[OCCRA]: How far are you?

[Jason W]

So now that our first compitition is closing in on us, how is everybody coming along with their bots? Being pretty much a rookie team this year, and being the placebo team last year, we are wondering how our progress is going compared to everyone elses, not to mention it be fun to get a few glimpses at everyone in their early stages.


Right now we have a solid Chassis put together, most of the drive train componets cut and ready to be bolted together, and wheels ready to have the sprockets Bolted on : ). Also as soon as we get our electrical connectors bought we can actually get the electrical box put back together

How about all of you, hows everybody looking?

[iheartpi]

Our team got of to a slow start...a very slow start. But now we are finally making progress. We have a rolling chassis, and with one more chain and a few wires our 'bot will be drivable. Too bad driving will be all it is able to do for a few days.

How is everyone else doing on weight? We weighed in at 49 lbs this morning...the new weight limit is going to be a challenge for us. I have a feeling we will be drilling lots and lots of holes again.

So what is the biggest challenge for other teams out there?

[Jason W]

The biggest challenge of course is fitting the carpet properly on the control board.

We got off to a slow start too, we had 4 years worth of the same metal hand me downs, so luckily we where donated some new metal to work with. Something about metal with only a inch here and there with no holes just wasn't working.

So far mostly materials have been our setbacks, but will see how it goes once we start working on the manip we are planning... Atleast the drive will be strong, its a well supported rectangle : )

[Josh Murphy]

We will be done with everything tomorrow. We have everything done mechanically and just have to finish the wiring tomorrow. we will or should be practicing by thursday mid day or friday morning.

[wackiejackie7nf]

Well supported rectangle..sounds so familiar! I feel like two weeks until the regional is closing in VERY very quickly!!! The weight thing is so frustrating, becausse there is many cool ideas going around about how to do get everything accomplished, and so much we can't do because of the weight, so annoying! the challenge is nice, just annoying . This is my first OCCRA build/design, i am absolutly amazed and how quickly things are changing between everybody working together on the team and sharing ideas and getting stuff done. Really really cool.
How much is everybody else working on this thing during adn after school?

[Jason W]

During school? That would mean you aren't paying attention to the teachers.... Come on now... I mean i don't have like 5 pages of drive and manip concepts next to math homework..... That would be wrong... school is for schoolwork.... : ) (really confuses the kids next to me who can see my notebook)

We recently had our homecoming ballets.... Did anyone else vote for the 3d sketch of the corner of your robot..... Hehehehe.. they gave me paper so i continued designs... It didn't win homecoming court though... i was sad.

At least i did that in my cad class

[wackiejackie7nf]

Well i'm glad to know i'm not the only working working ever so hard in my math english and public speaking class, on those subjects of course haha. Are you guys working after school every day or no?

[Jason W]

We have been working Wednesday Thursday and Sunday for 3-4 hours each. However I am thinking with competition closing in on us, that maybe will add another day or two. Good question, I was wondering how much each team was meeting too.

[Josh Murphy]

We meet every day of the week. We pretty much finished up today all we have left is shielding. We get a lot done every day. I have class for 3 hours of the day where I work on it, and about 5 or 6 of the other students have it 2 hours a day plus we work on it during lunch. We also stay after school from 2:10 to about 4:30 or 5:00 on most nights.

[Squirt_47]

Yeah Josh we barely ever get any sleep. during the build season on occra the school is our home huh.

Originally Posted by Josh Murphy

We meet every day of the week. We pretty much finished up today all we have left is shielding. We get a lot done every day. I have class for 3 hours of the day where I work on it, and about 5 or 6 of the other students have it 2 hours a day plus we work on it during lunch. We also stay after school from 2:10 to about 4:30 or 5:00 on most nights.

[wackiejackie7nf]

Originally Posted by Squirt_47

Yeah Josh we barely ever get any sleep. during the build season on occra the school is our home huh.

That sound so familiar, i keep leaving anything fro mmy sweatshirts to water bottles to glasses in there..."wheres jackie" "the cad room" haha....its home lol. Way too many pizzas have been eaten there now

[Josh Murphy]

Originally Posted by Squirt_47

Yeah Josh we barely ever get any sleep. during the build season on occra the school is our home huh.

You have not seen nothing yet wait untill FIRST starts.

[wackiejackie7nf]

Originally Posted by Josh Murphy

You have not seen nothing yet wait untill FIRST starts.

First pretty much takes over your entire life....live, breath and eat a robot lol. but its gosh darn fun...somehow, i seemed to have changed a lot of my friends in those couple months lol.

[Jason W]

What do you mean when first starts? When did it stop? hehehe Its really convient to have most all your friends joined on the team, and its really really nice when your girlfriend is on the team : )

Is there any other teams out there who are working from a garage? hehehe

[wackiejackie7nf]

Originally Posted by Jason W

What do you mean when first starts? When did it stop? hehehe Its really convient to have most all your friends joined on the team, and its really really nice when your girlfriend is on the team : )

Is there any other teams out there who are working from a garage? hehehe

the time consuming part of first gets put on pause for SOME of the team during OCCRA haha. and yeah..that boyfriend girlfriend thing on teh team is aamazing..i guess unless you break up. haha, but you can't exactly go through a season of FIRST OR OCCRA without making a heck of a lot of friends on the team