pic: 494 Power Module

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[JulieB]

NICE

VERY GOOD LAYOUT

[henryBsick]

I hope you guys don't go into a match with a battery lower than 13.0v. 10 speed controllers for 10 motors. I also see that there is no spike meaning no pneumatics, I am prety sure you didn't have pneumatics last year, but wow...ten motors I can feel the current draw already.
Very nice job on the wiring.

[ntroup]

Good Job on keeping everything nice and clean! I love the look.

I do have one question. I see that the 6AWG going to the breaker panels are not using the SLU-70 terminals that are supplied in the kit. From my interpretation of the rules and investigation, I thought that they were required a) on the battery, b) on the main 120A circuit breaker, and c) on the circuit breaker panel.

Is this an incorrect interpretation? I would be ecstatic if you said there was a Q/A answer saying that we could use other connectors, but it seems that <R48> (and the associated graphic to <R48>) says otherwise.

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your bot
-Nate

['lil Gach]

Looks Good!!!!! I also like the nice clean look.. It will be a lot easier to work on it if it is clean...

Great Job!

Tiffany

[Mr. Van]

Originally Posted by ntroup

I do have one question. I see that the 6AWG going to the breaker panels are not using the SLU-70 terminals that are supplied in the kit. From my interpretation of the rules and investigation, I thought that they were required a) on the battery, b) on the main 120A circuit breaker, and c) on the circuit breaker panel.

Is this an incorrect interpretation? I would be ecstatic if you said there was a Q/A answer saying that we could use other connectors, but it seems that <R48> (and the associated graphic to <R48>) says otherwise.
-Nate

We only got 6 connectors in the kit. From what I can tell you need 8. Where can we get two more?

BTW, nice job on the layout.

-Mr. Van
Coach, 599

[ntroup]

Originally Posted by Mr. Van

We only got 6 connectors in the kit. From what I can tell you need 8. Where can we get two more?

BTW, nice job on the layout.

-Mr. Van
Coach, 599

I actually found them at Home Depot, in the electrical connector section. I think they were about $1.15 for two connectors, which seemed to be an okay price when you didn't add on shipping and wait-time for ordering online.

-Nate

[Kyle Love]

That thing rocks! It almost makes me (a mechanical guy) take a stab at trying to make something like that. Good job to 494 and all the other teams making electrical systems like this one!

-Kyle

[Stephen Kowski]

wow.....ok wanna trade?....I think I'm gonna go post that I NEED a 494 Power Module in the CD-Swap...

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by ntroup

I do have one question. I see that the 6AWG going to the breaker panels are not using the SLU-70 terminals that are supplied in the kit. From my interpretation of the rules and investigation, I thought that they were required a) on the battery, b) on the main 120A circuit breaker, and c) on the circuit breaker panel.

Is this an incorrect interpretation? I would be ecstatic if you said there was a Q/A answer saying that we could use other connectors, but it seems that <R48> (and the associated graphic to <R48>) says otherwise.

You are correct that the terminals in the kit are required. However, they have plenty of time to make the relatively minor change.

ID: 996 Section: 5.3.5 Status: Answered Date Answered: 1/12/2005
Q: R48 specifies the use of SLU-70 lugs. Can we use solid copper crimped on lugs, attached with proper lug crimping tools, that have less tendency for wires to work loose, and are more reliably insulated with heat shrink tubing?
A: You must use the lugs provided.

Thanks for the comments and the Quality Control, We will correct the terminals tonight. Appreciate the feedback. Ken

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

You are correct that the terminals in the kit are required. However, they have plenty of time to make the relatively minor change.

[austind27]

Keep up the great work Will. I'm glad to see that you're able to apply everything that you learned on Team RUSH. Your panel is very neat and very well organized. It looks great. Keep up the great work, see you in Detroit, at Western Michigan and at Nationals.
Austin

[want2modmygt]

thanks austin. glad you like it. you'll have to show jimmy and let him know i learned from the best! thanks to jimmy and RUSH my freshman year i was able to do that! now to make the rest of the robot look that neat!!!

are they really going to check that closely for the SLU-70 connectors? I dont like them as much as past years connectors. In my opinion, having the wire screw into the terminal is completely negated by the fact that it then has to be shrink-wraped/electrical taped.


thanks everyone for the compliments!

[ntroup]

Originally Posted by want2modmygt

are they really going to check that closely for the SLU-70 connectors? I dont like them as much as past years connectors. In my opinion, having the wire screw into the terminal is completely negated by the fact that it then has to be shrink-wraped/electrical taped.

I am not sure if they (the inspectors) are going to explicitly look for the SLU-70 connectors or not, but the rules, and the Q&A, seem to dictate pretty clearly that they are required and the only legal form of connector allowed for the 6AWG. I agree that other forms of connectors (as we, ourselves, have used in the past) seem to be better suited for the situation.

I view this as a similar situation to the Anderson Connector discussion....

[sanddrag]

FIRST has had some strange electrical parts and rules over the years. They are good in that they keep teams without much know-how from getting into a dangerous situation, but they are so restrictive that they keep people who know how to build a good electrical system from doing so. FIRST, I ask you this: Why is it that we can be buy carbon fiber box tubing or have custom 689 tooth 37.8 pitch gears (if you could make a drawing for such a thing)wire-EDMed from Titanium, but we cannot use our own preference of simple battery lugs and connectors? And ones that are BETTER than what's in the kit? Why? Why? Why? Let the teams who know how to do good work do good work.

I know the weight limit does not include the batter half of the connector, cable, lugs, and we are trying to keep the weight even but does anyone really care if your opponent's robot has 6 oz. more normal force on it from a different battery cable/lug/connector?