We Need Help!!!!!!!

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Posted by Travis Covington.

Student on team #115, MV ROBOTICS, from Monta Vista High School and Hitachi Data Systems - 3com - NASA Ames.

Posted on 4/2/2000 5:50 PM MST


In Reply to: systematic is the way to go. posted by Daniel on 4/2/2000 5:34 PM MST:



: 1) Perhaps your driver is working too much against
the clock in the matches and is working too much to
keep the robot alive during practice. Sudden changes
in direction whether the moter is on dynamic breaking
or not cause problems. Quick acceleration is also a
cause of heating up. You need to be nice to these
motors. Watch the driver and see how he moves the
joysticks. He cant use the robot like he's playing a
computer game. Motion needs to be gradual. It's a
delicate machine.

-on that note...I am the driver and honestly I was a
lot harder on the robot during practice than I was
during qualifying...AND the left side dies as soon as
the bot gets to the other side of the field or shortly
after we get a couple of balls.

: 2) Are you playing for heavy contact? Do you do a
lot of pushing? This also could cause problems.

Again no, we really have no contact when these problems
occur. We were not very aggresive. It seemed to
happen even with no contact with other robots.

: All the things I mentioned could be problems and
then the smallest wiring bug could be the real
problem...

This is really what I think we need to concentrate on,
we didnt rerally think our wiring was bad but I bet it
is. That was one of the only things we did not check.
Im pretty sure (like you said) that we need to solder
all crimps and connections. I hope that is the
problem.

Thank you so much for the help...everyone

[archiver]

Posted by Travis Covington.

Student on team #115, MV ROBOTICS, from Monta Vista High School and Hitachi Data Systems - 3com - NASA Ames.

Posted on 4/2/2000 5:34 PM MST


In Reply to: Suck and See posted by Dodd Stacy on 4/2/2000 4:13 PM MST:



Okay

Sounds good. Weve done some of these things but not
all. Thanks for the suggestions. I am almost positive
it is a wiring problem somewhere, a loose wire or
short... possibly on our giant conductor (our base is
3/16 aluminum plate) whoops!

Travis

[archiver]

Posted by Daniel.

Coach on team #483, BORG, from Berkeley High School and NASA Ames & UC Berkeley.

Posted on 4/2/2000 5:38 PM MST


In Reply to: Re: Suck and See posted by Travis Covington on 4/2/2000 5:34 PM MST:



You can make quick conects fit tighter with a pair of pliars. You don't want those to be a loose connection.

However I don't think it's a short. It works during practice, yah? Think about the differences between practice and competition. Nothing says your wires should only short during competition rounds. Seems pretty unprobable.

Do check though.

Watch those joystics. Make sure your driver isn't going crazy, cuz if he/she is...just wait til florida heat makes that problem about 10x worse.

Good luck again!
-Daniel

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Posted by Matt Rock.

Student on team #115, MVRT, from Monta Vista High School.

Posted on 4/2/2000 6:25 PM MST


In Reply to: also... posted by Daniel on 4/2/2000 5:38 PM MST:



I can assure you its not the driver. He practiced all summer with last years robot and got quite good at it. When the robot works he can do everything and a little more smoothly and without a hitch. And when it comes to florida, if we get the robot working, you'll get to see just how good he is. Good Luck to all, and thanks for all of the suggestions.

: You can make quick conects fit tighter with a pair of pliars. You don't want those to be a loose connection.

: However I don't think it's a short. It works during practice, yah? Think about the differences between practice and competition. Nothing says your wires should only short during competition rounds. Seems pretty unprobable.

: Do check though.

: Watch those joystics. Make sure your driver isn't going crazy, cuz if he/she is...just wait til florida heat makes that problem about 10x worse.

: Good luck again!
: -Daniel

[archiver]

Posted by Daniel.

Coach on team #483, BORG, from Berkeley High School and NASA Ames & UC Berkeley.

Posted on 4/2/2000 8:51 PM MST


In Reply to: Re: also... posted by Matt Rock on 4/2/2000 6:25 PM MST:



I'm not questioning that he's good. I'm questioning that he's hard on the robot. It could be that your last years robot could take a little more of a beating than this years robot can. All it takes is a LITTLE too much heat and those breakers trip. It's not a gradual thing where it gets worse and worse. One second it's working and the next it's not.

It's worth checking.

-Daniel

[archiver]

Posted by Matt Rock.

Student on team #115, MVRT, from Monta Vista High School and Hitachi Data Systems - 3Com - NASA Ames.

Posted on 4/4/2000 7:59 PM MST


In Reply to: Re: also... posted by Daniel on 4/2/2000 8:51 PM MST:



Sorry, I worded that alittle wrong, he's a great driver blah blah blah, but he is actually very smooth and 'gentle' with the machine, but thanks for all the ideas, and i think we will be able to fix it at nationals, thanks again to all. Good Luck and Have fun, not much time left now....

-Matt

: I'm not questioning that he's good. I'm questioning that he's hard on the robot. It could be that your last years robot could take a little more of a beating than this years robot can. All it takes is a LITTLE too much heat and those breakers trip. It's not a gradual thing where it gets worse and worse. One second it's working and the next it's not.

: It's worth checking.

: -Daniel

[archiver]

Posted by Travis Covington.

Student on team #115, MV ROBOTICS, from Monta Vista High School and Hitachi Data Systems - 3com - NASA Ames.

Posted on 4/2/2000 8:49 PM MST


In Reply to: We Need Help!!!!!!! posted by Travis Covington on 4/2/2000 10:55 AM MST:



Id just like to thank everyone for all the help.

Im sure when we get to florida we will have this
problem fixed in no time.

Good luck to all the teams out there.

And dont forget to HAVE FUN!!

Travis

[archiver]

Posted by Travis Covington.

Student on team #115, MV ROBOTICS, from Monta Vista High School and Hitachi Data Systems - 3com - NASA Ames.

Posted on 4/10/2000 7:21 PM MST


In Reply to: We Need Help!!!!!!! posted by Travis Covington on 4/2/2000 10:55 AM MST:



Well Ive got good news.

The problem we had with our drivetrtain was nothing major. In fact It was probably the 1st thing we should have looked at.

1st thing I did when we opened the crate at nationals was look at those crimp connectors...and guess what. I started to take off the wire with the crimp on it butall i got off was the wire.

yup...it was a loose crimp connector that caused all those problems. But we fixed it and everything went well, no problems at nationals.

Id like to thank everyone for the help, and if this happens again and is not the crimp, ill sure know how to fix it.

THANK YOU SO MCH FOR ALL THE HELP EVERYONE


Travis

also: we really did feel like idiots when i pulled that crimp off, but it was a learning expirience ...right?