[OCCRA]: OCCRA Update #1 9/13/06

[Mike Martus]

Update #1
--We have another new team: please add Detroit Catholic Central (in Novi) as the 27th team in the league. South Lyon is also new this year and both teams may need some tech support from the surrounding veterans ( Walled Lk., N. Farmington maybe?)

---Each team that has been involved in OCCRA over the years should have 3 of the ball sizes already in your inventory: 6", 10", and 13". We have never used the 16" before so you do not have them. I will bring a bunch of them to the workshops for you to pick up, no charge. If you have other requests for parts, send me a copy of your inventory sheet with the needed items marked and I will get them sent to you ASAP.


---You may not tip the mobile goals over! I'm not sure it's even possible, but don't make it part of your strategy: it is illegal.


---You may not interfere with the teeter-totter goal except by grabbing the torque bars (which will be made of steel pipe on the competition goal). This means that you can't wedge a ball underneath it to keep it from tipping, either.


---The replacement motor for the Denso motors (also formerly made by Valeo) and referrred to as "Denso wiper motor or clutched liftgate motor" ) has an 11mm shaft on it, not 3/8" like all the previous motors that we have had in the kit. Teams that are planning to use the new motor will either have to turn down the shaft (not recommended) or drill the hole bigger in the split-tapered bushing. If you do not have an 11mm drill bit, a 7/16th inch bit works OK.

---The other new motor, the Globe motor, has a 1/4" output shaft that can be used with the trantorques and the 12-tooth sprockets.


---If you want to move the mobile goal around you must grab it by one of the metal bars: do not grab or push on it anywhere else.

The workshop schedule has been set but the locations are still tentative: if any of the schools that have expressed an interest in hosting can't book the room, our fall-back plan will be to have the workshop at OSTCNE. The workshops will all start at 4 P.M. and will finish at 6 P.M. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided (assorted chips, water and pop) at each workshop. We also plan for all workshops to have a major "hands-on" component and we will supply the parts to do that.
Each team may send as many people (adults and students) as they like. The workshop schedule is:
Royal Oak on Sept. 14th: Chassis and drive train
Jewish Community Center (in West Bloomfield) on Sept. 19th for electrical systems and controls & general building techniques
Orchard Lk. St. Mary's on Sept. 21st for Pneumatics and end effectors
Bro. Rice/Marion (in Bloomfield Hills) on Sept. 26th for programming and sensors.

No date has been set yet for the VEX workshop, but it will probably be the first week or so in October.