 2 washers go together.

[ebmonon36]

Originally Posted by dubious elise

after some discussions i had today, i really think that those PVC endcaps will be for short pieces that would be used as game/scoring pieces, like the balls were last year. i was told that we would need 1000 endcaps overall to build the entire field, though only 24 are listed on the advance materials list.

24 endcaps + 24 of the 1/4" bolts = magnetic scoring item - or not
Eric